Johnson_the Worship In The Early Church

Lawrence J. Johnson

WORSHIP IN THE EARLY CHURCH

An Anthology of Historical Sources

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Worship in the Early Church

An Anthology of Historical Sources Volume One

Lawrence J. Johnson

A PUE BLO BOOK Liturgical Press  Collegeville, Minnesota www.litpress.org

A Pueblo Book published by Liturgical Press Cover design by David Manahan, osb Excerpt (1), Qaddish: translated, with permission of the publisher, from Enchiridion Euchologicum Fontium Liturgicorum, ed. E. Lodi (Rome: Centro Liturgico Vincensian), p. 19. Copyright © 1979. Excerpts (2, 3, 5, 6), Qiddush for Sabbaths and Feasts, Birkat ha-mazon, Shema< Yi∞ra>el and Its Blessings, Shemoneh Esre: translated, with permission of the publisher, from Prex Eucharistica, ed. A. Hänggi and I. Pahl, Spicilegium Friburgense 12 (Fribourg: Editions Universitaires), pp. 5–7, 9–12, 35–39, 41–54. Copyright © 1968. Excerpt (4), Passover Haggadah: from The Passover Haggadah, ed. N.N. Glatzer (New York: Schocken Books), pp. 17–109. Copyright © 1953, 1969. Reprint permission requested. Excerpt (33-A), Inscription of Pectorius: from Infant Baptism in the First Four Centuries, by J. Jeremias, trans. D. Cairns (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press), p. 42. Copyright © 1962. Reprinted by permission of SCM Press in London. © 2009 by Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, microfilm, microfiche, mechanical recording, photocopying, translation, or by any other means, known or yet unknown, for any purpose except brief quotations in reviews, without the previous written permission of Liturgical Press, Saint John’s Abbey, PO Box 7500, Collegeville, Minnesota 56321-7500. Printed in the United States of America. The Library of Congress has cataloged the printed edition as follows: Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Johnson, Lawrence J., 1933–    Worship in the early church : an anthology of historical sources / Lawrence J.   Johnson.      p.   cm.    “A Pueblo book.”    Includes index.    ISBN 978-0-8146-6197-0 (v. 1) — ISBN 978-0-8146-6198-7 (v. 2) —   ISBN 978-0-8146-6199-4 (v. 3) — ISBN 978-0-8146-6226-7 (v. 4)    1. Worship—History—Early church, ca. 30–600.  2. Church history—Primitive   and early church, ca. 30–600.  I. Title.   BV6.J64  2009   264.00937—dc22 2009035344

Contents Abbreviations  ix Introduction  xxi Chapter I. Jewish Texts. Home and Synagogue  1 1. Qaddish  1 2. Qiddush for Sabbaths and Feasts  2 3. Birkat Ha-mazon  3 4. Passover Haggadah  7 5. Shema< Yi∞ra>el and Its Blessings  23 6. Shemoneh Esre (The Eighteen Blessings)  26 Chapter II. Subapostolic Texts  31 7. The Didache or The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles  31 8. Clement of Rome  41 8-A. Letter to the Corinthians  42 9. Ignatius of Antioch. Letters  46 9-A. To the Ephesians  48 9-B. To the Magnesians  49 9-C. To the Trallians  50 9-D. To the Philadelphians  50 9-E. To the Smyrnians  51 9-F. To Polycarp of Smyrna  51 9-G. To the Romans  52 10. Pastor Hermas  52 10-A. The “Shepherd” of Hermas  53 11. Odes of Solomon  60 11-A. Ode 4  61 11-B. Ode 27  62 12. Polycarp of Smyrna  62 12-A. Letter to the Philippians  62 13. Martyrdom of Polycarp  63 Chapter III. Second Century. West  65 Italy  65

vi  Contents 14. Justin Martyr  65 14-A. Apology I  66 14-B. Dialogue with Trypho the Jew  69 Gaul  70 15. Irenaeus of Lyons  70 15-A. Against (All) Heresies  72 15-B. Demonstration of the Apostolic Teaching  82 Chapter IV. Second Century. East  83 Asia Minor  83 16. Pliny the Younger and Trajan the Emperor  83 16-A. Letter from Pliny the Younger to Trajan the Emperor  84 16-B. Letter from Trajan to Pliny the Younger  85 17. Epistle of the Apostles  85 18. Acts of John  86 19. Acts of Paul  88 20. Acts of Peter  89 21. Melito of Sardis  89 21-A. Homily on the Passion  90 Greece  105 22. Aristides of Athens. Apology  105 Syria  106 23. Theophilus of Antioch  106 23-A. Discourse to Autolychus  107 Egypt  107 24. Letter of Barnabas  107 Chapter V. Third Century. West  111 Africa  111 25. Minucius Felix  111 25-A. The Octavius  111 26. Tertullian  112 26-A. To the Gentiles  116 26-B. Apology  116 26-C. On the Shows  117 26-D. The Prescription of Heretics  118 26-E. On Baptism  119 26-F. On Prayer  132 26-G. To My Wife  135 26-H. On Penance  137 26-I. On the Dress of Women  140 26-J. Against Marcion  140 26-K. On the Resurrection of the Dead  141

Contents  vii 26-L. On the Soul  141 26-M. On the Crown  141 26-N. On Idolatry  142 26-O. On Fasting  142 26-P. On Flight in Persecution  143 26-Q. Against Praxeas  143 26-R. On Modesty  143 27. Cyprian of Carthage  145 27-A. To Donatus  149 27-B. On the Lapsed  149 27-C. On the Lord’s Prayer  152 27-D. On Works and Almsgiving  154 27-E. Letters. 1; 5; 12; 15; 16; 17; 18; 20; 29; 30; 55; 57; 63; 64; 67; 69; 70; 71; 72; 73; 74; 75  155 28. Pseudo-Cyprian. To Novatian  183 29. Pseudo-Cyprian. On Rebaptism  185 30. Commodian.  190 30-A. Instructions against the Gods of the Pagans  190 Italy  192 31. Hippolytus of Rome  192 31-A. Apostolic Tradition  193 31-B. Commentary on Daniel  214 31-C. Refutation of All Heresies  214 32. Novatian  215 32-A. On the Shows  216 33. Inscriptions (West)  216 33-A. Inscription of Pectorius  216 33-B. Inscription in the Catacomb of Priscilla  217 Chapter VI. Third Century. East  219 Asia Minor  219 34. Letter to Diognetus  219 35. Gregory Thaumaturgus  220 35-A. Canonical Letter  221 36. Phos Hilaron  222 37. Inscriptions  223 37-A. Inscription of Abercius  223 Syria  224 38. Didascalia of the Apostles  224 39. Acts of Thomas  240 40. Confession of Cyprian  243

viii  Contents 41. Philip Bardesane  244 41-A. Book of the Laws of Countries  244 Palestine  245 42. Pseudo-Clement. Letter 2 to Virgins  245 43. Origen  246 43-A. Homilies  248 43-A-1. Homily 10 on Genesis  248 43-A-2. Homily 13 on Exodus  249 43-A-3. Homily 2 on Leviticus  249 43-A-4 . Homily 8 on Leviticus  250 43-A-5. Homily 15 on Leviticus  250 43-A-6. Homily 10 on Numbers  250 43-A-7. Homily 16 on Numbers  251 43-A-8. Homily 2 on Joshua  251 43-A-9. Homily 14 on Luke  251 43-B. Commentary on Romans  252 43-C. Against Celsus  252 43-D. On Prayer  254 Egypt  257 44. Clement of Alexandria  257 44-A. The Tutor of Children (Paidagogos)  259 44-B. Carpets (Stromata)  261 44-C. Excerpts from Theodotus  263 45. Dionysius the Great of Alexandria  264 45-A. Letter to Bishop Basilides  264 46. Apostolic Church Order  266 47. Oxyrhynchus Hymn  269 Index to Volume One  271

Abbreviations Sc r i p t u r e

Acts

Acts of the Apostles

Joel

Joel

Amos Amos

John

John

Bar

Baruch

1 John  1 John

Cant

Canticle of Canticles

2 John 2 John

1 Chr

1 Chronicles

3 John 3 John

2 Chr

2 Chronicles

Jonah Jonah

Col

Colossians

Josh

Joshua

1 Cor

1 Corinthians

Jude

Jude

2 Cor

2 Corinthians

Judg

Judges

Dan

Daniel

1 Kgs

1 Kings

Deut

Deuteronomy

2 Kgs

2 Kings

Eccl

Ecclesiastes

Lam

Lamentations

Eph

Ephesians

Lev

Leviticus

Esth

Esther

Luke

Luke

Exod

Exodus

1 Macc 1 Maccabees

Ezek

Ezekiel

2 Macc 2 Maccabees

Ezra

Ezra

Mal

Malachi

Gal

Galatians

Mark

Mark

Gen

Genesis

Matt

Matthew

Hab

Habakkuk

Mic

Micah

Hag

Haggai

Nah

Nahum

Heb

Hebrews

Neh

Nehemiah

Hos

Hosea

Num

Numbers

Isa

Isaiah

Obad

Obadiah

Jas

James

1 Pet

1 Peter

Jdt

Judith

2 Pet

2 Peter

Jer

Jeremiah

Phil

Philippians

Job

Job

Phlm

Philemon ix

x  Abbreviations Prov

Proverbs

2 Thess  2 Thessalonians

Ps/Pss Psalms

1 Tim

1 Timothy

Rev

Revelation

2 Tim

2 Timothy

Rom

Romans

Titus

Titus

Ruth

Ruth

Tob

Tobit

1 Sam

1 Samuel

Wis

Wisdom

2 Sam

2 Samuel

Zech

Zechariah

Sir

Sirach

Zeph

Zephaniah

1 Thess 1 Thessalonians P e r i o d i c a l s a n d B o o k s M o s t F r e q u e n t ly C i t e d

AB ABR AC AER Altaner (1961) Altaner (1966) Altaner (1978) ALW Amb ANF

Ant APB ApT Assem AThR Aug AugMag

BALAC

Analecta Bollandiana (Brussels, 1882ff.). American Benedictine Review (Atchison, KS, 1950ff.). Antike und Christentum (Münster, 1929–50). American Ecclesiastical Review (Washington, D.C., 1889–1975). B. Altaner, Patrology, trans. H.C. Graef, 2nd ed. (New York, 1961). B. Altaner, Patrologie. Leben, Schriften und Lehre der Kirchenväter, 6th ed., rev. A. Stüber (Freiburg/Basel/ Vienna, 1966). B. Altaner, Patrologie. Leben, Schriften und Lehre der Kirchenväter, 8th ed., rev. A. Stüber (Freiburg/Basel/ Vienna, 1978). Archiv für Liturgiewissenschaft (Regensburg, 1950ff.). Ambrosius (Milan, 1925–60). A. Roberts and J. Donaldson, eds., The Ante-Nicene Fathers: Translations of the Writings of the Fathers down to a.d. 325 (New York, 1885, 1926). Antonianum (Rome, 1926ff.). Acta Patristica et Byzantina (Praetoria, 1990ff.). Apostolic Tradition. Assembly (Notre Dame, 1974ff.). Anglican Theological Review (New York, 1918ff.). Augustinianum (Rome, 1961ff.). Augustus Magister, Congrès international augustinien (Paris, Sept. 21–24, 1954). Vols. I and II: Communications; vol. III: Acts. Bulletin d’ancienne litérature et d’archéologie chrétienne (Paris, 1911–14).

Abbreviations  xi Bardenhewer (1908) Bardenhewer (1910) Bardenhewer (1913) Bardy (1929)

Bardy (1930)

Bautz BCE Bib BLE Bouyer BT BVC CA Campbell CATH CB CC CCL CE CH CHECL ChQ Chr CollMech ComL Con Courtonne CPG

O. Bardenhewer, Patrology: The Lives and Works of the Fathers of the Church, trans. T.J. Shahan (Freiburg i. B./ St. Louis, 1908). O. Bardenhewer, Patrologie (Freiburg i. B., 1910). O. Bardenhewer, Geschichte der altkirchlichen Literatur, 5 vols. (Freiburg i. B./St. Louis, 1913–32). G. Bardy, The Greek Literature of the Early Christian Church, trans. Mother Mary Reginald, Catholic Library of Religious Knowledge 2 (St. Louis, 1929). G. Bardy, The Christian Latin Literature of the First Six Centuries, trans. Mother Mary Reginald, Catholic Library of Religious Knowledge 12 (St. Louis, 1930). F.W. Bautz, ed., Biographisch-bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (Hamm Westf., 1970ff.). Bulletin du comité des études (Paris, 1953–70). Biblica (Rome, 1920ff.). Bulletin de littérature ecclésiastique (Toulouse, 1899ff.). L. Bouyer, Eucharist: Theology and Spirituality of the Eucharistic Prayer (Notre Dame, 1968). The Bible Today (Collegeville, 1962ff.). Bible et vie chrétienne (Brussels/Paris, 1953–68). Cahiers archéologiques (Paris, 1945ff.). J.M. Campbell, The Greek Fathers, Our Debt to Greece and Rome series (New York, 1929). G. Jacquemet, ed., Catholicisme, 9 vols. (Paris, 1947ff.). Collationes Brugenses (Bruges, 1896–1954). La Civiltà Cattolica (Rome, 1850ff.). Corpus Christianorum, Series Latina (Turnhout, 1954ff.). Catholic Encyclopedia, 13 vols. + index (New York, 1907–14). Church History (Chicago and Tallahassee, 1932ff.). F. Young, L. Ayres, and A. Louth, eds., The Cambridge History of Early Christian Literature (Cambridge, 2004). Church Quarterly Review (London, 1875–1968). Christus (Paris, 1954ff.). Collectanea Mechliniensia (Mechlin, 1927–70). Communautés et liturgies (Ottignies, 1975ff.). Concilium (Glen Rock, NJ, etc., 1965ff.). Y. Courtonne, ed., Saint Basile: Lettres, 3 vols. (Paris, 1957, 1961, 1966). M. Geerard and F. Glorie, eds., Clavis Patrum Graecorum, 5 vols. (Turnhout, 1974–87).

xii  Abbreviations CPGS Cph CPL CR CRI Cross CS CSEL CV DACL DCA DCB DDC DDCon DEC Deiss DGA DHGE DictSp Did Didas Di Sante Div Dix DLW Dolbeau

DPAC

M. Geerard and others, eds., Clavis Patrum Graecorum Supplementum (Turnhout, 1998). Classical Philology (Chicago, 1906ff.). E. Dekkers and A. Gaar, eds., Clavis Patrum Latinorum, 3rd ed. (Turnhout/Steebrugge, 1995). The Clergy Review (London, 1931–87). Comptes-rendus de l’Académie des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres (Paris, 1857ff.). F.L. Cross, The Early Christian Fathers (London, 1960). Chicago Studies (Mundelein, IL, 1962ff.). Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum (Vienna, 1866ff.). G.M. Diez, Concilios visigóticos e hispano-romanos (Barcelona/ Madrid, 1963). F. Cabrol and H. Leclercq, eds., Dictionnaire d’archéologie chrétienne et de liturgie, 15 vols. (Paris, 1913–53). W. Smith, ed., A Dictionary of Christian Antiquities, 2 vols. (London, 1876–80). W. Smith and H. Wace, eds., A Dictionary of Christian Biography, Literature, Sects and Doctrines, 4 vols. (London, 1877–87). R. Naz and others, eds., Dictionnaire de droit canonique, 7 vols. (Paris, 1935–65). P. Palazzini, ed., Dizionario dei Concili, 6 vols. (Rome, 1963–67). N.P. Tanner, ed., Decrees of the Ecumenical Councils (London/ Washington, D.C., 1990). L. Deiss, Springtime of the Liturgy: Liturgical Texts of the First Four Centuries (Collegeville, 1979). P.-P. Joannou, ed., Disciplina Generale Antique (Rome, 1962). A. Baudrillart, ed., Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie ecclésiastiques (Paris, 1912ff.). M. Viller and others, eds., Dictionnaire de spiritualité ascétique et mystique (Paris, 1937ff.). Didache Didascalia Apostolorum C. di Sante, Jewish Prayer: The Origins of the Christian Liturgy, trans. M.J. O’Connell (New York, 1991). Divinitas (Vatican City, 1957ff.). G. Dix, The Shape of the Liturgy, 4th ed. (Westminster, 1949). J.G. Davies, ed., A Dictionary of Liturgy and Worship (New York, 1972). F. Dolbeau, ed., Vingt-six sermons au peuple d’Afrique / Augustin d’Hippone; retrouvés à Mayence, Collection des études augustiniennes, Série Antiquité 147 (Paris, 1996). A. di Berardino, ed., Dizionario Patristico e di Antichità Cristiane, 3 vols. (Marietti, 1983–88).

Abbreviations  xiii DR DT DTC DV EC ED EEC

EEChr EgT Elbogen (1962) Elbogen (1993) EO EOr EphL ERP EstAg Et ETL ETR ExpT FF FLDG Folia FThSt FZPT

GCS Goodspeed GOTR Greg

Downside Review (Bath, England, 1880ff.). Divus Thomas (Fribourg i. S., 1871–1953). A. Vacant, E. Mangenot, and E. Amann, eds., Dictionnaire de théologie catholique, 15 vols. (Paris, 1903–50). Dieu vivant (Paris, 1945–55). P. Paschini and others, eds., Enciclopedia Cattolica, 12 vols. (Vatican City, 1949–54). Euntes Docete (Rome, 1948ff.). A. di Berardino, ed., Encyclopedia of the Early Church, trans. A. Walford, with a foreword and bibliographic amendments by W.H.C. Frend, 2 vols. (New York, 1992). E. Ferguson, ed., Encyclopedia of Early Christianity, 2 vols., 2nd ed. (New York, 1997). Eglise et théologie (Ottawa, 1970–99). I. Elbogen, Der jüdische Gottesdienst in seiner geschichtlichen Entwicklung, 4th ed. (Hildesheim, 1962). I. Elbogen, Jewish Liturgy: A Comprehensive History, trans. R.P. Scheindlin (Philadelphia/New York, 1993). Echos d’Orient (Paris, 1897–1942). Ecclesia Orans (Rome, 1984ff.). Ephemerides Liturgicae (Rome, 1887ff.). Etudes religieuses, philosophiques, historiques, et litteraires (Paris, 1888–1940). Estudio Teologico Augustiniano (Valladolid, Spain, 1973ff.). Etudes (Paris, 1897ff.). Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses (Louvain, 1924ff.). Etudes théologiques et religieuses (Montpellier, 1926ff.). The Expository Times (Edinburgh, 1889ff.). France franciscaine (Lille, 1912–29). Forschungen zur christliche Literatur- und Dogmengeschichte (Mainz/Paderborn, 1910–38). Folia. Studies in the Christian Perpetuation of the Classics (Worcester, MA, 1959–79). Freiburger theologische Studien (Freiburg i. B., 1910ff.). Freiburger Zeitschrift für Philosophie und Theologie (Fribourg i. S., 1954ff.). Die griechischen christlichen Schriftsteller der ersten (drei) Jahrhunderte (Berlin, 1897ff.). E. J. Goodspeed, A History of Early Christian Literature, rev. and enl. R. Grant (Chicago, 1966). Greek Orthodox Theological Review (Brookline, MA, 1954ff.). Gregorianum (Rome, 1920ff.).

xiv  Abbreviations Hamell Hänggi Harp Hefele (1905) Hefele (1871) HS HThR

Idelsohn IER Imp Ire Ist ITQ Jasper JBL JECS JEH Jeremias (1960) Jeremias (1966) JL JLH JQR JR JThSt JucL Jurgens

Kat

P.J. Hamell, Handbook of Patrology (New York, 1968). A. Hänggi and I. Pahl, Prex Eucharistica: Textus e Variis Liturgicis Antiquioribus Selecti (Fribourg i. S., 1968). Harp: A Review of Syriac and Oriental Studies (Kerala, India, 1987–2000). C.J. Hefele, Histoire des conciles d’après les documents originaux, trans. H. Leclercq, 11 vols. (Paris, 1905–52). C.J. Hefele, A History of the Councils of the Church: From the Original Documents, trans. W.R. Clark and H.N. Oxenham, 5 vols. (Edinburgh, 1871–96). Hispania sacra (Madrid, 1948ff.). Harvard Theological Review (New York, 1908–9; Cambridge, MA, 1910ff.). A.Z. Idelsohn, Jewish Liturgy and Its Development (New York, 1967). Irish Ecclesiastical Record (Dublin, 1864–1968). Impacts: Revue de l’Université catholique de l’Ouest (Angers, 1967ff.). Irénikon (Amay, 1926ff.). Istina (Paris, 1954ff.). Irish Theological Quarterly (Dublin, 1906–22; Maynooth, 1951ff.). R.C.D. Jasper and G.J. Cuming, Prayers of the Eucharist: Early and Reformed, 3rd rev. ed. (Collegeville, 1992). Journal of Biblical Literature (Boston/New Haven, 1890ff.). Journal of Early Christian Studies (Baltimore, 1993ff.). The Journal of Ecclesiastical History (London, 1950ff.). J. Jeremias, Die Abendmahlsworte Jesu, 3rd. ed. (Göttingen, 1960). J. Jeremias, The Eucharistic Words of Jesus, trans. N. Perrin (London, 1966). Jahrbuch für Liturgiewissenschaft (Münster, 1921–41). Jahrbuch für Liturgie und Hymnologie (Kassel, 1955ff.). The Jewish Quarterly Review (London, 1889–94; New York, 1896–1908). The Journal of Religion (Chicago, 1921ff.). The Journal of Theological Studies (London, 1900–1905; Oxford, 1906–49; n.s. 1950ff.). Jucunda Laudatio (Milan, 1963ff.). W.A. Jurgens, The Faith of the Early Fathers, 3 vols. (Collegeville, 1970–79). Katholik: Zeitschrift für katholische Wissenschaft und kirchliches Leben (Mainz, 1821–89).

Abbreviations  xv Labriolle (1947) Labriolle (1968) LAC Latomus Lau Leigh- Bennett LJ LMD LMF LNPF

LO LQF LThPh LTK LV LWP LwQF LXX Mansi Mel Millgram MilS Mnem MRR-1

MRR-2

MS MSR Mus

P.C. de Labriolle, Histoire de la littérature latine chrétienne, 3rd rev. ed. (Paris, 1947). P.C. de Labriolle, History and Literature of Christianity from Tertullian to Boethius, trans. H. Wilson, History of Civilization (New York, 1968). L’Ami du clergé (Langres, France, 1888–1968). Latomus. Revue d’études latines (Brussels, 1937ff.). Laurentianum (Rome, 1960ff.). E. Leigh-Bennett, Handbook of the Early Christian Fathers (London, 1920). Liturgisches Jahrbuch (Münster, 1951ff.). La Maison-Dieu (Paris, 1945ff.). Le messager des fidèles (Mardesous, 1884–89). P. Schaff and H. Wace, eds., A Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church (repr. Grand Rapids, 1951ff.). Lex Orandi (Paris, 1944–71). Liturgiegeschichtliche Quellen und Forschungen (Münster i. W., 1918–39). Laval théologique et philosophique (Quebec, 1970–82). W. Kasper and others, eds., Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, 11 vols., 3rd ed. (Freiburg i. B., 1993–2001). Lumière et vie (Bruges, 1951–60). Liturgical Week Proceedings, North American Liturgiewissenschaftliche Quellen und Forschungen (Münster i. W., 1919–2005). Septuagint J.D. Mansi, ed., Sacrorum Conciliorum Nova et Amplissima Collectio, 31 vols. (Florence, 1759–98). Melto. Melta. Recherches orientales (Kaslik, Liban, 1965–69). A.E. Millgram, Jewish Worship (Philadelphia, 1971). Milltown Studies (Dublin, 1978ff.). Mnemosyne: Bibliotheca classica Batava (Leyden, 1852ff.). J. Jungmann, The Mass of the Roman Rite: Its Origins and Development (Missarum Sollemnia), trans. F.A. Brunner, 2 vols. (New York, 1951). J. Jungmann, The Mass of the Roman Rite: Its Origins and Development (Missarum Sollemnia), trans. F.A. Brunner, rev. C.K. Riepe (New York, 1959). Mediaeval Studies (Toronto, 1939ff.). Mélanges de science religieuse (Lille, 1944ff.). Le Muséon (Louvain, 1882–1916, 1921ff.).

xvi  Abbreviations NCE NCES NDSW Not NRTh NTes NTS NWDLW

OC OCA OCP ODCC Oesterley (1911) Oesterley (1925) OLZ OrSyr OstkSt ParL PB PEA (1894)

New Catholic Encyclopedia, 14 vols. + index (New York, 1967) + 3 supplementary vols. 16–18 (1974–89). New Catholic Encyclopedia, Second Edition, 15 vols. (Detroit/ Washington, D.C., 2003). P.E. Fink, ed., The New Dictionary of Sacramental Worship (Collegeville, 1990). Notitiae (Rome, 1965ff.). Nouvelle revue théologique (Tournai, 1869–1913, 1920–39, 1945ff.). Novum Testamentum (Leiden, 1956ff.). New Testament Studies (London, 1954ff.). J.G. Davies, ed., The New Westminster Dictionary of Liturgy and Worship (Philadelphia, 1986). Oriens Christianus (Wiesbaden, 1931–39, 1953ff.). Orientalia Christiana Analecta (Rome, 1935ff.). Orientalia Christiana Periodica (Rome, 1935ff.). F.L. Cross, The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, 3rd ed., ed. E.A. Livingstone (New York, 1997). W.O.E. Oesterley, The Religion and Worship of the Synagogue, 2nd ed. (London, 1911). W.O.E. Oesterley, The Jewish Background of the Christian Liturgy (Oxford, 1925). Orientalische Literaturzeitung (Berlin, 1909ff.). L’Orient syrien (Paris, 1956ff.). Ostkirchliche Studien (Würzburg, 1952ff.).

PO PP PrO PrOChr

Paroisse et liturgie (Bruges, 1946–74). Pastor Bonus (Trier, 1889–1943). A.F. von Pauly, Paulys Real-encyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft (Stuttgart, 1894–1919). H. Cancik and H. Schneider, eds., Der neue Pauly. Enzyklopädie der Antike (Stuttgart, 1991ff.). J.P. Migne, Patrologia Graeca, 162 vols. (Paris, 1857–66). Philologische Wockenschrift (Leipzig, 1881–1940). J.P. Migne, Patrologia Latina, 221 vols. (Paris, 1844–64). J.P. Migne, Patrologiae Cursus Completus. Series Latina Supplementum, ed. A. Hamman (Paris, 1958ff.). Parole de l’Orient. Melto dmadnho (Kaslik, Lebanon, 1970ff.). Parole et pain (Paris, 1964–73). Présence orthodox (Paris, 1967–81). Proche-orient chrétien (Jerusalem, 1951ff.).

QL QLP

Questions liturgiques (Louvain, 1970ff.). Questions liturgiques et paroissiales (Louvain, 1919–69).

PEA (1991) PG PhW PL PLS

Abbreviations  xvii Quasten

J. Quasten, Patrology, 4 vols. (Westminster, MD, 1962ff.). (Vol. 4, 1986, is a translation of vol. 3 of Patrologia, ed. A. di Berardino.)

RAC RACh

Rivista di Archeologia Cristiana (Rome, 1924ff.). Reallexikon für Antike und Christentum, ed. T. Klauser (Leipzig, 1950ff.). Revue d’ascétique et de mystique (Toulouse, 1920–71). Revue pratique d’apologétique (Paris, 1905–21). Recherches augustiniennes (Paris, 1958ff.). Revue bénédictine (Maredsous, 1890ff.). Revue biblique internationale (Paris, 1891ff.; n.s. 1904ff.). Revue belge de philologie et d’histoire (Brussels, 1922ff.). Revue du clergé francais (Paris, 1894–1920). Revista catalana de teología (Barcelona, 1976–88, 1990ff.). Revue de droit canonique (Strasbourg, 1951ff.). Revue des études augustiniennes (Paris, 1955ff.). Revue d’histoire de l’Eglise de France (Paris, 1910ff.). Revue des études grecques (Paris, 1888ff.). Revue des études juives (Paris, 1880ff.). Revue ecclésiastique de Liège (Liège, 1905–67). Revue des études latines (Paris, 1923ff.). Résurrection (Paris, 1956–63). Restoration Quarterly (Abilene, TX, 1957ff.). Revista española de teología (Madrid, 1940ff.). Revista augustiniana de Espiritualidad (Calahorra, Spain, 1960–79). Revue augustinienne (Louvain, 1901–10). Revue des sciences religieuses (Strasbourg, 1921ff.). Revue d’histoire ecclésiastique (Louvain, 1900ff.). Revue d’histoire et de littérature religieuse (Paris, 1896–1922). Revue d’histoire et de philosophie religieuses (Strasbourg, 1921ff.). Revue internationale de théologie (Berne, 1893–1910). Rivista di Ascetica et Mistica (Florence, 1956ff.). Rivista Liturgica (Turin, 1914ff.). Rocznik theologico-kanoninczne (Lublin, Poland, 1949–90). Revue de philologie, de littérature et d’histoire anciennes (Paris, 1845–47; n.s. 1877–1926; 3. s. 1927ff.). Römische Quartelschrift für christliche Altertumskunde (Freiburg i. B., 1887ff.). Revue des questions historiques (Paris, 1866–1939). Revue réformé (Saint-Germaine-en-Laye, France, 1950ff.). Review for Religious (St. Louis, 1942ff.).

RAM RAp RAug RB RBibl RBPh RCF RCT RDC REAug REF REG REJ REL RELA Res ResQ RET RevAgusEsp RevAug RevSR RHE RHL RHPR RIT RivAM RL Rocz RPLH RQ RQH RR RRel

xviii  Abbreviations RSPT RSR RT RTAM RTL RTP RUO

Revue des sciences philosophiques et théologiques (Paris, 1907ff.). Recherches de science religieuse (Paris, 1910ff.). Revue thomiste (Paris, 1924–65). Recherches de théologie ancienne et médiévale (Louvain, 1969ff.). Revue théologique de Louvain (Louvain, 1970ff.). Revue de théologie et de philosophie (Lausanne, 1921ff.). La revue de l’Université d’Ottawa (Ottawa, 1931–87).

Sal SC SCA ScE SChr SCJ

Salesianum (Turin, 1939ff.). Scuola Cattolica (Milan, 1902ff.). Studies in Christian Antiquity (Washington, D.C., 1941–85). Science et esprit (Montreal, 1928ff.). Sources chrétiennes (Paris, 1941ff.). Second Century: Journal of Early Christian Studies (Abilene, TX, 1981–92). Scripture (London, 1969–75). Sacris Erudiri (Bruges, 1948ff.). Scottish Journal of Theology (Edinburgh, etc., 1948ff.). Studia Monastica (Barcelona, 1959ff.). Studia Patristica: Acts of the International Conventions of Oxford (TU) (Berlin, 1957ff.). Studia Patristica Mediolanensia (Milan, 1974ff.). Studi e Testi (Rome, 1900ff.). Studia Catholica (Nijmegen, 1924–60). B. Steidle, Patrologia: seu Historia Antiquae Litteraturae Ecclesiasticae, Scholarum Usui Accommodata (Freiburg i. B., 1937). Studien zur Geschichte und Kultur des Altertums (Paderborn, 1907ff.). Studia Theologica (Lund, 1947ff.). C. Jones and others, eds., The Study of Liturgy, rev. ed. (New York, 1992). Studia Patavina (Padua, 1954ff.). H.L. Strack and P. Billerbeck, Kommentar zum Neuen Testament aus Talmud und Midrasch, vol. iv/i, 2nd ed. (Munich, 1956). Study Encounter (Geneva, 1965–76). Studia Liturgica (Rotterdam, 1962ff.).

Scr SE SJT SM SP SPMed ST StC Steidle StGKA STh StLit StP Strack StudEnc StudLit TD Theol ThGl ThQ ThStKr Tixeront

Theology Digest (St. Louis, 1953ff.). Theology (Norwich, England, 1976ff.). Theologie und Glaube (Paderborn, 1909ff.). Theologische Quartalschrift (Stuttgart/Tübingen, 1831–1928; various places, 1929ff.). Theologische Studien und Kritiken (Gotha, 1828–42). J. Tixeront, A Handbook of Patrology, trans. S.A. Raemers (London/St. Louis, 1947).

Abbreviations  xix Tra

TZ

Traditio: Studies in Ancient and Medieval History, Thought, and Religion (New York, 1943ff.). G. Krause and G. Müller, eds., Theologische Realenzyklopädie (Berlin, 1976ff.). Theological Studies (Baltimore/Woodstock, 1940ff.). Texte und Untersuchungen zur Geschichte de altchristlichen Literatur (Berlin, 1882ff.). Theologia Viatorum: Jahrbuch der kirchlichen Hochschule Berlin (Berlin, 1948/49–1979/80). Theologische Zeitschrift (Basel, 1945ff.).

VC VerC VetChr VS

Vigiliae Christianae (Amsterdam, 1947ff.). Verbum Caro (Taizé, France, 1947–69). Vetera Christianorum (Bari, 1964ff.). La Vie Spirituelle (Paris, 1919ff.).

WEC

L. Johnson, ed., Worship in the Early Church: An Anthology of Historical Sources, 4 vols. (Collegeville, 2009). E. Werner, The Sacred Bridge: The Interdependence of Liturgy and Music in Synagogue and Church during the First Millennium (London/New York, 1959). Worship (Collegeville, 1952ff.; formerly Orate Fratres, 1926–51). F.A. Wright, ed., Fathers of the Church: Tertullian, Cyprian, Arnobius, Lactanius, Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine: A Selection from the Writings of the Latin Fathers (London, 1928). F.A. Wright, A History of Later Greek Literature from the Death of Alexander in 323 b.c. to the Death of Justinian in 545 a.d. (London, 1932). Wiener Studien: Zeitschrift für klassische Philologie (Vienna, 1879ff.).

TRE TS TU TV

Werner

Wor Wright (1928) Wright (1932) WSt

ZAW ZKG ZkTh ZNeW ZNW ZTK / [ ]

Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft (Berlin/New York, 1881ff.). Zeitschrift für Kirchengeschichte (Gotha, 1877–1930; Stuttgart, 1931ff.). Zeitschrift für katholische Theologie (Innsbruck, 1877–1940; Vienna, 1947ff.). Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft und die Kunde der älteren Kirche (Giessen/Berlin/New York, 1900ff.). Zeitschrift für Missionswissenschaft (Münster, 1911–37). Zeitschrift für Theologie und Kirche (Tübingen, 1891ff.). = “or,” e.g., 543/554 Textual material supplied by translator of the original source or by the present editor/translator

Introduction Recent decades have witnessed numerous Christian denominations reforming and renewing their communal worship structures. Well before such a venture occurred, there took place, mainly though not exclusively in Europe, a scientific study of the early development of the Church’s common prayer, a study that continues today. Both professional and amateur historians have applied and are applying their expertise to this important task, for understanding the past is not merely an intellectual exercise but offers one of the all-important keys for understanding the present. Yet many students of worship have but little direct contact with the great literary heritage that witnesses the way Christians lived their liturgical life during the early ages of Christianity. Often a person’s acquaintance with the primitive Church’s written documentation is only by way of citations in end- or footnotes. Frequently access to the excellent English language collections of early source material is limited, since these are for the most part found only in the libraries of theological schools and major universities. The same is true of texts related to particular subjects, e.g., initiation. Furthermore, a large amount of pertinent material has simply not appeared in English. Texts in Latin, Greek, and other languages— apart from their inherent problems for many students of the liturgy—are no less difficult to obtain. The four volumes of the present series aim to present a selection or thesaurus (representative, to be sure) of a wide selection of source material illustrating the growth of the Church’s common prayer, in both East and West, from its Jewish roots down to the end of the sixth century. Included are texts from homilies, dogmatic and spiritual treatises, letters, monastic rules, church orders, prayer formulas, conciliar and synodal legislation, inscriptions, and the like. The subject matter is not only sacramental celebration but also the liturgical year, the times of the day for personal or group prayer, music and song, the physical arrangement of the church building, times for fasting (considered to be so closely allied with prayer), veneration of the martyrs, liturgical roles, decorum within and without the church, etc. The user of these volumes fortunate enough to have access to a major theological library may well profit from the references to patristic and other manuals, as well as from the bibliography of pertinent periodical articles and treatises. In a few cases the most recent edition of a text was, for various reasons, unavailable to me. Also, several texts initially intended to appear in this xxi

xxii  Introduction work are, in fact, not included since a particular volume could not be obtained. It should be noted that, unless otherwise indicated, the enumeration of the psalms follows the Hebrew. All cited texts have been translated by the present editor from the source indicated (“Translated from .  .  .”) or are taken from a preexisting translation (“Translation from .  .  .”). A note on format Each subhead (author, anonymous document, synods, etc.) is assigned an identification number, which is usually followed by a letter indicating a particular work of an author or a particular synod. The internal enumeration of paragraphs usually corresponds to that of the edition from which the text was translated. Marginal numbers, running sequentially, are assigned to paragraphs of the text. Cross-references are indicated by the abbreviation for Worship in the Early Church, i.e., WEC, followed by the volume number and then either the subhead number in bold text (e.g., WEC 1:17 or WEC 1:27-B) or else the marginal paragraph number (e.g., WEC 1:244). There are three types of footnotes: daggers, letters, and numbers. Daggered notes indicate the sources from which translations have been made, lettered notes contain explanations for words and phrases used in the text, and numbered notes indicate scriptural references. *** No work of this kind can reach completion without the encouragement and assistance of many people. And thus I must express my gratitude to Mr. Peter Kearney for sharing his expertise in Latin and Hebrew. To the Rev. James Challancin, a priest of the diocese of Marquette, Michigan, and a former professor of liturgy, for his many words of encouragement. To the staff (especially Jessica) of the Escanaba, Michigan, Public Library for such gracious assistance in procuring by means of interlibrary loans ever so many volumes from libraries throughout the country. To the whole publishing team at Liturgical Press and especially to Stephanie Lancour, my copy editor, whose careful reading of the text has saved me from any number of embarrassing moments. And especially to my wife, Marlene Winter-Johnson, not only for her patience throughout this endeavor but especially for the numerous hours in researching materials found in the library of The Catholic University of America and in that of the University of Notre Dame, as well as for helping to prepare the work’s manuscript for publication.

Chapter I Jewish Texts. Home and Synagogue 1. Qaddish†

The qaddish (kaddish), a term deriving from the Aramaic word qadosh, meaning “holy,” is a prayer of sanctification whereby God’s holiness is proclaimed, his power is praised, and his consolation and peace are requested. The history of the text is complex. According to some commentators the most important and original section of the prayer is the response, “Let his great .  .  .” The formula has variations according to its use, whether prayed by a group studying the Talmud (called “the scholar’s qaddish”); whether concluding a structural element, e.g., the tefillah in the synagogue liturgy (the first mention of its synagogue use dates from about the sixth century); or whether used in the cemetery for the burial of a loved one (the mourner’s qaddish), the latter practice dating from thirteenth-century Germany. It has been suggested that the first two petitions of the Lord’s Prayer may have been inspired by the qaddish. Deiss 17–19 * Idelsohn 84–88 * Di Sante 19–23, 171–73 * Millgram 153–57 * Oesterley (1925) 72–73, 151–52 J.J. Petuchowski and M. Brocke, eds., The Lord’s Prayer and Jewish Liturgy (London and New York, 1978).

May his great Name be magnified and sanctified in the world which he created according to his will; may his kingdom rule and redemption take seed; may he lead his Messiah into your paths during your days and through the life of the whole house of Israel, doing so quickly and soon, and let them say Amen. Response: Let his great Name be blessed forever and for all eternity. May it be blessed, praised, made known, exalted, elevated, and honored; and may the blessed Name of the Holy One be above all blessings and hymns, praises and consolation that are given in the world. Amen. May your prayer be accepted and your petitions be efficacious, joined to the prayer of the whole house of Israel, before our Father in heaven.

Translated (with adaptations) from E. Lodi, Enchiridion Euchologicum Fontium Liturgicorum (Rome, 1979) 19. †

1

1

2 3

4

2  Chapter I. Jewish Texts. Home and Synagogue 5

May it bring for us heaven, great peace, help, redemption, abundance, life, fullness, health, consolation, freedom, healing, propagation, for you, for us, and for the whole house of Israel, unto life and peace, and let them say Amen.a 2 . Q i d d u s h f o r S a b b at h s a n d F e a s t s †

Each week on Friday, once the table has been covered with a handsome cloth, the mother of the family places two loaves upon it, and then the wine, a cup, and two candles that she lights at the appropriate time. Afterwards, the father of the family, having returned from the evening synagogue service, says the blessing, the Qiddush (kiddush), namely, the domestic rite by which the Sabbath and feast days are consecrated to God. This ceremony, with roots perhaps going back to the fifth century b.c., contains three blessings or berakoth: the first over the wine, the second praising God for the Sabbath, and a third over the bread. Deiss 5–6 * Di Sante 154–57 * Elbogen (1962) 107, 110–12 * Jeremias (1960) 20–23 * Jeremias (1966) 26–29 * Millgram 297–99 * Oesterley (1911) 374–83 * Oesterley (1925) 79–81 I. Elbogen, “Eingang und Ausgang des Sabbats nach talmudischen Quellen,” in Festschrift zu Israel Lewy’s siebzigstem Geburtstag (Breslau, 1911) 173–87.

1. Blessing over the wine First, the head of the family, taking the cup of wine in his right hand, reads Genesis 1:31b–2:3; he does so standing and with eyes upraised. (In a low voice) And evening and morning were made (then in a loud voice) on the sixth day. Thus heaven and earth and all their ornaments were completed. And on the seventh day God completed the work he had done; and God rested on the seventh day from all the work he had accomplished. And he blessed it on the seventh day and sanctified it because on this day he ceased from all his work, a day God created for this purpose. 7 Having asked permission from the honored guests and looking toward the cup, he says the blessing over it; our lords, teachers, and doctors approve. O Lord our God, blessed are you, King of the universe; you created the fruit of the vine. 8 And he adds this blessing for sanctifying the Sabbath day or the feastday: Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe. By your commandments you sanctified us, took great delight in us, and give us the holy Sabbath as an inheritance, doing so out of love and kindness to be a memorial of the works of your creation. Wherefore this is a day of holy 6

a. Omitted in the qaddish for mourners. † Translated from Hänggi 5–7.

3. Birkat Ha-mazon  3 convocations,1 a memorial of the exodus out of Egypt. You chose and sanctified us above all peoples, and in love and goodness you gave us the holy Sabbath as an inheritance. Blessed are you, O Lord, for making holy the Sabbath. All present then receive some wine from the cup to drink, doing so after the father of the family. 2. Blessing over the bread The father of the family begins, his hand being placed on what covers the bread. When he comes to the words “bring forth,” he uncovers the loaves of bread [lèhèmisnèh]; then, when he comes to the word “bread,” he holds the loaves up and then places them on the table. Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe. You bring forth bread from the earth. Having finished the blessing, he breaks one of the loaves and takes some for himself and distributes a portion to the others, enough for the whole meal, which is then eaten. 3. Zemirot They eat the meal, prolonging it as they rejoice and sing the zemirot.a 3 . B i r k at h a - m a z o n †

For the pious Jew the daily meal shared with family members was the focal point of the individual’s prayer to and praise of God. Thus it is no surprise that the prayer formulas connected with this meal are among the most venerable of the Jewish heritage of worship texts. The meal begins with a very short blessing known as the birkat ha-motsi, whose text, taken from Psalm 104:14, thanks God for bringing forth bread from the earth. It is at the conclusion of the meal that the most cherished blessing, known as the birkat ha-mazon (mazon = “food”), occurs. After an initial dialogue (called the birkat ha-zimmun) three (now four) prayers of blessing are said: the first (the birkat ha-zan) blesses the Creator who provides food for all creation; the second (the birkat ha-<arets) gives thanks for the land, the covenant, and the Law; the third (the birkat Ierušalayim) intercedes on behalf of Jerusalem and the house of David; the fourth blessing (the birkat ha-tov we-ha-metiv) brings the prayer to an end. As to the dates of these formulas, many believe that the first and second are the oldest, the third perhaps going back to the second century before a. Zemirot: hymns and songs not coming from the psalter but found in the ritual books for Friday and Saturday. 1. See Lev 23:3. † The proposed primitive text of the Birkat ha-mazon is translated from Finkelstein’s article listed below. All else is translated from Hänggi 8–12.

9

10

11

12

4  Chapter I. Jewish Texts. Home and Synagogue Christ, with the fourth being added after the destruction of the temple in the second century after Christ. Included below are the formulas proposed by A.L. Finkelsteina as original, as well as more developed, forms of these texts coming from the ninth and tenth centuries. It should be noted that the prayers allow for embolisms or insertions on certain feasts. Bouyer 78–83 * Deiss 6–9 * Di Sante 145–50 * Hänggi 8–12 * Jasper 10–11 * Millgram 293–95 L. Finkelstein, “The Birkat Ha-Mazon,” JQR 19 (1928–29) 211–62. * G. Dix, The Shape of the Liturgy, 4th ed. (Westminster, 1949) 50–56, 214–25. * B. Fraigneau-Julien, “Elements de la structure fundamentaler de l’eucharistie. I. Bénédiction, anamnèse et action de grâces,” RevSR 34 (1960) 35–61. * J. Heinemann, Prayer in the Period of the Tanna’im and the Amora’im: Its Nature and Its Patterns (Jerusalem, 1964) 31, 37–39, 49, 73, 102, 138, 180. * L. Ligier, “De la cène de Jésus à l’anaphore de l’Eglise,” LMD, no. 87 (1966) 30–33, 50–51; also in RL (1966) 503–6, 521–22. 13

When the meal is finished, Psalm 137, “By the rivers of Babylon,” is said on ordinary days, and on the Sabbath and feasts there is Psalm 126, “When the Lord delivered Sion from captivity.” Then one of those reclining at table (A.), designated because of that person’s dignity, begins the “birkat ha-zimmun,” the blessing of invitation, namely, the invitation to bless God, to which the others (R.), reclining, respond.

14

1. Birkat ha-zimmun A. My lords, let us bless. R. May the Name of the Lord be blessed now and forever. A. With the approval of our lords, teachers, and doctors, let us bless what we eat of his (If there are ten who are reclining, he says: “.  .  . let us bless our God that .  .  .” and he adds other names, if there are a hundred or a thousand, etc.). R. May he be blessed (if fitting: our God) that we may eat of his gifts and live from his goodness. A. May he be blessed (if fitting: our God) that we may eat of his gifts and live from his goodness. R. May he be blessed, and may his name be blessed.

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2. Birkat ha-mazon With two hands he holds the cup of wine and, when he begins the blessing, he takes it with his right hand, raising it a little. When he says the second part, he mixes the cup with water.

a. See “The Birkat Ha-Mazon,” Jewish Quarterly Review 19 (1929) 243–59.

3. Birkat Ha-mazon  5 a) Text proposed by A.L. Finkelstein as original. 1. Birkat ha-zan (Blessing of the one who nourishes) Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe. You feed the whole world with goodness, kindness, and mercy. Blessed are you, O Lord, for you feed the universe.

16

2. Birkat ha-<arets (Blessing of the earth) O Lord our God, we give thanks to you because you have given to us a desirable earth [that we might eat of its fruits and be filled with its goodness]. Blessed are you, O lord our God, because of the earth and because of food.

17

3. Birkat Ierušalayim (Blessing for Jerusalem) O Lord our God, have mercy on your people Israel and upon your city Jerusalem and upon Sion the dwelling place of your glory and of your altar and your sanctuary. Blessed are you, Lord, the builder of Jerusalem.b

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b) Liturgical Recensions According to the Seder Amram (9th century)

According to the Seder Rav Saadja (10th century)

1. Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, for you nourish the whole world with your goodness, kindness, and mercy; you give bread to all flesh, because you nourish and feed all things and provide food for all creatures. Blessed are you, O Lord, for you nourish the universe.

1. Blessed are you, O Lord, our God, King of the universe, for you nourish us and the whole world with goodness, grace, kindness, and mercy.

2. We give thanks to you, Lord, our God, because of the land—desirable, good, and widespread—which you loved and gave to our fathers as an inheritance and because of your covenant which you have placed in our flesh, and because of the Law which you have given us, and because of the life, kindness, grace, and food, which you provide for us.

2. We give thanks to you, O Lord our God, because you have given us as an inheritance the land—desirable, good, and widespread—together with the covenant and the Law, life and food.

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Blessed are you, O Lord, for you nourish the universe.

b. Finkelstein conjectures that the primitive text had only three blessings.

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6  Chapter I. Jewish Texts. Home and Synagogue

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Here occurs the embolism used on Hannukah and Purim.

Here occurs the embolism used on Hannukah and Purim.

And, O Lord our God, for all these things we thank you and bless your Name. May your Name be blessed continually forever and ever. Blessed are you, O Lord, because of the earth and because of the food.

For all these things we thank you and bless your Name forever and ever.

3. O Lord our God, have mercy on Israel your people, on your city Jerusalem, and on Sion, the dwelling place of your glory and of the kingdom of the house of David your Anointed One, and on the great and holy abode called by your Name. [our Father, our King] our shepherd, our nourisher, our feeder, our sustenance, quickly free us from our difficulties. Nor do you [Lord, our God] allow us to be without the gifts of flesh and blood, of which duties are few and insults are many: because we trust in the great and fearful name of your holiness. And may Elias and the Messiah, the son of David, come in our lifetime and quickly restore the kingdom of the house of David [our Anointed One] to its place and may he rule over us [because] you alone [are] and save us for your Name’s sake. And have us ascend into its middle, and gladden us in it, and console us in Sion, your city.

3. O Lord, our God, have mercy on Israel your people, on your city Jerusalem, on your sanctuary, on your dwelling place, on Sion the dwelling place of your glory, and on the great and holy abode where you can be called by your Name.

Here occurs the embolism “Ya
Here occurs the embolism “Ya
Blessed are you, O Lord, who builds Jerusalem. Amen.

Blessed are you, O Lord, who builds Jerusalem. Amen.

Blessed are you, O Lord, because of the earth and because of food.

Restore the kingdom of David to its place and build up Jerusalem quickly.

4. Passover Haggadah  7 4. Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, our Father, our King, our Redeemer, our protector, our Creator; the ruler of our souls, our holy one, the holy one of Jacob, the good and kind king, who does good to us day after day; he enriches us and will forever enrich us with grace, kindness, mercy, and with all that is good.

4. Blessed are you, Lord, our God, King of the universe, God, our Father, our King, our Creator, our Redeemer, the good and kind King, who day after day takes care to do good for us in many different ways and who enriches us with grace, kindness, spirit, mercy, and with all that is good.

4 . Pa s s o v e r H a g g a d a h †

The Hebrew word Haggadah literally means a “telling,” a “narrating,” a “recital.” In one sense it refers to the “telling” of the events connected with the passage of the Jewish people out of Egypt. In another sense the word is applied to the book or instruction manual detailing the steps to be followed during the meal—called the Seder (Aramaic for “order”) Meal— which commemorated or celebrated this deliverance. The texts used come from various time periods and represent various literary genres, e.g., selections from the Hebrew Scriptures, explanations from Jewish literature, prayers, blessings, etc. Some elements are of a late origin, composed after the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 a.d. by the Romans. Other elements belong to an earlier tradition, one originating before the time of Christ. It was in the ninth century that the Haggadah began to appear in Jewish prayer books, whereas the first separately printed Haggadah date from Spain (ca. 1482) and Italy (1505). Well over four thousand such books, often beautifully decorated, have come down to us. Historically, the Passover Haggadah exists in various versions or traditions, often reflecting the country of use, e.g., Spain, Germany, Italy, etc. Although the basic framework remains the same, precise details of the prayer texts and the ritual gestures vary depending on particular religious and ethnic traditions. Today, rabbis encourage adapting the service to contemporary situations, and as a result there are feminist Haggadahs, military Haggadahs, children’s Haggadahs, even atheist Haggadahs. Oesterley (1925) 157–93 * Millgram 301–13 * Hänggi 13–34 H.L. Strack, Pesahim, Der Mischnatrakat Passafest mit Berücksichtigung des Neuen Testaments und der Jetzigen Passafeier der Juden (Leipzig, 1911). * H.L. Strack and P. Billerbeck, Kommentar zum Neuen Testament aus Talmud und Midrasch IV/1 (Munich,

† Translation (with modifications) from The Passover Haggadah. With English Translation, Introduction, and Commentary based on the commentaries of E.D. Goldschmidt, ed. Nahum N. Glatzer, revised edition (New York, 1953, 1969). Headings in < rel="nofollow"> are supplied by the present editor.

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8  Chapter I. Jewish Texts. Home and Synagogue 1956) 41–76. * L. Finkelstein, “The Oldest Midrash: Pre-Rabbinic Ideals and Teachings in the Passover Haggadah,” HThR 31 (1938) 291–317. * L. Finkelstein, “PreMaccabean Documents in the Passover Haggadah,” HThR 33 (1942) 291–332; 30 (1943) 1–38. * S. Stein, “The Influence of Symposia Literature on the Literary Form of the Pesah Haggadah,” The Journal of Jewish Studies 8 (1937) 13–44. * E.D. Goldschmidt, Die Pessach Haggada (Berlin, 1937). * T.H. Gastner, Passover: Its History and Traditions (New York, 1949). * E.D. Goldschmidt, The Passover Haggadah: Its Sources and History (Jerusalem, 1960; Philadelphia, 1961). * A. Yaari, Bibliography of the Passover Haggadah from the Earliest Printed Edition to 1960 (Jerusalem, 1960). * J. Jeremias, Die Abendmahlsworte Jesu (Göttingen, 1960) 35–83, 229–46. * H. Kosmala, Hebräer – Essener – Christen. Studien zur Voggeschichte der frühchristlichen Verkündigung (Leiden, 1959) 174–91, 393–97. * K. Kosmala, “‘Das tut in meinem Gedächtnis,’” NTes 4 (1960) 81–94. * L. Ligier, “L’hymne christologique de Philippiens 2:6–11, la liturgie eucharistique et la bénédiction synagogale ‘Nishmat kol hays,’” Analecta Biblica 18 (1963) 63–74. * L. Ligier, “L’action de grâces de la communion et la ‘Birkat Ha-Shir’ de la Pâques,” PrOChr 13 (1963) 99–111. * J.B. Segal, The Hebrew Passover: From the Earliest Times to A.D. 70, London Oriental Series 12 (London, 1963). * L. Ligier, “De la cène de Jesus à l’anaphore de l’Eglise,” LMD, no. 87 (1966) 7–49; RL, n.s., 4 (1966) 480–522. * E. Le Déaut, La nuit pascale: essai sur la signification de la Páque juive à partir du Targum d’Exode XII:42 (Rome, 1963). * J.B. Segal, The Hebrew Passover (London and New York, 1963). * J. Sloan, trans., The Passover Haggadah, with English translation; Introduction and Commentary, Based on the Commentaries of E.D. Goldschmidt, ed. N.N. Glatzer (New York, 1979). * L.A. Hoffman and D. Arnow, eds., My People's Passover Haggadah, 2 vols. (Woodstock, VT, 2008).

THE QIDDUSH

The first cup of wine is prepared, and the father of the family recites the Sanctification (qiddush).a 24 Blessed are you, O Lord our God, creator of the fruit of the vine. 25 Blessed are you, O Lord our God, king of the universe, who chose us from every people and exalted us among every tongue and sanctified us by his commandments. With love you have given us, O Lord our God, holidays for gladness, festivals and seasons for rejoicing, this day of the festival of unleavened bread, the season of our deliverance, a holy convocation in remembrance of the departure from Egypt. For us have you chosen, and us have you sanctified from all the people. And the holidays of your sanctification you have given us, with gladness and joy to inherit. Blessed are you, O Lord, who sanctifies Israel and the seasons. 26 Blessed are you, O Lord our God, king of the universe, who has kept us alive, who sustained us, and who enabled us to reach this season. 23

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The first cup of wine is drunk in a reclining position. Pitcher, basin, and towel are offered to the participants in the Seder to wash their hands, though without saying the usual blessing over the washing of hands. a. Qiddush: namely, “blessing.”

4. Passover Haggadah  9 The father of the family dips some celery or other vegetable in salt water (or vinegar) and then offers a piece of the vegetable to each participant. The following blessing is spoken before eating the karpas. Blessed are you, O Lord our God, king of the universe, who creates the fruit of the earth.

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The father of the family breaks in two the middle of the three wafers of unleavened bread on the platter, wraps up the larger half in a cloth, and sets it aside for the afikoman. The father of the family removes the shankbone (zeroa) and the egg from the platter; those sitting near him lift up the platter and all recite:

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< T H E B R E A D O F P O V E RT Y >

This is the bread of poverty which our forefathers ate in the land of 33 Egypt. Let all who are hungry enter and eat; let all who are needy come to our Passover feast. This year we are here; next year may we be in the Land of Israel. This year we are slaves; next year may we be free men. The platter is put back on the table, and the second cup of wine is poured. The 34 youngest child or another participant asks the four questions. THE FOUR QUESTIONS

Why does this night differ from all other nights? For on all other nights we eat either leavened or unleavened bread; why on this night only unleavened bread? On other nights we eat all kinds of herbs; why on this night only bitter herbs? On all other nights we need not dip our herbs even once; why on this night must we dip them twice?b On all other nights we eat either sitting up or reclining; why on this night do we all recline?

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< I N T R O D U C T I O N TO T H E S TO RY O F T H E E X O D U S >

The head of the family and all the participants recite the reply. We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt, and the Lord our God brought us forth from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. And if the Holy One, blessed be he, had not brought our forefathers forth from Egypt, then we, our children, and our children’s children would still be Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. So, even though all of us were wise, all of us full of understanding, all of us elders, all of us knowing in the Torah, we should still be under the commandment to tell the story of the departure from Egypt. And the more one tells the story of the departure from Egypt, the more praiseworthy he is.

b. The reference to the “double dipping” is obscure.

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A tale is told of Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Joshua, Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah, Rabbi Akiba, and Rabbi Tarfon, who once reclined together at Bene Berak telling about the departure from Egypt all night, until their disciples came to them and said, “Masters, the time has come to read the morning shema.”c 42 Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah said: “Lo, I am like a man of seventy years, yet I never understood why the story concerning the departure from Egypt should be recited at night until Ben Zoma interpreted it so. So it is said, ‘That you may remember the day when you came forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life.’1 Had it been written ‘the days of your life,’ it would have meant the days only; but ‘all the days of your life’ means the nights as well.” The other sages explain the verse differently: “Had it been written ‘all the days of your life,’ it would have meant this world only; ‘all the days of your life’ means that the times of the Messiah are included as well.” 41

THE FOUR SONS 43 44 45

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Blessed be the Omnipresent, blessed be he, who gave the Torah to his people Israel. The Torah has four children in mind: one, intelligent; a second, wicked; a third, simple; and a fourth, a child that does not yet know how to ask. What does the intelligent child say, “What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the ordinances which the Lord our God has commanded you?”2 And you instruct him in the precepts of the Passover, to wit, “One may not conclude after the Pascha meal (by saying), ‘Now to the entertainment!’” What does the wicked child say, “What is this service to you?”3 “To you,” and not to him. Since he removes himself from the group, and so denies God, you in return must set his teeth on edge and answer him: “It is because of that which the Lord did for me when I came forth from Egypt.”4 “For me,” not for him. Had he been there, he would not have been redeemed. What does the simple child say? “What is this?” And you shall say to him, “By strength of hand the Lord brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage.”5 And with him who does not know how to ask you must open and begin yourself. “And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, It is because of that which the Lord did for me when I came forth out of Egypt.”6

c. Shema: see WEC 1:5. 1. Deut 16:3.  2. Deut 6:20.  3. Exod 12:26.  4. Exod 13:8.  5. Exod 13:14.  6. Exod 13:8.

4. Passover Haggadah  11 < T E L L I N G T H E S T O R Y O N T H E E V E O F T H E PA S S O V E R > 49 “And you shall tell your son .  .  .”: It might have been thought that the telling should begin on the first day of the month [of Nisan]: therefore the text teaches us “in that day.” But since it says, “in that day,” we might have thought that we should begin while it is still day; therefore the Scripture also teaches us “because of that.” You could not say “because of that” if it were not referring to the time when unleavened bread and bitter herbs were lying before you.

< A N O T H E R I N T R O D U C T I O N T O T H E PA S S O V E R S T O R Y > 50 In the beginning our fathers were idolaters, but now the Omnipresent has drawn us to his service, as it is said, “And Joshua said to all the people: ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Your fathers dwelt of old time beyond the River, even Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor; and they served other gods. And I took your father Abraham from beyond the River, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac. And I gave to Isaac, Jacob, and Esau; and I gave to Esau Mount Seir, to possess it; and Jacob and his children went down into Egypt.’”7 51 Blessed is he who keeps his promise to Israel, blessed is he. For the Holy One, blessed be he, premeditated the end of the bondage, thus doing that which he said to Abraham in the covenant between the sections: “And he said to Abram, ‘Know for certain that your seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; and also the nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge; and afterward shall they come out with great substance.’”8

The participants lift up their cups of wine and say: And it is this promise which has stood by our fathers and by us. For it was not one man only who stood up against us to destroy us; in every generation they stand up against us to destroy us, and the Holy One, blessed be he, saves us from their hand.

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< T H E PA S S O V E R S T O R Y >

Go forth and learn what Laban, the Aramean, sought to do to Jacob, our father. While Pharaoh decreed death only for the male children, Laban sought to uproot all. For it is said, “An Aramean would have destroyed my father, and he went down into Egypt and sojourned there, few in number; and he became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous.”9 “And he went down into Egypt,” compelled by the word of God. “And sojourned there,”10 teaching us that Jacob did not go down to Egypt to

7. Josh 24:2–4.  8. Gen 15:13–14.  9. Deut 26:5.  10. Gen 15:13–14.

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settle but to sojourn there. As it is said, “And they said to Pharaoh, ‘To sojourn in the land are we come; for there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan. Now therefore, we pray to you, let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.’”11 “Few in number,” as it is said, “Your fathers went down into Egypt with threescore and ten persons; and now the Lord your God has made you as the stars of heaven for multitudes.”12 “And he became there a nation,” teaching us that the Israelites were distinguishable there. “Great and powerful”: as it is said, “And the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and grew exceedingly strong; and the land was filled with them.”13 “And populous”: as it is said, “I caused you to increase even as the growth of the field. And you did increase and grow up, and you came to excellent beauty; your breasts were fashioned, and your hair was grown; yet you were naked and bare.”14 “And the Egyptians considered us evil; they afflicted us and laid upon us hard bondage.”15 “And the Egyptians considered us evil”: as it is said, “Come let us deal wisely with them lest they multiply, and it come to pass that, when there befalls us any war, they also join themselves to our enemies, and fight against us, and get them up out of the land.”16 “And afflicted us”: as it is said, “Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they build for Pharoah store-cities, Pithom and Raamses.”17 “And laid upon us heavy bondage”: as it is said, “And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor.”18 “And we cried unto the Lord, the God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, and our toil, and our oppression.”19 “And we cried to the Lord, the God of our fathers”: as it is written, “And it came to pass in the course of those many days that the king of Egypt died; and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up to God by reason of the bondage.”20 “And the Lord heard our voice”: as it is said, “And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob.”21 “And saw our affliction.” This is enforced marital continence. As it is said, “And God saw the children of Israel, and God knew.”22 “And our travail.” This is the sons, as it is said, “Every son that is born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive.”23 “And our oppression.” This is the vexation of which it is said, “Moreover I have seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.”24 “And the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs and with wonders.”25 11. Gen 47:4.  12. Deut 10:22.  13. Exod 1:7.  14. Ezek 16:7.  15. Deut 26:6.  16. Exod 1:10.  17. Exod 1:11.  18. Exod 1:12–13.  19. Deut 26:7.  20. Exod 2:23.  21. Exod 2:24.  22. Exod 2:25.  23. Exod 1:22.  24. Exod 3:9.  25. Deut 26:8.

4. Passover Haggadah  13 “And the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt,” not by the hands of an angel, and not by the hands of a seraph, and not by the hands of a messenger, but the Holy One, blessed be he, himself, in his own glory and in his own person. As it is said: “For I will go through the land of Egypt in that night and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord.”26 “For I will go through the land of Egypt in that night.” I and not an angel. “I will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt.” I and not a seraph. “And against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments.” I and not a messenger. “I am the Lord.” I am he and no other. “With a mighty hand.” This is the blight, as it is said, “Behold the hand of the Lord is upon your cattle which are in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the herds, and upon the flocks; there shall be a very grievous blight.”27 “And with an outstretched arm.” This is the sword, as it is said, “Having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem.”28 “And with great terribleness.” This is the revelation of the Divine Presence, as it is said, “Or has God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by an outstretched arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?”29 “And with signs.” This is the rod of Moses, as it is said, “And you shall take in your hand this rod, wherewith you shall do the signs.”30 “And with wonders.” This is the blood, as it is said, “And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.”31 Another explanation is: “A mighty hand” makes two, “an outstretched arm” makes two, “and with great terribleness” makes two, “and with signs” makes two, “and with wonders” makes two. These make up the ten plagues which the Holy One, blessed be he, brought upon the Egyptians in Egypt, and they are these: blood, frogs, lice, beasts, blight, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, the slaying of the firstborn. Rabbi Judah made a mnemonic (out of the first letters of the Hebrew words for the plagues), thus: DeTZaKh AdaSH BeAHaB.

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THE TEN PLAGUES

Rabbi Jose the Galilean said: “Whence do we learn that the Egyptians 68 were smitten with ten plagues in Egypt and were smitten with fifty plagues on the Sea? With regard to Egypt, what does it say? ‘Then the magicians said to Pharoah: This is the finger of God.’32 And with regard to the sea, what does it say? ‘And Israel saw the great hand which the Lord laid upon the Egyptians, and the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and 26. Exod 12:12.  27. Exod 9:3.  28. 1 Chr 21:16.  29. Deut 4:34.  30. Exod 4:17.  31. Joel 3:3.  32. Exod 8:17.

14  Chapter I. Jewish Texts. Home and Synagogue in his servant Moses.’33 With how many were they smitten where it says one finger? Ten plagues. We can say from this that in Egypt they were smitten with ten plagues while at sea they were smitten with fifty plagues.” Rabbi Eliezer said: “Whence do we learn that each and every plague 69 that the Holy One, blessed be he, brought upon the Egyptians in Egypt was the same as four plagues? For it is said, ‘He sent forth upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, a legation of messengers of evil.’34 ‘Wrath’ makes one, ‘indignation’ two, ‘trouble’ three, ‘a legation of messengers of evil’ four. You can say from this that they were smitten with forty plagues in Egypt, and at sea they were smitten with two hundred plagues.” Rabbi Akiba said: “Whence do we learn that each and every plague that 70 the Holy One, blessed be he, brought upon the Egyptians in Egypt was the same as the five plagues? For it is said: ‘He sent forth upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, a legation of messengers of evil.’35 ‘The fierceness of his anger’ makes one, ‘wrath’ two, ‘indignation’ three, ‘trouble’ four, ‘a legation of messengers of evil’ five. You can say from this that they were smitten with fifty plagues in Egypt, and at sea they were smitten with two hundred and fifty plagues.” 71

How many are the claims of the Omnipresent upon our thankfulness! Had he taken us out of Egypt but not executed judgments on them, We should have been content! Had he executed judgements on them, but not upon their gods, We should have been content! Had he executed judgements on their gods, but not slain their firstborn, We should have been content! Had he slain their firstborn, but not given us their substance, We should have been content! Had he given us their substance, but not torn the Sea apart for us, We should have been content! Had he torn the Sea apart for us, but not brought us through it dry, We should have been content! Had he brought us through it dry, but not sunk our oppressors in the midst of it,

33. Exod 14:31.  34. Ps 78:49.  35. Ibid.

4. Passover Haggadah  15 We should have been content! Had he sunk our oppressors in the midst of it, but not satisfied our needs in the desert for forty years, We should have been content! Had he satisfied our needs in the desert for forty years, but not fed us manna, We should have been content! Had he fed us manna, but not given us the Sabbath, We should have been content! Had he given us the Sabbath, but not brought us to Mount Sinai, We should have been content! Had he brought us to Mount Sinai, but not given us the Torah, We should have been content! Had he given us the Torah, but not brought us into the Land of Israel, We should have been content! Had he brought us into the Land of Israel, but not built us the House of his choosing, We should have been content! Then how much more, doubled and redoubled, is the claim the Omnipresent has upon our thankfulness! For he did take us out of Egypt, and execute judgments on them, and judgments on their gods, and slay their firstborn, and give us their substance, and tear the Sea apart for us, and bring us through it dry, and sink our oppressors in the midst of it, and satisfy our needs in the desert for forty years, and feed us manna, and give us the Sabbath, and bring us to Mount Sinai, and give us the Torah, and bring us into the Land of Israel, and build us the House of his choosing to atone for all our sins.

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PA S S O V E R S A C R I F I C E , U N L E AV E N E D B R E A D , AND BITTER HERBS

Rabban Gamaliel used to say, “Whoever does not make mention of the following three things on Passover has not fulfilled his obligation: namely, the Passover Sacrifice, unleavened bread, and bitter herbs.” The Passover Sacrifice which our fathers used to eat at the time when the Holy Temple still stood—what was the reason for it? Because the Holy One, blessed be he, passed over the houses of our fathers in Egypt. As it is said: “It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s passover, for that he passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when he smote the Egyptians and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshiped.”36 36. Exod 12:27.

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The father of the family lifts up the matzot, showing them to the participants. The matzah which we eat, what is the reason for it? Because the dough of our fathers had not yet leavened when the King over all kings, the Holy One, blessed be he, revealed himself to them and redeemed them. As it is said: “And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victual.”37

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The father of the family lifts up the bitter herbs, showing them to the participants. These bitter herbs we eat, what is the reason for them? Because the Egyptians made the lives of our forefathers bitter in Egypt. As it is said: “And they made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field; in all their service, wherein they made them serve with rigor.”38 I N E V E R Y G E N E R AT I O N

In every generation let each man look on himself as if he came forth out of Egypt. As it is said: “And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, It is be77 cause of that which the Lord did for me when I came forth out of Egypt.”39 It was not only our fathers that the Holy One, blessed be he, redeemed, but us as well did he redeem along with them. As it is said: “And he brought us out from thence that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he swore unto our fathers.”40 76

< A N I N V I TAT I O N >

Therefore we are bound to thank, praise, laud, glorify, exalt, honor, bless, extol, and adore him who performed all these miracles for our fathers and for us. He has brought us forth from slavery to freedom, from sorrow to joy, from mourning to holiday, from darkness to great light, and from bondage to redemption. Let us then recite before him a new song: Alleluia. 79 The cups are put back on the table. 78

T H E H A L L E L : F I R S T PA R T d 80

Alleluia. Praise, O servants of the Lord .  .  . (Psalm 113) When Israel came forth out of Egypt .  .  . (Psalm 114:1–8) BLESSING FOR REDEMPTION

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The participants lift up their cups of wine and say:

d. Hallel: the “praise” psalms, namely, Psalms 113–18. 37. Exod 12:39.  38. Exod 1:14.  39. Exod 13:8.  40. Deut 6:23.

4. Passover Haggadah  17 Blessed are you, O Lord, our God, King of the universe, who redeemed 82 us and who redeemed our fathers from Egypt, and has brought us to this night, to eat thereon unleavened bread and bitter herbs. So, Lord our God and God of our fathers, bring us to other festivals and holy days that come toward us in peace, happy in the building of your city and joyous in your service. And there may we eat of the sacrifices and the paschal offerings, whose blood will come unto the walls of your altar for acceptance. Then shall we give thanks to you with a new song, for our redemption and the liberation of our soul. Blessed are you, O Lord, Redeemer of Israel. Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, creator of the 83 fruit of the vine. The second cup of wine is drunk in a reclining position. The participants wash their hands and say the following blessing: Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who sanctified us with his commandments and commanded us concerning the washing of hands. The father of the family breaks pieces from the upper and middle wafers and distributes them; the following blessings are recited: Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth. Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who sanctified us with his commandments and commanded us concerning the eating of unleavened bread. The matzah is eaten in a reclining position. The father of the family dips some bitter herbs in the haroset and offers a piece to each participant. The following blessing is spoken before eating the bitter herbs:

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Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who sanctified us with his commandments and commanded us concerning the eating of bitter herbs. The father of the family breaks the bottom matzah, puts some bitter herb sandwichfashion between two pieces of matzah. The following is recited before eating: In memory of the Temple, according to the custom of Hillel.e Thus did Hillel when the Holy Temple still stood: he used to combine unleavened bread and bitter herbs and eat them together to fulfill that which is said, “They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.”41 The Seder platter is removed. At this point the Seder meal is eaten. After the meal the Seder platter is again placed on the table. The matzah which has been set aside for afikomanf is distributed among the Seder company. e. Hillel: a famous rabbi who lived 30 b.c.–9 a.d. f. Afikoman: the final eating of the matzah. 41. Num 9:11.

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Before Grace the third cup is filled. If three or more men are present, the following introductory phrases are recited. If ten or more are present, the words in brackets are also recited. (Grace is customarily preceded by the singing of Psalm 126.) < B I R K AT H A - M A Z O N >

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The master of the Seder: Gentlemen, let us say the blessing. The participants: May the Name of the Lord be blessed from now unto eternity. The master of the Seder: Let us bless Him [our God] of whose food we have eaten. The participants: Blessed be he [our God] of whose food we have eaten and through whose goodness we live. All: Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the world, who feeds the entire world in his goodness, with grace, loving kindness, and compassion. He gives bread to all flesh, for his mercy is forever. And through his great goodness food has never failed us, and may it never fail us, for his great Name’s sake. For he feeds and sustains all, and does good unto all, and prepares food for all his creatures which he did create. Blessed are you, O Lord, who feeds all. Let us give thanks to you, O Lord our God, because you have given our fathers to inherit a pleasant land, goodly and broad, and because you have brought us forth, O Lord our God, from the land of Egypt and redeemed us out of the house of slaves; and for your covenant which you have sealed in our flesh; and for your Torah which you have taught us; and for your laws which you have informed us; and for the life, grace, and mercy which you have graciously given us; and for the eating of the food with which you feed and sustain us continually, every day, at all times and at every hour. And for all this, O Lord our God, we give thanks to you and give blessing to you; blessed be your name in the mouth of each living thing forever, continually. As it is written: “And you shall eat and be satisfied, and bless the Lord your God for the good land which he has given you.”42 Blessed are you, O Lord, for the land and for the food. Take pity, O Lord our God, on Israel, your folk, and on Jerusalem, your city, and on Zion, the habitation of your glory, and on the kingdom of the House of David, your anointed, and upon the great and holy House over which your name is called. Our God, our Father, shepherd us, feed us, maintain us, sustain us, and ease us. Ease us, O Lord our God, speedily from all our troubles. And let us not be needing, O Lord, our God, gifts at the hands of flesh and blood, or their loins, but only at your hand, that is

42. Deut 8:10.

4. Passover Haggadah  19 full and open, holy and broad, so that we be never ashamed or disgraced at all. Our God and God of our fathers, may there rise, and come, and come unto, be seen, accepted, heard, recollected and remembered, the remembrance of us and the recollection of us, and the remembrance of our fathers, and the remembrance of Jerusalem, your holy city, and the remembrance of all your people, the house of Israel. May their remembrance come before you, for rescue, goodness, grace, mercy, and compassion, for life and for peace, on this the Festival of Unleavened Bread. Remember us, O Lord our God, thereon for good, and recollect us thereon for a blessing, and save us thereon to live. And with word of salvation and compassion spare us and be gracious with us; have compassion on us and save us—for to you are our eyes, for you are a God gracious and compassionate. And build Jerusalem, the sacred city, speedily in our days. Blessed are you, O Lord, who builds in his compassion Jerusalem. Amen. Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, O God, our Father, our King, our Mighty One, our Creator, our Redeemer, our Maker, our Sacred One, the Sacred One of Jacob, our Shepherd, the Shepherd of Israel, the King, who is good and does good to all, he who every day did, does, and will do good to us. He has favored, he favors, he will favor us forever: for grace, for mercy, and for compassion and for ease, rescue, and success, blessing and salvation, consolation, maintenance and sustenance, and compassion and life and peace, and all that is good; may he not let us lack of all that is good.

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< T H E C O M PA S S I O N AT E O N E >

The Compassionate One—may he reign over us forever and ever. The Compassionate One—may he be blessed in the heavens and on the earth. The Compassionate One—may he be lauded throughout all the generations, and glory in us forever and for all eternity, and be honored in us forever and ever. The Compassionate One—may he sustain us with honor. The Compassionate One—may he break our yoke from off our neck and may he lead us upright to our land. The Compassionate One—may he send much blessing to us in this house and to this table from which we have eaten. The Compassionate One—may he send Elijah, the prophet (may he be remembered for good) to us that he may bring us good tidings of salvations and consolations. The Compassionate One—may he bless the master of this house, and the mistress of this house, and their household and their seed and all they have, us and all we have. As our fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were blessed in all, of all, all—so bless us altogether with a perfect blessing, and let us say, Amen.

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20  Chapter I. Jewish Texts. Home and Synagogue On high, may the merits of their case and ours be pleaded successfully, that it may become a guardian of peace. And may we bear away a blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of our salvation. May we find grace and good favor in the eyes of God and man. The Compassionate One—may he cause us to inherit a day that is all good. The Compassionate One—may he find us worthy of the days of the Messiah and of the life of the world to come. “A tower of salvation is he to his king; and he shows mercy to his anointed, to David and to his seed for evermore.”43 He who makes peace in his high places, he shall make peace for us and for all Israel, and say to you, Amen. 111 “O fear the Lord, you his holy ones; for there is no want to them that fear him.”44 “The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; but they that seek the Lord want not any good thing.”45 “O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever.”46 “You open your hand, and satisfy every living thing with favor.”47 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose trust the Lord is.”48 “I have been young and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken. Nor his seed begging bread.”49 “The Lord will give strength to his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.”50 The participants lift up their cup of wine and say: Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine. 113 The third cup of wine is drunk while in a reclining position. [.  .  .] 112

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The fourth cup is filled and the Hallel recital concluded. Not to us, O Lord, not to us .  .  . (Ps 115:1–11) The Lord has been mindful of all .  .  . (Ps 115:12–18) I love that the Lord should hear .  .  . (Ps 116:1–9 and 116:10–11) How can I repay to the Lord .  .  . (Ps 116:12–18) Praise the Lord, all you nations .  .  . (Ps 117) Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good .  .  . (Ps 118) [.  .  .] T H E B R E AT H O F E V E R Y L I V I N G T H I N G

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The breath of every living thing shall bless your name, O Lord our God, and the spirit of all flesh shall glorify and exalt your memory, our King, 43. 2 Sam 22:51; Ps 18:50.  44. Ps 34:19.  45. Ps 34:10.  46. Ps 118:1.  47. Ps 145:16.  48. Jer 17:7.  49. Ps 37:25.  50. Ps 29:11.

4. Passover Haggadah  21 forever. From the eternity of the beginning to the eternity of the end, you are God, and except for you we have no redeeming and saving king, a king who is liberating and delivering, provident and compassionate each time we are afflicted with trouble and distress. We have no king but you, O God of the first things and the last, God of all creatures, the Lord of all generations, who is lauded with many songs of praise, who conducts his universe with mercy and his creatures with compassion. The Lord slumbers not nor sleeps. It is he who awakens the sleeping, and rouses the slumbering, and makes the dumb converse, and loosens the bound, and steadies the falling, and straightens the bent. To you alone do we give thanks. Though our mouth were full of song like the sea, and our tongue of rejoicing like the multitude of its waves, and our lips of praise like the breadth of the horizon, and our eyes were shining like the sun and the moon, and our hands were spread like the eagles of the sky, and our feet light as the hinds—we should never thank you enough, O Lord our God and God of our fathers, and to bless your name, for one of the thousands of thousands and myriads of myriads of the good you have done with our fathers and us. From Egypt you have redeemed us, O Lord our God, and from the house of slaves ransomed us, in famine fed us, and in plenty provided us, from the sword saved us, and from the pest delivered us, and from evil and serious illness lifted us. Till now your compassions have helped us, and your mercies have not deserted us; and may you never, O Lord our God, desert us. Therefore, the limbs that you have distributed among us, and the spirit and breath that you have blown into our nostrils, and the tongue which you have placed in our mouths—they shall give thanks and bless, and extol, and glorify, and exalt, and reverence, and sanctify, and crown your name, our King. For every mouth shall give thanks to you, and every tongue shall swear to you, and every knee shall kneel to you, and every stature bow before you, and all hearts shall fear you, the inward parts and reins shall sing to your name. As it is written, “All my bones shall say, ‘Lord, who is like unto you, who deliver the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?’”51 Who is like you, and who is equal to you, and who is comparable to you, the God who is great, mighty, and awesome, God most high, master of heaven and earth? We shall praise you, and laud you, and glorify you, and bless your holy name. As it is said, “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name.”52 God, in the might of your power, great in the glory of your name, mighty forever, and awesome in your awesome acts. King, who sits on a high and exalted throne!

51. Ps 35:10.  52. Ps. 103:1.

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22  Chapter I. Jewish Texts. Home and Synagogue Dweller in eternity—High One and Holy One is his name. And it is written, “Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous. Praise is comely for the upright.”53 In the mouth of the upright shall you be praised, in the words of the just shall you be blessed, in the tongue of the pious shall you be exalted, and in the midst of the holy shall you be hallowed. And in the assemblies of the myriads of your folk, the house of Israel, 122 in joyful song your name will be glorified, our King, in every generation. For such is the duty of all created things to you, O Lord our God and God of our fathers, to give thanks, to praise, laud, glorify, extol, honor, bless, exalt, and commend more than all the words of the songs and praises of David the son of Jesse, your servant, your anointed one. Praised be your name forever, our King, God the King, great and holy 123 in heaven and on earth. For unto you are becoming, O Lord our God and God of our fathers, song and praise, adoration and chant, power and dominion, victory, greatness, and strength, fame and glory, sanctity and sovereignty, blessings and thanksgivings from now until forever. Blessed are you, O Lord, God and King, who are mightily praised, God of thanksgivings, Lord of wonders, who chooses song and psalm, King, God, the life of the world. 121

The participants lift up their cups of wine and say: Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine. 125 The fourth cup is drunk while reclining. The following final blessing is then recited. 124

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Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, for the vine and for the fruit of the vine, for the yield of the field and for the land, pleasant, goodly and broad which you favored and gave as an inheritance to our fathers, to eat of its fruit and to be sated with its goodness. Have pity, O Lord our God upon Israel, your people, upon Jerusalem, your city, upon Sion, the dwelling of your glory, upon your altar and upon your dwelling place. And build Jerusalem, the city of holiness, speedily and in our days and bring us up into its midst, and cause us to rejoice in its rebuilding; let us eat its fruit and be sated with its goodness and bless you for it in holiness and purity. And make us rejoice upon this Festival of Unleavened Bread. For you, O Lord are good and do good to all. And we shall thank you for the land and for the fruit of the vine. Blessed are you, O Lord, for the land and for the fruit of the vine.

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Next year in Jerusalem! 53. Ps 33:1.

5. Shema< Yi∞ra>el and Its Blessings  23 5. Shema< Yifira>el and Its Blessings†

Prayed twice each day (morning and evening), whether privately or in the synagogue, the core of the Shema< Yi∞ra>el is a continuous reading from three books of the Torah. Morning prayer begins with two blessings and concludes with one blessing, whereas in the evening there are two concluding blessings. This prayer, at least in its essentials, appears to date from the pre-Christian era. Two blessings begin the morning prayer: the birkat yotser, which focuses on God as the maker of light; the birkat ahaval, which recalls God’s love shown in the gift of the Torah. The very heart of the prayer, the Shema< Yi∞ra>el (= “hear”), consists of at least one (usually three) biblical passage. The first (Deut 6:4–9) begins with what have been called the most important words of Judaism, namely, “Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one,” and proceeds to list the most important commands God has given his people. The second passage (Deut 11:12–21) recalls the happy consequences of following God’s will. The third passage (Num 15:37–41) speaks of making tassels to remind one of the Lord’s will and includes a divine self-description in light of the Exodus event. After the reading of the Shema< Yi∞ra>el comes the blessing emet weyatsibh (“True and firm”), recalling how God’s words are lasting and how God has liberated the people from Egypt. The text concludes with praising the God “who redeems his people Israel,” and thus in the vernacular this blessing is known as the “blessing of redemption.” Bouyer 58–70 * Di Sante 49–78 * Elbogen (1962) 16–26, 511–15 * Hänggi 35–39 * Millgram 96–101 * Oesterley (1911) 364–68 * Oesterley (1925) 2, 42–51, 121–25 * Werner 5–8 M. Liber, “La récitation du Schéma et des bénédictions,” REJ 57 (1908) 161–93; 58 (1909) 1–22. * L.J. Liebreich, “The Invocation to Prayer at the Beginning of the Yozer Service,” JQR 39 (1948–49) 285–90, 407–12. * A. Baumstark, Liturgie comparée: principes et méthodes pour l’étude historique des liturgies chrétiennes, 3rd ed., Ire 7 (Chevetogne, 1953) 56–58, 65, 73. * S. Gandz, “The Benediction over the Luminaries and the Stars,” JQR 44 (1953–54) 305–25. * A. Baumstark, Comparative Liturgy, rev. B. Botte, ed. F.L. Cross (Westminster, MD, 1958). * C.P. Price, “Jewish Morning Prayers and Early Christian Anaphoras,” AThR 43 (1961) 153–68. * D. Flusser, “Sanktus und Gloria,” in Abraham unser Vater. Juden und Christen im Gespräch über die Bibel (Leiden/Cologne, 1963) 129–52. * J. Heinemann, Prayer in the Period of the Tanna
Translated from Hänggi 35–39 where only the formulas for morning prayer are given. †

24  Chapter I. Jewish Texts. Home and Synagogue

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1. Yotser a Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, forming the light and creating the darkness,1 making peace and creating the universe, with mercy giving light to the earth and to those dwelling upon it, and in your goodness daily renewing the works of creation. “How wonderful are your works, Lord. You did all things with wisdom: the earth is full of your creatures.”2 O sublime King, he alone is from then: wonderful, magnificent, exalted from “days of old.”3 God of the universe, your mercies are multitude, have mercy on us. Ruler of our strength, rock of our refuge, shield of our salvation, our refuge. Blessed God, great in wisdom, arranged and made the rays of the sun; he formed what is good for the glory of his Name. The towers of his soldiers are his holy ones. They always exalt God; they narrate the glory of the all-powerful one and his holiness. O Lord our God, you are because of the splendor of the works of your hand and because of the stars of the light which you made. They highly prize you. Sèlah. May you be blessed, our rock, our King, our Redeemer, the Creator of the holy ones. May your Name be glorified forever, our King, the maker of the holy ones. All these stand over the universe and together loudly pronounce with reverence the words of the living God and the King of the universe. All of them are chosen, all are elect, all are all-powerful, and all with awe and trembling do the will of their Creator. All open their mouths in holiness and purity, singing a melody; they bless, glorify, praise, and adore the holy King and proclaim the Name of God who is the powerful King, great and to be feared, for he is holy. And all, one to another, take upon themselves the yoke of the heavenly kingdom and devote themselves to proclaiming the holy God, the Creator, doing so with peace of soul, with refined speech; and with holy sweetness all together respond and say with awe: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of your glory.”4 And Ophanim and the holy Hayyotb with loud roaring rise up [before the Seraphim]. From opposite sides they say, Blessed be “the glory of the Lord from its place.”5 They sing melodies to the blessed God, to God the King, living and eternal; they sing songs and utter praise. He alone does wonderful deeds; he brings about new things; he rules those who do battle; he sows justice; he makes healthy things bloom; he creates healing; he is awesome to praise; he is the God of wonders. a. The Hebrew for “forming.” b. Ophanim and Hayyot: two classes of heavenly beings who in Jewish thought assist in watching over and supporting the throne of God. 1. See Isa 45:7.  2. Ps 104:24.  3. Deut 32:7.  4. Isa 6:3.  5. Ezek 3:12.

5. Shema< Yi∞ra>el and Its Blessings  25 In his goodness he daily renews the works of his creation, as is said, [Give thanks to him] “who made the great lights because his mercy endures forever.”6 Let a new light shine upon Sion, and may all of us soon be made worthy of his light. Blessed are you, O Lord, for you create the luminaries. 2. Ahabhah Rabbahc O Lord, our light, you have loved us with much love. Great and abundant is the kindness you have shown to us. Our Father and our King, have mercy on us and teach us because of our fathers who trusted in you and whom you taught the commandments of life. Our Father, kind father, you are full of compassion. Have mercy on us. Grant that our hearts might understand, know, hear, learn, teach, serve, do, and fulfill in love all the teachings of your Law. Open our eyes with your love; bind our hearts to your commandments; and bring together our hearts in love and in awe of your Name so that we may never be reproached for eternity. Because we trust in your holy Name that is great and wondrous, let us rejoice and be glad because of your salvation. Lead us back in peace from the four corners of the world, and have us enter our land as a free people because you are the saving God, the God who has chosen us from among all peoples and tongues, who has led us to your holy Name so that in love we might freely confess you and your unity. Blessed are you, O Lord, for you chose your people Israel in love. 3. Shema< Yi∞ra>el Deuteronomy 6:4–9 Deuteronomy 11:13–21 Numbers 15:37–41 4. Emet We-yetsibhd True and strong, impartial and stable, just and faithful, beloved and cherished, pleasing and agreeable, awesome and majestic, upright and welcome, good and beautiful, such is your word to us forever and ever. Indeed the God of the universe is our King, who is the rock of Jacob, the shield of our salvation. From generation to generation he endures and his Name remains unchanged for eternity. His words are living and stable, ever faithful and desirable. As they were for our fathers, so they are also for us, for our children, for our generation and for all generations of the seed of Israel his servants. From the first age to the last ages your word

c. The Hebrew for “with great love.” d. The Hebrew for “true and strong.” 6. Ps 136:7.

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is good, enduring forever and ever; it is truth and fidelity, a law that will always endure. Truly you are the Lord our God and the God of our fathers, our King, the King of our fathers, our Redeemer, the Redeemer of our fathers, our Creator, the rock of our salvation, our liberator, our Savior. Your name exists from eternity; there is no God other than you. O Lord our God, you redeemed us from Egypt and freed us from the house of slavery. You killed all their firstborn, but you redeemed your firstborn; you divided the Red Sea and drowned the proud; you had the chosen ones pass through it “and the waters covered their adversaries, not one of them remaining.”7 Therefore the chosen ones glorified and exalted you and offered melodies, songs, praises, blessings, and thanksgivings to you, the King, the living and eternal God, the God who is high and exalted, great and highly revered, who humbles the proud and raises up the humble, who leads out the captives, frees the poor, helps the needy, and responds to the people when they cry out to him. Give praise to God on high: he is blessed and is to be blessed. Moses and the children of Israel joyfully sang a song to you, and all said: “Who among the gods is like you, O Lord? Who is like you, for you are great in holiness, revered because of your praiseworthy deeds, and doing wonderful things?”8 The redeemed raised up a new song to your Name; on the seashore they were one in confessing and proclaiming your kingdom, saying, “The Lord will reign forever and ever.”9 O rock of Israel, rise up so as to help Israel and free Judah and Israel according to your promise, O Redeemer. The Lord of hosts is your name, the holy one of Israel. Blessed are you, O Lord, for you free Israel. 6. Shemoneh Esre (The Eighteen Blessings)†

The Shemoneh Esre, namely, the eighteen (nineteen) blessings that are recited three times a day (morning, afternoon, and evening), is the principal part of pious Jews’ daily prayer. Since they are prayed while one is standing, these blessings are also known as the amidah, from the word amad, meaning to “stand.” They are also called the tefillah, meaning “Prayer,” since they are considered “the” prayer of Judaism. As to the structure of the Shemoneh Esre, the prayer begins with three blessings whose theme is praise of God. These are followed by twelve (thirteen) intermediate petitions, each ending with a short blessing. The number of petitions differs according to various recensions since blessing fourteen (Ierušalayim) is in some traditions divided into two requests, thus resulting in thirteen petitions that in turn result in nineteen blessings 7. Ps 106:11.  8. Exod 15:11.  9. Exod 15:18. † Translated from Hänggi 41–43.

6. Shemoneh Esre (The Eighteen Blessings)  27 in all. Concluding the prayer are three final blessings having the theme of gratitude and thanksgiving. A certain flexibility is characteristic of the Shemoneh Esre. Embolisms may be added: for example, the kaddish with its “Holy, holy” before the third blessing; also a request for rain added within the ninth blessing, etc. Furthermore, the petitions are not recited on the Sabbath and on feasts. And when prayed in the synagogue, the blessings are said twice: first all together and silently, then aloud with the leader adding any appropriate embolisms (i.e., insertions). No different than numerous other prayer forms, the Shemoneh Esre is the result of a long historical development and growth. Many hands were at work. For example, the three introductory and the three final blessings go back to the pre-Christian era. On the other hand, blessings twelve (LaMešumadim) and fourteen (Ierušalayim) can be dated after the destruction of the Temple in 70 a.d. This prayer has come down to us in two main recensions, that of Palestine and that of Babylon (e.g., that of the Seder Rev Amran). Bouyer 70–78, 121–35, 197–99 * Deiss 9–14 * Di Sante 78–112 * Elbogen (1962) 27–72, 515–23 * Hänggi 40–54 * Millgram 101–8 * Oesterley (1911) 362–64 * Oesterley (1925) 54–67, 127 K. Kohler, “The Origin and Composition of the Eighteen Benedictions,” Hebrew Union College Annual 1 (1924) 387–425. * A. Marmorstein, “The Amidah of the Public Fast Days,” JQR 15 (1924–25) 409–18. * L. Finkelstein, “The Development of the Amidah,” JQR 16 (1925–26) 1–43, 127–70. * L. Finkelstein, “La Kedouscha et les bénédictions du Schema,” REJ 93 (1932) 1–26. * A. Marmorstein, “The Oldest Form of the Eighteen Benedictions,” JQR 34 (1943–44) 137–59. * M. Liber, “Structure and History of the Tefilah,” JQR 40 (1949–50) 331–57. * L.J. Liebreich, “The Intermediate Benedictions of the Amidah,” JQR 42 (1951–52) 423–26. * F.C. Grant, “Modern Study of the Jewish Liturgy,” ZAW 65 (1953) 59–77, especially 61–72. * H.L. Strack and P. Billerbeck, Kommentar zum Neuen Testament aus Talmud und Midrasch IV/1, 2nd ed. (Munich, 1956) 208–49. * S. Zeitlin, “The Tefillah, the She­ moneh Esreh: An Historical Study of the First Canonization of the Hebrew Liturgy,” JQR 54 (1963–64) 208–50. * J. Heinemann, Prayer in the Period of the Tanna
Palestinian Recension O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will proclaim your praise.1

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1. [Abhoth] Barukh attaha Blessed are you, O Lord our God [and the God of our fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Jacob],b the God who is great, powerful, and

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a. The title in brackets is the name given to the blessing at the time of the Mishnah; the word or words in italics are the blessing’s initial words in Hebrew. b. Text in brackets appears to have been added to the original version at a later time. 1. Ps 51:15.

28  Chapter I. Jewish Texts. Home and Synagogue revered, the God most high, the Lord of heaven and earth, our shield and the shield of our fathers, the God who increases our faithfulness [in every generation]. Blessed are you, O Lord, for you are the shield of Abraham. 2. [Ghebhuroth] Attah ghibor You are powerful, [humbling the proud], strong, [judging tyrants,] living forever, raising the dead, bringing back the wind, pouring forth the dew. 154 You nourish the living and give life to the dead; [in a twinkling of an eye you have salvation issue forth its shoots]. Blessed are you, O Lord, for you bring the dead to life. 153

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3. [QeduŠah] Qadoš attah You are holy, and your Name is to be revered. There is no god other than you. Blessed are you, O Lord holy God. 4. [Binah] Hannénu Our Father, you present us with the knowledge [which is] from you together with the understanding and discernment that comes from your Law. Blessed are you, O Lord, who graciously give us knowledge. 5. [TeŠuhbhah] Hašbhénu Lord, convert us to you, and we will be converted. “Renew our days as of old.”2 Blessed are you, O Lord, for you are pleased by our converting. 6. [Selihah] Selah Father, forgive our sins against you. Purge [and remove] our sins from before your eyes [because your mercies are many]. Blessed are you, O Lord, for you pardon many times. 7. [Ghe
6. Shemoneh Esre (The Eighteen Blessings)  29 May dew and rain fall upon the surface of the earth. Fill the world with the treasures of your goodness. [And bless the work of our hands.] Blessed are you, O Lord, for you bless the years. 10. [Qibbuts Galuyoth] Teqa May the trumpet sound loudly for our freedom, and lift high the standard for the gathering of our captives. Blessed are you, O Lord, for you gather the exiles [of your people] Israel. 11. [Mi∞pat] Hašibhah “Make our judges what they once were, our counselors what they formerly were.”3 And may you alone rule over us. Blessed are you, O Lord, for you love righteousness. 12. [La-Mešhumadim] La-mešumadim May there be no hope for the apostates. And quickly [in our days] destroy the kingdom of pride. [And may all our enemies and all heretics suddenly perish, and “may they be blotted out of the book of the living and not be written among the just.”4 Blessed are you, O Lord, for you humble the proud. 13. [La-tsadiqim] rel="nofollow">Al gere ha-tsedeq May your mercies move over the proselytes of justice. Give us a [good] reward with those who do your will. Blessed are you, O Lord, for you increase trust for the righteous. 14. [Ierušalayim] Rahèm O Lord our God, have mercy [in the fullness of your mercies on behalf of Israel your people and] toward Jerusalem [and toward Sion, the dwelling place of your glory, and toward your sanctuary and your house,] and toward the kingdom of David, the One Anointed with your justice. Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of David [the Anointed One], the God [who builds Jerusalem]. 15. [Tefillah] fihema O Lord our God, hear our prayer [and have mercy on us] because you are a gracious and merciful God. Blessed are you, O Lord, for you hear our prayers. 16. [Abhodah] Retseh O Lord our God, may you be pleased to dwell on Sion. May your servants serve you in Jerusalem. Blessed are you, O Lord, for we will reverently serve you.

3. Isa 1:26.  4. Ps 69:28.

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30  Chapter I. Jewish Texts. Home and Synagogue 17. [Hodaah] Modim anahnu lakh O Lord, we give thanks to you, [for you yourself are the Lord] our God [and the God of our fathers]. 174 We do so because of all your benefits, [for your kindness and mercies by which you have enriched us and] which you have bestowed on us and on our fathers before us. [When we said, “Our feet have strayed, O Lord, your mercy will aid us.”]5 175 Blessed are you, O Lord. 176 It is good to give you thanks. 173

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18. [Šalom] Sim Šalom Grant your peace to Israel [and to your city and to your inheritance]. Let all of us together bless the Lord, the giver of peace; you are blessed.

5. Ps 94:18.

Chapter II Subapostolic Texts 7. The Didache or The Teaching o f t h e T w e lv e Ap o s t l e s †

In 1873 P. Bryennios, the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Nicomedia, discovered at the Monastery of the Holy Sepulcher in Constantinople a codex, written in 1067, containing among other writings a Greek text entitled The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles or The Lord’s Teaching to the Gentiles through the Twelve Apostles, this latter designation also occurring in the manuscript and believed by some to be the original title. Since its publication in 1883 the document, commonly known as the Didache, the Greek word for teaching or instruction, has been the object of intense scholarly investigation and discussion. A collection of ethical principles, liturgical directives, and instructions regarding the life of the community, the Didache is the earliest example of what are called church orders, namely, early collections of church law and discipline. Not a homogenous and unified whole, the document is a compendium that relies on previous sources and has undergone the workings and revisions of an editor (or editors). For example, chapters i–vi form a short catechesis on ethical behavior and are based on an earlier and, as many believe, Jewish work designed for Gentile converts to Judaism. It outlines the Two Ways of moral behavior, namely, the Way of Life (i–iv) and that of Death (v). It has been suggested that the editor, to adapt this earlier text for Christian usage, made certain additions to the primitive form, for example, i.3–ii.1, among others. Although scholars agree that much revision occurred and that various layers or blocks exist within the text’s final redaction, there are differences of opinion as to the precise nature and extent of the editorial process. As is true of most early church orders, the editor of the Didache remains anonymous, although most probably being a Judeo-Christian living in Egypt, Palestine, or—as is most commonly believed—western Syria. Whereas parts of the document certainly have a very early origin, scholars are divided as to the date of the final redaction, some placing it in the first century and even as early as 60 a.d., others assigning it to the early or mid-second century, and still a few others opting for a third-century date. Translated from La doctrine des douze apôtres. Didaché, ed. and trans. W. Rordorf and A. Tuilier, SChr 248 (Paris, 1978). †

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32  Chapter II. Subapostolic Texts Prior to the 1873 discovery of the manuscript in Constantinople, the Didache was known only by name and through various quotations in works by authors like Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and Athanasius, the latter saying it was used for the instruction of catechumens. So useful and revered was the document that it served in edited form as the basis of Book VII of the Apostolic Constitutions (WEC 2:77). CPG 1: nos. 1735ff. * Altaner (1961) 50–54 * Altaner (1966) 79–82 * Bardenhewer (1908) 19–22 * Bardenhewer (1910) 18–20 * Bardenhewer (1913) 1:76–86 * Bardy (1929) 53–54 * Cross 8–11 * Goodspeed 11 –13 * Hamell 24–25 * Jurgens 1:1–6 * Quasten 1:29–39 * Steidle 268 * Tixeront 19–21 * CATH 3:747–49 * CE 4:779–81 * DACL 4.1:772–98 * DDC 4:1210–18 * DictSp 3:860–62 * DPAC 1:947–48 * DTC 1.2:1680–87 * EC 4:1562–65 * EEC 1:234–35 * EEChr 1:328–29 * LTK 3:207–8 * NCE 4:859 * NCES 4:736 * ODCC 478–79 * PEA (1894) 5.1:392–94 * PEA (1991) 3:538 * RACh 3:1009–13 * TRE 8:731–36 Recent Editions/Translations J.-P. Audet, La Didaché: Instruction des apôtres, Etudes bibliques (Paris, 1958). [Provides a complete revised text and a fresh survey of all the textual evidence with full notes and related materials.] * W. Rordorf and A. Tuilier, La Doctrine des Douze Apôtres (Didaché), SChr 248 (Paris, 1978); includes a critical text with introductions and notes. * A. Milavec, The Didache: Text, Translation, Analysis, and Commentary (Collegeville, 2003). General Commentaries/Studies J. Daniélou, “Une antique liturgie judéo-chrétienne,” Cahiers sioniens 4 (1950) 293–303. * A. Vööbus, Liturgical Traditions in the Didache, Eesti Usuteadlaste Selts Paguluses 16 (Stockholm, 1968). * S. Giet, L’énigme de la Didaché (Paris, 1970). * F.E. Vokes, “The Didache—Still Debated,” ChQ 3:1 (July 1970) 57–63. * F. Hawkins, “The Development of the Liturgy: The Didache,” in StLit, 55–57. * C.N. Jefford, ed., The Didache in Context: Essays on Its Text, History, and Transmission, Supplements to Novum Testamentum 77 (Leiden and New York, 1995). * J.A. Draper, ed., The Didache in Modern Research (Leiden and New York, 1996). * K. Niederwimmer, The Didache: A Commentary, Hermeneia—A Critical and Historical Commentary on the Bible (Minneapolis, 1998). * H. van de Sandt and D. Flusser, The Didache: Its Jewish Sources and Its Place in Early Judaism and Christianity (Minneapolis, 2002). * M. Del Verme, Didache and Judaism: Jewish Roots of an Ancient Christian-Jewish Work (New York, 2004). * A. Milavec, The Didache: Faith, Hope, and Life of the Earliest Christian Communities (New York, 2005). Baptism T. Klauser, “Taufe in lebendigem Wasser! Zum religions-und kulturgeschichtlichen Verständis von Didache 7, 1–13,” in Pisciculi F.J. Dolger dargeboten (Münster, 1939) 157–64; repr. in JAC Ergänzungsband 3 (1975) 177–83. * B. Neunheuser, Baptism and Confirmation (St. Louis, 1963) 54–55. * G. Saber, “Le baptême chrétienne dans la ‘Didachè’ ou ‘Instruction des Apôtres’” (in Arabic), Melto. Melta. Recherches orientales 4, no. 1 (1968) 126–40. * E. Ferguson, “Baptism from the Second to the Fourth Century,” ResQ 1 (1957) 185–97. * W. Rordorf, “La baptême selon la Didachè,” in Mélanges liturgiques offerts au R.P. Dom Bernard Botte (Louvain, 1972) 499–509. *

7. The Didache or The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles  33 R. Pillinger, “Die Taufe nach der Didache Philologisch-archäologische Untersuchung der Kapitel 7, 9, 10 und 14,” WSt, n.s., 9 (1975) 152–60. * R.S. Ascough, “An Analysis of the Baptismal Ritual of the Didache,” StudLit 24:1 (1994) 201–13. * A.H.B. Logan, “Post-Baptismal Chrismation in Syria: The Evidence of Ignatius, the ‘Didache’ and the Apostolic Constitutions,” JThSt, n.s., 49 (1998) 92–108. Eucharist P. Batiffol, “L’Eucharistie dans la Didaché,” Revue biblique internationale, n.s., 2 (1905) 58–67. * J. Réville, “Les origines de l’Eucharistie (messe-Sainte-Cène),” RHE 56 (1907) 1–56, 141–96. * G. Klein, “Die Gebete in der Didache,” Zeitschrft für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft 9 (1908) 132–46. * Hans Lietzmann, Messe und Herenmahl, Arbeiten zur Kirchengeschichte 8 (Bonn, 1926) 230–38. * A. Greiff, Das älteste Paschalritual der Kirche, Didache 1–10 und das Johannesevangelium, Johanneische Studien 1 (Paderborn, 1929). * H.J. Gibbins, “The Problem of the Liturgical Section of the Didache,” JThSt 36 (1935) 373–86. * R.D. Middleton, “The Eucharistic Prayers of the Didache,” JThSt 37 (1935) 259–67. * A. Arnold, Der Ursprung des christlichen Abendmahles (Freiburg i. B., 1937). * R.H. Connolly, “Agape and Eucharist in the Didache,” DR 56 (1937) 477–89. * M. Dibelius, “Die Mahl-gebete der Didache,” ZNW 37 (1938) 32–41. * G. Dix, “Primitive Consecration Prayers,” Theology. Journal of Historic Christianity 37 (1938) 261–83. * J. Jungmann (1951), vol. 1, 11ff. * Jungmann (1959) 6ff. * C.F.D. Moule, “A Note on Didache IX.4,” JThSt, n.s., 6 (1955) 240–43. * H. Riesenfeld, “Das Brot von den Bergen: zu Didache 9, 4,” Eranos 54 (1956) 142–50. * C.F.D. Moule, “A Reconsideration of the Context of Maranatha,” NTS 8 (1960–61) 307–10. * L. Clerici, Einsammlung der Zerstreuten; liturgiegeschichtliche Untersuchung zur Vol- und Nachgeschichtliche der Fürbitte für die Kirche in Didache 9, 4 und 10, 5, LQF 44 (Münster, 1966). * M. Decroos, “Die eucharistische liturgie van Didache IX en X,” Bijdragen 28 (1967) 376–98. * L. Bouyer, Eucharist: Theology and Spirituality of the Eucharistic Prayer (Notre Dame, 1968) 115–19. * J. Betz, “Die Eucharistie dans la Didaché,” ALW 11 (1969) 10–39. * W. Rordorf, “The Didache,” in W. Rordorf and others, The Eucharist of the Early Christians (New York, 1978) 1–23. * A. Verheul, “La prière eucharistique dans la Didachè,” QL 60 (1979) 197–207. * J.W. Riggs, “From Gracious Table to Sacramental Elements: The Tradition-History of Didache 9 and 10,” SCJ 4 (1984) 83–101. * B. Grimonprez-Damm, “Le ‘sacrifice eucharistique’ dans la ‘Didaché,’” RevSR 64 (1990) 9–25. * J.-M. van Cangh, “Le déroulement primitif de la Cène,” RBibl 102 (1995) 193–225. * W. Rordorf, “Die Mahlgebete in ‘Didache’ Kap. 9–10: Ein neuer ‘status quaestionis,’” VC 51 (1997) 229–46. * A. Verheul, “La prière eucharistique dans la Didaché,” QL 80 (1999) 337–47. * W. Rordorf, “Tà ‘ágia toîs ‘agíois,” Ire 72 (1999) 346–63. * J. Schwiebert, Knowledge and the Coming Kingdom: The Didache’s Meal Ritual and Its Place in Early Christianity, Library of New Testament Studies 373 (London, 2008). Forgiveness of Sin J. Hoh, Die kirchliche Busse im zeiten Jahrhundert (Breslau, 1932) 103–11. * B. Poschmann, Paenitentia Secunda (Bonn, 1940) 88–97. * W. Rordorf, “La rémission des péchés selon la Didaché,” Ire 46 (1973) 283–97. Other Topics E. Ferguson, “The Ministry of the Word in the First Two Centuries,” ResQ 1 (1957) 21–31. * J. Gribomont, “‘Ecclesiam Adunare’: un écho de l’Eucharistie africaine et de la ‘Didachè,’” RTAM 27 (1960) 20–28. * A. Vööbus, “Regarding the Background of

34  Chapter II. Subapostolic Texts the Liturgical Traditions in the Didache,” VC 23 (1969) 81–87. * E. Ferguson, “Ordination in the Ancient Church,” ResQ 5 (1961) 17–32, 67–82, 130–46. * S. Gero, “The So-Called Ointment Prayer in the Coptic Version of the Didache: A Re-Evaluation,” HThR 70 (1977) 67–84. * A. de Halleux, “Les ministères dans la Didaché,” Ire 53 (1980) 5–29. * V. Balabanski, Eschatology in the Making: Mark, Matthew, and the Didache, Monograph Series, Society for New Testament Studies 97 (Cambridge and New York, 1997). * M. Slee, The Church in Antioch in the First Century CE: Communion and Conflict, Journal for the Study of the New Testament, Supplement Series 244 (London and New York, 2003).

i.1. There are two ways: one is the way of life; the other is that of death. And there is a great difference between them. 2. The way of life is this: First, love the God who made you;1 then love your neighbor as yourself;2 and whatever you do not desire to be done to you, do not do to another.3 3. This is the teaching of these words: Bless those who curse you, pray for your enemies, and fast for those who persecute you.4 For what merit is there in loving those who love you? Do not even the pagans do this?5 Love those who hate you, and you will not have an enemy. 4. Refrain from carnal6 and bodily desires. If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other7 and you will be perfect; if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also a second with that person;8 if anyone takes your cloak, give this person your tunic as well.9 If anyone takes what belongs to you,10 do not ask for it back, not even if you can. 5. Give to each person who asks and request nothing back.11 For the Father desires that we share his gifts with all. Happy the person who gives according to the commandment, for such a one is without reproach. Woe to the person who takes; certainly if one takes because of need, an account will be given of the reason and purpose for taking it. Placed in prison, such a person will be examined about what was done and will not depart [prison] until the last penny is paid.12 But on this subject it has also been said: May your alms sweat in your hands till you know to whom you are giving. 179 ii.1. The second commandment of the teaching is: 2. You are not to murder,13 you are not to commit adultery,14 you are not to molest children, you are not to commit fornication, you are not to steal,15 you are not to perform magic and sorcery,16 you are not to kill a baby by an abortion or kill it after birth. You are not to desire your neighbor’s goods;17 3. you are not to swear falsely18 or to bear false witness.19 You are not to slander,20 and 178

1. See Deut 6:5; Sir 7:30; Matt 22:37.  2. See Lev 19:18; Matt 22:39.  3. See Tob 4:15; Matt 7:12; Luke 6:31.  4. See Matt 5:44; Luke 6:28.  5. See Matt 5:46–47; Luke 6:32–33.  6. See 1 Pet 2:11.  7. See Matt 5:39; Luke 6:29.  8. See Matt 5:41.  9. See Matt 5:40; Luke 6:29.  10. See Luke 6:30.  11. See Matt 5:42; Luke 6:30.  12. See Matt 5:26; Luke 12:59.  13. See Exod 20:13; Deut 5:17.  14. See Exod 20:14; Deut 5:18.  15. See Exod 20:15; Deut 5:19.  16. See Deut 18:10.  17. See Exod 20:17; Deut 5:21.  18. See Zech 5:3, LXX; Matt 5:33.  19. See Exod 20:16; Deut 5:20.  20. See Exod 21:16, LXX.

7. The Didache or The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles  35 you are not to bear malice.21 4. You will not be double-minded or doubletongued since deceit is the snare of death.22 5. Your speech is not to be false or vain but turned into deeds. 6. You should not be greedy nor rapacious nor hypocritical; nor malicious nor proud; and you are not to plan evil against your neighbor. 7. You are not to hate anyone; but you shall admonish some, pray for others, and still others you will love more than your own soul. iii.1. My child, avoid all that is evil and everything resembling evil. 180 2. Be not angry since anger leads to murder; be neither jealous nor quarrelsome nor irascible, for all this causes murders. 3. My child, do not hand yourself over to lust since this leads to fornication; avoid obscene speech and indiscreet glances, for all this results in adultery. 4. My child, do not give yourself to omens since this leads to idolatry, nor to witchcraft, to astrology, or to purifications. Refuse to see [and hear] these things since all this gives rise to idolatry. 5. My child, do not lie since lying leads to thievery; do not be avaricious nor taken with vain glory since all this results in thefts. 6. My child, do not grumble since this leads to blasphemy; be neither arrogant nor malicious since all this engenders blasphemy. 7. On the contrary, be meek, for the meek will inherit the earth.23 8. Be patient, merciful, kind, peaceful, good, and ever fearing the words you have heard.24 9. Do not exalt yourself and allow your soul to become insolent. Do not attach your soul to the arrogant but keep company with the just and the humble. 10. Receive whatever happens as good, knowing that nothing takes place without God. iv.1. My child, day and night remember the one who speaks God’s word 181 to you.25 Honor such a person as the Lord, for the Lord is present where his authority26 is preached. 2. Daily seek out the company of the saints in order to rest27 upon their words.28 3. Create no dissension but reconcile those who are at odds with one another. Judge with justice and, when correcting sins, show favor to no one.29 4. Be not anxious as to whether something will happen or not. 5. Do not stretch out your hand to receive, and do not close it when giving.30 6. If you have anything by the work of your hands, give it for the redemption of your sins. 7. Do not hesitate to give, and give without murmuring, for you know who will grant a fitting reward in return.31 8. Turn not away from the needy,32 but share all your goods with one another and do not say that these are your own; for if you are sharers in immortality, you should be all the more so in perishable things. 9. Do not withdraw your hand from your son or daughter, but teach them from infancy the fear of God.33 10. Do not with bitterness 21. See Zech 7:10; 8:17.  22. See Tob 14:10; Ps 18:5; Prov 14:27, LXX; 21:6.  23. See Matt 5:5; Ps 37:11.  24. See Isa 66:2.  25. See Heb 13:7.  26. See 2 Pet 2:10; Jude 8.  27. See Sir 6:28; 51:26ff.; Matt 11:28ff.  28. See Sir 6:34–36.  29. See Deut 1:16ff.; Sir 4:9; Prov 31:9.  30. See Deut 15:7ff.; Sir 4:31.  31. See Prov 19:17.  32. See Sir 4:5.  33. See Ps 34:11; Prov 19:18; Eph 6:4; Col 3:21.

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command your male or female servants who hope in the same God lest they no longer fear God who is above both of you34 because he comes to call, not according to appearance, but those for whom he has prepared the Spirit. 11. But you who are servants are to submit to your masters, as to an image of God, with respect and fear.35 12. Hate all impiety and all that displeases the Lord.36 13. Never abandon the commandments of the Lord, but keep what you have received, neither adding nor taking away from it.37 14. Confess your sins in the assembly,38 and do not go to pray with a bad conscience. This is the way of life. v.1. This is the way of death. First, it is evil and full of cursing: murders, adulteries, lusts, fornications, thefts, idolatries, magic, sorceries, robberies, false witnessing, hypocracies, duplicities, fraud, pride, malice, arrogance, covetousness, obscene speech, jealousy, impudence, haughtiness, boastfulness. 2. Persecutors of good people, enemies of truth, those who love lies and ignore the reward of justice, are attached neither to good nor to a just judgment; they desire not what is good but what is evil; being strangers to meekness and patience, they love vanity and seek to be rewarded; they pity not the poor; they have no concern for the afflicted, and they know not their Creator.39 Murderers of children, they corrupt the work of God; they turn away from the needy and oppress the afflicted; they defend the rich and unjustly judge the poor; they are completely sinful. May you, my children, be kept from all of these. vi.1. Take care that no one causes you to stray from this way of teaching since such a person teaches you without God. 2. If you are able to carry the full yoke of the Lord,40 you will be perfect; but if not, do what you can. 3. As to food, bear what you are able but resolutely abstain from meat offered to idols41 since this is to worship dead gods. vii.1. Regarding baptism, baptize as follows: after having given [as an instruction] all these things [just mentioned], “baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”42 doing so in running water. 2. But if you have no running water, baptize in other water; if you cannot in cold water, then in warm water. 3. But if you have neither, pour water three times on the head in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 4. And let the baptizer, the person to be baptized, and others who are able to do so, fast before the baptism; bid the person to be baptized to fast for one or two [days] beforehand. viii.1. Do not let your fasts be with the hypocrites. They, in fact, fast on the second day [Monday] and on the fifth day [Thursday] of the week; but you are to fast on the fourth day [Wednesday] and on the Preparation Day [Friday]. 2. Do not pray as the hypocrites.43 But as the Lord has commanded you in his Gospel, pray as follows, 34. See Lev 25:43; Sir 7:20ff.; 33:30ff.  35. See Eph 6:5ff.; Col 3:22ff.  36. See Wis 9:10ff.  37. See Deut 4:2; 13:1.  38. See Sir 4:26, LXX.  39. See Deut 32:18.  40. See Matt 11:29–30.  41. See Acts 15:29.  42. Matt 28:19.  43. See Matt 6:5.

7. The Didache or The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles  37 “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name; your kingdom come; your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread; forgive us our debts as we also forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.44 For to you is the power and the glory forever.”a 3. Pray in this manner three times a day. ix.1. Regarding the Eucharist, give thanks as follows.b 2. First for the cup: “We give you thanks, our Father, for the holy vine of David, your servant, whom you have revealed to us through Jesus, your servant. Glory be to you forever.” 3. Then for the broken bread: “We give you thanks, our Father, for the life and the knowledge which you have given us through Jesus, your servant. Glory be to you forever. 4. As this broken bread, scattered over the mountains, was gathered together to be one, so may your Church be gathered together in the same manner from the ends of the earth into your kingdom; a. This concluding formula is found in numerous, though not in the oldest, scriptural manuscripts. Used as an ending for two other prayers in the Didache (ix and x), the phrase is found first in Syrian liturgical texts and then in Byzantine usage, where the word “kingdom” is inserted before “power and glory.” b. No sections of the Didache have engendered more discussion and more divergent opinions than chapters ix and x. Whereas there is general agreement that chapter xiv describes in rudimentary fashion the Sunday celebration of the community’s Eucharist, questions are raised about chapters ix and x. Are both eucharistic in our sense of the word? And if so, would these refer to small domestic Eucharists as distinct from those celebrated by the whole community on Sunday? Or does chapter ix refer to some type of Christian meal or agape, whereas chapter x describes what we would designate as the Eucharist? Or do both chapters ix and x concern prayers said at the agape? What is certain is that the texts contain strong Jewish elements, with themes reminiscent of Jewish meal prayers. Although arguments can be adduced on almost all sides of the question, a common opinion today appears to be that these texts are table prayers said at a domestic celebration of the Eucharist proper. Nonetheless, one suspects that definitive answers will continue to elude us. 44. See Matt 6:9–13; Luke 11:2–4.

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38  Chapter II. Subapostolic Texts for to you are the glory and the power through Jesus Christ forever.” 5. Let no one eat or drink of your Eucharist except those who have been baptized in the name of the Lord; for it was in regard to this that the Lord said, “Do not give what is holy to the dogs.”45 187

x.1. After you have been filled, give thanks as follows: 2. “We give you thanks, holy Father, for your holy name which you have made to dwell in our hearts, and for the knowledge, the faith, and the immortality which you revealed to us through your servant Jesus. Glory be to you forever. 3. “Almighty Lord, you have created all things for the sake of your name.46 You have given all food and drink for refreshment so that they may give you thanks. But to us you have given spiritual food and drink and eternal life through [Jesus] your servant. 4. “For everything we thank you because you are powerful. Glory be to you forever. 5. “Lord, remember your Church; deliver it from all evil and perfect it in your love. Gather this sanctified Church from the four winds47 into the kingdom you have prepared for it. For to you belong the power and the glory forever. 6. “May grace come, and may this world pass away. Hosanna to the God of David.48 If anyone is holy, let him come; if anyone is not, let him do penance. Maranatha.”c 7. Allow the prophets to give thanks as they wish.

c. This term transliterates into Greek the Aramaic, which, depending on word division, can have two meanings. The early fathers understood the term as a credal declaration, “The Lord has come,” namely, as in the Aramaic Maran Atha (see 1 Cor 16:22). On the other hand, when the Aramaic is divided as Marana Tha, the expression is an eschatological prayer in expectation of the parousia, “O Lord, come” or “Come, Lord Jesus” (see Rev 22:20). 45. Matt 7:6.  46. See Wis 1:14; Sir 18:1; 24:8, LXX; Rev 4:11; Isa 43:7.  47. See Matt 24:31.  48. See Matt 21:9, 15.

7. The Didache or The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles  39 xi.1. If anyone comes to teach you all that was said above, receive him. 2. But if the teacher undertakes to teach another doctrine so as to destroy [these things], do not listen; but if one teaches in order to increase justice and knowledge of the Lord, receive such a one as [you would] the Lord. 3. As to the apostles and the prophets, act as follows in accord with the Gospel. 4. May every apostle who comes to you be received as the Lord. 5. But he is to remain for only one day and—should there be need—for the following day; if he remains three days, he is a false prophet. 6. Upon departing, the apostle is to receive nothing other than some bread until he reaches his next lodging; if he requests money, he is a false prophet. 7. You are not to test any prophet who speaks under the inspiration of the Spirit, nor are you to judge him. For every [other] sin will be forgiven, but this sin will not be.49 8. Not every person who speaks under the inspiration of the Spirit is a prophet, but only those who imitate the Lord. The false prophet and the true prophet are recognized by their behavior. 9. Every prophet who orders a meal to be served under the inspiration of the Spirit will abstain from it; but if he does not, he is a false prophet. 10. And every prophet who teaches the truth but does not put into practice what is taught is a false prophet. 11. And every prophet who is proven and true and who acts in view of the mystery of the Church in the world but who does not teach others to do what he does is not to be judged by you, for God will judge. This, in fact, is how the ancient prophets acted. 12. But whoever, under the inspiration of the Spirit, says to you, “Give me some money or something else,” do not listen to this person; but if someone asks you on behalf of others who are in need, let no one judge. xii.1. Let everyone who comes in the name of the Lord50 be received; but after testing them you will know them, for you will know what is true and what is false. 2. If the one who comes is a traveler, give help to the best of your abilities; but this person is to remain with you for only two or three days, if it is necessary. 3. If some wish to stay with you and have a trade, let them work and eat. 4. But if they have no trade, intelligently provide the means so that a Christian may not live among you in idleness. 5. If they do not wish to do so, they traffic in Christ. Beware of these. xiii.1. But every true prophet who wishes to settle among you is deserving of food.51 2. Likewise the true teacher himself, like the worker, is worthy of food.52 3. Therefore take the first fruits of the winepress and of the harvest and of cattle and of sheep and give them to the prophets, for these are your high priests. 4. And if you have no prophet, give them to the poor. 5. If you make bread, take the first fruits from it and give them according to the commandment. 6. Likewise, when you open a jug of wine or of oil, take the first fruits from it and give them to the prophets. 7. From

49. See Matt 12:31.  50. Matt 21:9; Ps 118:26.  51. See Matt 10:10; 1 Cor 9:13ff.; 1 Tim 5:18.  52. Ibid.

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40  Chapter II. Subapostolic Texts your money, from your garments, and from all your goods, take the first fruits as seems best to you and give them according to the commandment. xiv.1. And on the Lord’s Dayd gather to break bread and to give thanks, 191 after having confessed your offenses53 so that your sacrifice may be pure. 2. But let no one who has a difference with a comrade join you till they are reconciled so that your sacrifice not be defiled.54 3. For this is what the Lord said, “In every place and time let there be offered to me a pure sacrifice for I am a great king, says the Lord, and my name is revered among the nations.”55 xv.1. Appoint for yourselves bishops and deacons worthy of the Lord, 192 gentlemen, not seekers after money, those who are truthful and proven, for they serve you in the ministry of prophets and teachers. 2. And so do not despise them, for they are honored among you like the prophets and teachers. 3. Reprove one another, not in anger but in peace as you find in the Gospel. And let no one speak to any person who has done harm to another, nor is such a one to hear a word from you before doing penance.56 4. But offer your prayers, your alms, and all you do according to the Gospel of our Lord.57 xvi.1. Watch over your life; may your lamps not be extinguished, and 193 may your loins not be ungirded.58 But be ready, for you do not know the hour when our Lord will come.59 2. Come together frequently in order to seek what is fitting for your souls since the whole time of your faith will profit you nothing if, at the end, you have not obtained perfection. 3. In these last days false prophets and corrupters will multiply; sheep will be turned into wolves; and love will be changed into hatred.60 4. For as lawlessness increases, people will hate one another, persecute, and betray,61 and the deceiver of the world will appear as a son of God.62 He will do signs and wonders.63 The world will be delivered into his hands, and he will commit iniquities as have never been done since the beginning of the world.64 5. Then all created people will come to the fire of testing.65 Many will be scandalized66 and perish; but those who endure in their faith will be saved67 by him who is [made] accursed. 6. And then the signs of truth will appear. First, the sign spread out in the sky. Then the sign of the sound of the trumpet.68 And then the third, the resurrection of the dead,69 d. The Greek here reads Kata kuriakn de kuriou, literally “On the Lord’s Day of the Lord,” this redundancy perhaps showing that the term “Lord’s Day” had already become standard at the time of the Didache’s final redaction. This is the oldest use of the designation outside Revelation 1:10. The term is analogous to “the Lord’s Supper,” namely, the day that commemorates Jesus. 53. See Jas 5:16.  54. See Matt 5:23ff.  55. Mal 1:11, 14.  56. See Matt 5:22–26; 18:15–35.  57. See Matt 6:2–18.  58. See Luke 12:35.  59. See Matt 24:42, 44; Mark 13:35; Luke 12:40.  60. See Matt 24:11ff.  61. See Matt 24:10.  62. See 2 Thess 2:4; 2 John 7.  63. See Matt 24:24.  64. See Joel 2:2; Dan 12:1; Mark 13:19.  65. See Zech 13:8ff.  66. See Matt 24:10.  67. See Matt 10:22; 24:13.  68. See Matt 24:31; 1 Cor 15:52; 1 Thess 4:16.  69. See Matt 24:30–31.

8. Clement of Rome  41 7. yet not of all people but as has been said, “The Lord will come and all the holy ones with him.”70 8. Then the world will see the Lord coming upon the clouds of heaven .  .  .71 8. Clement of Rome

Clement of Rome is generally accepted as Peter’s third successor, thus being the fourth bishop of Rome. CPG 1: nos. 1001ff. * Altaner (1961) 99–102 * Altaner (1966) 45–47 * Bardenhewer (1908) 25–28 * Bardenhewer (1910) 23–26 * Bardenhewer (1913) 1:98–113 * Bardy (1929) 26–27 * Bautz 1:1048–49 * Casamassa 35–77 * Cross 11–13 * Goodspeed 7–11 * Hamell 26–27 * Jurgens 1:6–13 * Leigh-Bennett 1–8 * Quasten 1:42–53 * Steidle 11–13 * Tixeront 10–12 * CATH 2:1183–85 * CE 4:12–17 * DACL 3:1872–1902 * DCB 1:554–59 * DHGE 12:1089–93 * DictSp 2.1:962–63 * DPAC 1:712–14 * DTC 3.1:48–54 * EC 3:1809–11 * EEC 1:181 * EEChr 1:264–65 * LTK 2:1227–28 * NCE 3:926–28 * NCES 3:773–75 * ODCC 360–61 * PEA (1894) 4.1:13–20 * PEA (1991) 3:28–29 * RACh 3:188–97 * TRE 8:113–20 Th. Schermann, Griechische Zauberpapyri und das Gemeinde- und Dankgebet im I. Klemensbrief, TU 34, 2b (Leipzig, 1909). * J. Brinktrine, Der Messopferbegriff in den ersten zwei Jahrhunderten, FthSt 21 (Freiburg i. B., 1918) 68–76. * A. Baumstark, “Trishagion und Qeduscha,” JL 3 (1923) 18–32. * L.M.A. Haughwout, “Church Organization according to Clement,” AThR 6 (1923–24) 273–84. * J. Marty, “Etude des textes cultuels de prière conservès par les ‘Pères apostoliques,’” RHPR 10 (1930) 99ff. * U. Wilcken, Mitteilungen aus der Würzburger Papyrussammlung, Nr. 3: Ein liturgisches Fragment (3. Jahrh.), AAB, phil-hist. Klasse, no. 6 (Berlin, 1934) 31–36. * G. Bardy, “Le sacerdoce chrétien d’après les pères apostoliques,” VS 53 (1935) 1–28. * E. Barnikol, “Die vorsynoptische Auffassung von Taufe und Abendmahl im I. Clemensbriefe,” Theologische Jahrbücher 4 (1936) 77–80. * J. Quasten, Monumenta Eucharistica et Liturgia Vetustissima (Bonn, 1937) 327–34. * B. Poschmann, Paenitentia Secunda (Bonn, 1939) 112ff. * W.C. van Unnik, “1 Clement 34 and the ‘Sanctus,’” VC 5 (1951) 204–48. * E. Ferguson, “The Ministry of the Word in the First Two Centuries,” ResQ 1 (1957) 21–31. * E. Ferguson, “Ordination in the Ancient Church,” ResQ 5 (1961) 17–32, 67–82, 130–46. * O. Koch, “Eigenart und Bedeutung des Eschatologie im theologis hen Aufriss des 1. Clemensbrief,” Theophania 17 (Bonn, 1964) 56–64. * G. Konidaris, “De la prétendu divergence des formes dans le régime du christianisme primitif: ministres et ministères du temps des apôtres: la mort de s. Polycarpe,” Ist 10 (1964) 59–92. * R. Padberg, “Gottesdienst und Kirchenordnung im (ersten) Klemensbrief,” ALW 9 (1965–66) 367–74. * C. Riggi, “La liturgia della pace nella ‘Prima Clementis,’” Sal 33 (1971) 31–70, 205–61. * M. Jourjon, “Remarques sur le vocabulaire sacerdotal dans la 1 Clementis,” in Epektasis: Mélanges patristiques offerts au Cardinal Daniélou (Paris, 1972). * E. Ferguson, “‘When You Come Together’: ‘Epi to auto’ in Early Christian Literature,” ResQ 16 (1973) 202–8. * G. Blond, “Clement of Rome,” in W. Rordorf and others, The Eucharist of the Early Christians (New York, 1978) 24–47. * E.W. Fisher, “‘Let Us Look upon the Blood of Christ’ (1 Clement 7:4),” VC 34 (1980) 218–36. * J. Fuellenbach, Ecclesiastical Office and the Primacy of Rome: An Evaluation of Recent 70. Zech 14:5.  71. See Matt 24:30.

42  Chapter II. Subapostolic Texts Theological Discussion of First Clement, Studies in Christian Antiquity 20 (Washington, D.C., 1980). * A. Faivre, “Naissance d’un laïcat chrétien: les enjeux d’un mot,” FZPT 33 (1986) 391–429. * S. Légasse, “La prière pour les chefs d’Etat: antécédents judaïques et témoins chrétiens du premier siècle,” NTes 29 (1987) 236–53. * H.O. Maier, The Social Setting of Ministry as Reflected in the Writings of Hermas, Clement, and Ignatius, diss. (Waterloo, Ont., Canada, 1991).

8-A. Letter to the Corinthians† Although this work does not bear his name, ancient and reliable sources attribute the Letter to the Corinthians to Clement. The date of its composition is commonly given as 96/98 a.d., although the argument has been made that the letter was written as early as 80 a.d. The abundance of Old Testament citations may indicate that the author came from a strongly Jewish background. The occasion of the letter was strife in the city of Corinth, where, for one reason or another, ministers were being deposed from office. Clement, whether on his own initiative or having been asked, wrote to the Corinthians in the name of the Roman Church. Calling the faithful to repentance, the bishop of Rome insisted that there be due order in all things, especially those pertaining to ministry, presumably liturgical ministry. We may surmise that Clement’s intervention was successful since, we are told, his letter was customarily read in Corinth during divine services. 7. Beloved, we write you not only to warn you but also that we may remember. We are in the same arena, and the same combat awaits us.1 Let us leave behind vain and useless cares and conform ourselves to the wonderful and venerable norms of our tradition. Let us look at what is good, what is pleasing, what is acceptable in the sight of him who made us.2 Let us gaze upon the blood of Christ and know how precious that blood is to his Father, the blood that was shed for our salvation, the blood that has prepared the whole world for the grace of repentance. Let us travel back through all generations and learn that in generation to generation the Lord has allowed penance to all who desire to return to him. Noah preached repentance and those who listened to him were saved. Jonah preached destruction to the Ninevites who, repenting of their sin, appeased God by their prayers3 and were saved even though they were strangers to God. 195 8. Through the Holy Spirit the ministers of God’s grace have spoken of doing penance. And the Lord of all things has himself spoken of penance, doing so with an oath: “As I live, says the Lord, I desire not the death of sinners but that they live.”4 And to help us better understand he adds: 194

† Translated from Epître aux Corinthiens. Clément de Rome, ed. and trans. J. Jaubert, SChr 167 (Paris, 1971) 110ff. 1. See Phil 1:30; Heb 12:1; 1 Tim 6:12; 2 Tim 3:7.  2. See 1 Tim 2:3; 5:4.  3. See Jonah 3:4–10; Matt 12:41; Luke 11:32.  4. Ezek 18:23; 33:11.

8. Clement of Rome  43 “Repent, O house of Israel, of your iniquity. Tell the children of my people, ‘Even though your sins extend from the earth to heaven, and even though they be redder than scarlet and blacker than sackcloth,5 if you return to me with all your heart and say “Father,” I will hear you as I do a holy people.’”6 Elsewhere he says, “Wash and purify yourselves. Remove from my sight the wickedness of your souls; put an end to your evil-doings; learn to do good; seek after justice and free the oppressed; do what is right to the fatherless, and do justice to the widow. Come, then, let us discuss, says the Lord. And even though your sins be like crimson, I will make them as white as the snow; and if they are like scarlet, I will make them white as wool. And if you agree to hear me, you will taste the good things of the Lord. But if you do not hear me, the sword will devour you. The mouth of the Lord has spoken these things.”7 The Lord’s almighty will has determined these things since he wills that all who love him should repent. 40. Since these things are evident to us, and after having studied the 196 depths of divine knowledge,8 we should methodically do what the Lord has commanded us to carry out at determined times. He has ordered that the offerings and the [liturgical] servicesa take place not randomly or in a disorderly fashion but at appropriate times and hours. Where and by whom he desires these things to be done, he himself has decided by his own supreme will so that everything be done rightly according to his good pleasure and that they confirm to his will. So it is that those who make their offerings at the appointed times are pleasing and blessed, for they do not err in obeying the Lord’s prescriptions. For the high priest has been assigned his proper functions; the priests have their own places; the Levites have their special services. The laicb is bound by the prescriptions proper to the laity. 41. May each of you, brethren, give thanks to God in the rank proper to 197 each, doing so with a correct conscience, with dignity, not violating the rules determined for each person’s ministry. Brethren, it is not in every place that sacrifices are offered, whether perpetual or votive, whether sin offerings or those of guilt,9 but only in Jerusalem. And even in Jerusalem they are not offered in any place whatsoever, but on the altar before the temple, after a careful examination of the victim by the high priest and the ministers mentioned above. Those who act contrary to God’s will deserve the punishment of death. You see, brethren, the higher the knowledge for which we are deemed worthy, the greater the danger to which we are exposed. a. The Greek word here and in similar instances is leitourgia, namely, “public service.” b. The first use of this word in Christian literature. 5. See Isa 50:3; Rev 6:12.  6. A compact quotation from an unknown apocryphal Ezechiel.  7. Isa 1:16–20.  8. See Rom 11:33; 1 Cor 2:10.  9. See Exod 29:38–42; Num 28:3–8; Lev 4:3ff.

44  Chapter II. Subapostolic Texts 42. The apostles received the Gospel for us through Jesus Christ the Lord, who was sent by God. Christ comes from God, the apostles come from Christ; both orderly arrangements flow from the will of God. Having received instruction, filled with confidence by our Lord Jesus Christ’s resurrection, strengthened by God’s word, and with the complete assurance of the Holy Spirit, the apostles went forth proclaiming the good news that God’s Kingdom was at hand. They preached throughout the countryside and in the cities, and they appointed the first fruits [converts], whom they tested10 by the Spirit in order to make them bishops and deacons for those who would believe. There was nothing novel here because much earlier Scripture somewhere spoke of bishops and deacons, “I will establish their bishops in righteousness and their deacons in faith.”11 44. The apostles also knew, through our Lord Jesus Christ, that there 199 should be no dispute concerning the ministry of the bishop. For this reason the apostles, having received a perfect knowledge of the future, appointed those [ministers] mentioned above, and afterwards they established the rule that after the death of those whom the apostles appointed, other approved men should succeed them in their [liturgical] ministry. And so these men who had been appointed by the apostles or appointed afterwards by other eminent men with the approval of the whole Church, who have blamelessly served the flock of Christ, doing so with humility, peacefully, and with dignity—and for a long time receiving the testimony of all—these men, we believe, are not justly deposed from their [liturgical] ministry. It is no small sin on our part if we eject from the episcopacy those who without blame and in holiness have presented [to God] the offerings. Blessed are presbyters who have finished their journey and whose life has come to a fruitful and perfect end; they need not fear being removed from the place assigned them. For we see that some of them, in fact, despite their good behavior, you have removed from the functions they exercised with honor and beyond reproach. 59. [.  .  .]c We request with continual prayer and supplication that the 200 Creator of the universe keep intact the number which has been counted of his elect12 throughout the world because of his beloved child Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom he called us from darkness to light,13 from ignorance to the knowledge of the glory of his name. [May we, Lord,] hope in your name which is the beginning of all creation; you have opened the eyes of our heart14 so that we may know you; you alone15 are the Most High in the highest heavens and the Holy One among the holy ones.16 You humble the arrogance of the proud,17 you bring down the designs of 198

c. It has been suggested that the following prayer has its origins in the liturgy, perhaps being a formula used in Rome or in Egypt. 10. See 1 Tim 3:10; Titus 1:5–8; 1 Tim 3:2–7.  11. Isa 60:17, but the Scripture here says nothing about deacons.  12. See Rev 6:11; 4 Esdr 4:36.  13. See Isa 42:16; Acts 26:18; 2 Pet 2:9.  14. See Eph 1:18.  15. See John 17:3.  16. See Isa 57:15.  17. See Isa 13:11.

8. Clement of Rome  45 the nations,18 you raise up the humble and humble the exalted,19 you enrich and you impoverish,20 you kill and you bestow life,21 you are the sole benefactor of spirits and the God of all flesh,22 you probe the depths,23 you observe the things we do,24 you assist those in danger and save those in despair,25 you are the creator and overseer of all spirits,26 you multiply the nations on the earth and have chosen from among them all those who love you through Jesus Christ your beloved child through whom you have instructed, sanctified, and honored us.27 Lord, we ask you to be our help and protector.28 Save those among us who are in tribulation; uplift those who have fallen; show yourself to those in need; heal the sick, lead back those of your people who wander away,29 feed the hungry, free prisoners, raise up the weak,30 give courage to the timid. Do this so that all nations may know that you alone are God,31 that Jesus Christ is your child, and that “we are your people, the sheep of your pasture.”32 60. By your deeds you have made manifest the eternal arrangement of 201 the world. Lord, you created the world; you are faithful through all generations.33 You are just in your judgments, wonderful in power and majesty, wise when creating things and intelligent when strengthening them, good in what is visible and gracious to those who trust you. You are merciful and compassionate.34 Forgive our iniquities and injustices, our sins and our omissions. Remember not the sin of your servants, both men and women, but cleanse us with your purifying faith35 and direct our steps36 so that we may walk in holiness of heart37 and that we may do what is good and pleasing to you38 and to those who govern us. Yes, Lord, may your countenance shine upon us39 for good is peace, that we may be protected by your powerful hand40 and that we might be delivered from all sin by your uplifted arm,41 that you might deliver us from all who unjustly hate us.42 Grant peace and harmony to us as well as to all who live in this world, as you have given these to our ancestors when they piously called upon you with faith and truth,43 so that we might obey your all-powerful and glorious name as well as obey our leaders and rulers on earth. 61. Lord, by your magnificent and inexpressible power you have given 202 them royal power so that we might acknowledge the glory and honor you have given them and, being subject to them, may not oppose your will. Lord, give them health, peace, harmony, and stability so that they without 18. See Ps 33:10.  19. See Job 5:11; Isa 10:33; Ezek 17:24; 21:31.  20. See 1 Sam 2:7.  21. See Deut 32:39; 1 Sam 2:6; 2 Kgs 5:7.  22. See Num 16:22; 27:16.  23. See Dan 3:55.  24. See Esth 5:18.  25. See Jdt 9:11.  26. See Amos 4:13; Job 10:12.  27. See John 12:26; 17:17.  28. See Ps 118:14.  29. See Ezek 34:16.  30. See Job 4:4.  31. See 1 Kgs 8:60; 2 Kgs 9:19; Isa 37:20; Ezek 36:23; John 17:3.  32. Ps 79:13.  33. See Deut 7:9.  34. See Joel 12:13; Sir 2:11.  35. See John 17:17.  36. See Pss 40:3; 119:133.  37. See 1 Kgs 9:4.  38. See Deut 6:18; 12:25, 28; 13:19; 21:9.  39. See Num 6:25; Pss 31:17; 66:2; etc.  40. See Isa 51:16; Wis 5:16; etc.  41. See Deut 4:34; 5:15; etc.  42. See Pss 18:18; 106:10; etc.  43. See Ps 145:18.

46  Chapter II. Subapostolic Texts harshness may exercise the authority you have given them. Heavenly Lord and king of the ages,44 you give glory to the children of men; you give honor and power over earthly things. Lord, guide their decisions according to what is good and pleasing in your sight so that by piously exercising in peace and mildness what you have granted them they may find your graciousness. You alone can bring about these and greater things. We thank you through Jesus Christ the high priest and protector of our souls, through whom you receive glory and majesty now and for all generations and for all ages. Amen. 9 . I g n at i u s o f A n t i o c h . L e t t e r s

According to Origen (WEC 1:43), Ignatius, who refers to himself as Theophorus, namely, the “God-bearer,” was the second bishop of Antioch, the successor of Saint Peter; Eusebius (WEC 2:81), however, says that Ignatius was the third bishop of this city, following Euodius, Peter’s successor. At any rate, during the reign of the emperor Trojan (98–117), Ignatius was arrested, placed under the guard of ten soldiers, and was being taken to Rome for execution. On the way he wrote seven letters, which rank among the most precious gems of early Christian literature. Stopping at Smyrna (modern Izmir, a port city in what is now western Turkey), Ignatius was visited and offered encouragement by the bishops of Ephesus, Tralles, and Magnesia (all in what is today western Turkey). To each he gave a letter for their respective congregations. Additionally, he wrote to the church at Rome, requesting its members not to intercede with the authorities on his behalf. The Roman military contingent and its prisoner continued on to Troas. While there he wrote three letters, one to the faithful at Philadelphia (today Alasehir in western Turkey), another to the church at Smyrna, and a third to Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna, a port city known today as Izmir in western Turkey. Although contemporary witness is lacking, tradition indicates that the holy bishop of Antioch did indeed reach Rome, where he was martyred, being the victim of attacks by wild beasts in the Coliseum. These seven letters, so eloquent and so full of spiritual and theological insight, have come down to us in three collections or recensions: e.g., the short and earliest recension; the long recension—dating from the fourth century and incorporating various interpolations and containing spurious material; and the Syriac abridgment of three of Ignatius’s letters. There was a time when some scholars doubted the authenticity of these seven letters, due to their witness of a very well-organized form of ordained church leadership and especially the prominent role accorded to the bishop. Today, however, there is almost universal agreement that the letters are indeed genuine. 44. See Tob 13:7, 11; 1 Tim 1:17.

9. Ignatius of Antioch. Letters  47 CPG 1: nos. 1025ff. * Altaner (1961) 106–9 * Altaner (1966) 47–50 * Bardenhewer (1908) 30–35 * Bardenhewer (1910) 27–32 * Bardenhewer (1913) 1:119–46 * Bardy (1929) 55–57 * Bautz 2:1251–55 * Casamassa 103–54 * Cross 15–18 * Goodspeed 13–20 * Hamell 28–30 * Jurgens 1:17–26 * Quasten 1:63–76 * Steidle 13–14 * Tixeront 13–16 * CATH 5:1190–92 * CE 7:644–47 * DACL 7.1:67 * DCB 3:209–23 * DHGE 25:684–86 * DictSp 7.2:1250–66 * DPAC 2:1743–45 * DTC 7.1:685–713 * EC 6:1598–99 * EEC 1:404–5 * EEChr 1:559–60 * LTK 5:407–9 * NCE 7:353–54 * NCES 6:310–12 * ODCC 817–18 * PEA (1991) 5:924–26 * TRE 16:40–45 A. Scheiwiler, Die Elemente der Eucharistie in den ersten drei Jahrhunderten, FLDG 3, no. 4 (Mainz, 1903) 17–26. * J. Brinktrine, Der Messopferbegriff in den ersten zwei Jahrhunderten, FThSt 21 (Freiburg i. B., 1918) 76–84. * J. Vieujan, “La doctrine de s. Ignace d’Antioche sur l’Eglise,” REL 26 (1934/35) 254–58. * P. Batiffol, L’Eucharistie, la présence réelle et la transubstantion, 9th ed., Etudes d’histoire et de théologie positive, 2nd series (Paris, 1939) 39–50. * J. Quasten, Monumenta Eucharistica et Liturgica Vetustissima (Bonn, 1935–37) 334–36. * D.C. Lusk, “What Is the Historic Episcopate? An Inquiry Based upon the Letters of Ignatius of Antioch,” SJT 3 (1950) 255–77. * G. Jouassard, “Aux origines du culte des martyrs dans le christianisme: S. Ignace d’Antioche,” RSR 39 (1951/52) 362–67. * E. Ferguson, “The Ministry of the Word in the First Two Centuries,” ResQ 1 (1957) 21–31. * H. Koester, “Geschichte und Kultus im Johannesevangelium und bei Ignatius von Antiochien,” ZTK 54 (1957) 56–69. * E. Ferguson, “Ordination in the Ancient Church,” ResQ 5 (1961) 17–32, 67–82, 130–46. * O. Perler, “Eucharistie et unité de l’église d’après s. Ignace d’Antioche,” in XXXV Congresso Eucaristico International (Barcelona, 1962) 244–49. * J. Colson, “Le rôle du presbytérium et de l’évêque dans le contrôle de la liturgie chez s. Ignace d’Antioche et le rôle de Rome au IIe siècle,” ParL 47 (1965) 14–24. * W.L. Dulière, “Un problème à résoudre: l’acceptation du sang eucharistique par les premiers chrétiens juifs,” STh 20 (1966) 62–93. * M. Jourjon, “La présidence de l’eucharistie chez Ignace d’Antioche,” LV 16 (1967) 26–32. * J.F. McCue, “Bishops, Presbyters, and Priests in Ignatius of Antioch,” TS 28 (1967) 828–34. * M. Thurian, “L’organisation du ministère dans l’église primitive selon s. Ignace d’Antioche,” VerC 81 (1967) 26–38. * G. Saber, “La conception baptismale de s. Ignace d’Antioche,” Mel 5 (1969) 177–96. * A. Vilela, “Le presbyterium selon s. Ignace d’Antioche,” BLE 73 (1973) 161–86. * R. Johanny, “Ignatius of Antioch,” in W. Rordorf and others, The Eucharist of the Early Christians (New York, 1978) 48–70. * R. Gryson, Les “lettres” attribuées à Ignace d’Antioche et l’apparition de l’épiscopat monarchique,” RTL 10 (1979) 446–53. * T. Marsh, “The History of the Sacramental Concept,” MilS 3 (1979) 21–56. * B. Dupuy, “Aux origines de l’épiscopat: le corpus des lettres d’Ignace d’Antioche et le ministère d’unité,” Ist 27 (1982) 269–77. * D. Dufrasne, “S. Ignace d’Antioche: l’Eglise une dans le Père commun,” ComL 66:4 (1984) 349–55. * F. Bergamelli, “Nel Sangue di Cristo: la vita nuova del cristiano secondo il martire s. Ignazio di Antiochita,” EphL 100 (1986) 152–70. * R.F. Stoops Jr., “If I Suffer .  .  . Epistolary Authority in Ignatius of Antioch,” HThR 80 (1987) 161–78. * L. Wehr, Arznei der Unsterblichkeit: die Eucharistie bei Ignatius von Antiochien und im Johannesevangelium, Neutestamentliche Abhandlungen, n.s., 18 (Münster, 1987). * A. Brent, “The Relations Between Ignatius and the Didascalia,” SCJ 8 (1991) 129–56. * J.E. Lawyer Jr., “Eucharist and Martyrdom in the Letters of Ignatius of Antioch,” AThR 73 (1991) 280–96. * A. Pettersen, “The Laity—Bishop’s Pawn? Ignatius of Antioch on the Obedient Christian,” SJT 44 (1991) 39–56. * A.H.B. Logan, “Post-Baptismal Chrismation in Syria: The Evidence

48  Chapter II. Subapostolic Texts of Ignatius, the ‘Didache’ and the Apostolic Constitutions,” JThSt, n.s., 49 (1998) 92–108.

9-A. To the Ephesians† 203

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Ignatius, also called Theophorus, sends best wishes for pure joy in Jesus Christ to the Church at Ephesusa in Asia, a Church deserving of congratulations, blessed as it is. [.  .  .] iii. [.  .  .] Since love does not allow me to be silent in regard to you, I am anxious to exhort you to walk in accord with God’s thinking. For Jesus Christ, our inseparable life, is the thought of the Father, just as the bishops, appointed throughout the whole world, are in the thought of Jesus Christ. iv. And so it is fitting for you to walk in accord with the thinking of your bishop, something you are already doing. Your presbyterate, justifiably honored and worthy of God, is in harmony with the bishop like strings with a harp; and so, in the unity of your affection and in the harmony of your love, you sing of Jesus Christ. May each one of you also become a choir so that in the harmony of your unity, taking the keynote from God in unity, you may sing with one voice through Jesus Christ a hymn to the Father so that he might hear and recognize you by your good works, like members of his Son. And so it behooves you to be inseparable and united so as to participate in God at all times. v. If, in fact, in so short a time I have become so attached to your bishop—an attachment that is not human but spiritual—how much more do I congratulate you for being so deeply united to him, just as the Church is united to Christ and Christ is to the Father so that all things be in perfect unity. Be not deceived. If someone is not within the sanctuary, that person is deprived of the “bread of God.”1 For if the prayer of two people together has such power,2 how much more has that of the bishop and the entire Church. Those who do not come to the common gathering have already shown pride and have judged themselves, for it is written that “God opposes the proud.”3 And so let us take care not to oppose the bishop so that we may be submissive to God. vi. The more we see the bishop being silent, the more we should reverence him; for it is necessary that we receive the person whom the master of the house sends to administer his house4 just as we would receive the one who sent this person.5 And so it is clear that we are to look upon the bishop as if he were the Lord himself. [.  .  .] All letters translated from Lettres. Ignace d’Antioche .  .  ., 3rd rev. edition, ed. and trans. Th. Camelot, SChr 10 (Paris, 1958). a. Ephesus: today Küçükmenderes on the Aegean Sea. 1. John 6:33.  2. See Matt 18:20.  3. Jas 4:6; 1 Pet 5:5; see Prov 3:34.  4. See Luke 12:42; Matt 24:45.  5. See Matt 10:40. †

9. Ignatius of Antioch. Letters  49 xiii. Make an effort, then, to gather more frequently in order to thank God [celebrate the Eucharist?] and give praise. For when you gather often, Satan’s powers are overthrown, and his destructive work is destroyed by the unity of your faith. [.  .  .] xviii. [.  .  .] Our God Jesus Christ was carried in the womb of Mary according to the divine plan [and was born] from the seed of David6 and from the Holy Spirit. He was born and was baptized in order to purify the water by his passion. xx. [.  .  .] I will [send additional explanations] especially if the Lord reveals to me that each of you in particular and all of you together, through grace that comes from his name, gather together in the same faith and in Jesus Christ “who descended from David according to the flesh,”7 Son of Man and Son of God, so that you gather out of obedience to the bishop and to the presbyterate, in perfect unity, breaking the same bread which is the medicine of immortality, an antidote so that one does not die but lives forever in Jesus Christ.

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9-B. To the Magnesiansa Ignatius, also called Theophorus, to the church which is blessed with the grace of God the Father in Jesus Christ our Savior, in whom I greet this church at Magnesia by the Meander. I wish it all joy in God the Father and in Jesus Christ. iii. It is fitting that you not take advantage of your bishop’s youthful age but, because of the power of God the Father, show him all respect. I know, in fact, that your holy presbyters have not taken advantage of his youthfulness, but like those who are wise in God, they yield to him, not to him but to the Father of Jesus Christ who is the bishop of all. [.  .  .] iv. And so we should not merely bear the name of Christian but also be one. There are some who always refer to the bishop but act completely apart from him. It seems to me that such people do not have a good conscience, in that their gatherings are neither legitimate nor in conformity with the Lord’s commandment. vi. [.  .  .] I implore you, attempt to do everything in harmony with God and under the presidency of the bishop who takes the place of God, the presbyters taking the place of the council of the apostles, and the deacons, who are so dear to me, being entrusted with the ministry of Jesus Christ who before time was with the Father and who in these last days has appeared. Follow God’s ways, all of you; respect one another; do not regard your neighbor according to the flesh; but always love one another in Jesus Christ. Let there be nothing among you that can divide you, but unite yourselves to the bishop and to those who preside as an image and lesson of incorruptibility. a. Magnesians: residents of Manisa or Manissa in western Turkey. 6. See John 7:42; Rom 1:3; 2 Tim 2:8.  7. Rom 1:3.

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50  Chapter II. Subapostolic Texts vii. Just as the Lord did nothing, whether by himself or by his apostles, apart from the Father1 with whom he is one, so neither are you to do anything without the bishop and the presbyters. Do not try to convince yourselves that what you do on your own is acceptable, but do everything in common: one prayer, one supplication, one mind; one hope in love,2 in irreproachable joy, that is, Jesus Christ to whom nothing is preferable. Come together, all of you, as one temple of God, around one altar,3 around one Jesus Christ who has come from the one Father and who remained one in him and who has gone on to him.4 ix. If, therefore, those who lived in the former order of things have come 216 to a new hope, no longer observing the Sabbath but the Lord’s Day, the day when our life was raised up by him and by his death (although some deny this) and if through this mystery we have received the faith, this is why we hold fast in order to be found as [true] disciples of Jesus Christ, our only teacher—how then can we live without him since even the prophets, being his disciples by the Spirit, awaited him as their teacher? [.  .  .] 215

9-C. To the Tralliansa ii. When you submit to the bishop as if to Jesus Christ, I do not see you living according to human standards but according to Jesus Christ who has died for you so that, believing in his death, you might escape death. And so it is necessary—as is your present practice—to do nothing without the bishop. Also submit yourselves to the presbyterate as if to the apostles of “Jesus Christ our hope”1 in whom we expect to live forever. It is also necessary that the deacons, being servants2 of the mysteries of Jesus Christ, be pleasing to all in every way. For they are not servants of food and drink but servants of the Church of God.3 And so they are to avoid like fire all reason for reproach. iii. Likewise, let all respect the deacons as we would Jesus Christ; also 218 the bishop who is the image of the Father; and the presbyters like God’s council and like the assembly of the apostles; without these we cannot speak of the Church. [.  .  .] 217

9-D. To the Philadelphiansa 219

iv. Take care, then, to participate in the one Eucharist, for there is only one flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, and only one cup to unite us with his blood, 1. See John 5:19, 30; 8:28.  2. See Eph 4:4-6.  3. See Heb 13:10.  4. See John 8:42; 13:3;16:28. a. Trallians: residents of Tralles (today Aydin) on one of the slopes of Mount Messogis in western Turkey. 1. 1 Tim 1:1.  2. See 1 Cor 4:1.  3. See ibid. a. Philadelphians: residents of what today is Alasehir in western Turkey.

9. Ignatius of Antioch. Letters  51 and one altar, just as there is one bishop with the presbyterate and the deacons, my fellow servants. And so whatever you do, do in the name of God.

9-E. To the Smyrniansa vi. [.  .  .] Consider those who have a different opinion concerning the grace of Jesus Christ which has come to us; see how they are opposed to the mind of God. They have no concern for charity, nor for widows, nor for orphans, nor for the oppressed, nor for those in prison or for those who have been set free, nor for the hungry or the thirsty. vii. They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer because they do not confess that the Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ,1 the flesh which suffered for our sins and which the Father in his goodness has raised from the dead. And so those who refuse the “gift of God”2 die in their disputes. [.  .  .] viii. All of you are to follow the bishop just as Jesus Christ follows his Father, and you are to follow the presbyterate as you would the apostles; regarding the deacons, respect them as you would God’s law. Let no one do anything apart from the bishop which pertains to the Church. May there be only one legitimate Eucharist, namely, that done under the bishop or whomever the bishop has committed it. Wherever the bishop appears, there the people are to be; just as where Christ Jesus is, there is the Catholic Church.b Without the bishop’s permission it is not allowed to baptize or to hold an agape, but whatever he approves is also pleasing to God. Thus all that you do will be “sure and steadfast.”3

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9-F. To Polycarp of Smyrna Although this is a personal letter to the bishop of Smyrna, part of the text is addressed to the community at large. v. [.  .  .] It is also proper that men and women who marry do so with the 223 consent of the bishop so that their marriage take place according to the Lord and not according to passion. May all things be done for the honor of God. vi. Be close to the bishop so that God also be close to you. I offer my life 224 for those who submit to the bishop, to presbyters, to deacons; may I share with them in God. Work together, fight together, struggle, sleep, arise, because you are God’s stewards,1 members of God’s household, God’s servants.2 [.  .  .] May your baptism remain as your shield; your faith as your helmet; your love as your spear; your patience as your armor. [.  .  .]

a. Smyrnians: residents of what today is the port city of Izmir in western Turkey. b. This is the first use in Christian literature of the term “Catholic (i.e., “universal”) Church.” 1. See Luke 22:19.  2. John 4:10.  3. Heb 6:19. 1. See Titus 1:7.  2. See ibid.; 1 Cor 4:1.

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9-G. To the Romans 225

vii. [.  .  .] I desire not corruptible food nor the delights of this life; what I desire is the “bread of God,”1 which is the flesh of Jesus Christ who was of the seed of David;2 and for drink I desire his blood, which is incorruptible love. 1 0 . Pa s t o r H e r m a s

According to the Muratorian Canon (end of second century), Hermas was the brother of the Roman bishop Pius I, who served as bishop of Rome ca. 140–ca. 154. From the writing of Hermas himself we know that he was a freed slave, a prosperous farmer who fell upon hard times, a husband whose wife had a loose tongue, a father whose children apostatized and denounced him. Further, due to several Hebraisms found in his writing, there is reason to believe that Hermas was of Jewish descent or at least taught by Jewish instructors. Well respected in antiquity, he is considered to be one of the “Apostolic Fathers.” CPG 1: no. 1052 * Altaner (1961) 84–88 * Altaner (1966) 55–58 * Bardenhewer (1908) 38–43 * Bardenhewer (1910) 107–11 * Bardenhewer (1913) 1:557–78 * Bardy (1929) 28–29 * Bautz 2:759 * Casamassa 191–216 * Cross 23–29 * Goodspeed 30–34 * Hamell 32–34 * Jurgens 1:32–38 * Quasten 1:92–105 * Steidle 284 * Tixeront 23–27 * CATH 5:667–69 * CE 7:268–71 * DACL 6.2:2265–90 * DCB 2:912–21 * DictSp 7.1:316–34 * DPAC 1:1197–98 * DTC 6.2:2268–88 * EEC 1:377 * EEChr 1:521–22 * LTK 4:1448–49 * NCE 6:1074 * NCES 6:785–86 * ODCC 760 * PEA (1894) 8.1:722–25 * PEA (1991) 5:420–21 * RACh 14:682–701 * TRE 15:100–108 A. d’Alès, “La discipline pénitentielle d’après le Pasteur d’Hermas,” RSR 2 (1911) 105–39, 140–65. * A. Vanbeck, “La pénitence dans le Pasteur d’Hermas,” RHL, n.s., 2 (1911) 389–403. * A. d’Alès, L’Edit de Calliste, étude sur les origines de la pénitence chrétienne (Paris, 1914) 52–113. * G. Rauschen, Eucharist and Penance (St. Louis, 1913) 155–59. * J. Hoh, Die kirchliche Busse im zeiten Jahrhundert (Breslau, 1932) 10–34. * J. Schümmer, Die altchristliche Fastenpraxis, LQF 27 (Münster, 1933) 124ff., 135ff., 138ff. * J. Svennung, “Statio = ‘Fasten,’” ZNW 32 (1933) 294–308. * B. Poschmann, Paenitentia Secunda (Bonn, 1939) 134–205. * R.C. Mortimer, The Origins of Private Penance in the Western Church (Oxford, 1939). * R. Joly, “La doctrine pénitentielle du Pasteur d’Hermas et l’exégèse récente,” RHE 147 (1955) 32–49. * E. Ferguson, “Baptism from the Second to the Fourth Century,” ResQ 1 (1957) 185–97. * B. Neunheuser, Baptism and Confirmation (St. Louis, 1964) 62–63. * B. Poschmann, Penance and the Anointing of the Sick (St. Louis, 1964) 26–35. * S. Giet, “Pénitence ou repentance dans le Pasteur d’Hermas,” RDC 17 (1967) 15–30. * J. Massingberd Ford, “A Possible Liturgical Background to the Shepherd of Hermas,” Revue de Qumrân 6 (1967–69) 531–51. * P. Henne, “Le péché d’Hermas,” RT 90 (1990) 640–51. * H.O. Maier, The Social Setting of the Ministry as Reflected in the Writings of Hermas, Clement, and Ignatius (Waterloo, Canada, 1991). * P. Henne, “La pénitence et la rédaction du ‘Pasteur’ d’Hermas,” RBibl 98 (1991) 358–97. * C. Osiek, Shepherd of Hermas: A Commentary (Minneapolis, 1999). 1. John 6:33.  2. See John 7:42; Rom 1:3.

10. Pastor Hermas  53

10-A. The “Shepherd” of Hermas† Belonging to a literary genre that is called “apocryphal apocalypses,” The Shepherd consists of three large sections: Visions (five chapters); Precepts or Mandates (twelve chapters); Parables or Similitudes (ten chapters, the ninth parable being an addition to the original work), this division being more external than logical. Numerous imaginary objects and characters appear in this lengthy work: e.g., a matron constantly growing younger and representing the Church, which is also symbolized by a mystical tower under construction whose stones are Christians and which is entered through the waters of baptism; a shepherd representing the angel of penance. A whole cast of characters is encountered: saints and sinners, apostles and martyrs, various classes of clerics good and bad, etc. The text, originally written in Greek, appears to date from more than one period and may be the result of combining two different works, one by Hermas, the other by an anonymous author. The Shepherd was held in high esteem, especially in the East, where some Christian communities even read the book during the liturgical assembly. The author focuses on the necessity of penance, an established practice that is offered to all after baptism. A person enters the Church through baptism; a person reenters the Church through penance. Normally given only once, penance is available to all, and yet whoever falls a second time can be saved only “with difficulty” (see Man iv-3). Little is said about reconciliation itself. A theological point of interest concerns the author’s Christology. The term “Logos” or the name “Jesus Christ” is never used; it is always “Son of God” or “Lord.” Curiously, the Holy Spirit seems to be identified with the “Son of God” before the Incarnation. Vis i-1. My master sold me to a certain Rhoda in Rome. Many years later I met her again and began to love her as a sister. Some time afterwards, I saw her bathing in the Tiber River; extending my hand, I drew her up out of the water. Seeing her beauty, I said to myself, “I would be a happy man if I had a wife of such beauty and character.” I merely thought about this, nothing more. Later, while walking toward Cumes, I was reflecting on the greatness, beauty, and power of God’s deeds. Continuing on, I fell asleep. The Spirit took hold of me and led me through a pathless place where no one could walk since it was located in a rocky ravine. I crossed the river which was there and came to a plain where I fell down on my knees and began to pray to God to whom I confessed my sins. As I was praying, the heavens opened and I saw the lady whom I had desired. Greeting me from above, she said, “Greetings, Hermas.” I looked at her and said, “My lady, what would you have me do?” She answered, “I was lifted up so that before the Lord I might accuse you of your sins.” I said to her, “Are you now my denouncer?” “No,” she said. “Listen to what I †

Translated from Le pasteur. Hermas, trans. and ed. R. Joly, SChr 53 (Paris, 1958).

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54  Chapter II. Subapostolic Texts will now tell you: God who dwells in the heavens,1 who created all things from nothing, and who has multiplied and increased all things2 because of his holy Church, is angry with you since you have sinned against me.” I answered, “Sinned against you? In what way? When did I ever utter an unseemly word? Did I not always hold you in the highest esteem? Did I not always respect you as a sister? Why, my lady, do you falsely accuse me of sin and impurity?” She smiled and said, “Desire for sin has risen in your heart. Do you not believe that the just sin when an evil desire springs up in the heart? Sin exists here, and it is great,” she said, “for the righteous have righteous thoughts. It is by reason of righteous thoughts that the glory of the just increases in the heavens, allowing the Lord to show mercy for all that the righteous do. But those whose thoughts are not righteous bring death and captivity upon themselves, especially upon those whose hearts are set on the things of this world, who rejoice in their riches, and who fail to look ahead to future happiness. They will be sorry in that they lack hope and have despaired of themselves and of their life. But you are to pray to God, who will heal your sins,3 those of your whole household, and those of all the holy ones.” Vis i-2. After she had said all this, the heavens closed and I, deeply 227 troubled and afflicted, said to myself, “If this sin is counted against me, how can I obtain salvation? How can I propitiate God in regard to my sins which are so great? What words can I use so that the Lord might be merciful to me?” While reflecting on all this, I saw in front of me a large white chair, made of wool. An elderly woman came, resplendent in garb and holding a book in her hands. She sat down alone and greeted me, “Good day, Hermas.” And I, in distress and in tears, said to her, “Good day, my lady.” Then she said to me, “Hermas, why are you so sad whereas formerly you were patient, calm, and always smiling? Why are you now so downcast and without cheer?” I replied, “Because a very good woman has said that I have sinned against her.” And she said, “Far be this from a servant of God! Nonetheless, perhaps a desire for her has entered your heart. Such a desire, when held by a servant of God, brings about sin, for it is an evil and wicked wish in a complete and already well-tested spirit to desire something evil, and especially if it is Hermas, a temperate person who keeps himself from every evil desire and is full of perfect simplicity and great innocence. Vis iii-2. “Now what have they endured?” I asked. “Listen,” she said, 228 “blows, prison, great tribulations, the cross, wild beasts, all for the Name of God. This is why, in the holy place, division on the right is reserved for these and for all who suffer for God’s name. The others are placed on the left. But for these two groups—those sitting on the right and those on the left—there are the same gifts, the same promises. Yet only those sitting on the right will enjoy a certain glory. You desire to be seated on the 1. See Ps 2:4; 123:1.  2. See Gen 1:28; 8:17.  3. See Deut 30:3.

10. Pastor Hermas  55 right with these, but your sins are numerous. You have to be purified from them, and all those who have not doubted will be purified of all their sins up to this day.” After saying this, she wanted to depart. But throwing myself at her feet, I implored by the Lord that she grant me the vision she had promised. Once again she took my hand, raised me up, and seated me on the left. She sat at the right. Lifting up a splendid rod, she said to me, “Do you see something great?” “My lady, I see nothing,” I replied. She said, “Lo, do you not see before you a large tower with shining square stones being built upon the waters?” It was being built square by six young men who had come with her. Many other men brought stones to it, some stones coming from the bottom of the water, others from the land, and they handed these to the six young men who took them and were building. The stones taken from the deep were placed in the building exactly as they were since these were polished and fitted exactly with the other stones. The stones were so joined together that their joining could not be detected, and thus the tower appeared to have been fashioned from one stone. A different fate awaited the stones that were taken from the earth: some were rejected by the young men; some were fitted into the building; others were broken into pieces and thrown a distance from the building. Many other stones lay around the tower. These the young men did not use in the building. Some of these stones were mildewed; others were cracked; others were too short; others were white and round and yet not fit for use in the tower’s construction. I saw other stones thrown far from the tower and, falling onto the road where they did not remain, rolled to a pathless place. Others I saw falling into the fire and burning there, and still others falling close to the water and yet not capable of being rolled into the water even though they desired to do so. Vis iii-3. Having shown me these things, she wanted to depart. I said to 229 her, “My lady, for what purpose have I seen these things if I do not know their meaning?” She responded, “You are intent to learn everything possible pertaining to the tower.” “Yes, my lady,” I said, “in order to tell it to my brethren, to make them happy and by hearing these things to have them know God in all his glory.” Her reply, “Many will hear. But having heard, some will rejoice; others, on the other hand, will weep. Yet even these last, if they pay attention and repent, will likewise rejoice. Listen, then, to the parables of the tower, for I will reveal all things to you; only pester me no longer in regard to the revelations since these will end. Nevertheless, you will not cease requesting me about them, for you are insatiable. I am the tower you see being constructed; I am the Church, which you once saw and now see. Ask what you will regarding the tower, and I will reveal it to you so that you may rejoice with the holy ones.” I said, “My lady, now that you have judged me worthy to reveal all to me this one time, reveal it.” She said to me, “What can be revealed to you will be revealed. Only let your heart be turned toward God and may you doubt nothing concerning what you have seen.” I asked her, “My lady, why is

56  Chapter II. Subapostolic Texts the tower built upon the waters?” She replied, “Previously I told you this, and yet you are curious concerning what has been written. Listen, then, as to why the tower is built upon the waters: because your life is and will be saved by water. The tower was erected by the word of the omnipotent and glorious Name, and it is maintained through the invisible power of the Master.” Vis iii-5. “Listen now concerning the stones that are in the building. 230 They are square and white and fit exactly with each other. These are the apostles, the bishops, the teachers, and the deacons, those who have walked in the holiness of God and who with purity and holiness have exercised their service as bishop, teacher, deacon, on behalf of God’s chosen; some have already died whereas others are still living. They have always agreed with one another, kept the peace among themselves, and have listened to each other. Because of this their joinings fit together in the construction of the tower.” “But who are the stones that have been taken from the depths of the water, those placed in the building and fitting together with the stones previously placed in the tower?” “These are the ones who have suffered for the name of the Lord.” “And the others, those taken from the arid earth, I would like to know who they are, my lady.” She answered, “Those going into the building without being cut square are those whom the Lord has approved because they have walked in the right way of the Lord and have perfectly observed his commandments.” “And who are those that are being brought and placed in the building?” “They are the ones who are young in the faith and are faithful; the angels admonish them to do good since no evil has been found in them.” “Who are those that are rejected and cast away?” “These are the ones who have sinned and who desire to do penance; therefore they were not cast a far distance from the tower; if they repent, they will be helpful for its construction. Those, then, who are inclined to repent, if they do so, will be made strong in the faith provided that they now repent while the tower is still under construction. But if the building is completed, there will be no place for them; they will be rejected; their only advantage will be to rest close to the tower.” Man iv-1. “I order you,” he [the shepherd] said, “to preserve purity and 231 never let it enter your heart to think of another man’s wife nor commit fornication nor do any such sin. Should you do so, you commit a great sin. Now always remember your own wife and you will never sin. If these desires arise in your heart, you will sin; and if there are other thoughts that are just as evil, you commit sin. For this desire in a servant of God is a great sin. But if you commit this evil deed, you prepare death for yourself. Take care; refrain from this desire, for where holiness resides, there iniquity is not to enter the human heart.” I said to him, “Sir, allow me to ask several questions.” “Speak,” he said. “Sir, if a man has a wife who believes in the Lord and if he discovers that she is adulterous, is it a sin for the husband to live with her?” He answered, “As long as he is ignorant of this, he commits no sin; but if he learns about this woman’s sin and if she persists

10. Pastor Hermas  57 in adultery rather than repents, by living with her the man shares in her sin and participates in her adultery.” I said, “Sir, what is the husband to do if the woman persists in this passion?” “He is to send her away,” he replied, “and remain by himself. But if, after having sent away his wife, he marries another, he also commits adultery.”4 And I said to him, “But what if the woman who has been put away should repent and desire to return to her husband, is he not to receive her?” And he replied, “To be sure, the husband sins if he does not take her back and brings a great sin upon himself, for he must receive her who has sinned and who repents, but not often. For the servants of God there is only one penance. It is in view of penance, then, that the husband is not to marry again. In this matter husband and wife are treated in the same fashion. Adultery does not only consist in defiling the flesh; it also occurs when someone lives as do the heathens. Therefore, if a person persists in this conduct without repenting, leave that person and cease to live with him or her. Otherwise you share in that individual’s sin. This is why you were commanded to remain single, men and women alike, so that penance be possible.” He continued: “And so my intent is not to facilitate such sins but that the sinner may sin no more. As to previous sins, there is someone who can bring healing, namely, he who has the power to do all things.” Man iv-3. “Sir,” I said, “I have further questions.” “Speak,” he replied. “I understand that certain teachers have said that there is no other penance than that of the day when we went down into the water and received the remission of our past sins.” His response: “What you have heard is exact and indeed true. Whoever has received the pardon of sins is not, in fact, to sin again but rather to remain in holiness. Since you are now inquiring diligently into all things, I will also explain this, without giving occasion of error to those who will believe or have just lately come to believe in the Lord. Those who already believe as well as those who shall believe have no repentance for their sins; they have the remission of their former sins. And so the Lord instituted penance only for those who have been called before these last days. The Lord knows hearts, and knowing beforehand he knew human weakness and the numerous designs of the devil, who desires to harm God’s servants and to inflict evil upon them. The Lord took pity on his creature and instituted penance and granted that I direct it. And so I say to you that if anyone, tempted by the devil, should sin after this important and solemn calling, this person may repent only one time. Should he or she sin time and time again, even if he or she repents, penance will be unprofitable and only with difficulty will that person live.” I said to him, “Life has returned to me after this detailed information, for now I know that I will be saved if in the future I sin no more.” And he said, “You will be saved together with all those who observe these commandments.” 4. See Matt 5:32; 19:9; Mark 10:11; 1 Cor 7:11.

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58  Chapter II. Subapostolic Texts Par viii-6. After the shepherd had examined the branches of all, he said to me, “I told you that this tree was living. You see how many repented and were saved.” “I see, Sir.” I replied, “So that you might know how great and glorious is God’s mercy, he has also given his Spirit to those who are worthy of doing penance.” “Why then, Sir,” I asked, “have not all done penance?” “Those whom the Lord has seen about to purify their hearts and ready to serve him completely, these he has allowed to repent. As to those whose deceit and perversity he saw and who were ready to repent only out of hypocrisy, he has not allowed these to do penance so that they cannot again blaspheme his Law.” I said to him: “Sir, explain to me now something about those who gave up their branches, what kind of persons they are, and something about their dwelling place, so that when they hear this, those who believed and have received the seal and have broken it and did not keep it whole, may understand what they are doing and repent; may they receive a seal from you and glorify the Lord because he took pity on them and has sent you to renew their spirits.” “Listen,” he said, “those whose branches were found to be withered and worm-eaten are the apostates, traitors to the Church, who by their sins blasphemed the Lord and who are ashamed of his name which was invoked over them.5 These, therefore, are lost to God. You see that none among them has done penance although they heard the words that at my command you spoke to them. Life has thus departed from them. Those who gave up the green and undecayed branches are also near them, for they were the hypocrites who introduced heterodox teachings and who subverted the servants of God, and especially those who had sinned, preventing these servants from doing penance by convincing them with their false teachings. And so these have a hope of repenting. You see that many among them have already done penance from the time when you spoke my commandments to them. There are still others who wish to repent. Those who have not done penance have already lost their lives;6 and as many of them as repented have become good, and their dwelling was placed within the first walls; and some of them even ascended into the tower. You see, then, that repentance assures life to sinners; failing to repent brings death.” Par viii-8. “As to those who gave up their half-green and half-parched 234 branches, these are the ones who are engrossed in worldly affairs and cling not to things that are holy. Therefore half of them are alive and the other half are dead. But there are many who, having heard my commandments, have done penance and have their dwelling place in the tower. Some others stood apart and did not repent. For the sake of their affairs they blasphemed and denied the Lord. Thus by their sins they have lost life. Many were doubtful. These still have an opportunity to do penance if they act quickly, and their dwelling place will be within the tower. If they 233

5. See Acts 15:17; Jas 2:7; Gen 48:16; etc.  6. See Matt 10:39; Luke 9:24; 17:33; John 12:25.

10. Pastor Hermas  59 delay doing penance, they will dwell within the walls. But if they do not do penance, they also will have lost their lives. As to those who handed over their branches that are two-thirds withered and one-third green, they are the ones who have denied in various ways. Many of them have done penance and have gone on to dwell inside the tower. Many have definitely rebelled against God and have certainly lost life. Some among them have hesitated and caused dissension; penance is possible for them if they act quickly and do not persist in their pleasures. But if they continue on in their present conduct, they obtain death for themselves.” Par viii-11. Having finished explaining all the branches, he [the shep235 herd] said to me, “Go and tell all to do penance, and they will live for God, for the Lord took pity and sent me to offer penance to all even though some of them are not worthy of salvation because of their deeds. But the Lord is patient7 and desires that those called by his Son be saved.” I said to him, “Sir, I hope that after having heard these words, all will do penance. I am persuaded that each person, being fully aware of his or her actions and fearing God, will do penance.” His reply: “All who repent from the bottom of their hearts will, as noted above, repent and cleanse themselves from their evil deeds and not increase their sins. These will receive the Lord’s healing of their previous sins provided that they have no hesitation concerning the commandments, and if they will live for God. But all those who increase their sins and walk in the passions of this world will condemn themselves to death. You are to walk according to my precepts and you will live for God.” Having shown and explained all this, he said to me, “The rest I will make clear to you in a few days.” Par ix-16. “Explain more,” I said. He [the shepherd] answered, “What 236 more do you seek?” “Sir,” I replied, “why did the stones that have borne these spirits ascend from the bottom of the water for use in constructing the tower?” “They had to rise up from the water to receive life since they could enter the kingdom of God8 only by rejecting the death that was their former way of life. Those who died also received the seal of the Son of God and entered God’s kingdom.9 Before bearing the name of the Son of God, a person is dead; but after receiving the seal, a person rejects death and receives life. The seal is the water. They descend into the water as those who are dead and come out as those who are alive. To these also this seal was preached and they used it to enter the kingdom of God.”10 “Sir,” I said, “why did the forty stones also go up with them after having already received the seal?” His reply: “Because these apostles and teachers who had preached the name of the Son of God, after they fell asleep in the strength and faith of the Son of God, also preached to those who fell asleep before them and who themselves had given them the seal which they preached. And so they went down with them into the water and then came up from it. But these went down alive in order to come out of it alive 7. See 2 Pet 3:9.  8. See John 3:5.  9. Ibid.  10. Ibid.

60  Chapter II. Subapostolic Texts whereas those who died before them descended while dead and came up alive. With the help of the apostles and teachers they were made to live and came to know the name of the Son of God. This is why they ascended with them and were fitted with them into the building of the tower where they found a place without being chiseled; for they fell asleep in righteousness and great purity. All that was lacking was the seal. You have the explanation of these facts also.” “Yes, sir,” I said. Par ix-26. [The shepherd continued]: “Believers coming from the ninth 237 mountain, which was full of reptiles and wild beasts and which is the cause of human death, are the following: those with spots are the deacons who exercise their office badly, having stolen the subsistence of widows and of orphans and who enriched themselves with the resources they had received for assisting others. If they persist in this evil desire, they are already dead and there is no hope of life for them. Yet if they convert and piously fulfill their ministry, they shall be able to live; those with scabs are those who have denied their Lord and have failed to return to him, but like the wasteland and the desert and no longer clinging to the servants of God they live alone and lose their life.11 A vine left within a hedgerow withers from neglect; evil weeds choke it. In time it becomes wild and so is useless to its owner; people like these, yielding to despair, become useless in the eyes of the Lord. Yet they can still do penance if they have not renounced the Lord from the bottom of their hearts, but if someone has denied the Lord from the bottom of the heart, I do not know whether or not that person can live. Nor do I say that in these days one can deny and receive penance, for salvation is impossible for one who shall now deny his Savior. As to those who have denied in the past, penance seems possible. If, then, some are about to do penance, let them do so quickly before the tower is completed. Otherwise, they will be killed by the women. The chipped stones are the deceitful and the slanderers. The wild beasts that you saw on the mountain poison people and cause them to die by means of their venom; in like manner the words of such people poison others and cause their death. These, then, have nothing more than a diluted faith because of their conduct. Some have done penance and have been saved. Others of this kind can be saved if they repent. Failing to do so, they will die. [.  .  .] 11 . O d e s o f S o l o m o n †

Mentioned as early as the sixth century and existing only in fragments till the early twentieth century, the Odes of Solomon is a collection of fortytwo religious hymns. Originally composed in either Greek or Syriac, the poems seemingly date from the late second century. It is debated whether 11. See Matt 10:39; Luke 9:24; 17:33; John 12:25. † Translation (adapted) from The Odes and Psalms of Solomon, vol. 2, ed. R. Harris and A. Mingana (Manchester, London, and New York, 1920) 219, 356.

11. Odes of Solomon  61 their origins are Jewish, Christian, or Jewish yet having a Christian context. No less debated is their relationship to Gnosticism. And although there are allusions to baptism, there is no reason to assume that the poems were used within or had any direct relationship to the initiatory process. CPG 1: no. 1350 * Altaner (1961) 63–64 * Altaner (1966) 97 * Bardy (1929) 47–48 * Cross 190 * Goodspeed 84–87 * Quasten 1:160–68 * Tixeront 62–63 * CATH 1:696 * CE 14:137 * CHECL 166–67 * DACL 12.2:1903–21 * DictSp 11:602–8 * DPAC 2:2456–57 * EC 10:70 * EEC 2:609–10 * EEChr 2:824–25 * LTK 7:972–73 * NCE 2:402–3 * ODCC 1516 A. Harnack, ed., Ein jüdisch-christliches Psalmbuch aus dem ersten Jahrhundert (Odes of Solomon, now first published from the Syriac version by J. Randel Harris, 1909), translated from the Syrian by Johannes Flemming; edited and published by Adolf Harnack, TU 35, no. 4 (3rd ser., vol. 5, no. 4) (Leipzig, 1910). * P. Batiffol and J. Labourt, “Les odes de Solomon, une oeuvre chrétienne des environs de l’an 100–200,” RBibl 21 (1910) 483–500, 22 (1911) 5–59, 161–97; published as one volume (Paris, 1911). * C. Bruston, “Les plus anciens cantiques chrétiens: les Odes de Salomen,” RTP 1 S. 44 (1911) 465–97. * E.C. Selwyn, “The Feast of Tabernacles, Epiphany, and Baptism,” JThSt 13 (1911–12) 225–49. * M. Franzmann, The Odes of Solomon: An Analysis of the Poetical Structure and Form, Novum Testamentum et Orbis Antiquus 20 (Freiburg i. S., 1952). * K. Gamber, “Die Oden Salomons als frühchristliche Gesange beim heiligen Mahl,” OstkSt 15 (1966) 182–95. * J.H. Charlesworth, The Odes of Solomon, Edited, with Translation and Notes (Oxford, 1973). * B. McNeil, “A Liturgical Source in ‘Acts of Peter’ 38,” VC 33 (1979) 342–46. * V. Saxer, “‘Il étendit les mains à l’heure de sa Passion’: la thème de l’orant-te dans la littérature chrétienne des IIe et IIIe siècles,” Aug 20 (1980) 335–65. * D.E. Aune, “The Odes of Solomon and Early Christian Prophecy,” NTS 28 (1982) 435–60. * M. Pierce, “Themes in the ‘Odes of Solomon’ and Other Early Christian Writings and Their Baptismal Character,” EphL 98 (1984) 35–59. * D. Cerbelaud, “Un Dieu d’eau et de vent: l’Esprit Saint dans les ‘Odes de Salomon,’” VS 148 (1994) 311–19. * E. Azar, Les Odes de Salomon: Présentation et traduction, Sagesses chrétiennes (Paris, 1996). * E. Engelbrecht, “God’s Milk: An Orthodox Confession of the Eucharist,” JECS 7 (1999) 509–26. * M. Lattke, Oden Salomos: Text. Uebersetzung, Kommentar, Novum Testamentum et Orbis Antiquus 41 (Fribourg i. S., 1999).

11-A. Ode 4 5. [.  .  .] For one hour of your Faith Is more precious than all days and years. 6. For who is there that shall put on your grace and be injured? 7. For your seal is known, And your creatures are known to it. 8. And the hosts possess it, And the elect archangels are clad with it. 9. You have given us your friendship; It was not that you were in need of us; But that we are in need of you.

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62  Chapter II. Subapostolic Texts 10. Distil your dews upon us; and open your rich fountains that pour forth to us milk and honey. [.  .  .]

11-B. Ode 27 239

1. I expanded my hands: and I sanctified [them] to my Lord: For the expansion of my hands is his sign. 2. And my expansion Is the upright wood. 1 2 . P o ly c a r p o f Sm y r n a

Although little is known of his long life, Polycarp appears to have been an important bishop in the mid-second century. According to Irenaeus (WEC 1:15), Polycarp was instructed by the apostles and spoke with many Christians who had seen Christ. At any rate, toward the end of his life he visited Rome, where he discussed with Anicetus, bishop of that city (ca. 154–ca. 166), the proper date for observing the Christian Pasch. Anicetus defended the Roman custom of observing it on Sunday whereas Polycarp held to the Asian or Quartodeciman practice. Though no agreement was reached, they remained friends. After his return to Smyrna (today Izmir in Turkey), Polycarp was arrested for being unwilling to renounce the faith and consequently suffered martyrdom (ca. 155/156). CPG 1: nos. 1040ff. * Altaner (1961) 110–12 * Altaner (1966) 50–52 * Bardenhewer (1908) 35–38 * Bardenhewer (1910) 32–34 * Bardenhewer (1913) 1:146–56 * Bautz 7:809–15 * Casamassa 155–75 * Cross 19–21 * Goodspeed 16–17 * Jurgens 1:28–30 * Leigh-Bennett 18–23 * Quasten 1:76–82 * Steidle 14–15 * Tixeront 16–17 * CATH 11:595–97 * CE 12:219–21 * DCB 4:423–31 * DictSp 12.2:1903–8 * DTC 12.2:2515–20 * EC 9:1670–71 * EEC 2:701 * EEChr 2:933–34 * LTK 8:404–5 * NCE 11:535–36 * NCES 11:464–65 * ODCC 1306 * PEA (1894) 21.2:1662–93 * PEA (1991) 10:62–63 * TRE 27:25–28 G. Bardy, “Le sacerdoce chrétien d’après les pères apostoliques,” VS 53 (1935) (1)–(28). * G. Konidaris, “De la prétendu divergence des formes dans le régime du christianisme primitif ministres et ministères du temps des Apôtres à la mort de s. Polycarpe,” Ist 10 (1964) 59–92.

12-A. Letter to the Philippians† The Christians residing in the city of Philippi in Greece wrote to Polycarp and asked for copies of the letters that Ignatius of Antioch (WEC 1:9) had written during his journey to Rome. Polycarp granted their request and enclosed this “cover letter.” The theory has been advanced that the present text is actually the combination of two letters: chapter thirteen being Translated from Lettres. Ignace d’Antioche .  .  ., 3rd rev. edition, ed. and trans. Th. Camelot, SChr 10 (Paris, 1958) 182–85. †

13. Martyrdom of Polycarp  63 the original letter that accompanied the Ignatian letters; chapters one to twelve being of later origin, perhaps ca. 135, with chapter fourteen serving as postscript. Yet not all agree with this conjecture. v.2. Likewise, the deacons are to be beyond reproach before the face 240 of his justice; they are to be servants of God and of Christ, not of other human beings. They are not to be slanderers, not to be double-tongued, not to be lovers of money; may they be chaste in all things, compassionate, zealous, walking according to the truth of the Lord, who was the servant of all. [.  .  .] vi.1. The presbyters are to be compassionate, showing mercy to all; they 241 are to bring back those who stray; they are to visit all the sick, not neglecting the widow, the orphan, the poor. But they are always to think of doing good before God and the people.1 They are to refrain from all anger, respect of persons, and unjust judgments. They are to keep themselves far from love of money. They are not to be quick in ascribing evil to anyone. They are not to be severe in judging others, knowing that all of us are under a debt of sin. [.  .  .] 1 3 . M a r t y r d o m o f P o ly c a r p †

This account was written at the request of the church at Philomelium in Phrygia by a certain Marcion not long after the death of Polycarp (WEC 1:12). It is the first document to use the term “martyr” to designate a person who gives up his or her life for the faith. CPG 1: no. 1045 * Altaner (1961) 111–12 * Altaner (1966) 51–52 * Bardenhewer (1908) 229–30 * Bardenhewer (1910) 201 * Bardenhewer (1913) 1:149; 2:615–16 * Goodspeed 25–26 * Jurgens 1:30–32 * Quasten 1:77–79 * Tixeront 16–17 * CATH 11:596 * CE 12:220–21 * DTC 12.2:2515–20 * EEC 2:701 * LTK 8:404–5 * ODCC 1306

xviii. On seeing the quarrel stirred up by the Jews, the centurion placed 242 the body [of Polycarp] in the middle, as was customary, and burned it. Afterwards, we took up his bones, of more value than precious stones and finer than gold, and set them in a proper place. There, to the extent that we are able, the Lord will allow us to assemble in gladness and joy and celebrate the birthday of Polycarp’s martyrdom, both in memory of those who fought the fight as well as to train and prepare those who will fight in the future.

1. See Prov 3:4; Rom 12:17; 2 Cor 8:21. † Translated from Lettres. Ignace d’Antioche .  .  ., 3rd rev. edition, ed. and trans. Th. Camelot, SChr 10 (Paris, 1958) 232–33.

Chapter III Second Century. West I ta ly 1 4 . J u s t i n M a rt y r

Born into a pagan Greek family living in Flavia Neapolis (Nabius) in Palestine, Justin, after exploring several pagan philosophies of the day, converted to Christianity ca. 130. He taught philosophy at Ephesus and elsewhere, eventually arriving in Rome, where he established a school of Christian philosophy—one of his pupils being Tatian the Syrian. With six of his disciples he was denounced as a Christian ca. 165. Refusing to sacrifice, Justin and his companions were scourged and then beheaded under the prefect Junius Rusticus (163–67). Justin is one of the most important of the early Church’s apologists, namely, authors writing in defense of Christianity especially during the second and third centuries. He was the first Christian author to use Aristotelian categories to establish a bridge between faith and reason, at times doing so with less than notable literary skill. Although Justin was a prolific writer, only a handful of his works have survived. CPG 1: nos. 1073ff. * Altaner (1961) 120–27 * Altaner (1966) 65–71 * Bardenhewer (1908) 49–57 * Bardenhewer (1910) 38–46 * Bardenhewer (1913) 1:190–242 * Bardy (1929) 30–33 * Bautz 3:888–95 * Cross 48–53 * Goodspeed 101–5 * Hamell 38–42 * Jurgens 1:50–64 * Leigh-Bennett 40–54 * Quasten 1:197–219 * Steidle 26–28 * Tixeront 35–40 * Wright (1932) 249–50 * CATH 6:1325–28 * CE 8:580–86 * CHECL 38–40 * DCB 3:560–87 * DictSp 8:1640–47 * DPAC 2:1628–32 * DTC 8.2:2228–77 * EC 6:841–45 * EEC 1:462–64 * EEChr 1:647–50 * LTK 5:1112–13 * NCE 8:94–95 * NCES 8:93–95 * ODCC 915 * PEA (1894) 10.2:1332–37 * PEA (1991) 6:106–8 * RACh 19:802–47 * TRE 17:471–78 A. Harnack, Brot und Wasser die eucharistichen Elemente bei Justin, TU 7, 2 (Leipzig, 1891). * F.X. Funk, Die Abendmahlselemente der Eucharistie in den ersten drei Jahrhunderten, FLDG 3, 4 (Mainz, 1903). * P. Batiffol, L’Eucharistie: la présence réelle et la transubstantiation, Etudes d’histoire de théologie positive, 2nd ser. (Paris, 1906). * J. Réville, “Les origines de l’eucharistie (messe-Sainte-Cène),” RHE 56 (1907) 1–56, 141–96. * M. Goguel, L’eucharistie des origines à Justin Martyr (Paris, 1909). * S. Salaville, “La liturgie décrit par s. Justin et l’épiclèse,” EO 12 (1909) 129–36, 222–27. * F. Wieland, Der vorirenäische Opferbegriff (Munich, 1909). * L. Labauche, “Lettres à un étudiant sur la sainte eucharistie,” RAp 11 (1910–11) 753–61. * E. Dorsch, Der Opfercharakter der Eucharistie einst und jetzt, 2nd ed. (Innsbruck, 1911). * O. Casel,

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66  Chapter III. Second Century. West “Die Eucharistielehre des hl. Justinus Martyr,” Der Katholik 94 (1914) 153–76, 243–63, 331–55, 414–36. * J. Brinktrine, Der Messopferbegriff in den ersten zwei Jahrhundert, FThSt 21, 85–105 (Freiburg i. B., 1918). * J.B. Thibaut, La liturgie Romaine (Paris, 1924) 38–56. * J.N. Greiff, “Brot, Wasser und Mischwein die Elemente der Taufmesse,” ThQ 113 (1932) 11–34. * B. Capelle, “L’histoire des rites et la participation active à la messe,” QLP 18 (1933) 169–82. * J. Quasten, Monumenta Eucharistica et Liturgica Vetustissima (Bonn, 1935–37) 13–21, 337–39. * J. Beran, “Quo sensu intelligenda sint verba S. Justini Martyris o{sh duvnami~ aujtwÊ' in I Apologia, n. 67,” DT 39 (1936) 46–55. * M.H. Shepherd, “The Early Apologists and Christian Worship,” JR 18 (1938) 60–79. * O. Peler, “Logos und Eucharistie nach Justinus I Apol. c. 66,” DT 18 (1940) 296–316. * St. Morson, “St. Justin and the Eucharist,” IER 79 (1943) 323–28. * O. del N. Jesús, “Doctrina eucarística de San Justino, filósofo y mártir,” RET 4 (1944) 3–58. * E.C. Ratcliff, “Justin Martyr and Confirmation,” Theol 51 (1948) 133–39. * A.H. Couratin, “Justin Martyr and Confirmation—a Note,” Theol 55 (1950) 458–60. * H.B. Porter, “The Eucharistic Piety of Justin Martyr,” AThR 39 (1957) 24–33. * E. Ferguson, “The Ministry of the Word in the First Two Centuries,” ResQ 1 (1957) 21–31. * Jungmann (1951), vol. 1, 22ff. * Jungmann (1959) 13ff. * D. Barsotti, “L’Eucarestia come mistero d’unità e d’amore nei primi scrittori cristiani,” RivAM 5 (1960) 109–17. * C.I.K. Story, “Justin’s Apology I, 62–64: Its Importance for the Author’s Treatment of Christian Baptism,” VC 16 (1962) 172–78. * B. Neunheuser, Baptism and Confirmation (St. Louis, 1964) 55–56, 61–62. * W.L. Dulière, “Un problème à résoudre: L’acceptation du sang eucharistique par les premiers chrétiens juifs,” STh 20 (1966) 62–93. * J.A. Gill, “A Liturgical Fragment in Justin, Dialogue 29, 1,” HThR 59 (1966) 98–100. * E.C. Ratcliff, “The Eucharistic Institution Narrative of Justin Martyr’s First Apology,” JEH 22 (1971) 97–102. * A. Hamman, “Valeur et signification des reseignements liturgiques de Justin,” SP 13.2, 364–74; TU 116 (Berlin, 1975). * J.D.B. Hamilton, “The Church and the Language of Mystery: The First Four Centuries,” ETL 53 (1977) 479–94. * M. Jourjon, “Justin” in W. Rordorf and others, The Eucharist of the Early Christians (New York, 1978) 71–85. * T. Marsh, “The History of the Sacramental Concept,” MilS 3 (1979) 21–56. * S. Agrelo, “El ‘Logos’, potencia divina que hace la Eucaristía: testimonia de s. Justino,” Ant 60 (1985) 602–63. * G.W. Lathrop, “Justin, Eucharist and ‘Sacrifice’: A Case of Metaphor,” Wor 64 (1990) 30–48. * G.A. Nocilli, La catechesi battesimale ed eucaristica di San Giustino Martire (Bologna, 1990). * E. Ferguson, “Justin Martyr and the Liturgy,” ResQ 36 (1994) 267–78. * A.B. McGowan, “‘Is There a Liturgical Text in This Gospel?’ The Institution Narratives and Their Early Interpretive Communities,” JBL 118 (1999) 73–87.

14-A. Apology I† Written in Rome ca. 155, this apology, sixty-eight chapters in length, was addressed to the emperor Antoninus and his two adopted sons. 243

lxi. I will now explain to you how we are renewed by Christ and consecrated to God. Should I fail to do this, I would be amiss in my explanation. Translated from J. Quasten, Monumenta Eucharistica et Liturgica Vetustissima, vol. 1 of Florilegium Patristicum (Bonn, 1935) 13–21. †

14. Justin Martyr  67 As many persons as are persuaded and believe that what we describe and teach are true and are able to live accordingly, these we teach how to pray and, while fasting, how to ask God that their past sins be forgiven; we pray and fast. Then we bring them to a place where there is water, and they are reborn in the same manner whereby we were reborn; they are washed in the water in the name of the Father, the Lord of all things, and of our Savior Jesus Christ and of the Holy Spirit,1 for Christ said, “Unless you are reborn, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”2 It is clear to all that it is impossible for those who have been born to enter one’s mother’s womb. For this reason the prophet Isaiah, as we wrote above, relates how the sins of those doing penance are remitted. He writes: “Wash. Cleanse yourselves. Remove what is evil from your souls. Learn how to do good. Judge the fatherless. Defend the widow. Then come, let us reason together, says the Lord. Even though your sins be like purple, I will make them white as wool. Though they be scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. If you do not listen to me, the sword will devour you because all this is what the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”3 We have received from the apostles the reason for this [washing]. When we were first born, we were born without our knowing it, by our parents coming together. We were raised in bad and evil habits. So that we not remain children of necessity or of ignorance but may become children of choice and understanding and so that we may gain the forgiveness of our past sins, the name of the Father and Lord of all things is invoked over those who now choose to be born again and have repented of their sins. Whoever leads the person to be baptized to the washing calls upon God by this name only since no one is allowed to pronounce the name of the ineffable God. Those boldly venturing to do so are hopelessly insane. Illumination is the name given to this washing since those being taught these things are enlightened [illuminated] in their minds. We also invoke upon these people the name of Jesus Christ who suffered crucifixion under Pontius Pilate; also the name of the Holy Spirit who foretold through the prophets all things concerning Jesus. lxv. But after we have washed those who have believed and have joined 244 us, we bring them to where those who are called brethren have assembled. In this way we may offer prayer in common both for ourselves and for those who have received illumination and for people everywhere, doing so with all our hearts so that we may be deemed worthy, now that we have learned the truth, and by our works be found to be good citizens and keepers of the commandments. In this way we may attain everlasting salvation. When the prayers have concluded, we greet one another with a kiss. Then bread and a cup containing water and wine are brought to him who presides over the assembly. He takes these and then gives praise and

1. See Matt 28:19.  2. John 3:5.  3. Isa 1:16–20.

68  Chapter III. Second Century. West glory to the Father of all things through the name of his Son and of the Holy Spirit. He offers thanks at considerable length for our being counted worthy to receive these things at his hands. When the presider has concluded these prayers and the thanksgiving, all present express their consent by saying “Amen.” In Hebrew this word means “so be it.” And after the presider has celebrated the thanksgiving and all the people have given their consent, those whom we call deacons give to each of those present a portion of the eucharistic bread and wine and water and take the same to those who are absent. lxvi. We call this food the “Eucharist.” No one is permitted to partake 245 of it except those who believe that the things we teach are true and who have been washed in the bath for the forgiveness of sins and unto rebirth and who live as Christ has directed. We do not receive these as if they were ordinary bread and ordinary drink, but just as Jesus our Savior was made of flesh through God’s word and assumed flesh and blood for our salvation, so also the food over which the thanksgiving has been said becomes the flesh and blood of Jesus who was made flesh, doing so to nourish and transform our own flesh and blood. For the apostles in the memoirs they composed—these being called Gospels— handed down what they were commanded to do: Jesus took bread and gave thanks and said, “Do this in remembrance of me, this is my Body.” Likewise taking the cup and giving thanks, he said, “This is my blood,”4 and gave it to the apostles alone. [.  .  .] lxvii. Next we continually remind one another of all this. Those ca246 pable of doing so assist the needy, and we are always together as one. And through his Son Jesus Christ and through the Holy Spirit we bless the Maker of all that nourishes us. And on the day that is called Sunday all who live in the cities or in rural areas gather together in one place, and the memoirs of the apostles and the writings of the prophets are read for as long as time allows. Then after the lector concludes, the president verbally instructs and exhorts us to imitate all these excellent things. Then all stand up together and offer prayers; as I said before, when we have concluded our prayer, bread is brought forward together with the wine and water. And the presider in like manner offers prayers and thanksgivings according to his ability. The people give their consent, saying “Amen”; there is a distribution, and all share in the Eucharist. To those who are absent a portion is brought by the deacons. And those who are well-to-do and willing give as they choose, as each one so desires. The collection is then deposited with the presider who uses it on behalf of orphans, widows, those who are needy due to sickness or any other cause, prisoners, strangers who are traveling; in short, he assists all who are in need. But Sunday is the day on which we hold our common assembly since this day is the

4. Luke 22:19–20; 1 Cor 11:23–25; Matt 26:26–27.

14. Justin Martyr  69 first day on which God, changing darkness and matter, created the world; it was on this very day that Jesus Christ our Savior rose from the dead.

14-B. Dialogue with Trypho the Jew† The Dialogue with Trypho the Jew is the oldest Christian apology against Judaism that has come down to us. Preserved only in one incomplete manuscript dating from the fourteenth century, the work was written in Rome and at a time shortly after Justin’s Apology I. It is an account of a two-day discussion, perhaps held at Ephesus, between Justin and Trypho, a historical person who is often identified with the rabbi Tarpho mentioned in the Mishnah. xli. The offering of the fine flour, my friends, which tradition prescribed to be offered on behalf of the lepers who were cleansed of their leprosy,1 was a type of the bread of thanksgiving [i.e., eucharistic bread] which Jesus Christ our Lord commanded us to observe in memory2 of the suffering he endured for those who are purified from all evils. At the same time we are to thank God for having created for us the world and all that is within it; for having freed us from the sin in which we were [born]; for having totally destroyed the principalities and the powers, doing so through him who suffered in accord with his will. And so, as I said earlier, God speaks through the mouth of Malachi, who was one of the twelve [prophets] and who said the following concerning the sacrifices you offered at that time: “I will not accept sacrifices from your hands, for from the rising of the sun to its setting my name is glorified among the Gentiles but you profane it.”3 [.  .  .] He goes on to speak about us, the Gentiles, who in every place offer him sacrifices, namely, the eucharistic bread and the eucharistic cup, saying that “we glorify his name but you profane it.” Furthermore, the command to circumcise, requiring that children are always to be circumcised on the eighth day, was a type of the true circumcision by which we are circumcised from error and iniquity through our Lord Jesus Christ, who rose from the dead on the first day after the Sabbath. This day, the day that is the first day of the week, is called the eighth day according to the cycle of all the days of the week, and yet it remains the first day. lxx. [.  .  .] In this prophecy he also speaks about the “bread” of thanksgiving, which Christ commanded be celebrated in memory of his being made incarnate for the sake of those who believe in him—for whom he Translated from the French in Oeuvres complètes: grandes apologies. Dialogue avec le juif Tryphon, requêtes, traité de la résurrection. Justin Martyr, intro. by J.-D. Dubois; trans. G. Archambault and others; notes by A.G. Hamman and D. Barthélemy (Paris, 1994) 161–62, 214, 278–80. (The Greek text was not available.) 1. See Lev 14:10.  2. See Luke 22:19.  3. Mal 1:10–11. †

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70  Chapter III. Second Century. West also suffered—and about the cup of thanksgiving that he handed down for us to drink in remembrance of his blood. [.  .  .] cxvii. So it is that God anticipated all the sacrifices offered through 251 his name, which Jesus Christ enjoined us to offer, namely, the eucharistic bread and cup, Christians celebrate these throughout the whole world. God testifies that these please him. But he completely rejects the sacrifices that you and your priests offer, saying, “I will not accept sacrifices from your hands, for from the rising of the sun to its setting my name is glorified among the Gentiles but you profane it.”4 [.  .  .] [.  .  .] I also affirm that prayers and thanksgivings when offered by 252 those who are worthy are the only sacrifices that are perfect and pleasing to God. [.  .  .] [.  .  .] There is not one single group of people, whether barbarians or 253 Greeks, or by whatever name they may be called, whether nomads or vagrants or herdsmen living in tents so that they can feed their flocks, among whom prayers and thanksgivings are not offered to the Father and Maker of the universe through the name of the crucified Jesus. [.  .  .]

Gaul 1 5 . I r e n a e u s o f Ly o n s

Irenaeus of Lyons (ca. 130–ca. 202/203), the most important theologian of the second century, was probably born in Smyrna (Izmir in modern Turkey). As a presbyter in Lyons (Lugdunum) he was sent in 177/178 to Rome, where he mediated the issue of Montanism. Returning to Gaul, he was ordained bishop of Lyons ca. 178, succeeding Photius, who was martyred. In 190 Irenaeus wrote to Pope Victor II (189–98) and other bishops in regard to the controversy regarding the date of Easter. Victor wished to excommunicate those bishops (Quartodecimans) who celebrated the feast on 14 Nisan and thus followed Jewish practice, rather than on the following Sunday as was the Roman tradition. This letter, found in Eusebius’s Church History (WEC 2:2009ff.), is the last we hear of Irenaeus, who, according to some accounts, died in 202/203. Although Irenaeus is venerated as a martyr, there is no strong historical proof that he actually died in this way. Much of Irenaeus’s writing—many of his works were lost early on— focuses on defending the faith against the heterodox, especially the Gnostics, adherents of a religious movement that assumed various forms both within and without early Christianity. Often called the Father or Founder of Catholic Theology, Irenaeus frequently stressed the importance of tradition and of the authority of the church in Rome. CPG 1: nos. 1306ff. * Altaner (1961) 150–58 * Altaner (1966) 110–17 * Bardenhewer (1908) 118–23 * Bardenhewer (1910) 96–101 * Bardenhewer (1913) 1:496–522 * Bardy 4. Ibid.

15. Irenaeus of Lyons  71 (1929) 33–36 * Bautz 2:1315–26 * Campbell 26–30 * Cross 109–15 * Goodspell 119–23 * Hamell 52–55 * Jurgens 1:84–106 * Leigh-Bennett 24–39 * Quasten 1:287–313 * Steidle 34–37 * Tixeront 77–80 * CATH 6:81–86 * CE 8:130–31 * CHECL 45–52 * DCB 3:253–82 * DHGE 25:1477–79 * DictSp 7.2:1923–69 * DPAC 2:1804–16 * DTC 7.2:2394–2533 * EC 7:192–94 * EEC 1:413–16 * EEChr 1:587–89 * LTK 5:583–85 * NCE 7:631–32 * NCES 7:570–72 * ODCC 846–47 * TRE 16:258–68 J.W.F. Höfling, Die Lehre des Irenäus vom Opfer im christlichen Kultus (Erlangen, 1860). * L. Hoppenmüller, “S. Irenaeus de Eucharistia,” diss. (Bamberg, 1867). * J. Watterrich, Der Konsekrationsmoment im heiligen Abendmahl und seine Geschichte (Heidelberg, 1896) 47–60. * F.S. Renz, Die Geschichte des Messopferbegriffs, vol. 1 (Freising, 1901) 179–96. * S. Struckmann, Die Gegenwart Christi in der hl. Eucharistie nach den schriftlichen Quellen der vornicänischen Zeit (Vienna, 1905) 63–89. * J. Brinktrine, Der Messopferbegriff in den ersten zwei Jahrhunderten (Freiburg i. B., 1918) 127–35. * A. d’Alès, “La doctrine eucharistique de s. Irénée,” RSR 13 (1923) 24–46. * V. Coucke, “Doctrina Eucharistica apud s. Irenaeum,” Collationes Brugenses 29 (1929) 163–70. * P. Batiffol, L’Eucharistie, la présence réelle et la transubstantiation, 9th ed. (Paris, 1930) 167–83. * H.D. Simonin, “A propos d’un texte eucharistique de s. Irénée,” RSPT 23 (1934) 281–92. * J.L. Koole, “De avondmaalsbeschouwing van den kerkvader Irenaeus,” Gereformeerd Theologisch Tijdschrift 37 (1936) 295–303, 39 (1938) 412–17. * D. van den Eynde, “Eucharistia ex duabus rebus constans: s. Irénée, Adv. haer. IV, 18,5,” Ant 15 (1940) 13–28. * F.R.M. Hitchcock, “The Doctrine of Holy Communion in Irenaeus,” ChQ 129 (1939/40) 206–25. * M. Jugie, “La forme du sacrament de l’eucharistie d’après s. Irénée,” in Mémorial J. Chaine (Lyons, 1950) 223–33. * G. Jouassard, “Témoignages peu remarqués de s. Irénée en matière sacramentaire,” RSR 42 (1954) 528–39. * E. Ferguson, “The Ministry of the Word in the First Two Centuries,” ResQ 1 (1957) 21–31. * E. Ferguson, “Baptism from the Second to the Fourth Century,” ResQ 1 (1957) 185–97. * V. Palashkovsky, “La théologie eucharistique de s. Irénée évêque de Lyon,” SP 2 (Berlin, 1957) 277–81. * P. Nautin, Lettres et écrivans chrétiens des IIe et IIIe siècles, Patristica 2 (Paris, 1961) 74–85, 92–104. * J. de Jong, “Der ursprungliche Sinn von Epiklese und Mischungsritus nach der Eucharistielehre des heiligen Irenaeus,” ALW 9:1 (1965) 28–47. * V. Loi, “Il termine ‘mysterium’ nella letteratura latina cristiana prenicena,” VC 20 (1966) 25–44. * P. Radopoulos, “Irenaeus on the Consecration of the Eucharistic Gifts,” in Kyriakon: Festschrift Johannes Quasten, ed. P. Granfield (Washington, D.C., 1968) 844–46. * E.H. Pagels, “A Valentinian Interpretation of Baptism and Eucharist and its Critique of ‘Orthodox’ Sacramental Theology and Practice,” HThR 65 (1972) 153–69. * V. Grossi, “Regula veritatis e narratio battesimale in sant’Ireneo,” Aug 12 (1972) 437–63. * H.F. von Campenhausen, “Ostertermin oder Osterfasten? Zum Verständ­ nis des Irenäusbriefs an Viktor (Euseb. Hist. Eccl. 5, 24),” VC 28 (1974) 114–38. * R. Daly, Christian Sacrifice: The Judeo-Christian Background before Origen (Washington, D.C., 1978) 339–59. * A. Hamman, “Irenaeus of Lyons,” in W. Rordorf and others, eds., The Eucharist of the Early Christians (New York, 1978) 86–98. * D. Unger, “The Holy Eucharist according to Saint Irenaeus,” Laurentianum 20 (1979) 103–64. * A. Orbe, “San Ireneo y la doctrina de la reconciliación,” Greg 61 (1980) 5–50. * A. Houssiau, “Le baptême selon Irénée de Lyon,” ETL 60 (1984) 45–59. * S. Agrelo, “Epiclesis y eucaristia en san Ireno,” EOr 3, 1 (1986) 7–27. * M.A. Donovan, “Insights on Ministry: Irenaeus,” Toronto Journal of Theology 2:1 (Spring 1986) 79–93. * J.M. Joncas, “Eucharist among the Marcosians: A Study of Irenaeus’ Adversus

72  Chapter III. Second Century. West Haereses I, 13, 2,” QL 71:2 (1990) 99–111. * D.N. Power, Irenaeus of Lyons on Baptism and Eucharist: Selected Texts with Introduction, Translation, and Annotation, Alcuin/ GROW Liturgical Study 18 (Bramcote, Nottingham, 1991). * B. Lemoine, “La controverse pascale du deuxième siècle: désaccords autour d’une date,” QL 73 (1992) 223–31. * E. Lanne, “Saint Irénée de Lyon, artisan de la paix entres les églises,” Ire 69 (1996) 451–76. * J.R. Kurz, “The Gifts of Creation and the Consummation of Humanity: Irenaeus of Lyon’s Recapitulatory Theology of the Eucharist,” Wor 83:2 (2009) 112–32.

15-A. Against (All) Heresies† The Detection and Overthrow of the Pretended but False Gnosis, most commonly known as Against (All) Heresies, is Irenaeus’s major opus. Although only parts of the original Greek survive, the work exists in a very literal Latin translation, dating ca. 200 according to some, and in various fragments in Syriac and Armenian. Not a homogenous book, the treatise was written over a period of time with additions and other revisions added during the years. I.x.2. Having received this preaching and this faith, as we have just said, the Church, certainly dispersed throughout the whole world, has carefully guarded them as if inhabiting one house where it believes these things as if having one soul and one heart.1 The Church harmoniously preaches them, teaches them, and passes them on as if it has only one mouth. 255 Even though languages differ throughout the world, yet the content of tradition is one and the same. The churches founded in Germany neither believe nor pass on anything else. The same is true for those in Spain, those in Celtic countries, those in the East, those in Libya, those established in the center of the world. Just as the sun,2 being a creature of God, is one and the same throughout the whole world, so the preaching of the truth shines everywhere3 upon all who desire to know the truth.4 Nor will the most gifted in speech among the leaders of the churches say anything other than this—for no one is above the Master5—nor does one who is less gifted in words diminish this tradition; since the faith is one and the same, neither do those who preach on it at length add anything to it, nor do those who preach less remove anything from it.6 256 I.xiii.2. Pretending to give thanks over a cup mixed with wine and considerably prolonging the words of invocation, he [Marcusa] sees to it that 254

† Translated from Contre les héréses. Irénée de Lyon, ed. and trans. A. Rousseau and others, SChr 100 (Paris, 1964) 153, 211, 264, 294. David Power’s Irenaeus of Lyons on Baptism and Eucharist has been very helpful in this section. a. Marcus: a Gnostic heretic whose followers, called Marcosians, relied not on the scriptural books but on apocryphal and other unauthentic writings. 1. See Acts 4:32.  2. See John 1:5.  3. See John 1:9.  4. See 1 Tim 2:4.  5. See Matt 10:24.  6. See 2 Cor 8:15; Exod 16:18.

15. Irenaeus of Lyons  73 the cup appears to be purple or red so that it was believed that Charis,b coming from the highest regions above, had her own blood drip into Marcus’ cup in response to his invocation. Those present greatly desired to taste this drink so that the Charis invoked by this magician might come down on them also. Once again, presenting to some women a mixed cup, he ordered them to give thanks over it in his presence.c This done, he brought another and much larger cup than that over which the misguided woman had given thanks. Then he emptied the smaller cup into the larger one while saying, “May what is above all things, the incomprehensible and inexplicable Charis, fill up your inner self 7 and multiply her knowledge in you by sowing the mustard seed in good soil.”8 [.  .  .] I.xiii.5. This same Marcus also used philters and charms with some if 257 not all the women to dishonor their bodies. Returning to the Church of God, they often acknowledged that he had defiled their bodies and that they had experienced a violent passion for him. A certain deacon, one of our own in Asia, received him [Marcus] into his house and fell into this misfortune: the magician corrupted the deacon’s beautiful wife in spirit and body, and for a long time she followed him; then, converted with great effort by the brethren, she spent the rest of her life doing penance, weeping and lamenting over the defilement she experienced on account of this magician. I.xiii.7. By such words and deeds they [i.e., the disciples of Marcus] 258 seduced a large number of women in our own district of the Rhone. With consciences branded by a hot iron,9 some among these women did penance, doing so even in public. Others, who feared doing so, withdrew in silence, giving up on the life of God.10 Some totally apostatized; others are in between, according to the proverb “neither without or within,” and tasting this “fruit” of the seed of the sons of the “knowledge.” I.xxi.1. As for the tradition concerning their [the disciples of Marcus] 259 “redemption,” it happens that it is invisible and incomprehensible, for this “redemption” is itself the mother of what is incomprehensible and invisible. This is why, from the fact that the tradition is unstable, it cannot be described in a simple way and by only one formula since each of them passes it on as he or she wishes: as many teachers of this doctrine, so many “redemptions” are there. That such people were instigated by Satan b. Charis: a name used for one of the intermediate beings in the Gnostic system. c. David Power comments: “The exercise of such a prayer role by women used to be seen as one of the traits of heterodox bodies. Now that New Testament studies have shown the leadership of women in early house-churches and the presence of women among the prophets of early times, it is no longer clear that women were excluded from invoking liturgical blessings in ecclesial assemblies. For some, the Marcosian liturgy in this regard may simply reflect an orthodox practice, later discontinued and prohibited” (p. 13). 7. See Eph 3:16.  8. See Matt 13:31.  9. See 1 Tim 4:2.  10. See Eph 4:18.

74  Chapter III. Second Century. West to deny the baptism of regeneration in God and to reject all faith, we will show in a more fitting place when we refute them. I.xxi.3. Some prepare a nuptial chamber and carry out something like 260 a mystagogy accompanied by invocations over those who are initiated. Thus they pretend to effect a “pneumatic” marriage resembling syzygies from above. Others lead them to the water and, while plunging them into it, say, “Into the name of the unknown Father of all things, in the Truth, the Mother of all things into the name of the one who descends upon Jesus; into the union, redemption, and communion of the Powers.” Others pronounce over them Hebrew words so that those to be the initiated are made senseless or weakened, Basyma cacahasa eanaa irraumista diarbêda caèota bafobor camelanthi. Translated, this is, “I invoke what is above all power of the Father and is called Light, Spirit, and Life, for you have reigned in a body.” Still others proclaim “redemption” as follows: “The Name which is hidden from the universal Deity and Domination and Truth, which Jesus the Nazarean put on in the zones of light, Christ Jesus who lives through the Holy Spirit for the redemption of the angels, the name that leads to restoration: Messia ufar magno in seenchaldia mosomeda eaacha faronepscha Jesu Nazarene.” Translated, this is, “I do not divide the Spirit, the heart, and the supercelestial and merciful power of Christ. May I take delight in your Name, Savior of the truth!” This is what those who carry out the initiation say. The person who is initiated responds, “I am confirmed and redeemed, and I redeem my soul from this age and from all things that are from it, doing so in the name of Jao who has redeemed his soul for ‘redemption’ in the living Christ.” Finally those present make the following acclamation, “Peace to all upon whom this Name rests!” Then they anoint the initiated with balm. This perfume, they say, stands for the good aroma spread over the Eons. I.xxi.4. Some of them say that it is superfluous to lead [those to be initi261 ated] to the water; they mix together oil and water and, while saying formulas similar to those given above, they pour this mixture upon the head of each person who is being initiated. This, they pretend, is “redemption.” Furthermore, they also anoint with balm. There are also others who reject all these practices, claiming as they do that one should not carry out the mystery of irrepressible and incorporeal realities by using sensible and bodily things. Indeed, perfect “redemption” is the very knowledge of the inexpressible Greatness. [.  .  .] II.xxi.4. Being only thirty years of age when he was baptized and then 262 being the perfect age for a teacher, he [Jesus] came to Jerusalem so that all could rightly acknowledge him as a teacher. [.  .  .] He came to save all— all, I say, who are reborn unto God through him: the newborn, infants, the young and the old. This is why he passed through every age: making himself an infant for infants, he sanctified the infants; making himself young, he sanctified those of this age, and at the same time being an example of piety, justice, and obedience. [.  .  .]

15. Irenaeus of Lyons  75 III.xvii.1. [.  .  .] It was as a dove that the Spirit of God descended upon him11—the Spirit concerning whom Isaiah said, “And the Spirit of God rested upon him,”12 as we previously explained. Also, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; this is why he anointed me.”13 It was this same Spirit concerning whom the Lord said, “For it is not you who speak but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.”14 And while giving his disciples the power of regeneration unto God, he said to them, “Go, teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”15 For God through the prophets promised that in the end times he would pour this same Spirit “upon .  .  . his male and female servants so that they might prophesy.”16 Therefore the same Spirit has descended upon the Son of God,17 made the Son of Man, becoming accustomed to dwelling with him in the human race, to dwelling among us, to dwelling within God’s handiwork, bringing about the Father’s will in us, and renewing us from our old state unto the newness of Christ. III.xvii.2. This is the Spirit that David requested for the human race when he said, “And strengthen me by your Spirit which governs.”18 Luke tells us that this Spirit, after the Lord’s ascension, descended upon the disciples on Pentecost,19 and it is the Spirit who has power over all the nations to introduce them to the entrance of life and for opening the New Testament; this is why, together in all languages,20 they sang a hymn to God—the Spirit unifying the distant tribes and offering to the Father the first fruits of all nations. This is why the Lord promised to send the Paraclete,21 who is to prepare us for God. For just as dry wheat, without water, cannot be made into a mass of dough or one loaf, so neither can we, being many, become one in Christ Jesus without the water that comes from heaven. And just as dry soil, if it does not receive water, is not fruitful, so we who were originally dry wood,22 could never have brought forth the fruits of life23 without rain graciously given from above. By the bath [of baptism] our bodies have received the unity that renders them incorruptible; but our souls have received this by means of the Spirit. For this reason both are necessary since both obtain the life of God. Our Lord took pity on the erring Samaritan woman24 who, not staying with one husband, fornicated with many; he showed and promised her “the living water” so that “she would thirst no more”25 nor labor to obtain the refreshing water. Henceforth she has within herself the water “flowing forth unto eternal life,”26 the water the Lord received as a gift from his Father and which is given to those who partake of him who sends the Holy Spirit over all the earth. 11. Matt 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22; John 1:32.  12. Isa 11:2.  13. Isa 61:1; Luke 4:18.  14. Matt 10:20.  15. Matt 28:19.  16. Joel 3:1–2.  17. See Isa 11:2.  18. Ps 51:12.  19. See Acts 2:1ff.  20. See Acts 2:4, 11.  21. See John 15:26; 16:7.  22. See Luke 23:31.  23. See Gen 1:12; Luke 13:9.  24. See John 4:7ff.  25. John 4:14.  26. Ibid.

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76  Chapter III. Second Century. West IV.xvii.1. In the fullest do the prophets indicate that it was not because God needed their service that he prescribed the observances contained in the Law; and, as we will show, the Lord in turn plainly taught that when God requests an offering from us, he does so for the sake of the person who offers. When Samuel saw people neglecting justice, when they were turning 268 away from God’s love and yet nonetheless believing they could appease God by sacrifices and by other figurative observances, Samuel said to them: “Does the Lord desire holocausts and sacrifices more than listening to the voice of the Lord? Behold obedience is better than sacrifice and docility better than the fat of rams.”27 David said, “You desired neither sacrifice nor oblation, but you gave me ears; you desired neither holocausts nor sacrifices for sin.”28 By this he taught them that God prefers obedience, which saves them, to sacrifices and holocausts, which profit them nothing for justice; at the same time he foretold the new covenant. Still more clearly on this subject does he say in Psalm 50 [51], “If you had desired a sacrifice, I would have offered you one; but you did not take pleasure in holocausts; for God, sacrifice is a contrite spirit; God does not spurn a contrite and humble heart.”29 That God lacks nothing, he affirms in the preceding psalm: “I will not accept the calves of your house, nor the goats of your flocks, for mine are all the animals of the forest, the beasts of the mountains, and the oxen; I know all the birds of the sky, and the beauty of the field is mine; if I am thirsty, I will not tell you, for mine is the world and all that it contains. And so will I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?”30 Then, so that no one believe that it is due to anger that God rejects all this, he adds by way of counsel, “Offer to God the sacrifice of praise and fulfill your vows to the Most High; call upon me on the day of distress and I will free you, and you will glorify me.”31 And so, having rejected what sinners believe can appease God, and having showed that God has need of nothing, he exhorts and recalls those things through which people are justified and enabled to approach God. Isaiah says the same, “What are the multitude of your sacrifices to me? 269 says the Lord. I am filled.”32 Then, having rejected the holocausts, sacrifices, and offerings, as well as the new moons, the sabbaths, the feasts, and all the observances connected with these, he adds, to advise what pertains to salvation, “Wash, purify yourselves, remove what is evil from your hearts before my eyes; cease from evil, learn how to do good, seek out justice, save all who suffer injustice, give heed to the orphans, defend the widow, come therefore, let us reason it out,”33 says the Lord. IV.xvii.2. He did not thereby abolish their sacrifices like an angry man, 270 as many dare to say, but he took pity on their blindness and taught the true sacrifice by the offering through which he pleased God and obtained 267

27. 1 Sam 15:22.  28. Ps 40:6.  29. Ps 51:16–17.  30. Ps 50:9–13.  31. Ps 50:14–15.  32. Isa 1:11.  33. Isa 1:16–18.

15. Irenaeus of Lyons  77 life from him. As he said in another place, “For God, sacrifice is a contrite heart; for God, the odor of sweetness is a heart that glorifies him who formed it.”34 If it were out of anger that God rejected their sacrifices as being unworthy to obtain divine mercy, he would not have advised them in regard to their salvation. God, being merciful, did not deprive them of such good counsel. Through Jeremiah he said to them, “Why do you bring me incense from Saba and cinnamon from a distant land? Your holocausts and sacrifices are not pleasing to me.”35 He adds: “Hear the word of the Lord, all you of Judah. This is what the Lord God of Israel says: Direct your ways and your customs, and I will have you dwell in this place. Be not proud of the lies which will be of no profit to you, namely, ‘This is the temple of the Lord. This is the temple of the Lord.’”36 IV.xvii.3. Again, indicating to them that he did not lead them out of Egypt in order that they might offer him sacrifice but so that they, forgetting the idolatry of the Egyptians, might hear the voice of God, who was their salvation and glory, he said through Jeremiah: “This is what the Lord said, Gather together your holocausts with your sacrifices and eat flesh; for I did not speak to your fathers nor did I command anything in regard to holocausts and sacrifices on the day when I had them depart Egypt. Here is what I commanded: Hear my voice and I will be your God, and you will be my people; walk in all my ways whichever I will command you so that it may go well with you. But they have not listened nor paid attention; they have walked according to the thoughts of their evil heart and have turned back rather than moving ahead.”37 And again through the same person, “Let whoever glories, glory in this, namely, to understand and know that I am the Lord who brings about mercy, justice, and judgment upon the earth.” He adds, “For it is in this that I take pleasure, says the Lord,”38 and not in sacrifices, holocausts, and oblations. [.  .  .] IV.xvii.4. Consequently God did not seek sacrifices and holocausts from them but rather faith, obedience, and justice unto their salvation. As God said through the prophet Hosea when teaching them his will, “I desire mercy rather than sacrifice, and knowledge of God more than holocausts.”39 Our Lord also warned them of the same, saying, “If you would have known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ never would you have condemned the innocent.”40 In this way he bore witness that the prophets were preaching the truth, and he accused them [those listening] of being foolish due to their own fault. IV.xvii.5. He directed his disciples to offer God the first fruits of his creation, not as if God needed them but so they themselves would not be unfruitful or ungrateful. He took the bread, which is created, and gave thanks, saying, “This is my Body.”41 Likewise for the cup, which is part of 34. See Ps 50 (?).  35. Jer 6:20.  36. Jer 7:2–4.  37. Jer 7:21–24.  38. Jer 9:23.  39. Hos 6:6.  40. Matt 12:7.  41. Matt 26:26.

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the creation to which we belong, and he revealed it to be his Blood, and he taught that it was the new offering of the new covenant.42 It is this very same offering which the Church has received from the apostles and which throughout the world it offers to God who feeds us with the first fruits of his gifts in the new covenant. Among the twelve prophets it was Malachi who spoke of this beforehand: “I do not find pleasure in you, says the omnipotent Lord, and I will accept no sacrifice from your hands; for from the rising to the setting of the sun my name is glorified among the nations, and in every place incense as well as a pure sacrifice are offered to my name; for my name is great among the nations, says the omnipotent Lord.”43 In this way he very clearly indicates that the former people will cease offering to God, although in every place a sacrifice—one that is pure—will be offered to him, and that his name will be glorified among the nations. [.  .  .] IV.xviii.1. And so the Church’s offering, which the Lord taught is to be offered throughout the entire world, is a pure sacrifice in God’s sight and pleases him. God has no need of our sacrifice, but those who offer are glorified if their gifts are accepted. By this gift are shown the honor and affection we give to the King. It is this gift which the Lord desires us to offer in all simplicity and innocence, for he said, “When you offer your gift at the altar and there recall that your brother has something against you, leave your gift before the altar, and first go and be reconciled with your brother; then, when you return, offer your gift.”44 So it is necessary to offer God the first fruits of his creation, as Moses says, “Do not appear before the Lord with empty hands,”45 so that we, by expressing our thanks to him through the very things that please us, may receive the honor that comes from God. IV.xviii.2. Offerings as such have not been condemned: offerings were there [among the Jews] and they are also found here; sacrifices existed among the [Jewish] people, and they exist in the Church. Its species alone has changed; no more is the offering made by slaves but by those who are free. There is only one and the same Lord, but there is a character proper to the offering of slaves and to that of those who are free so that through the oblation itself is shown the distinctive sign of freedom, since with God nothing is indifferent, meaningless, or lacking in design. This is why they [the Jews] had tithes of their goods consecrated to him, whereas those who have been freed dedicate all their possessions to the Lord’s use; joyfully and freely giving not the least of their goods, they hope for greater things, as was true of the poor widow who placed her whole livelihood in God’s treasury.46 IV.xviii.3. From the beginning God looked favorably upon the gifts of Abel because Abel offered them with sincerity and righteousness. Yet God did not do the same concerning Cain’s gifts since Cain’s heart was 42. See Matt 26:28.  43. Mal 1:10–11.  44. Matt 5:23–24.  45. Deut 16:16.  46. See Luke 21:4.

15. Irenaeus of Lyons  79 full of jealousy and malice in regard to his brother. Therefore God, exposing Cain’s hidden feelings, said, “Have you not sinned if you brought it rightly but did not divide it rightly? Be still”47 because God is not pleased by sacrifice. Should some dare to offer a sacrifice that is outwardly clean, correct, and lawful, yet if in their hearts they do not share correct communion with their neighbor and do not fear God, they do not deceive God by offering this sacrifice with an appearance of propriety while sinning internally; what profits such a person is not offering sacrifice but rather eliminating the evil that has been born within. Lacking this, the sin by a counterfeit action makes the person his or her own murderer. Therefore the Lord also said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you are like whitened sepulchers. Outside, the sepulcher appears beautiful, but within it is full of the bones of the dead and of all types of filth; so you also on the outside appear just to others, yet inside, you are full of evil and hypocrisy.”48 Although they were thought to offer correctly according to outward appearances, within they had a jealousy akin to that of Cain: and so they, like Cain, killed the Just One, disregarding the counsel of the Word.49 For [God] said to him, “Be still.”50 But he did not assent. Now what else is to “be still” than to cease from the intended violence? And he said similar things to them, “You blind Pharisee, first clean the outside of the cup so that what is outside be clean.”51 But they did not listen. For behold, says Jeremiah, “neither your eyes nor your heart are good, but in your covetousness you have turned them toward shedding innocent blood, and for practicing injustice and murder.”52 And again Isaiah says, “You have taken counsel, but not through me; you have made covenants, but not through my Spirit.”53 And so that their inmost desires and thoughts, brought to life, may show that God is without blame—for God reveals what is secret but does no evil—when Cain was not at rest, God said to him, “It [i.e., sin] seeks you out, but you must master it.”54 Likewise he said to Pilate, “You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above.”55 God has always delivered the just so that they, having patiently endured sufferings, may be tested and approved, and that evildoers, according to their bad deeds, may be condemned and cast outside. Consequently we are not sanctified by sacrifices since God does not need them; but it is the dispositions of those who offer which make holy the sacrifice, provided these be pure; they move God to accept the offering as if from a friend. “As to the sinner, he says, whoever sacrifices a calf, it is as if one killed a dog.”56 IV.xviii.4. Since the Church offers with sincerity, rightly is its gift con279 sidered a pure sacrifice in God’s sight, as Paul said to the Philippians, “I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things you sent, a 47. Gen 4:7, LXX.  48. Matt 23:27–28.  49. See Jas 5:6.  50. Gen 4:7, LXX.  51. Matt 23:26.  52. Jer 22:17.  53. Isa 30:1, LXX.  54. Gen 4:7.  55. John 19:11.  56. Isa 66:3, LXX.

80  Chapter III. Second Century. West fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.”57 For we are to present an offering to God, and in all things we are to be grateful to the Creator, doing so with a pure mind, in faith, without hypocrisy, with firm hope, in fervent love, being the first fruits of his own creation. The Church alone offers this pure oblation to the Creator, offering it with a thanksgiving that comes from his creation. The Jews, however, do not offer, their hands being full of blood;58 they have not received the Word through whom offering is made to God, nor do all the assemblies of the heretics. Some, in fact, say that there is a Father other than the Creator, but, in offering him gifts taken from our own created world, they show that he desires the property of others and desires what is not his own. Others say that our world comes from failure, ignorance, and passion; and offering the fruits of ignorance, passion, and failure, they sin against their Father, insulting rather than thanking him. Again, how will they be certain that the bread over which they give 280 thanks is the Body of their Lord, and that the cup is his Blood if they do not say that he is the Son of the Creator of the world, namely, God’s Word through whom the wood is fruitful, the fountains flow, and “the earth gives first the blade, then the ear, and then the full corn in the ear.”59 IV.xviii.5. Again, how can they say that the flesh, nourished by the 281 Lord’s Body and Blood, can be corruptible and not partake of life? Therefore they should either change their thinking or cease offering the things we have just mentioned. Our thinking agrees with the Eucharist, and the Eucharist in turn confirms our thinking. For we offer to him what is his, harmoniously proclaiming the communion and unity of the flesh and the Spirit; for just as the bread which comes from the earth, having received the invocation of God, no longer is common bread but the Eucharist and consists of two parts, one of earth, the other of heaven—so our bodies, participating in the Eucharist, are no longer subject to corruption since they have hope in the resurrection. IV.xviii.6. Indeed we offer to God not because God is in need but to give 282 him thanks with the help of his gifts and to sanctify creation. For just as God does not need things that come from us, so we need to offer something to God as Solomon said, “Whoever has pity on the poor lends to God.”60 God, who needs nothing, accepts our good actions so that we can give his good things in return.61 As our Lord said, “Come, blessed of my Father, receive the kingdom prepared for you: for I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and you welcomed me; nude, and you clothed me; sick, and you visited me; in prison, and you came to me.”62 God, therefore, having no need for these things, nonetheless desires that we do them for our own benefit. In this way we will not lack fruit, just as the Word commanded the people to 57. Phil 4:18.  58. See Isa 1:15.  59. Mark 4:28.  60. Prov 19:17.  61. See ibid.  62. Matt 25:34–36.

15. Irenaeus of Lyons  81 make offerings, even though he had no need of them, so that they might learn how to serve God. And so the Word desires that we also frequently and continuously offer our gift at the altar. There is, then, a heavenly altar toward which our prayers and offerings 283 are directed. There is also a temple, as John in the Book of Revelation says, “And God’s temple was opened.”63 As to the tabernacle he says, “Behold God’s tabernacle in which he will dwell among mortals.”64 V.ii.2. Vain in every respect are those who despise the entire dispensa284 tion of God, denying, as they do, the salvation of the flesh and rejecting its rebirth since they say that the flesh is incapable of becoming incorruptible. If there is no salvation for the flesh, then the Lord did not redeem us with his blood,65 nor is the eucharistic cup a sharing in his Blood.66 Blood can only come forth from veins, from flesh, and from the rest of what makes us human. Made human, the Word of God has redeemed us by his own blood, as the apostle says, “In whom we have redemption by his blood, the forgiveness of our sins.”67 Since we are his members68 and are nourished through creation—creation which he gives us as he makes the sun rise and the rain fall as he wishes69—the cup, taken from creation, he has declared to be his own blood.70 Through his blood our own blood is strengthened. Bread, taken from creation, he has declared to be his own Body71 through which our bodies are strengthened. V.ii.3. When the mixed cup and the baked bread receive the word of God 285 and become the Eucharist, namely, the Blood and Body of Christ, and when the substance of our flesh is thereby strengthened, how can such people pretend that the flesh is incapable of receiving God’s gift, which is eternal life— the flesh nourished by Christ’s Body and Blood, and which is his member, as the blessed apostle says in his Letter to the Ephesians, “We are members of his Body,”72 formed of his flesh and bones? He [Paul] did not say this of any spiritual and invisible person—”for the spirit has neither bone nor flesh,”73 but he speaks of the arrangement whereby Christ became a human being with flesh, nerves, and bone. It is this very organism that is nourished by the cup which is Christ’s Blood and that is strengthened by the bread that is his Body. Just as a cutting of wood from the vine when planted in the soil produces fruit in its season, and just as a grain of wheat, after falling to the ground74 and decomposing there, springs up in manifold increase through the Spirit of God who supports all things75—and subsequently through the wisdom [of God] serves human use and then, receiving the word of God, becomes the Eucharist, namely, Christ’s Body and Blood—so our bodies, nourished by this same Eucharist and after having been placed in the earth and decomposing there, will rise at their appointed time. [.  .  .] 63. Rev 11:19.  64. Rev 21:3.  65. See Col 1:14.  66. See 1 Cor 10:16.  67. Col 1:14.  68. See 1 Cor 6:15; Eph 5:30.  69. See Matt 5:45.  70. See Luke 22:20; 1 Cor 11:25.  71. See Luke 22:19; 1 Cor 11:24.  72. Eph 5:30.  73. Luke 24:39.  74. See John 12:24.  75. See Wis 1:7.

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15-B. Demonstration of the Apostolic Teaching† For a long time, only the title of this work was known, but in 1904 an Armenian translation was discovered; it was published in 1907. The work, not polemical, is a compendium, as it were, of Christian doctrine. 3. [.  .  .] This is what the rule of faith obtains for us as has been handed down to us by the presbyters [elders?], the disciples of the apostles. First, it persuades us to remember that we have been baptized for the forgiveness of sins in the name of God the Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God who died and rose, and in the Holy Spirit of God. It teaches us that baptism is the seal of eternal life and is rebirth in God so that, no longer children of mortals, we are children of the eternal and everlasting God. [.  .  .] 42. And so do believers keep themselves [with bodies unstained and 287 souls incorruptible] if the Holy Spirit constantly remains in them, the Holy Spirit who, given by God at baptism, is retained by the one who has received it. [.  .  .] 286

Translated from Démonstration de la prédication apostolique. Irénée Lyon, ed. and trans. L.M. Froidevaux, SChr 62 (Paris, 1959) 88–89, 140–41. †

Chapter IV Second Century. East Asia Minor 1 6 . P l i n y t h e Y o u n g e r a n d T r a j a n t h e Em p e r o r

Pliny the Younger (Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus) was born ca. 61 a.d. He was the nephew and adopted son of Pliny the Elder. As a Roman senator he was sent in 111 to be governor of Bithynia and Pontus in Asia Minor, seemingly to bring much needed reforms to that area’s local government. Presumably it was here that he died ca. 113. Noted as a letter writer, it was at Rome that Pliny initially published nine books of letters covering the years 97 to 109. A tenth book, which appeared after his death, contains his most famous letter (X.xcvi), that to the emperor Trajan (52 or 53–117), requesting assistance as to how Pliny should deal with the Christians who were considered as members of a secret sect. The emperor’s reply (X.xcvii) is also contained in the same book. Bautz 7:745–49 * CATH 11:516–18 * CHECL 59 * EC 9:1627–28 * EEC 2:699 * EEChr 2:928 * LTK 8:357–58 * NCE 11:442–43 * NCES 11:420–21 * ODCC 1301 * PEA (1894) 21.1:439–56 * PEA (1991) 9:1141–44 J. Variot, “Les lettres de Pline le Jeune: correspondance avec Trajan relativement aux chrétiens de Pont et de Bithynie,” RQH 24 (1878) 80–153. * E.-Ch. Babut, “Remarques sur les deux lettres de Pline et de Trajan relatives aux chrétiens de Bithynie,” RHL, n.s., 1 (1910) 289–305. * A. Kurfess, “Plinius und der urchristliche Gottesdienst,” ZNeW 35 (1936) 295ff. * R.M. Grant, “Pliny and the Christians,” HTR 41 (1948) 273–74. * W. Schmid, “Ein Verkannter Ausdruck der Opfersprache in Plinius’ Christenbrief,” VC 7 (1953) 75–78. * L. Herrmann, “Les interpolations de la lettre de Pline sur les chrétiens,” Latomus 13 (1954) 343–55. * F. Fourrier, “La lettre de Pline à Trajan sur les chrétiens (X, 97),” RTAM 31 (1964) 161–74. * F. Smuts, “Waarvan is die Christene voor Plinius aangekla?” Acta Classica 8 (1965) 71–85. * D.H. Tripp, “Pliny and the Liturgy—Yet Again,” SP 15.1 (1984) 581–85. * F. Manns, “‘Ante lucem’ dans la lettre de Pline le Jeune à Trojan (Ep. X, 96),” Ant 62 (1987) 338–43. * F.J. van Beeck, “The Worship of Christians in Pliny’s Letter,” StudLit 18:3–4 (1988–89) 121–31. * D.H. Tripp, “The Letter of Pliny,” in StLit, 80–81. * M. Testard, “‘.  .  . carmenque Christo quasi Deo dicere .  .  . ,’” RELA 72 (1994) 138–58.

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16-A. Letter from Pliny the Younger to Trajan the Emperor (X.xcvi)† 288 289

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It is my custom, O lord, to refer all questionable issues to you. Who can better resolve my doubts and instruct my ignorance? Never have I been present when Christians have been questioned in court. And so I do not know what offense is to be punished or investigated and to what extent. Nor am I certain whether any distinction should be made among Christians on the basis of age, whether the young should be treated differently than adults, whether pardon should be granted to those renouncing their beliefs, whether someone who once was a Christian gains nothing by ceasing to be a Christian, and whether the name itself without the offense is to be punished or whether only offenses consistent with the name are to be punished. Meanwhile, this is the procedure I followed in regard to all who were brought before me on the charge of being Christians. I asked them if they were Christians. If they answered affirmatively, I asked them a second and third time, threatening them with punishment. If they persisted, I ordered their execution. Whatever the nature of their admission, I believed that their stubbornness and firm obstinacy were not to go unpunished. There were others of similar insanity, but since they were citizens of Rome, I ordered that they were to be sent to that city. Before long and as is often true, the charges increased in variety as they became more widespread. There exists an anonymous writing containing the names of many accused persons. From among these I considered dismissing those who denied that they were or ever had been Christians if they repeated after me an invocation of the gods, if they offered wine and incense to your image which I ordered to be brought into court for this purpose along with the images of the gods, and if they cursed the name of Christ, which, as I understand it, no true Christian can be forced to do. Others, whose names an informer gave me, first admitted the charge and then denied it; they said that they had ceased to be Christians two or more years previously and some of them even twenty years previously. All venerated your image and the images of the gods and cursed the name of Christ. They also declared that the substance of their guilt or error amounted to no more than this: they customarily gathered before dawn on a fixed day to sing in alternation a hymn to Christ as if to a god, and they bound themselves by an oath, not in a criminal conspiracy, but to refrain from robbery, theft, or adultery, from breaking their word, from reneging on a deposit. After this they usually dispersed, reassembling later on in order to take food of a common and harmless kind. And so I believed that it was all the more necessary to seek the truth from two female slaves, who are Translated from Epistolarum Libri Decem, ed. R.A.B. Mynors, Scriptorum Classicorum Biblotheca Oxoniensis (Oxford, 1963) 338–40. †

17. Epistle of the Apostles  85 called “ministers,”a doing so by means of torture. I found nothing except a degenerate, excessive superstition. I have, therefore, postponed any further consideration while awaiting your counsel. The matter seems worthy of your consideration, especially in light of the number of persons to be tried. For numerous persons of every age and every class, of each gender, are being brought to trial, something that is likely to continue. Not only the towns but villages and the countryside are being defiled through contact with this evil superstition. It seems possible for this to be checked and cured since the people have indeed begun to frequent the temples, which had been almost entirely abandoned for a long time. And the sacred rites, having been abandoned, are again being performed; the flesh of sacrificial meat is on sale everywhere though till recently it was hard to find anyone buying it. It is easy to believe from this that a large number of people could be corrected if they were given an opportunity to make a retraction.

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16-B. Letter from Trajan to Pliny the Younger (X.xcvii)† You acted correctly, my dear Pliny, in investigating the cases of those denounced to you as being Christians. It is impossible to formulate a general principle that can be applied as a fixed norm. These people are not to be sought out; if they are brought before you and found guilty, they must be punished. Yet if anyone denies being a Christian and proves this by offering supplications to our gods, this person shall be pardoned as being repentant however suspect this person’s former conduct may have been. Anonymous accusations, however, shall not be introduced into the proceedings. They set a very bad example and are foreign to the spirit of our age. 1 7 . Ep i s t l e o f t h e Ap o s t l e s † †

This document, also called the Testament of Our Lord in Galilee—not to be confused with the Testamentum Domini (WEC 3:142)—is perhaps the most widely known of the apocryphal epistles of the apostles. The work presents itself as a series of revelations given by the risen Lord to the eleven apostles. Redacted in Egypt or Asia Minor, the document, originally written in Greek (now lost), exists in Ethiopic, Coptic (incomplete), and Latin (one leaf). Some date it as early as 130; others as late as 160. Altaner (1961) 82–83 * Altaner (1966) 124–25 * Cross 85 * Goodspeed 22–24 * Quasten 1:150–53 * Steidle 282 * Tixeront 72 * CATH 1:703 * DTC 1.2:1602 * EEChr 1:382 * LTK 3:732 * NCE 2:412 * ODCC 1592

a. Some translate the Latin ministrae as “deaconesses.” † Translated from Epistolarum Libri Decem, 340. †† Translation (adapted) from M.R. James, The Apocryphal New Testament (Oxford, 1926) 487ff.

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86  Chapter IV. Second Century. East B. Poschmann, Paenitentia Secunda (Bonn, 1930) 104ff. * J. Hoh, Die kirchliche Busse im zeiten Jahrhundert (Breslau, 1932) 64–72.

5. [.  .  .] When we had no bread but only five loaves and two fishes, he commanded the people to sit down, their number being five thousand not including the children and the women. We set pieces of bread before them, and they ate and were filled, and from what remained over we filled twelve baskets full of the fragments, asking one another and saying, “What mean these five loaves?” They are the symbol of our faith in the Lord of the Christians (in the great Christendom), even in the Father, the Lord Almighty, and in Jesus Christ our Redeemer, in the Holy Spirit the Comforter, in the holy Church, and in the remission of sins. 296 15. But you commemorate my death. Now when the Pasch comes, one of you will be cast into prison for my Name’s sake; and he will be in grief and sorrow because you keep the Pasch while he is in prison and separated from you. [.  .  .] And I will send my power in the form of my angel Gabriel, and the doors of the prison shall be opened. And he shall come forth and come unto you and keep the night watch with you until the cock crows. And when you have accomplished the memorial which is made of me, and the agape, he shall again be cast into prison, for a testimony, until he shall come out of there and preach what I have delivered to you. And we said to him: “Lord, is it then needful that we should again take the cup and drink?” He said to us: “Yes, it is needful until the day when I come again with them that have been put to death for my sake.” 297 27. For unto that end I went down to the place of Lazarus and preached to the righteous and the prophets, that they might come out of the rest which is below and come up into that which is above; and I poured out upon them with my right hand the water of the life and forgiveness and salvation from all evil as I have done to you and to them that believe in me. But if anyone believes in me and does not obey my commandments, although having confessed my name, he or she has no profit from this but runs a vain race; for such will find themselves in perdition and destruction because they have despised my commandments. 295

18. Acts of John†

The apocryphal Acts of John, written no later than the early third century, purports to be an account of Saint John’s missionary travels in Asia Minor. Perhaps originating from the area of Ephesus, the work, originally in Greek and evidencing certain Docetist tendencies, has come down to us in various incomplete manuscripts. Translated from R.A. Lipsius and M. Bonnet, Acta Apostolorum Apocrypha, vol. 2.1 (Hildesheim, 1990) 192ff. †

18. Acts of John  87 Altaner (1961) 76–77 * Altaner (1966) 137–38 * Bardenhewer (1913) 1:437–42 * Bardenhewer (1908) 105–6 * Bardenhewer (1910) 84–85 * Cross 79–80 * Goodspeed 70–73 * Quasten 1:135–37 * Steidle 280 * Tixeront 70–71 * CATH 6:411 * DCB 1:29 * DTC 1.1:354–57 * EEChr 1:12 * NCE 2:411 * ODCC 881 H. Lietzmann, Messe und Herrenmahl (Bonn, 1926) 240–43. * E. Freistedt, Altchristliche Totengedächtnistage und ihre Beziehungen zum Jenseitsglauben und Totenkultus der Antike, LQF 24 (Münster, 1928). * P. Batiffol, “L’Eucharistie” in La présence réelle et la transubstantiation, 9th ed. (Paris, 1930) 189–203. * J. Quasten, Monumenta Eucharistica et Liturgica Vetustissima (Bonn, 1935) 339–41. * A.C. Rush, Death and Burial in Christian Antiquity, SCA 1 (Washington, D.C., 1941) 262–64.

72. The next day John, accompanied by Andronicus and the brethren, came to the sepulcher at dawn—it now being the third day after Drusiana’s death—that we might break bread there. [.  .  .] 85. Having said this, John prayed, took bread, and carried it into the sepulcher to break. He said: “We give glory to your name which converts us from error and from cruel deceit. We give glory to you revealed to us what we have seen. We bear witness to your loving kindness which appears in various ways. We praise your good name, Lord, who pointed out those refuted by you. We give thanks to you, Lord Jesus Christ, because we believe that your grace is unchanging. We give thanks to you who had need of our nature that should be saved. We give thanks to you who has given us this sure faith, for you alone are God, both now and ever. We your servants give you thanks, O Holy One, for we have assembled according to your command and are gathered out of the world.” 86. Having thus prayed and having glorified God, he went out of the sepulcher after imparting to all the brethren the Eucharist of the Lord. [.  .  .] 94. Before he was taken by the lawless Jews, who also were governed by the lawless serpent, he gathered all of us together and said: “Before I am handed over to them, let us sing a hymn to the Father, and so may we go forth to what lies before us.” He told us, therefore, to form as it were a ring, holding one another’s hands; he stood in the midst of them and said, “Answer Amen to me.” He began, then, to sing a hymn and to say: Glory be to you, Father. And we, going about in a ring, answered him: Amen. Glory be to you, Word. Glory be to you, Grace. Amen. Glory be to you, Spirit. Glory be to you, Holy One. Glory be to your glory. Amen. We praise you, O Father, we give thanks to you, O Light, wherein darkness does not dwell. Amen. [.  .  .] 109. And he [John] asked for bread and gave thanks as follows: “What praise or what offering or what thanksgiving shall we, breaking this bread, name other than you only, Lord Jesus? We glorify your name which was spoken by the Father; we glorify your name which was spoken

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88  Chapter IV. Second Century. East through the Son; we glorify you entering through the Door. We glorify the Resurrection which you showed us. We glorify your way, we glorify your seed, your word, your grace, your faithfulness, your salt, your unspeakable treasure, your plough, your net, your greatness, your diadem; for us you were called the Son of Man, who gave us truth, rest, knowledge, power, the commandments, confidence, hope, love, liberty, refuge in you. You, Lord, are alone the root of immortality, the font of eternity, and the seat of the ages. Called by all these names for our sake who now call upon you by them, may we make known your greatness which now is invisible to us but can be seen only by the pure, being portrayed in your manhood only.” 110. He broke the bread and gave it to all of us, praying over each of the 303 brethren that he might be worthy of the grace of the Lord and of the most holy Eucharist. He himself likewise partook and said, “May I also share a portion with you,” and “Peace be with you, my beloved.” 1 9 . A c t s o f Pa u l †

In his On Baptism (WEC 1:26-E) Tertullian speaks unfavorably about a presbyter in Asia Minor who was deposed from his office for writing a certain Acts of Paul, which relates the story of a woman named Thecla, a disciple of Paul, who baptized herself. And so the Acts of Paul, certainly a piece of romantic fiction, originates before the year 190. The content and extent of the Acts only became known in 1904 when a fragment of a Coptic translation in the library of the University of Heidelberg was published. The work contains three independent treatises: (1) The Acts of Paul and Thecla (from which the passages given below are taken), (2) The Correspondence of Paul with the Corinthians, and (3) the Martyrdom of Paul. Altaner (1961) 73–74 * Altaner (1966) 136–37 * Bardenhewer (1908) 100–101 * Bardenhewer (1910) 80–81 * Bardenhewer (1913) 1:418–24 * Goodspeed 65–70 * Quasten 1:130–33 * Tixeront 72–73 * CATH 1:702 * DCB 1:29 * DTC 1.1:361–62 * EEChr 1:12–13 * LTK 7:1510–11 * NCE 2:410 * ODCC 1238

[.  .  .] Then they sent in many beasts, while Thecla stood and stretched out her hands and prayed. When she had finished her prayer, she turned and saw a great pit full of water, and said, “Now is the time for me to wash.” And she threw herself in, saying, “In the name of Jesus Christ I baptize myself on the last day.” [.  .  .] [.  .  .] But as Paul went in, the guards, being asleep, he broke bread and 305 brought water, gave her to drink of the word and dismissed her to her husband Hieronymus. But he himself prayed. 304

Translation from New Testament Apocrypha, vol. 2, rev. ed., ed. W. Schneemelcher, English translation ed. R. McL.Wilson (Louisville, 1992) 245, 252–53, 258, 264. †

21. Melito of Sardis  89 [.  .  .] And immediately, when the Spirit that was in Myrta was at peace, each one took of the bread and feasted according to custom [.  .  .] amid the singing of psalms of David and of hymns. And Paul too enjoyed himself. [.  .  .] But Paul could not be sorrowful because of Pentecost, this being a kind of festival for those who believe in Christ, both catechumens as well as believers; there was great joy and abundance of love, with psalms and praises to Christ, to the confirmation of those who heard. [.  .  .]

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This apocryphal work, originally in Greek, was written toward the end of the second century, probably in Asia Minor. Altaner (1961) 74–75 * Altaner (1966) 134 * Bardenhewer (1908) 98–100 * Bardenhewer (1910) 79–80 * Bardenhewer (1913) 1:414–18 * Cross 81 * Goodspeed 73–78 * Steidle 279 * Tixeront 69 * CATH 4:702 * DCB 1:29 * DTC 1.1:360–61 * EEChr 1:13 * LTK 8:99 * NCE 2:410 * ODCC 1261

II. They brought Paul bread and water for the sacrifice so that he might pray and distribute it to every one. Among those present was a lady named Rufina who also desired to receive the Eucharist from Paul. As she approached Paul, who was filled with the spirit of God, he said, “Rising from the side of one who is not your husband but an adulterer, you, attempting to receive the Eucharist of God, do not worthily approach the altar of God.” [.  .  .] 21. Melito of Sardis

Very little is known of the life of Melito, bishop of Sardis in Lydia. Writing ca. 190 to Pope Victor (189–99), Polycrates of Ephesus refers to Melito as a “eunuch who lived entirely in the Holy Spirit, who lies in Sardis, waiting for the visitation from heaven when he will rise from the dead” (Eusebius, Church History, V.xxiv.5). Furthermore, according to Polycrates, Melito ranks among the “great luminaries” of Asia. A list of Melito’s writings has come down to us through Eusebius (WEC 2:81), yet the vast majority of these works exist only in fragments or have been entirely lost. But a fourth-century papyrus text of a Homily on the Passion, or the Pasch, was discovered and published in 1936 by Campbell Bonner; other manuscripts containing the text have since been located. CPG 1: nos. 1092ff. * Altaner (1961) 133–35 * Altaner (1966) 88–89 * Bardenhewer (1908) 62–63 * Bardenhewer (1910) 105–6 * Bardenhewer (1913) 1:547–57 * Bautz

Translated from Acta Apostolorum Apocrypha, vol. 1, ed. R.A. Lipsius and M. Bonnet (New York, 1990) 36. †

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90  Chapter IV. Second Century. East 5:1219–23 * Cross 103–9 * Goodspeed 112–15 * Hamell 42 * Jurgens 1:81 * Quasten 1:242–48 * Steidle 32 * Tixeront 82 * CATH 8:1126–29 * CE 10:166–67 * DCB 3:894–900 * DictSp 10:979–90 * DPAC 2:2207–9 * DTC 10.1:540–47 * EC 8:645–46 * EEC 1:551 * EEChr 2:745–46 * LTK 7:86–87 * NCE 9:631–32 * NCES 9:477–78 * ODCC 1068 * PEA (1894) 15.1:553–54 * PEA (1991) 7:1192–93 * TRE 22:424–28 C. Bonner, “The Homily on the Passion by Melito Bishop of Sardis,” Annuaire de l’Institut de philologie et d’histoire orientales et slaves 4 (1936) 108–19. * C. Bonner, “The Homily on the Passion by Melito, Bishop of Sardis,” in Mélanges F. Cumont, vol. 1 (Brussels, 1936) 107–19. * C. Bonner, “The New Homily of Melito and Its Place in Christian Literature,” Actes du Ve Congrès international de papyrologie (Oxford, 1937) 94–97. * C. Bonner, “Two Problems in Melito’s Homily on the Passion,” HThR 31 (1938) 175–90. * G. Zuntz, “On the Opening Sentence of Melito’s Paschal Homily,” HThR 36 (1943) 290–315. * E.J. Wellesz, “Melito’s Homily on the Passion: An Investigation into the Sources of Byzantine Hymnography,” JThSt 44 (1943) 41–52. * H.H. Straton, “Melito of Sardis, Preacher Extraordinary,” AThR 29 (1947) 167–70. * A. Wifstrand, “The Homily of Melito on the Passion,” VC 2 (1948) 201–23. * C. Bonner, “The Text of Melito’s Homily,” VC 3 (1949) 184–85. * P. Nautin, “L’homélie de ‘Méliton’ sur la Passion,” RHE 44 (1949) 429–38. * R.M. Grant, “Melito of Sardis on Baptism,” VC 4 (1950) 33–36. * P. Nautin, Le dossier d’Hippolyte et de Méliton dans les florilèges dogmatiques et chez les historiens modernes, Patristica 1 (Paris, 1953). * O. Perler, Ein Hymnus zur Ostervigil von Méliton? (Papyrus Bodmer XII), Paradosis 15 (Fribourg i. S., 1960). * S.G. Hall, “Melito in the Light of the Passover Haggadah,” JThSt, n.s., 22 (1971) 29–46. * G.F. Hawthorne, “Christian Baptism and the Contribution of Melito of Sardis,” in D.E. Aune, ed., Studies in the New Testament and Early Christian Literature: Essays in Honor of Allen P. Wikgren (Leiden, 1972) 241–51. * S.G. Hall, ed., Melito of Sardis: On Pascha and Fragments (Oxford, 1979). * A. Hansen, The “Sitz in Leben” of the Paschal Homily of Melito of Sardis with Special Reference to the Paschal Festival in Early Christianity, diss. (Ann Arbor, 1981). * F. Trisoglio, “Dalla Pasqua ebraica a quella cristiana in Melitone di Sardi,” Aug 28 (1988) 151–85. * L. Cohick, “Melito of Sardis’ ‘Peri Pascha’ and Its ‘Israel,’” HThR 91 (1998) 351–72. * A. Stewart-Sykes, The Lamb’s High Feast: Melito, Peri Pascha, and the Quartodeciman Paschal Liturgy at Sardis, Supplements to Vigiliae Christianae 42 (Boston, 1998). * L. Cohick, The Peri Pascha Attributed to Melito of Sardis: Setting, Purpose, and Sources, Brown Judaic Studies 327 (Providence, RI, 2000).

21-A. Homily on the Passion† Melito—being a Quartodeciman, namely, one of those Asiatic Christians who observed the Christian Pasch on the same day as the Jews observed the Passover—no doubt preached the following homily on this day. There is no explicit mention of baptism. Melito, comparing the two Testaments, presents the Exodus and the paschal meal as types or figures of Christ’s redemptive work.

Translated from Sur la Pâque, trans. and ed. O. Perler, SChr 123 (Paris, 1966). Subheads are adapted from those given in the French translation of the text. †

21. Melito of Sardis  91 Mystery of the Pasch 1. The text of Scripture on the Hebrew Exodus1 has been read, and the words of the mystery have just been explained: how the sheep was sacrificed and how the people were saved.2 2. Understand, then, dearly beloved, that the mystery of the Pasch is both new and old,3 eternal and temporary,4 corruptible and incorruptible,5 mortal and immortal. 3. According to the Law it is old,6 but according to the Logos it is new; in its figure it is temporary, in its grace, eternal;7 corruptible in the sacrifice of the lamb, incorruptible in the life of the Lord;8 mortal by burial in the earth, immortal is his resurrection from among the dead. 4. Old is the Law, but new is the Logos; the type is temporary, grace is eternal; corruptible is the lamb, incorruptible is the Lord; sacrificed as a lamb, resurrected as God. For “like a sheep he was led away to slaughter,”9 yet he was not a sheep; like a lamb without a voice;10 yet he was not a lamb. The figure has passed away, and the truth has been found. 5. Replacing the lamb is God who has come,11 replacing the sheep is a man, and the man is Christ who contains all things.12 6. Certainly the sacrifice of the sheep, the observance of the Pasch, and the writing of the Law have been fulfilled in Christ Jesus,13 in view of all that occurred in the old Law and even more in the new order.14 7. For the Law has become the Logos,15 the old becomes new16—both coming from Sion and Jerusalem17—the commandment is grace, the type is truth,18 the lamb is the Son,19 the sheep is a man, and the man is God.20 8. Born as a Son,21 led forth as a lamb, sacrificed as a sheep,22 and buried as a man,23 like God he rose again from among the dead, by nature being God and man. 9. He is all things:24 the law in that he judges, the Logos in that he teaches,25 grace in that he saves,26 father in that he begets, Son in that he is begotten,27 sheep in that he suffers,28 man in that he is buried, God in that he rises. 10. This is Jesus Christ: “to him be glory forever and ever.”29 11. This is the mystery of the Pasch as described in the Law, as just read. 1. See Exod 12:1–32.  2. See Exod 12:21, 27; Deut 16:2; Isa 53:7; 1 Cor 5:7; 1 Pet 1:18ff.; Titus 2:14; Jude 5.  3. See Matt 13:52.  4. See 2 Cor 4:18.  5. See 1 Cor 15:53ff.  6. See John 1:17; 2 Cor 3:1–16.  7. See John 1:16ff.  8. See Eph 6:24.  9. Isa 53:7; Acts 8:32.  10. See Isa 53:7; Acts 8:32.  11. See John 1:14, 29, 36.  12. See Wis 1:7; Eph 4:10; 1 Cor 8:6; Gal 3:28; Col 1:15–18; Heb 1:3.  13. See Rom 10:4; Matt 5:17.  14. See Heb 2:10.  15. See John 1:14.  16. See 2 Cor 5:17.  17. See Isa 2:3; Mic 4:2.  18. See John 1:14, 17; Rom 6:14.  19. See John 1:29, 36; 1 Cor 5:7; Rev 5:6, 12.  20. See John 1:12–14.  21. See Matt 1:21–25; Luke 1:31; 2:7.  22. See Isa 53:7.  23. See 1 Cor 15:4.  24. See 1 Cor 15:28; Col 1:19; 3:11; Eph 1:23.  25. See John 1:9.  26. See John 1:14, 16ff.; Eph 2:5, 8.  27. See John 1:18; Heb 1:5; 5:5; Acts 13:33 (Ps 2:7).  28. See 1 Cor 5:7.  29. 2 Tim 4:18; Gal 1:5; see 2 Pet 3:18.

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The Exodus account I wish to explain in detail the words of Scripture:30 how God gave orders to Moses in Egypt when he, on the one hand, wanted to subject the Pharaoh to slavery, and when, on the other hand, he wanted to deliver Israel from slavery through the hand of Moses. 12.”Behold, he says, you will take a lamb without flaw or blemish, and toward evening you will sacrifice it” with the children of Israel,31 and at night you will eat in haste32 and you will not break any of its bones.33 13. You will do this, as is written:34 in one and the same night you will eat it, by families and tribes,35 your loins gird, your staff in hand.36 This is the Pasch of the Lord,37an eternal memorial for the children of Israel.38 14. Take some blood from the sheep, and then anoint the doorposts of your houses, by placing on them the sign of blood in order to ward off the angel.39 For behold I will strike Egypt and in a single night Egypt will be left without offspring, both human and of animals.40 15. Then Moses, having slaughtered the sheep41 and with the children of Israel having accomplished at night the mystery, marked the doors of the houses to protect the people and to ward off the angel.

Egypt’s misfortune 16. Once the sheep was slaughtered42 and the Pasch was eaten,43 once the mystery was accomplished and the people had rejoiced, and once Israel was marked, then the angel began to strike Egypt,44 a country not initiated into the mystery, not participating in the Pasch, not marked with blood, not protected by the Spirit; it was the enemy, the unbeliever. 17. In a single night the angel smote Egypt and left it childless. For the 326 angel, having bypassed Israel and seeing it marked with the blood of the sheep, went against Egypt and overcame the stubborn Pharaoh with grief, clothing him not with mourning garb or a tattered cloak but with all of Egypt in distress, mourning its firstborn. 18. For all Egypt, plunged into pain and calamity, into tears and beating 327 the breast, went to the Pharaoh; it was completely in mourning not only in its appearance but also in its soul; rending not only outward garb but also its nursing breasts. 19. It was a strange sight: on one side were those beating their breasts, 328 on the other side those crying out in sorrow. In the middle sat the grieving Pharaoh on sackcloth and ashes,45 clothed in a deep darkness as in a funeral garment, girded by all of Egypt as by a tunic of grief. 325

30. See Exod 13:3–32.  31. See Exod 12:3, 5ff.; 1 Pet 1:18ff.  32. See Exod 12:9, 11.  33. Exod 12:46; Num 9:12; see John 19:36.  34. See Exod 12:11.  35. See Exod 12:8; Num 9:11.  36. See Exod 12:11.  37. See Exod 12:11, 27.  38. See Exod 12:14, 17, 24.  39. See Exod 12:7, 13, 22.  40. See Exod 12:12, 29; Ps 135:8.  41. See Exod 12:28.  42. See ibid.  43. See Exod 12:46.  44. See Exod 12:29.  45. See Jonah 3:6.

21. Melito of Sardis  93 20. For Egypt clothed the Pharaoh like a garment of lamentation. This was the tunic weaved for the body of the tyrant; this was the garment with which the Angel of Justice clothed the merciless Pharaoh: bitter grief, impenetrable darkness,46 and the loss of the children. The angel continued to dominate the firstborn, for swift and insatiable was the death that struck them. 21. A strange trophy could be seen over the dead who had fallen at a single blow.47 And the route of those who fell became the nourishment of Death. 22. If you listen, you will be astonished at this unbelievable misfortune. This is what befell the Egyptians: a long night and an impenetrable darkness,48 a groping death, a destroying angel,49 and a hell consuming50 their firstborn. 23. But who was more unheard of and terrible you still have to learn. In deep darkness insatiable Death was hiding; and the unfortunate Egyptians were groping in this darkness. But on the order of the angel, death, ever watchful, seized the firstborn of the Egyptians. 24. If anyone, then, was groping the darkness, he was led away to Death. If a firstborn griped with his hands a dark body, he uttered from his frightened soul a mournful and terrible cry:51 “Whom does my hand touch? Whom does my soul fear? What darkness surrounds my entire body? If my father, help me! If my mother, help me! If my mother, have pity on me! If my brother, speak to me! If my friend, be kind to me! If my enemy, depart from me! For I am a firstborn.” 25. But before the firstborn could be silenced, the great Silence grasped him and said: “You are my firstborn. It is I, the Silence of death, who are meant for you.” 26. Another firstborn, noticing the seizure of others who were firstborn, denied his own identity to avoid dying a cruel death. “I am not a firstborn. I am the third offspring.” But death, incapable of being deceived, seized the firstborn who, head forward, fell silently. In one blow the firstborn of the Egyptians perished.52 The first to be begotten, the first to be born, the one who was desired, the one who was cherished, was struck down: not only the firstborn of humans but also those of dumb animals. 27. Heard throughout the plains of the country was the bellowing of animals grieving over those they nourished: the heifer for its calf, the mare for its colt, and the other beasts who brought forth; bitterly and pitifully they grieved over their firstborn. 28. There was lamentation and the striking of the breast at the destruction, at the death, of the firstborn. All Egypt gave off the odor of unburied corpses.53 29. The sight was terrible: Egyptian mothers with dishevelled hair, distraught fathers screaming in Egyptian, “How wretched are we! At a single 46. See Exod 10:21.  47. See Wis 18:12.  48. See Wis 17:2; Exod 10:21.  49. Ps 35:5.  50. See Prov 1:12.  51. See Wis 18:10.  52. See Wis 18:12.  53. Ibid.

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94  Chapter IV. Second Century. East blow we have been deprived of our firstborn infants.”54 Striking their breasts, they clapped their hands to the dance of death. 30. This was the unhappiness that afflicted Egypt, a land instantly de339 prived of its infants.

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Israel protected by the blood of the lamb: a prefigure of the blood of the Lord Israel, however, was protected by the slaying of the sheep55 and was given light by the blood that was shed;56 the death of the sheep was like a rampart for the people. 31. O strange and inexplicable mystery! The slaying of the sheep was the salvation of Israel, the death of the sheep became the life of the people; and the blood warded off the angel. 32. Tell me, O angel, what held you off? The slaying of the sheep or the life of the Lord? The death of the sheep or the figure of the Lord? The blood of the sheep or the Spirit of the Lord? 33. Clearly you were kept away because you saw the mystery of the Lord being realized in the sheep, the life of the Lord in the slaying of the sheep, the figure of the Lord in the death of the sheep. This is why you refrained from striking Israel, but only Egypt did you deprive of its infants. 34. What is this unexpected mystery? Egypt stricken for its loss? Israel protected for its salvation?57 Listen to the meaning of the mystery.

Figure and model 35. Dearly beloved, what has been said and what has happened is nothing if it is separated from the symbolic meaning and from the plan that has been sketched beforehand. Everything done and everything said participate in the symbol—words in their symbolic meaning, the event in the prefiguring—so that just as the event is made known by its figure so also words are clarified by their symbol. 36. If something is to be built, there must be a model by which we can 346 see what will be built. For this reason we construct a model out of wax, clay, or wood: namely, that what will be constructed—taller in height, stronger in resistance, beautiful in form, and rich in construction—may be seen through a small and perishable sketch. 37. But when is realized that to which the figure was destined, then is 347 destroyed what formerly bore the image of the future. Now it is useless because it ceded its image to what exists in truth. What was formerly precious becomes worthless when what is truly precious appears. 38. Everything has its proper time:58 the model has its proper time, the 348 material has its proper time. You construct the model of the work. You desire this because in it you see the image of what will come.59 You furnish 345

54. Ibid.  55. See Exod 12:13, 23; Wis 18:6–9.  56. See Eph 5:14; Heb 6:4; 10:32.  57. See Wis 19:6.  58. See Eccl 3:1–8.  59. See Col 2:17; Heb 8:5; 10:1.

21. Melito of Sardis  95 materials for the model. You desire this because of what will arise because of it. You complete the work; that alone you desire, that alone you love, for in it alone you see the model and the material and the reality. Figures of the Old Testament fulfilled in the New Testament 39. What is true for corruptible things is surely true for incorruptible things. What is true for earthly things, is surely true for heavenly things.60 The salvation given by the Lord and truth have been prefigured in the people of Israel; the prescriptions of the Gospel have been proclaimed beforehand by the Law. 40. The people, then, were like the sketch of a plan, and the Law like the drawing of a parable; the Gospel is the explanation and fulfillment of the Law,61 and the Church is the reservoir of reality. 41. The model, then, was precious before the reality, and the parable was wonderful before its interpretation. In other words, the people were honored before the Church was built, and the Law was admirable before the Gospel was revealed.62 42. But once the Church was established and before the Gospel was preached, the model became useless, yielding its power to the reality; and the Law came to an end, transferring its power to the Gospel.63 Just as the figure became useless when it transferred its image to what truly exists, and just as the parable became useless when it was clarified by its interpretation, 43. So also was the Law fulfilled when the Gospel was revealed,64 and the people of Israel lost their identity when the Church was established, and the model was abolished when the Lord was revealed.65 And today what formerly was precious has become worthless after what is precious by nature was revealed. 44. Formerly the slaying of a sheep was precious; now it is worthless because of the life of the Lord. The death of a sheep was precious; now it is worthless because of the salvation of the Lord. The blood of a sheep was precious; now it is worthless because of the Spirit of the Lord. The silent lamb was precious;66 now it is worthless because of the blameless Son.67 The temple here below was precious; now it is worthless because of Christ on high.68 45. Jerusalem here below was precious; now it is worthless because of Jerusalem on high.69 The small inheritance was precious;70 now it is worthless because of abundant grace.71 For it is not in one place nor in a small area72 that God’s glory has been established, but divine grace has been 60. See John 3:12.  61. See John 1:16–18; Matt 5:17; Luke 4:21; Rom 10:4.  62. See John 1:17; Rom 3:31; 7:12, 14, 16; 1 Tim 1:8.  63. See Rom 8:4; Gal 4:4; Eph 1:10.  64. See 2 Cor 4:4–6.  65. See 1 Tim 3:16.  66. See Isa 53:7.  67. See 1 Pet 1:19; Heb 9:14.  68. See Rev 21:22.  69. See Gal 4:24–26; Heb 12:22; Rev 3:12; 21:2.  70. See Num 34:2; 36:2.  71. See Ps 2:8.  72. See Deut 16:5ff.

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96  Chapter IV. Second Century. East poured out to the ends of the earth,73 and there the omnipotent God has pitched his tent74 through Jesus Christ “to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”75 The structure of salvation 46. You have heard the explanation of the figure and what corresponds to it. Listen also to the structure of the mystery. What is the Pasch? The name comes from what happened: from pathein [to suffer] comes paschein [to suffer or: to celebrate the Passion = Pascha]. Learn, then, who it is who suffers and who shares in the pain of the one who suffers,76 and why the 47. Lord came to earth: so that, clothing himself with the suffering one,77 357 he carries this person off to the highest heavens. 356

The sin of humankind It was through the Word78 that “God in the beginning created heaven and earth”79 and all that is in them. He made humankind from the earth and breathed life into them.80 Then he placed humankind in Paradise, toward the east, in Eden,81 in order to live there in happiness. As a law, God commanded, “From every tree of Paradise you may eat for nourishment, but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you may not eat; on the day you do you will die.”82 48. But just as humankind, like a lump of earth capable of receiving two 359 kinds of seeds,83 was by nature disposed to receive good and evil, so hostile and greedy advice was received; touching the tree, he broke the commandment, disobeyed God, and was then thrown into this world as if into a prison of the condemned.84 49. He multiplied, lived a long time,85 returned to the dirt for having eaten 360 from the tree,86 leaving an inheritance to his children. As an inheritance he bequeathed his children not chastity but unchasteness,87 not incorruptibility but corruptibility,88 not honor but dishonor, not freedom but slavery, not royalty but tyranny, not life but death,89 not salvation but perdition. 50. Extraordinary and terrible was the destruction of mortals upon the 361 earth.90 This is what happened to them: they were carried off by tyrannical Sin and led to the waters of passions where they were swamped by insatiable pleasures: by adultery,91 by fornication, by immodesty,92 by evil thoughts, by love of money,93 by murder,94 by the spilling of blood,95 by the tyranny of wickedness, by the tyranny of lawlessness. 358

73. See Mal 1:10–12; Acts 2:17 (Joel 3:1); Titus 3:6.  74. See Zech 2:14ff.; Rev 21:3.  75. 2 Tim 4:18; Gal 1:5; see 2 Pet 3:18.  76. See Heb 4:15.  77. See Phil 2:5–11.  78. See Wis 9:1; Ps 33:6; John 1:3.  79. Gen 1:1; see 2:4.  80. See Gen 2:7.  81. Gen 2:8.  82. Gen 2:16–17.  83. See Matt 13:24–30.  84. See Gen 3.  85. See Gen 3:16, 20; 4:1, etc.; 6:3.  86. See Gen 2:17; 3:19.  87. See Gen 2:25; 3:7.  88. See Wis 2:23.  89. See Gen 3:4, 19; Rom 5:12.  90. See Rom 1:24–32.  91. See Matt 15:19.  92. See 1 Pet 4:3.  93. See 1 Tim 6:10.  94. See Matt 15:19; Rom 1:29.  95. See Rom 3:15 (Prov 1:16; Isa 59:7).

21. Melito of Sardis  97 51. For the father drew the sword against his son, and the son raised his hand against his father and impiously struck the breasts that fed him; a brother killed brother,96 and the host was unjust to the guest, and friend killed friend, and man slew man, by the right hand of the tyrant. 52. All on earth became guilty of murder, fratricide, patricide, infanticide.97 But something more frightful and strange was found: a mother touched the flesh that she brought into the world; she also touched those being nourished at her breasts; and she killed in her womb the fruit of her womb; and the unhappy mother became a dreadful tomb, having devoured the infant she carried within her.98 53. Enough! However, one will still find other strange things, things that are more frightful and more shameless: a father coveting the bed of his daughter, a son that of his mother, a brother that of his sister, a man that of another man,99 “each covets his neighbor’s wife.”100 54. Sin rejoiced at this. Being the collaborator of Death, it first penetrated the souls of mortals and prepared for it like fodder the bodies of the dead.101 Upon every soul sin placed its mark, and those it marked have begun to end their days.102 55. All flesh, then, fell under the domination of sin,103 and every body under the power of death,104 and every soul was expelled from the house of flesh.105 What had been taken from the earth was reduced to earth,106 and what had been given from God107 was imprisoned in Hades. There was the dissolution of beautiful harmony and the disintegration of a beautiful body. 56. Humankind, divided by Death, was encircled by unhappiness and a strange captivity—like a captive108 having been dragged along under the shadow of Death.109 The image of the Father110 lay abandoned, alone. This is why the mystery of the Pasch was fulfilled in the body of the Lord. The passion of the Lord, prefigured and announced 57. But the Lord had already preordained his own sufferings in the patriarchs, the prophets, and in all the people, having sealed them through the Law and the prophets.111 If something is to be new and wonderful, it must be prepared in advance; in this way, once it comes into being, it is believable because it has been prefigured for a long time. 58. The same is true for the mystery of the Lord—long prefigured and today made visible. This is believable because it has come to pass, even though deemed extraordinary by mortals. Old and new is the mystery of 96. See Gen 4:8; 1 John 3:12.  97. See John 8:44; 1 John 3:12.  98. See Deut 28:53–57.  99. See Rom 1:27.  100. Jer 5:8.  101. See Rom 5:12–21.  102. See Prov 1:12.  103. See Rom 7:14, 17.  104. See Rom 7:24.  105. See 2 Cor 5:1.  106. See Gen 3:19.  107. See Gen 2:7; Eccl 12:7.  108. See Eph 4:8 (Ps 68:18).  109. Matt 4:16; Luke 1:79 (Isa 9:1); Job 3:5; 12:22, etc.  110. See Gen 1:26ff.; Sir 17:3; Wis 2:23.  111. See Luke 24:25–27, 44ff.; Acts 3:18; 8:32–35; 17:2ff.

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the Lord: old according to its figure, new according to grace. But if you look at this figure, you will see the truth through the figure’s fulfillment. 59. If you desire that the mystery of the Lord be seen, look at Abel who was likewise slain,112 at Isaac who was also bound,113 at Joseph who was also sold,114 at Moses who was also exposed,115 at David who was also persecuted,116 at the prophets who also suffered because of Christ.117 60. Look also at the sheep that was slain in Egypt, at him who struck Egypt and who through blood saved Israel.118 61. Furthermore, it is always through the voice of the prophets that the mystery of the Lord is announced. Moses said to the prophets, “And you see your life suspended before you, night and day, and you will certainly not believe in your Life.”119 62. And David, “Why do the nations rage? Why do the people plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand, and the princes gather against the Lord and against his Anointed.”120 63. And Jeremiah, “I am like an innocent lamb led to slaughter. They devised schemes against me, saying: ‘Come, let us cast wood on his bread and cut him off from the land of the living, and certainly his name will be remembered no longer.’”121 64. And Isaiah: “Like a sheep he was led to slaughter and like a lamb that is silent before its shearers, he did not open his mouth. Who will tell his generation?”122 65. Numerous other things were announced by many of the prophets about the mystery of the Pasch which is Christ: “to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”123

The figure fulfilled 66. He is coming out of heaven124 to earth in order to suffer; he clothed himself with this by the womb of a virgin125 from whom he came forth as a man. With a body capable of suffering he took upon himself the suffering of one who suffered;126 he destroyed the sufferings of the flesh and by his own spirit killed the death that destroys life. 67. He was led like a lamb and slaughtered like a sheep.127 He freed us 378 from slavery to the world128 as he freed us from the land of Egypt. He delivered us from the bonds of slavery to the devil129 as he delivered us from the hand of the Pharaoh. He sealed our souls with his own Spirit130 and the members of our body with his own blood. 377

112. See Gen 4:8.  113. See Gen 22:9.  114. See Gen 37:28.  115. See Exod 2:3.  116. See 1 Sam 18:6–11.  117. See Matt 5:12; 23:31; Acts 7:52; Jas 5:10.  118. See Exod 12:3ff.  119. Deut 28:66.  120. Ps 2:1ff.; Acts 4:25–26.  121. Jer 11:19.  122. Isa 53:7–8.  123. 2 Tim 4:18; Gal 1:5; see 2 Pet 3:18.  124. See John 6:33, 41–42, 51.  125. See Luke 1:26–38; Phil 2:6ff.  126. See Isa 53:4; Matt 8:17; 1 Pet 2:21–25.  127. See Jer 11:19; see Isa 53:7; Acts 8:32; Rev 5:12.  128. See 1 Pet 1:18; Titus 2:14.  129. See Heb 2:14ff.  130. See Eph 1:13; 4:30; 2 Cor 1:22.

21. Melito of Sardis  99 68. He covered death with shame and sent the devil into mourning as Moses did to the Pharaoh. He smote iniquity131 and deprived the children of injustice, as Moses did to Egypt. He delivered us from slavery into freedom,132 from darkness into light,133 from death into life,134 from tyranny into an eternal kingdom.135 He made us a new priesthood and a chosen people forever.136 69. He is the Pasch that is our salvation.137 He suffered much in many [who came before him]. He was killed in Abel,138 bound in Isaac,139 exiled in Jacob,140 sold in Joseph,141 exposed in Moses,142 sacrificed in the lamb,143 persecuted in David,144 dishonored in the prophets.145 70. He became incarnate in a virgin,146 hung on a cross,147 buried in the earth,148 raised from the dead,149 and lifted up toward the highest heavens.150 71. He is the silent lamb,151 the lamb that was slaughtered,152 the lamb born of Mary,153 the fair ewe; he was taken from the flock,154 dragged off to be slaughtered,155 slain during the evening156 and buried at night. No bone of his was broken;157 his body in the earth knew no corruption;158 he rose from the dead159 and raised up humankind from the depths of the tomb.160

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II. The Ungrateful Refusal of Israel 72. He was put to death. And where? In the middle of Jerusalem. Why? Because he cured its lame, cleansed its lepers, restored sight to its blind, and raised up its dead.161 This is why he suffered. It is written somewhere in the Law and in the prophets: “They have returned evil for good, and my soul is forlorn.162 They plot evil against me, saying, ‘Let us bind the Just One, for he confounds us.’”163 Reproaches addressed to Israel: the unspeakable crime 73. O Israel, why have you committed this new crime? You dishonored him who honored you. You despised him who valued you.164 You denied 131. See Titus 2:14.  132. See Rom 8:21; Gal 5:1.  133. See 1 Pet 2:9; Col 1:12–13; Eph 5:8, 12–14; John 3:19; Acts 26:18; 2 Cor 4:6.  134. See 1 John 3:14.  135. See 2 Pet 1:11.  136. See Exod 19:6; 1 Pet 2:5–9; Rev 1:6; 5:10; Titus 2:14.  137. See 1 Cor 5:7.  138. See Gen 4:8.  139. See Gen 22:9.  140. See Gen 28:1ff.  141. See Gen 37:28.  142. See Exod 2:3.  143. See Exod 12:1–28.  144. See 1 Sam 18:6–11.  145. See Matt 5:12; 23:29–35; Acts 7:52.  146. See Matt 1:23 (Isa 7:14); Luke 1:26ff.  147. See Gal 3:13 (Deut 21:22ff.); Acts 5:30; 10:39.  148. See 1 Cor 15:4.  149. See Rom 8:34.  150. See Mark 16:19; Acts 1:11; 1 Tim 3:16.  151. See Jer 11:19; Rev 5:12.  152. See Isa 53:7; Acts 8:32.  153. See Matt 1:21, 23 (Isa 7:14), 25; Luke 1:31.  154. See Exod 12:3, 5, 21.  155. See Isa 53:7.  156. See Exod 12:6.  157. See Exod 12:46; Num 9:12; Ps 34:20; John 19:33, 36.  158. See Acts 2:27, 31 (Ps 16:10).  159. See Rom 8:34.  160. See 1 Cor 15:1–58; Eph 4:8 (Ps 68:18).  161. See Matt 11:5; Luke 7:22.  162. Ps 35:12; see Gen 44:4; Ps 38:20; 1 Sam 25:21.  163. Isa 3:10, LXX.  164. See Isa 52:14.

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him who confessed you. You repudiated him who proclaimed you.165 You killed him who gave you life.166 What have you done, O Israel? 74. Has it not been written for you, “You will not shed innocent blood lest you die miserably”?167 “I have,” says Israel, “killed the Savior.” Why? “Because he had to suffer.”168 You are in error, O Israel, in such quibbling in regard to the murder of the Lord. 75. He had to suffer, but not by you. He had to be dishonored, but not by you.169 He had to be judged, but not by you. He had to be hung on a cross, but not by your right hand. 76. These, O Israel, are the words that you should have uttered to God: “O Master, if your Son had to suffer and if this was your will, may he suffer but not by me;170 may he suffer by people of another race, may he be judged by the uncircumcised, may he be nailed [to the cross] by a tyrannical hand,171 but no, not by me.” 77. But you, O Israel, you did not utter these words to God. You have not purified yourself before your Master; you have not 78. been intimidated by his works; neither by the withered hand restored healthy to the body;172 nor by the eyes of the blind opened by his hand;173 nor by the paralyzed bodies made sound by his voice;174 nor by the most wonderful miracle of a man already dead for four days and raised from the tomb.175 You, on the contrary, have scorned all this. At the time of the Lord’s immolation, toward evening, you prepared for him 79. sharp nails176 and false witnesses, ropes and whips, vinegar and gall, the sword and afflictions, as for a bloody brigand.177 Lashing lashed his body178 and placing thorns on his head,179 you even bound his good hands180 which formed you from the earth,181 and you gave him gall to drink, he who nourished you with life;182 and you put to death the Savior on the day of the Great Feast. 80. And you were enjoying yourself;183 he, on the other hand, was hungry; you were drinking wine and eating bread, he had vinegar and gall;184 your face was radiant, his was somber; you were rejoicing, he was afflicted; you were singing psalms, he was condemned; you were beating time, he was being nailed;185 you were dancing, he was being buried; you were reclining on a soft couch,186 he was in a tomb and coffin. 165. See Acts 3:14; Matt 23:37.  166. See Acts 3:15; 5:30; 1 Thess 2:15.  167. Jer 7:6; 22:3.  168. See Matt 16:21; Mark 8:31; Luke 9:22; 24:26; Acts 3:18; 17:3.  169. See Isa 53:3.  170. See Matt 26:42; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42.  171. See John 18:31; 19:6ff.  172. See Matt 12:9–13; Mark 3:1–5; Luke 6:6–10.  173. See Matt 9:27–31; 11:5; Luke 7:22.  174. See Luke 5:18–26; Matt 9:2–8; Mark 2:3–12.  175. See John 11:1–44.  176. See John 20:25.  177. See Matt 26:59–62; Mark 14:55–59; Luke 22:66–71.  178. See John 19:1; Matt 27:26.  179. See Matt 27:29; Mark 15:17; John 19:5; John 19:2.  180. See Matt 27:2; John 18:12, 24; Mark 15:1.  181. See Gen 2:7.  182. See Matt 27:34 (Ps 69:21), 48.  183. See Amos 6:4–6.  184. See Matt 27:34, 48; Ps 69:21.  185. See John 20:25; Luke 24:40.  186. See Amos 6:4.

21. Melito of Sardis  101 Israel’s injustices and ingratitude 81. O criminal Israel, why have you committed this unspeakable injustice187 of hastening your Savior into unmentionable sufferings, your Master, who formed you, who created you, who honored you, who named you “Israel”?188 82. But you have not been found to be “Israel,” for you have not seen God;189 you have not recognized the Lord; you have not known, O Israel, that it is he, the Firstborn of God,190 who was begotten before the morning star,191 who made light to rise, who made the day to shine, who separated the darkness,192 who established the first boundary, who suspended the earth,193 who dried up the abyss,194 who spread out the firmament,195 who brought order to the world,196 83. who arranged the stars in the heaven, who had the luminaries shine,197 who created the angels in heaven, who placed there the thrones,198 who made for himself mortals on earth.199 It was he who chose you,200 who guided you from Adam to Noah, from Noah to Abraham, from Abraham to Isaac and Jacob and to the twelve patriarchs.201 84. He led you to Egypt202 and protected you; with great care he nourished you.203 He gave you light by a column of fire and covered you with a cloud.204 He divided the Red Sea205 and led you through it206 and scattered your enemy.207 85. He gave you manna from heaven;208 he gave you drink from the rock;209 he gave you the Law on Horeb;210 he gave your descendants the Promised Land;211 he sent you the prophets,212 who raised up your kings.213 86. He came to you, he who cured your suffering ones and who raised up those among you who were dead. It is against him that you act sacrilegiously, against him that you commit injustice. It is he whom you sent to death. It is he whom you sold for a piece of silver214 after having put a price of two drachmas on his head.215 Against ungrateful Israel 87. O ungrateful Israel, come, be judged before me for your ingratitude. What value have you placed on being guided by him? On the election

187. See Mic 6:3–4.  188. See Gen 32:29; 35:10.  189. See Gen 32:31.  190. See Heb 1:6.  191. See Ps 110:3.  192. See Gen 1:3–5; Ps 136:7–9.  193. See Gen 1:6–9.  194. See Gen 1:2.  195. See Gen 1:6–8; Ps 136:6.  196. See Sir 16:25.  197. See Gen 1:14–18; Ps 136:7–9.  198. See Col 1:16.  199. See Gen 2:7.  200. See Isa 44:1ff.; Ps 33:12; 47:5; Acts 13:17.  201. See Acts 7:8.  202. See Jer 2:6.  203. See Gen 37–50; Exod 1–12.  204. See Exod 13:21, etc.; Ps 78:14; 105:39.  205. See Exod 14–15; Ps 136:13.  206. See Ps 136:14; 106:9; Wis 10:18.  207. See Ps 136:15; 106:11; Wis 10:19.  208. See Exod 16:4–35; Ps 78:24; 105:40; 1 Cor 10:3.  209. See Exod 17:4–7; Ps 136:16; 1 Cor 10:4, etc.  210. See Exod 19–31.  211. See Josh 11:23ff.; Ps 78:55; 136:21ff.  212. See Matt 23:34.  213. See 1 Sam 8:5, etc.; Acts 13:21ff.  214. See Matt 26:14–15; Mark 14:10–11; Luke 22:3–5.  215. See Matt 17:24–27.

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of your fathers?216 On the descent into Egypt? And on being fed there by good Joseph?217 88. What value did you place on the ten plagues?218 On the column of fire during the night? On the cloud during the day?219 On the passage through the Red Sea?220 What value did you place on the gift of manna from heaven?221 On the distribution of water from the rock?222 On the giving of the Law on Horeb?223 On the inheritance which is the Promised Land?224 On the blessings you have received? 89. What value have you placed on those who suffer? On those whom he cured when he was present? Value for me, then, the withered hand, which he restored to the body!225 90. Value those born blind to whom he gave light by his word!226 Value, then, the dead who were buried,227 whom he raised from the tomb after three, four days! Priceless are the gifts he gave you. And you, far from honoring him, have only shown him ingratitude in return; you have given him evil for good,228 suffering for joy, and death for life, 91. him for whom you should die.

The pagans treated him better Should a pagan king be taken captive by his enemies, war is waged on his behalf, a rampart is scaled, a city is destroyed, ransoms are sent, messengers are dispatched, so that he be recovered, that his life be restored, or that he, if dead, receive a burial. 92. You, on the other hand, have voted against your Savior.229 In fact, 403 he, before whom the nations bowed,230 whom the uncircumcised admired, whom foreigners glorified,231 for whom even Pilate washed his hands,232 it is he whom you sent to death during the Great Festival. 404

The bitter herbs: a figure of Israel’s punishment 93. This is why the Feast of the Unleavened Bread is bitter for you, as has been written for you, “You will eat unleavened bread with bitter herbs.”233 Bitter for you the nails you sharpened,234 the tongue you whetted,235 the false witnesses you presented,236 the bonds you prepared,237 the whips you wove,238 Judas whom you paid.239 Herod whom you obeyed,240 Caiaphas whom you trusted,241 the gall you prepared,242 the vinegar you 216. See Gen 12:1ff.  217. See Gen 37–48.  218. See Exod 7:14–12:36.  219. See Exod 13:21.  220. See Exod 14–15.  221. See Exod 16:4–35.  222. See Exod 17:4–7.  223. See Exod 19–31.  224. See Josh 11:23, etc.; Ps 78:55; 136:21ff.  225. See Matt 12:13.  226. See Matt 9:27ff.; 11:5; 15:30; John 9:1ff.; 11:37.  227. See Matt 11:5; John 11:1ff.  228. See Gen 44:4; Ps 35:12; Jer 18:20.  229. See Matt 26:59–66.  230. See Matt 2:2, 11; 15:25.  231. See Matt 8:5–13; John 12:20ff.  232. See Matt 27:24.  233. Exod 12:8.  234. See John 20:25.  235. See Matt 27:6–23.  236. See Matt 26:59–61.  237. See Matt 27:2; John 18:12, 24.  238. See Matt 27:26; John 19:1.  239. See Matt 26:14ff.  240. See Luke 23:7–15; Acts 4:27.  241. See Matt 27:20.  242. See Matt 27:34; Ps 69:22.

21. Melito of Sardis  103 cultivated,243 the thorns you gathered,244 the hand you made bloody. You sent your Savior to death in the middle of Jerusalem. Invitation to the pagans 94. Listen, all families of the nations,245 and see: an unspeakable murder has taken place in the middle of Jerusalem, in the city of the Law, in the city of the Hebrews, in the city of the prophets, in the city believed to be just. And who has been slain? I blush to say this, and yet I have to speak. If the murder had occurred during the night, or if it had taken place in an uninhabited area, it would be easy to remain silent; but now in the middle of the street or the city,246 yes, in the middle of the city—with all looking on—the unjust murder of the Just One was committed.247 95. And so he was raised upon a cross, and an inscription was added,248 indicating him who was slain.249 Who is this person? It is hard to say; yet not to say is still more dreadful. But listen while trembling before him on whose account the earth trembled.250 96. He who suspended the earth is himself suspended,251 he who fixed the heavens is himself fixed [upon the cross];252 he who strengthened everything is held upon the cross; he who is the Master is insulted;253 he who is the king of Israel is removed254 by the hand of Israel. 97. O unheard-of murder! O unheard-of injustice! The appearance of the Master has been changed, his body stripped naked;255 he was not even considered worthy of a garment so that he not be seen.256 This is why the luminaries turned away, and with them the day became dark257 so as to conceal the naked one upon the cross, thus obscuring not the Lord’s body but human eyes. 98. And when the people were not trembling, the earth trembled;258 when the people were not seized with fright, the heavens were frightened; when the people did not tear apart their garments, the angel did so;259 when the people were not lamenting, it was the “Lord who thundered from heaven and the Most High who spoke.”260 The destruction of Israel 99. O Israel, this is why you did not tremble in the presence of the Lord, you were not seized with fear in the presence of the Lord, you did not lament in the presence of the Lord, you did not utter cries of sorrow for your firstborn; you did not tear your garments when the Lord was hung, so you tore them for those of your own who were slain. You abandoned 243. See Matt 27:48; Ps 69:22.  244. See Matt 27:29.  245. See Ps 22:28; 96:7.  246. See Wis 2:10–20; Isa 52:13–53:2.  247. See Acts 3:14.  248. See John 3:14; 8:28; 12:32, 34.  249. See John 19:19ff.; Mark 15:26.  250. See Matt 27:51.  251. See Acts 5:30; 10:39 (Deut 21:22).  252. See Acts 2:23.  253. See Matt 27:39–43.  254. See Matt 27:42; Mark 15:32; John 1:49; 12:13.  255. See Matt 27:35; John 19:23ff.  256. See Matt 27:35; John 19:23ff.  257. See Matt 27:45; Mark 15:33; Luke 23:44–45.  258. See Matt 27:51.  259. See Matt 27:51.  260. Ps 18:13; see John 12:28.

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104  Chapter IV. Second Century. East the Lord; you were not found by him.261 You crushed the Lord; you were crushed down by the earth. You lie dead; 100. He rose from among the dead262 and ascended into heaven above.263 411 Epilogue The triumph of Christ Being Lord, he assumed human nature, he suffered for those who suffer,264 he was bound for those in bonds, he was judged for the guilty,265 he was buried for those who are entombed. 101. He rose from among the dead and cries out to you,a “Who will 413 judge me?266 Let him face me! I freed the condemned; I gave life to the dead;267 I raised up him who was buried.268 102. “Who speaks in opposition to me?” “I,” he says, “am the Christ,269 414 I who have destroyed death,270 triumphed over the enemy,271 trampled hell underfoot,272 bound the strong,273 and carried off mortals to the heights of heaven.” “It is I,” he says, “the Christ.”274 412

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Call to receive the forgiveness of sins 103. “Come, then, all families of men275 steeped with sins, and receive the forgiveness of sins.276 For I am your forgiveness;277 I am the Pasch of salvation;278 I am the lamb that was immolated for you;279 I am your ransom;280 I am your life;281 I am your resurrection;282 I am your light;283 I am your salvation;284 I am your king;285 I lead you to the heights of heaven;286 I will raise you up;287 I will show you the eternal Father;288 I will raise you up with my right hand.” Final apotheosis 104. This is he who made heaven and earth,289 who in the beginning formed the human race,290 who was announced by the Law and the a. Some suggest that nos. 101 and 102 may have been parts of a preexisting liturgical hymn. 261. See Rom 10:20ff. (Isa 65:1ff.).  262. See Rom 8:34.  263. See Mark 16:19; Acts 1:2, 11, 22; 1 Tim 3:16.  264. 1 Pet 2:21.  265. See 1 Pet 2:23.  266. Isa 50:8ff.; see Mic 6:1ff.  267. See Rom 4:17; 8:11; 1 Cor 15:22.  268. See John 6:39–40, 44, 54.  269. See Mark 14:61ff.  270. See 1 Cor 15:26; 2 Tim 1:10.  271. See Col 2:15.  272. See Acts 2:27 (Ps 16:10).  273. See Matt 12:29; Mark 3:27.  274. See Eph 4:8–10 (Ps 68:19).  275. See Ps 22:28; 96:7.  276. Acts 10:43; 26:18; 2:38.  277. See Eph 1:7; Col 1:14.  278. See 1 Cor 5:7.  279. See John 1:36; Rev 5:12.  280. See Matt 20:28; Mark 10:45; 1 Tim 2:6; 1 Cor 1:30; Eph 1:7; Col 1:14; Rom 3:24; Heb 9:15.  281. See John 1:4; 6:33, 35, 48; 11:25; 14:6; Col 3:3ff.; 2 Tim 1:10; 1 John 1:2; 5:11ff.  282. See John 11:25.  283. See John 1:4, 9; 3:19; 8:12; 9:5; 12:46; 1 John 1:5; Luke 2:32; Acts 13:47 (Isa 49:6); 1 Pet 2:9.  284. See Acts 4:12; 13:47 (Isa 49:6); 2 Tim 2:10; Heb 2:10; 5:9; 1 Pet 2:2.  285. See Matt 21:5 (Zech 9:9); John 12:15; John 1:49; 18:33, 37; Rev 15:3; 17:14; 19:16.  286. See Eph 4:8–10 (Ps 68:19).  287. See John 5:21; 6:40.  288. See John 14:8ff.  289. See Gen 1:1.  290. Gen 2:7.

22. Aristides of Athens. Apology  105 prophets,291 who was incarnate in a virgin,292 who hung upon a cross,293 who was buried in the earth,294 who was raised from among the dead,295 who ascended to the highest heavens,296 who is seated at the right hand of the Father,297 who has the power to judge and to save all;298 through him the Father created everything299 from the beginning and for the ages. 105. He is the “alpha and omega”;300 he is the “beginning and the end,”301—the inexplicable beginning and the incomprehensible end—, “he is the Christ”;302 he is the King;303 he is Jesus;304 he is the Strategus;b he is the Lord;305 he was raised from among the dead;306 he is seated at the right hand of the Father.307 He bears the Father and is borne by the Father;308 “to him be glory and power forever. Amen.”309

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Melito: On the Paschc Peace to the writer and to the reader and to those who love the Lord with simplicity of heart.310

418

Greece 2 2 . A r i s t i d e s o f At h e n s . Ap o l o g y †

Little is known of the life of Aristides. But in 1878 an Armenian fragment of an Apology attributed to him was published at Venice. Then in 1889 a Syriac manuscript of the whole work was discovered on Mount Sinai. This in turn led to the discovery of the work’s original Greek found in the religious novel Lives of Barlaam and Josaphat, which appear among the writings of John of Damascus (ca. 655–ca. 750). The treatise has two sections: the first (chapters i–xiv) treats the false teaching of the Barbarians, Greeks, and Jews; the second (chapters xv–xvii) gives the true teaching of the Christians, the standard by which all other religious doctrines are to be judged. In many ways the work resembles the Letter to Diognetus (WEC 1:34). CPG 1: nos. 1062–67 * Altaner (1961) 118–19 * Altaner (1966) 64–65 * Bardenhewer (1913) 1:171–86 * Bardenhewer (1908) 46–48 * Bardenhewer (1910) 36–38 * Bautz b. Strategus: a Greek official having broad military, political, and civil powers. c. This subhead appears in the manuscript tradition. 291. See Luke 24:25–27.  292. See Matt 1:23 (Isa 7:14); Luke 1:26ff.  293. See Acts 5:30 (Deut 21:22); 10:39, etc.  294. See 1 Cor 15:4.  295. See Rom 8:34.  296. See Mark 16:19; Acts 1:2, 11, 22; 1 Tim 3:16.  297. See Ps 110:1; Matt 26:64; Mark 16:19; Rom 8:34; Col 3:1; Eph 1:20; 1 Pet 3:22.  298. See John 5:22, 27–29.  299. See John 1:3; Col 1:16ff.  300. Rev 1:8; 21:6; 22:13.  301. Rev 21:6; 22:13.  302. John 7:26, 41; Acts 9:22; see Matt 16:16; 26:63ff.  303. See Matt 21:5 (Zech 9:9); John 12:15; John 1:49; 18:33, 37; Rev 15:3; 17:14; 19:16; Matt 27:11, 37, 42; Mark 15:2, 32; Luke 23:3, 38; John 18:37.  304. See Matt 1:21; Acts 4:10–12.  305. See Acts 2:36; Phil 2:11.  306. See Rom 8:34.  307. See Mark 16:19; Acts 1:2; 11:22; 1 Tim 3:16.  308. See John 10:30, 38; 14:9, 11, 20; 16:15, 32; 17:21.  309. Rev 1:6.  310. See Acts 2:46. † Translation (modified) from ANF 10 (i.e., vol. 9) 277–78.

106  Chapter IV. Second Century. East 1:212–13 * Cross 45–47 * Goodspeed 97–99 * Hamell 37 * Jurgens 1:48–49 * Quasten 1:191–95 * Tixeront 34–35 * CATH 1:822 * CE 1:712–13 * CHECL 37–38 * DCB 1:160 * DHGE 4:187–91 * DPAC 1:346–47 * DTC 1.2:1864–67 * EC 1:1907–8 * EEC 1:72–73 * EEChr 1:111–12 * LTK 1:973 * NCE 1:798 * NCES 1:666–67 * ODCC 101 * PEA (1991) 1:1100 * RACh 1:652–54 G.C. O’Ceallaigh, “Marcianus Aristides, on the Worship of God,” HThR 51 (1958) 227–54. 419

xv. Christians [.  .  .] give thanks to God every hour, doing so for all meat and drink and other blessings. [.  .  .] If there are any among them who are poor and needy, and if they have no spare food, they fast two or three days in order to supply to the needy their lack of food. They observe the precepts of their Messiah with much care, living justly and soberly as the Lord their God commanded them. Every morning and every hour they give thanks and praise to God for his loving kindness toward them; and for their food and their drink they offer thanksgiving to him. And if any righteous person among them passes from the world, they rejoice and offer thanks to God, and they escort the body as if the deceased were setting out from one place to another near-by. And when a child has been born to one of them, they give thanks to God.a And if moreover it happens to die in childhood, they give thanks to God the more, as for one who has passed through the world without sin. And further if they see any one of them dies in ungodliness or in one’s sins, for such they grieve bitterly and sorrow as for one who goes to meet his or her doom.

Syria 23. Theophilus of Antioch

Converted to Christianity as an adult, Theophilus was, according to Eusebius (Church History, IV.xx), the sixth bishop of Antioch and is considered among the early Christian apologists. Few details are known of his life. He died between 185 and 191. CPG 1: nos. 1107ff. * Altaner (1961) 131–33 * Altaner (1966) 75–77 * Bardenhewer (1908) 65–67 * Bardenhewer (1910) 52–54 * Bardenhewer (1913) 1:278–90 * Bardy (1929) 60–61 * Goodspeed 117–18 * Hamell 43 * Jurgens 1:73–77 * Quasten 1:236–42 * Steidle 32–33 * Tixeront 45–47 * CATH 14:1113–18 * CE 14:625–26 * DCB 4:993–99 * DictSp 15:530–42 * DPAC 2:3405–6 * DTC 15.1:530–36 * EC 11:1952–53 * EEC 2:831–32 * EEChr 2:1122 * LTK 9:1472 * NCE 14:72 * NCES 13:932–33 * ODCC 1606 * PEA (1894) 5.2 (n.s.) 2149 W. Hartke, “Ueber Jahrespunkte und Feste, insbesondere das Weihnachtsfest,” Akademie der Wissenschaft. Sektion für Altertumswissenschaft 6 (Berlin, 1956) 13–17. a. Give thanks: some understand this as a hidden reference to baptism.

24. Letter of Barnabas  107

23-A. Discourse to Autolychus† This defense of Christianity, written to answer the objections of a certain Autolychus, a heathen friend of Theophilus, is the only writing of Theophilus to have come down to us. In three books the author shows the superiority of the Christian religion over that of the pagans. I.12. As to your laughing at me and calling me “Christian,” you do not 420 know what you are saying. First, because what is anointed is sweet and useful; it is not to be laughed at. Can any ship be serviceable and seaworthy unless it has first been caulked? What tower or house is beautiful and useful unless it has been anointed? And what person upon entering this life or a gymnasium is not anointed with oil? And what work has either decoration or beauty unless it is anointed and burnished? Also, the air and all that is under heaven is in a certain way anointed by light and spirit. Are you unwilling to be anointed with the oil of God? And so we are called Christians because we are anointed with the oil of God.

Egypt 2 4 . L e t t e r o f B a r n a b a s ††

The Letter of Barnabas is neither a letter nor the product of Barnabas, the good friend of Paul. More a theological discourse, it has two sections: chapters i–xvii focusing on the Old Testament; chapters xviii–xxi being of a moral nature and describing, as does the Didache i–vi (WEC 1:178–86), the ways of light and darkness. The work, originally written in Greek, states nothing about its author nor does it claim apostolic authority. Nonetheless, Clement of Alexandria (WEC 1:44) and Origen (WEC 1:43) both say that the “letter” comes from the hand of Barnabas. Yet the fact that the author has a distinct and evident bias against Judaism and even views the Old Testament as the work of the devil militates against the letter being written by a disciple of Paul, who saw the Old Testament as a cherished and divine institution. Once commonly believed to have originated from the area of Alexandria, the manuscript’s homeland might be Syria or Asia Minor. There is great variety as to the document’s date, anywhere from 70–150, with the years 117–32 perhaps being more probable. CPG 1: no. 1050 * Altaner (1961) 80–82 * Altaner (1966) 53–55 * Bardenhewer (1908) 22–25 * Bardenhewer (1910) 20–23 * Bardenhewer (1913) 1:86–98 * Bardy (1929) 67–68 * Goodspeed 20–22 * Hamell 25–26 * Jurgens 1:13–16 * Quasten 1:85–92 * Steidle 281 * Tixeront 18–19 * CATH 1:1256 * CE 2:299–300 * DCB 1:260–65 * DHGE Translated from PG 6:1041–42. Translated from Epître de Barnabé, trans. and ed. P. Prigent, SChr 172 (Paris, 1971) 160–67, 182–89. †

††

108  Chapter IV. Second Century. East 6:848 * DictSp 1:1245–47 * DPAC 1:481–84 * DTC 2.1:416–22 * EC 2:865 * EEC 1:111–12 * EEChr 1:167–68 * LTK 2:18 * NCE 2:103 * NCES 2:102 * ODCC 159 * PEA (1894) 3.1:25 * PEA (1991) 2:453 * RACh 1:1207–17 * TRE 5:238–41 K. Thieme, Kirche und Synagoge: die ersten nachbiblischen Zeugnisse ihres Gegensatzes im Offenbarungsverständnis: der Barnabasbrief und der Dialog Justins des Märtyrers, neu bearbeitet und erläutert, Kreuzritterbücherei 3 (Olten, 1945). * E. Ferguson, “Baptism from the Second to the Fourth Century,” ResQ 1 (1957) 185–97. * L.W. Barnard, “The Epistle of Barnabas—A Paschal Homily?” VC 15 (1961) 8–22. * B. Neunheuser, Baptism and Confirmatio (St. Louis, 1964) 60–61. * L.W. Barnard, “The Day of the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ in the Epistle of Barnabas,” RB 78 (1968) 106–7. * G. Saber, “Le baptême dans l’Epitre de Barnabé,” Mel 4, no. 2 (1968) 194–214 [Arabic, French summary]. * K. Wengst, Tradition und Theologie des Barnabasbriefes, Arbeiten zur Kirchengeschichte 42 (Berlin and New York, 1971). * F.S. Barcellona, ed., Epistola di Barnaba = Barnabae Epistula: introduzione, testo critico, traduzione, commento, glossario e indici, Corona Patrum 1 (Turin, 1975). * J.-L. Vesco, “La lecture du psautier selon l’Epître de Barnabé,” RBibl 93 (1986) 5–37. * J.C. Paget, “The Epistle of Barnabas: Outlook and Background,” Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 2, series 64, diss. (Tübingen, 1994). * R. Hvalvik, “The Struggle for Scripture and Covenant: The Purpose of the Epistle of Barnabas and JewishChristian Competition in the Second Century,” Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 2, series 82, diss. (Tübingen, 1996). 421 422

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xi.1. Let us now see whether the Lord has taken care to reveal in advance anything concerning the water [of baptism] and the cross. xi.2. As to the water, Scripture when speaking about Israel says that they did not know how to receive the baptism that brings the pardon of sins but that they should obtain another for themselves. xi.3. The prophet, in fact, says: “O heaven, be astounded and let the earth tremble the more at this since this people have done two evil things: they have forsaken me, the living source of water, and they have dug out for themselves a cistern of death. Is Sinai, my holy mountain, a rock in the desert? For you will be like young birds, flying away when they are ejected from the nest.”1 xi.4. And the prophet also says: “I will walk before you and level the mountain and I will break the gates of brass, and I will shatter the iron bars, and to you I will bestow secret, hidden, invisible treasures. In this way they may indeed know that I am the Lord God.” xi.5. And “you will dwell in the lofty cave of a strong rock where water is never lacking. You will see the king in his glory, and your soul will medi­ tate on the fear of the Lord.”2 xi.6. By another prophet he says: “Whoever acts thus will be like this tree which, planted by streams of water, will produce fruit in due time. Its leaves will not fall; all that they do will prosper. It is not the same for the impious, no, not at all. Rather, they are like the dust that the wind chases 1. Jer 2:12–13; Isa 16:1–2.  2. Isa 45:1–3; 33:16–18.

24. Letter of Barnabas  109 from the face of the earth. This is why the impious shall not be raised in judgment, nor will sinners stand in the counsel of the just. For the Lord knows the way of the just, but that of the ungodly will perish.”3 xi.7. Notice that he describes at the same time the water and the cross. xi.8. This is what he means to say: Happy are those who have planted their hope in the cross and have gone down into the water. For, he says, their reward will be given “in due season.” At that time, he says, I will repay. But now, when he says “its leaves will not fall,” he means that every word of faith and love coming from your mouth will be for many the reason for their conversion and hope. xi.9. Yet another prophet says, “And the land of Jesse will be celebrated more than any other.”4 This means that he glorifies the vessel of his Spirit. xi.10. What does he then say? “There was a river flowing from the right and wonderful trees growing out of it. Whoever eats from it will live forever.”5 The meaning here is that when we go down into the water, we are full of sins and blemishes, but when we ascend out of the water we bear fruit in our hearts, having in spirit fear and hope in Jesus. xi.11. “Whoever eats of these will live forever.”6 This means, he says, that whoever hears these words and believes will live forever. xv.1. Furthermore, as to the Sabbath, this is what is written in the Decalogue which God personally gave to Moses on Mount Sinai: “With a pure hand and a pure heart keep holy also the Sabbath of the Lord.”7 xv.2. Elsewhere he says, “If my children observe the Sabbath, then I will be merciful to them.”8 xv.3. As to the Sabbath, he mentions it at the beginning of creation: “And in six days God made the work of his hands. He completed it on the seventh day, a day on which he rested and which he made holy.”9 xv.4. Pay attention, my children, to the meaning of the phrase “He completed it in six days.” This means that the Lord will lead the universe to its completion in six thousand years. He himself is my witness when he says, “Behold, one day of the Lord will be like a thousand years.”10 And so, my children, it is “in six days,” in six thousand years, that the universe will end. xv.5. “And on the seventh day he rested.”11 This means that when his Son will have come to put an end to the time of the lawless one, to judge the lawless, and to change the sun, the moon, and the stars, he shall then rest on the seventh day. xv.6. Furthermore, he says, “You shall keep it holy with pure hands and a pure heart.”12 If, then, anyone can now by having a pure heart sanctify this day which God has made holy, then we are totally deceived. xv.7. To be sure, when we enjoy true rest, when we shall be able to do so because we have been made righteous ourselves and have received 3. Ps 1:3–6.  4. Unidentifiable citation.  5. Unidentifiable citation but cf. Ezek 47:1–12.  6. Ezek 47:9.  7. Exod 20:8. Cf. Ps 24:4.  8. Jer 17:24.  9. Gen 2:2–3.  10. Ps 90:40.  11. Gen 2:2.  12. Exod 20:8.

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110  Chapter IV. Second Century. East the promise, when there is no more sin but when all things have been renewed by the Lord, then we shall indeed keep it holy because we ourselves have first been made holy. xv.8. Finally he said to them: “Your new moons and your Sabbaths I do 439 not endure.”13 Notice how he expresses himself: your present Sabbaths are not acceptable to me; only the Sabbath I have made, and on which, after having given rest to all things, I will make a beginning on the eighth day, namely, the beginning of another world. xv.9. So it is that we celebrate as a joyful feast the eighth day on which 440 Jesus rose from the dead and after manifesting himself ascended into heaven.

13. Isa 1:13.

Chapter V Third Century. West Af r i c a 25. Minucius Felix

Little is known of Minucius Felix. He was active in the last part of the second century or in the first part of the third century. A convert, most probably an African, a lawyer, and according to some the first Christian author to write in Latin, he is known for only one work that has come down to us, namely, the Octavius. CPL nos. 37ff. * Altaner (1961) 162–66 * Altaner (1966) 146–48 * Bardenhewer (1908) 70–72 * Bardenhewer (1913) 1:303–15 * Bardenhewer (1910) 55–58 * Bardy (1930) 37–39 * Bautz 5:1564–67 * Cross 146–48 * Goodspeed 166–67 * Hamell 44–45 * Jurgens 1:109–11 * Labriolle (1947) 1:163–92 * Labriolle (1968) 109–30 * Quasten 2:155–63 * Steidle 71 * Tixeront 49–51 * CATH 9:249–50 * CE 10:336–37 * DACL 11.2:1388–1412 * DCB 3:920–24 * DictSp 10:1268–72 * DPAC 2:2259–62 * DTC 10.2:1793–98 * EC 8:1057–58 * EEC 1:562–63 * EEChr 2:753 * LTK 7:275–76 * NCE 9:883 * NCES 9:658 * ODCC 1091 * PEA (1991) 8:241 * TRE 23:1–3

25-A. The Octavius† This defense of Christianity against the accusations of the pagans assumes the literary form of a conversation that took place in Rome between Minucius, his friend Octavius, and the pagan Caecilius. Its forty chapters focus not on doctrinal matters but on moral conduct and are directed toward those who have little, if any, understanding of Christianity. Unlike apologies directed toward the Jews, this work contains no citations from Scripture. Greatly disputed is the question of the work’s relationship to Tertullian’s Apology (WEC 1:26-B), written ca. 197. Does Tertullian depend on Minucius or vice versa? Today the common, though not universal, opinion is that Minucius knew of and relied upon Tertullian’s work, thus most probably dating the author of the Octavius in the third century. 29. [.  .  .] You believe that our religion worships a criminal and his cross. Doing so you stray far from the truth, believing as you do that

441

Translated from M. Minucii Felicis Octavius Julii Firmici Materni Liber de errore profanarum religionum, ed. C. Halm, CSEL 2 (Vienna, 1867) 42–43, 45–46. †

111

112  Chapter V. Third Century. West a criminal deserved to be considered divine or that an earthly being was able to be considered as such. [.  .  .] We neither worship nor desire crosses. But you, who consecrate gods made out of wood, adore wooden crosses, perhaps as part of your gods. Your standards together with your banners and camp flags are nothing else, are they, than gilded and decorated crosses? Your trophies of victory not only imitate the appearance of a simple cross but also that of a man affixed to it. Surely we naturally see the sign of the cross in a ship moving along under its swelling sails, when it glides by with expanded oars. When the military yoke is raised on high, it is the sign of the cross; also when someone adores God with a pure mind, with hands that are outstretched. So it is that the sign of the cross is supported either by natural reason, or your own religion is formed in regard to it. 32. Do you think that we are concealing what we worship since we have 442 neither temples nor altars? [.  .  .] Am I to offer to God the victims and sacrifices he has brought forth for me so that I might throw back to him his own gift? It is ungrateful when the victim suitable for sacrifice is a good disposition, a pure mind, a sincere conscience. So it is that whoever cultivates innocence petitions God; whoever cultivates righteousness offers to God; whoever refrains from deceit makes propitiation to God, whoever snatches someone from danger slaughters the richest victim. These are our sacrifices, these are God’s rites. And so whoever among us is the most righteous is also the most religious. [.  .  .] 2 6 . T e rt u l l i a n

Tertullian (Quintus Septimus Florens Tertullianus) was born between ca. 155 and 160 of pagan parents in Carthage. Converted shortly before 193, he was a prolific writer whose works, some of which have been lost, cover a variety of areas, for example, morality, apologetics, church discipline. It is not certain whether he was ordained a priest. By 207 his rigorism led him to Montanism, which condemned other Christians as being too lax. Called the “Father of Latin Theology,” Tertullian wrote in a Latin that is elegant, terse, and at times obscure, his writing being especially important for the history of baptism, penance, and Christian prayer. The year of his death is unknown. CPL nos. 1ff. * Altaner (1961) 166–82 * Altaner (1966) 148–63 * Bardenhewer (1908) 179–90 * Bardenhewer (1910) 157–67 * Bardenhewer (1913) 2:332–94 * Bardy (1930) 28–36 * Bautz 11:695–720 * Cross 135–45 * Goodspeed 159–66 * Hamell 70–73 * Jurgens 1:111–61 * Labriolle (1947) 1:84–159 * Labriolle (1968) 56–102 * Leigh-Bennett 55–76 * Quasten 2:246–340 * Steidle 63–70 * Tixeront 109–19 * Wright (1928) 21–93 * CATH 14:931–36 * CE 14:520–25 * CHECL 133–39, 206–11 * DCB 4:818–64 * DictSp 15:271–95 * DPAC 2:3413–24 * DTC 15.1:130–71 * EC 11:2025–33 * EEC 2:818–20 * EEChr 2:1107–9 * LTK 9:1344–48 * NCE 13:1019–22 * NCES 13:834–38 * ODCC 1591–92 * PEA (1894) 5.1 (n.s.) 822–45

26. Tertullian  113 Sacramentum E. de Backer, Sacramentum, le mot et l’idée représentée par lui dans les oeuvres de Tertullien (Louvain, 1911). * D. Michaélidès, “Sacramentum” chez Tertullien (Paris, 1970). * T. Marsh, “The History of the Sacramental Concept,” MilS 3 (1979) 21–56. Baptism A. d’Alès, “‘Pompa Diaboli,’” RSR 1 (1910) 571–90. * E. Fruetsaerrt, “De baptismo,” RSR (1911) 462–66. * E. Amann, “L’ange du baptême dans Tertullien,” RSR (1921) 208–21. * K. Köhler, “Das Agraphon bei Tertullian De bapt. 20,” ThStKr (1922) 169ff. * S. Eitrem, “Tertullian De bapt. 5 ‘sanctified by drowning,’” CR (1924) 69. * A. d’Alès, “Tertullien De baptismo 5,” RSR (1924) 292. * B. Capelle, “Le symbole romain au second siècle,” RB 39 (1927) 33–45. * A.D. Nock, “Pagan Baptisms in Tertullien,” JThSt 28 (1927) 289–90. * F.J. Dölger, “Die Apollinarischen Spiele und das Fest Pelusia: zu Tertullian De baptismo 5,” AC 1 (1929) 150–55. * F.J. Dölger, “Die Taufe an den Apollinarischen und den Pelusischen Spielen,” AC 1 (1929) 156–59. * F.J. Dölger, “Tertullian kein Zeuge fùr eine Taufe in den Mysterien von Eleusis,” AC 1 (1929) 143–49. * F.J. Dölger, “Esietus: Der Ertrunkene oder der zum Osiris Gewordene: ein sprachgeschichtliche Beitrag zu Tertullian De baptismo 5,” AC 1 (1929) 174–83. * F.J. Dölger, “Der erste Gebet der Täuflinge in der Gemeinschaft der Brüder,” AC 2 (1930) 142–55. * F.J. Dölger, “Die Sünder in Blindheit und Unwissenheit: ein Beitrag zu Tertullian De baptismo 1,” AC 2 (1930) 222–26. * F.J. Dölger, “Tertullian über die Bluttaufe,” AC 2 (1930) 117–41. * J.W. Ph. Borleffs, “Zu Tertullian De baptismo,” PhW 51 (1931) 251–55. * F.J. Dölger, “Zwei neue Textheilungsversuche zu Tertullian De baptismo 16, 2,” AC 3 (1932) 216–19. * B. Leeming, “A Note on a Reading in Tertullian’s De baptismo ‘Credo quia non credunt,’” Greg 3 (1933) 423–31. * F.J. Dölger, “Die Eingliedenung des Taufsymbols in den Taufvollzug nach den Schriften Tertullians: zu Tertullian De baptismo 2, 1,” AC 4 (1934) 138–46. * J.M. Restrepo-Jaramillo, “Tertuliano y la doble fórmula en el símbolo apostólico,” Greg 15 (1934) 3–58. * F.J. Dölger, “Religiöse Waschung als Sühne für Meineid (De baptismo 5),” AC 6 (1940) 73. * E.C. Ratcliff, “The Relation of Confirmation to Baptism in the Early Roman and Byzantine Liturgies,” Theol 49 (1946) 258–65, 290–95. * P.-H. Menoud, “La baptême des enfants dans l’Eglise ancienne,” VerC 2 (1948) 15–26. * P. Schepens, “De baptismo 5,” RSR (1948) 112–13. * Chr. Mohrmann, “Tertullien, De baptismo 2, 2,” VC 5 (1951) 49. * W. Bedard, “The Symbolism of the Baptismal Font in Early Christian Thought,” diss. (Washington, D.C., 1951). * F.X. Lukman, “Das Anblasen des Teufels beim Taufgelöbnis,” in Festschrift für R. Egger, vol. 1 (Klagenfurt, 1952) 343–46. * E. Ferguson, “Baptism from the Second to the Fourth Century,” ResQ 1 (1957) 185–97. * P.S. Horgan, Tertullian’s Teaching on Christian Baptism (Washington, D.C., 1966). * C. Vona, “Consonanze ed echi del ‘De Baptismo’ di Tertulliano nella letteratura dell’evo patristico,” Div 11 (1967) 117–79. * A. Houssiau, “L’engagement baptismal,” RTL 9 (1978) 138–65. * K. McDonnell, “Communion Ecclesiology and Baptism in the Spirit: Tertullian and the Early Church,” TS 49:4 (December 1988) 671–93. * M.E. Johnson, “Tertullian’s Diem baptismo sollemniorem Revisited: A Tentative Hypothesis on Baptism at Pentecost,” in Studia Liturgica Diversa: Essays in Honor of Paul F. Bradshaw, ed. M.E. Johnson and L.E. Phillips (Portland, 2004) 31–43. Eucharist F.X. Dieringer, “Die Abendmahlslehre Tertullians,” Katholik 44:1 (1864) I 277–318. * C. Leimbach, Beiträge zur Abendmahlslehre Tertullians (Gotha, 1874). * P. Scharsch,

114  Chapter V. Third Century. West “Eine schwierige Stelle über die Eucharistie bei Tertullian (Adv. Marcionem 4, 40),” Katholik 89 (1909) 21–33. * B. Stakemeier, “La dottrina di Tertulliano sul sacramento dell’ Eucarestia,” Rivista storico-critica delle scienze teologiche (1909) 199ff., 265ff. * P. Batiffol, L’Eucharistie: la présence reélle et la transubstantiation, 9th ed. (Paris, 1930) 204–6. * E. Janot, “L’Eucharistie à Carthage,” VS 23 (1930) 269–82. * J.M. Frochisse, “A propos des origines du jeûne eucharistique,” RHE 28 (1932) 594–609. * F.J. Dölger, “Sacramentum Infanticidii,” AC 4 (1934) 188–228. * F.J. Dölger, “Zu Dominica Sollemnia bei Tertullianus,” AC 6 (1940) 108–17. * F.R.M. Hitchcock, “Tertullian’s Views on the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper,” ChQ 134 (1942) 21–36. * E. Dekkers, Tertullianus en de geschiedenis der liturgie (Brussels and Amsterdam, 1947) 49–67. * J. Beran, “De ordine missae secundum Tertulliani ‘Apologeticum,’” in Miscellanea Liturgica in Honorem L. Cuniberti Mohlberg, vol. 2 (Rome, 1949) 7–32. * F.X. Dieringer, “Die Abendmahlslehre Tertullians,” Der Katholik 44:1 (1964) 277–318. * P.T. Camelot, “Un texte de Tertullien sur l’amen de la communion,” LMD, no. 79 (1964) 108–13. * W.L. Dulière, “Un problème à résoudre: l’acceptation du sang eucharistique par les premiers chrétiens juifs,” STh 20 (1966) 62–93. * V. Saxer, “Tertullian,” in W. Rordorf and others, The Eucharist of the Early Christians (New York, 1978) 132–55. * J.D. Laurance, “‘Sacerdos vice Christi’: A Study in the Theology of Eucharistic Leadership according to Cyprian of Carthage,” diss. (Notre Dame, 1983). * G. Bavaud, “Le laïc peut-il célébrer l’Eucharistie? (Tertullien: ‘De exhortatione castitatis’ VII, 3),” REAug 43 (1996) 213–21. Agape F.X. Funk, “L’Agape,” RHE 4 (1903) 5–23. * P. Batiffol, “La controverse sur l’Agape,” BLE, 3rd ser., 6 (1904) 185–206. * F.X. Funk, “Tertullien et l’Agape,” RHE 5 (1904) 5–15. * F.X. Funk, “La question de l’Agape: un dernier mot,” RHE 7 (1906) 5–15. Penance, Sin, Forgiveness of Sins S. Harent, “La discipline pénitentielle dans l’Eglise primitive: réponse à M. l’abbé Vacandard,” Et 81 (1900) 577–607. * G. Esser, Die Bullschriften Tertullians De paenitentia und De pudicitia und das Indulgenzedikt des Papstes Kallistus (Bonn, 1905). * S. Charrier, “Tertullien et les martyrs-pénitenciers,” RevAug 10 (1907) 582–84. * P. de Labriolle, “Vestiges d’apocryphes dans le De paenitentia de Tertullien 12, 9,” BALAC 1 (1911) 127–28. * A. Vanbeck, “La pénitence dans Tertullien,” RHL (1912) 350–69. * A. d’Alès, L’Edit de Calliste (Paris, 1914) 136–71. * F.H. Hallock, “Third Century Teaching on Sin and Penance,” AThR 4 (1921/22) 128–42. * S.W.J. Teeuwen, “De Voce ‘Paenitentia’ apud Tertullianum,” Mnem 55 (1927) 410–19. * E. Fruetsaert, “La réconciliation ecclésiastique vers l’an 200,” NRTh (1930) 379–91. * J. Hoh, “Die Busse bei Tertullian,” ThGl 23 (1931) 625–38. * C. Chartier, “L’excommunication ecclésiastique d’après les écrits de Tertullien,” Ant (1935) 301–44, 499–536. * K. Rahner, “Sünde als Gnadenverlust in der frühchristlichen Literatur, IV, Tertullian,” ZkTh 60 (1936) 471–510. * B. Poschmann, Paenitentia Secunda (Bonn, 1940) 270–348. * G.H. Joyce, “Private Penance in the Early Church,” JThSt 42 (1941) 18–42. * C.B. Daly, “The Sacrament of Penance in Tertullian,” IER 69 (1947) 693–707, 815–21; 70 (1948) 731–46, 832–48; 73 (1950) 156–69. * C.B. Daly, “Novatian and Tertullian,” ITQ 19 (1952) 33–43. * K. Rahner, “Zur Theologie der Busse bei Tertullian,” in Abhandlungen über Theologie und Kirche: Festschrift für K. Adam (Düsseldorf, 1952) 139–67. * G. Teichtweier, Die Sündenlehre des Origenes, Studien zur Geschichte der kath. Moraltheologie 7 (Regensburg, 1958). * B. Poschmann, Penance

26. Tertullian  115 and the Anointing of the Sick (St. Louis, 1964) 38–49. * J.-C. Fredouille, “Du ‘De paenitentia’ de Tertullien au ‘De paenitentiae institutione’ de Pacian,” REAug 44 (1998) 13–23. * C. Munier, “La discipline pénitentielle d’après Tertullien,” Connaissance des pères de l’Eglise, no. 71 (1998) 37–50. Marriage H. Crouzel, “Deux textes de Tertullien concernant la procédure et les rites du mariage chrétien,” BLE 74 (1973) 3–13. * R. Uglione, “Il matrimonio in Tertulliano: tra esaltazione e disprezzo,” EphL 93 (1979) 479–94. * B. du Plessis, “La célébration du mariage dans les premiers siècles chrétiens,” Résurrection, no. 16 (1988) 3. Orders, Priesthood G. Bardy, “Le sacerdoce chrétien d’après Tertullien,” VS 58 (1939) 109–24. * G. Otranto, “‘Nonne et laici sacerdotes sumus?’ (Exh. cast. 7, 3),” VetChr 8 (1971) 27–47. * D. Powell, “Ordo Presbyteri,” JThSt, n.s., 26 (1975) 290–328. * P. Mattei, “‘Habere ius sacerdotis’: sacerdoce et laïcat au témoignage de Tertullien ‘De exhortatione castitatis’ et ‘De monogamia,’” RevSR 59 (1985) 200–201. * G. Bavaud, “Le laïc peut-il célébrer l’eucharistie? (Tertullien: “De exhortatione castitatis” VII, 3),” REAug 43 (1996) 213–21. Prayer W. Haller, “Das Herrengebet bei Tertullian,” Zeitschrft für praktische Theologie 12 (1890) 327–54. * E.v.d. Goltz, Das Gebet in her ältesten Christenheit (Leipzig, 1901) 279–82. * G. Loeschke, Die Vaterunsererklärung des Theophilus von Antiochien: Eine Quellenuntersuchung zu den Vaterunsererklärungen des Tertullian, Cyprian, Chromatius und Hieronymus (Berlin, 1908). * J. Moffat, “Tertullian on the Lord’s Prayer,” ExpT 18 (1919) 24–41. * E. Boisvert, “La prière chrétienne d’après Tertullien,” Les cahiers franciscains 3 (1933) 185–98. * F.J. Dölger, “Das Niedersitzen nach dem Gebet: ein Kommentar zu Tertullian, De oratione 16,” AC 5 (1936) 116–37. * B. Simovic, “Le pater chez quelques pères latins,” France franciscaine 21 (1938) 193–222, 245–64. * O. Schäfer, “Das Vaterunser, das Gebet des Christen: eine aszetische Studie nach Tertullian De oratione,” ThGl 35 (1943) 1–6. * A.J.B. Higgins, “‘Lead us not into temptation’: Some Latin Variants,” JThSt 46 (1945) 179–83. * E. Dekkers, Tertullianus en de geschiedenis der liturgie (Brussels/Amsterdam, 1947) 117–26. * H. Pétré, “Les leçons du ‘Panem nostrum quotidianum,’” RSR 38 (1951) 63–79. * D.Y. Hadidian, “The Background and Origin of the Christian Hours of Prayer,” TS 25 (1964) 59–69. * V. Saxer, “‘Il étendit les mains à l’heure de sa Passion’: le thème de l’orant-te dans la littérature chrétienne des IIe et IIIe siècles,” Aug 20 (1980) 335–65. * D.R. Stuckwisch, “Principles of Christian Prayer from the Third Century: A Brief Look at Origen, Tertullian and Cyprian with Some Comments on Their Meaning for Today,” Wor 71:1 (January 1997) 2–19. Other Topics P. de Labriolle, “‘Mulieres in ecclesia taceant’: un aspect de la lutte antimontaniste,” BALAC 1 (1911) 3–24, 103–22. * J. Schümmer, Die altchristliche Fastenpraxis mit besonderer Berücksichtigung der Schriften Tertullians, LQF 27 (Münster i. W., 1933). * M.M. Baney, Some Reflections of Life in North Africa in the Writings of Tertullian (Washington, D.C., 1948). * C.B. Daly, “Liturgical Worship in Tertullian’s Africa,” IER, 5th ser., 95 (1960) 136–46. * T.P. O’Malley, Tertullian and the Bible: Language, Imagery, Exegesis, Latinitas Christianorum Primaeva 21 (Nigmegen, 1967). * D.E. Groh, “Christian Community in the Writings of Tertullian: An Inquiry into the Nature

116  Chapter V. Third Century. West and Problems of Community in North African Christianity,” diss. (Ann Arbor, 1970). * V. Saxer, Morts, martyrs, reliques en Afrique aux premiers siècles: les témoignages de Tertullien, Cyprien et Augustin à la lumière de l’archéologie africaine, Theologie historique 55 (Paris, 1980). * P. Erny, “Le signe de la croix chez Tertullien,” Présence orthodoxe no. 79 (1988) 19–28. * C. Munier, Autorité épiscopale et sollicitude pastorale, IIe-VIe siècles (Aldershot, England, and Brookfield, VT, 1991). * W. Bähnk, Von der Notwendigkeit des Leidens: die Theologie des Martyriums bei Tertullian, Forschungen zur Kirchen-und Dogmengeschichte 78 (Göttingen, 2001).

26-A. To the Gentiles† Divided into two books, this defense of the Christian religion was written in 197. 443

I.xiii. Others, certainly in a more courteous fashion, believe that the sun is a Christian god since, as is known, we pray facing the east and make Sunday a day of joy. Do you do less? Do not many of you, at times striving to adore the heavenly bodies, move your lips as you face the sunrise? Certainly it is you who have received the sun into the week, and you have chosen this day from among all the days as the day on which to refrain from bathing or postpone doing so till evening, or as a day for resting or for participating in banquets. Doing such, you deviate from your own religious observances and go to those of foreigners: the Sabbath and “the Purification” are Jewish holydays; also Jewish are the ceremonies of the lamps, fasting with unleavened bread, and propitiatory prayers, all of these certainly being foreign to your gods. So that I may digress no longer, you, reproaching us with the sun and its day, should acknowledge how close you are to us; we are not all that distant from Saturn and your days of rest.

26-B. Apology†† This treatise, written in 197, was one of the most widely circulated of Tertullian’s works in ancient times. 444

ii. [.  .  .] Pliny the Younger, while governing a province and after condemning a number of Christians to death and driving others from their positions, was still disturbed by their large numbers. So he consulted with Trajan the emperor as to what should be done with the rest. All Pliny discovered was that, except for stubbornly refusing to offer sacrifice, they assembled early in the morning to sing to Christ as to a god and to strengthen their way of life, prohibiting murder, adultery, dishonesty, falsehood, and other crimes. Trajan then wrote back, saying that the Christians were not to be sought out, but those brought forward were to be punished.a Translated from Opera, CCL 1 (Turnhout, 1953) 32. Translated from CCL 1:88ff. a. See WEC 1:16-A and 16-B. †

††

26. Tertullian  117 xvi. Certainly there are others who more reasonably and with more plausibility believe that the sun is our god. [.  .  .] This suspicion arises from the fact that we pray while facing the east. Yet many of you, at times attempting to worship the heavenly bodies, move your lips while facing the direction of the sunrise. Likewise, if we rejoice on Sunday, although doing so for a far different reason than to worship the sun, we take second place to those who set aside the day of Saturn [Saturday] as a day for leisure and feasting, although they are far from Jewish custom, which is unknown to them. xxx. We pray for the safety of our rulers to the eternal God, to the true and living God, whose favor beyond that of all others they should prefer. [.  .  .] Unceasingly do we pray for all our rulers. We pray that they may have a long life, that the empire be secure, that the imperial household be safe, that armies be brave, that the senate be faithful, that the people be righteous, that the world be at peace, and for whatever the people and Caesar desire. xxxix. We gather as one body and congregation so that we might wrestle with God in our prayers, a violence pleasing to him. We also pray for our rulers, for their ministers and for those in power, for the state of the world, for peace, and for the end to be delayed. We gather to read the sacred writings, should present circumstances require either a warning or an examination; with the holy words we nourish our faith, enliven our hope, strengthen our trust, and no less by teaching God’s precepts we strengthen our way of life. Also exhortations, reprimands, and holy censures take place there. With great seriousness do we carry out the work of judging, for among those who feel that they are in God’s sight it is the greatest example of the judgment yet to come; if a person has so failed, he or she is dismissed from sharing in prayer together, from joining the assembly, and from participating in all holy activity. Presiding over us are the elders who have been proven, an honor not purchased but resulting from testimony since nothing of God can be purchased. There is also a treasury which does not result from huge contributions as if things of religion could be purchased. [.  .  .] These are not used for feasting, drinking, and unwelcome gluttony; rather, they are for feeding and burying the poor, for the orphaned and the needy, for the elderly who are housebound, and also for those who have undergone shipwreck, for those exiled in the mines, on islands, or in prison. [.  .  .]

445

446

447

26-C. On the Shows† Addressed to the catechumens, this treatise dates from about 198–200 and condemns all public performances as being the work of the devil. iv. [.  .  .] Upon entering the water, we openly declare the Christian faith as we use the words prescribed by law; we testify aloud that we have renounced the devil, his pomp, and his angels. Is it not especially in regard †

Translated from CCL 1:231ff.

448

118  Chapter V. Third Century. West to idolatry that we think of the devil, his pomp, and his angels? To speak briefly, it is from here that we have every unclean and worthless spirit. If, therefore, the whole apparatus of the shows is based on idolatry, surely we may presume that our baptismal renunciation refers to the shows which have been handed over to the devil, his pomp, and his angels by means of idolatry. [.  .  .] xxv. How terrible it is to go from God’s Church to that of the devil, from 449 heaven—as they say—to faith! From uplifting your hands to God and then to wearying them by applauding an actor! From saying aloud the “Amen” to what is holy and then to cheering on a gladiator! To cry “forever” to anyone other than God and Christ!

26-D. The Prescription of Heretics† Writing ca. 200, Tertullian argues against heretics in general, saying that since the Scriptures belong to the Church alone, dissidents have no right to employ the holy books in their argumentation. xxxvi. [.  .  .] How happy is that Church upon which the apostles poured forth their whole teaching with the shedding of their blood, where Peter suffered a passion like the Lord’s. [.  .  .] Let us see what it has learned, what it has taught, what communion it has enjoyed even with our churches in Africa. It acknowledges the one Lord God, who is the Creator of the universe, and Jesus Christ born of the Virgin Mary and the Son of God the Creator, the resurrection of the body; it brings together the Law and the prophets, the Gospels and the letters of the apostles, from which it absorbs its faith; this faith it seals with water, clothes with the Holy Spirit, nourishes with the Eucharist, exhorts to martyrdom, and so receives no one who stands against such a custom. xli. I will not omit describing the conduct of heretics, how useless it 451 is, how dried up, how human, lacking seriousness, authority, order, as behooves what they believe. To begin with, it is not certain who is a cate­ chumen or who is a member of the faithful; both approach, both listen, both pray, even the pagans should they perhaps be present among them. [.  .  .] Their catechumens are seen as perfect before they are instructed. How shameless are these heretical women who dare to teach, to argue, to perform exorcisms, to promise cures, and perhaps even to baptize. Their ordinations are thoughtless, insignificant, capricious. Now they install neophytes, now those bound by worldly duties, now those who have fallen away from us by apostasy, so that they bind them by means of vanity since they are unable to do so through truth. Nowhere is it easier to be promoted than in the camp of the rebels where the very fact of being present makes one qualified. And so it happens that today one man is 450

†

Translated from CCL 1:216ff.

26. Tertullian  119 their bishop, tomorrow another; today’s deacon is tomorrow’s reader; today’s presbyter is tomorrow’s layman, since even on laymen do they impose the tasks of the priesthood.

26-E. On Baptism† Tertullian’s treatise on this sacrament dates either from the very end of the second century or the very beginning of the third. It was occasioned by the attacks on baptism made at Carthage by a woman named Quintilla. i. Our purpose is to treat the sacrament of water, the water that washed away sins contracted at the time of our former blindness, the water that freed us unto eternal life. Such a treatise will not be useless, instructing both those who are being formed in the faith as well as those who, being content to believe without searching out the grounds of our traditions, only possess—by reason of their ignorance—a faith subject to temptations. Not long ago there arrived among us a most deadly viper from the Cainite heresya whose doctrine led astray a large number of people. Quite naturally it focused on baptism. Vipers, asps, and basilisks ordinarily seek out dry and waterless places. But as little fishes who take our name from ichthus,b Jesus Christ, we are born in water, and it is only by remaining in the water that we are saved. This is why this monstrous woman, who normally did not even have the right to teach,1 discovered that the best way to kill these little fishes was to remove them from the water. ii. In fact, how great is a heresy’s power either for corrupting the faith or for completely hindering a person from adhering to it so that the heresy attacks the very foundations of faith. Nothing so assails the human mind as the contrast between the apparent simplicity of divine work and the greatness of the effects promised. This is true. Everything happens with the greatest simplicity, without splendor, without extraordinary preparation. In short, without any cost a person goes down into the water and is washed while certain words are said. The person emerges from the water not much or not at all [bodily] cleaner. This is why some do not believe that eternity is gained in this way. It’s true. The solemnities in honor of the idols base their authority and the faith one puts in them upon external display, pomp, and expense. O miserable incredulity which refuses God what is properly his: simplicity and power. What then? Is it not wonderful that both can wash away sin? But are we not to believe this just because it is wonderful! On the contrary, this is why we are to believe even more. Is Translated from Traité du baptême, ed. R.F. Refoulé, trans. in cooperation with M. Drouzy, SChr 35 (Paris, 1952). a. Cainite heresy: teaching followed by certain second-century Gnostics. b. The first letters in Greek for “Jesus Christ, son of God, savior” are from the word “fish,” that is, ichthus. 1. See 1 Tim 2:11–12; 1 Cor 14:34–35. †

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120  Chapter V. Third Century. West it not fitting for the divine to surpass all admiration? We also admire, but we believe. For the rest, if incredulity stands in wonder, it is because incredulity lacks belief; incredulity stands in wonder because what it judges as worthless is simple; what is magnificent it judges, as it were, impossible. But that it be exactly as you think, God’s word has given you beforehand a sufficient denial. It says, “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise.”2 And also, “What is difficult for mortals is easy for God.”3 For if God is both wise and powerful—something even those who disregard the divine do not deny—he has taken for the material of his divine work the very opposite of wisdom and power, namely, that which is foolish and impossible since every power springs forth from whatever challenges it.4 iii. Mindful of this statement as a conclusive rule, we ask if it is so fool454 ish and impossible to be created again by means of water. Since water has merited to be the dispenser of such great grace, I think we must examine the importance of this liquid, which from the beginning has existed in abundance. Water is one of those elements which before the ordering of the world and in the original chaos reposed in God’s hands. “In the beginning,” it is written, “God created the heavens and the earth. But the earth was invisible and unorganized, and darkness covered the deep, and the spirit of God was carried over the waters.”5 We must honor this age of the waters, the antiquity of this substance. But we also venerate its privilege since water was the abode of the divine Spirit who preferred it to the other elements. The darkness was formless, lacking the adornment of the stars; the abyss was forbidding; the earth was unprepared; and the sky was but a rough mass. Only water, a perfect material from the beginning and being fecund and simple, offered itself as pure, as a throne worthy of its God. Must we also recall the ordering of the world, an ordering which consists in a type of regulating the waters by God? In order to suspend the heavenly firmament, God divided the waters in half.6 To make the earth dry, God separated the waters. Then once the world was divided into its various elements so that it could be given inhabitants, we have the first waters, these being ordered to bring forth living creatures.7 These first waters gave birth to what is alive, and so there is no reason to be surprised that the waters of baptism still produce life. As to the work of creating the human race,8 did not water play a part here also? If the material for this creation were taken from the earth, then the earth could not have been used for this purpose without water or dampness. The earth was completely impregnated by these waters, separated since the fourth day into their places, but which still imbued the soil. I could exhaust this subject or recall at length the importance of water—its power or agreeableness, its qualities, its benefits, its usefulness to the world—but I fear that I would appear to be collecting various reasons for praising water rather than the 2. 1 Cor 1:27.  3. Luke 18:27.  4. 2 Cor 12:9.  5. Gen 1:1–2.  6. See Gen 1:6ff.  7. See Gen 1:20ff.  8. See Gen 2:7.

26. Tertullian  121 reasons for baptism. Yet doing so, I would teach in a much richer way in order to show that there can be no doubt: if God makes use of water in all that he does, God also makes it fecund when it concerns the sacraments; if water governs life here on earth, water also obtains life for heaven. iv. To this end, it is enough to mention briefly what happened at the beginning, the things that have us recognize a foundation of baptism: the Spirit which from the beginning hovered over the waters and remained there to give them life. A Spirit of holiness was carried over the holy water,9 or, rather, the water borrowed its holiness from the Spirit it bore. For whatever is placed beneath another necessarily seizes its quality from what is above. This is especially true when the corporeal comes into contact with the spiritual: because of its subtile material, the spiritual easily penetrates and remains. And so it is by this Spirit of sanctity that water is sanctified in its nature and itself sanctifies. But one might ask whether we are baptized in the waters that existed in the beginning? Surely they are not the same, unless in the sense that they belong to the same genus albeit to a different species. Yet what is attributed to the genus overflows into the species. There is no difference between being washed in the sea or in a stream, in a river or in a font, in a lake or in the pool of a house. Likewise, there is no difference between those whom John baptized in the Jordan10 and those whom Peter baptized in the Tiber. Likewise, the eunuch, whom Philip baptized with some water found by chance on the road,11 derived from this neither more nor less in regard to salvation. All waters, by reason of the ancient claim that marked them in the beginning, participate in the mystery of our sanctification once we have invoked God over them. As soon as God is invoked, the Spirit comes from heaven, hovers over the waters which it sanctifies with its presence, and the waters, thus sanctified, are in turn granted the power to sanctify. Surely baptism may be compared to a simple action: sins foul as if they were dirt; water cleanses us from them. Nonetheless, sins do not physically appear on the body since people do not carry on their skin the stains of idolatry, the stains of debauchery, or the stains of fraud. But it is the spirit, however, which soils, the spirit which is the author of sin. For the spirit commands; the body is at its service. Both share in the sin: the spirit because it commands and the flesh because it carries out the command. Therefore, since the intervention of an angel12 has bestowed upon the water a certain power of healing, the spirit is washed in the water by means of the body, whereas the flesh is purified in the water by means of the spirit. v. Even the pagans, who are strangers to spiritual things, attribute an analogous power to their idols, but they delude themselves since their waters are empty. Thus by a bath they are initiated into certain mysteries, like those of Isis or Mithras. They also carry the gods with them to the baths. For purposes of purification they sprinkle lustral water upon their 9. See Gen 1:2.  10. See Matt 3:6.  11. See Acts 8:36.  12. See John 5:4.

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122  Chapter V. Third Century. West country estates, homes, temples, and whole cities. At the time of the Apollonian and Pelusian games they are washed, believing that by doing so they obtain regeneration and the pardon of their sins. Likewise, whoever among the ancients was guilty of murder had to atone through a water of purification. If by nature the waters have the property of attracting spirits and thereby charming the idol who inspires these purifications, then how much more real power will these waters have from the authority of the God who gives these waters their whole nature. If they believe that a religious practice can make water capable of healing, then can any religious practice be superior to the one that proclaims the living God? Here again we see that the devil is at work trying to imitate the divine work when he also practices baptism among his own. But is there any true resemblance? The impure one purifies; the traitor sets free; the condemned one absolves. The devil will destroy his own work if he washes away the sins that he himself inspires. Truly this witnesses against those who reject the faith when they do not believe in the divine works so that they might believe in the claims of God’s rival. Is it not true that, apart from every sacred rite, the impure spirits dwell upon the waters, trying to take command of the divine Spirit which was made to brood upon them at the world’s beginning? The dark springs and the remote brooks know something of this, and these bathing pools and aqueducts, these reservoirs and wells which in houses are said to spirit away—all do so precisely through the power of an evil spirit. They are called “esietics,”c or “lymphatics,” or “hydrophobics,” those whom the waters have killed or stricken with insanity or terror. Why have we reported all this? We have done so that there be less of a problem in believing in the presence of God’s holy angel over the waters for the purpose of our salvation, whereas the evil angel employs water in order to destroy us. If the appearance of the angel over the waters seems to be something new, it was prefigured. At the pool of Bethesda an angel intervened, stirring up the water.13 Those complaining of ill-health awaited its coming, for the first person to go down into the water and wash therein ceased to complain. This bodily remedy was a figure announcing the spiritual remedy; it accorded with the rule that bodily realities always prefigure spiritual realities. This is why, God’s grace assisting in all things, the waters and the angel received a greater power. Alleviating evils of the body, they now heal the soul. Bringing about temporal salvation; they now restore eternal life. They set free one person once each year; now they save all people, destroying death through the forgiveness of sins; once the sin is forgiven, the penalty is also forgiven. In this way we are returned to God according to God’s image,14 we who were once conformed to God’s image—imago refers to the natural image, similitudo refers c. “Esietics”: perhaps from the Egyptian Hasie and meaning the “blessed immortal.” Death by drowning had, for the Egyptians, a religious character. 13. See John 5:2ff.  14. See Gen 1:26.

26. Tertullian  123 to what is eternal—for we find this spirit of God which we had received from the wind but afterward lost through sin.15 vi. This does not mean that it is in the water that we receive the Holy 457 Spirit. But purified in the water, we are prepared by the angel to receive the Spirit.16 Once again the figure has preceded the reality. Just as John was the forerunner of the Lord and prepared his way,17 so the angel who presides at baptism makes straight the path for the coming of the Holy Spirit by removing sins through a faith sealed in the [name of the] Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. For if all God’s word is based on three witnesses,18 how much more God’s gift! By virtue of the baptismal blessing we have as witnesses of the faith the very ones who guarantee salvation. This same number of divine names also suffices to establish our hope. And since the witness of the faith and the promise of salvation are pledged under the three names, so mention of the Church is necessarily added. For where the Three—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—are found, there also is found the Church19 which is the body of the Three. vii. Coming up from the bath, we are thoroughly anointed with blessed 458 oil in conformity with ancient practice whereby a person was customarily raised to the priesthood by being anointed with oil from a horn;20 in this way Aaron was anointed by Moses.21 The name “Christ” has its origin here, from the “chrism” which signifies the anointing and which also gives its name to the Lord. For it is this anointing, made spiritual, which in the Spirit Christ received from God the Father, as we read in Acts, “They gathered together in this city against your holy Son whom you anointed.”22 For us also the anointing flows over the body, but it profits us spiritually: just as the baptismal rite is a physical action since we are immersed into water, so its effect is spiritual because it frees us from our sins. viii. Then hands were laid upon us while a blessing invoked and in459 vited the Holy Spirit to come. If human ingenuity can make a stream of air descend upon the water, and if the hands of an artist can animate these two associated elements with another stream of such beauty, then why cannot God modulate with holy hands the sublime melody of the Spirit upon the human person?d But this rite [of the laying on of hands] comes from the old ceremony in which Jacob blessed his grandsons Ephrem and Manasses, sons of Joseph.23 He placed his crossed hands upon their heads in the form of a cross with the intent that, by forming the image of Christ upon them, they would henceforth portend the blessing that would come to us through Christ. So it is that this most Holy Spirit comes from the Father and willingly descends upon these purified and blessed bodies. The Spirit reposes upon these waters24 of baptism d. The reference is to a hydraulic organ. 15. See Gen 2:7.  16. See Matt 3:3; 11:10.  17. See John 3:28.  18. See Deut 19:15; 2 Cor 13:1.  19. See Matt 18:20.  20. See Exod 30:30.  21. See Lev 8:12.  22. Acts 4:27.  23. See Gen 48:14.  24. See Gen 1:2.

124  Chapter V. Third Century. West as if recognizing its ancient throne, the Spirit which under the form of a dove descended upon the Lord.25 In this way the Holy Spirit manifested its nature, for the dove which even in its body lacks bitterness is altogether simple and innocent. This is why we are told to “be as simple as doves,”26 something that does not lack a connection with the figure that preceded it: after the waters of the Deluge had purified the old filth, after the baptism of the world, if I can put it this way, it was the dove, sent forth from the ark and returning with an olive branch—a symbol of peace even for the pagans27—which came as a messenger announcing to the world that the heavenly anger was appeased. And so according to a similar order but one whose effect is completely spiritual, the dove, which is the Holy Spirit, flies toward the earth, that is, toward our body which comes out of the bath and is washed of its former sins. The Spirit brings God’s peace as a messenger from heaven where the Church is the figure of the ark. Yet the world returned to its sin, and so the parallel between baptism and the flood is not a happy one. Yes, this is why the world is destined to burn28 just as every person who returns to sin after baptism is destined to burn. But this should also be understood as a sign, as a warning to us.29 ix. How many are the favors of nature, privileges of grace, ritual so460 lemnities, as well as figures, preparations, and prayers, all arranged on behalf of the cult of water! First, these are the people who were set free in Egypt and passing through water escaped the power of the Egyptian king; the water killed the king and his army.30 Is there a more evident figure of the sacrament of baptism? Here the pagans are released from the world by means of water; they leave behind the devil, their old tyrant, crushed down under the water. Another symbol: the piece of wood that Moses threw into the water cured the water of its bitterness and rendered it fit to drink.31 This wood was Christ himself curing the waters which previously were full of poison and bitterness; Christ changed them into a very healthy water, that of baptism. Water flowed from the rock32 for the people, and it accompanied them. For if this rock was Christ,33 there can be no doubt that baptism receives its consecration from this water flowing from Christ.e To strengthen the meaning of baptism, how privileged was water with God and with Christ! Christ never appeared without water. He was baptized in water.34 And when he was invited to the wedding feast, water initiated the beginning of his power.35 Announcing the word, he invites those who are thirsty to drink of his eternal water.36 Speaking of love, he declares that the cup of water given to one’s neighbor is an act e. Literally the Latin reads: “We see that baptism is consecrated by the water in Christ.” 25. See John 1:32.  26. Matt 10:16.  27. See Gen 8:11.  28. See 2 Pet 3:7.  29. See 1 Cor 10:11.  30. See Exod 14.  31. Exod 15:25.  32. See Exod 17:6.  33. See 1 Cor 10:4.  34. See Matt 3:13.  35. See John 2:7.  36. See John 4:14.

26. Tertullian  125 of love.37 It is next to a well that Christ regains his strength.38 He walks on the water,39 taking delight in crossing over it;40 with water he washes the feet of his disciples.41 Witnesses in regard to baptism continue on to the Passion: when he was condemned to the cross, water again is involved, used for the hands of Pilate.42 And water flows forth when Christ’s side is pierced by the soldier’s lance.43 x. Thus far our instruction, according to our limited means, has focused on all that lies at the basis of the baptismal observance. I will now continue by treating, always as best I can, some secondary problems pertaining to the subject. The baptism already announced by John gave rise to the question Christ asked of the Pharisees: Is John’s baptism from heaven or from the earth?44 The Pharisees were unable to give a firm reply since they did not understand that they no longer believed.45 But we, having so little understanding, can to the extent of our little faith answer that this baptism was certainly divine. But only by its institution, not by its effects. John, as we read, was sent by the Lord for this precise task;46 after all, he remained a man. He conferred nothing of heaven; he was at the service of heavenly gifts; he was charged with exhorting to penance47 and penance depends on the human will. This is why the doctors of the Law and the Pharisees, refusing to believe, were unwilling to repent. But if penance is a human work, John’s baptism necessarily depended on the same order of things. If his baptism were from heaven, it would have bestowed the Holy Spirit and remitted sins. But it is God alone who forgives sins and grants the Spirit.48 Yet the Lord himself affirmed that the Spirit would not descend before he had ascended to the Father.49 The servant cannot give what the Lord has not yet granted. So true is this that further on in the Acts of the Apostles we find that those who were baptized by John had not received the Holy Spirit; in fact, they didn’t even know the Spirit’s name.50 What was unable to obtain heavenly gifts was therefore not from heaven. We see it well. What was heavenly in John, his spirit of prophecy, was no longer present once the Spirit completely passed upon the Lord, so that John sent forth [his disciples] to ask whether the Lord, whom he had preached and whose coming he had pointed out, was indeed the one who was to come.51 Thus the baptism of penance was given as a disposition for the pardon and sanctification which Christ was to bring. We read, in fact, that “John proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins”:52 this was said in regard to the forgiveness yet to come since penance precedes and forgiveness comes afterwards.53 This is how John “prepared the way.” But the one who prepares is not the one who accomplishes. The person who prepares 37. See Matt 10:42.  38. See John 4:6.  39. See John 6:19.  40. See Matt 14:34.  41. See John 13:5.  42. See Matt 27:24.  43. See John 19:34.  44. See Matt 21:25.  45. See Isa 7:9.  46. See Luke 3:3.  47. See Acts 19:4; Mark 1:4.  48. See Mark 2:7.  49. See John 16:7.  50. See Acts 19:2.  51. See Matt 11:3.  52. Mark 1:4.  53. See Matt 11:10.

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126  Chapter V. Third Century. West disposes so that another may accomplish. John himself recognized that he gave nothing of heaven when he said in regard to Christ, “The one who is of the earth speaks of the things of heaven; but the one who comes from heaven is above all.”54 He likewise declares that he baptizes only with the baptism of penance and that soon will come he who will baptize “with the Spirit and fire.”55 True and solid faith is baptized in water unto salvation, but a faith that is simulated and weak is baptized in fire unto judgment. xi. But it can be objected that the Lord came and yet did not baptize. In 462 fact, we read, “Although it was not Jesus himself but his disciples who baptized,”56 as if John had preached that Jesus would baptize with his own hands. Certainly the passage is not to be understood in this way, but simply according to the common way of speaking, as when someone says, “The emperor has promulgated a decree” or “The prefect has condemned him to be beaten.” Is it the emperor himself who promulgates? Is it the prefect himself who administers the beating? We always speak of the person who has something done as the one who actually does it. And so we must understand “He will baptize you”57 as follows, “You will be baptized at his command or in his name.” Let no one be surprised not to see Christ baptizing. With what baptism would he have done so? With the baptism of penance? What, then, was the purpose of his Precursor? For the forgiveness of sins? He could have remitted them with a single word.58 With a baptism in his own name? Out of humility he was concealing himself. In the name of the Holy Spirit? But Christ had not yet ascended to his Father. In the name of the Church? He still had not established the Church upon his apostles. This is why his disciples baptized as ministers, as did John the Precursor and with the same baptism as John’s so that one not think that it was a question of another baptism, for there is no other baptism except that which Christ instituted afterwards. But at this moment the apostle could still not bestow it since the Savior was not yet glorified,59 nor had he as yet established the efficacy of baptism by his passion and resurrection. Our death could not be destroyed without the Lord’s passion, nor can life be restored without his resurrection. xii. But since it is prescribed that no one can be saved without baptism, 463 especially since the Lord said that “no one can see life without being born of water,”60 there arise scrupulous, yes thoughtless, objections. According to this precept, how are the apostles saved since we do not see them, other than Paul,61 receiving the Lord’s baptism? Since Paul is the only one among them to have received Christ’s baptism, then either—to save the precept—we must prejudge the danger of the others who did not receive the water of Christ or, if their salvation has been assured without their being baptized, we must hold that the precept is nonapplicable. God knows that I have heard remarks of such kind. And I say this in order that 54. John 3:31.  55. Matt 3:11.  56. John 4:2.  57. Matt 3:11.  58. See Matt 9:2.  59. See John 7:39.  60. See John 3:5.  61. See Acts 9:18.

26. Tertullian  127 no one believe me so reckless as to imagine, in my passion to write, things that inspire doubt in others. Now I will respond as best I can to those who deny that the apostles were baptized. Indeed, if they had received John’s baptism, why did they desire the Lord’s baptism since the Lord himself gave the rule of only one baptism when he spoke to Peter who requested to be washed, “Whoever has bathed one time has no need to do so again.”62 Christ certainly would not have said this if Peter had not already been baptized. This is a remarkable argument against those who, desiring to destroy the sacrament of water, take away from the apostles even the baptism of John. How improbable it would be if John’s baptism had not prepared the way of the Lord among the very ones who were destined to prepare the Lord’s way in the whole world. The Lord himself, who did not have to do penance, was himself baptized. Was baptism not necessary for sinners? And if others were not baptized, it is because they were not yet companions of Christ but rivals in faith, being doctors of the Law and Pharisees. The fact that Christ’s adversaries did not desire baptism shows us, on the one hand, that the followers of Christ were baptized and did not react like his rivals, especially when the Lord to whom they were attached had praised John when he said, “Among those born of women no one is greater than John the Baptist.”63 Others—and their argument is rather forced—contend that the apostles received a substitute for baptism on the day when, in the boat, they were covered with waves,64 and when Peter began to sink in the sea upon which he was walking.65 But, in my mind, to be washed away or swallowed up by a violent sea is quite different from being baptized as a religious observance. Furthermore, the ship prefigures the Church which, on the sea of the world, is disturbed by the waves of persecutions and temptations, while the Lord in his patience seems to be asleep till the last moment when, awakened by the prayers of the saints,66 he restrains the world and grants peace to his own. Now, either the apostles received baptism in some way or else they remained unbaptized, and in the latter case the Lord’s words to Peter regarding one baptism 67 apply to us alone. In both instances it is quite rash to make quick judgments regarding the salvation of the apostles since for them the privilege of being the first to be called and then to live in personal familiarity with Christ could well have substituted for baptism. For it seems to me that the person they followed was the very person who promised salvation to those who believe in him. “Your faith has saved you”68 .  .  . “your sins are forgiven”:69 this is what Christ said to someone who believed but had not yet been baptized. If the apostles lacked faith, I do not know anyone whose faith is safe. At a single word from the Lord one left his tax booth;70 another left his father and his boat;71 another gave up his livelihood; and 62. John 13:10.  63. Matt 11:11.  64. See Matt 8:24.  65. See Matt 14:30.  66. See Matt 8:25.  67. See John 13:10.  68. Matt 9:22.  69. Matt 9:2.  70. See Matt 9:9.  71. See Matt 4:22.

128  Chapter V. Third Century. West another did not worry about burying his father;72 even before hearing it, he carried out this essential precept of the Lord, “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me.”73 xiii. This is where these impious ones bring up objections. They go so 464 far as to say that baptism is not necessary for those for whom faith suffices: Abraham found grace before God not by reason of the sacrament of water but by reason of the sacrament of faith.74 But in every order of things what happens subsequently is definitive; what follows surpasses in value all that precedes. Formerly, before the Lord’s passion and resurrection, salvation was obtained by faith alone; but since Christ’s nativity, passion, and resurrection have become objects of faith for believers, the sacrament itself is enlarged: the seal of baptism was added, a type of garment for the faith which previously was nude and which now has no more power without the faith to which it is joined. Thus was the law of baptism established and its formula prescribed, “Go, teach all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”75 The following prescription was added to this law, “No one can enter the kingdom of heaven without being reborn of water and the Spirit.”76 This binds faith to the necessity of baptism. Henceforth all who believe are baptized. And Paul himself, as soon as he believed, was baptized.77 This is what the Lord commanded when Paul fell blind, “Get up,” he said, “and go to Damascus; there you will be told everything that you are to do,”78 namely, to receive baptism, the only thing he lacked. For the rest, he had been sufficiently instructed and believed that the Nazarene was the Lord, the Son of God.79 xiv. But those who object call attention to the apostle himself who says, 465 “Christ did not send me to baptize.”80 As if this argument would do away with baptism! Why, then, did Paul baptize Gaius, Crispus, and the household of Stephanas?81 Furthermore, even if Christ had not sent Paul to baptize, Christ commanded the other apostles to do so. These lines were addressed to the Corinthians in light of the conditions of the time: divisions and discords broke out among them82 since one claimed to belong to Paul, another to Apollos.83 This is why the apostle, out of love for peace and so as not to seem to claim all ministries for himself, declares that he has been sent not to baptize but to preach. Preaching comes first. Baptism follows. Yet, as I believe, whoever can rightfully preach can also rightfully baptize. xv. I do not know whether other questions are bantered about in regard 466 to the baptismal controversy. And so I will explain what I omitted above, doing so to avoid giving the impression of interrupting the flow of my discourse. Certainly there is only one baptism, and this according to the 72. See Matt 8:22.  73. Matt 10:37.  74. See Gen 15:6.  75. Matt 28:19.  76. John 3:5.  77. See Acts 9:18.  78. Acts 22:10.  79. See Acts 22:8.  80. 1 Cor 1:17.  81. See 1 Cor 1:14, 16.  82. See 1 Cor 11:18.  83. See 1 Cor 3:4.

26. Tertullian  129 Lord’s Gospel and according to the letters of Paul. The reason is that there is only one God and only one Church above.84 What should be done in regard to the heretics can be considered by those who are more competent than I. My writing here is addressed only to us; heretics, however, do not share in our rites; they are outsiders because they are not in communion with us. I am not bound to recognize in them what is imposed on me. We do not share the same God with them nor do we have the one and the same Christ. Nor do we share the same baptism because it is not the same baptism. Since they do not have a baptism as properly required—no doubt about it—it is not baptism which they possess; and since they do not possess baptism, they cannot have it counted. And since they do not have it, they cannot receive it. As to the rest, we have already treated this at length in a work written in Greek.f Only one time, then, do we enter the baptismal bath, and only one time are our sins there washed away because they are never to be repeated. Israel, on the other hand, washes each day because it dirties itself each day. So that this custom may not be observed by us also, the precept of one baptism was established. Happy this water with which we wash and which sinners cannot mock! It is not contaminated by the continual presence of dirt. It stains those who wash in it a second time.g xvi. We have, certainly, a second bath, which itself is also one. It is the 467 baptism of blood concerning which the Lord said that he had to be baptized85 even though he was already baptized. As John has written, he came “by water and by blood,”86 by water that he might be baptized, by blood that he might be glorified. Accordingly, he called us by water; he chose us by blood. These two baptisms flow together from the wound in his pierced side87 since those who believe in his blood are still to be washed in water, and those who have been washed in water still have to shed their blood. This second baptism replaces the water bath when it has not been received, and restores it when it has been lost. xvii. To conclude this instruction, it remains for us to recall the rules for 468 giving and receiving baptism. As to conferring it, the high priest—who is the bishop—has the primary right when he is present. After him, it belongs to the priest and the deacon, but never without the bishop’s permission out of respect due to the Church since peace is preserved when this respect is preserved. Furthermore, the laity can also baptize. What all receive in the same degree, all can give in the same degree (the Lord’s disciples were already called bishops, priests, and deacons!). Baptism is akin to the word of the Lord which no one can rightfully hide. Baptism also comes from God; all can confer it. But what reserve and modesty f. This treatise no longer exists. g. SChr has the following note: “The meaning of this passage is unclear. Surely Tertullian means that receiving a second baptism would constitute a sin of heresy” (p. 88). 84. See Eph 4:5.  85. See Luke 12:50.  86. 1 John 5:6.  87. See John 19:34.

130  Chapter V. Third Century. West are required for the laity, more even than for clerics who themselves are to prove that they do not encroach upon the bishop’s ministry. Jealousy in regard to the episcopacy is the mother of all divisions. The most holy apostle has said, “All things are lawful, but not all things are opportune.”88 Follow this rule when necessary according to circumstances of place, time, or persons. In such a case the boldness of the one who brings assistance is justified by the urgency of the danger. To refuse the help that one can freely give is to be guilty of the loss of another. But will the impudence of the woman who has already usurped the right of teaching go so far as to arrogate for herself the right of baptizing?89 No! .  .  . least there rise up some new beasts similar to the first. One pretended to suppress baptism; another will desire to confer it herself. And if these women invoke the Acts which incorrectly bear the name of Paul, and claim the example of Thecla in defense of their right to teach and to baptize, they should know that a priest in Asia forged this work, covering his own authority with that of Paul. Convicted of fraud, he stated that he so acted out of love for Paul, and he was then deposed. In fact, is it likely that the apostle gives a woman the power of teaching and of baptizing, he who restricted a wife’s permission to teach? “Let women be silent,” he says, “and let them question their husbands at home.”90 xviii. Those whose function it is to baptize should understand that bap469 tism is not to be given lightly. “Give to everyone who asks of you”91 has its own particular meaning, one that refers to almsgiving. It is much better for us to reflect on another saying, namely, “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; and do not throw your pearls before swine.”92 Or also this, “Do not impose hands hastily and do not participate in the sins of another.”93 If Philip so quickly baptized the eunuch, we should remember that the Lord had testified his favor toward him in an explicit and manifest way; it was the Spirit who commanded Philip to take this route.94 For his part, the eunuch was not idle; there was no sudden desire urging him on to request baptism, but he had gone to the temple to pray and he worked hard at reading the Holy Scriptures.95 So it was fitting for the apostle, gratuitously sent by God, to discover him. Then, once again, the Spirit commanded Philip to join the eunuch by the latter’s chariot.96 At that moment a text, relative to the faith itself, was presented; the exhortation was received; the Lord was proclaimed; faith was not delayed; water was immediately found; and then the apostle, his mission completed, was snatched away.97 Paul also was immediately baptized.98 Simon, his host,h had recognized in him a subject of election; in advance God’s favor gave signs of the divine h. Actually it was at Jude’s house that Ananias laid hands on Saul, after which Saul was baptized. 88. 1 Cor 6:12; 10:23.  89. See 1 Cor 14:34.  90. 1 Cor 14:34-35.  91. Luke 6:30.  92. Matt 7:6.  93. 1 Tim 5:22.  94. See Acts 8:26.  95. See Acts 8:28.  96. See Acts 8:29.  97. See Acts 8:36, 39.  98. See Acts 9:18.

26. Tertullian  131 choice.99 Every candidate for baptism can deceive and be deceived. This is why according to each person’s condition, disposition, and even age, it is preferable to defer baptism, especially when it concerns very young children. Other than in absolute necessity, are sponsors to risk failing in their promises because they die or because they are disappointed by the growth of an evil disposition in the one who has been baptized? Certainly the Lord said, “Let the little children come to me.”100 Yes, let them come, but when they are older, when they can be taught, when they can be instructed about the person to whom they come. Let them become Christians when they are capable of knowing Christ. Why is this innocent age hastening to the remission of sins? We act with more foresight in secular affairs! Are we to confide divine gifts to those to whom we do not confide earthly goods? May they at least be capable of requesting salvation so that you may take care that salvation is given only to the one who requests it. For no less serious a reason, it is necessary to defer the baptism of the unmarried since temptation awaits them; the same is true for virgins because of their immaturity; likewise for widows because of their instability.101 Delay baptism till they marry or grow stronger in the practice of continence. If one understands what baptism imposes, its reception rather than its delay would be feared the more: a faith that is whole is assured of salvation. xix. The Pasch stands out as the more solemn day for baptism since the Lord’s passion in which we are baptized is therein completed. It will not be inconsistent to interpret as a figure this passage where the Lord, about to celebrate the Passover for the last time, sent his disciple to prepare for it, as he said to them, “You will find a man carrying some water.”102 It was through the sign of water that he indicated the place where he would celebrate the Passover. In addition, the time of Pentecost is a most propitious time for celebrating baptism. During these days the Risen Lord frequently showed himself to his disciples.103 This was when the grace of the Holy Spirit was given to them,104 and which allowed them to hope in the Lord’s coming.105 It was at this time, after his ascension into heaven, that the angels told the apostles that the Lord would return, just as he ascended into heaven, precisely at Pentecost. Also Jeremiah who says, “I will gather them from the ends of the earth for a day of feasting,”106 designates by this the time of Pentecost, the time which, properly speaking, is a “day of feasting.” And yet every day belongs to the Lord. Every hour, every time is suitable for baptism. Even though the ceremony might be different, grace is in no way affected. xx. Those preparing for baptism should invoke God through fervent prayers, fasting, genuflections, and vigils. They should also prepare themselves by confessing all their past sins, doing so in memory of the baptism 99. See Acts 9:15.  100. Matt 19:14.  101. See 1 Tim 5:13.  102. Mark 14:13.  103. See Acts 1:3.  104. See Acts 2:4.  105. See Acts 1:11.  106. Jer 31:8.

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132  Chapter V. Third Century. West of John of which it is said that people received it while “confessing their sins.”107 We can rejoice that we do not publicly confess our sins and evil deeds. By afflicting the flesh and the spirit, we make satisfaction for sin and also fortify ourselves in advance against future temptations. “Watch and pray,” says the Lord, “that you may not enter into temptation.”108 The reason the apostles were tempted at the time of the Lord’s arrest was, I believe, that they were asleep, and so they abandoned him.109 The one who remained close by the Lord and defended him with the sword,110 even went so far as to deny him three times,111 for it was predicted that no one can enter the heavenly kingdom without experiencing temptation. And immediately after his baptism the Lord himself, observing a fast of forty days, was assailed by temptations. And so someone might ask whether we too are to fast after our baptism. Nothing hinders us from doing so unless it be the necessity for rejoicing and for giving joyful thanks for salvation. But as far as I understand, the Lord wished to symbolically return against Israel the reproach he recently incurred. The people, after passing through the sea and entering the desert, spent forty years there, being nourished by the divine abundance.112 In spite of this, the people were more mindful of their belly and gullet than of God.113 This is why the Lord, after his baptism, went off into the desert where, during a fast of forty days, he showed that those who are of God do not live by bread alone but by God’s word,114 and that temptations coming from a full and unrestrained stomach are conquered by abstinence. Therefore, blessed ones, God’s grace awaits you. You will ascend from the most holy bath of new birth.115 For the first time you will extend your hands with your brethren in the house of your mother. You will ask the Father, ask the Lord for the abundance of his charisms as a special gift of divine grace.116 Ask and you will receive,117 he says. You have asked, and you have found. You have knocked, and it has been opened to you. I request only one more thing: that you remember in your prayers Tertullian the sinner.

26-F. On Prayer† This treatise, dating between 198 and 206 and addressed to the catechumens, is the earliest exposition of the Lord’s Prayer. 472

vi. How skillfully has divine Wisdom arranged the order of this prayer so that after mentioning heavenly things, namely, God’s name, will, and kingdom, it goes on to request earthly necessities. “For the Lord said, ‘Seek first the kingdom and then these things will also be given you.’”1 Yet 107. Matt 3:6.  108. Matt 26:41.  109. See Matt 26:56.  110. See Matt 26:51.  111. See Matt 26:75.  112. See Exod 16:13.  113. See Num 11:5.  114. See Matt 4:2, 4.  115. See Titus 3:5.  116. See 1 Cor 12:4.  117. Matt 7:7. † Translated from Opera, CCL 1 (Turnhout, 1953) 260ff. 1. Matt 6:33; Luke 12:31.

26. Tertullian  133 it is in a spiritual sense that we should understand, “Give us this day our daily bread.”2 Christ is “our bread” because Christ is life and bread is life (“I am,” he says, “the bread of life” and somewhat later, “the bread is the word of the living God which descends from heaven”3), then because his Body is believed to be in the bread, “this is my Body.”4 Thus by requesting daily bread, we are requesting life everlasting in Christ and inseparable union with the Body of Christ. xvi. As to the custom observed by some of sitting down once their prayer has ended, I see no reason for this unless they wish to imitate children. What do I mean here? If Hermas, whose writings almost always bear the title “The Shepherd,” had not sat down on his bed at the conclusion of his prayer but did something else, would we also claim as our own this practice? Surely not! The phrase “when I had prayed and sat upon my bed”a is simply narrative and is not the equivalent of something we must do. Otherwise if no bed were present, we could not pray. And to sit in a chair or on a bench would violate what he had written. Furthermore, since the pagans sit before the gods they adore, so we reprove what is done before idols. This is why it is considered a sin of irreverence, even among the pagans should they be able to understand this. If it is disrespectful to sit down before a person whom you most highly revere and honor, how much more irreligious is it to do so before the living God with the angel of prayer standing nearby. Unless we are reproaching God because prayer has exhausted us! xviii. Another custom has developed, namely, that at the end of the prayer those who are fasting refrain from the kiss of peace, which is the seal of prayer. Yet at what time is it more appropriate to give the peace to the brethren than when our prayer, more praiseworthy because of our devotion, ascends to heaven. In this way they participate in our charity, they who have contributed to it by passing on their peace to their brethren. Is any prayer complete when separated from the holy kiss? Does the peace hinder any work done for the Lord? From what type of sacrifice does one leave without exchanging the peace? Whatever be the reason, it will not be stronger than the observance of the precept commanding us to hide our fasting.5 We are recognized to be fasting when we refrain from the kiss. But even if there is a reason, still that you may not be guilty of breaking this rule, you may if you so desire, forgo extending the peace at home since it is there that you are among those from whom you cannot totally conceal your fasting. Wherever else you can hide your acts of piety, you should be mindful of this precept; in such a way you will satisfy the discipline in public and follow custom when at home. So on Good Friday, a day on which fasting is a general and somewhat public obligation, rightly a. The “Shepherd” of Hermas, Vision v.1 (not in WEC). 2. Matt 6:11; see Luke 11:3.  3. See John 6:31ff.  4. Matt 26:26; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19.  5. See Matt 6:16ff.

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do we forgo giving the peace, not concerned about hiding what we do with everyone else. xix. Likewise in regard to the stational days, many do not believe that they should attend the sacrificial prayers because receiving the Lord’s Body would break their fast. Does the Eucharist, therefore, free us from a service devoted to God or does it bind us more closely to God? Will your station not be even more solemn if you also stand at the altar of God? Each remains intact if you receive the Lord’s Body and reserve it:b participation in the sacrifice and the fulfillment of a duty. If the word “station” comes from military usage (for we are indeed God’s army), certainly neither joy nor sadness occurring in the camp releases the soldiers from assuming guard duty. Those who are joyful follow the commands that are given more freely; those who are sad do so more attentively. xxiii. As to kneeling, prayer allows different customs in that there are some, a very few, who do not kneel on the Sabbath, this being a dissenting practice now strongly defended in the churches. The Lord will give his grace so that its proponents will either yield or, without scandalizing others, will follow their own opinion. According to our traditions, only on the day of the Lord’s resurrection should we refrain not only from kneeling but from every expression and act of worry, postponing any business dealing so as not to make way for the devil.6 The same holds true for the time of Pentecost which is characterized by the same joyous celebration. In other respects, who would hesitate to prostrate before God every day for at least the first prayer at daybreak? During the times when we observe the fasts and the stations there is to be no prayer except when kneeling and with humility. For we not only pray but beseech and offer satisfaction to God our Lord. xxiv. Nothing is prescribed as to the times of prayer except that we are to pray at all times and places. But since we are not to pray in public, how can we pray in every place? “In every place,” he said,7 that favoring circumstances or necessity offer. The apostles did not act contrary to the precept when, in prison and with the guards listening, they prayed and sang to God8 or when Paul on a ship and in the presence of all gave thanks.9 xxv. As to the time for prayer, it will not be useless to observe certain hours outwardly, namely, the times of common prayer that mark off the divisions of the day, namely, Terce, Sext, and None, whose observance is found in the Scriptures. It was at the third hour when the Holy Spirit was first sent upon the disciples who had gathered together.10 It was at the sixth hour when Peter, on the day he experienced a vision of all creation in a large sheet, went up higher so that he could pray.11 Likewise, it was at the ninth hour when John entered the temple where he cured the b. Perhaps by taking it home. 6. See Eph 4:27.  7. See Luke 18:1; Eph 6:18; 1 Thess 5:17; 1 Tim 2:8.  8. See Acts 16:25.  9. See Acts 27:35.  10. See Acts 2:1ff.  11. See Acts 10:9ff.

26. Tertullian  135 paralytic.12 Although all these took place without any precept, it would, however, be good to establish some presupposition that would make binding the admonition to pray and would be like a law that from time to time wrestles us from our daily affairs to such a task. This, we read, was done by Daniel according to the teaching of Israel.13 In such a way we adore, at least no less than three times a day, as being in debt to the Three: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Certainly we are not including the rightful prayers which without any urging, are to be said at dawn and at dusk. But it is appropriate for the faithful not to take food or go to the bath before having prayed, for refreshment and nourishment of the spirit are to be preferred to those of the flesh because heavenly things come before those of earth. xxvi. You are not to let one of the brethren who has entered your house depart without a prayer (“You have seen,” he said, “one of the brethren, you have seen the Lord.”c); this should especially be observed in the case of strangers lest perhaps he or she be an angel.14 But once this individual has been received by the brethren, attend first to heavenly rather than earthly refreshment. For in this way your faith will immediately be declared openly. Or how can you say “Peace be to this house”15 unless you exchange the peace with those who are in the house? xxvii. Those more careful in prayer are accustomed to add the Alleluia to their prayers and to psalms that allow all to respond at the end. Surely this practice is very good; by acclaiming and honoring God the prayer, being filled out, can be directed like a rich victim to him. xxviii. It is to God’s altar, together with a display of good works and amid the singing of psalms and hymns, that we are to bring this prayer wholeheartedly devoted to him, supported by faith, cared for by truth, pure in its innocence, clean because of our chastity, and crowned by our love for each other. It will obtain for us whatever we request from God.

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26-G. To My Wife† Writing early in the third century, Tertullian counsels his wife on how she should live after his death. If she remarries, she certainly is not to marry a pagan. II.iv. May she see how she values her duties to her husband. Certainly she cannot satisfy the Lord according to what is required if she has at her side the servant of the devil, a man who will act as an agent of his master in obstructing the duties and devotions of the faithful. If a station is to be c. Some see this as a possible corruption of a scriptural passage; see Matt 25:40; Gen 18:3; 19:2; Heb 13:2. 12. See Acts 3:1ff.  13. See Dan 6:6ff.  14. See Heb 13:2.  15. Luke 10:5–6; see John 20:19. † Translated from CCL 1:388ff.

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136  Chapter V. Third Century. West observed at daybreak, the husband arranges to meet her at the baths; if fasts are to be observed, on the same day the husband is engaged in banqueting; if necessity requires that she go out to perform a task of Christian charity, something needs to be done at home. [.  .  .] Who will allow her to be taken from his side so that she, if need be, can attend nocturnal gatherings? Moreover, who will unconcernedly allow her to pass the night at the paschal solemnities? Who will without any suspicion let her go to the Lord’s Supper, which they defame? Who will allow her to steal into prison to kiss the wounds of the martyrs? [.  .  .] II.v. “Yet some husbands endure and are not disturbed by what we 483 do.” It is precisely here, then, that sin is found: namely, that the heathens know the things that we do, that the unjust are aware of our activities, and that we are allowed to do something only by reason of their goodness. Whoever “endures” something cannot be ignorant of it, or, if something is concealed because the husband does not endure it, he is feared. Since Scripture commands that we work for the Lord, both without another knowing and without pressure on ourselves, it does not matter in which area you fail, whether in what your husband may know if he is tolerant or in the difficulties you yourself may have in avoiding his intolerance. “Do not,” he says, “throw your pearls before swine lest they trample them and turn about to destroy you also.”1 Your pearls are also the distinguishing marks of your daily conduct. The greater the care you take to conceal them, so much the more do you make them suspect and more scrutinized by the curiosity of the Gentiles. Do you conceal yourself when you sign your bed, your body? When with your breath you blow away something impure? Also when you rise during the night so that you might pray? Will you not be seen as if you are engaging in some type of magic? Will your husband not know what you are tasting in secret before you take any food? And if he knows it to be bread, will he not believe it to be the bread that we say it is? [.  .  .] II.viii. What type of marriage bond exists between two believers who 484 share in one hope, one promise, one discipline, one and the same obedience! Both are brethren; both serve together; there is no difference of spirit or of body, and truly two are in one flesh.2 Where the body is one, the spirit is also one: together they pray, together they instruct one another, together they fast, teaching each other, exhorting one another, supporting one another. Both are equally in the Church of God, equally at God’s banquet, equally sharing times of distress, persecutions, consolations. Neither conceals, neither avoids the other, neither is harsh toward the other. With generosity the sick are visited; the needy are fed. Alms are freely bestowed, the sacrifice is attended without difficulty, daily devotions are carried out without impediments; there is no furtive signing, no anxious congratulations, no silent blessings. Psalms and hymns resound between 1. Matt 7:6.  2. See Gen 2:24; Matt 19:6; 1 Cor 6:16.

26. Tertullian  137 the two, and they mutually challenge each other as to who sings best to the Lord. Christ rejoices when he hears and sees all this. To these he sends his peace. Where two are, there he himself is.3 Where he is, there the evil one is not. [.  .  .]

26-H. On Penance† Writing in 203, Tertullian in chapters iv to vi treats the penance that is to precede baptism, whereas the second half of the book is an exposition on the “second” penance, which, for psychological reasons, is granted only once. iv. And so for all sins, whether of the flesh or of the spirit, whether in 485 deed or in desire, he who has decreed that punishment take place after judgment has also promised to give pardon when he said to the people, “Repent and I will save you.”1 Also, “I am the living God, says the Lord, and I prefer penance to death.”2 Penance, therefore, is life since it is preferable to death. And so you, a sinner like myself3 and even less a sinner than I since I acknowledge my superiority in sin, should throw yourself upon penance and embrace it as a shipwrecked4 person embraces the plank of salvation. You have been submerged under the waves of sin; penance will support you and lead you to the port of divine mercy. Seize this blessed and unanticipated opportunity so that you, once nothing before the Lord other than a drop in the bucket,5 a grain of dust driven through the air,6 a potter’s vessel,7 will one day become a tree, a tree planted by the water which always retains its leaves and gives fruit in due time,8 and which will see neither fire nor the axe.9 vi. Nor do I deny that the divine favor, namely, the forgiveness of sins, 486 is granted to those who will enter the water; but to be fortunate enough to arrive at such a point, effort is required. [.  .  .] Let those who are classified among the hearers not flatter themselves that they are still allowed to sin. From the time you know the Lord, you should fear him; from the time you look toward him, you should revere him. For the rest, what good is it to know the Lord if you remain attached to the same things as formerly, before you knew him? What, then, differentiates you from a perfect servant of God? Or is there one Christ for the baptized and another Christ for the hearers? Is there a different hope, or reward, a different fear of judgment, a different necessity for doing penance? The baptismal bath is the seal of faith, but the faith of baptism begins with and is commended by the faith of penance. We have not been washed in baptism in order that we may 3. See Matt 18:20. † Translated from CCL 1:326ff. 1. Ezek 18:32.  2. Ezek 33:11.  3. See 1 Tim 1:15.  4. See 1 Tim 1:19.  5. See Isa 40:15.  6. See Ps 1:4; Dan 2:35; Hos 13:3.  7. See Jer 19:11; Rom 9:21.  8. See Ps 1:3.  9. See Matt 3:10.

138  Chapter V. Third Century. West cease sinning; rather, we have ceased sinning since we have been washed within. Such, in fact, is the first baptism of the hearer whose fear is perfect since the Lord has already been experienced, whose faith is healthy since the hearer’s conscience has already embraced penance once and for all. vii. Lord, Christ, may your servants speak of the discipline of penance 487 or hear it spoken of only when, as hearers, they have the duty of avoiding sin. Afterwards, may they, not needing it, know nothing of penance. It bothers me to add mention of a second hope or one which is already the final one. My fear is that by referring to the means which it offers of still performing penance, I appear to indicate that we still have time for sinning. May no one so understand my words as if the road of sin were still open because the road for penance is still open; may no one transform God’s superabundant mercy10 into a desire for human rashness. May no one be worse, sinning as often as pardon is given, because the Lord is better. For the rest, those who have not put an end to their sins will surely discover that an end has been assigned to their immunity. We have escaped once; let us not place ourselves in danger even if we seem to escape a second time. Many people who have survived a shipwreck henceforth put some distance between themselves and ships and the sea; they honor God’s gift, namely, the fact that they were saved, by recalling the danger. I praise their fear; I love the respect they show; they do not desire to burden the divine mercy; they fear that they will be seen as trampling underfoot what they have received; certainly with good care they avoid experimenting a second time with what they have learned to fear. Thus by checking their presumption they give proof of their fear. Human fear honors God.11 The most stubborn enemy never relaxes his evil; in fact, he rages most when he feels that someone has been completely freed; he burns most when someone tries to quench him. He has to grieve and moan when sins are forgiven, when so many deadly works are destroyed in us,12 when so many titles of his ancient authority are removed. He grieves that sinners, servants of Christ, will judge him and his angels.13 This is why the devil spies on them,14 attacks them, besieges them, with the hope that he can either strike their eyes with the concupiscence of the flesh, or ensnare their souls in unlawful worldly delights, or destroy their faith by a fear of civil authorities, or through perverse instructions lead them from the right path. Never does the devil lack scandals or temptations. Foreseeing these poisons, God has permitted the gate of forgiveness to remain a little open, even though it had been closed and locked by the washing. In the vestibule God has placed a second penance which is available to those who knock,15 but one time only since it is already the second time; yet never again since the previous time had been useless. Is not this one time enough? You have what you did not merit; you have lost what you 10. See Luke 1:78; Rom 5:17.  11. See Sir 1:11.  12. See Wis 1:12; Rom 6:2.  13. See 1 Cor 6:3.  14. See 1 Pet 5:8.  15. See Matt 7:7.

26. Tertullian  139 received. If the Lord’s kindness gives you what is required to recover what you have lost, be grateful for the benefit that he repeats or increases. For to restore is greater than to give since it is worse to have lost than it is not to have received at all. Yet if someone should carry out a second penance, his or her spirit should not on this account be cut down and destroyed. Surely be ashamed to sin again but not to do penance again; be ashamed to be placed again in danger but not to be freed from it; when a person falls again, the remedy is repeated. You will prove your thankfulness to the Lord if you do not refuse what he again offers you. You have offended him, but you can still reconcile yourself to him: you are dealing with one to whom you can make amends and who certainly desires it. ix. Insofar as this second and one penance is stringent, it must be seri488 ously tested: it is not enough to produce it within one’s conscience but it must be manifested by doing something. This action is more commonly designated by the Greek word exomologesis; by this we confess our sins to the Lord, certainly not as if he did not know them but so that satisfaction is prepared for by confession; confession gives birth to penance; by penance God is appeased. Exomologesis, then, is a discipline enjoining us to prostrate and humble ourselves. It imposes on us, even in regard to what we eat and wear, a manner of living that draws down God’s mercy. It orders us to lie down upon sackcloth and ashes,16 to cover the body with filth, to afflict the soul with sorrow, to punish severely all that has caused us to sin. Furthermore, it requires that we take only very plain food and drink for the good not only of the stomach but assuredly that of the soul, that we nourish prayer mostly by fasting, that we sigh, cry, and groan day and night to the Lord our God, that we throw ourselves at the feet of the presbyters, that we kneel before the altar of God, that we request all the brethren to intercede on our behalf. Exomologesis does all this to encourage repentance, in order to honor the Lord through fear of peril, so that by pronouncing judgment on the sinner it might ward off God’s wrath and by punishment here on earth it will cancel—I do not say prevent—eternal suffering. This is why when it prostrates someone, it raises up that person; when it soils, it cleanses; when it accuses, it excuses, when it condemns, it forgives. To the extent that you showed no mercy toward yourself, so, believe me, God will be merciful to you. x. There are very many who flee from this task because it makes public 489 what they have done, or they postpone it from day to day, thinking more about their shame, I believe, than about their salvation, as do those who, having contacted some sickness in the private parts of the body, avoid making this known to the doctors, and so they perish along with their modesty. Evidently shame finds it intolerable to offer satisfaction to the Lord who has been offended, to regain possession of the salvation that has been lost. Truly you are indeed a brave person when you lift your 16. See Dan 9:3; Jonah 3:5–6.

140  Chapter V. Third Century. West head while sinning but lower it when requesting forgiveness. I have no place for shame when I profit at its expense and when in a certain way it exhorts, “Don’t worry about me. It is better that I die rather than you.” [.  .  .] Why do you flee as if from scoffers, from those who share your misfortunes? The body cannot rejoice when one of its members suffers;17 it is necessary that the whole body suffer together and collaborate toward a remedy. Where we find one or another of the faithful, there we find the Church;18 the Church indeed is Christ.19 So when you extend your hands toward the knees of the brethren, you touch Christ, you exhort Christ. Likewise, when the brethren shed tears over you, it is Christ who is suffering, it is Christ who entreats the Father. What the child requests is always readily granted.20 Truly, to hide sin promises great profit to modesty. To be sure, when we conceal something from the knowledge of others, do we not also conceal it from the Lord? Is this the extent to which we compare human opinion and God’s judgment? Or is it better to be condemned in secret than to be forgiven in public? But it pains to undertake exomologesis in this way. I prefer to say that we suffer pain because we have sinned, but when penance is to be undertaken, suffering disappears since salvation occurs. It hurts to be cut, to be cauterized, to be tortured by the sting of certain medicinal powders; nonetheless, disagreeable remedies justify the pain by the cure they effect; present evil is accepted because of future advantage. xii. Since, therefore, you know that against hell there exists, after the 490 first line of defense constituted by the Lord’s baptism, a second help in exomologesis, why do you desert your salvation? Why do you delay undertaking what you know will cure you? [.  .  .]

26-I. On the Dress of Women† Here Tertullian, writing after 206, warns Christian women to shun pagan customs of dress. 491

II.xi. [.  .  .] Only for grave reasons are you to appear in public: when you go to visit a sick member of the community, when the sacrifice is offered, or when God’s word is celebrated. Each of these is a serious and holy activity, requiring no extraordinary clothing. [.  .  .]

26-J. Against Marcion†† This, the longest of Tertullian’s writings and composed of five books, was written between 207 and 212. It is the best source of information regarding 17. See 1 Cor 12:26.  18. See Matt 18:20.  19. See Col 1:24.  20. See Luke 11:11–13. † Translated from CCL 1:366. †† Translated from CCL 1:455ff.

26. Tertullian  141 Marcion, a well-known heretic who rejected not only the complete Old Testament but also many books from the Christian Scriptures. I.xiv. Indeed till now the Lord has not condemned the water of the Creator by which he washes his own, nor the oil by which he anoints them, nor the union of milk and honey whereby he nourishes them like small children, nor the bread by which he makes present his own Body. [.  .  .]

492

26-K. On the Resurrection of the Dead† Writing ca. 210–12, Tertullian argues against all who deny the resurrection of the body. viii. The body is washed that the soul might be cleansed; the body is anointed so that the soul might be hallowed; the body is signed so that the soul may be strengthened; the body is covered by the imposition of hands so that the soul may be enlightened by the Spirit; the body feeds on Christ’s Body and Blood so that the soul may be fattened on God. [.  .  .]

493

26-L. On the Soul†† Written early in the third century and most probably after Tertullian had become a Montanist, this is the second largest of Tertullian’s writings. It well demonstrates the author’s familiarity with the Greek philosophers. ix. At present we have among us a sister who has been allotted various gifts of revelation. These she experiences in the Spirit during the Sunday solemnities in church. She has dealings with the angels and at times also with the Lord; she sees and hears hidden mysteries, some hearts she reads, and she takes remedies to those who need them. Whether it be during the reading of the Scriptures, during the chanting of the psalms, while sermons are being given, or while petitions are being made, all these are occasions when she experiences visions. [.  .  .] Once the ceremonies are over and the people have been dismissed, she ordinarily reports to us what she has seen. [.  .  .]

494

26-M. On the Crown††† Written in 211, the De corona treats the participation of Christians in the army. iii. [.  .  .] Let us ask whether tradition, without being written down, should be accepted. Surely we will say that it should not be received unless we have other unwritten practices that we maintain and lay claim to Translated from Opera, CCL 2 (Turnhout, 1954) 931. Translated from CCL 2:792. ††† Translated from CCL 2:1042–43. †

††

495

142  Chapter V. Third Century. West by custom alone. To be brief, let me begin with baptism. Shortly before we enter the water, namely, in the church and under the bishop’s hand, we solemnly renounce the devil, his pomp, and his angels. Next, we are immersed three times, responding somewhat more at length than the Lord determined in the Gospel.1 Then, when received as children, we taste a mixture of milk and honey, and from that day on throughout the whole week we do not bathe daily. We receive the sacrament of the Eucharist, which the Lord commanded2 to be taken by all at the time when we eat, receiving it also during predawn meetings and only from the hands of those presiding. Each year, on the day of their birthdays [into heaven], we make offerings for the deceased. On Sundays it is forbidden to fast and also to kneel when at worship. From Easter to Pentecost we rejoice in the same exemption. We are greatly distressed should any of the bread or anything from the cup, even what is our own, fall to the ground. We trace the sign on our forehead at every step forward and at every movement, each time we arrive and depart, when we put on our clothing and footwear, when we bathe, when at table, when lighting the lamps, when reclining, when sitting, and when performing the ordinary actions of daily life.

26-N. On Idolatry† Dating from about 211, this treatise discusses the Christian’s relationship with paganism. 496

xiv. [.  .  .] O better the fidelity of the pagans to their own sect, which claims no Christian solemnity for itself! Neither the Lord’s Day nor Pentecost, even if they had known them, would they have shared with us; their fear would be that of appearing as Christians. We do not fear being publicly known as heathens. [.  .  .] Among the heathens each festival day occurs only once each year; but you have such a day every eight days. Separate the individual heathen festivals and put them in a row; they will not equal a Pentecost.

26-O. On Fasting†† Dating from Tertullian’s Montanist period, this work defends the rigorist Montanist practice in regard to fasting and attacks what is done by Catholics. 497

xiv. Observing, therefore, the times and days and months and years,1 do we Galaticize? Clearly we do if we observe the Jewish ceremonies, the legal solemnities; in this regard the apostle teaches just the opposite, curbing the 1. See Matt 28:19.  2. See 1 Cor 11:23–25; Matt 26:27; Mark 14:23. † Translated from CCL 2:1115. †† Translated from CCL 2:1272–73. 1. See Gal 4:10.

26. Tertullian  143 continued existence of the Old Testament, which is now buried in Christ, and establishing the existence of the New. Yet if there is a new creation in Christ,2 our solemnities should also be new: if the apostle has erased all devotion to times and days and months and years, why do we celebrate the Pasch each year during the first month? Why do we rejoice for fifty days? Why do we set apart the fourth and the sixth days for the stations, and the Preparation Day for fasting? Although at times you prolong your fast over the Sabbath, never is this day to be observed as one of fasting except at the Pasch, according to a reason given elsewhere. Certainly, for us every day by reason of its general consecration is a feastday. [.  .  .]

26-P. On Flight in Persecution† Departing from his previous opinion (To My Wife 1.3), the author holds that fleeing in times of persecution contradicts God’s will. xiv. “But how,” you ask, “shall we gather to celebrate the solemnities of the Lord?” Certainly just as the apostles did. They were protected by faith, not by money, and if faith can move a mountain,1 so all the more can it remove a soldier. Let wisdom, not bribery, be your protection. Even if you bribe the military, you will not be immediately safe from the people. [.  .  .] Lastly, if you are unable to gather during the day, you have the night, with the light of Christ shining bright against the darkness. [.  .  .]

498

26-Q. Against Praxeas†† Written after Tertullian had become a Montanist and thus probably in 213 or shortly thereafter, this treatise is directed against Praxeas, a heretic who so strove to maintain the unity of the Trinity that he completely and erroneously identified the Father with the Son. xxvi. [.  .  .] After his resurrection the Lord says he will send to his disciples the promise of his Father.1 Lastly he commands them to baptize into the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,2 not into one. For we are washed not once but three times, at the mention of each Person’s name.

26-R. On Modesty††† Written during his Montanist period and probably against a bishop in Carthage, this treatise contradicts what Tertullian wrote in his work on penance. Introducing a distinction between “forgivable” sins and 2. See 2 Cor 5:17. † Translated from CCL 2:1155. 1. See 1 Cor 13:2. †† Translated from CCL 2:1198. 1. See Luke 24:49.  2. See Matt 28:19. ††† Translated from CCL 2:1286ff.

499

144  Chapter V. Third Century. West “unforgivable” ones, serious sins are forgiven only by Christ in heaven, not by a public act, not through the visible Church and its ministers. iii. [.  .  .] “For if,” they say, “penance lacks pardon, you are not to do penance. For nothing is to be done in vain. Furthermore, penance is done in vain if it lacks pardon. Yet all penance is to be practiced. Therefore all pardon follows so that penance is not done in vain. Furthermore, penance is done in vain if it lacks pardon.” Therefore rightly do they oppose us in that they have usurped to themselves also the fruit of penance, namely, pardon. As to those who seek to obtain peace here on earth, penance is done in vain. As for us who remember that it is only the Lord who forgives sins and certainly mortal sins, penance is not done in vain. [.  .  .] v. [.  .  .] There stands the idolater, there stands the murderer, and in 501 their midst is the adulterer. Together they sit doing the work of penance. Together they shudder in sackcloth and ashes; they groan together; they say the same prayers, they petition on the same knees, they invoke the same mother. Now what will you do, most kind and gentle discipline? Either you must act the same toward all of them—for “blessed are the peacemakers”1—or if not the same to all of them, then you must become one of us. Once and for all you condemn the idolater and the murderer, and yet you excuse the adulterer from their midst? [.  .  .] xviii. So God’s mercy, which prefers that sinners do penance rather 502 than die,2 looks at those who are still ignorant and still unbelieving; it is for these that Christ came to set free; not for those who already know God and have learned the mystery of faith. If God’s kindness extends to those who are still ignorant and to unbelievers, then penance will be an invitation to clemency, except for the penance that follows faith. Here penance can obtain from the bishop pardon for lesser offenses; from God alone for those that are greater and irremissible. xix. [.  .  .] Nor are we to overlook the distinction among sins, which 503 was the starting point of our digression. John approved this, namely, that there are certain daily offenses from which no one is immune. For who will not be unfairly angry and remain so after sunset,3 or raise the hand, or carelessly speak evil, or swear rashly, or break a solemn promise, or lie out of human respect or necessity? How tempted we are when doing business, when carrying out official duties, when occupied with daily affairs, when eating or seeing or hearing! Now if there were no pardon for these sins, then no one would be saved. Sins like these will be forgiven through Christ who successfully pleads with the Father.4 In contrast to these sins we have the graver and deadly ones, those not receiving pardon: homicide, idolatry, fraud, denial, blasphemy, certainly adultery and fornication, and whatever else violates God’s temple. [.  .  .] 500

1. Matt 5:9.  2. See Ezek 33:11.  3. See Matt 1:22; Eph 4:26.  4. See 1 John 2:1; Rom 8:34.

27. Cyprian of Carthage  145 xxi. “The Church,” you say, “has the power to forgive sins.” This is true. And I acknowledge it even more than you do since I have the Paraclete himself speaking through the new prophets, “The Church can forgive sin, but I will not lest they commit others also.” [.  .  .] I now ask you about your claim: from where do you usurp this right for the Church? Is it because the Lord said to Peter, “On this rock I will build my Church; I have given you the keys of the kingdom of heaven,” or “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven,”5 that you believe you have been given the power to bind and to loosen, namely, to every Church akin [propinquam] to Peter? What kind of person are you when you overthrow and change the Lord’s obvious intention of granting this to Peter personally? “On you,” he says, “I will build my Church,” and “I will give to you the keys,” not to the Church; and “whatever you will bind and loose,” not what they shall loose or bind. [.  .  .] The power of binding and loosening given to Peter has nothing to do with the capital sins of the faithful. [.  .  .] Therefore the Church will indeed pardon sins, but it is the Church through a spiritual man and not through a number of bishops. For authority and judgment belong to the Lord, not to the servant; to God, not to the priest. xxii. But you even pour out this power on the martyrs. No sooner has anyone, and this by common agreement, been placed in bonds—less stringent ones in the recent and nominal imprisonments—than adulterers immediately approach, fornicators immediately approach, prayers immediately resound, the tears of each of the defiled immediately form pools; and none are more eager to buy their way into prison than those who have lost [the fellowship of] the Church. [.  .  .] Paul at Ephesus had already been condemned to fight with the beasts when he decreed that the incestuous person was to be destroyed. It is enough that the martyrs purge their own sins. It is a sign of ingratitude or pride to bestow on others what was gained at great expense. Who except the Son of God alone has redeemed another by dying? [.  .  .] 2 7 . C y p r i a n o f C a rt h a g e

Cyprian (Thascius Caecilius Cyprianus) was born of wealthy parents, probably in Carthage and sometime between 200 and 210. Well known as a rhetorician, he converted to Christianity about 246 through the influence of the priest Caecilius, whose name he apparently adopted. Ordained shortly thereafter, he was elected and ordained a bishop in 248/249. When the Decian persecution made life miserable for the Christian community, Cyprian fled to the hills surrounding Carthage, an action that subjected him to no little criticism. Nonetheless, the bishop continued to guide his flock by means of letters. Returning to the city in 251, Cyprian 5. Matt 16:19.

504

505

146  Chapter V. Third Century. West was beheaded in 258, a time when the Valerian persecution was in its initial stages. A great admirer of Tertullian (WEC 1:26), yet not a speculative or theoretical thinker, Cyprian wrote on a relatively large number of pastoral subjects, among which were the question of reconciling the lapsed and that of whether to recognize as valid baptisms celebrated by heretical and schismatic groups. The lapsed were Christians who in some way acknowledged the pagan gods, for example, by burning incense before the idols or even by obtaining certificates stating that they had indeed done so. Cyprian, espousing a position between rigorism and excessive leniency, allowed the lapsed to be reconciled provided they did penance for a period of time appropriate to the sin; reconciliation was also permitted at the time of death even if the appointed period for penance had not yet been completed. As to the issue of—as it were—rebaptizing heretics, Cyprian vigorously opposed Pope Stephen (254–56), who advocated the Roman tradition of recognizing such baptisms. Cyprian, on the other hand, supported by several African synods, defended the African practice of again baptizing such persons since in his mind there could be no true sacraments outside the Church. Although a Christian for only twelve years and despite his profound disagreement with Pope Stephen, Cyprian was a true “man of the Church,” a staunch opponent of heresy and schism. “Whoever wishes to have God as a Father must first have the Church as a Mother” (Letter 74, vii in WEC 1:589). CPL nos. 38ff. * Altaner (1961) 193–99 * Altaner (1966) 172–81 * Bardenhewer (1908) 190–98 * Bardenhewer (1910) 167–76 * Bardenhewer (1913) 2:394–464 * Bardy (1930) 40–46 * Bautz 1:1178–83 * Cross 148–54 * Goodspeed 170–78 * Hamell 73–77 * Jurgens 1:216–39 * Labriolle (1947) 1:193–247 * Labriolle (1968) 131–68 * LeighBennett 114–34 * Quasten 2:340–83 * Steidle 72–76 * Tixeront 120–23 * Wright (1928) 95–137 * CATH 3:397–401 * CE 4:583–89 * CHECL 152–57 * DACL 3.2:3214–15 * DCB 1:739–55 * DHGE 13:1149–60 * DictSp 2.2:2661–69 * DPAC 1:678–83 * DTC 3.2:2459–70 * EC 3:1685–91 * EEC 1:211–12 * EEChr 1:306–8 * LTK 2:1364–66 * NCE 4:564–66 * NCES 4:457–60 * ODCC 441 * PEA (1894) 4.2:1938–41 * PEA (1991) 3:253–54 * RACh 3:463–66 * TRE 8:246–54 Baptism J. Ernst, Die Ketzertaufangelegenheit in der altchristlichen Kirche nach Cyprian (Mainz, 1901). * J. Ernst, Stephan und der Ketzertaufstreit (Mainz, 1905). * A. d’Alès, “‘Pompa Diaboli,’” RSR 1 (1910) 571–90. * J. Ernst, “Untersuchungen über Cyprian und den Ketzertaufstreit,” ThQ (1911) 230–81, 364–403. * P. Galtier, “La consignation à Carthage et à Rome,” RSR 2 (1911) 350–83. * J.B. Bord, “L’autorité de s. Cyprien dans la controverse baptismale jugée d’après s. Augustin,” RHE 18 (1922) 445–68. * F.J. Dölger, “Der Kuss im Tauf- und Firmungsritual nach Cyprian von Karthage und Hippolt von Rom,” AC 1 (1929) 186–96. * N. Zernov, “Saint Stephen and the Roman Community at the Time of the Baptismal Controversy,” ChQ 117 (1934) 304–36. * H. Koch, Gelasius im kirchenpolitischen Dienste seine Vorgänger, der Päpste Simplicius

27. Cyprian of Carthage  147 und Felix III: Ein Beitrag zur Sprache des Papstes Gelasius I und früherer Papstbriefe (Munich, 1935) 79–82. * H. Kayser, “Zur marcionitischen Taufformel (nach Cyprian),” ThStKr 108 (1937–38) 370–86. * H.J. Carpenter, “‘Symbolum’ as a Title of the Creed,” JThSt 43 (1942) 1–11. * E.L. Hummel, The Concept of Martyrdom according to St. Cyprian of Carthage, SCA 9 (Washington, D.C., 1946) 108–66. * A. Stenzel, “Cyprian und die ‘Taufe im Namen Jesu,’” Scholastik 30 (1955) 373–87. * E. Ferguson, “Baptism from the Second to the Fourth Century,” ResQ 1 (1957) 185–97. * B. Neunheuser, Baptism and Confirmation (St. Louis, 1964) 100–102. * J.-Ch. Didier, “Le baptême des enfants: considérations théologiques III: la tradition de l’Eglise du IIe siècle à la mort de s. Augustin (430),” L’ami du clergé 76 (1966) 326–33. * L. Campeau, “L’origine de la querelle baptismale,” ScE 21 (1969) 329–56; 22 (1970) 19–47. * P. Gaudette, “Baptême et vie chrétienne chez s. Cyprien de Carthage,” LThPh 27 (1971) 160–90, 251–79. * G.W. Clarke, “Cyprian’s Epistle 64 and the Kissing of Feet in Baptism,” HThR 66 (1973) 147–52. * K. Duchatelez, “Le principe de l’économie baptismale dans l’antiquité chrétienne,” Ist 18 (1973) 327–58. * J. Patout Burns, “On Rebaptism: Social Organization in the Third Century Church,” JECS 1 (1993) 367–403. * M. Labrousse, “La baptême des hérétiques d’après Cyprien, Optat et Augustin: influences et divergences,” REAug 42 (1996) 223–42. * P. Mattei, “Baptême hérétique, ecclésiologie et Siracide 34, 25: note sur l’influence de Cyprien dans un text de Pacien de Barcelone,” RTL 30 (1999) 180–94. Eucharist A. Harnack, Brot und Wasser die eucharistichen Elemente bei Justin, TU 7, 2 (Leipzig, 1891) 120–24. * A. Scheiwiler, Die Elemente der Eucharistie in den ersten drei Jahrhunderten (Mainz, 1903) 105–19. * S. Struckmann, Die Gegenwart Christi in der hl. Eucharistie nach den schriftlichen Quellen der vornizänischen Zeit (Vienna, 1905) 306–21. * P. Batiffol, L’Eucharistie, 9th ed. (Paris, 1930) 226–47. * A. Pons, “La communion d’après les deux grands docteurs Cyprien et Augustin et d’après la pratique de l’ancienne église d’Afrique,” in XXXe Congrès Eucharistique International (Carthage, 1930; Tunis, 1931) 149–70. * E. Janot, “L’Eucharistie à Carthage,” VS 23 (1930) 269–82. * S. Salaville, “L’épiclèse africaine (d’après s. Cyprien),” EO 39 (1941–42) 268–82. * M. Pallegrino, “Eucaristia e martirio in San Cipriano,” in Convivium Dominicum (Cantania, Sicily, 1959) 135–50. * M. Todde, Lettera sull’Eucaristia: testo di San. Cipriano / Tradotto e presentato da Mauro Todde (Bergamo, 1965). * B. Renaud, “Eucharistie et culte eucharistique selon saint Cyprien,” diss. (Louvain, 1967). * R. Johanny, “Cyprian of Carthage,” in W. Rordorf and others, The Eucharist of the Early Christians (New York, 1978) 156–82. * D. Romos-Lissón, “Tipologias sacrificiales-eucarísticas del Antiquo Testamento en la epístola 63 de san Cipriano,” Aug 22 (1982) 187–97. * G.G. Willis, “St. Cyprian and the Mixed Cup,” DR 100 (April 1982) 110–15. * J.D. Laurance, “Eucharistic Leader according to Cyprian of Carthage: A New Study,” StudLit 15:2 (1982–83) 66–75. * J.D. Laurance, “Le président de l’eucharistie selon Cyprien de Carthage: un nouvel examine,” LMD, no. 154 (1983) 151–65. * B. de Margerie, “Saint Cyprien donnait-il l’eucharistie aux divorcés-remariés?” RTAM 60 (1993) 273–75. * J.D. Laurance, “Priest” as Type of Christ: The Leader of the Eucharist in Salvation History according to Cyprian of Carthage, American University Series 7, Theology and Religion 5 (New York, 1984). Reconciliation J. Stufler, “Die Behandlung der Gefallenen zur Zeit der decischen Verfolgung,” ZkTh 31 (1907) 577–618. * J. Stufler, “Einige Bemerkungen zur Busslehre Cyprians,”

148  Chapter V. Third Century. West ZkTh 33 (1909) 232–47. * A. d’Alès, “La réconciliation des ‘lapsi’ au temps de Dèce,” RQH 91 (1912) 337–83. * B. Poschmann, “Zur Bussfrage in der cyprianischen Zeit,” ZkTh 37 (1913) 25–54, 244–65. * A. Vanbeck, “La pénitence dans s. Cyprien,” RHL 18 (1913) 422–42. * H. Koch, Cyprianische Untersuchungen (Bonn, 1926) 79–82, 211–85. * B. Capelle, “L’absolution sacerdotale chez Cyprien,” RTAM 7 (1935) 221–34. * M.C. Chartier, “La discipline pénitentielle d’après les écrits de s. Cyprien,” Ant 14 (1939) 17–42, 135–56. * B. Poschmann, Paenitentia Secunda (Bonn, 1940) 368–424. * G.H. Joyce, “Private Penance in the Early Church,” JThSt 42 (1941) 18–42. * J.H. Taylor, “St. Cyprian and the Reconciliation of Apostates,” TS 3 (1942) 27–46. * K. Rahner, “Die Busslehre des hl. Cyprian von Karthage,” ZkTh 74 (1952) 252–76. * M. Bévenot, “The Sacrament of Penance and St. Cyprian’s ‘De lapsis,’” TS 16 (1955) 175–213. * B. Poschmann, Penance and the Anointing of the Sick (St. Louis, 1964) 52–62. * L.C. Landini, “The Penitential Discipline in the Epistles of St. Cyprian of Carthage,” diss. (Notre Dame, 1970). * M.-F. Berrouard, “La pénitence publique durant les six premiers siècles (histoire et sociologie),” LMD 118 (1974) 92–130. * H. Gützow, Cyprian und Novatian: der Briefwechsel zwischen die Gemeinden in Rom und Karthago z. Zeit d. Verfolgung d. Kaisers Decius (Tübingen, 1975). * G. Picenardi and V. Fattorini, “La riconciliazione in Cipriano di Cartagine (‘Ep. 55’) e Ambrogio di Milano (‘De paenitentia’),” Aug 27 (1987) 377–406. Prayer J. Schindler, “Der hl. Cyprian über das Gebet des Herrn,” Theolische.–praktische. Quartalschrift 40 (1887) 285–89, 535–45, 809–12. * E.v.d. Goltz, Das Gebet in der ältesten Christenheit (Leipzig, 1901) 279–87. * G. Loeschke, Die Vaterunsererklärung des Theophilus von Antiochien: eine Quellenuntersuchung zu den Vaterunsererekl. des Tertullian, Cyprian, Chromatius und Hieronymus (Berlin, 1908). * J. Moffat, “Cyprian on the Lord’s Prayer,” Expositor 18 (1919) 176–89. * H. Koch, Cyprianische Untersuchungen (Bonn, 1926) 136–39. * B. Simovic, “Le Pater chez quelques pères latins II: s. Cyprian,” La France franciscaine 21 (1938) 245–64. * A.J.B. Higgins, “Lead us not into temptation: Some Latin Variants,” JThSt (1945) 179–83. * H. Blakeney, “Matthew VI, 3 (De dominica oratione. 7),” ExpT 57 (1945–46) 279. * C. Dumont, “Lectio divina: la lecture de la Parole de Dieu d’après s. Cyprien,” BVC 22 (1958) 23–33. * D.R. Stuckwisch, “Principles of Christian Prayer from the Third Century: A Brief Look at Origen, Tertullian and Cyprian with Some Comments on Their Meaning for Today,” Wor 71:1 (January, 1997) 2–19. Other Topics J.B. Poukens, “Sacramentum dans les oeuvres de s. Cyprien: étude lexicographique,” BALAC 2 (1912) 275–89. * A. d’Alès, “‘Nihil innovetur nisi quod traditum est’: deuxième note,” RSR 6 (1916) 302–6. * J.C. Navickas, The Doctrine of St. Cyprian on the Sacraments (Wurzburg, 1924). * G. Bardy, “Le sacerdoce chrétienne d’après s. Cyprien,” VS 60 (1939) 87–119. * R. Fluck, “La vie de la communauté chrétiènne au IIIe siècle à travers la correspondence de s. Cyprien,” Jeuness de l’Eglise 4 (1945) 89–124. * E. Ferguson, “Ordination in the Ancient Church,” ResQ 5 (1961) 17–32, 67–82, 130–46. * V. Saxer, Vie liturgique et quotidienne à Carthage vers le milieu du IIIe siècle, Studi di antichità cristiana 29 (Rome, 1969). * W. Renaud, “L’Eglise comme assemblée liturgique selon s. Cyprien,” RTAM 38 (1971) 5–68. * M. Bévenot, “‘Sacerdos’ as Understood by Cyprian,” JThSt, n.s., 30 (1979) 413–29. * V. Saxer, Morts, martyrs, reliques en Afrique aux premiers siècles: les témoignages de Tertullien, Cyprien et Augustin à la lumière de l’archéologie africaine, Théologie historique 55 (Paris, 1980).

27. Cyprian of Carthage  149

27-A. To Donatus† Drafted about 246, this letter to Donatus, a friend of Cyprian, describes the journey of Cyprian’s conversion. 16. Most beloved Donatus, [.  .  .] now as the sun is already descending toward evening, may we spend in joy whatever remains of the day. May the hour when we eat not lack heavenly grace. May the temperate meal resound with psalms. Since your memory is strong and your voice is melodious, may you undertake this task as you customarily do.

506

27-B. On the Lapsed†† Written after Cyprian’s return (spring of 251) to Carthage following the Decian persecution, the treatise explains what to do with those who compromised their faith during the previous time of stress. 15. [.  .  .] Likewise the apostle testifies and says, “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of the devil, you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and that of the devil.”1 And again he threatens and denounces the obstinate and the stubborn, saying, “Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will be guilty of the Lord’s Body and Blood.”2 16. All these admonitions being disdained and scorned, violence is inflicted on his Body and Blood. Even more than when they denied him, they with their hands and their mouth commit a crime against the Lord. Even before their sins have been atoned, before they have confessed their crime, before their conscience has been purified through sacrifice and the hand of the priest, before the offense against the offended and threatening Lord has been appeased, they believe that peace consists of what some would sell with deceitful words. This is not peace but war, nor is a person who is separated from the Gospel joined to the Church. Why do they say that an injury is a benefit? Why do they call an impiety a piety? Why do they block the weeping of penance on the part of those who should continuously weep and entreat their Lord? Why do they pretend to receive them in communion? This is to the lapsed as hail is to the harvest, as wild stars are to the trees, as a destructive wilderness is to cattle, as a violent storm is to ships. Such people take away the solace of hope, overturn a tree from its roots, creep to a deadly infection by unwholesome speech, dash the ship on the rocks so that it does not enter the harbor. This facility does not grant peace but removes it, does not grant communion but hinders in regard to salvation. This is another persecution and another Translated from Sancti Cypriani Episcopi Opera, vol. 2, ed. M. Simonetti, CCL 3 A (Turnhout, 1976) 13. †† Translated from Sancti Cypriani Episcopi Opera, vol. 1, ed. R. Weber, CCL 3 (Turnhout, 1972) 229ff. 1. 1 Cor 10:20.  2. 1 Cor 11:27. †

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508

150  Chapter V. Third Century. West temptation through which the punctilious enemy continues to proceed against the lapsed by a hidden plundering so that their weeping might be stilled, their sorrow might be silenced, the memory of their sin might disappear, that the groaning of their hearts be restrained, that the weeping of their eyes be halted; nor is a lengthy and full penance to be sought from the grievously offended Lord, even though it is written, “Remember from where you have fallen and do penance.”3 17. None are to deceive themselves, none are to be misled. Only the 509 Lord can be merciful. He alone, who bore our sins, who suffered for us, whom God handed over for our sins, can forgive sins committed against him. We cannot be greater than God. A servant cannot forgive what has been a greater crime committed against the Lord so that this also be added to the sin of those who have lapsed, they being ignorant of what was declared, “Cursed are those who place their hope in mortals.”4 We are to pray to the Lord for he is pleased by our amends, the Lord who said that he will deny whoever denies him, the Lord who alone has received all judgment from the Father. We indeed believe that the merits of the martyrs and the works of the just avail much with the judge, but this will occur when the day of judgment comes, when the present age and the world end, when God’s people will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 18. For the rest, if they are in extreme haste, if they rashly believe that 510 they can forgive the sins of all or dare to abrogate the Lord’s commands, not only does this not profit the lapsed but is prejudicial to them. [.  .  .] 25. Learn what happened when I myself was present and what I wit511 nessed. There were some parents who, as it happened, were taking flight. Because of their fear they acted imprudently and left their young daughter in the care of a nurse, who handed the child over to the magistrates. In the presence of an idol to which the people flocked the magistrates gave the child bread mixed with wine since the child, because of its age was still unable to eat meat. This was what remained from the sacrifice of those who perish. The mother, afterwards, recovered her daughter, but the child was no more able to speak or indicate the evil deed that took place than she was earlier able to comprehend or prevent it. Therefore through ignorance the mother brought the daughter with her when we were offering sacrifice. But the child, mingling with the saints [the members of the assembly], became impatient with our prayer and supplications. At one moment she was trembling with tears, at another moment she was tossed about by emotional excitement. As if by the coercion of a torturer the soul of such a young child confessed a consciousness of what had taken place, doing so with such signs as she could. Once the solemnities were completed, the deacon began to present the cup to all who were present. As the others received it, the little girl in turn approached. At the prompting 3. Rev 2:5.  4. Jer 17:5.

27. Cyprian of Carthage  151 of the divine majesty she turned away, firmly tightened her mouth with obdurate lips, and refused the cup. Nonetheless, the deacon persisted and poured out for the resisting girl some of the sacrament of the cup. What followed was gasping and vomiting: the Eucharist could not remain in a profaned body and mouth; the drink sanctified in the Lord’s blood burst forth from the polluted stomach. So great is the Lord’s power, so great the Lord’s majesty! What is hidden in the darkness is disclosed under his light; nor did hidden sins deceive God’s priest. 26. [.  .  .] There was a woman who with unworthy hands tried to open a 512 chest in which reposed the holy [Body] of the Lord; she was deterred from touching it by fire rising up from the box. And there was a man, himself defiled, who dared to join the others in receiving, secretly, a part of the sacrifice celebrated by a priest. He could neither touch nor eat the holy [Body] of the Lord since he discovered, upon opening his hands, that he held a cinder. [.  .  .] 28. Furthermore, how much greater is the faith and how deeper is the 513 fear of those who—though not bound by the sin of sacrificing [to idols] or of obtaining a certificate—nonetheless thought about doing so and now with sorrow and simplicity confess this to God’s priests, make an open avowal of conscience, put aside the burden of their soul, and seek out the saving cure even for little and moderate wounds, knowing that it is written, “God is not mocked.”5 God cannot be mocked, deceived, or tricked by any deceptive ploy. Truly they sin the more who, thinking that God is like humans, believe they escape the punishment of their sins even if they have not openly confessed these sins. In his precepts Christ says, “The Son of Man will be ashamed of those who are ashamed of me.”6 Can people consider themselves to be Christian if they are embarrassed by or fearful of being Christians? How can a person who either blushes at or fears belonging to Christ actually be with Christ? Clearly such will sin less by not seeing the idols, by not profaning the sanctity of the faith as people stand around and hurl insults, by not polluting their hands by deadly sacrifices, by not defiling the mouth with profaned food. The advantage here is that the sin is less, not that the conscience is blameless. Pardon for sin is more easily obtained, not that there is immunity from sin. May penance continue to be practiced, may the Lord’s mercy be sought lest what appears to be less in the nature of the sin be increased by neglecting reparation. 29. Brethren, I ask that each of you confess your own sin while you 514 remain in the world, while your confession is possible, while satisfaction and the forgiveness given through the priests is pleasing to God. May we turn to the Lord with all our hearts, and expressing penance for our sin with true sorrow, let us beg for God’s mercy. May our soul bow down before him, may our sorrow make amends to his majesty, may all our hope rely on him, who tells us how we ought to ask, “Return,” he says, 5. Gal 6:7.  6. Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26.

152  Chapter V. Third Century. West “to me with all your heart and together with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning. Rend your hearts and not your clothing.”7 May we return to the Lord with all our heart. Let us appease his wrath and displeasure through fasting, tears, and lamentation, as he himself admonishes.

27-C. On the Lord’s Prayer† To a degree this treatise, written in 251 or 252, is based upon Tertullian’s opus on the same subject, but Cyprian’s thought is more developed. 4. [.  .  .] When we gather as one with the brethren and celebrate the divine sacrifices with God’s priest, we are to be mindful of moderation and proper order. We are not to bandy about our prayers with disordered voices nor to beseech God with a confused wordiness when we should do so with modesty since God hears the heart, not the voice. 8. Before all else the teacher of peace and the master of unity did not 516 desire that we pray individually and privately, with each person praying only for himself or herself. We do not say, “My father, who are in heaven” or “give me this day my bread.”1 Nor does each one request that only his or her debt be forgiven or that he or she alone not be kept from temptation and delivered from evil. Our prayer is public and communal. When we pray we do so not for one person only, but we entreat for all the people because we, all the people, are one. The God of peace and the master of harmony, who taught unity, wished that one person pray for all people just as he bore all in one. [.  .  .] 12. Then we say, “Hallowed be your name,” not that we wish God to be 517 sanctified by our prayers, but we ask God that his name be sanctified in us. Furthermore, by whom is God sanctified, the God who himself sanctifies? But because he said, “Be holy because I am holy,”2 we seek and ask that we, made holy in baptism, might persevere in what we began to be. Each day we pray for this because we need daily sanctification since we who daily fail may purge away our sins by constant sanctification. [.  .  .] 18. As the prayer continues, we ask and say, “Give us this day our daily 518 bread,” which can be understood both spiritually and literally because each interpretation is divinely advantageous for salvation. For Christ is the bread of life, and this bread does not belong to all but is ours. And to the degree that we say “Our Father,” because he is the father of those who understand and believe, so we speak of “our bread” since Christ is the bread of those who touch his body. We request that this bread be given to us daily so that we, who are in Christ and daily receive his Eucharist as the food of salvation, may not by the interposition of some more serious sin 515

7. Joel 2:12–13. † Translated from Sancti Cypriani Episcopi Opera, vol. 2, ed. M. Simonetti, CCL 3 A (Turnhout, 1976) 91ff. 1. See Matt 6:11.  2. Lev 19:2.

27. Cyprian of Carthage  153 be prohibited, as abstaining and not communicating, from receiving the heavenly bread and thus be separated from the Body of Christ who himself instructs and says, “I am the bread of life who comes down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. The bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”3 When, therefore, he says that whoever will eat his bread shall live forever—as it is evident that those who share his Body and receive the Eucharist by right of Communion are living—so we must pray and fear lest anyone, abstaining, is separated from Christ’s Body as Christ himself threatens, saying, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you.”4 Therefore we ask that our bread, namely, Christ, be given to us daily so that we who abide and live in Christ may not draw back from his sanctification and body. 31. Beloved, when we stand for prayer, we ought to be watchful and 519 diligent in praying with all our being. May every bodily and worldly thought depart; may the soul, when you are at prayer, think only of the object of your prayer. This is why the priest before the prayer prepares the minds of the brethren by a preface as he says, “Lift up your hearts” so that when the people respond, “We lift them up to the Lord,” they might be reminded that they should think of nothing other than the Lord. [.  .  .] 34. Speaking of prayer, we find that the three children with Daniel, 520 children strong in faith and victorious in captivity, observed the third, sixth, and ninth hours,5 namely, as a sacrament of the Trinity which is to be revealed in the last times. The first hour as it progresses to the third hour shows the perfect number of the Trinity; the fourth hour progressing to the sixth hour declares another Trinity; and when the ninth hour is completed from the seventh the perfect Trinity is enumerated every three hours. In the past God’s worshipers, having spiritually determined the spaces of the hours, were subject to them for the established and proper times for prayer. Later, it was made evident that formerly the sacraments existed because the just once prayed in this way. For at the third hour the Holy Spirit, who fulfilled the grace of the Lord’s promise, descended upon the disciples.6 Likewise, it was at the sixth hour that Peter, ascending to the roof, was instructed both by God’s sign and word advising him to admit all to the grace of salvation since previously he had doubts about baptizing the Gentiles.7 And from the sixth hour to the ninth the crucified Lord washed away our sins by his blood and, in order to redeem us and give us life, he then perfected his victory by his passion. 35. But for us, dearest brethren, in addition to the hours of prayer ob521 served in ancient times, now the times and sacraments have grown in number. We are to pray in the morning so that the Lord’s resurrection be observed with prayers since this is what the Holy Spirit indicated in the Psalms, “My King and my God because I will pray to you, O Lord, in the morning and you will hear my voice; in the morning I will be near you 3. John 6:51.  4. John 6:53.  5. See Dan 3:24ff.  6. See Acts 2:15.  7. See Acts 10:9.

154  Chapter V. Third Century. West and contemplate you.”8 The Lord also speaks through the prophet, “Early in the morning they will watch for me, saying: Let us go and return to the Lord our God.”9 Once the sun has set and the day has ended, we must again pray. Since Christ is the true sun and the true day, it is when the sun and the worldly day depart that we pray and request that the light return to us; we pray for the coming of Christ which will provide us with the grace of eternal life. It is in the Psalms that the Holy Spirit declares that Christ is called the day. “The stone,” he says, “that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This was done by the Lord and is wonderful in our eyes. This is the day that the Lord has made; let us exult and rejoice in it.”10 Also, Malachi the prophet testifies that Christ is called the sun, “For you who fear the Lord’s name the sun of justice will arise, and healing is in its wings.”11 Although the holy Scriptures say that Christ is the true sun and the true day, Christians are exempt from no hour when God should be frequently and always adored. In this way we, who are in Christ—namely, in the true sun and in the true day—are to devote ourselves throughout the whole day to entreaties and prayers; and when according to the law of the world the night comes and goes in revolutions, the nocturnal darkness cannot harm those who pray because the children of the light experience the day even during the night. If there is light in the heart, can one be without light? Or if a person has Christ as the sun and the day, does not this individual have the sun and the day? 36. Always being in Christ, who is the light, let us not cease praying 522 during the night. So it was that Anna the widow unceasingly prayed and watched, pleasing God, as written in the Gospel, “Never leaving the temple, she served there day and night in prayer and fasting.”12 May the Gentiles, who remain unenlightened, take heed of this. Also the Jews who, abandoning the light, remain in darkness. May we, dearly beloved, who are always in the Lord’s light, who remember and retain—by the grace received—what we have begun to be, reckon night for day. We are to believe that we are always walking in the light; may we not be obstructed by the darkness we have escaped; may prayer never cease during the nocturnal hours; may times for prayer never be lost due to idleness or laziness. Spiritually made new and reborn through God’s kindness, may we be what we are to become. In the kingdom there will be only light without any night; so may we keep vigil during the night as if it were during the day. Since we are not to cease praying and giving thanks, we on earth are always to pray and offer thanks.

27-D. On Works and Almsgiving† Written in 252, this is an exhortation to Christian charity at a time when Carthage was being devastated by a terrible plague. 8. Ps 5:3b–4.  9. Hos 6:1.  10. Ps 118:22–24.  11. Mal 4:2a.  12. Luke 2:37b. † Translated from CCL 3 A, 55ff.

27. Cyprian of Carthage  155 2. [.  .  .] Just as the fire of hell is extinguished by the flow of the saving water, so the flame is extinguished by almsgiving and works of justice. Baptism forgives sin once and for all; good works, like baptism, again grant God’s mercy [.  .  .]. 15. [.  .  .] Your eyes, covered with blackness and unable to see because of the night, fail to see the indigent and the poor. Being rich and prosperous, you come to the Lord’s Supper without any offering; yet you believe that you celebrate this Supper when you receive part of the offering presented by a person who is poor.

523

524

27-E. Letters The corpus of Cyprian’s writings contains eighty-one letters, sixty-five from Cyprian himself and sixteen to Cyprian or to the clergy of Carthage. Some twenty-seven letters were written during the Decian persecution; six during the Valerian persecution. Unfortunately some of these epistles have been lost. Nonetheless, those that do exist show Cyprian’s pastoral and practical concern for all the members of the Church.

27-e-1. letter 1. to the presbyters and people of furni† ii. Carefully considering and wisely providing for this, the bishops who preceded us decided that no brother departing [this life] should name a cleric as his executor or administrator. Should anyone do so, then no offering is to be made for him, nor is the sacrifice to be celebrated for his repose. Neither does anyone who desires to call presbyters and ministers away from the altar deserve to be named in the priestly prayer at the altar. This is why you are not to make any offering for the repose of Victor who, contrary to the recent provision enacted by presbyters in a council, dared to appoint the presbyter Germinius Faustinus to be his executor. Nor are you allowed to pray in the church in his name so that the decree of the presbyters, conscientiously made out of necessity, may be observed by us; at the same time the rest of the brethren are to be given an example that no one is to call away to worldly concerns the presbyters and ministers of God’s altar and Church. [.  .  .]

525

27-e-2. letter 5. to the presbyters and deacons††a ii. I also request that your ingenuity and care not be wanting for restoring the peace. Even if the brethren, motivated by love, desire to come together and visit the good confessors whom divine honor has already made well-known in their glorious beginnings, nonetheless I believe that Translated from Sancti Cypriani Episcopi Opera, vol. 3, ed. G.F. Diercks, CCL 3 B (Turnhout, 1994) 3–4. †† Translated from CCL 3 B, 27–28. a. Written while Cyprian was hiding from the civil authorities who were persecuting Christians. †

526

156  Chapter V. Third Century. West this should be done cautiously, not in crowds, and not with many people gathering all at once. In this way enmity will not be aroused, permission to enter [the prison] will not be refused, and we, being insatiable and desiring much, will not lose everything. Therefore take care and see to it that this be done in a safe manner and with moderation so that the presbyters among the confessors may offer [the sacrifice] one by one, taking turns, each with a deacon, since a change of persons and of those gathering lessens ill-will. [.  .  .]

27-e-3. letter 12. to the presbyters and deacons† 527

ii. Lastly, also note the days when they [those in prison] pass from this life so that we can commemorate them among the memory of the martyrs; as a matter of fact, Tertullian [.  .  .] has written and is writing and indicating to me the days on which our blessed brethren in prison pass to immortality by means of a glorious death, and here we celebrate offerings and sacrifices to commemorate them. These, with the Lord’s protection, we will soon celebrate with you. [.  .  .]

27-e-4. letter 15. to the martyrs and confessors†† i. [.  .  .] You sent me a letter asking that your desires be considered, namely, that peace be granted to some of the lapsed once the persecution has ended and we begin to come together as one and meet with the clergy. Yet contrary to the law of the Gospel, contrary also to your respectful petition, and before the most serious and the most extreme sin has been confessed, before the bishop or cleric has imposed the hand for penance, some presbyters dare to offer and give them the Eucharist. In this way they dare to profane the holy Body of the Lord although it is written, “Whoever shall eat the bread and drink the cup of the Lord unworthily will be guilty of the Lord’s Body and Blood.”1 ii. Certainly pardon can be given to the lapsed in this regard. Would 529 not a dead person hasten to receive life? Who would not run quickly to be saved? But those in authority are to observe the precept and instruct those who are hurrying too quickly or are ignorant, so that those watching over the sheep may not become their butchers. For to grant destructive things is to deceive. The person who has lapsed is not in this way raised up but, due to an offense against God, is driven toward destruction. Let them learn from you what they should have taught. Let them reserve your requests and desires for the bishop; let them await a time that is ripe and peaceful for granting the peace you request. Before all else, the mother should first receive peace from the Lord; then according to your wishes, the peace of her children should be considered. 528

Translated from CCL 3 B, 69–70. Translated from CCL 3 B, 86–87, 89. 1. 1 Cor 11:27. †

††

27. Cyprian of Carthage  157 iv. I have written both to the clergy and to the people about this and have ordered that these letters be read by you. But you ought to diligently amend what you do so that you designate by name those to whom you wish the peace to be given. I hear that some receive certificates saying, “May such a person along with friends be allowed to receive Communion,” something never done by the martyrs since such an ambiguous and blind petition would soon heap ill-will upon us. The door is opened wide when it says, “Such a person along with friends” and presented to us are twenty, thirty, and more, all said to be neighbors and relatives, freedmen and domestics of the individual who received the certificate. Therefore I request that you designate in the certificate only those whom you see, those whom you know, those whose penance you perceive to be almost completed, and so send us letters in conformity with the faith and discipline.

530

27-e-5. letter 16. to the presbyters and deacons† ii. [.  .  .] For lesser offenses sinners may do penance for a designated 531 time, and according to established practice come to confession, and by the imposition of the hand by the bishop and clergy be rightfully received into communion. But now they are admitted to communion and their name is given when their time [of penance] is still unfinished, while persecution still continues, while the peace of the Church itself has not yet been reestablished. Even though the penance has not yet been carried out, the confession has not yet been made, and the hand of the bishop and clergy has not yet been imposed, the Eucharist is given to them although it is written, “Whoever shall eat the bread and drink the cup of the Lord unworthily will be guilty of the Lord’s Body and Blood.”1

27-e-6. letter 17. to the brethren†† ii. I hear that some of the presbyters, neither mindful of the Gospel, nor 532 considering what the martyrs have written to me, nor reserving to the bishop the honor of his priesthood and his [episcopal] chair, have already begun to associate with the lapsed, to offer for them, and to give them the Eucharist when all this should have taken place in due time. If in the case of lesser sins, which are not committed against God, penance is done for a designated time and confession takes place with an examination of the penitent’s life, and no one can come to Communion till the bishop or cleric has first imposed hands, is it not all the more fitting that in regard to the most serious and extreme sins we observe caution and restraint according to what the Lord has established? [.  .  .]

Translated from CCL 3 B, 92–93. 1. 1 Cor 11:27. †† Translated from CCL 3 B, 97. †

158  Chapter V. Third Century. West

27-e-7. letter 18. to the presbyters and deacons† 533

i.2. In that I see no opportunity for going to you and since summer has already begun, a season infested with continuous and serious sickness, I believe that we must deal with those of our brethren who have received certificates from the martyrs and who can be aided by their [the martyrs’] privileged position before God. If those with certificates should be seized by some misfortune or the danger of illness and my return is not anticipated, then before any presbyter who is present—if a presbyter cannot be found and death is imminent, then even in the presence of a deacon—they may confess their sin. The hand being imposed on them for penance, they may come to the Lord by the peace that the martyrs by their letters to us have desired be granted to them.

27-e-8. letter 20. to the presbyters and deacons at rome†† 534

iii. Afterwards some of the lapsed, either of their own accord or instigated by another, rushed forward with an audacious demand, hoping they might rely on such a violent effort in order to extort the peace promised them by the martyrs and confessors. In this regard twice did I write to the clergy and commanded that my two letters be read to them. My intent was to alleviate if possible such violence for the time being. If any departing this life had received a certificate from the martyrs and, having confessed, had hands imposed on them for repentance, they were to be sent to the Lord with the peace promised them by the martyrs. In this I did not enact a ruling or rashly make myself its author. But when it seemed appropriate that the martyrs be honored and that the force of those desiring to upset everything be held in check, and furthermore when I had read the letter that you recently sent to our clergy through Crementius the subdeacon stating that help should be given to those who, having lapsed, become ill and penitently desire communion, I decided to abide by your judgment. In this way what we do—and we should be united and agree in all things—may not differ in any way. As to the situations of the others, even though they have received certificates from the martyrs, I have ordered that these cases be deferred and held over till I can be present so that, once peace has been granted us by the Lord and a number of bishops have begun to gather, we, also profiting from your counsel, may be able to organize and reform everything. [.  .  .]

27-e-9. letter 29. to the presbyters and deacons††† 535

2. Know then that I made Saturus a reader and Optatus the confessor a deacon, men whom by general advice I had already placed close to the Translated from CCL 3 B, 100–101. Translated from CCL 3 B, 108–10. ††† Translated from CCL 3 B, 138. †

††

27. Cyprian of Carthage  159 clergy: as to Saturus, when we once or twice had entrusted him with the reading at Easter; and as for Optatus, when we made him one of those who were instructing the hearers [the catechumens]. Doing so we were ascertaining whether the qualities required of those preparing for the clerical state were present in them. [.  .  .]

27-e-10. letter 30. the roman clergy to cyprian† viii. Long desiring to act moderately in these matters, we thought that nothing new should be done before the appointment of a new bishop. Although our number was larger, we acted together with certain neighboring bishops and with others whom the violent persecution drove out of other provinces and are now at some distance. We believe that the lapsed should be handled in somewhat a restrained manner. And so in the meantime, while a bishop is not granted us by God, the cases of those who can bear the delays of postponement should be left undecided. But for those whose case cannot be deferred because death is imminent—provided they have done penance, have frequently confessed their misdeeds, and with tears, groaning, and weeping have given proof of a sorrowing and truly penitential heart, and provided as far as one can tell that there is no hope of their surviving—then let them be cautiously and carefully assisted. God himself knows what he will do with these and how he will judge them. For our part we should anxiously take care that the ungodly not praise our leniency nor that the truly penitent accuse us of being too severe and harsh. [.  .  .]

536

27-e-11. letter 55. to antonian††a xvii. In them [sinners] there exists what can be revived unto faith by subsequent penance. By penance strength is armed with virtue. There can be no arms if one becomes weak through despair; if, unpleasantly and cruelly separated from the Church, one should turn to the Gentiles or to worldly works; if a person rejected by the Church passes over to the heretics and schismatics where later on he or she is killed because of [Christ’s] name. Such cannot be crowned in his or her death. Therefore, dearest brother, once the cases of all individuals were examined, it was decided that those who had received certificates should in the meanwhile be admitted, and that those who offered sacrifice should be assisted at death because confession does not exist among the deceased, nor can we compel anyone to penance if the fruit of penance is withdrawn. Should the battle come first, one will be strengthened by us and found prepared for it; but if infirmity should afflict before the battle, a person will depart with the consolation of peace and of being in communion.

Translated from CCL 3 B, 149–50. Translated from CCL 3 B, 275ff. a. Antonian: a bishop in Numidia. †

††

537

160  Chapter V. Third Century. West xviii. Nor do we predict when the Lord will judge. Yet if he finds the penance complete and correct, he will then approve what we have determined. Should anyone deceive us under the pretense of doing penance, God, who is not mocked and who looks into the human heart, will judge what we have imperfectly discerned; the Lord will correct the decision of his servants. Nonetheless, my dearest brother, we should remember what is written, “A brother helped by a brother will be exalted.”1 Also, the apostle said, “Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. Be not tempted; bear one another’s burdens, and you will fulfill the law of Christ.”2 Also, rebuking the proud and shattering their arrogance, he said, “Those who believe that they stand should take care lest they fall.”3 Elsewhere he says, “Who are you to judge another’s servants. They stand or fall before their own lord. They will stand, for God is able to make them stand.”4 John also proves that Jesus Christ the Lord is our advocate and the intercessor for our sins: “My little children, I write these things to you so that you do not sin; and if any sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he atones for our sins.”5 And Paul the apostle said, “While we were still sinners Christ died for us. Much more therefore, now justified by his blood, we will be saved through him from [God’s] wrath.”6 xix. Thinking of his love and mercy, we should not be so bitter nor 539 harsh nor inhuman in supporting our brethren. Rather, let us mourn with those who mourn, weep with those who weep, and, as far as possible, raise them up with the help and comfort of our love. We should be neither too harsh and stubborn in repelling their penance nor overly lax and easy in recklessly granting communion. Behold, a wounded comrade lies injured by the enemy in battle. It is there that the devil tries to kill the wounded; it is here that Christ exhorts so that those he has redeemed may not completely perish. Which of the two do we assist? Where do we stand? Do we favor the devil that he might kill? Or do we pass by our prostrate half-living comrade as did the priest and Levite in the Gospel? Or do we, as priests of God and Christ, imitate what Christ did and taught? Do we snatch the injured from the enemy’s jaws so that we might keep them alive and cured for God who judges? xx. Dearest brother, do not think that the strength of the brethren will be 540 lessened or that martyrdoms will decrease because penance is extended to the lapsed and that hope of peace is offered to the penitent. The strength of those who truly believe remains. As to those who fear and love God with their whole heart, their moral uprightness continues steady and strong. We even grant adulterers a time for penance, after which peace is given. Yet for all that, virginity is not lacking in the Church nor does the glorious objective of sexual restraint decrease through the sins of others. 538

1. Prov 18:19, LXX.  2. Gal 6:1–2.  3. 1 Cor 10:12.  4. Rom 14:4.  5. 1 John 2:1–2.  6. Rom 5:8–9.

27. Cyprian of Carthage  161 The Church, crowned with so many virgins, flourishes; chastity and modesty continue on in glory. The vigor of continence is not broken because penance and pardon are extended to the adulterer. To support pardon is one thing; to arrive at glory is something completely different. For those thrown into a prison, it is one thing not to leave the prison till the last farthing has been paid; it is another thing to receive the wages of faith and virtue. When a person is tortured by a prolonged sorrow for sins, it is one thing to be cleansed and purged at length by fire; it is something completely different to have washed away all sins through suffering. It is one thing to await God’s sentence on the day of judgment; another to be immediately crowned by the Lord. xxi. Certainly among our predecessors there were some bishops here 541 in our own province who believed that peace was not to be granted to adulterers and in this matter did not allow any opportunity for penance. Nonetheless, these bishops did not withdraw from the college of their fellow bishops. Nor did they rupture the unity of the Catholic Church by their obstinate harshness or control so that those who did not grant peace to adulterers, even though others did, were not separated from the Church. The bond of harmony remaining and the indivisible sacrament of the Catholic Church enduring, each bishop arranges and directs his own actions and will have to give an account of his actions to the Lord. xxiii. In the Gospel the Lord, revealing the love of God the Father, said: 542 “Is there anyone among you who, if your son requests bread, will give him a stone? Or if he requests a fish, will give him a serpent? If therefore you, being evil, know how to give good things to your children, how much the more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who request them?”7 Here the Lord compares a human father who has been offended by a sinful and evil son to the eternal and generous love of God the Father. The human father sees that this son has reformed, has cast aside his sins, and has returned to a restrained and good way of life, to the path of innocence by the sorrow of penance. This being true, how much more does our one and true Father, who is good, merciful, and faithful—yes, goodness, mercy, and faithfulness itself—rejoice when one of his children repents, not threatening punishment to those who are now doing penance or mourning or lamenting, but rather promising pardon and leniency. Wherefore in the Gospel the Lord calls those who mourn blessed since the person who mourns arouses mercy. Those who are obstinate and proud heap up wrath against themselves and the punishment of the future judgment. Therefore, dearest brother, we have decided that those who fail to repent, who fail to show wholehearted sorrow for their sins with evidence of their sorrow, are to be absolutely kept from the hope of communion and peace if they begin to ask for these while they are sick or in danger; the motivation here is not penance for sin but the warning of an imminent 7. Matt 7:9–11.

162  Chapter V. Third Century. West death. Those who fail to reflect on the fact that they will die are not worthy to receive consolation at the time of death. xxiv. As to Novatianb of whom you, dearest brother, desired that I write 543 you concerning the heresy he introduced, know first of all that we should not even inquire what he teaches since he teaches outside [the Church]. Whoever or whatever one may be, a person who is not within the Church of Christ is not a Christian. Although Novatian may brag about himself and use lofty words to proclaim his own philosophy or eloquence, yet those who have not retained fraternal love or ecclesiastical unity have lost what they formerly were. Unless he seems to you to be a bishop who, after being ordained in the Church by sixteen fellow bishops, strives through ambition to be made a false and extraneous bishop by deserters! Yet since there is one Church apportioned by Christ into many members, so there is one episcopate, diffused in a harmonious number of many bishops, he, despite what God has handed down, despite the mutual and universal compact unity of the Catholic Church, is attempting to form a human Church and is sending his new apostles through numerous cities so that he might establish some new foundations of his own organization. Although throughout all the provinces and in each city there are ordained bishops, advanced in years, sound in faith, proven in adversity, outlawed during times of persecution, he dared to create above them other and pseudo-bishops. He did this as if he could either wander over the whole world, obstinate in his novel undertaking, or destroy the structure of the ecclesiastical body by sowing discord, not knowing that schismatics, always initially fervent, are unable to increase what they illicitly begin and immediately fade away with their jealousy. But Novatian was incapable of holding the episcopal position, even though he was previously made a bishop, since he withdrew from the body of his fellow bishops and from the unity of the Church. The apostle admonished that we should bear with one another8 so as not to withdraw from the unity established by God. He also said, “Bear with one another in love, making every effort to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”9 Therefore, those who fail to attend to the unity of the Spirit or to the bond of peace and thus separate themselves from the bond of the Church and from the college of bishops have neither episcopal power nor dignity since they desire to maintain neither the peace nor the unity of the episcopate. xxix. This is to close and remove the path of sorrow and penance. In 544 the Scriptures the Lord God speaks well of those who return to him and repent; yet repentance itself is taken away by our harshness and cruelty. When the fruit of penance is done away with, then repentance itself is b. Novatian: a Roman presbyter (d. 257/258) disappointed by the election of Cornelius as bishop of Rome in 251; he joined a highly rigorist yet orthodox faction and became a rival to Cornelius. 8. See Eph 4:2.  9. Eph 4:2–3.

27. Cyprian of Carthage  163 eliminated. If we find that no one should be hindered from doing penance, then peace may be given according to the mercy of the Lord, who is kind and loving; then the groaning of those who mourn is to be considered; then the fruit of penance is not to be denied to those who grieve. Among the dead there is no confession, there can be no penance there; and so those who have wholeheartedly done and requested penance should meanwhile be received into the Church and kept in it since when the Lord comes to his Church, he will certainly judge those he finds within it. Those are apostates and deserters, antagonists and enemies, as well as those who scatter Christ’s Church—even if they have been martyred for his name outside the Church—cannot, as the apostle says, be admitted to the peace of the Church because they have not kept the unity of the Spirit or that of the Church.10

27-e-12. letter 57. to cornelius†a i. My dearest brother, some time ago and after consulting with each 545 other we decided that those who as the result of persecution had been led astray by the adversary and had lapsed and stained themselves with unlawful sacrifices were to undergo a long and thorough penance; and if the sickness proves to be very grave, they may receive peace should death be at hand. It is not permissible nor does the Father’s love nor does divine mercy permit that the Church be closed to those who knock1 or that the help of salvation be refused to those who mourn and beseech; otherwise, departing this world they would be sent to the Lord without communion and peace. For the Lord himself, who decreed that what was bound on earth was also bound in heaven, also decreed that what is first loosed in the Church is also loosed in heaven.2 Now we see that a day of further and new battle is imminent, and we are warned by numerous and continuous indications to prepare and arm ourselves for the battle announced to us by the adversary. And so by our exhortations we should also prepare the people committed to us by divine benevolence; we should gather into the Lord’s camp all Christ’s soldiers who desire arms and request to do battle. In light of this necessity we have decided that peace should be extended to those who have not disassociated themselves from the Lord’s Church, who from the first day of their lapse have not ceased to do penance, lament, and invoke the Lord. We have decided that these should be armed and equipped for the imminent battle. ii. We must comply with well-grounded indications and warnings so 546 that the shepherds not desert the sheep who are in danger but that the whole flock be gathered together and that the Lord’s army be armed for 10. See Eph 4:2–3. † Translated from CCL 3 B, 301–4. a. Cornelius: bishop of Rome 251–53. 1. See Matt 7:7.  2. See Matt 16:19; 18:18.

164  Chapter V. Third Century. West the battle of the heavenly campaign. It was fitting that the penance of those in mourning be rightfully extended for a longer time—help being provided to the sick only at the time of death—so long as peace and tranquility were present. This allowed the tears of those doing penance to be prolonged for a long time and for assistance to be given at a late hour to the sick who were at the point of death. But now peace is necessary not for the sick but for the strong, nor are we to grant communion to the dying but to the living so that we may not leave unarmed and exposed those whom we have aroused and exhorted to battle. Rather, let us fortify them with the protection of Christ’s Body and Blood. Since the Eucharist has been instituted to protect those receiving it, we are to arm with the Lord’s abundant protection those whom we desire to be safe from the enemy. For how do we teach or urge them to shed their blood in confessing the Lord’s name if we refuse Christ’s Blood to those about to do battle? Or how do we make them fit for the cup of martyrdom if we do not first allow them to drink the cup of the Lord in the Church by right of communion? iii. [.  .  .] It is our episcopate’s great honor to have extended peace to 547 the martyrs so that as priests, who daily celebrate God’s sacrifices, we may prepare victims and sacrifices for God. [.  .  .]

27-e-13. letter 63. to cecil†a i. Dearest brother, I know that many bishops, set over the Lord’s churches throughout the world, hold fast to the exercise of evangelical truth and the Lord’s traditions. By no human and novel custom do they depart from what Christ taught and did. Some, however, either out of ignorance or naiveté in blessing and ministering the Lord’s cup to the people do not do what Jesus Christ, our Lord and our God, the founder and teacher of this sacrifice, did and taught.b I have likewise believed it to be religious and necessary to write you this letter so that if anyone still be held in this error, such a person by the light of truth may return to the root and origin of the Lord’s tradition. Do not think, dearest brother, that what I write is my own teaching or is a human teaching, or that I do this on my own initiative. No, my ability is limited. I write with humble and restrained moderation. But when God’s inspiration and command enjoin anything, the faithful servant must comply with the Lord. Servants should be acquitted of arrogantly appropriating anything to themselves since unless they do what is commanded, they are forced to fear offending the Lord. ii. As you well know, I have been admonished that the tradition of 549 the Lord is to be followed when the cup is offered, and that we are to 548

Translated from Sancti Cypriani Episcopi Opera, vol. 4, ed. G.F. Diercks, CCL 3 C (Turnhout, 1960) 339–416. a. Cecil: bishop of Biltha in Africa. b. This letter is directed against the Aquarians, also called the Hydroparastatae, a sect or sects using only water in their celebration of the Eucharist. †

27. Cyprian of Carthage  165 do nothing other than what the Lord was the first to do. And so it is for this reason that the cup offered in his memory is mixed with wine.1 Since Christ said, “I am the true vine,”2 certainly Christ’s blood is wine; it is not water. Nor can his blood—his blood by which we are redeemed and receive new life—be present within the cup if the cup itself does not contain wine by which the blood of Christ is revealed, as is commanded by the sacrament and by the testimony of all the Scriptures. iii. Also in Genesis we find, as to the sacrament, that Noah anticipated 550 the same and projected the figure of the Lord’s passion in that he drank wine, that he was inebriated, that he was naked in his house, that he was reclining with naked and uncovered thighs, that his second son saw his nudity and made it public, that he was covered up by the oldest and youngest son.3 We need not pursue other details. All we have to understand is that Noah, showing himself to be a type of future truth, drank wine, not water, thus being an image of the Lord’s passion.4 iv. We also see the sacrament of the Lord’s sacrifice prefigured in 551 the priest Melchizedek since, according to the testimony of the divine Scriptures, “Melchizedek the king of Salem brought forth bread and wine. He was a priest of the most high God, and he blessed Abraham.”5 Melchizedek was a type of Christ as the Holy Spirit indicates in the Psalms, where the Father says to the Son, “Before the daystar I begot you. You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”6 This order certainly comes and descends from that sacrifice. Melchizedek was a priest of the most high God; he brought out bread and wine; he blessed Abraham.7 For who is more of a priest of the most high God than our Lord Jesus Christ who offered a sacrifice to God the Father and he offered what Melchizedek offered, namely, bread and wine,8 namely, his Body and Blood. As to Abraham, his blessing, which preceded,9 extends down to our own people.10 For if Abraham believed in God and it was imputed to him for righteousness,11 so it is that those who believe in God and live by faith are found to be righteous and are already blessed and justified in faithful Abraham,12 for as Paul the Apostle says: “Abraham believed in God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. You know, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. Foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, Abraham predicted that all nations would be blessed in him. Therefore those who believe are blessed with faithful Abraham.”13 Therefore in the Gospel we find that Abraham’s children have been raised up from the stones, namely, gathered from the nations.14 And when he praised Zacchaeus, the Lord said, “Today salvation has come to this house because this one is a son of Abraham.”15 So that in Genesis Abraham’s 1. See 1 Cor 11:22–25.  2. John 15:1.  3. See Gen 9:20–21.  4. See Gen 9:21.  5. Gen 14:18–19.  6. Ps 110:3–4.  7. See Gen 14:18–19.  8. See Matt 26:26–28.  9. See Gen 14:18.  10. See Gen 12:2–3.  11. See Gen 15:6; Gal 3:6.  12. See Gal 3:8–9.  13. Gal 3:6–9.  14. See Matt 3:9.  15. Luke 19:9.

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blessing of the priest Melchizedek might be correctly celebrated, the image of Christ’s sacrifice precedes, namely, as constituted in the bread and wine.16 The Lord, carrying out and perfecting, offered bread and the cup mixed with wine,17 and he who is the fullness of truth fulfilled the truth of the prefigured image. v. Furthermore, through Solomon the Holy Spirit predicts the type of the Lord’s sacrifice when mentioning the victim that has been offered, the bread and the wine, the altar, and the apostles, “Wisdom has built her house, she has placed under it her seven columns, she has slaughtered her victims, she has mixed her wine in the cup and spread her table.” “She has sent out her servants inviting with lofty words to the cup, saying, ‘Let the simple turn to me.’ And to the unwise she said, ‘Come, eat of my bread and drink the wine I have mixed for you.’”18 The Spirit declares the wine to be mixed, namely, prophetically announcing that the Lord’s cup was mixed with water and wine, so that it is evident that what took place during the Lord’s passion was foretold.19 vi. The blessing of Judah also shows a figure of Christ when it says that he [Christ] should be praised and honored by his brothers; that he should press down the neck of his enemies who are departing and fleeing, doing so with hands that carried the cross and conquered death; that he himself is the lion from the tribe of Judah; that he reclines while sleeping in his passion and arises and is himself the hope of the Gentiles.20 To these the divine Scriptures add, “He will wash his garment in wine and his clothing in the blood of the grape.”21 As to the blood of the grape, what else is meant other than the cup of the Lord’s blood? vii. In Isaiah the Holy Spirit says the same in regard to the Lord’s passion, “Why are your garments red and your clothing as from treading the wine press full and well-trodden?”22 Can water turn garments red? Or is it water in the wine press that is stepped on and pressed out? Surely, therefore, wine is mentioned so that by wine the Lord’s blood may be understood and that what was later on manifested in the Lord’s cup might earlier be foretold by the prophets. This reading and pressing of the wine press are also spoken of since, just as we cannot drink wine unless a bunch of grapes has been trampled upon and pressed, so we cannot drink Christ’s blood unless Christ was first trampled upon and pressed and had earlier partaken from the cup he gave to believers. viii. When the holy Scriptures mention only water, baptism is foretold, as we find in Isaiah: “Do not remember what happened formerly and do not consider the things of old. Behold, I will do new things which will now spring forth, and you will know it. I will make a path in the desert and rivers in the dry place to give drink to my chosen people, the people I have acquired so that they might proclaim my praise.”23 It was there that 16. See Gen 14:18–19.  17. See Matt 26:26–28.  18. Prov 9:1–5.  19. See John 19:34.  20. See Gen 49:8–10.  21. Gen 49:11.  22. Isa 63:2.  23. Isa 43:18–21.

27. Cyprian of Carthage  167 God foretold through the prophets that among the nations, in places that were formerly dry, abundant rivers would soon flow and would provide water for God’s chosen people, namely, for those made children of God through the regeneration of baptism.24 Again it is foretold and stated beforehand that if the Jews thirst and search for Christ, they will drink with us, namely, they will acquire the grace of baptism. “If they thirst, he will lead them through the deserts; he will provide water for them from the rock; he will split the rock and my people shall drink.”25 This was fulfilled in the Gospel when Christ, who is the rock, was struck by a lance during his passion.26 Recalling what was foretold by the prophet, he declared: “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. As the Scripture says, rivers of living waters will flow out of his stomach.”27 So that it be even more evident that the Lord is here speaking not about the cup but about baptism, the Scripture adds, “He said this about the Spirit whom those who believe in him were to receive.”28 For it is through baptism that the Holy Spirit is received, and so those who have been baptized and have received the Holy Spirit are able to drink from the Lord’s cup. Let it disturb no one that when the divine Scripture speaks of baptism it says that we thirst and drink since the Lord also says in the Gospel, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after justice”29 because what is received with an eager and thirsty longing is taken in more fully and more abundantly. So it is that the Lord says to the Samaritan woman, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst once again. But whoever drinks from the water that I will give will never thirst again.”30 This signifies the baptism of the saving water which, when once received, cannot be repeated. The cup of the Lord is always thirsted for and drunk from in the Church. ix. We do not need many arguments, my dearest brother, to prove that the word “water” always stands for baptism, and so we must understand it in this way. When the Lord came, he showed the truth of baptism and the cup by commanding that the lasting water, the water of eternal life, be given to believers in baptism; yet he taught by his own authoritative example that the cup be mixed, that is, containing a mixture of wine and water. On the eve of his passion he took the cup, blessed it, and gave it to his disciples, saying:31 “Drink, all of you, from this, for this is the blood of the covenant which will be shed for many unto the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink from the fruit of the vine until the day when I shall drink new wine with you in my Father’s kingdom.”32 Here we find that the cup offered by the Lord was mixed, and it was wine that he called his Blood. So it is evident that Christ’s Blood is not offered if there is no wine in the cup, nor is the Lord’s sacrifice celebrated with a legitimate sanctification unless the offering and our sacrifice accord with his passion. But how are we to drink the new wine from the fruit of the vine in 24. See Isa 43:19–20.  25. Isa 48:21.  26. See 1 Cor 10:4.  27. John 7:37–38.  28. John 7:39.  29. Matt 5:6.  30. John 4:13.  31. See Matt 26:27.  32. Matt 26:27–29.

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168  Chapter V. Third Century. West the kingdom of the Father33 if we, in the sacrifice of God the Father and of Christ, do not offer wine or, not following a tradition from the Lord, fail to mix the Lord’s cup? x. The blessed apostle Paul, chosen and sent by the Lord and appointed 557 to teach the truth of the Gospel, said in his Epistle: “On the night he was betrayed Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and said, ‘This is my Body which is given for you. Do this in memory of me.’ Likewise after the meal he took the cup, saying: ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood: Do this, as often as you drink it, in memory of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.’”34 But if the Lord has commanded, and if the apostle has confirmed and handed down the same, namely, that as often as we drink in memory of the Lord, we do what the Lord has done,35 then we find that we are not observing the Lord’s command unless we also do what he has done. Likewise, by mixing the cup we do not deviate from the Lord’s teaching. In no way are we to digress from the evangelical precepts; disciples are to observe and do what the teacher taught and did. Elsewhere the apostle more steadfastly and firmly says: “I am amazed that you are so quickly departing from him who called you to grace, going to another gospel, not that there is another gospel except that there are those who disturb you and wish to alter the Gospel of Christ. But if we or an angel from heaven preach to you anything other than what we have proclaimed to you, may such be accursed. As we have said before and now repeat: should anyone proclaim to you anything other than what you have received, let such a person be damned.”36 xi. Since neither the apostle nor the heavenly angel can proclaim or 558 teach anything different from what Christ once taught and from what his apostles announced,37 I greatly wonder as to the origin of the custom whereby, contrary to the practice of the Gospel and the Apostles, in certain places only water is offered in the Lord’s cup; water alone cannot express Christ’s blood. The Holy Spirit is not silent on this in the Psalms where mention is made of the Lord’s cup, “Your cup cheers me like the best [wine].”38 Also, the cup that cheers certainly is mixed with wine since water alone cannot cheer anyone. So it is that the Lord’s cup inebriates just as in Genesis Noah, drinking wine, was inebriated.39 But the inebriation of the Lord’s cup and blood is unlike that of worldly wine since in the psalm the Spirit says, “Your cup gives cheer, there is added: like the best.”40 This means that the Lord’s cup so inebriates those drinking that it makes them sober; it leads their minds back to spiritual wisdom with the result that each person abandons a worldly taste for an understanding of God. Just as common wine moderates one’s outlook, relaxes the soul, and banishes all sorrow, so when the Lord’s Blood and the cup of salvation have been 33. See Matt 26:29.  34. 1 Cor 11:23–26.  35. See 1 Cor 11:25.  36. Gal 1:6–9.  37. See Gal 1:8.  38. Ps 23:5, LXX.  39. See Gen 9:21.  40. Ps 23:5, LXX.

27. Cyprian of Carthage  169 drunk, the memory of the old man is cast aside, previous worldly dealings are forgotten,41 and the sad and sorrowful breast, previously oppressed by tormenting sins, is soothed by the joy of the divine goodness. Only a person who drinks within the Lord’s Church can rejoice if what is drunk clings to the Lord’s truth. xii. How distorted and contrary it is that although the Lord at the wed- 559 ding feast changed water into wine,42 we would change wine into water, even though the sacramental reality warns and teaches us that we are to offer wine when celebrating the Lord’s sacrifice. Because spiritual grace was in short supply among the Jews, so also was wine, “for the vineyard of the Lord of hosts was the house of Israel.”43 Christ, however, teaching and showing that the Gentiles come after the Jews and that by their meritorious faith would later on gain the place lost by the Jews, changed water into wine.44 And so at the wedding feast of Christ and the Church, with the Jews being absent, he showed that the Gentiles would come in abundance and meet. Water, says the Apocalypse, signifies the people, “The waters you saw, upon which the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes, the nations of the peoples and tongues.”45 We see this also contained in the sacrament of the cup. xiii. Since Christ bore all of us when he bore our sins,46 we see that 560 the water stands for the people whereas the wine stands for the Blood of Christ. When water is united with the wine in the cup, the people are made one with Christ; the believing people are joined and united with him in whom they believe. The water and the wine, joined and united, are so mixed together in the Lord’s cup that this mixture cannot be dissolved. As a result, nothing can separate the Church—namely, the people established in the Church who faithfully and steadfastly cling to what they believe—from Christ so as to prevent their indivisible love from enduring and remaining. In blessing the Lord’s cup neither wine alone nor water alone is to be offered. If only wine, then Christ’s Blood would be without us; if only water, then we would be without Christ. But when both are mixed together and closely joined, then we have the spiritual and heavenly sacrament. The Lord’s cup, therefore, is neither wine only nor water only; each is to be mingled with the other. Nor can the Lord’s Body be flour only or water only; both are to be mixed together, joined, and formed into one loaf. In this very sacrament our people are shown to be one, and just as many grains, when they are gathered and ground down and mixed together, form one loaf, so we know that we are one body in Christ who is the living bread to whom all of us are joined and united.47 xiv. Therefore, dearest brother, no one should believe that we are to fol- 561 low the custom of those who maintain that water alone should be offered in the Lord’s cup. The question is whom are they following. For if it is 41. See Eph 4:22–23.  42. See John 2:1–11.  43. Isa 5:7.  44. See John 2:9.  45. Rev 17:5.  46. See 1 Pet 2:24.  47. See John 6:50–51, 59.

170  Chapter V. Third Century. West only Christ who is to be followed in the sacrifice that he offered, certainly we are to obey Christ, imitate him, and do what he commanded when, according to the Gospel, he said, “No longer do I call you servants but friends if you do what I command you.”48 That we are to listen to Christ alone, the heavenly Father bears witness, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased; listen to him.”49 If it is only Christ who is to be heard,50 we should pay no attention to what anyone before us believed was to be done but to what Christ, who is before all, did first. We should not follow human custom but that of God since God speaks through the prophet Isaiah, “Teaching the human commandments and doctrines, in vain do they worship me.”51 The Lord also repeats this in the Gospel, “You reject God’s commandment that you might follow your own tradition.”52 Elsewhere he says, “Whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven.”53 If it is not allowed to break the least of these commandments,54 how much the more is it not permitted to break those that are so great, so important, so relevant to the sacrament of the Lord’s passion and our redemption. Or can human tradition change what has been divinely instituted? If Jesus Christ, our Lord and God, is himself the high priest of God the Father, and was the first to offer himself as a sacrifice to the Father, and commanded that this be done in his own memory,55 certainly the office of Christ is carried out by the priest who imitates what Christ did and who in the Church offers a true and full sacrifice to God the Father when he offers it according to what he understands Christ to have offered. xv. The discipline of all religion and of truth is defeated if what is spiri­ 562 tually enjoined is not faithfully observed. There are some who fear that at the morning sacrifice, if they taste the wine, they may exhale the fragrance of Christ’s Blood.56 And so when the community in its offerings is ashamed of Christ’s blood and its shedding, then during times of persecution it begins to separate itself from Christ’s suffering. Yet the Lord says in the Gospel, “The Son of Man will be ashamed of those who are ashamed of him.”57 And the apostle, “Should I please others, I should not be Christ’s servant.”58 How can we shed our blood for Christ if we are ashamed to drink Christ’s Blood? xvi. Are there any who delude themselves with the idea that although 563 in the morning water alone appears to be offered, yet when we come for supper, we offer a mixed cup? But when we eat, we cannot summon the people to our meal so that we might celebrate the truth of the sacrament with the whole community being present. But the Lord offered the mixed cup not in the morning but after supper.59 Therefore should we celebrate the Lord’s sacrifice after the evening meal so that by frequent repetition 48. John 15:14–15.  49. Matt 17:5.  50. See Matt 17:5.  51. Isa 29:13.  52. Mark 7:9.  53. Matt 5:19.  54. See ibid.  55. See 1 Cor 11:25.  56. See Acts 2:15.  57. Mark 8:38.  58. Gal 1:10.  59. See Matt 26:20; 1 Cor 11:25.

27. Cyprian of Carthage  171 we might offer the mixed cup? It was fitting for Christ to offer the sacrifice in the evening so that the hour of sacrifice might show the setting and evening of the world, as is written in Exodus, “And the whole assembled congregation of the children of Israel shall kill it [the lamb] in the evening.”60 Also in the Psalms, “The lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice.”61 We, however, celebrate the Lord’s resurrection in the morning. xvii. And because we mention his passion in all our sacrifices—the sac- 564 rifice we offer being the Lord’s passion—we are to do only what he did since, according to Scripture, as often as we offer the cup in memory of the Lord and his passion,62 we do what corresponds with what the Lord has done. Dearest brother, if any of our predecessors either out of ignorance or naiveté have not observed and complied with what the Lord taught us by his example and instruction, may the Lord’s kindness pardon such a person’s simplicity. But we cannot be forgiven, we who have been admonished and taught by the Lord to offer his cup mixed with wine just as was offered by the Lord; we are to write our colleagues about this so that the evangelical law and the Lord’s tradition may be everywhere observed and that there be no divergence from what Christ taught and did. xviii. To disregard these things, to continue on in former error, is 565 nothing other than to be reprimanded by the Lord who in the Psalms reproaches: “Why do you declare my ordinances and take up my covenant into your mouth since you hated my instruction and cast my words behind you? If you saw a thief, you ran along with him and cast your lot with adulterers.”63 If we set forth the Lord’s righteousness and covenant and not do what he did, is this anything other than to disregard his words and despise his teachings, to commit not earthly but spiritual thefts and adulteries?64 To steal the Lord’s words and actions away from evangelical truth is to corrupt and pervert the divine precepts. As is written in Jere­ miah, “What has straw in common with wheat? Therefore, says the Lord, I am against the prophets who steal my words from one another, and lead my people astray by their lies and errors.”65 The same prophet in another place says, “And she committed adultery with stone and tree, and yet in all this she did not return to me.”66 We should carefully, fearfully, and religiously take care that we not be found guilty of theft and adultery. For if we are priests of God and Christ, I do not know whom we should follow more than God and Christ. It is Christ who says in the Gospel, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”67 So that we do not walk in the darkness,68 we are to follow Christ and observe his precepts because as we find elsewhere when he sent his apostles, he said, “All power in heaven and on earth is given to me. Go, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to 60. Exod 12:6.  61. Ps 141:2.  62. See 1 Cor 11:26.  63. Ps 50:16–18, LXX.  64. See Ps 50:17, LXX.  65. Jer 23:28, 30, 32.  66. Jer 3:9–10.  67. John 8:12.  68. See ibid.

172  Chapter V. Third Century. West observe all I have commanded you.”69 So if we wish to walk in the light of Christ,70 we are not to forgo his precepts and warnings. We give thanks that while he instructs us as to what we should do in the future, he overlooks what we, erring due to our inexperience, have done in the past. And since his second coming is approaching, more and more does his kind and abundant love illumine our hearts with the light of his truth. [.  .  .]

27-e-14. letter 64. to fidus†a ii. You say that infants should not be baptized within the second or third day of birth and that the ancient law of circumcision should be considered. In your opinion the newly born should not be baptized and sanctified till the eighth day.1 Our council thought altogether differently. No one agreed with your thinking in this matter, but all of us decided that God’s mercy and grace should not be denied to any human being. As the Lord said in his Gospel, “The Son of Man did not come to destroy the lives of human beings but to save them.”2 As far as possible, no soul is to be lost. For what is lacking to those whom God’s hands have formed in the womb? For as we see, as time moves on so those who are born are seen to develop. Whatever has been made by God is perfected by the majesty and work of God the Maker. iii. Belief in the divine Scriptures tells us that the divine gift exists 567 equally among all, whether infants or adults. Elisha, entreating God, so laid himself upon the widow’s infant son who was lying dead that Elisha’s head was upon the child’s head and his face was upon the child’s face, his feet upon the child’s feet, and his limbs upon the child’s limbs.3 If we think about this according to our physical nature, an infant cannot be equated with an adult or with someone advanced in years, nor are an infant’s small limbs able to fully match and substitute for those of an older person. But there [in the incident of Elisha and the child] is expressed the divine and spiritual equality that all are alike and equal since all were once created by God. Depending on age there may be physical differences among bodies, but God sees no difference except that the grace given to the baptized is granted in a larger or smaller degree according to the age of those receiving it, whereas the Holy Spirit is not bestowed with measure4 but with the Father’s love and kindness to all. For just as God does not discriminate against particular persons, so he does not discriminate on the basis of age. As to the granting of heavenly grace, he shows himself as a father equally to all. v. [.  .  .] If anything could hinder us from obtaining grace, then sins 568 that are more grave can more impede those who are adults and elderly 566

69. Matt 28:18–20.  70. See John 8:12. † Translated from CCL 3 C, 419–20, 422. a. Fidus: an African bishop. 1. See Luke 1:59; 2:21.  2. Luke 9:56.  3. 2 Kgs 4:32–37.  4. See John 3:34.

27. Cyprian of Carthage  173 and older. Since sins are forgiven even to the most serious sinners once these sinners have come to believe—no matter how greatly they formerly sinned against God—and since baptism and grace are forbidden to no one, all the more they should not be forbidden to an infant who as a newborn has not sinned other than, having been bodily born after Adam, has contracted by its first birth the contagion of the ancient death. That it is not one’s own sins but those of another that are forgiven makes it easier to receive the forgiveness of sins.

27-e-15. letter 67. to felix, aelius, and their people†a iv. [.  .  .] The priest is to be chosen in the presence of the people and under the eyes of all. By public judgment and testimony he is to be approved as the Lord commanded Moses in the Book of Numbers, “Take Aaron your brother and his son Eleazar up to the mountain and impose hands on them before the whole assembly; strip Aaron of his clothes and put them on his son Eleazar, and let Aaron die there.”1 God commands that a priest be appointed before all the people, namely, God instructs and shows that priestly ordinations are not to occur without the knowledge of those present so that the sins of evildoers may be disclosed before the people and the merits of the good may be made known; also that the ordination, subject to the approval and judgment of all, may be just and legitimate. Later on this was followed when, in accord with divine teaching, Peter in the Acts of the Apostles spoke to the people regarding the ordination of a bishop [i.e., an apostle] to replace Judas, “Peter stood up amidst the disciples, and the crowd was in one place.”2 We see that the apostles observed this not only for the ordination of bishops and priests but also for that of deacons. In the same Acts it is written, “And the Twelve called together the whole group of disciples and said to them.”3 This gathering of all the people was done with attention and care so that no unworthy person might steal into the ministry of the altar or the priestly office. It happens that unworthy individuals are at times ordained, not according to God’s will but because of human presumption. What does not come from a legitimate and proper ordination displeases God as God himself makes known through Hosea the prophet, “They make a king but not through me.”4 v. This is why you are to follow and retain the practice received from divine tradition and apostolic usage, a practice observed among us also and throughout almost all the provinces, namely, that for correctly celebrating ordinations the neighboring bishops within the same province should gather with the people for whom the candidate is ordained. And the bishop is to be selected in the presence of the people who are fully Translated from CCL 3 C, 452–54. a. Felix: a priest; Aelius: a deacon. In Emerita or Merida, Spain. 1. Num 20:25–26.  2. Acts 1:15.  3. Acts 6:2.  4. Hos 8:4. †

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174  Chapter V. Third Century. West knowledgeable as to the life of each [candidate] and who have investigated each one’s conduct. We see that you did this in ordaining our colleague Sabinus so that, by a vote of the whole community and by the judgment of the bishops who had gathered with you and had written you concerning him, hands were imposed on him. [.  .  .]

27-e-16. letter 69. to magnus†a v. [.  .  .] The Lord’s sacrifices declare a Christian unity, a unity that is firm and inseparable. For when the Lord said that the bread was his Body, bread brought together by mixing many grains, and when he said that the wine was his Blood, wine pressed from many grapes and clusters, he also had in mind the one flock which is joined together by the mingling of many persons into one. [.  .  .] xiv. Indeed the Holy Spirit is not given piecemeal but is totally poured 572 out upon the believer. For if the daytime is born for all equally and if the sun’s light is diffused upon all alike,1 how much more does Christ, the true sun and the true day, give with similar equality the light of life eternal in his Church! In Exodus we see the mystery celebrated with equality: the manna flowed down from heaven and by prefiguring what was to come showed forth the sustenance of the heavenly bread and the food of the Christ who was to come. For there an omer was equally collected by each person without distinction as to sex or age.2 So it appeared that Christ’s kindness and heavenly grace, which were to follow, were equally divided among all; without sexual differences, without distinction of age, without partiality toward persons, the gift of spiritual grace being poured upon all.3 To be sure, the same spiritual grace received by believers in baptism is either diminished or increased according to one’s behavior and subsequent actions, just as in the Gospel the Lord’s seed is sowed all over; yet according to the type of soil some seed is destroyed and some increases in a variety of ways, bringing forth fruit thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold.4 Besides, when each was called to receive a denarius, did human understanding lessen what God distributed equally?5 xv. Should any be concerned that some of the sick who were baptized 573 while ill are still tempted by unclean spirits, they should know that the devil’s stubborn evil perdures up to the saving water; yet in baptism the devil loses all the poison of his wickedness. An example of this is Pharaoh the king who struggled for a long time and was delayed by his lack of faith. He was able to resist and prevail till he came to the water; when he did so, he was conquered and vanquished.6 As the blessed apostle Paul says, “For I do not want you to be unaware, my brothers and sisters, that 571

Translated from CCL 3 C, 493–95. a. Magnus: an African Christian who consulted Cyprian about baptism. 1. See Matt 5:45.  2. See Exod 16:15–18.  3. See Rom 2:11.  4. See Matt 13:3–8; Mark 4:3–20; Luke 8:5–15.  5. See Matt 20:9–10.  6. See Exod 14:21–31. †

27. Cyprian of Carthage  175 all our ancestors were under the cloud and all crossed through the sea and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.”7 He adds, “All these were examples for us.”8 The same occurs today when exorcists, by the human voice and divine power, scourge, burn, and torment the devil. Although he often claims to be departing and leaving those who are of God,9 the devil’s very words deceive, and he practices what was formerly done by the Pharaoh and with the same stubborn and fraudulent deceit.10 When, however, a person comes to the saving water and to the sanctification of baptism, we should know and believe that it was here that the devil was defeated and that a person dedicated to God is set free through divine kindness. For when scorpions and serpents, who thrive on dry ground, are thrown into the water, they cannot prevail or retain their poison. The same is true of evil spirits, who are called scorpions and serpents and are trampled on by the power granted by the Lord.11 No longer can they abide in the body of a baptized and sanctified person in whom the Holy Spirit begins to dwell. xvi. Finally, it is our experience that the sick who were baptized out of 574 necessity and who obtained grace are now free from the unclean spirit which previously excited them, and they live in the Church as they lead laudable and credible lives and each day progress in increasing heavenly grace by growing in their faith. On the other hand, there are those who were baptized in good health and who, afterwards beginning to sin, are made to retreat by the unclean spirit’s return. Thus it is evident that in baptism the devil is expelled by the believer’s faith and returns if this faith afterwards fails. [.  .  .]

27-e-17. letter 70. to januarius and the other numedian bishops† i. Beloved brothers, when we were together in council we read the letter 575 you sent us about those who appear to have been baptized by heretics and schismatics. You asked whether these are to be baptized when they come to the one Church. Although you follow the truth and certainty of Catholic discipline in this matter, you thought we should be consulted due to our mutual love. We gave our opinion—not a new one—but we join you in equally agreeing with a long-standing opinion decreed by our predecessors and followed by us: we judge and hold it as certain that no one can be baptized outside the Church since only one baptism is established in the holy Church. As the Lord wrote, “They have forsaken me, the fountain of the living waters, and dug for themselves broken cisterns, which can hold no water.”1 Holy Scripture also admonished, “Stay away from strange

7. 1 Cor 10:1–2.  8. 1 Cor 10:6.  9. See Matt 12:43–44; Luke 11:24–25.  10. See Exod 7:13.  11. See Luke 10:19. † Translated from CCL 3 C, 502–11. 1. Jer 2:13.

176  Chapter V. Third Century. West water and do not drink from a strange fountain.”2 The priest, then, is to cleanse and sanctify the water so that through baptism it may wash away the sins of the person who is baptized since the Lord said through the prophet Ezekiel: “And I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you will be cleansed from all your impurities and from all your idols. And I will cleanse you and give you a new heart and a new spirit.”3 How can anyone who is impure, in whom the Holy Spirit is not found, cleanse and sanctify the water since in Numbers the Lord says, “Whatever an unclean person touches will be unclean”?4 Or how can those who are outside the Church and thus unable to take away their own sins forgive the sins of others? ii. Moreover, the very question asked in baptism testifies to the truth. 576 For when we say, “Do you believe in eternal life and in the forgiveness of sins through the Holy Church?”, we understand that sins can only be remitted in the Church; sins cannot be forgiven among the heretics where the Church does not exist. Accordingly, those who claim that heretics are able to baptize should either change the question or vindicate the truth unless they concede that a Church exists among those who, they claim, have baptism. The baptized are also to be anointed so that, having received the chrism, namely, the anointing, they can be God’s anointed ones and possess the grace of Christ. Further, it is by the Eucharist that the oil used to anoint the baptized is sanctified on the altar. However, a person having neither Church nor oil cannot sanctify that creature of oil. And so there can be no spiritual anointing among the heretics since it is evident that in no way can the oil be sanctified or the Eucharist celebrated among them. We ought to know and remember what is written, “Let not the oil of the wicked anoint my head.”5 This is what the Holy Spirit foretold in the Psalms lest anyone wandering and straying from the path of truth be anointed by the heretics and enemies of Christ. But what prayer can a sacrilegious and sinful priest say for a baptized person? It is written, “God does not hear the sinner; but God does hear whoever worships God and does his will.”6 Can anyone give what he or she does not have? Can a person who has lost the Holy Spirit do spiritual things? Therefore the simple folk who come to the Church must be baptized and renewed so that within the Church they may be sanctified by the holy ones as is written, “Be holy because I am holy, says the Lord”7 so that one who has been enticed into error and baptized outside [the Church] may put this aside also in a true and ecclesiastical baptism since a person coming to God while seeking a priest [bishop?] comes by the deceit of error upon an impious one. iii. Approving the baptism of heretics and schismatics means assenting 577 to their baptism. One part cannot be empty and the other useful. If one can baptize, one can give the Holy Spirit. But if a person cannot bestow the Holy Spirit since whoever is appointed outside [the Church] does not 2. Prov 9:18, LXX.  3. Ezra 36:25–26.  4. Num 19:22.  5. Ps 141:5.  6. John 9:31.  7. Lev 19:2.

27. Cyprian of Carthage  177 have the Holy Spirit, such a person cannot baptize those who come. There is one baptism; the Holy Spirit is one; and the one Church,8 founded by Christ our Lord upon Peter, has its origin and foundation in unity.9 [.  .  .]

27-e-18. letter 71. to quintus†a i. [.  .  .] I do not know by what presumption some of my fellow bishops 578 are led to believe that when those who have been washed by the heretics come to us, they should not be baptized since, as they say, there is only one baptism.1 To be sure, there is one baptism in the Catholic Church because the Church is one, and there can be no baptism outside the Church. Since there cannot be two baptisms, if the heretics truly baptize, they have baptism. And those who on their own authority grant this power to them acquiesce and consent that Christ’s enemy and adversary seems to have the power of washing, purifying, and sanctifying someone. We, however, say that those coming from outside the Church are not rebaptized by us but are baptized. Nor do they receive anything outside the Church since nothing exists there, but they come to us where they find and receive grace and truth because grace and truth are one.2 Furthermore, some of our fellow bishops would prefer to honor heretics than to agree with us; asserting that there is only one baptism, they do not want us to baptize those who come to us. And so they either make two baptisms, saying that baptism exists among the heretics. Or, and certainly this is more serious, they attempt to rate more highly and prefer the washing of the heretics to the true and recognized baptism of the Catholic Church. They give no consideration to what is written, “If one is washed by a dead person, of what profit is the washing?”3 It is evident that those not in Christ’s Church are to be considered as among the dead. Nor can a person receive life from a dead person when there is one Church which, having obtained eternal life, both lives forever and gives life to God’s people. ii. In this regard they claim they are following the old custom when 579 among the ancients there existed heresy and the first beginnings of schism; those involved departed from the Church within which they had been baptized, and so it was not necessary to baptize them when they returned to the Church and did penance. This is what we observe today. It suffices to impose hands for penance upon those whom we know were baptized in the Church and have left us for the heretics if afterwards, recognizing their sin and separating themselves from error, they return to the truth and to their parent. They were sheep, driven apart and wandering, whom the shepherd may receive into his fold.4 If someone who was not 8. See Eph 4:4–5.  9. See Matt 16:18. † Translated from CCL 3 C, 516–19. a. Quintus: a bishop in Mauretania. 1. See Eph 4:5.  2. See John 1:14, 17.  3. Sir 34:30, 25, LXX.  4. See Matt 18:12–13; Luke 15:4–5.

178  Chapter V. Third Century. West previously baptized comes, as a common stranger he or she must be baptized to become a sheep since in the holy Church there is one water that makes sheep. [.  .  .]

27-e-19. letter 72. to stephen†a i. [.  .  .] The primary reason we wrote you and consulted with your authority and wisdom pertains more to the priestly authority and to the unity of the universal Church as well as to the dignity coming from the ordering of the divine disposition. It concerns those who have been washed outside the Church and have been soiled by the stain of profane water among the heretics and schismatics. When they come to us and to the one Church, they should be baptized since imposing hands on them for receiving the Holy Spirit is not enough; they are also to receive the Church’s baptism. For only then can they be fully sanctified and be children of God,1 being born from the mystery as is written, “No one can enter God’s kingdom without first being born of water and the Spirit.”2 Also, in the Acts of the Apostles we find that the apostles observed this and preserved the truth of the saving faith. In the house of Cornelius the centurion, after the Holy Spirit came down upon the Gentiles who were present, they— glowing with the warmth of their faith, wholeheartedly believing in the Lord, and filled with the Holy Spirit—blessed God in various tongues. Despite this, the blessed apostle Peter, mindful of the divine precept and of the Gospel, commanded that those who had already been filled with the Holy Spirit be baptized so that nothing seem to be neglected in regard to what the apostles taught concerning the divine law and the Gospel. Heretics are unable to use baptism; the enemies of Christ cannot profit from the grace of Christ. [.  .  .] ii. Beloved brother, we go on to add—and this by common consent 581 and authority—that any presbyter or deacon who has been previously ordained in the universal Church and subsequently became a traitor by rebelling against this Church is, upon his return, to be received. The same is true for those heretics who have been advanced by a sacrilegious ordination at the hands of false bishops and antichrists and, contrary to what Christ has called for and in opposition to the one and divine altar, have attempted to offer false and impious sacrifices. These also should be received upon their return. The only condition is that they function as members of the laity; it is enough that those who showed themselves to be enemies of peace should not, upon their return, possess the arms of ordination and dignity which they used to rebel against us. It is proper that the priests and ministers who devote themselves to the altar and its sacrifice remain untouched and unstained since the Lord God says in Leviticus, 580

Translated from CCL 3 C, 524–27. a. Stephen: bishop of Rome 254–57. 1. See Rom 8:14; Gal 4:4–6.  2. John 3:5. †

27. Cyprian of Carthage  179 “No person having a stain or a blemish will come forth to offer gifts to God.”3 The same is also found in Exodus, “And may the priests who approach the Lord God be sanctified lest the Lord depart from them.”4 Also, “When they come to serve at the altar of the holy place, they shall not bring guilt upon themselves should they die.”5 Is there any greater sin or more unsightly stain than to oppose Christ, than to have shattered the Church which was purchased and established with his blood, than—being forgetful of evangelical peace and love—to have fought with the anger of hostile discord against the unified and harmonious people of God? Even after such men return to the Church, they cannot reinstate or bring back with them the deceased whom they seduced, who thus perished outside the Church and without communion and peace; on judgment day the authors and leaders of their destruction will have to answer for what they did to the souls of those who died. When these leaders return, it is enough that pardon be given; faithlessness is not to be rewarded in the household of faith.6 If we honor those who withdrew from us and opposed the Church, then what do we have for those who are good and innocent?

27-e-20. letter 73. to jubaianus†a vi. Jeremiah the prophet accurately rebukes profane and illicit baptism 582 when he says, “Why do those who afflict me prevail? My wound is incurable; how will I be cured? It has become for me as a deceitful water lacking faith.”1 Through the prophet the Holy Spirit here speaks of a water that deceives and lacks faith. What is this deceitful and faithless water? Surely water that conceals any resemblance to baptism and by an unreal pretense frustrates the grace of faith. But if due to bad faith a person can be baptized outside the Church and obtain the forgiveness of sins, according to the same faith such a person could obtain the Holy Spirit, and it would not be necessary to impose hands on those who come so that they might receive the Holy Spirit and be sealed. Either both can be obtained without the Church through faith, or neither can be received outside the Church. vii. It is, moreover, evident where and through whom sins can be for583 given; namely, through baptism. The Lord first gave this power to Peter, upon whom he built his Church and whom he appointed and showed to be the source of unity: whatever Peter loosed on earth would also be loosed in heaven.2 Also, after the resurrection the Lord said to his apostles: “‘As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ When he said this, he breathed upon them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you will forgive, they will be forgiven. Whose sins you will retain, they will be retained.’”3 From this we know that only those placed in charge of the 3. Lev 21:17, 21.  4. Exod 19:22.  5. Exod 28:43, LXX; see 30:20–21.  6. See Gal 6:10. † Translated from CCL 3 C, 536–39. a. Jubaianus: a bishop in Mauretania. 1. Jer 15:18.  2. See Matt 16:18–19.  3. John 20:21–23.

180  Chapter V. Third Century. West Church and who base themselves on the law of the Gospel and on what the Lord determined are permitted to baptize and forgive sins; outside, however, nothing can be bound or loosed, since without no one can bind or loose. ix. In regard to those who were baptized in Samaria, some hold that 584 when the Apostles Peter and John went there, hands only were imposed on these people so that they might receive the Holy Spirit, and that they were not again baptized.4 Yet, dearest brother, in no way does this pertain to the case at hand. The believers in Samaria believed with a true faith and did so within the one Church, which alone is allowed to baptize and forgive sins. They were baptized by the deacon Philip5 whom the same apostles had sent. And since they were licitly baptized according to the Church, they were not to be baptized again. Peter and John did only what was lacking, namely, after praying for them and imposing hands upon them, they invoked the Holy Spirit to be poured forth upon them.6 This also occurs among us: those who are baptized in the Church are brought to the Church’s leaders so that by means of our prayer and the imposition of hands they might obtain the Holy Spirit and be perfected by the Lord’s seal.

27-e-21. letter 74. to pompey†a i. [.  .  .] Since you wished to know what our brother Stephenb replied to my letter, I have sent you a copy of his answer. Reading it, you will increasingly notice his error as he attempts to align himself with the heretics who stand against Christians and against God’s Church. For among other matters, whether they be arrogant or irrelevant or self-contradictory and which he ignorantly and impulsively wrote, he added, “Should anyone come to you from any heresy whatsoever, do nothing except what has been handed down, so that hands are imposed on them unto penance since heretics themselves characteristically do not baptize those who come to them but only admit them to communion.” ii. He has forbidden those coming from any heresy whatsoever to be 586 baptized in the Church, namely, he considered the baptism conferred by heretics as valid and legitimate. And whereas individual heresies have their own individual baptisms and diverse sins, he, being in communion with the baptism of all, has heaped up within himself the sins of all. He taught that nothing other than what has been handed down is to be done. It is as if the innovator would be the person who holds fast to unity and claims one baptism1 for the one Church. To be sure, the innovator is the person who is forgetful of unity, who adopts the lies and infections of 585

4. See Acts 8:14–17.  5. See Acts 8:5–6, 16.  6. See Acts 8:17. † Translated from CCL 3 C, 564–65, 571–72. a. Pompey: an African bishop. b. Stephen: bishop of Rome 254–57. 1. See Eph 4:5.

27. Cyprian of Carthage  181 their profane washing. May there be no innovations, he says, beyond what has been handed down. Yet what is the origin of what has been handed down? Does it come to us from the authority of the Lord and the Gospel? Or does it flow from the directives and letters of the apostles? What is written down must be done as God testifies and admonishes Joshua the son of Nun, “This book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth; day and night you shall meditate on it so that you may do all that is written in it.”2 Likewise, the Lord, sending forth his disciples, commanded that they baptize and teach the nations to observe everything he commanded them.3 Should the Gospel prescribe or should the epistles or Acts of the Apostles say that those coming from any heresy whatsoever are not to be baptized but that hands only should be imposed on them, then let this holy and divine tradition be followed. [.  .  .] v. If heretics attribute the effect of baptism to the power of the divine 587 name so that those who have been baptized, no matter where or how, are considered to be renewed and sanctified, then why do they not lay hands upon the baptized so that they may receive the Holy Spirit? Does not the same power of the divine name prevail in the laying on of hands as, so they contend, prevailed in the sanctification of baptism? If someone born outside the Church can become God’s temple,4 then why cannot the Holy Spirit be poured out upon this temple? The sanctified—those whose sins have been cast away through baptism and who have been spiritually remade into new persons5—have certainly been rendered fit to receive the Holy Spirit since the apostle says, “As many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”6 A person baptized among the heretics, who is able to put on Christ, is much more capable of receiving the Holy Spirit, the Spirit sent by Christ. Otherwise, for it to be possible that a person baptized outside the Church might put on Christ and yet be unable to receive the Holy Spirit, the one who is sent would be greater than the one who sends. It is as if a person could put on Christ without the Spirit, thereby separating the Spirit from Christ.7 Furthermore, it is foolish to say that, although the second birth by which we are born in Christ through the bath of regeneration is spiritual, a person can be spiritually born among heretics who deny the very existence of the Spirit.8 Water alone is unable to wash away sins and sanctify people unless these people possess the Holy Spirit. Therefore it is necessary for them to concede that the Spirit is present where they say baptism exists, or that there is no baptism where the Spirit is not found because baptism cannot exist without the Spirit. vi. But what does it mean to assert and contend that those who have 588 not been born in the Church can be children of God? The blessed apostle clearly shows and proves that it is in baptism that the old self dies and the new self is born.9 He says, “He saved us through the washing of 2. Josh 1:8.  3. See Matt 28:19.  4. See 1 Cor 3:16; 2 Cor 6:16.  5. See Eph 4:23–24.  6. Gal 3:27.  7. See ibid.  8. See Titus 3:5.  9. See Eph 4:22–24.

182  Chapter V. Third Century. West regeneration.”10 If regeneration is in the baptismal washing, how can heresy, which is not a spouse of Christ, bring forth children to God through Christ? The Church alone, which is joined and spiritually united to Christ, can bring forth children as the same apostle again says, “Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her in order to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing of water.”11 If the Church, then, is the beloved and the spouse who alone is sanctified by Christ and is cleansed by his washing, it is evident that those in heresy, not being Christ’s spouse and not being cleansed or sanctified by his washing, cannot bring forth children to God. vii. To continue, it is not through the imposition of hands that those who 589 are born receive the Holy Spirit but in baptism so that they, already born, may receive the Spirit, as happened to the first man.12 God first formed him and then breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. The Spirit cannot be received unless there exists someone who has already received the Spirit. Since Christians are born in baptism—the baptismal generation and sanctification belonging exclusively to Christ’s spouse which can give spiritual birth and generate children to God—then where and from whom and to whom is one born who is not a child of the Church? Whoever wishes to have God as a Father must first have the Church as a Mother. [.  .  .]

27-e-22. letter 75. firmiliana to cyprian† vii. [.  .  .] Other heretics also, if they have separated themselves from God’s Church, have no power or grace since power and grace are rooted in the Church where preside the presbyters [bishops?] who have the power to baptize, to lay on hands, and to ordain. For just as a heretic may not lawfully ordain or impose hands, so neither may a heretic baptize. [.  .  .] x. [.  .  .] Suddenly there arose a woman who in a state of ecstasy passed 591 herself off as a prophet and acted as though she were full of the Holy Spirit. [.  .  .] Earlier the devil’s deceptions and deceits moved this woman to undertake many things to mislead the faithful; among others by which she deceived many she frequently dared to pretend to sanctify the bread and celebrate the Eucharist and to offer a sacrifice to the Lord without the rite of the customary words; she also baptized many while using the customary and appropriate words of questioning so that nothing might seem to be different from the pattern observed by the Church. xi. What, then, are we to say about such a baptism in which the most 592 evil devil baptized by means of a woman? Do Stephenb and those agreeing with him really approve of this, especially since neither the trinitarian symbol nor the proper and ecclesiastical questioning were lacking? Can anyone believe that sins were pardoned or that the regeneration of the 590

10. Titus 3:5.  11. Eph 5:25–26.  12. See Gen 2:7. † Translated from CCL 3 C, 588ff. a. Firmilian: bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia. b. Stephen: bishop of Rome 254–57.

28. Pseudo-Cyprian. To Novatian  183 saving washing was properly accomplished where everything, being but an image of the truth, was done through the devil? Unless, perhaps, that those defending heretical baptism confidently assert that it was also the devil who gave the grace of baptism in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. [.  .  .] xi. What are we to understand when Stephen says that Christ’s presence 593 and holiness can be found among those baptized by the heretics? According to the apostle, “Whoever is washed in Christ has put on Christ.”1 Since the apostle does not lie, whoever has been baptized has put on Christ. But if they have put on Christ, then they could have received the Holy Spirit who had been sent by Christ. It would be useless to impose hands on whoever comes in order to receive the Spirit unless they divide the Spirit from Christ so that Christ can surely be found among the heretics but not the Holy Spirit. xxi. What is to be said about those who come from heresy and are ad594 mitted without the Church’s baptism? Should they have died, they are considered as catechumens who die before baptism; having abandoned their error and yet prevented by death from being baptized, they attain no small advantage of truth and faith even though they have not yet gained the fullness of grace. Those who are still alive are to be baptized with the Church’s baptism so that their sins may be forgiven. [.  .  .] 2 8 . P s e u d o - C y p r i a n . T o N o vat i a n †

Found among the works of Cyprian, this treatise by an unknown contemporary of the African bishop is directed against Novatian, a Roman priest, an antipope, and a martyr. As can be seen from this work, Novatian had modified his thinking regarding the lapsed, eventually adopting a very rigorist position. CPL no. 76 * Altaner (1961) 199 * Altaner (1966) 177 * Bardenhewer (1908) 199 * Bardenhewer (1910) 174 * Bardenhewer (1913) 2:444–46 * CE 4:588–89

2. [.  .  .] Two birds were sent forth from the ark, one a raven, the other a dove.1 The raven bore the image of the unclean, the image of those who would live in perpetual darkness throughout the whole world, the image of future apostates who, feeding on impure things, would no longer be able to return to the Church. We read that the raven, sent out, did not return. Therefore those similar to this bird, namely, similar to the impure spirit, will no longer be able to return to the Church even though they 1. Gal 3:27. † Translated from S. Thasci Caecili Cypriani Opera Omnia, vol. 3, ed. G. Hartel, CSEL 3.3 (Vienna, 1871) 55ff. 1. See Gen 8:6–12.

595

184  Chapter V. Third Century. West desire to do so. This the Lord forbade when he ordered Moses to “expel from the camp all that is leprous and unclean.”2 The dove that was sent forth and then came back is signified by those who do not tarry, since this bird had no place whereupon to rest its feet. Noah allowed it back into the ark. But on the seventh day when the dove was again sent out, Noah received it back, the dove bearing an olive leaf in its mouth. 3. Beloved brothers, I do not reflect upon these matters casually nor in 596 a way that disagrees with human wisdom, but rather in a manner that the heavenly Lord has graciously allowed us to express. And so I say that the dove itself presents us with a two-fold image. The first and principal image, one that existed in the past from the beginning of divine activity, is that of the Spirit. Through its mouth the dove prefigured the sacrament of baptism, which is given for the salvation of the human race and by divine design celebrated only in the Church. Sent forth three times from the ark and flying over the water, the dove already signified the sacraments of our Church. Whence Christ the Lord commanded Peter and his other disciples, saying, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”3 namely, that the Trinity which was figuratively at work through the dove at Noah’s time is presently at work in the Church through us. 13. [.  .  .] What led this Novatian to become so wicked, so profligate, so 597 mad with the rage of dissension, I cannot discover. When he belonged to the one household, namely, to the Church of Christ, he always lamented over the sins of his neighbors as if these sins were his own; he bore the burdens of his brethren as the apostle urges.4 With words of heavenly comfort he strengthened those uncertain in the faith. But now since beginning to practice that heresy of Cain which revels only in killing, he does not even refrain from harming himself. Moreover, if he had read that “the righteousness of the just will not free them on the day they sinned, nor will the evil of the impious harm them from the day of their conversion,”5 then for a long time now he would be doing penance in ashes, he who is always opposed to the penitents, he who more easily labors to destroy what is standing than to build up what lies in ruins, he who has again made many of our brethren most miserable heathens, frightened as they are by what he falsely says against them, namely, that the repentance of the lapsed is useless and can profit them nothing toward salvation; and yet Scripture says, “Remember from where you have fallen and do penance; so that I will not come to you unless you do penance.”6 Indeed, writing to the seven churches and having them face up to their crimes and sins, Scripture says that they are to repent. To whom was this said? Surely to those redeemed at the great price of his blood. 14. Novatian, you impious and wicked heretic! After so many and such 598 great sins which you knew some had willingly committed in the Church, 2. Num 5:2.  3. Matt 28:19.  4. See Gal 6:2.  5. Ezek 33:12.  6. Rev 2:5.

29. Pseudo-Cyprian. On Rebaptism  185 and before you yourself became an apostate from God’s household, you taught that these sins could be erased from memory provided they were followed by a good life, as Scripture confirms, “If those who are evil turn away from their evil deeds and follow righteousness, they will live in eternal life and not die in their evil.”7 Through their good deeds the sins they committed will be destroyed. Today you draw back as to whether the wounds of the lapsed are to be cured, the lapsed who have fallen, stripped by the devil, and laid low by “the torrent of water which the serpent spewed out of his mouth after the woman.”8 The apostle says, “But what am I to say? In this I do not praise you because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse.”9 For where rivalry and dissension exist among you, are you not carnal and do you not walk according to the world? Nor should we be astonished that Novatian now dares to carry out such abominable and oppressive measures against the lapsed since we have other instances of such mismanagement. Saul, once a good man in addition to other things, was later brought down by envy and strove to do whatever would be against David, whatever would harm him. [.  .  .] 29. Pseudo-Cyprian. On Rebaptism†

Written in Africa and probably before Cyprian’s death, this treatise defends the validity of baptism celebrated by heretics, a position directly opposite that of Cyprian. The author, an anonymous bishop, distinguishes between spiritual baptism (namely, that of the Holy Spirit and given by the imposition of the bishop’s hand) and water baptism (namely, that associated with invoking the name of Jesus). CPL no. 59 * Altaner (1961) 200 * Altaner (1966) 177 * Bardenhewer (1908) 199–200 * Bardenhewer (1910) 174 * Bardenhewer (1913) 2:448–50 * Jurgens 1:242 * Tixeront 125 * DTC 3.2:2465 * EC 4:1449 * PEA (1894) 4.2:1940 H. Koch, Die Tauflehre des Liber de rebaptismate (Braunsberg, 1907). * J. Ernst, “Die Tauflehre des Liber de rebaptismate,” ZkTh 31 (1907) 648–99. * G. Rauschen, “Die pseudo-cyprianische Schrift de rebaptismate,” ZkTh 41 (1917) 83–110.

1. I hear that some of the brethren inquired about the procedure to be followed regarding those who, having been baptized in heresy and yet baptized in the name of our God Jesus Christ, leave behind their heresy and hasten as supplicants to the Church of God. Here they wholeheartedly do penance and, finally understanding that their error has been condemned, petition the Church for the help of salvation. The question is whether, conforming to the most ancient practice and ecclesiastical tradition, it suffices that since they were baptized outside the Church but in the 7. Ezek 18:21.  8. Rev 12:15.  9. 1 Cor 11:22, 17. † Translated from S. Thasci Caecili Cypriani Opera Omnia, vol. 3, CSEL 3.3 (Vienna, 1871) 69ff.

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186  Chapter V. Third Century. West name of Jesus Christ our Lord only the hand of the bishop be imposed on them for receiving the Holy Spirit, this imposition giving them a second and perfected seal of the faith. Or must they be baptized again since, lacking this, they receive nothing just as if they had never been baptized in the name of Jesus Christ? Consequently there was a discussion on what people asserted or replied 600 concerning this new question. Each side was most zealous in refuting what the other side wrote. It seems to me that in this type of dispute no controversy or debate would have emerged if each party had been satisfied with the venerable authority of all the churches and, being humble enough, desired to innovate nothing, thus allowing no opportunity for contradiction. Surely to be condemned is whatever is uncertain and ambiguous, whatever prudent and dependable people disagree on, if this be judged contrary to the ancient, memorable, and most solemn observance of all who are deserving, holy, and faithful. Once something has been arranged and settled, whatever is contrary to the peace and tranquility of the churches results only in discord, rivalry, and division. [.  .  .] 2. To those undertaking a discussion of the saving and new—namely, 601 spiritual and evangelical—baptism, first of all there is the celebrated proclamation, known to all and initiated by John the Baptist, who diverged somewhat from the law, namely, from the most ancient baptism of Moses, and who prepared the way for a new and true grace. By announcing a future spiritual baptism, John gained the attention of the Jews, preceding this by a baptism of water and repentance which he meanwhile practiced. He exhorted them, “the one who comes after me is stronger than I. I am not worthy to loosen his sandals.” He will baptize you in the “Holy Spirit and with fire.”1 Consequently our discussion should begin here. In the Acts of the Apostles our Lord, after his resurrection, confirmed what John said when the Lord commanded that “they not leave Jerusalem but await that promise of the Father which you have heard from me; for John indeed baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”2 Peter likewise repeated these words of the Lord when he was explaining himself to the apostles: “When I began speaking, the Holy Spirit came down upon them as it did upon us in the beginning; and I recalled what the Lord said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ If, therefore, he gave them the same gift he gave to us who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder the Lord?”3 And again: “My brothers, you know how from early days God made his choice among us so that the Gentiles through my mouth should hear the word of the Gospel and believe. And God, who knows hearts, gave witness, giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did for us.”4 For this reason we should consider the strength and power of what John said. For the Lord 1. Matt 3:11; Mark 1:7; Luke 3:16; John 1:27.  2. Acts 1:4–5.  3. Acts 11:15–17.  4. Acts 15:7–8.

29. Pseudo-Cyprian. On Rebaptism  187 told those who would afterwards be baptized that they should believe, that they should be baptized not by him in water for repentance but in the Holy Spirit. Since none of us can doubt this statement, it is obvious why people are baptized in the Holy Spirit, for it was especially in the Holy Spirit alone that those who believed were baptized because John distinguished, saying that he baptized in water but the one to come would baptize in the Holy Spirit, doing so by God’s grace and power. [.  .  .] 3. [.  .  .] Just as at the imposition of the bishop’s hand the Holy Spirit 602 is given to each believer, so after Philip’s baptism the apostles laid hands on the Samaritans, thereby conferring the Holy Spirit on them.5 For this to take place, they prayed for the Samaritans since the Spirit had not yet descended upon any of them, this happening only after they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Also, it was after our Lord’s resurrection, when he breathed upon his apostles and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit,”6 that at last the Holy Spirit was given them. 4. Since this is so, what do you think, my brother? Suppose someone is 603 not baptized by a bishop and consequently does not immediately receive the laying-on of the hand, and suppose that this same person should die before receiving the Holy Spirit, do you believe that this individual has or has not received the Holy Spirit? Indeed the apostles themselves and the disciples, who also baptized and themselves were baptized by the Lord, did not immediately receive the Holy Spirit since the Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet been glorified. But the conferral of the Spirit occurred shortly after his resurrection just as the Samaritans, baptized by Philip, did not receive the Spirit till the apostles, invited to go from Jerusalem to Samaria in order to lay hands upon them, conferred the Holy Spirit through the imposition of the hand. The reason for doing so was that within such a short period of time any person who had not received the Holy Spirit could have died, thus being cheated of the grace of the Holy Spirit. No one can doubt that at present it customarily and frequently happens that many of the baptized die without the imposition of the bishop’s hand, and yet these are considered perfect believers. This is like the case of the Ethiopian eunuch who, returning from Jerusalem and reading the prophet Isaiah, had doubts and at the Spirit’s prompting heard the truth from Philip the deacon. The eunuch believed and was baptized. When the eunuch came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched away Philip, and the eunuch saw him no longer.7 Rejoicing, the eunuch continued on although, as you notice, no bishop imposed a hand upon him so that he might receive the Holy Spirit. Now if you admit that this is true and believe that such a baptism 604 brings salvation and do not oppose the opinion of all the faithful, then you must admit that just as this principle is more widely discussed, so the other can more widely be established, namely, that only through the 5. See Acts 8:14–17.  6. John 20:22.  7. See Acts 8:27–39.

188  Chapter V. Third Century. West imposition of the bishop’s hand, because baptism in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord preceded, can the Spirit also be given to another person who does penance and believes. According to Holy Scripture, those believing in Christ are to be baptized in the Spirit so that these also may not appear to have less than those who are perfect Christians. Nor should it be necessary to ask what type of baptism was it in which they attained the name of Jesus Christ. Except, perhaps, in that earlier discussion concerning those who were baptized only in the name of Christ Jesus, you should decide that these can be saved without the Holy Spirit; or that the Holy Spirit is not given in this way but only through the imposition of the bishop’s hand; or that it is not only the bishop who can bestow the Holy Spirit. 5. [.  .  .] Furthermore, as you are not ignorant, the Holy Spirit is found to 605 have been given by the Lord to believers who have not been baptized with water, as we read in the Acts of the Apostles: “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came down upon all who heard the word. The circumcised believers accompanying Peter were amazed because the gift of the Holy Spirit was also poured out on the Gentiles for they could hear them speaking in tongues and giving praise to God. Then Peter responded: ‘Can anyone withhold the water so that these, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have, may not be baptized?’ He commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus.”8 Later on Peter taught us most fully about the same Gentiles, “And he placed no difference between them and us, their hearts being purified through faith.”9 There will be no doubt that people can be baptized in the Holy Spirit without water; as you notice, these were baptized before being baptized with water so that what John and our Lord proclaimed might be fulfilled, since they received the grace of the promise both without the imposition of the apostles’ hands and without the washing which later on they received. With purified hearts they were at the same time and because of their faith forgiven their sins. And so the baptism that followed conferred on them one thing only, namely, that they received also the invocation of the name of Jesus Christ so that they seem to be lacking nothing in regard to the wholeness of their service and faith. 6. Looking at it from the opposite side of the discussion, here is what 606 was obtained by our Lord’s disciples upon whom, being already baptized, the Holy Spirit descended on Pentecost. Coming down from heaven by God’s will—not of the Spirit’s own design but sent forth for this very task—the Spirit rested upon each of them.10 The disciples were already righteous; as we have said, they had been baptized with the Lord’s baptism, as were the apostles themselves who on the night the Lord was taken prisoner deserted him, each and every one. Even Peter, who bragged that he would remain steadfast in his faith and who most obstinately protested what the Lord foretold, in the end denied him. In this way it was shown to us that whatever sins the apostles had meanwhile committed in any way 8. Acts 10:44–48.  9. Acts 15:9.  10. See Acts 2:1–4.

29. Pseudo-Cyprian. On Rebaptism  189 were by their subsequent sincere faith certainly remitted through baptism of the Holy Spirit. Nor, as I believe, was there any other reason why the apostles advised those whom they addressed in the Holy Spirit to be baptized in the name of Christ Jesus except that the power of the name of Jesus, when invoked upon any person whomsoever, was able to offer that individual no little benefit toward obtaining salvation, as Peter relates in the Acts of the Apostles, “for there is no other name under heaven given to the human race in which we are to be saved.”11 The apostle Paul reveals this, showing that God exalted our Lord Jesus and “gave him a name that is to be above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus is Lord in the glory of the Father.”12 When the name of Jesus is invoked over someone who is to be baptized, even though the baptism takes place [among those] in error, at some future time this person might understand the truth, correct the error, come to the Church and the bishop, and sincerely proclaim our Jesus before all. Then when the bishop’s hand is imposed, the Holy Spirit could also be received nor would the earlier invocation of the name of Jesus be lost. No one can find fault with this. Yet if this invocation takes place [among those] in error, it stands by itself and profits nothing toward salvation. Otherwise, even the Gentiles and the heretics, abusing the name of Jesus, could attain salvation without the true and complete procedure. [.  .  .] 10. Additionally, what will you say about those who, often enough, are 607 baptized by bishops whose conduct is most evil and who at last—God willing—are convicted of their wickedness and are deprived of their office and from all association with the community? Or what do you decide concerning those who were baptized by bishops with perverse ideas, bishops who are ignorant? Or by bishops who did not speak clearly or honestly, or who spoke in a way different from what befits our traditional belief regarding the sacrament? Or by bishops who have asked anything or, asking, hear from those replying what least should be asked about or given an answer? This, however, does not greatly harm our true faith, even though such more simple men may hand down the mystery of faith in a way that is not as rich and as well-ordered as yours. With your singular carefulness you will surely say that these also should be baptized again since they lack baptism and for this reason are unable to receive intact the divine and pure mystery of faith. Nonetheless, O best of men, let us grant and concede to the heavenly 608 powers their strength, to the dignity of the divine majesty its proper workings. Understanding how beneficial it is, may we willingly find comfort therein. Since our salvation is established upon baptism of the Spirit, which for the most part is linked to baptism of water, then whenever we baptize, let us do so integrally and solemnly, with all that is assigned in writing and without separating anything. But should necessity have 11. Acts 4:12.  12. Phil 2:9–11.

190  Chapter V. Third Century. West required that a lesser cleric [one who is not a bishop] baptize, then let us wait for its conclusion so that it either be added by us [the bishops] or be held back to be supplied by the Lord. If, however, it was conferred by those unknown to us, let the matter be corrected as is possible and is permitted. Since there is no Holy Spirit outside the Church, there can be no sound faith not only among the heretics but also among those in schism. Therefore those who do penance and are reformed through the teaching of truth and through their own faith, a faith that has later been improved by a purified heart, should be aided only by a spiritual baptism, that is, by the imposition of the bishop’s hand and by supplying the Holy Spirit. The complete seal of faith has rightly been given in this way and for this reason in the Church so that invoking the name of Jesus, which cannot be done away with, may not seem to be held in contempt by us. Such is not fitting even though this invocation, if none of what we have mentioned follows, may avail nothing in terms of salvation. [.  .  .] 3 0 . C o mm o d i a n

Little is known of the life of this poet. Some say he was born in Gaza in Palestine and perhaps became a bishop toward the end of his life. Athens, Africa (the more common opinion), Rome, Syria, as well as Arles are mentioned as possible places where he spent his life. As to the chronological period of his writing activity, the third century is, on the basis of internal evidence, frequently mentioned by many who thus consider Commodian to be the first Christian Latin poet; others place him as late as the fifth century. Knowledgeable in the Scriptures yet at times given to heterodox understandings, Commodian often wrote in an obscure fashion and with a general disregard for the rules of Latin grammar. His two works are the Instructions against the Gods of the Pagans and the Apologetic Hymn against the Jews and the Pagans, the latter being a reworking of the book of Revelation. CPL nos. 1470ff. * Altaner (1961) 485–87 * Altaner (1966) 181–82 * Bardenhewer (1908) 225–27 * Bardenhewer (1910) 197–98 * Bardenhewer (1913) 2:584–93 * Bardy (1930) 50–52 * Bautz 1:1114–15 * Cross 187–88 * Hamell 85 * Labriolle (1947) 1:257–73 * Labriolle (1968) 175–87 * Quasten 4:259–64 * Steidle 79 * Tixeront 123–24 * CATH 2:1355–56 * CE 4:165–66 * DCB 1:610–11 * DHGE 13:402–5 * DPAC 1:743–45 * DTC 3.1:412–19 * EC 4:63–65 * EEC 1:187–88 * EEChr 1:271 * LTK 2:1275–76 * ODCC 383 * PEA (1894) 4.1:773–74 * PEA (1991) 3:102–3 * RACh 3:248–52

30-A. Instructions against the Gods of the Pagans† The second book of this collection of eighty poems (of unequal length and all except two being acrostic) is a series of exhortations to the various Translated from Commodiani Carmina, ed. J. Martin and P.F. Hoving, CCL 128 (Turnhout, 1960) 66ff. †

30. Commodian  191 classes of Christians, e.g., catechumens, readers, ministers, clerics, etc. The author, writing in hexameter and using the Latin word accent rather than the length of the Latin syllable, urges them to avoid sin and fulfill their duties. II.i. (v.) To Catechumens As a believer in Christ you have abandoned idols. Using few words, I warn all of you for the sake of your salvation. If, early on, you lived in error, now vowed to Christ you henceforth will leave all things behind. Since you acknowledge God, be a good and approved recruit. May virginal modesty reside in you as in a lamb. May your mind await what is good; take care that you do not sin as formerly; baptism removes only the original stain. Any catechumen who sins is struck with punishment; marked with punishment, you will live in Christ but not without harm. Above all, always avoid grave sin.

609

II.iv. (viii.) To Penitents 610 You have become a penitent; pray both day and night. Do not stray far from your mother, the Church, and the Almighty will be merciful to you. And so the confession of your sin will not be in vain. Prostrate yourself in your sin and cry out before all. If your wound is grave, seek a physician; and even in your punishment you will be able to ease your suffering. Certainly I acknowledge that I also was one of you, and I likewise once experienced the terror of ruin. Furthermore, I warn those who have been wounded to walk with prudence; may they soil beard and hair with the dust of the earth; may they wear sackcloth and supplicate the Almighty King. He will assist you so that you do not disappear from among his people. II.xxii. (xxvi.) To Readers I warn certain readers to learn to give the world an example of a good life, to flee quarrels and avoid all strife, to restrain and lay aside all pride. Also respect, as is right, the elders. Beloved children, become like Christ your Master; may your goodness make you like the lilies in the field. Become happy by obeying God’s precepts. You are flowers among the people; you are the lamps of Christ. Remain as you are, and you will be able to recall it.

611

192  Chapter V. Third Century. West 612

II.xxiii. (xxvii.) To Ministers Deacons, chastely carry out the ministry of Christ. Be servants of your Master’s orders. Do not desire to flee the person of the righteous judge. If you are wise, do all that is entrusted to you. Look on high; always be devoted to God’s orders. Without wavering carry out your holy ministry to God. In all circumstances be ready and give a good example; show reverence to the pastors, and Christ will thereby approve you.

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II.xxx. (xxxiv.) To Clerics They will gather together at Easter, which is our most happy day. May they who request daily nourishment rejoice. May they be given what suffices, wine and food. Do you perhaps look back when these things are recalled for you? In a moderate meal there is nothing to give to Christ. If you yourselves fail to do this, then how will you be able to teach the people justice and the Law, even once a year? Also, you will be rightfully reproached.

I ta ly 3 1 . H i p p o ly t u s o f R o m e

Little is known of the personal life of Hippolytus, whose dates are often given as ca. 170–ca. 236. Eusebius (ca. 260–ca. 340) knew of him, and in his Church History (VI.20, 22) called him a bishop, although not knowing his see. A short list of treastises ascribed to Hippolytus are included in Eusebius’s book. Later evidence speaks of a presbyter called Hippolytus being banished to the island of Sardinia in the year 235. And if we are to believe a burial inscription composed by Pope Damasus (WEC 2:52) , Hippolytus was a follower of the Novatian schism, yet eventually being reconciled to the Church. The Roman Martyrology (1584), placing his feast on August 13, gives the following notice: “At Rome the blessed Hippolytus, martyr, who gloriously confessed the faith, under Emperor Valerian. After enduring other torments, he was tied by the feet to the necks of wild horses and, being cruelly dragged through briars and brambles, and having all his body lacerated, he yielded up his spirit. On the same day blessed Concordia, his nurse, suffered. Being scourged in this presence with leaded whips, she went to our Lord together with nineteen others of his household, who were beheaded beyond the Tiburtine Gate and who were buried with him in the Agro Verano.” Historians speculate upon various details of Hippolytus’s life, for example, his nationality. Some propose the Greek East since Hippolytus shows an intimate knowledge of Greek philosophy and thought; he also

31. Hippolytus of Rome  193 wrote in Greek, being the last well-known Christian author in Rome to do so. Other topics for historical discussion include Hippolytus’s relationship to the popes as well as to the followers of Novatian. The relatively large number of books listed in the Hippolytan corpus presents its own problems. Scholars point out that many works attributed to Hippolytus­—works whose titles we know—no longer exist. They are simply lost, perhaps due to the fact that Greek was no longer used in Rome. Complicating matters is that Christian antiquity knew a number of clerical personages named Hippolytus, thus it is not always clear which Hippolytus is the author of a particular work. Further, certain treatises are incorrectly attributed to Hippolytus, as appears to be true for the so-called Apostolic Tradition. CPG 1: nos. 1737, 1870ff. * Altaner (1961) 55–56, 183–90 * Altaner (1966) 82–84, 164–69 * Bardenhewer (1908) 208–20 * Bardenhewer (1910) 183–94 * Bardenhewer (1913) 2:496–555 * Bardy (1929) 36–40 * Bautz 2:888–93 * Cross 155–67 * Goodspeed 142–51 * Hamell 80–83 * Jurgens 1:162–75 * Quasten 2:163–207 * Steidle 57–62, 268–69 * Tixeront 128–32 * CATH 5:755–60 * CE 7:360–62 * CHECL 142–49 * DACL 6.2:2419–83 * DCB 3:85–105 * DHGE 24:627–35 * DictSp 7.1:531–71 * DPAC 2:1791–98 * DTC 6.2:2487–2511 * EC 7:171–80 * EEC 1:383–85 * EEChr 1:531–32 * LTK 5:147–49 * NCE 6:1139–41 * NCES 6:858–60 * ODCC 773–74 * PEA (1991) 5:602–4 * TRE 15:381–87

31-A. Apostolic Tradition† One of the most important works for our knowledge of the early Church’s liturgical life is the Apostolic Tradition, in the past usually, though not universally, attributed to Hippolytus. This treatise, like the Didache (WEC 1:7), belongs to a genre of writings called “church orders,” namely, a collection of various canonical and liturgical rules dealing with such topics as, among others, baptism, orders, and the Eucharist. Incorporated into a number of later documents, the Apostolic Tradition exerted a far-reaching influence, especially among the churches in the East. In 1891 H. Achelis published a document, found in Ethiopic, Coptic, and Arabic, which he, for lack of a better title, simply called the Egyptian Church Order. Nine years later, in 1900, E. Hauler published a palimpsest manuscript, lacking a title, written in Latin sometime at the end of the fourth or during the fifth century, and conserved in the Chapter Library in Verona. Although the original Greek of the work has been lost, it has been Translation based on La Tradition apostolique de s. Hippolyte, trans. and ed. B. Botte, SChr 11 bis (Paris, 1968). Although Botte presents the Latin of the Verona manuscript, his French translation generally follows the textual traditions of the East. For an excellent presentation of the various textual traditions, see G.J. Cuming, Hippolytus: A Text for Students, where each section is translated from the oldest source. †

194  Chapter V. Third Century. West possible to reconstruct the Greek original since the Verona palimpsest, although incomplete, is a quite literal translation of the original language. Sections lacking in the Latin version have been supplied from various oriental language manuscripts. In 1910 E. Schwarz claimed that this work was indeed the long-lost Apostolic Tradition, an assertion proved independently by R.H. Connolly in 1916. Recent years have seen an intensification of interest in this document. Although individual scholars may differ among themselves in regard to details and sections of the work, there appears to be growing consensus in a number of areas. First, the origin of the Apostolic Tradition is not necessarily Rome but may also be­—and some consider this far more likely—Egypt, and perhaps Alexandria. Second, the document is a compilation having several layers—two, perhaps three—some of which may be dated as early as the second century. And thus the work has no single author, if one can even speak of an “author” in this context. Some scholars also suggest that the document portrays a liturgy that was never celebrated. Editions R.H. Connolly, The So-Called Egyptian Church Order and Derived Documents, Texts and Studies 8, no. 4 (Cambridge, England, 1916). * G. Dix, The Apostolic Tradition of St. Hippolytus (London, 1937); 2nd ed. with prefaces and corrections by H. Chadwick (London, 1968). * B. Botte, trans., ed., La Tradition Apostolique de s. Hippolyte, SChr 11 (Paris, 1946); 2nd ed. (1968). * B. Botte, La Tradition Apostolique de s. Hippolyte, LQF 39 (Münster i. W., 1963). * J.M. Hanssens, La liturgie d’Hippolyte, ses documents, son titulaire, ses origines et son caractère, OCA 155, vol. 1 (Rome, 1959); 2nd ed. (Rome, 1965); vol. 2 (Rome, 1970). * G.J. Cuming, Hippolytus: A Text for Students, with Introduction, Translation, Commentary and Notes, Grove Liturgical Study 8 (Bramcote, Nottingham, 1976). General Studies H. Achelis, Die ältesten Quellen des orientalischen Kirchenrechts, vol. 1, Die Canones Hippolyti, TU 6, 4 (Leipzig, 1891). * H. Achelis, “Hippolytus im Kirchenrecht,” ZKG 15 (1895) 1–43. * H. Achelis, Hippolytstudien, TU, n.s., 1, 4 (Leipzig, 1897). * F.X. Funk, “Die Symbolstücke in der ägyptischen Kirchenordnung und den Kanones Hippolyts,” ThQ (1899) 161–87. * A. Baumstark, “Die nichtgriechischen Paralletexte sum achten Buche der Apostolischen Konstitutiones,” OC 1 (1901) 98–137. * A. J. Maclean, The Ancient Church Orders, The Cambridge Handbooks of Liturgical Study (Cambridge, England, 1910). * E. Schwartz, Ueber die pseudo-apostolischen Kirchenordnungen, Schriften der wissenschaftlichen Gesellschaft in Strassbourg 6 (Strassbourg, 1910). * Th. Schermann, Die allgemeine Kirchenordnung, frühchristliche Liturgie und kirchliche Ueberlieferung, StGKA 3, Ergänzungsband, Teil 1–3 (Paderborn, 1914). * A. Wilmart, “Le texte latin de la Paradosis de s. Hippolyte,” RSR 9 (1916) 62–71. * A. Wilmart, “Un règlement écclésiastique du IIIe siècle: la ‘Tradition Apostolique’ du s. Hippolyte,” RCF 96 (1918) 81–116. * R. Devreesse, “La ‘Tradi­ tion Apostolique’ de s. Hippolyte,” La vie et les arts liturgiques 8 (1921–22) 11–18. * Vigourel, “Autour de la ‘Tradition apostolique,’” La vie et les arts liturgiques 8 (1921–22) 150–56. * P. Galtier, “La Tradition Apostolique d’Hippolyte,” RSR 11 (1923) 511–27. * A. Baumstark, “Christus Jesus: Ein Alterskriterium römischer

31. Hippolytus of Rome  195 liturgischer Texte,” StC 1 (1924–25) 44–55. * R. Lorentz, De egyptische Kerkorden­ ing en Hippolytus van Rome (Leiden, 1929). * J.A. Jungman, “Beobachtungen zum Fortleben von Hippolyts ‘Apostolischer Ueberlieferung’ in Palladius und dem Pontificale Romanum,” ZkTh 53 (1929) 579–85. * P.O. Norwood, “The Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus,” AThR 17 (1935) 15–18. * A. Hamel, “Ueber das kirchenrechtliche Schriftum Hippolyts,” ZNW 36 (1937) 238–50. * H. Engberding, “Das angebliche Dokument römischer Liturgie aus dem Beginn des 3. Jahrhunderts,” in Miscellanea Liturgica in Hon. L.C. Mohlberg, vol. 1 (Rome, 1948) 47–71. * C.C. Richardson, “The Date and Setting of the Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus,” AThR 30 (1948) 38–44. * B. Botte, “L’authenticité de la Tradition Apostolique de s. Hippolyte,” RTAM 16 (1949) 177–85. * Dix, 221–24. * B. Capelle, “Hippolyte de Rome,” RTAM 17 (1950) 145–74; repr. in Travaux liturgiques, vol. 2 (Louvain, 1962) 31–60. * B. Capelle, “A propos d’Hippolyte de Rome,” RTAM 19 (1952) 193–202; repr. in Travaux liturgiques, vol. 2 (Louvain, 1962) 61–70.* H. Elfers, “Neue Untersuchungen über die Kirchenordnung Hippolyts von Rom,” in Abhandlungen über Theologie und Kirche, Festschrift für Karl Adam, ed. M. Reding (Düsseldorf, 1952) 169–211. * O. Casel, “Die Kirchenordnung Hippolyts von Rom,” ALW 2 (1952) 115–30. * B. Botte, “Le texte de la Tradition Apostolique,” RTAM 22 (1955) 161–72. * G. Kretschmat, “Bibliographie zu Hippolyt v. Rom,” JLH 1 (1955) 90–95. * A. Salles, “La ‘Tradition Apostolique’, est-elle un témoin de la liturgie romaine?” RHE 148 (1955) 181–213. * J.M. Hanssens, La liturgie d’Hippolyte: ses documents, son titulaire, ses origines et son caractère, OCA 155 (Rome, 1959). * J. Jungmann, The Early Liturgy: To the Time of Gregory the Great, University of Notre Dame Liturgical Studies 6 (Notre Dame, 1959) 52–86. * J.M. Hanssens, “La liturgie d’Hippolyte: assentiment et dissentiments,” Greg 42 (1961) 290–302. * B. Botte, “La scoperta della ‘Tradizione apostolica,’” JucL 1 (1963) 65–75. * B. Botte, “La ‘Tradizione Apostolica’ di sant’ Ippolito,” JucL 1 (1963) 133–37. * J. Magne, “La prétendu Tradition Apostolique d’Hippolyte de Rome s’appelait-elle les ‘Statuts de Saints apôtres’?” OstkSt 14 (1965) 36–67. * B. Botte, “A propos de la ‘Tradition Apostolique,’” RTAM 33 (1966) 177–86. * M. Cutrone, “The Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus of Rome,” ABR 19 (1968) 492–514. * Ricerche su Ippolito, Studia Ephemeridis Augustinianum 13 (Rome, 1977). * P. Bradshaw, C. Whitaker, and G. Cuming, Essays on Hippolytus, Grove Liturgical Study 15 (Bramcote, Nottingham, 1978). * G. Kretschmar, “La liturgie ancienne dans les recherches historiques actuelles,” LMD, no. 149 (1982) 57–90. * A.-G. Martimor, “Nouvel examen de la ‘Tradition Apostolique’ d’Hippolyte,” BLE 88 (1987) 5–25. * A. Gelston, “A Note on the Text of the ‘Apostolic Tradition’ of Hippolytus,” JThSt, n.s., 39 (1988) 112–17. * M. Metzger, “Nouvelles perspectives pour la prétendu ‘Tradition Apostolique,’” EOr 5:3 (1988) 241–59. * P. Le Roy, “La Tradition Apostolique d’Hippolyte,” PrO 84 (1991) 20–31. * A.-G. Martimort, “Encore Hippolyte et la ‘Tradition Apostolique,’” BLE 92 (1991) 133–37. * M. Metzger, “A propos des réglements ecclésiastiques et de la prétendue ‘Tradition Apostolique,’” RevSR 66 (1992) 249–61. * StLit, 87–89. * M. Metzger, “Enquêtes autour de la prétendu ‘Tradition Apostolique,’” EOr 9 (1992) 7–36. * A. Brent, Hippolytus and the Roman Church in the Third Century (Leiden, 1995). * A.-G. Martimort, “Encore Hippolyte et la ‘Tradition Apostolique,’” BLE 97 (1996) 275–79. * A. Stewart-Sykes, Hippolytus: On the Apostolic Tradition, Popular Patristic Series (Crestwood, NY, 2001). * P. Bradshaw and others, The Apostolic Tradition: A Commentary, Hermeneia Series (Minneapolis, 2002). * J. Baldovin, “Hippolytus and the Apostolic Tradition: Recent Research and Commentary,” TS 64 (2003) 520–42.

196  Chapter V. Third Century. West Initiation P. Galtier, “La consignation à Carthage et à Rome,” RSR 2 (1911) 350–83. * P. Galtier, “La consignation dans les églises d’Occident,” RHE 13 (1912) 257–301. * P. Galtier, “Onction et confirmation,” RHE 13 (1912) 467–76. * P. Galtier, “La ‘Tradition Apostolique’ d’Hippolyte, particularités et initiatives liturgiques,” RSR 13 (1923) 511–27. * R.H. Connolly, “On the Text of the Baptismal Creed of Hippolytus,” JThSt 25 (1924) 131–39. * B. Capelle, “Le symbol romain au second siècle,” RB 39 (1927) 33–45. * F.J. Dölger, “Der Kuss im Tauf- und Firmungsrituel nach Cyprian von Karthage und Hippolyt von Rom,” AC 1 (1929) 186–96. * B. Capelle, “Les origines du symbol romain,” RTAM 2 (1930) 5–20. * B. Capelle, “L’introduction du catéchumenat à Rome,” RTAM 5 (1933) 129–54. * D. van den Eynde, “Baptême et confirmation,” RSR 27 (1937) 196ff. * F.X. Steinmetzer, Empfangen vom Heiligen Geiste: eine Auseinandersetzung mit der Antike (Prague, 1938). * H.J. Carpenter, “The Birth from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin in the Old Roman Creed,” JThSt 40 (1939) 31–36. * D. van den Eynde, “Notes sur les rites postbaptismaux dans les Eglises d’Occident,” Ant 14 (1939) 257–76. * B. Welte, Die postbaptismale Salbung, ihr symbolischer Gehalt und ihre sakramentale Zugehöigkeit nach den Zeugnissen der alten Kirche, FThSt 51 (Freiburg i. B., 1939). * H. Elfers, “Gehöt die Salbung mit Chrisma im ältesten abendländischen Initiationsritues zur Taufe oder zur Firmung?” ThGl 34 (1942) 334–41. * G. Dix, The Theology of Confirmation in Relation to Baptism (Westminster, 1946). * R.H. Connolly, “The Theology of Confirmation in Relation to Baptism,” CR 27 (1947) 282–84. * W.G. van Unnik, “Les cheveux défaits des femmes baptisées: un rite de baptême dans l’ordre ecclésiastique d’Hippolyte,” VC 1 (1947) 77–100. * P. Nautin, Je crois à l’Esprit dans la saint Eglise pour la résurrection de la chair (Paris, 1947). * Ph. M. Ménound, “Le baptême des enfants dans l’Eglise ancienne,” VC 2 (1948) 15–26. * J.N.D. Kelly, Early Christian Creeds (Oxford, 1950) 113–19. * J.H. Crehan, Early Christian Baptism and the Creed (London, 1950) 159–71. * B. Botte, “Note sur le symbole baptismal de s. Hippolyte,” in Mélanges de J. Ghellinck, vol. 1 (Gembloux, 1951) 189–200. * A. Salles, “Les plus anciennes liturgies du baptême,” BLE 54 (1953) 240–42. * C.M. Edsman, “A Typology of Baptism in Hippolytus,” SP 2, TU 64 (Berlin, 1957) 35–40. * E. Ferguson, “Baptism from the Second to the Fourth Century,” ResQ 1 (1957) 185–97. * R.J.S. Werblowsky, “On the Baptismal Rite according to St. Hippolytus,” SP 2 (1957) 93–105. * P.-M. Gy, “Histoire liturgique du sacrement de confirmation,” LMD, no. 58 (1959) 135–45. * J. Jungmann, The Early Liturgy: To the Time of Gregory the Great, University of Notre Dame Liturgical Studies 6 (Notre Dame, 1959) 74–86. * A.-G. Martimort, “La ‘Tradition Apostolique’ d’Hippolyte et le rituel baptismal,” BLE 60 (1959) 57–62. * B. Botte, “Sacramentum Catechumenorum,” QLP 43 (1962) 322–30; repr. QL 80 (1999) 250–57. * T. Marsh, “The History and Significance of the Post-Baptismal Rite,” ITQ 29 (1962) 175–206. * B. Neunheuser, Baptism and Confirmation (St. Louis, 1964) 56–59. * D.L. Holland, “The Earliest Text of the Old Roman Symbol: A Debate with Hanz Lietzmann and J.N.D. Kelly,” CH 34 (1965) 262–81. * D.L. Holland, “The Baptismal Interrogation concerning the Holy Spirit in Hippolytus,” SP 10 (1970) 360–65. * B. Botte, “Le symbolisme de l’huile et de l’onction,” QL 62 (1981) 196–208; repr. QL 80 (1999) 269–81. * G. Cuming, “The Post-Baptismal Prayer in the ‘Apostolic Tradition’: Further Considerations,” JThSt, n.s., 39 (1988) 117–19. * E.A. Leeper, “From Alexandria to Rome: The Valentinian Connection to the Incorporation of Exorcism as a Prebaptismal Rite,” VC 44 (1990) 6–24. * C. Munier, “Initiation chrétienne et rites d’onction (IIe–IIIe siècles),” RSR 64 (1990) 115–25. * R. Gounelle,

31. Hippolytus of Rome  197 “Le baptême aux temps patristiques: le cas de la ‘Tradition Apostolique,’” ETR 70 (1995) 179–89. * W. Kinzig, C. Markschies, and M. Vinzent, Tauffragen und Bekenntnis: Studien zur sogenannten “Tradition Apostolica,” zu den “Interrogationes de fide” und zum “Römischen Glaubensbekenntnis.” Arbeiten zur Kirchengeschichte 74 (Berlin and New York, 1998). * M.E. Johnson, “The Problem of Creedal Formulae in the Traditio Apostolica,” EOr 21 (2005) 12–18. Eucharist P. Batiffol, “Une prétendue anaphore apostolique,” RBibl 13 (1916) 23–32. * S. Salaville, “Un text romain du Canon de la Messe au début du IIIe siècle,” EO 21 (1921) 79–85. * R. Devreesse, “La prière eucharistique de s. Hippolyte,” La vie et les arts liturgiques 8 (1921–22) 393–97, 448–53. * R.H. Connolly, “On the Meaning of ‘Epiclesis,’” DR (1923) 28–43. * R.H. Connolly, “On the Meaning of epivklhsi~: A Reply,” JThSt 25 (1924) 337–64. * J.B. Thibaut, La liturgie romaine (Paris, 1924) 57–80. * J.M. Frochisse, “A propos des origines du jeûne eucharistique,” RHE 28 (1932) 594–609. * H. Lietzmann, Messe und Herrenmahl, Arbeiten zur Kirchengeschichte 8 (Bonn, 1935–37) 26–31. * O. Cullmann, “La signification de la sainte Cène dans le christianisme primitif,” RHPR 16 (1936) 1–22. * A. Arnold, Der Ursprung des christlichen Abendmahles, FThSt 45 (Freiburg, 1937). * W.H. Frere, The Anaphora or Great Eucharistic Prayer (London, 1938). * R.H. Connolly, “The Eucharistic Prayer of Hippolytus,” JThSt 39 (1938) 350–69. * G. Ellard, “Bread in the Form of a Penny,” TS 4 (1943) 319–46. * G.V. Jourdan, “Agape or Lord’s Supper: A Study of Certain Passages in the Canons of Hippolytus,” Hermathena 64 (1944) 32–43. * B. Botte, “L’épiclèse de l’anaphore d’Hippolyte,” RTAM 14 (1947) 241–51. * C.C. Richardson, “The Socalled Epiclesis in Hippolytus,” HThR 8 (1947) 101–8. * N.A. Dahl, “Anamnesis: mémoire et commémoration dans le christianisme primitif,” STh 1 (1947) 69–95. * D. van den Eynde, “Nouvelle trace de la ‘Tradition Apostolica’ d’Hippolyte dans la liturgie romaine,” in Miscellanea Mohlberg, vol. 1 (Rome, 1948) 407–11. * C.C. Richardson, “A Note on the Epiclesis in Hippolytus and the ‘Testamentum Domini,’” RTAM 15 (1948) 357–59. * C. Callewaert, “Histoire positive du canon romain: une épiclèse à Rome?” SE 2 (1949) 95–110. * E.C. Ratcliff, “The Sanctus and the Pattern of the Early Anaphora I,” JEH 1 (1950) 29–36, 125–34; repr. in E.C. Ratcliff: Liturgical Studies, ed. A.H. Couratin and D. Tripp (London, 1976) 18–40. * C.A. Bouman, “Variants in the Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer,” VC 4 (1950) 94–115. * B. Botte, “L’épiclèse dans les liturgies syriennes orientales,” SE 6 (1954) 48–72. * J.A. Jungmann, The Early Liturgy: To the Time of Gregory the Great, University of Notre Dame Liturgical Studies 6 (Notre Dame, 1959) 64–73. * A. Orbe, “El enigma de Hipólito y su Liturgia,” Greg 41 (1960) 284–92. * J.-D. Benoît, “Les liturgies eucharistiques de l’Eglise romaine et des Eglises de la Réforme,” ETR 37 (1962) 3–39. * B. Poschmann, Penance and the Anointing of the Sick (St. Louis, 1964) 51–53. * B. Botte, “Tradition Apostolique et canon romain,” LMD 87 (1966) 52–61. * B. Botte, “‘Extendit manus suas cum pateretur,’” QLP 49 (1968) 307–8. * E. Moeller, “Le première des nouvelles prières eucharistiques,” QLP 49 (1968) 219–21. * E.J. Lengeling, “Hippolyt von Rom und die Wendung ‘extendit manus suas cum pateretur,’” QLP 50 (1969) 141–44. * W. Rordorf, “Le sacrifice eucharistique,” TZ 25 (1969) 335–53. * M.A. Smith, “The Anaphora of Apostolic Tradition Re-considered,” SP 10 (1970) 426–30. * L. Bouyer, Eucharist: Theology and Spirituality of the Eucharistic Prayer (Notre Dame, 1970) 158–82. * R.D. Richardson, “Supplementary Essay to H. Lietzmann,” Mass and Lord’s Supper (Leiden, 1979) 434–39. * B. Botte, “Adstare coram

198  Chapter V. Third Century. West te et tibi ministrare,” QL 63 (1982) 223–26. * R. Grove, “‘Terminum figat’: Clarifying the Meaning of a Phrase in the Apostolic Tradition,” OCP 48 (1982) 431–34. * E. Mazza, “Omilie pasquali e Birket-ha-Mazon: fonti dell’Anafora di Ippolito?” EphL 97 (1983) 409–81. * P. McGoldrick, “The Holy Spirit and the Eucharist,” ITQ 50 (1983–84) 48–66. * P.G. Cobb, “The Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus,” in StLit, 213–16. * C.A. Bobertz, “The Role of Patron in the ‘Cena Dominica’ of Hippolytus’ ‘Apostolic Tradition,’” JThSt, n.s., 44 (1993) 170–84. * J. Driscoll, “Uncovering the Dynamic Lex-orandi-lex-credendi in the Anaphora of the Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus,” EOr 18 (2001) 327–64. Orders/Ministry Th. Schermann, Ein Weiherituale der römischen Kirche am Schlusse des ersten Jahrhunderts (Munich, 1913). * W.H. Frere, “Early Ordination Services,” JThSt 16 (1915) 323–69. * C.H. Turner, “The Ordination Prayer for a Presbyter in the Church Order of Hippolytus,” JThSt 16 (1915) 542ff. * J.V. Bartlet, “The Ordination Prayers in the Ancient Church Order,” JThSt 17 (1916) 248ff. * A. Nairne, “The Prayer for the Consecration of a Bishop in the Church Order of Hippolytus,” JThSt 17 (1916) 598ff. * R.H. Connolly, “The Ordination Prayers of Hippolytus,” JThSt 18 (1917) 55ff. * B. Botte, “Le rituel d’ordination des Statuta Ecclesiae antiqua,” RTAM (1939) 223–41. * H.D. Simonin, “La prière de la consécration épiscopale dans la Tradition Apostolique d’Hippolyte de Rome, trad. et comm.,” VS 60 (1939) 65–86. * B. Botte, “Le sacre épiscopal dans le rite romain,” QLP 25 (1940) 22–32. * A.J. Otterbein, “The Diaconate according to the Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus and Derived Documents,” diss. (Washington, D.C., 1945). * B. Botte, “L’ordre d’après les prières d’ordination,” QLP 35 (1954) 167–79. * J. Lecuyer, “Episcopat et presbytérat dans les écrits d’Hippolyte de Rome,” RSR 41 (1953) 30–50. * J. Jungmann, The Early Liturgy: To the Time of Gregory the Great, University of Notre Dame Liturgical Studies 6 (Notre Dame, 1959) 59–64. * J.H. Crehan, “The Typology of Episcopal Consecration,” TS 21 (1960) 250–55. * E. Lanne, “Les ordinations dans le rite copte, leurs rélations avec les Constitutions Apostoliques et la Tradition de Saint Hippolyte,” OrSyr 5 (1960) 81–106. * E. Ferguson, “Ordination in the Ancient Church,” ResQ 5 (1961) 17–32, 67–82, 130–46. * R. Béraudy, “Le sacrement de l’ordre d’après la Tradition Apostolique d’Hippolyte,” BCE (July–December 1962) 38–39. * E.C. Ratcliff, “‘Apostolic Tradition’: Questions concerning the Appointment of the Bishop,” SP, TU 93 (Berlin, 1966) 266–70; repr. in E.C. Ratcliff: Liturgical Studies, eds. A.H. Couratin and D. Tripp (London, 1976) 156–60. * J. Lécuyer, “La prière d’ordination de l’évêque: le pontifical romain et la ‘Tradition Apostolique’ d’Hippolyte,” NRTh 89 (1967) 601–6. * A. Rose, “La prière de consécration pour l’ordination épiscopale,” LMD, no. 98 (1969) 127–42. * J.E. Stam, “Episcopacy in the Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus,” diss. (Basel, 1969). * W. Rordorf, “L’ordination de l’évêque selon la Tradition Apostolique d’Hippolyte de Rome,” QLP 55 (1974) 137–50. * G. Kretschmar, “Die Ordination im frühen Christentum,” FZPT 22 (1975) 35–69. * J. Magne, Tradition Apostolique sur les charismes et Diataxeis des Saints Apôtres: identification de documents and analyse du rituel d’ordination (Paris, 1975). * E. Segelberg, “The Ordination Prayers in Hippolytus,” SP 13 (1975) 397–408. * K. Richter, “Zum Ritus der Bischofordination in der ‘Apostolischen Ueberlieferung’ Hippolytus von Rom,” ALW 17–18 (1975–76) 7–51. * G.H. Luttenberger, “The Priest as a Member of a Ministerial College: The Development of the Church’s Ministerial Structure,” RTAM 43 (1976) 5–63. * C.-J. P. de Oliveira, “Signification sacerdotale du ministère de l’évêque dans

31. Hippolytus of Rome  199 la ‘Tradition Apostolique’ d’Hippolyte de Rome,” FZPT 25 (1978) 398–427. * E.G. Jay, “From Presbyter-Bishops to Bishops and Presbyters: Christian Ministry in the Second Century,” SCJ 1 (1981) 125–62. * J. Stahl, “La typologie de l’ancient pontifical peut-elle encore nous instruire?” QL 66 (1985) 3–24. Daily Prayer B. Botte, “Les heures de prière dans la Tradition Apostolique et les documents derivés,” in La prière des heures, eds. E. Cassien and B. Botte, LO 35 (Paris, 1963) 105–7. * D.Y. Hadidian, “The Background and Origin of the Christian Hours of Prayer,” TS 25 (1964) 59–69. * P.L. Philips, “Daily Prayer in the ‘Apostolic Tradition’ of Hippolytus,” JThSt, n.s., 40 (1989) 389–400. Other Topics R.H. Connolly, “The Prologue to the Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus,” JThSt 22 (1921) 356–61. * E. Hennecke, “Der Prolog zur ‘Apostolischen Ueberlieferung’ Hippolyts,” ZNW 22 (1923) 144–46. * E. Jungklaus, Die Gemeinde Hippolyts dargestellt nach seiner Kirchenordnung, TU 46 (Leipzig, 1928). * D. Van den Eynde, “Nouvelle trace de la ‘Traditio Apostolica’ d’Hippolyte dans la liturgie romaine,” in Miscellanea Liturgica in Honorem L. Cuniberti Mohlberg, vol. 1 (Rome, 1948) 407–11. * M. Richard, “Comput et chronographie chez s. Hippolyte,” MSR 7 (1950) 237–68; 8 (1951) 19–51. * J.B. Bauer, “Die Fruchtesegnung in Hippolyts Kircheordnung,” ZKTh 13 (1916) 71–75. * E. Hennecke, “Hippolyts Schrift ‘Apostolische Ueberlieferung über Gnadengaben,’” Harnackehrung (Leipzig, 1921) 159–82. * K. Müller, “Kleine Beiträge zur Kirchengeschichte 6, Hippolyts ∆Apostolikh; paravdosi~ und die Canones Hippolyti,” ZNW 23 (1924) 214–47. * K. Müller, “Noch einmal Hippolyts ∆Apostolikh; paravdosi~,” ZNW 28 (1929) 273–305. * J. Blanc, “Lexique comparé des versions de la ‘Tradition Apostoloque’ de s. Hippolyte,” RTAM 22 (1955) 173–92. * B. Botte, “Les plus anciennes collections canoniques,” ORSyr 5 (1960) 331–50. * B. Botte, “Un passage difficile de la Tradition Apostolique sur le signe de la croix,” RTAM 27 (1960) 5–19. * R. Segelberg, “The Benedictio Olei in the Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus,” OC 48 (1964) 268–81. * B. Botte, “Christian People and Hierarchy in the Apostolic Tradition of St. Hippolytus,” in Roles in the Liturgical Assembly, ed. A.M. Triaca, trans. M.J. O’Connell (New York, 1981) 61–72. * M.E. Johnson, “The Problem of Creedal Formulae in the ‘Traditio Apostolica,’” EOr 22 (2005) 159–75.

1. Prologue We have written down what was necessary concerning the spiritual gifts which God, from the beginning, granted the human race according to his divine will, presenting to himself the image1 that humankind lost. And now, strengthened by our love for all the holy ones, we come to what is essential in the tradition that is to exist in the churches so that those who are well-instructed may retain the tradition that has come down to the present, by following our explanation of it, and so that they might be strengthened by knowing it. In light of the failure or error which was recently produced by ignorance, and was caused by ignorant people, the Holy Spirit confers perfect 1. See Gen 1:26–27.

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200  Chapter V. Third Century. West grace on those who believe correctly so that the Church’s leaders might know how they should teach and protect all things. 2. Bishops The man to be ordained a bishop is to be chosen by all the people and is to lead a blameless life. When he has been selected and when the people have given their consent, they gather on the Lord’s Day with the presbytery and with the bishops who are present. Once all have agreed, the bishops lay hands on him, while the presbyters stand by in silence. All are to remain silent, praying in their hearts for the descent of the 618 Spirit. Then one of the bishops present, at the request of all and while laying his hand upon the man who has been made bishop, prays as follows. 617

3. [Prayer for the ordination of a bishop] “God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Father of mercies and God of all consolation,2 you dwell in the highest heavens and look upon the lowly.3 You know all things before they come into being.4 Through the word of your grace you have given the decrees of your Church. From the beginning you predestined the race of the just descendants of Abraham. You appointed rulers and priests, and you did not allow your sanctuary to be without ministry. From the foundation of the world you desired to be glorified in those whom you have chosen. Now pour forth the power that comes from you, the power of the royal Spirit5 which you have granted to your beloved Son Jesus Christ, which he granted to your holy apostles who established the Church in every place as your sanctuary for the glory and unceasing praise of your name. “O Father, you know the human heart. Grant that your servant, whom 620 you have chosen for the episcopate, may feed your holy flock and blamelessly serve as your royal priest, doing so night and day. May he always cause you to look mercifully upon us and offer the gifts of your holy Church. Through the Spirit of the high priesthood may he, according to your command, have the power to forgive sins.6 May he distribute responsibilities according to your command, and may he, through the power you gave to your apostles,7 free us from every bond. May he please you by his gentleness and his pure heart. May he offer you a pleasing fragrance. Through your Son Jesus Christ. Through him glory, power, and honor are yours with the Holy Spirit in the holy Church, now and forever. Amen.” 619

4. The offering When he has been made bishop, all are to give him the kiss of peace, greeting him because he has been made worthy. The deacons then present him with the offering, and he, imposing his 622 hand upon it with the whole presbytery, gives thanks together with the 621

2. See 2 Cor 1:3.  3. See Ps 113:5–6.  4. See Dan 13:42.  5. See Ps 51:12.  6. See John 20:23.  7. See Matt 18:18.

31. Hippolytus of Rome  201 whole presbytery as he says, “The Lord be with you.” And all say, “And with your spirit.” “Lift up your hearts.” “We lift them up to the Lord.” “Let us give thanks to the Lord.” “It is right and just.” And he continues as follows: “O God, through your beloved Son Jesus Christ we give you thanks because in these last times you have sent him as Savior, Redeemer, and messenger of your will.8 He is your inseparable Word through whom you made all things and whom, in your delight, you sent from heaven into the womb of the virgin. Having been conceived, he was made flesh and showed himself as your Son, born of the Holy Spirit and of the Virgin. He carried out your will and won for you a holy people. He stretched out his hands in suffering in order to deliver from suffering those who trust in you. “When he was about to hand himself over to voluntary suffering, in order to destroy death and break the chains of the devil, to crush hell beneath his feet, to give light to the just, to establish the rule [of faith?], and to show forth the resurrection, he took bread, gave you thanks, saying, ‘Take, eat, this is my Body which is broken for you.’ Likewise the cup, while saying, ‘This is my Blood which is poured out for you. When you do this, you do it in memory of me.’ “Recalling his death and his resurrection, we offer you this bread and this cup. We give thanks to you for having judged us worthy to stand before you and serve you. “We ask that you send your Holy Spirit upon the offering of your holy Church. Gather it together. Grant that all who share in your holy mysteries may be filled with the Holy Spirit so that their faith may be strengthened in truth.a And so may we praise and glorify you through your Son Jesus Christ. Through him may glory and honor be to you with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church now and forever. Amen.” 5. [Offering of oil] If anyone offers oil, the bishop shall give thanks just as he does for the offering of the bread and wine, not expressing himself in the same words, but to similar effect, as he says: “O God, by sanctifying this oil you give holiness to those who are anointed with it and who receive this oil with which you have anointed kings, priests, and prophets. May it bring comfort to those who taste it, health to those who use it.” 6. [Offering of cheese and olives] Likewise, if anyone offers cheese and olives, the bishop says the following: “Sanctify this milk which has been curdled into cheese, and also gather us into your love. Grant that this fruit of the olive tree may never a. Scholars do not agree as to the authenticity of this epiclesis or its primitive form. 8. See Isa 9:5.

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202  Chapter V. Third Century. West depart from your sweetness since the olive tree is the symbol of your abundance which you made to flow from the tree to give life to those who hope in you.” And in every blessing shall be said, “Glory to you, Father and Son with the Holy Spirit in the holy Church, now and always, forever and ever.” 629

7. Presbyters When a presbyter is ordained, the bishop lays his hand upon his head, while the other presbyters likewise touch him. The bishop prays as indicated above for the bishop. “God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, look upon this your servant and grant him the grace and counsel of the presbyterate so that he may help and govern your people with a pure heart, just as you looked upon your chosen people and just as you commanded Moses to choose elders whom you filled with the Holy Spirit who was given to your servant. And now, Lord, grant that we may always preserve in us the Spirit of your grace. Make us, once filled with this Spirit, worthy to serve you in simplicity of heart, by praising you through your Son Jesus Christ, through whom glory and power be to you, with the Holy Spirit in the holy Church, now and forever. Amen.”

8. Deacons When a deacon is instituted, he is selected as indicated above. The bishop alone imposes hands, as we said. At the ordination of the deacon, the bishop alone imposes the hand because the deacon is not ordained to the priesthood but to serve the bishop, to carry out the bishop’s orders. He is not a member of the council of the clergy, but he administers and 631 informs the bishop as to what is necessary. He does not receive the common spirit of the presbyterate in which the presbyters share, but the spirit given him under the authority of the bishop. It is for this reason that the bishop alone ordains the deacon, whereas all the presbyters impose hands on presbyters because the same spirit is shared by all. The presbyter has the authority only to receive the Spirit, not to give the 632 Spirit. This is why he does not ordain clerics. However, at the ordination of a presbyter he seals whereas the bishop ordains. The bishop says the following over the deacon: “O God, Father of our 633 Lord Jesus Christ, you have created all things and disposed them by the Word. Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, whom you sent to carry out your will and manifest your desires, grant the Spirit of grace and zeal to your servant, whom you have chosen to serve your Church and to present in your sanctuary the offering of him who was established as your high priest, to the glory of your name. May he serve you without reproach and in purity. May he obtain a higher degree,9 and may he praise and glorify you through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Through whom 630

9. See 1 Tim 3:13.

31. Hippolytus of Rome  203 glory, power, and praise be to you with the Holy Spirit now and forever. Amen.” 9. Confessors If a confessor has been in chains because of the Lord’s name, do not lay the hand upon him for the diaconate or the presbyterate since he possesses the honor of the presbyterate by his confession. But if he is appointed bishop, the hand is laid upon him. But if there is a confessor who has not been led before the authority, who has neither undergone arrest nor been imprisoned nor been condemned to another penalty, but who on occasion has been derided for the name of our Lord and punished in private, if he has confessed his faith, the hand is to be imposed on him for every order of which he is worthy. Let the bishop give thanks as we have indicated above. It is not necessary that he recite the same words we have given, as if he is to say them by heart while giving thanks to God. Let each pray according to his abilities. If someone can pray somewhat longer and say a solemn prayer, it is good. But if someone while praying says a short prayer, do not hinder him, provided that the prayer is sound and orthodox. 10. Widows When a widow is appointed, she is not ordained but designated by being called such. If her husband has been dead for a long time, she is appointed. But if her husband is not long dead, do not place confidence in her; even if she is elderly, she is to be tested for a certain period of time. Often passions grow old with the person within whom they are found. A widow is appointed by words alone, and then she joins the other widows. But the hand is not placed upon her since she does not offer the oblation and has no liturgical function. The clergy, however, are ordained because of their liturgical service. The widow, however, is appointed for prayer, which is the common task of all.

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11. The reader The reader is appointed when the bishop gives him the book, for hands are not laid on him.

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12. The virgin The hand is not placed upon the virgin; her decision alone makes her a virgin.

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13. The subdeacon There is no imposition of the hand for the subdeacon, but he is named a subdeacon so that he might serve the deacon.

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14. Gifts of healing If someone says, “I have received the gift of healing in a revelation,” the hand is not imposed upon that person. The facts themselves will show whether such a person has spoken the truth.

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204  Chapter V. Third Century. West 15. Newcomers to the faith Those who come for the first time to hear the word are to be brought to the teachers before all the people arrive. They will be asked why they are seeking the faith. Those who have brought them will testify on their behalf as to whether they are capable of hearing the word. Their state of life is also to be examined. Does one have a wife? Is he a slave? If he is the slave of a believer and if his master permits, let him hear the word. If his master does not give favorable testimony, he shall be sent away. If some are possessed by a devil, let them not hear the word of instruc642 tion till they have been purified. If a man has a wife or if a woman has a husband, teach them to be con643 tent, the man with his wife and the woman with her husband. If a man is not married, teach him not to commit fornication but to take a wife in accord with the law or else to remain as he is. 641

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16. Jobs and professions Inquire as to the jobs and professions of those who are brought for instruction. If someone keeps a house of prostitution, that person is to cease doing so or is to be sent away. If someone is a sculptor or painter, that person is to be taught not to make idols; they are to give this up or be sent away. If someone is an actor or performs in the theater, that person is to cease doing so or be sent away. It is preferable that those who teach children cease doing so; but if they have no other profession, they are allowed to teach. The charioteer who competes or whoever takes part in the games will cease doing so or be sent away. The gladiator or whoever teaches the gladiator to fight, or the man who fights with beasts in the games, or the official connected with the gladiatorial games, must give this up or be sent away. Whoever is a priest or a keeper of idols must cease doing so or be sent away. A subordinate soldier is not to kill. If commanded to do so, he will not carry out the order. Nor will he take an oath. If he does not agree to this, he will be sent away. Whoever holds the power of the sword or is the city’s magistrate who wears the purple will cease doing so or be sent away. The catechumen or believer who wishes to become a soldier is to be sent away because he has shown contempt for God. The prostitute, the dissolute man, the dandy, or anyone who has done unspeakable things will be sent away, for they are impure. Nor is the magician to be admitted for testing. The enchanter, the astrologer, the diviner, the interpreter of dreams, the charlatan, the counterfeiter, the maker of amulets must cease or they will be sent away.

31. Hippolytus of Rome  205 Any man’s concubine, if she is his slave and if she has raised his children and is faithful to him alone, will hear the instruction; otherwise she is to be sent away. The man who has a concubine will cease doing so and marry her according to the law; if he refuses to do so, he will be sent away. If we have omitted anything else, the occupations themselves will teach you, for all of us have the Spirit of God. 17. The length of the instruction after the examination of jobs and occupations Catechumens will receive instruction for three years. If someone is zealous and perseveres well in the matter, the length of time is not to be judged, only that person’s conduct. 18. The prayer of those receiving instruction When the teacher has completed the catechesis, the catechumens pray by themselves, apart from the faithful. The women, whether they be members of the faithful or catechumens, stand apart for prayer in the church. After they have finished praying, the catechumens do not extend the kiss of peace because their kiss is not yet holy.10 The faithful are to greet one another, the men greeting the men and the women greeting the women, but the men are not to greet the women. All the women are to cover their heads with a scarf and not merely with a piece of linen, the latter not being a covering. 19. Laying the hand upon the catechumens After the prayer the teacher, whether a cleric or a laic, and having laid the hand on the catechumens, is to pray and dismiss them. A catechumen who is arrested on account of the Lord’s name is not to be anxious about the witness given. For these people, undergoing violence and suffering death, will be justified even though not receiving the forgiveness of sin. They have been baptized in their own blood.

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20. Those to be baptized Once those to be baptized have been chosen, their way of life is to be 664 examined. While they were catechumens, did they live honestly? Have they shown respect to widows? Have they visited the sick and performed all kinds of good works? If those bringing them testify that each has done these things, then let them hear the Gospel. From the moment of their selection let the hand be laid upon them each 665 day while they are exorcised. And when the day of baptism approaches, the bishop will exorcise each person so as to ascertain that each is purified. Anyone who is not good or not pure is to be put aside because this person has not heard the word with faith since it is impossible that the Alien conceal himself forever. 10. See Rom 16:16; 1 Cor 16:20; 2 Cor 13:12; 1 Thess 5:26.

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Those to be baptized are to be instructed that they are to wash and cleanse themselves on the fifth day of the week [Thursday]. If a woman is menstruous, she is to be put aside and baptized on another day. Those to be baptized shall fast on the Preparation Day [Friday]. On the Sabbath [Saturday], the bishop will gather those to be baptized in one place where they will be instructed to pray and to kneel. The bishop will lay his hand on them and bid every foreign spirit to depart from them and never again to return. And when the bishop has concluded the exorcism, he will breathe on their faces, and after sealing their foreheads, ears, and noses, he will have them stand. They are to pass the whole night in keeping vigil. The Scriptures are to be read; instructions are to be given. Those to be baptized will bring nothing with them except what each brings for the Eucharist. It is fitting that each person who has become worthy brings the offering at that time. 21. Conferring holy baptism At cockcrow pray first over the water. The water should be flowing in a fountain or flowing down into it. Unless some necessity occurs, it is to be done in this way. But if the scarcity of water is permanent and urgent, use any water that you find. The candidates remove their clothing. The children are baptized first. All who can, answer for themselves. The parents or family members will speak for those who cannot. Then the men are baptized. Next the women, who have unbound their hair and removed all their gold ornaments. No one is to go down into the water with any alien object. At the time appointed for the baptism, the bishop gives thanks over the oil and places it in a vessel. This is called the oil of thanksgiving. Then he takes the other oil which he exorcises; this is called the oil of exorcism. A deacon takes the oil of exorcism and stands at the left of the presbyter; another deacon takes the oil of thanksgiving and stands at the right of the presbyter. The presbyter, taking aside each of those to be baptized, bids each to renounce the devil by saying, “I renounce you, Satan, and all your service and all your works.” And when each has said this, the presbyter anoints with the oil of exorcism while saying, “May every evil spirit depart from you.” In this way he hands the candidate, who is nude, over to the bishop or presbyter standing near the water in order to baptize. A deacon likewise goes down with the candidates. When the person to be baptized has descended into the water, he who baptizes says to him or her while imposing the hand, “Do you believe in God the Father almighty?” The one being baptized says, “I believe.” And immediately the baptizer, laying a hand on the person’s head, baptizes a first time.

31. Hippolytus of Rome  207 Then he asks, “Do you believe in Christ Jesus, the Son of God, born by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, who died, and on the third day was raised from the dead, who ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of the Father, and who will come to judge the living and the dead?” Once again the person is baptized after saying, “I believe.” Then the person baptizing will ask, “Do you believe in the Holy Spirit in the holy Church?” The person being baptized will say, “I believe” and thus will be baptized a third time. Then, after coming up from the water, the baptized person will be anointed with the oil of thanksgiving by the presbyter who says, “I anoint you with the holy oil in the name of Jesus Christ.” And after drying themselves, they put on their clothes and enter the church. The bishop, while imposing his hand upon them, says the following invocation: “Lord God, you have made them worthy to obtain the forgiveness of sins by the bath of regeneration. Make them worthy to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Send your grace upon them so that, following your will, they may serve you. For yours is the glory, Father and Son with the Holy Spirit, in the holy Church, now and forever. Amen.” He pours the oil of thanksgiving on his hand and places it on the head of each person. Then he says, “I anoint you with holy oil in God the almighty Father and in Jesus Christ and in the Holy Spirit.” After signing each on the forehead, the bishop gives the kiss and says, “May the Lord be with you.” The person who has been signed responds, “And with your spirit.” The bishop does this with each one. Henceforth they will pray with all the people since they do not pray with the faithful till all these things have occurred. And after they have prayed together, they will share the kiss. Then the deacons present the offering to the bishop. He gives thanks over the bread so that it becomes the representation, which the Greeks call the “antitype” of the Body of Christ, and over the cup mixed with wine so that it become the “antitype,” which the Greeks call “likeness” of the Blood shed for all who believe in him. He also gives thanks over the milk mixed with honey to indicate the accomplishment of the promise made to our fathers, in which God speaks of the earth flowing with milk and honey, in which Christ gave his flesh, with which believers, like small children, nourish themselves, since the pleasantness of the word sweetens the bitterness of the heart. He also prays over the water presented as an offering to signify the bath so that one’s interior, namely, the soul, may obtain the same effects as the body. The bishop is to explain all these things to those who receive. When he has broken the bread and while he is presenting each of its pieces, he says, “The bread of heaven in Christ Jesus.” The person receiving responds, “Amen.” If sufficient presbyters are not present, the deacons also hold

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208  Chapter V. Third Century. West the cups. They do so in good order: the first holding the water, the second holding the milk, and the third holding the wine. Those receiving Communion taste from each of the cups while the per688 son presenting says, “In God the almighty Father.” Those receiving reply, “Amen.” “And in the Lord Jesus Christ.” And they say, “Amen.” “And in the Holy Spirit and in the holy Church.” And they say, “Amen.” This is done for each communicant. When these things have been done, all hasten to do good works, to please God, to conduct themselves well, and to be zealous for the Church, doing what has been taught and progressing in piety. We have handed on to you, in brief, what concerns holy baptism and 689 the holy offering, for you have already been instructed on the resurrection of the body and on other things as written. If it is fitting to recall anything else, the bishop will privately inform them after the baptism. Unbelievers are not to know till they are first baptized. This is the white stone spoken of by John, [on the white stone] “is written a new name which no one knows except the one who receives it.”11 690

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22. Communion On Sunday the bishop, if possible, personally distributes the Eucharist to all the people while the deacons perform the breaking; the presbyters also break the bread. When the deacon takes it to a presbyter, he presents the plate. The presbyter himself takes it and distributes it to the people with his own hand. On other days people receive according to the directions of the bishop. 23. Fasting Widows and virgins will fast often and pray for the Church. Presbyters are to fast when they wish; the laity do likewise. The bishop fasts only on days when all the people do so. It may happen that someone wants to present an offering; the bishop cannot refuse. If, however, he breaks bread, he always eats the bread.

24. Gifts to the sick b The deacon, in case of necessity and when no presbyter is present, is to 692 give the sign to the sick with zeal. When he has given all that is necessary, according as he will have received what is distributed, he will give thanks, and they will consume it there. Those who receive the gifts are to serve with zeal. 693 If anyone has received gifts to take to a widow, to a sick person, or to 694 someone involved in the affairs of the Church, this person will deliver them on the very day they are received. But if the gifts are not delivered on that day, it is to be done on the next day, and something of one’s own is to be added since the bread of the poor has remained in another’s possession. b. The text in this chapter is not always clear. 11. Rev 2:17.

31. Hippolytus of Rome  209 25. Bringing in the lamps for the community meal Once evening has come and when the bishop is present, the deacon brings in the lamp. Standing in the midst of all the faithful who are present, the bishop gives thanks. First, he gives the greeting, “The Lord be with you.” The people respond, “And with your spirit.” “Let us give thanks to the Lord.” And all say, “It is right and proper; greatness and grandeur with glory belong to him.” He does not say, “Lift up your hearts” since this is what he says at the offering. He then prays as follows: “We give you thanks, O Lord, through your Son Jesus Christ, Our Lord, through whom you have enlightened us by revealing to us the incorruptible light. We have passed through the course of the day and have reached the beginning of night. You fill us with the light of day which you created for our satisfaction and so, by your grace, we do not lack the evening light; we praise and glorify you through your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord. Through whom glory, power, and honor be to you, now and forever and ever. Amen.” And all say, “Amen.” All rise at the end of the meal and pray. The children and the virgins say the psalms. Then, when the deacon takes the mixed cup of the offering, he says one of the psalms containing the Alleluia. Then, if the presbyter so bids, again from the same psalms. And after the bishop has offered the cup, he will say one of the psalms with the Alleluia which is fitting to the cup, and all will say Alleluia. When the psalms are recited, all say Alleluia, which means, “We praise the God who is;12 glory and praise to him who has created the whole world through his word alone.” After the psalm the bishop blesses the cup and gives pieces of the bread to all the faithful. 26. The common meal The faithful present at the meal receive from the bishop’s hand a piece of bread before breaking their own bread. This is a eulogy and not a Eucharist as is the Lord’s Body. Before drinking, all should take a cup and give thanks over it. Then they eat and drink in all purity. The bread of exorcism will be given to the catechumens, and each will offer a cup. 27. Catechumens are not to eat with the faithful A catechumen is not to sit at the Lord’s Supper. But during the entire meal those who eat are to remember their host; this is why they were invited to enter the host’s house. 28. Eat moderately and according to need When eating and drinking, do so moderately and not to the point of becoming drunk. In this way no one can laugh at you, and your host will not

12. See Exod 3:14.

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210  Chapter V. Third Century. West be saddened by your rowdiness, but may your host desire to be judged worthy of having the saints come into his house. As the Lord says, “You are the salt of the earth.”13 If someone offers to all in common what in Greek is called the apopho703 reton, accept it. But if there is enough for all to share, eat so that some remains. In this way your host can send some of it to whomever he or she desires, as from what was left over from the saints, and thus the host can rejoice with confidence. During the meal the guests will eat in silence, doing so without arguing. 704 They may only speak as the bishop allows; if he asks a question, they can answer him. When the bishop speaks, each person is to observe a modest silence until 705 he asks another question. And if, in the absence of the bishop, the faithful share a meal at which a presbyter or deacon is present, they will likewise act in a becoming manner. Each person will hasten to receive the blessed bread from the presbyter or deacon. In like manner the catechumen is to receive exorcised bread. If the laity gather by themselves, they are to behave in an orderly fashion. A lay person cannot give the blessed bread. 706

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29. We must eat with thanksgiving Each person is to eat in the name of the Lord; what pleases God is that we compete, even among the pagans, in being united and sober. 30. A meal for widows If anyone invites widows to a meal, may they already be of mature age, and may they be sent home before nightfall. If one cannot receive them because of a duty to be performed for the assembly, they are to be sent home after they have been given food and wine. If they prefer, they can take some of this with them. 31. Fruits to be offered to the bishop All will hasten to present to the bishop the first of the harvest as the first fruits. The bishop is to receive these with thanksgiving and to bless them. He is to name those who presented them and say: “O God, we give you thanks and we offer you the first fruits which you have given us to receive. You nourished them by your word; you ordered the earth to produce fruits of every kind for the joy and nourishment of the human race and of all animals. O God, we praise you for this and for all the benefits you have given us by adorning all creation with various fruits, through your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord. Through him be glory to you forever and ever. Amen.” 32. Blessing of fruits The following fruits are blessed: grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, pears, apples, mulberries, peaches, cherries, almonds, and plums; but not 13. Matt 5:13.

31. Hippolytus of Rome  211 watermelons, melons, cucumbers, mushrooms, garlic, or any other vegetable. At times flowers also are presented: roses and lilies but no others. For all that one eats, thanks is to be given to the holy God, and glory is to be given to God while one eats. 33. No one is to take any food during the Pasch before the proper hour for eating During the Pasch no one is to eat anything before the offering has been made; those who do so will not be considered to be fasting. If a woman is pregnant or if anyone is sick and cannot fast two days, that person is to fast only on Saturday because of necessity, being content with bread and water. If a person is at sea or due to some anxiety has forgotten the day of the Pasch, upon learning of it, he or she will observe the fast after Pentecost. For the Pasch we celebrate is not the figure—which has indeed passed, and that is why it ended in the second month—and it is necessary to fast when one has learned the truth. 34. Deacons are to be zealous in serving the bishop Each deacon, with the subdeacons, will zealously serve the bishop. They are to inform the bishop of the sick so that he, should he so desire, may visit them. The sick are greatly comforted when the high priest [the bishop] remembers them. 35. Time for prayer As soon as the faithful awaken and arise, and before going off to work, they are to pray to God and then set about their labors. If there is an instruction on God’s word, they will give preference to going there and to hearing God’s word for the comfort of their souls. They will be eager to go to the church, where the Spirit flourishes. 36. The Eucharist, as often as offered, is to be received before eating anything All the faithful, before eating anything else, will eagerly receive the Eucharist. If they receive it with faith, even though they are given some deadly poison, nothing will harm them. 37. Keep the Eucharist with care Each person must take care that no unbeliever eats the Eucharist, nor a mouse nor any other animal. Let it not fall and be lost. It is the Body of Christ which is to be eaten by those who believe and is not to be treated with contempt. 38. Nothing is to spill from the cup You receive the cup after it has been blessed in the name of God as the antitype of the Blood of Christ. Spill nothing from it, as if you scorned it, lest an alien spirit lick it up. You will be responsible for the Blood as someone who despises the price with which he or she has been bought.

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39. Deacons and priests Each day the deacons and the presbyters are to gather at the place determined by the bishop. The deacons shall not neglect to assemble at a regular time unless prevented by sickness. When all have gathered, they are to teach those who are in the church. And after praying in this way, they are to go to their individual work.

40. Cemeteries No one is to feel financially burdened in order to bury someone in the 718 cemeteries since the cemetery belongs to all the poor. Nonetheless, we must pay for the work of the grave digger and the price of the bricks. The bishop, out of what has been given to the Church, will provide for those who are in that place and are in charge of it, so that those who come to these places be not financially burdened. 719

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41. Times for prayer All the faithful, men and women—when they arise in the morning and before beginning their work—are to wash their hands and pray to God, and in this way they proceed to their labors. If, however, there is an instruction on the word of God, everyone should prefer to go there because they truly believe that it is God whom they hear in the instructor. Whoever prays in church can overcome the evil of the day. Whoever is pious will consider it very wrong not to go to the place where the instruction is given, especially if this person can read and if a teacher comes. No one among you is to be late in going to the church, the place where instruction is given. Then the teacher will say something that is useful to each one, and you will hear what you did not know, and you will profit from what the Holy Spirit will give you through the teacher. In this way your faith will be strengthened by what you have heard. You will also be told there what you should be doing at home. Therefore each person should be eager to go to the church, the place where the Holy Spirit flourishes. If there is a day when no instruction is given, each person, remaining at home, is to take a holy book and read a sufficient amount as seems profitable. And if you are at home, pray at the third hour and praise God. Should you be elsewhere, pray to God in your heart, for at this hour Christ was nailed to the cross. This is why the Law in the Old Testament prescribes that the shewbread be offered at the third hour as a type of Christ’s Body and Blood; and the immolation of the lamb without reason is the type of the perfect Lamb. Christ is the shepherd; he is also the bread that came down from heaven. Pray also at the sixth hour. For when Christ was nailed to the wood of the cross, the day was divided, and there was a great darkness. So at that hour offer a powerful prayer, imitating the voice of him who prayed and who made all creation dark for the unbelieving Jews.

31. Hippolytus of Rome  213 At the ninth hour say a great prayer and a great blessing to imitate the manner in which the souls of the just bless the truthful God, who remembers his holy ones, and who has sent his Word to enlighten them. At this hour, then, Christ shed water and blood from his pierced side and, giving light to the rest of the day, he brought it to evening. This is why, when he began to fall asleep, he fulfilled the type of the resurrection by having the next day begin. Pray also before your body goes to rest on the bed. But arise toward midnight; wash your hands with water and pray. If your wife is present, both of you are to pray together. But if she is not yet a member of the faithful, withdraw to another room, pray, and then return to bed. Do not be lazy when it comes to prayer; whoever is bound by marriage is not impure. Those who have bathed have no need of washing again because they are pure.14 When you sign yourself with your moist breath as you use the saliva in your hand, your body is made holy down to your feet. For the gift of the Spirit and the water of the baptismal bath, when both flow from a believing heart as if from a spring, sanctify all who have faith. And so it is necessary to pray at this hour. The ancients, who passed down this tradition to us, taught that at this hour all creation stood still for a moment in order to praise the Lord: the stars, the trees, the water—all stop for a moment, and the whole army of angels which serves him praises God at this hour together with the souls of the just. This is why those who believe should be eager to pray at this hour. Our Lord himself testifies to this: “Behold a cry is heard in the middle of the night. They said, ‘The bridegroom is coming. Rise up to meet him.’”15 And he continues, “This is why you are to watch, for you do not know at what hour he will come.”16 Rise toward cockcrow and likewise pray. For it was at this hour, at cockcrow, when Israel’s children denied Christ, whom we know by faith. In the hope of eternal light we look forward to this day of the resurrection of the dead. And so if you, the faithful, do these things and keep their memory, if you instruct one another and set an example for the catechumens, then you will be neither tempted nor lost, for you will always have Christ in your thoughts. 42. The sign of the cross When tempted, always sign your forehead in a dignified manner, for it is the sign of the Passion, a sign known and tested against the devil, provided you make it with faith and not to be seen by others, yet skillfully presenting it as a breastplate. When the Adversary sees power coming from the heart, and when the person who has been animated by the Word shows within and without the image of the Word, the devil is put to flight 14. See John 13:10.  15. See Matt 25:6.  16. See Matt 25:13.

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727

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214  Chapter V. Third Century. West by the Spirit who exists within you. It is to symbolize this, by the paschal lamb which was slain, that Moses sprinkled the threshold with blood and anointed the doorsteps. And so he signified the faith we presently have in the perfect lamb. When we make the sign on our foreheads and eyes, we put to flight the one who is trying to destroy us. 731

43. Conclusion If you receive these things with thanksgiving and the proper faith, they will bring edification to the Church and eternal life to believers. The counsel I give is to be kept by all who are prudent. For if all who hear the apostolic tradition follow and observe it, then no heretic, no one at all, will be able to lead you into error. It was in this way that numerous heresies have grown because the leaders, unwilling to be instructed by the teaching of the apostles, acted as they wanted, according to their own pleasure and not according to what is proper. If we have omitted anything, beloved, God will reveal it to those who are worthy of it, for God governs the Church so that it may reach the peaceful port.

31-B. Commentary on Daniel† Dating from the year 204, the Commentary on Daniel is the oldest Christian exegetical work known to us. I.xvi. [.  .  .] Like the two maid servants who accompanied Susanna,1 faith and love accompany the Church preparing oil and cleansing agents for those whom it washes. Now what is the cleansing agent unless the Lord’s commandments? What is the oil unless the power of the Holy Spirit? These are used as perfume to anoint believers after baptism. All these were once prefigured through blessed Susanna so that we believers in God might not find strange what today happens in the Church. [.  .  .] IV.xxiii. [.  .  .] If we calculate the time that has passed since the creation 733 of the world and since Adam, the problem is clarified. The first coming of our Lord, his coming in the flesh, his birth at Bethlehem, took place on the eighth day of the calends of January [25 December], on Wednesday, in the forty-second year of the reign of Augustus.a [.  .  .] 732

31-C. Refutation of All Heresies†† The Philosophuma or Refutation of All Heresies, a treatise in ten books (books II and III are lost) and once thought to have been the work of Origen Translated from Commentaire sur Daniel. Hippolyte, trans. and ed. M. Lefèvre, SChr 14 (Paris, 1947) 84, 187. a. Many believe that this passage is an interpolation. 1. See Dan 13:15. †† Translated from GCS 26:249–50. †

32. Novatian  215 (WEC 1:43), was written after 222 to show that the various heresies (especially those of the Gnostic variety) depend upon pagan philosophy, not upon Christian revelation. IX.12. [.  .  .] That imposter Callistus,a having dared to propose such 734 opinions [regarding the Logos], set up a school in opposition to the Church and taught as follows. First he came up with a way to conspire with people in forgiving their sexual sins, claiming that he can forgive all their sins. Should someone be accustomed to associate with another teacher and commit sin, these—provided they remain Christians—are told that their sins will be forgiven if they join the school of Callistus. This ruling was pleasing to many since they were afflicted in conscience and were rejected by numerous sects. Some of these, however, upon being judged by us as being ejected from the Church, became followers of Callistus and filled his school. [.  .  .] Little wonder that the disciples of Callistus are numerous and take joy in their numbers. The reason is that Callistus tolerates sensual sins, something Christ did not do. Despising Christ, the followers of Callistus forbid no type of sin since, in their view, Callistus remits these sins to those having good will. [.  .  .] 3 2 . N o vat i a n

A member of the Roman clergy, Novatian was disappointed with the election of Cornelius as bishop of Rome in 281. Joining a rigorist party in regard to reconciling the lapsed, he received the episcopal office from three Italian bishops and has been called the first true “antipope.” Doctrinally quite orthodox, Novatian, however, rejected the forgiveness of grave sins as well as baptism conferred by heretics. It is said that he died a martyr in 257/258. His followers were active in Rome and elsewhere down to the fifth century. CPL nos. 68ff. * Altaner (1961) 191–93 * Altaner (1966) 170–72 * Bardenhewer (1908) 220–23 * Bardenhewer (1910) 193–95 * Bardenhewer (1913) 2:559–74 * Bardy (1930) 46–48 * Bautz 6:1047–49 * Cross 181–83 * Goodspeed 179–82 * Hamell 84 * Jurgens 1:246–48 * Labriolle (1947) 1:248–57 * Labriolle (1968) 169–75 * Quasten 2:212–33 * Steidle 62–63 * Tixeront 132–34 * CATH 9:1433–36 * CE 11:138–41 * CHECL 157–59, 214–18 * DCB 4:58–60 * DictSp 11:479–81 * DPAC 2:2436–39 * DTC 11.1:816–49 * EC 8:1976–80 * EEC 2:603–4 * EEChr 2:819–20 * LTK 7:938–39 * NCE 10:534–35 * NCES 10:464–66 * ODCC 1165 * PEA (1894) 17.1:1138–56 * PEA (1991) 8:1021 * TRE 24:678–82 V. Coucke, “De errore Montanistarum et Novatianorum,” CB 33 (1933) 172–78. * H. Gützow, Cyprian und Novatian: der Briefwechsel zwischen die Gemeinden in Rom und Karthago z. Zeit d. Verfolgung d. Kaisers Decius (Tübingen, 1975).

a. Callistus: bishop of Rome 217–22.

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32-A. On the Shows† Found among the works of Cyprian (WEC 1:27), this treatise is a rejection of paganism and its culture. The true Christian, says Novatian, finds delight in the Scriptures, not in public entertainments and theatrical productions. The work was inspired by Tertullian’s book of the same name (WEC 1:26-C). 735

5. [.  .  .] [That sinful man], had he been able, would have dared take what is holy with him into a brothel. Dismissed from the Lord’s table and still, as is customary, carrying with him the Eucharist, he hastens to the spectacle, carrying about Christ’s holy Body among the impure bodies of the harlots. [.  .  .] 33. Inscriptions (West)

33-A. Inscription of Pectorius†† This Greek epitaph was discovered in 1839 in an ancient Christian cemetery near Autun in southern France. It consists of eleven lines, the first seven being of a more doctrinal character (references to both baptism and the Eucharist), the last four of a more personal nature as Pectorius both prays for his mother and asks others to pray for him. The initial letters of the first five verses form an acrostic—the Greek letters ICQUS. The seven fragments on which the inscription is found date from between 350 and 400. CPG 1: no. 1369 * Altaner (1966) 98 * Altaner (1960) 96 * Cross 199 * Jurgens 1:78–79 * Quasten 1:173–75 * CATH 1:1098–99 * DACL 1:83 * DHGE 1:83 * EEChr 2:886–87 * NCE 11:49–50 * NCES 11:54–55 C.M. Kaufmann, Handbuch der altchristlichen Epigraphik (Freiburg i. B., 1917) 178–80. * G. Grabka, “Eucharistic Belief Manifest in the Epitaphs of Abercius and Pectorius,” AER 131 (1954) 145–55. 736

O divine child of the heavenly Fish, keep your soul pure among mortals. Because you received the immortal fountain of divine water refresh your soul, friend, with the ever-flowing water of wealth-giving wisdom. Take from the Redeemer of the saints the food as sweet as honey: † Translated from Sancti Cypriani Episcopi Opera, part 3, no. 2, ed. W. Hartel, CCL 3 C (Turnhout, 1871) 8. †† Translation (modified) from Quasten 1:174.

33. Inscriptions (West)  217 eat with joy and desire, holding the Fish in your hands. I pray, give as food the Fish, Lord and Savior. May she rest in peace, my mother, so I pray to you, light of the dead. Aschandius, father, my heart’s beloved, with my sweet mother and my brothers in the peace of the Fish remember your Pectorius.

33-B. Inscription in the Catacomb of Priscilla† This third-century epigraph is found in the Catacomb of Priscilla on the Via Salaria, one of the oldest Roman cemeteries. Dedicated to the departed, Florentius made this inscription for his worthy son Apronianus who lived one year and nine months and five days. As he was truly loved by his grandmother and she knew that his death was imminent, she asked the Church that he might depart from the world as a believer.

Translation from J. Jeremias, Infant Baptism in the First Four Centuries, trans. D. Cairns (Philadelphia, 1962) 42. †

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Chapter VI Third Century. East Asia Minor 34. Letter to Diognetus†

Dating from the late second or early third century, this letter is an apology for the Christian religion. Replying to questions submitted by an unknown inquirer, seemingly a high-ranking official—the name Diognetus being a pseudonym—the letter’s author remains anonymous despite numerous conjectures (e.g., St. Justin, Quadratus, Aristides of Athens, to mention a few). The thirteenth- or fourteenth-century manuscript upon which all modern editions are based was destroyed during the FrancoPrussian War when the Strasbourg Municipal Library was burned in 1870. Chapter v gives a moving and memorable description of Christian life. Chapters xi and xii are fragments of a sermon, written by a hand different from that of the author of the preceding chapters and appended to the letter. CPG 1: no. 1112 * Altaner (1961) 135–36 * Altaner (1966) 77–78 * Bardenhewer (1908) 68–69 * Bardenhewer (1910) 54–55 * Bardenhewer (1913) 1:290–99 * Casamassa 217–32 * Cross 27–28 * Goodspeed 105–6 * Hamell 43–44 * Jurgens 1:40–42 * Quasten 1:248–53 * Steidle 31 * Tixeront 47–48 * CATH 3:855 * CE 5:8–9 * DCB 2:162–67 * DictSp 3:993–95 * DPAC 1:969–71 * DTC 4.2:1366–69 * EC 4:1660 * EEC 1:237 * EEChr 1:332 * LTK 3:238–39 * NCE 4:875 * NCES 4:751–52 * ODCC 483–84 * PEA (1894) 5.1:786 * PEA (1991) 3:607 A.A. McArthur, The Evolution of the Christian Year (London, 1953) 61–64. * T.J. Talley, The Origins of the Liturgical Year (New York, 1986) 123–24. 738 v. Christians are distinguished from others neither by country nor by speech nor by clothing. Nor do they dwell in cities of their own; they use no special language; their manner of life is not singular. It is not by means of the imagination or the musings of restless minds that their teaching is to be discovered; unlike so many others, they are not champions of a human teaching. According to each one’s lot, they live in both Greek and non-Greek cities; they conform to local customs for clothing, food,

Translated from A Diognète, trans. and ed. H.I. Marrou, SChr 33 bis (Paris, 1997) 62–65. †

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220  Chapter VI. Third Century. East and manner of life, while giving evidence of the uncommon and truly paradoxical laws of their spiritual republic.1 They live in their respective countries but do so like temporary residents.2 They do all that citizens are required to do and endure the hardships of foreigners. Every foreign land is their home, and every home is a foreign land. Like all others, they marry; they have children, but they do not abandon their newly born. They share the same table but not the same bed. They are in the flesh, and yet they do not live according to the flesh.3 They pass their days upon the earth, and yet they are citizens of heaven.4 They obey established laws,5 and their manner of life surpasses these laws. They love everyone, and yet they are persecuted by all. They are misunderstood, and yet they are condemned; they are put to death and thereby gain life. They are poor; yet they enrich many. They lack everything; yet they abound in all things.6 They are held in disrespect; yet in this they find glory. They are calumniated; yet they are vindicated. They are insulted; yet they bless.7 They are wronged; yet they show respect. Doing only what is good, they are punished as if they were evildoers. Punished, they rejoice8 as if born to life. The Jews make war on them as if they were foreigners; the Greeks persecute them; and those who detest them cannot offer any reason for their hatred. vi. To be brief, what the soul is to the body, so Christians are to the 739 world. Just as the soul is spread through all the members of the body, so Christians are in cities throughout the world. The soul dwells within the body, and yet the soul is not the body; so Christians dwell in the world, and yet they are not part of the world.9 Itself invisible, the soul is kept a prisoner in a visible body; likewise, Christians are seen to be such in the world, but their religion remains invisible. [.  .  .] 3 5 . G r e g o ry T h a u m at u r g u s

Born ca. 213 to a prosperous pagan family in Neocaesarea in Pontus on the Black Sea, Theodore (Gregory) joined his brother, Athenodorus, in going to Caesarea in Palestine, where ca. 233 he became a student of Origen (WEC 1:43). Studying philosophy and theology he converted to Christianity and at baptism replaced the name given him at birth, Theodore, with that of Gregory. After spending at least five years with Origen, Gregory and his brother returned to Neocaesarea, where both were ordained bishops, Gregory being the first bishop of that city. His apostolic endeavors were such that by the time of his death (between 270 and 275) only a few pagans remained in the episcopal city. So great was his reputation that in the years to follow numerous miracles and 1. See Phil 3:20.  2. See Eph 2:19; Heb 11:13–16; 1 Pet 2:11.  3. See 2 Cor 10:3; Rom 8:12–13.  4. See Phil 3:20; Heb 13:14.  5. See Rom 13:1; Titus 3:1; 1 Pet 2:13.  6. See 2 Cor 6:9–10.  7. See 1 Cor 4:10, 12–13.  8. See 2 Cor 6:9–10.  9. See John 15:19; 17:11–16.

35. Gregory Thaumaturgus  221 wonders were attributed to Gregory, and thus his title Thaumaturgus or “Wonder-Worker.” Gregory of Nyssa has left us an account of Gregory’s life (crediting him with being the first to experience an apparition of the Blessed Virgin); there are three other biographies, all of a fanciful nature. Although a fair number of treatises are ascribed to Gregory, only a few appear to be authentic. CPG 1: nos. 1763ff. * Altaner (1961) 238–39 * Altaner (1966) 211–12 * Bardenhewer (1908) 170–75 * Bardenhewer (1910) 149–53 * Bardenhewer (1913) 2:272–89 * Bautz 2:338–39 * Cross 174–76 * Hamell 68–69 * Jurgens 1:251–52 * Quasten 2:123–24 * Steidle 54–55 * Tixeront 105–7 * CATH 5:258–59 * CE 7:15–16 * DCB 2:730–37 * DHGE 22:39–42 * DictSp 6:1014–20 * DPAC 2:1719–21 * DTC 6.2:1844–47 * EC 6:1157–58 * EEC 1:368 * EEChr 1:499–500 * LTK 4:1027–29 * NCE 6:797–98 * NCES 6:524–35 * ODCC 713–14 * PEA (1894) 7.2:1857–59 * PEA (1991) 4:1211–12 * RACh 12:779–93 * TRE 14:188–91

35-A. Canonical Letter† Written between 254 and 258 in response to a letter from an unknown bishop, this document offers solutions to several pastoral problems that arose from the invasion of the Boradi and Goths into Pontus and Bithynia. The letter is called “canonical” because it came to be incorporated among the legal documents of several eastern Churches. Some doubt the authenticity of Canon 11 given below, considering it a later addition to the primitive text.a Canon 7. As to those made captive by the barbarians and accompanying them in their captivity; forgetting that they are from Pontus and are Christians, they have so completely become barbarians as to put to death those of their own race, doing so by means of the gibbet or strangulation; they show escape routes or houses to the barbarians who otherwise would have been ignorant of these. You are to forbid such from even being hearers until some common decision about them has been made by the holy ones who have assembled and by the Holy Spirit previous to them.

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Canon 8. As to those who have been so bold as to invade the houses of others; if they have been put on trial and convicted, they are to be considered unworthy to even be hearers; but if they declare themselves and make restitution, they are to be placed among those penitents who leave with the catechumens.

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Canon 9. As to those who have found anything discarded by the barbarians, whether out in an open field or in their own houses; if they have

742

Translated from PG 10:1039–48. a. See Jurgens 1:252. †

222  Chapter VI. Third Century. East been put on trial and convicted, they should also be placed under the same class of penitents. But if they have declared themselves and made restitution, they should be deemed fit for prayer.b 743

Canon 11. Weeping is done outside the gate of the church. The sinners, standing there, are to request the faithful who are entering to offer prayers on their behalf. Hearing takes place inside the gate, on the porch where sinners should stand till the catechumens depart, and then they also leave, “for they are to hear the Scriptures and the teaching,” it is said, “and then be sent out as being considered unfit for prayer.”c Subjection is when sinners stand within the gate of the temple and leave together with the cate­ chumens. Assembly is when a person is associated with the faithful and is not to depart with the catechumens. Finally, there is participation in the sacraments. 36. Phos Hilaron†

Originating in the third, perhaps second, century, this short hymn, regarded by Basil the Great (WEC 2:67) as ancient (On the Holy Spirit 73), was used to accompany the lighting of the lamps and has long been sung during the evening office in the East. The text, addressed to Christ, includes a trinitarian doxology. CPG 1: no. 1355 * Jurgens 1:46 * Quasten 1:159 * DPAC 2:2777 * EEC 2:685 * EEChr 2:919 * ODCC 1283 R.R. Smothers, “Phos Hilaron,” RSR 19 (1929) 266–83. * A. Tripolitis, “Phos Hilaron: Ancient Hymn and Modern Enigma,” VC 24 (1970) 189–96. 744

Serene light of the Holy Glory Of the Father Everlasting Jesus Christ: Having come to the setting of the sun, And seeing the evening light We praise the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit of God. It behooveth to praise Thee At all times with holy songs, Son of God, who has given life; Therefore the world does glorify Thee.

b. Does this refer to a prayer over the penitents, a prayer at the conclusion of the Liturgy of the Word, or to the eucharistic prayer? c. Perhaps referring to an older canon? † Translation (modified) from ANF 2:298.

37. Inscriptions  223 37. Inscriptions

37-A. Inscription of Abercius† Discovered in 1883 near Hieropolis in Phrygia Salutaris (today Pamukkale in Turkey) were two fragments from an ancient funeral inscription. Assisted by other material, scholars were able to arrive at the full text of the epitaph of twenty-two verses. The author of the inscription is a certain Abercius, formerly believed by some to be a pagan but now generally acknowledged to be Abercius Marcellinus, the Catholic bishop of Hieropolis. The text is highly symbolic with veiled references, a common practice during times of persecution. CPG 1: no. 1368 * Altaner (1961) 95–96 * Altaner (1966) 97–98 * Cross 198–99 * Jurgens 1:77–78 * Quasten 1:171–73 * Steidle 258 * CATH 1:34–35 * CE 1:40–41 * DACL 1.1:66–87 * DCB 1:5 * DHGE 1:104–6 * DTC 1.1:58–66 * EC 1:69–72 * EEChr 1:5 * LTK 1:46–47 * NCE 1:18–19 * NCES 1:2 * ODCC 5 * RACh 1:12–17 G. Grabka, “Eucharistic Belief Manifest in the Epitaphs of Abercius and Pectorius,” AER 131 (1954) 145–55.

1. The citizens of an eminent city, I made this [tomb] 2. In my lifetime, that I might have here a resting-place for my body. 3. Abercius by name, I am a disciple of the chaste shepherd, 4. Who feedeth his flocks of sheep on mountains and plains, 5. Who has great eyes that look on all sides. 6. He taught me .  .  . faithful writings. 7. He sent me to Rome, to behold a kingdom 8. And to see a queen with golden robe and golden shoes. 9. There I saw a people bearing the splendid seal.a 10. And I saw the plain of Syria and all the cities, even Nisibis, 11. Having crossed the Euphrates. And everywhere I had associates 12. Having Paul as a companion, everywhere faith led the way 13. And set before me for food the fish from the springb 14. Mighty and pure, whom a spotless Virgin caught, 15. And gave this to friends to eat, always 16. Having sweet wine and giving the mixed cup with bread. 17. These words, I, Abercius, standing by, ordered to be inscribed. 18. In truth, I was in the course of my seventy-second year. 19. Let him who understands and believes this pray for Abercius. 20. But no man shall place another tomb upon mine.

Translation from Quasten 1:172. a. Seal: namely, baptism. b. Fish from the spring: namely, Christ. †

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224  Chapter VI. Third Century. East 21. If one do so, he shall pay to the treasury of the Romans two thousand pieces of gold, 22. And to my beloved fatherland Hieropolis, one thousand pieces of gold.

Syria 3 8 . D i d a s c a l i a o f t h e Ap o s t l e s †

The Didascalia Apostolorum or, according to its Syriac translation, the Catholic Teaching of the Twelve Apostles and Holy Disciples of Our Redeemer, was originally written in Greek, although only fragments in that language survive. The full text is available in a Syriac translation, which perhaps was redacted in the fourth century. About two-fifths of the work exist in Latin, and are contained in a late fourth-century or early fifth-century palimpsest found at Verona. The document also exists in Arabic, Ethiopic, and Coptic translations. The Didascalia most probably dates from the third century and is the work of an unknown author, certainly a bishop and perhaps a physician. The locale of its composition is generally regarded as northern Syria, perhaps in the vicinity of Antioch. Treating various members of the Church (bishops, deacons, deaconesses, etc.) and several liturgical (baptism, penance) and ascetic (fasting) practices, the author addresses Christians living in a Jewish milieu and warns them against following Jewish practices. His treatise is not theological but practical; lacking good organization, it contains doublets and even contradictions. The author uses a familiar literary technique of the time, ascribing the work to the apostles together with Paul and James. The Didascalia utilizes former documents (e.g., the Didache, the Acts of Paul, the Gospel of Peter, etc.) and may have undergone several recensions; in turn, it forms the basis of books I through VI of the Apostolic Constitutions (WEC 2:77). CPG 1: no. 1738 * Altaner (1961) 56–57 * Altaner (1966) 84–85 * Bardenhewer (1908) 168–70 * Bardenhewer (1910) 146–47 * Bardenhewer (1913) 2:255–62 * Bardy (1929) 65–66 * Cross 96–97 * Hamell 67 * Quasten 2:147–52 * Steidle 269 * Tixeront 214 * CATH 3:749–50 * CE 4:781–82 * DACL 4.1:800–802 * DDC 4:1218–24 * DictSp 3:863–65 * DPAC 1:948–49 * DTC 4.1:734–48 * EC 4:1565–66 * EEC 1:235 * EEChr 1:329 * LTK 3:210–11 * NCE 4:860 * NCES 4:437–38 * ODCC 479 * PEA (1894) 5.1:394 Texts and Translations P.A. de Lagarde, Didascalia Apostolorum Syriace (Leipzig, 1854). * E. Hauler, Didascaliae Apostolorum Fragmenta Veronensia Latina (Leipzig, 1900). * M. Gibson, Horae Semiticae, vol. 1, The Didascalia Apostolorum in Syriac (London, 1903). * M. Gibson, Horae Semiticae, vol. 2, The Didascalia Apostolorum in English (London, 1903). *

† Translation based upon the text given by F.X. Funk, Didascalia et Constitutiones Apostolorum, vol. 1 (Paderborn, 1906). Numbers in brackets [ ] give the numbering found in the same volume.

38. Didascalia of the Apostles  225 H. Anchelis and F. J. Flemming, Die syriache Didascalia übersetz und erklärt, TU 25, 2 (Leipzig, 1904) [German]. * F.X. Funk, Didascalia et Constitutiones Apostolorum, vol. 1 (Paderborn, 1905). * F. Nau, La Didascalie des douze apôtres, 12th ed. (Paris, 1912) [French]. * J.M. Harden, The Ethiopic Didascalia Translated (New York and London, 1920) [English]. * R.H. Connolly, Didascalia Apostolorum: The Syriac Version Translated and Accompanied by the Verona Latin Fragments (Oxford, 1929) [English]. * J. Quasten, Monumenta Eucharistica et Liturgica Vetustissima (Bonn, 1937) 34–36 [Latin]. * Tidner, Didascaliae Apostolorum Canonum Ecclesiasticorum Traditionis Apostolicae Versiones Latinae, TU 75 (Berlin, 1963). * A. Vööbus, The Didascalia Apostolorum in Syriac, CSCO 401–2, 407–8 (Louvain, 1979) [Syriac with English translation]. * S. Brock and M. Vasey, The Liturgical Portions of the Didascalia, Liturgical Study 29 (Bramcote, Nottingham, 1982) [English]. Studies F.X. Funk, Die Apostolischen Konstitutionen (Rottenburg, 1891). * F.X. Funk, “La date de la Didascalie des apôtres,” RHE 2 (1901) 798–809. * F.X. Funk, Kirchengeschichtliche Abhandlungen und Untersuchungen, vol. 3 (Paderborn, 1907) 275–84. * E. Schwartz, Bussstufen und Katechumenatsklassen (Strassbourg, 1911) 16–20. * P.A. Prokoschev, Die Didascalia apostolorum und die ersten sechs Bücher der Apostolischen Konstitutionem [Russian] (Tomak, 1913). * F. Nau, “Le comput pascal de la Didascalie et Denys d’Alexandrie,” RBibl, n.s., 11 (1914) 423–25. * J.V. Bartlet, “Fragments of the Didascalia in Greek,” JThSt 18 (1917) 301ff. * R.H. Connolly, “The Use of the Didache in the Didascalia,” JThSt 24 (1923) 147–57. * F.C. Burkitt, “The Didascalia,” JThSt 31 (1930) 258–65. * P. Galtier, L’Eglise et la rémission des péchés au premiers siècles (Paris, 1932) 191ff. * E. Tidner, Sprachlicher Kommentar zur lateinischen Didascalia Apostolorum (Stockholm, 1938). * W.C. van Unnik, “De beteekenis van de Mozaische wet voor de kerk van Christus volgens de Syrische Didascalie,” Nederlandsch Archief voor Kerkgeschiednis 31 (1939) 65–100. * B. Poschmann, Paenitentia Secunda (Bonn, 1940) 476–78. * J.V. Bartlet, Church-Life and Church-Order during the First Four Centuries, with Special Reference to the Early Eastern Church-Orders (London, 1943). * J.J. Cuesta, “La penitencia medicinal desde la Didascalia Apostolorum a s. Gregorio di Nisa,” RET 7 (1947) 337–62. * P. Galtier, “La date de la Didascalie des apôtres,” RHE 42 (1947) 315–51. * P. Beaucamp, “Un évêque du IIIe siècle aux prises avec les pécheurs: son activité apostolique,” BLE 69 (1949) 26–47. * J. Colson, “L’évêque dans la Didascalie des apôtres,” VS Supplément no. 18 (1951) 271–90. * A. Jaubert, “La date de la dernière Cène,” RHE 146 (1954) 140–73. * B. Poschmann, Penance and the Anointing of the Sick (St. Louis, 1964) 75. * K. Rahner, “Busslehre und Busspraxis der Didascalia Apostolorum,” ZkTh 72 (1950) 257–81; repr. in revised form in Schriften zur Theologie 11 (1973) 327–59. * J. Bernhard, “Les institutions pénitentielles d’après la ‘Didascalie,’” Mel 3 (1967) 237–67. * A. Jaubert, “Le mercredi où Jésus fut livré,” NTS 14 (1967–68) 145–64. * M. Cnudde, “La réconciliation des pécheurs,” VS 118 (1968) 292–98. * C. Vagaggini, “L’ordinazione delle diaconesse nella tradixione greca e bizantina,” OCP 40 (1974) 145–89. * J. Magne, Tradition Apostolique sur les charismes et Diataxeis des Saints Apôtres: identification des documents et analyse du rituel d’ordination (Paris, 1975). * A. Strobel, “Die Kalendentraditionen der syr. Didaskalia Kap. 21,” in Ursprung und Geschichte des frühchristlichen Osterkalenders, TU 121 (Berlin, 1971) 325–52. * M. Metzger, “The Didascalia and the Constitutiones Apostolorum,” in W. Rordorf and others, The Eucharist of the Early Christians (New York, 1978) 194–219. * M. Metzger, “La pénitence dans les ‘Constitutions apostoliques,’” RDC 34 (1984) 224–34. * W.H.C. Frend, “Mission,

226  Chapter VI. Third Century. East Monasticism and Worship (337–361),” in L’Eglise et l’Empire au Ie siècle, ed. A. Dible (Geneva, 1989) ch. 2. * C. Munier, “Initiation chrétienne et rites d’unction (IIe–IIIe siècles),” RSR 64 (1990) 115–25. * C. Methuen, “Widows, Bishops and the Struggle for Authority in the ‘Didascalia Apostolorum,’” JEH 46 (1995) 197–213.

iv. [I.ii.] 1. As to the bishop, listen to what follows. The shepherd who is appointed bishop and leader of the presbyterate in every congregation of the Church “is to be blameless in every way, irreproachable,”1 someone far removed from all evil, a man not less than fifty years old.2 He is to be far distant from the behavior of youth, from the lusts of the Enemy, and from the slander and blasphemy of false brethren, which they raise against many because they do not understand what God says in the Gospel: “All who utter an idle word shall answer for it to the Lord on the day of judgment since by your words you will be justified, and in your words you will be condemned.”3 2. If possible, he should be learned, but if he is unlettered, let him be versed and knowledgeable in God’s word as well as mature in years. If, however, the congregation is small and there is no man old enough, no man concerning whom testimony may be given that he is wise and suitable to be a bishop, but someone is found there who is young and of whom those present testify that he is worthy to be a bishop and who, though young, yet by meekness and restrained conduct shows maturity—let him be tested to determine whether all can testify concerning him; if so, he is to be made a bishop. [.  .  .] iv. [II.ii.] [.  .  .] 3. When hands are imposed for the episcopacy, he is 747 to be tested to determine whether he is chaste, whether his wife also is a believer and chaste, whether he has raised his children in the fear of God, whether he has admonished and taught them, whether his household fears, reverences, and obeys him. For if his household in the flesh resists him and refuses to obey him, how will those outside his household become his and subject themselves to him? iv. [II.iv.] 1. May he be generous; may he love orphans, widows, the 748 poor, and strangers. May he be quick to minister, and may he be constant in service; he should afflict his own soul and not be the one who is put to confusion. He is to know who is more worthy to receive. 2. If there is a widow who has something or is able to nourish herself with what is necessary for bodily sustenance, and if there is another who, though not a widow, is in want either due to sickness or the rearing of children or bodily infirmity, then he should extend his hand to the latter. However, should someone be dissolute or drunk or idle and is in need of bodily nourishment, this person is not worthy of almsgiving or of the Church. iv. [II.v.] 1. The bishop is not to show special considerations to anyone, 749 neither deferring to the rich nor favoring anyone improperly. He should not look down upon or neglect the poor, nor should he deem himself 746

1. 1 Tim 3:2; Titus 1:7.  2. See 2 Tim 2:22.  3. Matt 12:36–37.

38. Didascalia of the Apostles  227 superior to them. 2. His food is to be meager and plain so that he can be watchful in exhorting and correcting those who are undisciplined. He is not to be crafty, gluttonous, self-indulgent, pleasure-loving, fond of choice foods. 3. The bishop is not to be resentful but rather patient when admonishing, assiduous in his teaching, constant in diligently reading the Holy Scriptures so that he may interpret and explain them accurately. Let him compare the Law and the Prophets with the Gospel so that what is said in the former may accord with what is found in the latter. [.  .  .] v. [II.ix.] 1. But if the bishop himself does not have a clear conscience and accepts persons for the sake of filthy gain4 or because of the gifts he receives and spares an impious sinner, allowing that individual to remain in the Church, [II.x.] he has polluted his congregation before God and indeed before others as well. He destroys himself and many of the neophytes, catechumens, and youth, both male and female. 2. Seeing such an ungodly man in their midst, they too will doubt and imitate him. 3. But if sinners see that the bishop and the deacons are beyond reproach and that the whole flock is pure, then they will not dare enter the congregation because they have been reproved by their own consciences. 4. Yet if they are so bold as to come to church in their obstinacy, they will be reproved and convicted by the bishop, 5. and looking upon all present, they will find no offense in any of them, whether in the bishop or in those who are with him. Then they will be confounded and will quietly depart in great shame, weeping and groaning, and so shall the flock remain pure. Moreover, once they have left, they will repent of their sins, weeping and sighing before God, and there will be hope for them. The whole flock itself, when it sees them weeping, will fear, knowing and understanding that all who sin will perish. v. [II.xi.] 1. Therefore, O bishop, strive to be pure in whatever you do, and know your position before God, namely, that you are made in the likeness of God Almighty, whom you represent. So sit in the church and teach as having authority to judge on God’s behalf those who sin. For to you, O bishop, the Gospel says, “What you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven.”5 vi. [II.xii.] 1. Therefore judge with authority, O bishop, as God Almighty does; and like God Almighty mercifully receive those who repent. Rebuke, exhort, and teach since the Lord God, with an oath, has promised forgiveness to all sinners. [.  .  .] 3. He gave hope to those who sin so that upon doing penance they may obtain salvation and may not despair of themselves, may not continue in and further increase their sins but may repent, sigh, and weep for their offenses and be profoundly converted. vi. [II.xiii.] 1. May those who have not sinned remain sinless so that they have no need of weeping, sighs, sorrow, and forgiveness. 2. For how do you know, O sinner, how longer your life will continue in this world so that you may repent? You do not know when you will leave this world, 4. See 1 Tim 3:8.  5. Matt 18:18.

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228  Chapter VI. Third Century. East whether you may perhaps die in your sins and there be no more repentance for you, for as David said, “In Sheol who shall confess to you?”6 [.  .  .] 4. Therefore, O bishop, judge as follows: first, strictly, but afterwards receive sinners with mercy and compassion when they promise to repent. Rebuke and afflict them, and then assist them [II.xiv.] because of the word spoken by David, “Do not deliver up the soul that confesses to you.”7 2. In Jeremiah he again speaks concerning the repentance of those who sin: “Shall they who have fallen not rise up? Or shall those who have been turned away not return? Why are my people turned away with shameful perversion and held fast in their own devices as they refuse to repent and to return?”8 3. For this reason receive without the least hesitation those who repent. Be not hindered by those who refuse to show mercy, those who say, “It is not right that we should be defiled with these.” [.  .  .] vi. [II.xv.] [.  .  .] 8. It is right for you, O bishop, to judge sinners accord754 ing to the Scriptures, doing so with gentleness and mercy. If someone is walking by the bank of a river and is ready to slip in, you yourself—if you allow this person to fall in—have thrown and cast him or her into the river and thereby committed murder. If someone were to slip on the brink of a river and be on the verge of perishing, quickly you would extend a hand and draw that person out so that he or she not perish. Therefore act toward the sinner in such a manner that your people may learn and understand, in such a manner that the sinner may not be totally lost. vi. [II.xvi.] 1. But when you see someone who has sinned, show stern755 ness, and order that they cast out the sinner; and when the sinner has gone forth, let them show anger, take the sinner to task, and keep him or her outside the church; then let them enter and pray for the sinner. Our Savior himself also pleaded with the Father for sinners, as we read in the Gospel: “My Father, they know not what they are doing nor what they are saying. If it be possible, forgive them.”9 2. And then, O bishop, after ordering the sinner to enter, conduct an examination to determine whether he or she has repented. And if the sinner is worthy to be received into the church, appoint days of fasting in proportion to the offense, two or three weeks, five or seven. And so dismiss the sinner after saying whatever is fitting while admonishing and instructing; rebuke such people, saying that each should stand alone in humiliation, that each should beg and beseech during the days of fast to be found worthy of the forgiveness of sins. [.  .  .] 4. So you are to dismiss from the church those promising to repent of their sins for a period of time proportionate to their offenses; afterwards, receive them as would a merciful father. vii. [II.xviii.] 1. The bishop is to care for every person, both the sinless— 756 that they may continue as they are without sin—and sinners—that they may repent; he is to forgive sins as is written in Isaiah, “Loose every bond of iniquity and sever all bonds of violence and extortion.”10 2. Therefore, O 6. Ps 6:5.  7. Ps 74:19.  8. Jer 8:4–5.  9. Luke 23:34; Matt 26:39.  10. Isa 58:6.

38. Didascalia of the Apostles  229 bishop, teach, rebuke, and loose with forgiveness. Know that you take the place of God Almighty; know that you have received authority to forgive sins. For to you, bishops, it was said, “All that you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and all that you loose shall be loosed.”11 [.  .  .] 7. You are to give an account for many. You are to preserve those who are healthy; you are to admonish, rebuke, and afflict those who have sinned. Afterwards, alleviate them with forgiveness. When sinners have repented and wept, receive them. And while all the people are praying for those who have sinned, impose your hands on the sinners and permit them henceforth to be in the church. [.  .  .] ix. [II.xxvi.] 1. O members of the laity, being the elect of God’s Church, 757 you are to hear these things. The Jewish people of old were called a “Church,” but you are the Catholic Church, holy and perfect, “a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for inheritance,”12 the great Church, the bride adorned for the Lord God. Listen now to what was said formerly. Set aside offerings and tithes and first fruits for Christ, the true High Priest, and for his ministers, tithes of salvation since his name begins with the Decade.a 2. Listen, O holy and Catholic Church of God, which was delivered from the ten plagues, which received the ten commandments, which learned the Law, which held fast to the faith, which knew the Decade, which believed in the Yod at the beginning of the Name, which was established in his perfect glory. Rather than the sacrifices of the past, now offer prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings. At that time there were the first fruits, tithes, offerings, and gifts; but today there are the oblations offered through the bishops to the Lord God for the remission of sins. 3. The bishops are your high priests,b but the priests and levites are now the presbyters and deacons, the orphans and the widows. 4. The levite and the high priest is the bishop. He is the minister of the word and the mediator, but to you he is a teacher and your father after God; he begot you through the water. He is your chief and your leader, your powerful king. He rules in the place of the Almighty. Honor him as you honor God since for you he takes the place of God Almighty. 5. The deacon takes the place of Christ, and so the deacon is loved by you. 6. The deaconess shall be honored by you in the place of the Holy Spirit; 7. the presbyters are to represent the apostles for you. 8. You will consider the orphans and the widows to be a likeness of the altar. ix. [II.xxvii.] 1. Just as it was not lawful for a stranger, that is, someone not 758 a levite, to approach the altar or to offer anything without the high priest, so you also shall do nothing without the bishop. 2. But if any should act independently of the bishop, whatever is done is done in vain since it shall not a. The first letter of the name of Jesus in Syriac (Y) and in Greek (I) has the value of “ten.” b. See Didache xiii.3 (WEC 1:190). 11. Matt 18:18.  12. 1 Pet 2:9.

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be accounted as work because it is not right that anyone should do anything apart from the high priest. 3. Therefore present your offerings to the bishop, doing so either in person or through the deacons, and when the bishop has received them, he will distribute them as fitting to each. 4. The bishop is to be well-acquainted with those in distress, and he is to dispense and give to each as is fitting so that one person may not frequently receive on the same day or during the same week, whereas another receives not even a little. Those whom the priest and steward of God knows to be more in distress, these the priest is to assist as may be required of him. ix. [II.xxviii.] 1. As to those who invite widows for supper, the bishop should frequently send a widow whom he knows to be more needy. And again if someone is presenting gifts to the widows, the bishop should especially send a widow who is in need. 2. What is destined for the priest is to be separated and set apart for him as is required at the agapes or at the distribution of the gifts even though he may not be present. This is done in honor of Almighty God. 3. However much is given to one of the presbyters, double is to be given to each of the deacons in honor of Christ, but twice double to the leader for the glory of the Almighty. 4. If any wish to honor also the presbyters, let them give the presbyters a double portion as is done for the deacons; the presbyters are to be honored as apostles, as counsellors of the bishop, and as the crown of the Church, for they are the moderators and counsellors of the Church. If there is also a reader, he should receive together with the presbyters. To every order, therefore, each member of the laity gives the honor that is due, doing so with gifts and honors and with the respect given by the world. 6. May the people have very free access to the deacons and not always be troubling the leader, but through the ministers, namely, the deacons, they should make known what they require. No one can approach the Lord God Almighty except through Christ. Whatever the people desire to do they should make known to the bishop through the deacons and then do it. [.  .  .] ix. [II.xxxiii.] [.  .  .] 2. Honor the bishops who have freed you from sins, the bishops who by means of water gave you rebirth, who filled you with the Holy Spirit, who nourished you with the word as with milk, who strengthened you with instruction, who confirmed you with admonition, who had you partake of God’s holy Eucharist, and who made you partakers and joint heirs of the promise of God. [.  .  .] ix. [II.xxxvi.] 4. [.  .  .] Do not remove yourself from the church. But when you have received the Eucharist of the offering, give whatever you have so that you may share it with strangers; for it is collected and brought to the bishop for assisting strangers. [.  .  .] x. [II.xxxix.] [.  .  .] 5. Those who have been convicted of evil deeds and falsehoods are to be treated by you “as heathens and publicans.”13 6. Afterwards, if they promise to repent—just as when the heathen desire 13. Matt 18:17.

38. Didascalia of the Apostles  231 and promise to do penance, saying, “We believe”—we receive them into the assembly so that they may hear the word, but we do not allow them to receive Communion till they are sealed and fully initiated; nor do we accept them for Communion till they show the fruits of repentance. By all means let them enter if they desire to hear the word so that they may not totally perish. But they are not to share in the prayer;c rather, they should leave, going outside. For they also, when they see that they are not in communion with the Church, will submit themselves, repent of their former deeds, and strive to be received into the church for prayer. Likewise, those who see and hear them leaving like heathens and publicans will fear and take warning not to sin lest they also, convicted of sin or falsehood, be sent out of the church. x. [II.xl.] 1. But you, O bishop, shall in no way forbid them to enter the church and hear the word; for neither did our Lord and Savior completely cast away and reject publicans and sinners; he even ate with them. This is why the Pharisees murmured against him, saying, “He eats with publicans and sinners.”14 Then our Savior responded to their thoughts and murmurings, saying, “They that are whole have no need of a physician but they who are sick.”15 2. You, therefore, should associate with those who have been convicted of sins and are sick; be involved with them; show care for them; converse with them; comfort them; support and convert them. x. [II.xli.] 1. Afterwards, as they repent and show the fruits of penance, admit them for prayer as is done for the heathens. 2. And just as you baptize and then receive a pagan, so also lay the hand upon these penitents while all are praying for them, and then bring them in and let them be in communion with the Church. The imposition of the hand shall take the place of baptism for them; it is by the imposition of the hand or by baptism that the fellowship of the Holy Spirit is received. [.  .  .] x. [II.xliv.] [.  .  .] 2. The bishop and the deacons are to be of one mind; you are to diligently shepherd the people, doing so with one accord. You are to be one body, father and son, for you are in the likeness of the Lord. 3. The deacon is to make known all things to the bishop, just as Christ does to his Father. The deacon should take charge of whatever he can; as to the rest, let the bishop decide. 4. The deacon is to be the ears of the bishop, his mouth, his heart, and his soul; when both of you are of one mind, then through your agreement there will also be peace in the Church. xi. [II.liii.] [.  .  .] 3. Our Lord and Savior also said, “If you offer your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift before the altar and go; first be reconciled with your brother and then come, offer your gift.”16 4. Now God’s gift is our prayer and our Eucharist. If, then, you bear any ill-will against another or another c. Does the author have the eucharistic prayer in mind here? 14. Mark 2:16; Matt 9:11; Luke 5:30.  15. Matt 9:12.  16. Matt 5:23ff.

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232  Chapter VI. Third Century. East against you, your prayer is not heard, your Eucharist is not accepted, and you will be found devoid both of prayer and of the Eucharist because of your anger. 5. At all times we are to pray diligently, and yet God does not hear those who bear anger and malice toward their brethren; even though you pray three times in one hour, you will gain nothing since your hostility toward another prevents you from being heard. [.  .  .] xi. [II.liv.] 1. Wherefore, O bishops, so that your oblations and prayers 767 may be acceptable when you stand in church to pray, let the deacon say aloud, “Does anyone have something against another?” Now if any are found who have a lawsuit against another or an argument with another, you should plead with them and make peace between them. [.  .  .] xii. [II.lvii.] [.  .  .] 2. In your assemblies, in the holy churches, come to768 gether in an orderly way; with care and seriousness appoint places for the brethren. 3. The presbyters are to be assigned places in the eastern part of the building; 4. the bishop’s throne is to be located in their midst; the presbyters are to sit with him. The laymen sit in another part of the eastern section of the building. 5. And so it is that in the eastern part of the building the presbyters sit together with the bishop. Next come the laymen and then the women so that when, standing up to pray, the leaders stand in front, after them the laymen, and then the women. You are to pray facing the east since, as you know, it is written, “Give glory to God who rides upon the highest heaven toward the east.”17 6. One of the deacons is always to stand next to the gifts for the Eucharist; another stands outside at the door and observes those who enter; afterwards, when you are offering, all the deacons are to serve in the church. 7. If any people are sitting where they should not be, a deacon who is within should reprove them and have them stand and sit in their appropriate places. 8. Our Lord compared the Church to a farm enclosure where we see the dumb animals—oxen, sheep, and goats—lie down and get up, feed and ruminate, according to their families and not being separated from their own kind. The wild beasts also walk in the mountains with their own kind. So in the church the young should sit apart if there is room for them to do so; otherwise, they stand. And the elderly are to sit by themselves. Children stand on one side, or the fathers and mothers take their children with them; and let them remain standing. Young girls are also to sit apart; but if there is no room, they should stand behind the women. The young women who are married and have children are to stand apart; the elderly women and the widows sit apart. 9. A deacon is to see that each person, upon entering, goes to his or her place and does not sit in the wrong location. A deacon is also to see to it that no one whispers, falls asleep, laughs, or nods. With order and decorum all should be attentive while in the church, always listening to the word of the Lord. xii. [II.lviii.] 1. If someone, a brother or a sister, should come from 769 another community, the deacon questions them and, for example, learns 17. Ps 67:34.

38. Didascalia of the Apostles  233 whether the woman is married, whether she is a widow who is a believer, whether she is [a child] of the Church, or perhaps whether she belongs to some heretical group; he should then escort her in and have her sit in a fitting place. 2. Should a presbyter come from another community, you, the presbyters, should welcome him into your fellowship. If he is a bishop, he is to sit with the bishop, who is to accord him the same honor as given to himself. 3. And you, O bishop, should invite him to preach to your people, for exhortation and admonition given by strangers is very profitable, especially since it is written, “No prophet is acceptable in his own place.”18 And when you offer the sacrifice, let him also speak. But if he is wise and defers this honor to you and is unwilling to offer, let him at least say the words over the cup. 4. Should someone also enter while you are sitting, whether it be a man or a woman, a person enjoying some worldly honor and coming either from the same district or from another community, then you, O bishop, if you are speaking, hearing, or reading God’s word, shall not defer to such a one. You are not to suspend the ministry of the word by finding them a place; remain as you are, undisturbed, and do not interrupt what you are saying; the brethren themselves are to take care of them. 5. If there is no place for such late-comers, then one of the brethren, someone who is full of love toward his brothers and sisters and who desires to honor them, is to stand and give the tardy person his or her own place. But if, while younger men and women remain seated, an older man or woman should rise and relinquish his or her place, you, O deacon, are to look over those who are sitting to determine which man or woman is the youngest; have this person stand, and have seated the person who stood and gave up his or her own place. As to the person you had stand, this individual is to stand behind his or her neighbors. In such a way others learn to make room for those more honorable than themselves. 6. But if a poor man or woman should enter, whether from the same district or from another congregation and especially if they are quite elderly and there is no place for them, you, O bishop, with all your heart are to see that there is room for them, even if you must sit on the floor. Do not be a respecter of persons if your ministry is to be acceptable to God. xiii. [II.lix.] 1. When teaching, command and warn the people to be 770 faithful in assembling in the church. They are not to absent themselves but are always to gather so as not to diminish the Church, thus causing the Body of Christ to lack a member. We are not to think only of others; rather, we should think of ourselves as well, listening to what our Lord said, “Whoever does not gather with me, scatters.”19 2. Since you are Christ’s members, do not scatter yourselves from the Church by failing to assemble. You have Christ for your Head just as he promised you: “You will share with me.”20 Do not, then, neglect yourselves; do not deprive our Savior of his members; do not rend and scatter his body. Do not make 18. Luke 4:24.  19. Matt 12:30.  20. Cf. 2 Pet 1:4.

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your worldly affairs more important than God’s word. On the Lord’s Day leave everything and hasten to the church. 3. Otherwise, what excuse before God have those who do not come together on the Lord’s Day in order to hear the word of life and to be nourished with the divine food that remains forever? xiii. [II.lx.] 1. You are eager to receive the things of this world, things that last only for a day or for an hour, and yet you neglect what is eternal; you are anxious about bathing, about being fed with the meat and drink for the belly, and about other things. Yet you care not for what is eternal. You neglect your soul and show no zeal for the Church, no zeal for hearing and receiving God’s word. xv. [III.viii.] 1. Widows, then, should be modest; they should be subject to the bishops and the deacons. They are to revere, respect, and fear the bishop as they would God. They are not to have authority over anyone or to do anything beyond what they have been advised to do or beyond what the bishop commands. They should not visit anyone in order to eat or drink, or to fast with anyone, or to receive anything from anyone, or to lay the hand on and pray over anyone without the bishop or the deacon instructing her to do so. Should she exceed what is commanded her, she is to be admonished for having acted without being instructed to do so. [.  .  .] xv. [III.ix] 1. That a woman should baptize or that a person should be baptized by a woman we do not approve, since this is unlawful and a great danger both to her who baptizes and to the person who is baptized. If it were lawful to be baptized by a woman, our Lord and Teacher himself would indeed have been baptized by Mary, his mother, whereas he—just like the others from the [Jewish] People—was baptized by John. [.  .  .] xvi. [III.xii.1.] 1. Therefore, O bishop, obtain for yourself workers of righteousness as helpers assisting you in leading the people to salvation. You shall choose and appoint as deacons those who are pleasing to you from among all the people: a man for doing many of the things that are necessary, a woman for serving the women. For there are houses to which you cannot send a deacon to the women because of the pagans, but you can send a deaconess. 2. Furthermore, in many other instances the service of the female deacon is required. First, when women descend into the water, it is necessary that those doing so should be anointed by a deaconess with the oil of anointing; where no woman is present, and especially no deaconess, he who baptizes must anoint the woman being baptized. But where there is a woman and especially a deaconess, it is not fitting that the women be seen by men; but with the laying-on of the hand anoint the head only. In times past this is how priests and kings were anointed in Israel. 3. In like manner at the imposition of the hand anoint the head of each who is baptized, whether they be men or women. Afterwards— whether you yourself baptize or have the deacons or presbyters do so—a female deacon, as we have already said, is to anoint the women. A man, however, pronounces over them the names invoking the Deity while they

38. Didascalia of the Apostles  235 are in the water. When the baptized woman comes up out of the water, the deaconess is to receive her, teach her, and instruct her as to how the baptismal seal should be kept unbroken in purity and holiness. 4. For this reason we say that the ministry of the woman deacon is especially necessary and needed. Our Lord and Savior also was served by women ministers, “Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee,”21 as well as the other women. You also need the ministry of a deaconess in many other areas: she is required to go to the houses of the pagans in which there are women believers; she is to visit the sick and minister to them in what they need; she is to bathe those who are about to recover from an illness. xvi. [III.xiii.] 1. Deacons are to resemble the bishops in their behavior; however, they are to be even more proficient. Let them “not love filthy gain,”22 but may they minister well. Their number is to be proportionate to the number of people in the local community so that the deacons may personally know and assist each person; they are to give appropriate service to the elderly women who are weak and to those brothers and sisters who are sick. A woman is to serve women, a deacon to serve men. Ready to travel and carry out the bishop’s command, the deacon is to labor and toil in every place where he is sent to serve. 2. Each is to know what he is to do and to make haste doing it. And you [bishop and deacon] are to be of one mind, one purpose, one soul dwelling in two bodies. [.  .  .] 7. It is required that you, O deacons, visit all who are in need and inform the bishop of them; as the bishop’s soul and mind, you should closely observe all things and be obedient to him. xx. [V.ix.] 1. [.  .  .] Baptism forgives the sins of those who come from paganism and enter the holy Church of God. [.  .  .] 4. Past sins are forgiven to all who believe and are baptized. 5. Even though after baptism a person has not committed a deadly sin or has not been an accomplice in such a sin but has only heard or seen or spoken of it, he or she is again guilty of sin. 6. Blessed are those who leave this world by being martyred for the name of the Lord since through martyrdom “their sins are covered.”23 xxi. [V.x.] 1. Therefore a Christian should refrain from vain speech and from foul and profane words. Not even on Sunday, a day on which we rejoice and are of good cheer, is it permitted to say anything that is silly or irreligious. [.  .  .] 2. We must celebrate our festivals and our rejoicing, then, with fear and trembling; certainly a faithful Christian must not sing pagan songs nor have anything to do with the laws and teachings of strange gatherings since it may happen that in their singing they might utter the name of the idols, something—God forbid!—the faithful are not to do. [.  .  .] xxi. [V.xii.] [.  .  .] 5. Believers are not to swear, whether by the sun or by any other sign in the heavens or by any of the elements; they are not 21. Matt 27:56.  22. 1 Tim 3:8.  23. Ps 32:1.

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236  Chapter VI. Third Century. East to speak the name of the idols or utter a curse but rather they are to say blessings and psalms and words from the dominical and Divine Scriptures, which are the foundation of our true faith. This is especially true during the days of the Pasch when all the faithful throughout the world fast, 6. as our Lord and Teacher said when they asked him, “Why do John’s disciples fast but your disciples do not fast? He answered them: ‘The wedding guests cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them. But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they shall fast on that day.’”24 Now he is with us by his actions, and yet he cannot be seen because he has ascended to the heavenly heights and sits at the right hand of his Father. xxi. [V.xiii.] 1. Therefore when you fast, you should pray and intercede 779 for those who are lost; this is what we did when our Lord was suffering. xxi. [V.xiv.] 1. Before his passion, when he was still with us and while 780 we were eating the Passover with him, he said to us, “‘Today, in this night, one of you will betray me.’ And each one of us said to him, ‘Is it I, Lord?’ And he answered and said to us, ‘He who places his hand with me into the dish.’”25 2. And Judas Iscariot, who was one of us, stood up and went out to betray him. 3. Then our Lord said to us, “Truly I say to you, a little while and you will leave me, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the lambs of his flock will be scattered.’”26 4. And Judas came with the scribes and with the priests of the people and handed over our Lord Jesus. This took place on Wednesday. 5. For after we had eaten the Passover meal on Tuesday evening, we went out to the Mount of Olives where during the night they seized our Lord Jesus. 6. The following day, Wednesday, he remained under custody in the house of Caiaphas, the high priest. On the same day the leaders of the people gathered and took counsel against him. 7. The next day, Thursday, they brought him to Pilate, the governor. He remained in Pilate’s custody Thursday night. 8. But when Friday began to dawn, “they accused him of many things”27 before Pilate; they could prove nothing but gave false witness against him. Requesting Pilate that he be put to death, 9. they crucified him on the same Friday. He suffered, then, at the sixth hour on Friday. Now the hours during which our Lord was crucified were considered to be a day. 10. And afterwards, again there was darkness for three hours, and this was considered to equal a night. Also, from the ninth hour till evening these three hours were reckoned a day. Afterwards, again there was the night of the Sabbath of the Passion. 11. But in Matthew’s Gospel it is written, “In the evening of the Sabbath, when the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. There was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down and rolled back the rock.”28 12. Again there was the day of the Sabbath; and then the three hours of the night 24. Mark 2:18–20; Matt 9:14–15; Luke 5:33–35.  25. Mark 14:30; Matt 26:21–23.  26. Matt 26:31; Mark 14:27; see John 16:32.  27. Mark 15:3.  28. Matt 28:12.

38. Didascalia of the Apostles  237 after the Sabbath, the three hours during which our Lord slept and rose. 13. And so was fulfilled what he said, “The Son of Man must spend three days and three nights in the heart of the earth,”29 as is written in the Gospel. And again it is written in David, “Behold, you have set my days in measure.”30 It was written in this way because these days and nights were shortened. 14. During the night, therefore, “when the first day of the week was beginning to dawn, he appeared to Mary Magdalene and to Mary, the daughter (mother?) of James”;31 and on Sunday morning he went to the house of Levi;d and then he also appeared to us. 15. He taught us, saying, “Do you fast for my sake during these days? Have I any need that you should so afflict yourselves? But it is for your brethren that you have done this; and you are to do the same during these days when you fast, and always on Wednesday and Friday, as is written in Zechariah, ‘the fourth fast and the fifth fast,’”32 which is Friday. It is not lawful for you to fast on Sunday because this day is the day of my resurrection. 16. For this reason Sunday is not included in the number of the days of the Fast of the Passion, but the days are counted from Monday. In this way there are five days.e And so ‘the fast of the fourth, the fifth, the seventh, and the tenth months will be for the house of Israel.’33 17. Fast, then, from Monday, six full days, till the night after Saturday, and you shall count this as a week. 18. The ‘tenth’ month is mentioned because my name begins with Yod,f in which we find the beginning of the fasts. Do not fast as did the People of old but according to the new covenant which I established for you; fast for them on Wednesday since on this day they began to impair their souls by apprehending me. 19. For Tuesday night is part of Wednesday, as is written, ‘There was evening and there was morning, one day.’34 Evening accordingly is part of the following day, 20. for on Tuesday evening I ate my Passover meal with you, and during that night they took me captive. 21. But fast for them also on Friday because on this day they crucified me during their feast of the unleavened bread, as David of old foretold, ‘In the midst of their feasts they set their signs, and they knew not.’35 22. Be steadfast in fasting during these days, especially those among you who were pagans. Because the [Jewish] People failed to obey, it was the pagans whom I freed from blindness and from the error of idols. I received them so that—through your fasting and that of those who were formerly pagans and through your service during the days when you pray and intercede because of the error and destruction of the People—your prayer and intercession may be accepted by my Father who is in heaven, as though coming from the one mouth of all the faithful on earth and so that all they did d. See Gospel of Peter 14. e. Should it rather be “six days”? f. See note a above. 29. Matt 12:40.  30. Ps 39:4.  31. Matt 28:1; see John 20:1.  32. Zech 8:19.  33. Ibid.  34. Gen 1:5.  35. Ps 74:4.

238  Chapter VI. Third Century. East to me may be forgiven them. For this reason I have already said to you in the Gospel, ‘Pray for your enemies’36 and ‘Blessed are they who mourn’37 over the destruction of unbelievers. 23. Know, therefore, my brethren, that we are to fast during the Pasch because of the negligence of our brethren. Even though they hate you, nevertheless, we should call them brethren. [.  .  .] xxi. [V.xvii.] 1. It is fitting for you, my brethren, that during the days of 781 the Pasch you make careful inquiry and most diligently observe the fast. You should begin fasting when your brethren who are from the People observe the Passover. For when our Lord and Teacher ate the Passover meal with us, he was afterwards betrayed by Judas, and immediately we began to experience sorrow because the Lord was taken from us. xxi. [V.xviii.] 1. Therefore you shall fast during the days of the Pasch 782 from the tenth which is a Monday; at the ninth hour you will nourish yourselves with bread, salt, and water only, doing so till Thursday. On Friday and Saturday fast completely, taking nothing. xxi. [V.xix.] 1. You shall come together, watch, and keep vigil through783 out the whole night with prayers and intercessions, with readings from the prophets and the Gospel together with psalms. You will do so with fear and great reverence and with diligent supplication till the third hour during the night after Saturday. At that time you break your fast. 2. It was in this way that we also fasted when the Lord suffered as a witness of the three days; we were keeping vigil, praying, and interceding due to the destruction of the People because they, erring, did not confess our Savior. 3. You also are to pray so that the Lord may not at the end remember the deception they used against our Lord; but may he grant them an opportunity for repentance, for conversion, and for obtaining pardon of their wickedness. 4. Pilate the judge, who was a heathen and a foreigner, did not agree with their wicked deeds. No, he “took water and washed his hands and said, ‘I am innocent of the blood of this man.’”38 5. Herod ordered that he should be crucified; and so it was on Friday that our Lord suffered for us. 6. Consequently it is most fitting that you observe the fast on Friday and on Saturday; also the Saturday vigil and watch. At this time there is the reading of the Scriptures, psalms, prayers, and intercessions for those who have sinned. All is done in the expectation and hope of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus and lasts till the third hour of the night after Saturday. 7. Then offer your sacrifices; thereafter eat and be of good cheer, rejoice, and be glad because Christ, the pledge of our resurrection, has risen. “This shall be a law to you forever unto the end of the world.”39 8. Our Savior is dead for those who do not believe in him because their hope in him is dead; but to you who are believers, our Lord and Savior has risen because your hope in him is immortal and living forever. 9. Fast, then, on Friday because on this day the People slew themselves when they 36. Matt 5:44; Luke 6:27.  37. Matt 5:4.  38. Matt 27:24.  39. Exod 12:24.

38. Didascalia of the Apostles  239 crucified our Savior; fast also on Saturday because on this day our Lord was asleep. 10. It is a day on which you should especially fast. [.  .  .] xxi. [V.xx.] 1. Let us now observe, my brethren, that most people when 784 mourning imitate the Sabbath; in like manner those observing the Sabbath imitate those who mourn. 2. The mourner kindles no light; the same is true for the People on the Sabbath since this is what Moses commanded them. 3. Whoever mourns refrains from bathing; the same is true for the People on the Sabbath. 4. Whoever mourns does not prepare meals; neither do the People on the Sabbath, for they prepare and set the table on the previous evening; they have a premonition of mourning, seeing that they were to lay hands on Jesus. 5. Whoever mourns neither works nor speaks but sits in sorrow; likewise the People on the Sabbath since this is what was told them regarding the mourning of the Sabbath, “You shall not lift up your feet to do any labor, and your mouth shall speak no word.”40 [.  .  .] 10. Wherever the fourteenth Pasch falls, so observe it, for neither the month nor the day corresponds to the same season every year but is variable. And so when the People observe the Passover, you are to fast; take care to hold your vigil during the feast of the unleavened bread. 11. Yet always rejoice on Sunday, for those who afflict the soul on Sunday are guilty of sin. 12. It is unlawful, except on the Pasch, for anyone to fast during the three hours of the night between Saturday and Sunday because this night belongs to the first day of the week; but only on the Pasch are you to fast for these three hours of the night when you gather as Christians in the Lord. xxiv. [VI.xii.] 1. When the whole Church was in peril of becoming he785 retical, all of us, namely, the twelve apostles, gathered in Jerusalem to consider what action should be taken. It seemed good to us—there was agreement in this matter—to write this catholic Didascalia in order to strengthen all of you. In it we established and decreed that you should worship God Almighty, Jesus Christ his Son, and the Holy Spirit; and that you should use the Holy Scriptures and believe in the resurrection of the dead, and that you should give thanks when using all his creation. [.  .  .] xxv. [VI.xiv.] 1. To be left in the church are those who have not sinned 786 as well as those who have done penance for their sins. As to those who are still held captive by error and are not undergoing penance, we have decreed that they be expelled from the church, that they be set apart from the faithful because they have become heretics; we have ordered that the faithful avoid them completely and have nothing to do with them, whether it be in speech or in prayer. 2. They are the enemies and opponents of the Church. [.  .  .] 7. There are those who blaspheme the Holy Spirit, those who openly and hypocritically blaspheme God Almighty, those who refuse to accept his Holy Scriptures or receive them badly due to blasphemous deceit, those who with evil words blaspheme the Church, which is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit—all these Christ already 40. Isa 58:13.

240  Chapter VI. Third Century. East condemns by the judgment to come and before they can defend themselves. “It shall not be forgiven them.”41 It is this stern sentence of condemnation that precedes them. 39. Acts of Thomas†

Claiming to have been written by Thomas himself and the only “Acts” for which we have the complete text, the Acts of Thomas come from the first half of the third century, perhaps from the neighborhood of Edessa. The original text was in Syriac, with later versions in Greek, Ethiopic, Armenian, and Latin. Written in a romantic and popular style designed to entertain as well as to instruct, the work tells the story of the missionary adventures of Thomas, who according to popular belief brought Christianity to India. Although it would seem that the writer was a Gnostic (Christ, for example, being the redeemer who frees souls from this world), apparently many, but not all, heterodox elements were subsequently removed so that the work would appeal to a more orthodox audience. Altaner (1961) 77 * Altaner (1966) 138–39 * Bardenhewer (1908) 106–8 * Bardenhewer (1910) 85–86 * Bardenhewer (1913) 1:442–48 * Cross 82–83 * Goodspeed 78–81 * Quasten 1:139–40 * Steidle 280 * Tixeront 71 * CATH 1:702 * DCB 1:30 * DTC 1.1:358–60 * EEChr 1:17–18 * LTK 9:1508 * ODCC 1613 G.P. Wetter, Altchristliche Liturgie, vol. 1 (Göttingen, 1921) 89ff. * H. Lietzmann, Messe und Herrenmahl (Bonn, 1926) 243–47. * J. Quasten, Monumenta Eucharistica et Liturgica Vetustissima (Bonn, 1935–37) 341–45.

26. King Gundaphoros and his brother Gad, having been set apart by the apostle followed him. Not at all leaving him, they also provided for all who were begging, giving to and assisting all. They entreated Thomas that they also might receive the seal of the word, saying to him, “Since our souls are at rest and are eager for God, grant us the seal; for we have heard you say that the God whom you preach recognizes his own sheep1 by means of the seal.” The apostle said to them: “I rejoice and entreat you to receive this seal and to share with me in this Eucharist and blessing of God, and to be thereby perfected. For this Jesus Christ whom I preach is Lord and God of all. He is the father of truth in which I have taught you to believe.” He ordered them to bring in oil so that by means of it they might receive the seal. They accordingly brought in the oil and, since it was night, they lighted many lamps. 27. And so the apostle arose and sealed them. And the Lord was re788 vealed to them through a voice saying, “Peace be with you, brethren.”2 787

41. Matt 12:32. † Translated from the Greek version as given in Acta Apostolorum Apocrypha, vol. 2, ed. R.A. Lipsius and M. Bonnet (Leipzig, 1903) 141ff. 1. See John 10:3, 14.  2. See John 20:19, 21, 26.

39. Acts of Thomas  241 They heard the Lord’s voice only and did not seek his likeness3 since they had yet to receive the added sealing of the seal. The apostle, taking the oil, poured it upon their heads, anointed and perfumed them, and began to say: “Come, holy name of Christ which is above every name.4 Come, power of the Most High and compassion that is perfect. Come, gift of the Most High. Come, compassionate mother. Come, companion of the male child. Come, revealer of the sacred mysteries. Come, mother of the seven houses so that you may be able to rest in the eighth house. Come, elder of the five members—mind, thought, reflection, consideration, reason— communicate with these young men. Come, Holy Spirit and cleanse their reins and hearts,5 and grant them added zeal in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Once they were sealed, a young man appeared to them. He was holding a lighted torch so that their lamps were darkened at the approach of its light. Then he left and was no longer seen by them. And the apostle said to the Lord, “Lord, your light is too great for us; we are unable to bear it since we cannot stand looking at it.” When light came and it was morning, he broke bread6 and had them share in the Eucharist of Christ. They rejoiced and were glad;7 many others also believed and were added to their number8 and entered the refuge of the Savior. 29. [.  .  .] Having blessed them, Thomas took bread and oil, herbs and 789 salt, blessed and gave this to them. However, he continued his fast since the Lord’s Day was approaching. On the following night when Thomas was asleep, the Lord came and stood by Thomas’ head and said, “Thomas, rise up early and bless all of them; after the prayer and the service follow the eastern road for two [Roman] miles, and there I will reveal to you my glory. Since you are leaving, many shall flee to me to take refuge, and you shall expose the enemy’s nature and power.” Having risen from sleep, Thomas said to the brethren who were present: “Children and brethren, today the Lord intends to do something through us. May we pray and ask him that nothing impede us regarding him, but as always may we do what he desires and wills.” Having spoken in this way, he placed his hands upon them and blessed them. He broke the bread of the Eucharist and gave it to them, saying, “This Eucharist shall be for you compassion and mercy, not for judgment and retribution.”9 And they said, “Amen.” 49. Thomas laid hands on them and blessed them, saying, “The grace of 790 the Lord Jesus Christ be with you forever.”10 And they replied, “Amen.” The woman begged him, saying, “Apostle of the Most High, give me the seal so that the enemy will not return to me.” Then he had her come close to him. Placing his hand on her, he sealed her in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit; many others were also sealed with her. And the Apostle ordered his servant to set out a table, and they set out a bench that they found there. They spread out a linen cloth and placed 3. See Acts 9:7.  4. See Phil 2:9.  5. See Ps 26:2.  6. See Matt 26:26.  7. See Matt 5:12.  8. See Acts 5:14.  9. See 1 Cor 11:29, 34.  10. Rom 16:20.

242  Chapter VI. Third Century. East the bread of blessing upon it. And the apostle stood by it and said, “O Jesus, you commanded us to partake of the Eucharist of your Body and Blood; behold, we dare to approach your holy Eucharist and to call upon your holy name; come, share with us.” 50. And he began to say: “Come, perfect love. Come, communion with 791 all humankind. Come, all who know the mysteries of the Chosen One. Come, those who share in all the combats of the athletes. [.  .  .] Come and share with us in this Eucharist which we make in your name and in the love in which we are one as we call upon you.” Having said this, he traced a cross over the bread, broke it, and began distributing it. He first gave some to the woman, saying, “This will be for you unto the remission of sins and of firmly rooted transgressions.” He gave it to her and then to all the others who also received the seal. About the young man who murdered the maiden 51. There was a young man who had committed an abominable act. He approached and took the bread of the Eucharist into his mouth. Immediately both his hands withered so that he no longer could put them into his mouth. Those who were present and saw this told the apostle what had happened. The apostle summoned the young man and said to him: “Tell me, be not ashamed, my child, what did you do? Why did you come here? The Lord’s Eucharist has convicted you. This wonderful gift which comes to many heals those who approach it with fear and love. But in your case it has withered away. There is a reason for this.” And the young man who had been convicted by the Lord’s Eucharist came and fell at the apostle’s feet and prayed to him, saying: “I have done something evil, and yet I intended to do somewhat good. I was in love with a woman who lived at an inn outside the city, and she was in love with me. After listening to you and believing that you preach the living God, I together with the others came and received the seal from you, for you said, ‘Whoever shall engage in polluted intercourse and especially in adultery shall not live with the God whom I preach.’ Since I loved her very much, I pleaded with her, entreating her to live with me in chastity and pure conversation as you yourself teach, but she refused. When she determined not to do so, I took up a sword and killed her since I could not bear to have her living in adultery with another man.” [.  .  .] 793 132. And Thomas began to say in regard to baptism: “This baptism remits sins; it brings forth again the light that is shed about us; it brings to birth the new person; it mingles the spirit [with the body]; it raises up in threefold fashion a new person and makes this person share in the forgiveness of sins. Glory to you, hidden one, who are given in baptism. Glory to you, the unseen power that exists in baptism. Glory to you, renewal, whereby the baptized are renewed and with affection take hold over you.” Having said this, he poured oil over their heads and said: “Glory to you, the lover of compassion. Glory to you, name of Christ. 792

40. Confession of Cyprian  243 Glory to you, power established in Christ.” And he commanded a vessel to be brought in, and he baptized them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 133. And when they had been baptized and were clothed, he placed 794 bread on the table, blessed it, and said: “Bread of life—those who eat it will remain incorruptible. Bread that fills the hungry souls with its blessing. You vouchsafed to receive gifts so that you might be for us the remission of sins and that those who partake of you may become immortal. Upon you we invoke the name of the mother, of the unspeakable mystery of the hidden powers and authorities; we invoke over you the name of your Jesus.” And he said: “May the power of blessing come and subside in this bread so that all the souls partaking of it may be washed of their sins. And after he broke, he gave to Siphorus and his wife and daughter. 158. When they came up [out of the water], he took bread11 and a cup12 795 and blessed it and said: “We eat your holy Body that was crucified for us; we drink the Blood that was shed for our salvation. Therefore may your Body be our salvation and your Blood be for the remission of our sins. As to the gall that you drank for our sake,13 may the gall of the devil be removed from us; and as to the vinegar that you drank for us,14 may our weakness be made strong. As to the spitting you received for our sake,15 may we receive the dew of your goodness. As to the reed they used to strike you,16 may we receive a perfect house. And since you received a crown of thorns for our sake,17 may we who love you put on an eternal crown. As to the linen cloth in which you were wrapped,18 may we also be girded about with the power that is not overcome. As to the new tomb19 and the burial, may we be renewed in soul and body. As to your rising20 and being revived, may we revive and live and stand before you in righteous judgment. He broke and gave the Eucharist to Iuzanes and Tertia and Mnesara and the wife and daughter of Siphorus and said, “May this Eucharist be unto you for the salvation and joy and health of your souls.” They said, “Amen.” And a voice was heard saying, “Amen. Fear not. Just believe.”21 4 0 . C o n f e s s i o n o f Cyp r i a n †

One of the most popular legends of early Christianity is that of Cyprian of Antioch and Justina, a story already familiar to Gregory of Nazianzus (WEC 2:68), who like many others confused this Cyprian with Cyprian of Carthage (WEC 1:27). As the tale goes, Cyprian was a pagan magician and astrologer who attempted to seduce the Christian virgin Justina. Through her prayers and 11. See Matt 26:26.  12. See Matt 26:27.  13. See Matt 27:34.  14. See Matt 27:48.  15. See Matt 26:67; 27:30.  16. See Matt 27:29–30.  17. See Matt 27:29.  18. See Matt 27:59.  19. See Matt 27:60.  20. See Matt 28:6.  21. See Luke 8:50. † Translation from J. Quasten, Music & Worship in Pagan & Christian Antiquity, trans. B. Ramsey (Washington, D.C., 1983) 70.

244  Chapter VI. Third Century. East good example he converted to Christianity, became a priest, and then was made bishop of Antioch. Together with Justina he was martyred during the Diocletian persecution. The story, in three books titled Cyprian’s Conversion, Confession, and Passion, belongs to the literary genre of the hagiographical novel, so dear to the popular imagination. Although the supposed relics of these two martyrs are claimed to be in the baptistery of Saint John Lateran in Rome, there is no record of such saints in any of the early martyrologies. Bardenhewer (1913) 2:452–53 * CATH 3:397 * DPAC 1:677–78 * EEC 1:211* LTK 6:549–50 796

Thereupon we went into the church [at Antioch], and [one could there] see the choir, which was like a choir of heavenly men of God or a choir of angels taking up a song of praise to God. To every verse they added a Hebrew word [as] with one voice, so that one might believe that there were not [a number of] men but rather one rational being comprehending a unity, which gave off a wonderful sound, which the dead prophets were announcing once more through the living. 41. Philip Bardesane

Born of pagan and noble parents in 154, Philip Bardesane (Bardai£an) was baptized at the age of twenty-five and became attached to the court at Edessa, where he was philosopher/theologian/poet. When Edessa was conquered in 216 by the emperor Caracalla (212–17), Philip appears to have gone to Armenia, where he died in 222/223. Bardesane supposedly composed 150 hymns to spread his teachings. CPG 1: nos. 1152ff. * Altaner (1961) 143 * Altaner (1966) 101–2 * Altaner (1978) 101, 563 * Bardenhewer (1908) 78–79 * Bardenhewer (1910) 1:62–63 * Bardenhewer (1913) 1:364–68 * Bautz 1:368–69 * Cross 39–40 * Quasten 1:263–64 * Tixeront 57–58 * CATH 1:1245–46 * CE 2:293–94 * DACL 2.1:493–95 * DCB 1:250–60 * DHGE 6:765–67 * DPAC 1:476–78 * DTC 2.2:391–401 * EC 2:840–41 * EEC 1:110 * EEChr 1:167 * LTK 2:3 * NCE 2:97 * NCES 2:97–98 * ODCC 157 * PEA (1894) 3.1:8–9 * PEA (1991) 2:446 * RACh 1:1180–86 * TRE 5:206–12

41-A. Book of the Laws of Countries† Also known as the Dialogue on Fate, this book was most probably composed by Philip, a disciple of Bardesane. It is a dialogue, with Bardesane appearing as the main speaker. Fate, he contends, is not absolute; one can freely choose to act either correctly or wrongly. Later Syrian orthodoxy, rightly or wrongly, had problems with many of Bardesane’s teachings. Translation from The Book of the Laws of Countries, trans. and ed. H.J.W. Drijvers (Assen, The Netherlands, 1965) 59. †

42. Pseudo-Clement. Letter 2 to Virgins  245 What shall we say of the new people of us as Christians, that the Mes797 siah has caused to arise in every place and in all climates by his coming? For behold, we all, wherever we may be, are called Christians after the one name of the Messiah. And upon one day, the first of the week, we gather together and on the appointed days we abstain from food. [.  .  .]

Pa l e s t i n e 4 2 . P s e u d o - C l e m e n t. L e t t e r 2 t o V i r g i n s †

Under the name of Clement two letters on virginity have come down to us. They were written by an anonymous author, who seems to have been born in Palestine. The letters, in fact, are one work, the first having no conclusion, the second having no introduction. Their date of composition is uncertain, scholars placing it anywhere from the first half of the third century to no earlier than the late fourth century. CPG 1: no. 1064 * Altaner (1961) 103–4 * Altaner (1966) 47 * Bardenhewer (1908) 29–30 * Bardenhewer (1910) 27 * Bardenhewer (1913) 1:113–18 * Cross 14 * Hamell 27 * Quasten 1:58–59 * Steidle 12–13 * CATH 2:1207 * DCB 1:559 * DictSp 2.1:963 * EC 3:1813 * NCE 11:942–43 * PEA (1894) 4.1:16–17

vi. If however we should go to a place where there are no Christians and its residents keep us there for several days, we should be “as cunning as serpents and as simple as doves.”1 We are not to “be foolish but wise,”2 fearful of the Lord, so that God may be glorified in all things through our Lord Jesus Christ because of our chaste and holy actions. Whether eating or drinking we must do all things for the glory of God. In this way whoever sees us will acknowledge that we—in all our words, in the respect we show, in our moderation, in our impartiality, and in all other things—are a blessed seed and the holy children of the living God. As believers, we are not to imitate the pagans; we are even to be completely different from them, in all things shrinking from evil so that we “do not cast what is holy before dogs or cast pearls before swine.”3 Let us rather glorify God with all self-control, knowledge, fear of God, and steadfastness of mind. The worship we render to God sets us far apart from the pagans, for these blaspheme in their drunken pleasures and utter words of seduction in their godlessness. For this reason we do not sing the psalms in pagan gatherings, nor do we read the Scriptures in such assemblies. In this way we are not like ordinary musicians, whether those who play the harp or those who sing. [.  .  .]

Translated from PG 1:429–32. 1. Matt 10:16.  2. Eph 5:15.  3. Matt 7:6. †

798

799

246  Chapter VI. Third Century. East 43. Origen

Origen (surnamed Adamantius, i.e., man of steel) was born in Egypt, probably in Alexandria and of a Catholic family, about the year 185. We know many of Origen’s biographical details through the writings of Eusebius (WEC 2:81) and others. His father, Leonidas, was martyred in 202 during the persecution of Septimus Severus. With his family having lost its means of support, Origen began to teach grammar, eventually being appointed head of the catechetical school in Alexandria. Devoting himself to a highly ascetic life of poverty and self-denial, he—according to Eusebius—went so far as to mutilate himself, misunderstanding Matthew 19:12. Origen traveled extensively, visiting, among other places, Rome and Arabia. Probably because of the persecution ordered by the emperor Caracalla, in 215 he left Alexandria and went to Palestine, where, even though a layman, he was asked to preach in the presence of several bishops. His own bishop, Demetrius, objected to this and recalled Origen to Egypt. He again visited Palestine in 230, where, despite his physical irregularity, he was ordained a presbyter. Demetrius again recalled him—apparently for disciplinary rather than dogmatic reasons, dismissed him from his teaching position, and in 231 had him deposed from the priesthood. Returning to Palestine, Origen took up residence in Caesarea (where it appears that Demetrius’s sentence was simply ignored). When not journeying elsewhere, he devoted himself to preaching and writing. During the persecution of Decius in 250 Origen was imprisoned. Released after being subjected to torture, he died shortly thereafter ca. 254 at Tyre, where his tomb was long shown to visitors. Origen was the most prolific author of Christian antiquity. Jerome (WEC 3:145) gives a list, albeit incomplete, of his works, totaling at least two thousand. While at Caesarea Origen had a large company of stenographers and copyists, all paid for by his friend Ambrose, whom he converted from Gnosticism. Unfortunately much of Origen’s writing has been completely lost or has survived only in fragments or in Latin translation or perhaps in paraphrases. Although early on there were numerous opponents of Origen’s teachings, it was especially from the end of the fourth century to the middle of the sixth century that controversy regarding Origen’s teaching was at its height, especially in regard to his philosophical excursions on the nature of the soul. From the relatively meager evidence that has come down to us, it is not always easy to determine what Origen was presenting as the faith of the Church or what he was suggesting as personal speculation or hypothesis. Be this as it may, it is especially as a biblical scholar that Origen ranks among the most important writers of the pre–Nicene Church. CPG 1: nos. 1410ff. * Altaner (1961) 223–35 * Altaner (1966) 197–209 * Bardenhewer (1908) 136–53 * Bardenhewer (1910) 119–34 * Bardenhewer (1913) 2:68–158 * Bardy

43. Origen  247 (1929) 77–83 * Bautz 6:1255–71 * Campbell 37–43 * Cross 122–34 * Goodspeed 134–42 * Hamell 62–65 * Jurgens 1:189–215 * Leigh-Bennett 95–113 * Quasten 2:37–101 * Steidle 41–48 * Wright (1932) 317–20 * CATH 10:243–52 * CE 11:306–12 * CHECL 121–27, 211–14 * DACL 12.2:2677–78 * DCB 4:96–142 * DictSp 11:933–62 * DPAC 2:2517–32 * DTC 11.2:1489–1565 * EC 9:346–50 * EEC 2:619–23 * EEChr 2:835–37 * LTK 7:1131–35 * NCE 10:767–74 * NCES 10:653–61 * ODCC 1193–95 * PEA (1894) 18.1:1036–59 * PEA (1991) 9:26–29 * TRE 25:397–420 Prayer and Worship in General W. Gessel, “Die Theologie des Gebetes nach ‘De Oratione’ von Origines,” diss. (Munich, Paderborn, and Vienna, 1975). * T. Marsh, “The History of the Sacramental Concept,” MilS 3 (1979) 21–56. * W. Schütz, Die christliche Gottesdienst bei Origines, Calwer theologische Monographien, Series B, Systematische Theologie und Kirchengeschichte 8 (Stuttgart, 1984). * L. S. Cunningham, “Origen’s On Prayer: A Reflection and Appreciation,” Wor 67:4 (July 1993) 332–39. * J. Laporte, Théologie liturgique de Philone d’Alexandrie et d’Origène (Paris, 1995). * D.R. Stuckwisch, “Principles of Christian Prayer from the Third Century: A Brief Look at Origen, Tertullian and Cyprian with Some Comments on Their Meaning for Today,” Wor 71:1 (January, 1997) 2–19. * J. Laporte, Teologia liturgica di Filone d’Alessandria e Origene, Cammini nello spirito, Teologia 30 (Milan, 1998). Baptism and Original Sin A. v. Harnack, Die Terminologie der Wiedergeburt und verwandter Erlebnisse in der ältesten Kirche, TU 42, 3 (Leipzig, 1918). * H. Rahner, “Taufe und geistliches Leben bei Origines,” Zeitschrift für Askese und Mystik 7 (1932) 205–22. * C.M. Edsman, Le baptême de feu (Leipzig and Uppsala, 1940) 1–15. * Ph. M. Menoud, “Le baptême des enfants dans l’Eglise ancienne,” VerC 2 (1948) 15–26. * G. Burke, “Des Origines Lehre vom Urstand des Menschen,” ZkTh 72 (1950) 1–39. * F. Lovsky, “L’Eglise ancienne baptisait-elle les enfants?” Foi et Vie 48 (1950) 109–38. * I.J. von Almen, “L’Eglise primitive et le baptême des enfants,” VerC 4 (1950) 43–47. * H. Crouzel, “Origène et la structure du sacrement,” BLE 6 S. 63 (1962) 81–104. * B. Neunheuser, Baptism and Confirmation (St. Louis, 1964) 67–77. Eucharist E. Bishop, “Liturgical Comments and Memoranda,” JThSt 10 (1908–9) 592–603. * E. Klostermann, “Eine Stelle des Origenes (In Matth. ser. 85),” ThStKr 103 (1931) 195–98. * F.R.M. Hitchcock, “Holy Communion and Creed in Origen,” ChQ (1941) 216–39. * O. Casel, “Glaube, Gnosis und Mysterium,” JL 15 (1941) 164–95. * L. Grimmelt, “Die Eucharistiefeier nach den Werken des Origines: eine liturgiegeschichtliche Untersuchung,” diss. (Münster, 1942). * P.-T. Camelot, “L’Eucharistie dans l’Ecole d’Alexandrie,” Div 1 (1957) 71–92. * P. Nautin, Lettres et écrivans chrétiens des IIe et IIIe siècles, Patristica 2 (Paris, 1961) 221–32. * J.C.M. van Winden, “Origen’s Definition of ‘eucharistica’ in ‘De Oratione,’” VC 28 (1974) 139–40. * P. Jacquemont, “Origen,” in W. Rordorf and others, The Eucharist of the Early Christians (New York, 1978) 183–93. * L. Lies, “Wort und Eucharistie bei Origenes: zur Spiritualisierungstandenz des Eucharistieverständnisses,” Innsbrucker theologische Studien, diss. (Innsbruck, 1978). * H.-J. Vogt, “Eucharistielehre des Origenes?” FZPT 25 (1978) 428–42. * L. Lies, Origenes’ Eucharisitelehre im Streit der Konfessionem: die Auslegungsgeschichte seit der Reformation, Innsbrucker theologische Studien 15 (Innsbruck, 1985).

248  Chapter VI. Third Century. East Penance V. Ermoni, “La pénitence dans l’histoire, à propos d’un ouvrage récent,” RQH 67, n.s., 23 (1900) 5–55. * A. d’Alès, “Origène et la doctrine des péchés irrémissibles,” RAp 12 (1911) 723–36, 801–16. * B. Poschmann, Die Sündenvergebung bei Origines (Bres­ lau, 1912). * A. Vanbeck, “La pénitence dans Origène,” RHL, n.s., 3 (1912) 544–57; 4 (1913) 115–29. * F. Cavallera, “A propos de l’histoire du sacrement de pénitence: la ‘De oratione’ d’Origène; la distinction I du ‘De paenitentia,’” BLE 6 S. 24 (1923) 172– 201. * B.F.M. Xiberta, “La doctrina de Origines sobre el sacramento de la Penitencia,” Reseña Ecclesiástica 18 (1926) 237–46, 309–18. * C. Verfaillie, La doctrine de la justification dans Origène (Strasbourg, 1926). * F. Cavallera, “La doctrine de la pénitence au IIIe siècle,” BLE 6 S. 30 (1929) 19–36; 31 (1930) 49–63. * P. Galtier, “Les péchés ‘incurables’ d’Origène,” Greg 10 (1929) 117–209. * C. Fries, “Zur Willensfreiheit bein Origines,” Archiv für Geschichte der Philosophie (1930) 92–101. * F.J. Dölger, “Origines über die Beurteilung des Ehebruchs in der Stoischen Philosophie,” AC 4 (1934) 284–87. * M. Waldmann, “Synteresis oder Syneidesis? Ein Beitrag zur Lehre vom Gewissen,” ThQ (1938) 332–71. * B. Poschmann, Paenitentia Secunda (Bonn, 1940) 425–80. * G.H. Joyce, “Private Penance in the Early Church,” JThSt 42 (1941) 18–42. * E.F. Latko, “Origen’s Concept of Penance,” diss. (Québec, 1949). * K. Rahner, “La doctrine d’Origène sur la pénitence,” RSR 37 (1950) 47–97, 252–86, 422–56. * B. Poschmann, Busse und letze Oelung (Freiburg i. B., 1951) 34–39. * H. Rondet, “Aux origines de la théologie du péché,” NRTh 79 (1957) 16–32. * G. Teichtweier, “Die Sündenlehre des Origenes,” diss., Studien zur Geschichte der katholischen Moralstheologie 7 (Regensburg, 1958). * B. Poschmann, Penance and the Anointing of the Sick (St. Louis, 1964) 66ff. * J. Laporte, “Forgiveness of Sins in Origen,” Wor 60:6 (November, 1986) 520–27. Orders, Priesthood C. Gore, “On the Ordination of the Early Bishops of Alexandria,” JThSt 3 (1901–2) 278–82. * G. Bardy, “Le sacerdoce chrétien d’après les Alexandrins,” VS 53 (1937) 144–73. * M. Jourjon, “A propos du ‘dossier d’ordination’ d’Origène,” MSR 15 (1958) 45–48. * E. Ferguson, “Ordination in the Ancient Church,” ResQ 5 (1961) 17–32, 67–82, 130–46. * J. Lécuyer, “Sacerdoce des fidèles et sacerdoce ministériel chez Origène,” VetChr 7 (1970) 253–64. * R. Gryson, “Les élections ecclésiastiques au IIe siècle,” RHE 68 (1973) 353–404. * E. Ferguson, “Origen and the Election of Bishops,” CH 43 (1974) 26–33. * J.A. McGuckin, “Origen’s Concept of the Priesthood,” TD 33:3 (Fall, 1986) 334–36. Other Topics D. Shin, “Some Light from Origen: Scripture as Sacrament,” Wor 73:5 (September, 1999) 399–425.

43-A. Homilies 43-a-1. homily 10 on genesis† 800

3. [.  .  .] Tell me, those of you who come to church only on feastdays, are not the other days also feastdays? Are they not also days of the Lord? It is characteristic for the Jews to observe fixed and infrequent solemnities. Translated from Homélies sur la Genèse, intro. H. de Lubac and L. Doutreleau, trans. and ed. L. Doutreleau, SChr 7 (Paris, 1976) 264–65. †

43. Origen  249 This is why God says to them, “I cannot bear your new moons and your Sabbaths and the great day, your fasting and your rest from work; my soul hates your feasts.”1 Therefore God hates those who believe that only one day is the Lord’s Day. [.  .  .]

43-a-2. homily 13 on exodus† 3. Those of you who are accustomed to participate in the divine mysteries know that when receiving the Lord’s Body you should normally take care that no particle falls to the ground, that nothing of the consecrated gift escapes you. You should rightly consider it a crime if any particle is dropped due to negligence. [.  .  .]

801

43-a-3. homily 2 on leviticus†† 4. Perhaps some of the Church’s members are saying that the ancients 802 were better off than we since the sacrifices they offered in their various rites granted pardon of sins. Yet among us there is only one way by which sins are forgiven; it is granted at the beginning by the grace of baptism; afterwards no mercy, no pardon is granted to a sinner. Certainly a more rigorous discipline is fitting for a Christian, “for whom Christ died.”1 Sheep, cattle, and birds were slain for those living previously, who were sprinkled with their blood. The Son of God was slain for you, and do you take delight in sinning again? You have just heard how many sacrifices for sin are mentioned by the Law. And so that these accounts may encourage you to be virtuous rather than cause you to despair, listen now to the numerous ways sin is forgiven in the Gospel. The first is when we are baptized “for the forgiveness of sins.”2 The sec803 ond is found in the suffering of the martyrs. The third is granted because of almsgiving since the Savior says, “Give what you have, and all will be pure for you.”3 The fourth comes from the fact that we also forgive the sins of one another. As the Lord and Savior says: “If you forgive others their sins, the Father will forgive your sins. But if you do not truly forgive the sins of others, neither will your Father forgive you.”4 And so he taught us to say in the [Lord’s] Prayer, “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.”5 The fifth forgiveness takes place when one leads a sinner from the path of error. The Divine Scripture says that “whoever brings back sinners from the error of their ways will save the sinner’s soul and cover a multitude of sins.”6 The sixth forgiveness of sins also comes through an 1. Isa 1:13–14, LXX. † Translated from Homélies sur l’Exode. Origène, trans. and ed. M. Borret, SChr 321 (Paris, 1985) 386–87. †† Translated from Homélies sur le Lévitique. Origène, vol. 1, trans. and ed. M. Borret, SChr 286 (Paris, 1981) 106–11. 1. Rom 14:15.  2. Mark 1:4.  3. Luke 11:41.  4. Matt 6:14–15.  5. Matt 6:12.  6. Jas 5:20.

250  Chapter VI. Third Century. East abundance of charity, as even the Lord says, “Truly I say to you that many sins will be forgiven the person who has loved much.”7 And the apostle says, “Charity covers a multitude of sins.”8 There is still another, the seventh, although difficult and laborious, namely, the forgiveness of sins through penance when the sinner washes his or her “couch with tears,”9 when tears become a person’s bread day and night,10 when one does not blush to confess sin to God’s priest and to request a remedy, as we read in the psalm, “I have said, I will confess my injustice against you to the Lord, and you have forgiven the iniquity of my heart.”11 In this way is also fulfilled what the apostle James says: “Are any among you sick? Let them call the priests of the Church who are to impose hands on them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven.”12

43-a-4. homily 8 on leviticus† 804

3. [.  .  .] Every soul that takes on a body is soiled by the filth of evil and sin. [.  .  .] In the Church baptism is granted so that sins be forgiven; even infants are baptized according to the custom of the Church. Now if infants do not need the forgiveness of sins and if there were nothing in them that pertains to this forgiveness, then the grace of baptism would appear to be useless. [.  .  .]

43-a-5. homily 15 on leviticus†† 805

2. [.  .  .] As to serious sins, penance is granted only once. Nonetheless, sins that are common and into which we often fall always allow for penance and are always immediately forgiven. [.  .  .]

43-a-6. homily 10 on numbers††† 806

1.8. [.  .  .] Those who are not holy die in their sins; those who are holy do penance for their sins, feel their wounds, understand why they have fallen, go to find a priest, request healing from him, and seek to be purified by the high priest.a This is why the Law prudently and significantly, states that the high priests and the priests do not take upon themselves the sins of any person whatsoever1 but only those of the holy ones, since a “holy one” is a person who has cured his or her sin through the high priest. 7. Luke 7:47.  8. 1 Pet 4:8.  9. See Ps 6:7.  10. See Ps 42:3.  11. Ps 32:5.  12. Jas 5:14–15. † Translated from Homélies sur le Lévitique. Origène, vol. 2, trans. and ed. M. Borret, SChr 287 (Paris, 1981) 20–21. †† Translated from SChr 287:256–57. ††† Translated from Homèlies sur les Nombres, trans. and ed. A. Méhat, SChr 29 (Paris, 1951) 278–79. a. High priest: the bishop? 1. See Num 18:1.

43. Origen  251

43-a-7. homily 16 on numbers† 9.2. May they tell us who are these people who are accustomed to drink 807 blood. Such were the words that the Jews who were following the Lord heard in the Gospel. They were scandalized and were saying, “Who can eat flesh and drink blood?”1 But the Christian people, the faithful people, understand the meaning of these words, welcome them, and follow him who says, “Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you will not have life in you; because my flesh is food indeed and my blood is drink indeed.”2 And truly he who said this was wounded for our sins; as Isaiah says, “He was wounded for our sins.”3 But it is said that we drink the blood of Christ not only when we receive it sacramentally [sacramentorum ritu] but when we receive his words, words in which life resides, as he himself says, “My words are spirit and life.”4 Therefore he was wounded, he whose blood we drink, namely, whose teaching we receive. But no less wounded are those who have preached his word to us. And when we read their writings, namely, those of the apostles, and when we follow the life they teach, it is the blood of those who are wounded that we drink.

43-a-8. homily 2 on joshua†† 1. [.  .  .] You see the pagans come to faith, churches being built up, altars sprinkled no longer with the blood of oxen but consecrated by the precious blood of Christ. You see the priests and levites ministering not the blood of goats and bulls but the word of God through the Holy Spirit. [.  .  .]

808

43-a-9. homily 14 on luke††† 5. [.  .  .] I use the present occasion to treat once again a question frequently asked by the brethren. Infants are baptized unto the remission of sins.1 But what sins? When did they sin? Or how can one hold a similar reason for the baptism of infants if one does not admit the interpretation that we have just given: “No person is exempt from sin even if this person’s life upon earth has lasted for only one day.”2 And because through the mystery of baptism the filth of birth is removed, so it is that one baptizes also infants, “for no one can enter the kingdom of heaven without being reborn by water and the Spirit.”3 6. “When,” says the evangelist, “the days for their purification were completed.”4 The fulfillment of these days also has a spiritual meaning.

Translated from SChr 29:262–63. 1. See John 6:52–53.  2. John 6:53–55.  3. Isa 53:5.  4. John 6:63. †† Translated from PG 12:833–34. ††† Translated from Homélies sur s. Luc, trans. and ed. H. Crouzel, F. Fournier, and P. Périchon, SChr 87 (Paris, 1962) 222–25. 1. See Acts 2:38.  2. Job 14:4–5, LXX.  3. John 3:5.  4. Luke 2:22. †

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252  Chapter VI. Third Century. East The soul, in fact, is not purified at birth, and on the day of birth cannot obtain perfect purity. But as is written in the Law: “If a mother bears a male child, she will be unclean for seven days and then for thirty-three days she shall be in pure blood.”5 And since “the Law is spiritual”6 and is “the shadow of good things to come,”7 we can understand that our true purification will come after a certain period of time. This is what I believe. Even after the resurrection from the dead we will need a mystery [sacramentum] so that we can be washed and purified—no one can rise without being soiled and no one can find any soul that is immediately freed from all vice. Also in the rebirth of baptism a mystery takes place. Just as Jesus according to the dispensation of the flesh was purified by an offering, so we are purified by a spiritual rebirth.

43-B. Commentary on Romans† Most probably written before 244, this commentary consists of fifteen books, of which only fragments of the original Greek remain. V.viii. [.  .  .] Perhaps you might ask about what the Lord said to his disciples, namely, that they are to baptize all peoples in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Now why has this apostle employed the name of Christ alone in baptism, saying, “We who have been baptized into Christ”1 since legitimate baptism is only given in the name of the Trinity? [.  .  .] V.ix. [.  .  .] From the apostles the Church has received the tradition that 812 also babies be baptized. For those confided with the secrets of the divine mysteries knew that the natural stains of sin existed in everyone, stains that must be washed away through water and the Spirit. [.  .  .] X.xxxiii. Greet one another with a holy kiss.2 From this expression and from 813 others similar to it the custom has been handed down to the churches that after the prayers the brethren greet one another with a kiss. The apostle calls this kiss “holy.” By means of this name he teaches first of all that kisses given in the churches are to be chaste; also that they are not feigned as were those of Judas. [.  .  .] 811

43-C. Against Celsus†† About the year 178 Celsus, a pagan philosopher, wrote The True Discourse, a treatise that is considered the first anti-Christian polemical work. Although this attack on Christianity (and Judaism) appears to have had

5. Lev 12:2–4, LXX.  6. Rom 7:14.  7. Heb 10:1. † Translated from PG 14:1039, 1047, 1282–83. 1. Rom 6:3.  2. Rom 16:16. †† Translated from Contre Celse, vol. 2, trans. and ed. M. Borret, SChr 136 (Paris, 1968) 122–23; ibid., vol. 4, SChr 150 (Paris, 1969) 200ff.

43. Origen  253 limited circulation and impact, Origen was persuaded to write a refutation, doing so about the year 248 and in eight books. Most of Celsus’s work has been lost and yet can be reconstructed from its quotations by Origen. III.li. [.  .  .] Christians mourn as dead those guilty of licentiousness or any other sin since such guilty ones are lost, being dead to God. Yet if they show a true change of heart, they are received back into the fold sometime in the future—after a more extended period of time than when they were first received—as though they were risen from among the dead. VIII.xiii. [.  .  .] We adore the one God and his only Son, the Word and the Image, through our supplications and requests, offering our prayers to the God of the universe through his only Son. It is to the Son that we first present them, asking him as the “propitiation for our sins”1 and as the High Priest to present our prayers, our sacrifices, our supplications to God Most High. VIII.xxii. Can anyone object to the fact that we are accustomed to celebrate certain days, for example, the Lord’s Day, the Preparation Day, the Pasch, or Pentecost? We must respond that to perfect Christians, to those who do not cease to apply themselves to the words, actions, and thoughts of God’s Word who by nature is Lord, all their days are days of the Lord, and they continually celebrate Sunday. Furthermore, the Preparation Day continues to be celebrated by those who constantly prepare themselves for a true life, who ward off the pleasures of this life which deceive the multitude, not nourishing the lust of the flesh but, on the contrary, punishing the body and keeping it under control.2 Also, when it is understood that “Christ our Passover has been sacrificed”3 and that this feast is to be celebrated by eating the flesh of the Word,4 then the Passover is not kept immediately, the word Passover meaning “passing over,” for by thought, by each word, by each action we, hastening toward the heavenly city, never cease to pass over from the affairs of this world to God. Finally, if we can truly say, “We have risen with Christ,”5 and also, “He has raised us up with him and has seated us with Christ in heaven,”6 there we continually find ourselves observing the days of Pentecost especially when, ascending to the upper room as did the apostles of Jesus, we devote ourselves to supplication and prayer. Doing so we become worthy of the mighty wind descending from heaven, a wind whose strength destroys human evil and its effects. We also merit to share in the tongue of fire that comes from God.7 VIII.xxxiii. [.  .  .] Let Celsus, then, in his ignorance of God, bear witness to the demons. We, however, give thanks to the Creator of all; we eat the bread offered with thanksgiving and prayer, bread given to us, bread that 1. 1 John 4:10; 2:2; Heb 2:17; etc.  2. See Rom 8:6–7; 1 Cor 9:27.  3. See 1 Cor 5:7.  4. See John 6:51–56.  5. See Col 2:12; 3:1.  6. Eph 2:6.  7. See Acts 1:13–14; 2:2–3.

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254  Chapter VI. Third Century. East through prayer has become the holy Body and which sanctifies those who use it properly.8 VIII.lvii. [.  .  .] Celsus desires that we not show ingratitude toward the 818 demons here below, believing that we owe them offerings of thanksgiving. But we, while making clear what is meant by thanksgiving, argue that we are not ungrateful if we refuse to sacrifice to beings that do us no good and contend against us. We only refuse to be ungrateful to God who has showered us with benefits since we are his creatures, the objects of Divine Providence, to God who has judged us worthy no matter what, and whom we await after this life, the fulfillment of our hope. As a token of our gratitude toward God, we have the bread we call the “Eucharist.” [.  .  .] VIII.lxvii. [.  .  .] According to Celsus we will better seem to give honor 819 to the great God if we sing also to the sun and to Minerva. But we know that just the opposite is true. We sing hymns only to God on high and to God’s only Son, who is God and the Word. We sing hymns to God and to God’s only Son as do the sun, the moon, the stars, and the whole heavenly host.9 Together they form but one divine choir, and with the just they sing a hymn to God on high and to God’s only Son. [.  .  .]

43-D. On Prayer† Written in 233–34 this treatise, the oldest formal explanation of Christian prayer, occupies a prominent place in the history of Christian spirituality. The work treats prayer in general (chapters iii–xvii), then the Our Father (chapters xviii–xxx), and concluding with a short appendix (chapters xxxi–xxxiii). xi.5. [.  .  .] And so we must believe that the angels, as overseers and as God’s servants, are present with those who are praying in order to join them in their petitions. To be sure, each person’s angel—even those of the Church’s “little ones who look upon the face of the Father in heaven,”1— when contemplating our Creator’s divinity pray and help us insofar as possible regarding what we petition. xii.2. Since doing what is enjoined by virtue or the commandments is 821 also a part of prayer, those who combine right actions with prayer and prayer with becoming actions “pray unceasingly.” Only if we consider the whole life of a holy person as one great continuous prayer can we understand the admonition “Pray without ceasing”2 as something we can accomplish. What we ordinarily refer to as “prayer” is only part of this prayer, and it should be performed no less than three times a day. The example of David makes this clear. He prayed three times each day even though threatened by danger.3 And “Peter, at about the sixth hour going 820

8. See 1 Cor 10:31.  9. See Ps 148:3. † Translated from GCS 3:324ff. 1. Matt 18:10.  2. 1 Thess 5:17.  3. See Dan 6:11.

43. Origen  255 up to the roof to pray, saw a vessel descending from above, lowered by its four corners.”4 This refers to the second of the three prayers, the prayer that David also spoke about much earlier: “In the morning you hear my prayer; in the morning I will stand before you and watch.”5 The last is indicated by “the lifting up of my hands like an evening sacrifice.”6 Without this prayer we cannot pass the night as we should. [.  .  .] xxviii.9. [.  .  .] So that we may better grasp how God forgives our sins through others, let us use an example from the Law. The Law forbids priests from offering sacrifice for certain sins so that those for whom the sacrifice is made might be forgiven their sins. The Law also says that a priest who can offer sacrifice for certain voluntary or involuntary transgressions7 is not to offer a sin-offering for adultery, voluntary murder, or a more serious sin. And so the apostles, as well as those who have become similar to the apostles, being priests like the “Great High Priest”8 and having been instructed in the service of God, know from the teaching of the Spirit for what sins they are to offer sacrifice as well as when and how they are to do so. Additionally, they recognize the sins for which they are not to do so. [.  .  .] xxviii.10. I simply do not understand how some can take upon themselves the power of the priestly office. Perhaps failing to possess the knowledge appropriate to a priest, they boast that they can even forgive idolatry, adultery, and fornication. They act as if, through their prayer on behalf of those daring to commit such sins, they can forgive even sin unto death. They fail to read, “There is sin unto death; I do not say that you should pray about that.”9 [.  .  .] xxxi.2. It seems to me that those about to pray should somewhat dispose and prepare themselves. [.  .  .] They should lift up the soul before lifting up the hands, raising up toward God the spirit before the eyes; and lifting up the mind from earthly things and directing it to the Lord of all before standing for prayer. [.  .  .] Of the numerous postures of the body, it is undeniable that elevating the hands and upraising the eyes should be preferred to all others since in this way the body brings to prayer the image of the qualities that are becoming to prayer. Except for special circumstances, this should be the normal position for prayer. As circumstances require, a person can at times appropriately pray while sitting, for example, due to some serious ailment of the feet, or even while lying down because of fever or some similar illness. Again, if we are traveling or if our business does not allow us to go apart to pray as we should, then we can pray without outwardly appearing to do so. xxxi.3. A person should kneel when confessing before God one’s own sins, when requesting healing and forgiveness; this is the attitude proper to those who humble themselves and who submit themselves. As Paul 4. Acts 10:9, 11.  5. Ps 5:3.  6. Ps 141:2.  7. See Num 15:15–26.  8. Heb 4:14.  9. 1 John 5:16.

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256  Chapter VI. Third Century. East says, “For this reason I kneel before the Father from whom every paternity in heaven and upon earth takes its name.”10 Spiritual kneeling, so named because every being submitting to God at the name of Jesus and humbling oneself before him is, I believe, signified by the apostle when he says, “At the name of Jesus every knee should bend in heaven, upon earth, and under the earth.”11 [.  .  .] xxxi.4. As to place, we should understand that every place is appropri826 ate for those who pray well: “In every place offer me incense,”12 says the Lord. “And, I desire that in every place one should pray.”13 In order to pray calmly and without distraction each person should have in his or her house, if it is large enough, an appointed and selected place, a more solemn room, as it were, and pray there. In determining this location, one should ask whether anything contrary to law or right has taken place there. Neither the person nor the place of prayer is to be such that God has fled from it. [.  .  .] xxxi.5. The place where believers assemble is both reasonable and use827 ful as a place for prayer. It is there that the angelic powers take part in the assemblies of believers, where the power of our Lord and Savior himself lives, where the spirits of the holy ones gather, both, as I believe, those of the dead who have gone on before us and obviously those of the holy ones who are still alive, even though it is difficult to say how this happens. Regarding the angels, we have this to say: if “the angel of the Lord will encamp around those who fear him and will deliver them,”14 if Jacob spoke the truth not only regarding himself but regarding all who are dedicated to God when he spoke about “the angel who delivers us from all evils,”15 then it is likely, when many are gathered to give glory to Christ, that each person’s angel encamps around those who fear God and that the angel is with the person whom it is to protect and guide. In this way when the holy ones are assembled, there are two churches, one that is human and another that is angelic. And if it was only the prayer of Tobit, and that of Sarah who later became his daughter-in-law by her marriage to the young Tobiah, that, according to Raphael, Tobit offered as a memorial,16 then what occurs when many gather in the same spirit and mind and form one body in Christ? Paul says, “You have gathered together with my spirit and with the power of the Lord Jesus,”17 meaning that the Lord’s power was not only with the Ephesians but also with the Corinthians. And if Paul, still clothed with the body, believed that he was being carried away by his own body to Corinth, we must not lose hope that the blessed ones who have departed their bodies will come in spirit, perhaps more fully than the people who are bodily present in the churches. Wherefore we must not disregard prayers offered in churches since they have value for those who truly participate there. 10. Eph 3:14–15.  11. Phil 2:10.  12. Mal 1:11.  13. 1 Tim 2:8.  14. Ps 34:7.  15. Gen 48:16.  16. See Tob 12:12.  17. 1 Cor 5:4.

44. Clement of Alexandria  257 xxxii. As to the direction toward which we are to pray, I have just a few 828 words. Since there are four directions—north, south, east, and west—who does not immediately recognize that the east evidently indicates that we should pray looking toward this direction, this being a symbol that the soul is gazing toward the rising of the true light?18 One may prefer to pray facing the direction in which his or her house faces, regardless of the way in which its doors may open, saying that looking up toward heaven itself is more conducive to prayer than looking at a wall. Now if the house does not face in an easterly direction, we respond that the manner whereby human buildings are oriented is a matter of convention; but by reason of its very nature, however, the east takes precedence over the other directions, and what is natural is to be preferred over what is artificial. Furthermore, why should one who desires to pray out in the open pray toward the east rather than toward the west? If in this case it is reasonable to prefer the east, why not do the same everywhere? Enough said on this subject! xxxiii.1. It seems that I should conclude this book by considering the 829 parts of prayer. There are, in my opinion, four of them. These I have discovered throughout the Scriptures, and a person should, according to each of them, formulate one’s prayer. They are as follows. At the beginning, like a prologue to prayer, we use all our ability to glorify God through Christ who is glorified with him in the Holy Spirit, who is praised with him. After that we give thanks, recalling as we do so the benefits given by God to all and to each of us in particular. Following the thanksgiving we should confess our sins and request first a healing that will deliver us from whatever customarily leads us to sin, and then the forgiveness of past sins. After the confession the fourth part is, I believe, a petition for great and heavenly benefits, both particular and universal, for our parents and friends. Prayer should conclude by glorifying God through Christ and in the Holy Spirit.

Egypt 44. Clement of Alexandria

Clement (Titus Flavius Clemens) of Alexandria was born of pagan parents ca. 150, perhaps in Athens. After his baptism he traveled widely to seek further instruction in the Christian faith. Eventually he settled in Alexandria, where ca. 200 he became director of that city’s noted catechetical school. Persecution forced him to leave Egypt a few years later, and he died in Cappadocia between 211 and 216. Clement’s writings show that he was very familiar not only with the Scriptures but also with profane literature as, for example, the philosophical treatises of Plato. Although organizing material was not his strong point, Clement has been called the “first Christian scholar.” 18. See John 1:9.

258  Chapter VI. Third Century. East CPG 1: nos. 1375ff. * Altaner (1961) 215–22 * Altaner (1966) 190–97 * Bardenhewer (1908) 126–35 * Bardenhewer (1910) 112–19 * Bardenhewer (1913) 2:15–66 * Bardy (1929) 72–77 * Bautz 1:1063–66 * Campbell 33–37 * Cross 118–22 * Goodspeed 127–33 * Hamell 60–62 * Jurgens 1:176–88 * Leigh-Bennett 77–94 * Quasten 2:5–36 * Tixeront 84–89 * Wright (1932) 312–17 * CATH 2:1203–6 * CE 4:45–47 * CHECL 117–20 * DCB 1:559–67 * DHGE 12:1423–28 * DictSp 2.1:950–61 * DPAC 1:706–12 * DTC 3.1:137–99 * EC 3:1842–57 * EEC 1:179–81 * EEChr 1:262–64 * LTK 6:126–27 * NCE 3:943–44 * NCES 3:797–99 * ODCC 364–65 * PEA (1894) 4.1:11–13 * PEA (1991) 3:30–31* RACh 3:182–88 * TRE 8:101–13 Liturgy in General, Prayer H.G. Marsh, “The Use of ‘Musterion’ in the Writings of Clement of Alexandria with Special Reference to His Sacramental Doctrine,” JThSt 37 (1936) 64–80. * G. Békés, De Continua Oratione Clementis Alexandrini Doctrina, Studia Anselmiana 14 (Rome, 1942). * J.D.B. Hamilton, “The Church and the Language of Mystery: The First Four Centuries,” ETL 53 (1977) 479–94. * T. Marsh, “The History of the Sacramental Concept,” MilS 3 (1979) 21–56. * C. Riedweg, “Mysterienterminologie bei Platon, Philon und Klemens von Alexandrien,” diss., Untersuchungen zur antiken Literatur und Geschichte 26 (Berlin and New York, 1987). Initiation C. Caspari, “Hat die alexandrinische Kirche auf Zeit des Clements ein Tauf­ bekenntnis bessen?” Zeitschrift für kirchlichen Wissenschaft 7 (1886) 352–75. * A.V. Harnack, Die Terminologie der Wiedergebut und verwandter Erlebniss in der ältesten Kirche, TU 42, 3 (Leipzig, 1920) 97–143. * T. Rüther, Die Lehre von der Erbsünde bein Clements von Alexandrien, FthSt 28 (Freiburg i. B., 1922). * J. Héring, Etude sur la doctrine de la chute et de la préexistence des âmes chez Clément d’Alexandrie, Bibliothèque de l’Ecole des Hautes Etudes 38 (Paris, 1923). * A. Oepke, “Urchistentum und Kindertaufe,” ZNW 29 (1930) 81–111. * F.J. Dölger, “Das Lösen der Schuhriemen in der Taufsymbolik des Klemens von Alexandrien,” AC 5 (1936) 87–95. * H.A. Echle, “The Baptism of the Apostles,” Tra 3 (1945) 365–68. * H.A. Echle, “Sacramental Initiation as a Christian Mystery: Initiation according to Clement of Alexandria,” in Vom christlichen Mysterium: Gesammelte Arbeiten zum Gedächnis Odo Casels (Düsseldorf, 1951) 54–64. * A. Orbe, “Teologia bautismal de Clemente Alejandrino, según Paed. I, 26, 3–27, 2,” Greg 36 (1955) 410–48. * H. Rondet, “Aux origines de la théologie du péché,” NRTh 79 (1957) 16–32. * B. Neunheuser, Baptism and Confirmation (St. Louis, 1964) 64–67. * C. Nardi, Il battesimo in Clemente Alessandrino: interpretazione di Eclogae propheticae 1–26, Studia Ephemeridis “Augustinianum” 19 (Rome, 1984). * E.A. Leeper, “From Alexandria to Rome: The Valentinian Connection to the Incorporation of Exorcism as a Prebaptismal Rite,” VC 44 (1990) 6–24. Eucharist A. Scheiwiler, Die Elemente der Eucharistie, FLDG 3, 4 (Mainz, 1903) 55–66. * F. Wieland, Der vorirenäische Opferbegrifff (Munich, 1900) 106–21. * J. Brinktrine, Der Messopferbegriff in den ersten zwei Jahrhunderten, FThSt 21 (Freiburg i. B., 1918) 105–10. * P. Batiffol, L’Eucharistie: la présence réelle et la transubstantiation, 9th ed. (Paris, 1930) 248–61. * F.R.M. Hitchcock, “Holy Communion and Creed in Clement of Alexandria,” ChQ 129 (1939) 57–70. * P.-T. Camelot, “L’Eucharistie dans l’Ecole d’Alexandrie,” Div 1 (1957) 71–92. * A.H.C. van Eijk, “The Gospel of Philip and Clement of Alexandria: Gnostic and Ecclesiastical Theology on the Resurrection,”

44. Clement of Alexandria  259 VC 25 (1971) 94–120. * C. Mondesert, “L’Eucharistie selon Clément d’Alexandrie,” PP 46 (1971) 302–8. * A. Méhat, “Clement of Alexandria,” in W. Rordorf and others, The Eucharist of the Early Christians (New York, 1978) 99–131. * A.L. Pratt, “Clement of Alexandria: Eucharist as Gnosis,” GOTR 32 (1987) 163–78. Penance V. Ermoni, “La pénitence dans l’histoire, à propos d’un ouvrage récent,” RQH 67, n.s., 23 (1930) 5–55. * Th. Spacil, La doctrina del purgatorio in Clemente Alessandrine ed Origene (Besa, 1919) 131–45. * J. Hoh, “Die Busse bei Klemens von Alexandrien,” ZkTh 56 (1932) 175–89. * J. Hoh, Die kirchliche Busse im zweiten Jahrhundert (Breslau, 1932) 115–29. * B. Poschmann, Paenitentia Secunda, Theophaneia 1 (Bonn, 1940) 229–60. * H.A. Echle, “The Terminology of the Sacrament of Reconciliation according to Clement of Alexandria,” diss. (Washington, D.C., 1949). * H. Karpp, Probleme altchristlicher Anthropologie, Beiträge zur historischen Theologie 44, 3 (Gütersloh, 1950) 92–103. * B. Poschmann, Busse und letze Ölung (Freiburg i. B., 1951) 32–34. * A. Méhat, “‘Pénitence seconde’ et ‘péché involuntaire’ chez Clément d’Alexandrie,” VC 8 (1954) 225–33. * B. Poschmann, Penance and the Anointing of the Sick, 6th ed. (St. Louis, 1964) 63–66. * E. Junod, “Un écho d’une controverse autour de la pénitence: l’histoire de l’apôtre Jean et du chef des brigands chez Clément d’Alexandrie (Quis dives savetur 42, 1–15),” RHPR 60 (1980) 153–60. Other Topics G.W. Butterworth, “Clement of Alexandria and Art,” JThSt 17 (1915–16) 68–76. * C. Mondésert, “Le symbolisme chez Clément d’Alexandrie,” RSR 26 (1936) 158–80. * G. Bardy, “Le sacerdoce chrétien d’après les Alexandrins,” VS 53 (1937) 144–73. * W.M. Green, “Ancient Comment on Instrumental Music in the Psalms,” ResQ 1 (1957) 3–8. * J.-P. Broudéhoux, Mariage et famille chez Clément d’Alexandrie, Théologie historique 11 (Paris, 1970). * R. Mortley, “The Theme of Silence in Clement of Alexandria,” JThSt, n.s., 24 (1973) 197–202.

44-A. The Tutor of Children (Paidagogos)† Generally addressed to those who have already accepted the faith, this work is an exhortation to live as faithful Christians in a world filled with pagan vices and customs. I.vi.25. [.  .  .] Now if he [Jesus Christ] were perfect, then why did he, the perfect one, have himself baptized? It is, they say, so that the promise concerning the human race might be fulfilled. This is indeed true. Did he become truly perfect when he was baptized by John? Apparently yes. Did he learn anything more from John? In no way. He, then, was made perfect by baptism alone and sanctified by the descent of the Holy Spirit. So it is. But the same holds true of us—whose exemplar is the Lord; baptized, we are enlightened; enlightened, we are adopted as children; adopted, we are made perfect; becoming perfect, we receive immortality. It is written, † Translated from Le Pédagogue, vol. 1, trans. M. Harl and ed. H.I. Marrou, SChr 70 (Paris, 1983) 158–59; ibid., vol. 2, trans. C. Mondésert, SChr 108 (Paris, 1965) 48ff.; ibid., vol. 3, trans. C. Mondésert and C. Matray, SChr 158 (Paris, 1970) 152ff.

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260  Chapter VI. Third Century. East “I say, ‘you are all gods and children of the Most High.’”1 Numerous are the names for this: grace, illumination, perfection, bath. It is a “bath” by which we are purified from our sins; it is “grace” that takes away the punishment merited by our sins; it is “illumination” within which we gaze upon the beautiful and holy light of salvation, namely, the light that allows us to see God; it is “perfection” in that nothing is lacking. II.ii.20. Wine is mixed with water, and the Spirit is united with man. 831 One nourishes unto faith; the other leads to incorruptibility. In turn, the mixture of the two, namely, the drink and the Logos, is called the Eucharist, a grace that is praised for its beauty. Sharing in it when done with faith sanctifies both body and soul. [.  .  .] II.iv.41. [.  .  .] It is against this kind of feast [i.e., a non-Christian feast] 832 that the Spirit opposes a divine service that is worthy of God when it says in the psalm, “Praise him with the sound of the trumpet”;2 in fact, it is with the sound of the trumpet that the dead will be brought back to life.3 “Praise him with the harp”4 because the tongue is the harp of the Lord. Also, “Praise him with the cithara”5 because in our understanding the word “cithara” means the “mouth” which the Spirit has vibrate as if being struck by a plectrum. “Praise him with the timbrel and dance”;6 here the Spirit desires that the Church think of the resurrection of the flesh when it hears the timbrel’s skin vibrate. “Praise him with stringed instrument and organ.”7 The body is called an organ and its nerves are the strings by which it has received a harmonious tension and which expresses itself by human sounds when touched by the Spirit. “Praise him with clashing cymbals”;8 the mouth’s cymbals are the tongue which moves when the lips are set into motion. And so the Spirit calls out to all people, “May each breath praise the Lord”9 because the Lord has extended his protection to each breath he has created. In truth, the human being is a peaceful instrument whereas those who have preoccupations [other than peace] desire to invent war instruments which enflame desire, stir up lust, or arouse anger. In fact, in their wars the Etruscans employ trumpets; the Arcadians use the shepherd’s pipe; the Sicilians have the harp. [.  .  .] We, however, have the Word alone, the one instrument of peace, as we honor God. We no longer employ the ancient psaltery, trumpet, timbrel, or flute. [.  .  .] II.ix.79. It is necessary that we be always ready to rise from sleep. Scrip833 ture, in fact, says, “May your loins be girt and your lamps be lit; you are to be like those who await their master when he returns from the marriage feast so that they may open the door for him as soon as he arrives and knocks. Happy are those whom their master, upon arriving, finds waiting.”10 Someone who is sleeping is useless. The same holds true for a person who is dead. This is why during the night we are often to rise and

1. Ps 82:6.  2. Ps 150:3.  3. See 1 Cor 15:52.  4. Ps 150:3.  5. See ibid.  6. Ps 150:4.  7. Ibid.  8. Ps 150:5.  9. Ps 150:6.  10. See Luke 12:35–37.

44. Clement of Alexandria  261 bless God. Blessed are those who watch for him; they make themselves like the angels whom we call the “watchers.” [.  .  .] II.xi.79. [.  .  .] When going to the assembly it is necessary that both women and men be decently clothed, that they walk in a simple fashion, that they seek peace and quiet, and that they be full of “sincere love,”11 chaste in body and soul, and ready to address God in prayer.12 Furthermore, women, except when at home, should always be veiled; doing so conforms to modesty and protects her from being looked at. She will never fall if she maintains before her eyes modesty and her veil; nor will she lead another to sin by uncovering her face. It is the wish of the Word that she be veiled when she is at prayer.13 III.xi.81. [.  .  .] If we are called to the kingdom of God, let our conduct be worthy of this kingdom14 by our love for both God and neighbor.15 However, the criterion of love is not the kiss16 but showing kindness. The people I have in mind are those who do nothing other than have the assemblies resound with the noise of their kiss without possessing love within themselves. Even more, their continual abuse of the kiss, which is to be a “mystical” action, has given rise to shameful suspicions and calumnies. [.  .  .]

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44-B. Carpets (Stromata)† The word Stromata refers to patchwork quilts or carpets and is used to designate a literary form common in antiquity, namely, a potpourri or work treating various topics. The treatise has eight books, the last being unfinished. I.xix.96. [.  .  .] Wisdom evidently says to the heretics, “Place your hand full of joy upon the bread of mystery and upon the stolen water which is sweet.”1 When the Scripture here uses the words “bread” and “water,” it has in mind nothing other than those heretics who use bread and water in the offering, doing so contrary to the rule of the Church. The same holds true for those who celebrate the Eucharist with pure water. [.  .  .] I.xxi.146. The followers of Basilidesa celebrate the day of [Christ’s] baptism as a feast, passing the night before with readings. [.  .  .] 11. Rom 12:9; see 2 Cor 6:6.  12. See Matt 5:8.  13. See 1 Cor 11:5–6.  14. See Phil 1:27; 1 Thess 2:12.  15. See Matt 22:37, 39.  16. See Rom 16:16; 1 Cor 16:20; 2 Cor 13:12; 1 Thess 5:26. † Translated from Les Stromates, vol. 1, intro. C. Mondésert, trans. and ed. M. Caster, SChr 30 bis (Paris, 2006) 120ff.; ibid., vol. 2, trans. C. Mondésert, ed. P.Th. Camelot, SChr 38 bis (Paris, 2006) 79ff.; ibid., vol. 7, trans. and ed. A. Le Boulluec, SChr 428 (Paris, 2006) 108ff. a. Basilides: a theologian of somewhat Gnostic tendencies who taught at Alexandria during the second century. 1. Prov 9:17.

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II.xiii.56. Whoever has received the pardon of sins should sin no more. In addition to the first and sole penance for sins—surely the sins of those who formerly led a pagan life, namely, a life in ignorance—penance is offered to those who have been called, a penance that purifies the soul from errors so that the faith may take deep root there. The Lord, having “knowledge of hearts”2 and knowing the future in advance, has always foreseen human fickleness and the devil’s craftiness; the Lord knew how the devil, jealous of the human race because of the pardon granted to sins, raised up for God’s servants occasions of sin, doing this by means of mischievous designs in order that they also might fall with him. II.xiii.57. God, then, in his great mercy granted a second penance to those who, although possessing the faith, fall into some error. This is so a person who is tempted after being called and who is overtaken by violence and deceit might still obtain a penance not to be repented of.3 “In fact, if we willingly sin after having come to the knowledge of the truth, there is no more sacrifice to offer for our sins; all that remains is to fearfully await the judgment and the raging fire that will devour those who rebel.”4 VII.v.29. [.  .  .] If what is sacred is understood in two ways, namely, God himself and the building constructed in his honor, then would we not have to properly call the Church holy, made so though knowledge for the honor of God, an edifice sacred to God, great in value, not built by human work, not constructed by the hand of a charlatan, but a Church intended by God to be a temple? For it is not the place but the gathering of the elect that I call the Church. Such a temple is more apt for receiving the greatness of God’s dignity. [.  .  .] VII.vi.31. [.  .  .] But if God rejoices in being honored, even though by nature he needs nothing, we do no wrong to honor God by prayer; this is the best and most holy sacrifice that we rightly send up, giving him honor through the Word of all righteousness, by whom we receive knowledge and by whom we also give glory for what we have learned. And so our altar of sacrifice, the altar we have here below, is the earthly gathering of those devoted to prayer, those having one voice and being of one mind. [.  .  .] VII.vii.35. We are commanded to revere and honor the Word, convinced as we are by faith that he is the Savior and governor, and through him the Father. We are not to do so just on selected days as is done by others, but continually, throughout all one’s life and in every way possible. In fact, the chosen race,5 justified according to the commandment,6 says, “I have praised you seven times a day.”7 Also, this is to happen not in a determined place nor in a chosen sanctuary nor on certain feasts or selected days but throughout a person’s whole life. In this way the [true] Gnosticb b. The true Gnostic, Clement contends, is the person who has attained a harmony of faith and knowledge. 2. Acts 15:8.  3. See 2 Cor 7:10.  4. Heb 10:26–27.  5. See 1 Pet 2:9; Isa 43:20.  6. See Ps 119:172.  7. Ps 119:164.

44. Clement of Alexandria  263 honors God, namely, shows gratitude for his or her knowledge of how to live. This is to be done everywhere, whether one is alone or with others who share the same faith. [.  .  .] And so throughout our whole life we keep festival, convinced that God is present everywhere; we cultivate our fields while offering praise; we travel on the sea while singing hymns; and we live according to the rules. [.  .  .] VII.vii.40. And so we lift our heads and extend our hands toward heaven; we stand on tiptoes as we give the acclamation that concludes the prayer. [.  .  .] Now if some appoint particular hours for prayer, for example, the third, the sixth, the ninth hour, nonetheless the [true] Gnostic prays throughout all his or her life, hastening to be with God by means of prayer and, to be brief, leaving behind all that will not be useful when this is attained since now the perfection of a person acting out of love is received. But the distribution of the hours according to three moments, each solemnized by an equal number of prayers—this is known by those who are acquainted with the blessed triad of the holy dwelling places. VII.vii.43. [.  .  .] When we pray we face the morning sun. The most ancient temples faced the west, this teaching the people who are standing before the images to turn toward the east. “May my prayer rise like incense before you, the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice,”8 says the psalm. VII.vii.49. [.  .  .] And so the [true] Gnostic will also pray in the company of those with whom the faith is shared, but only for actions where collaboration is required. One’s entire life is a festival. His or her offerings consist of prayers and the giving of praise, reading the Scriptures before meals and before retiring at night, and also by praying during the night. Doing so, one is joined to the heavenly choir. [.  .  .] VIII.xii.78. [.  .  .] The [true] Gnostic even prays with the angels as someone who is already equal to them. Never beyond their keeping and even though praying alone, he or she is always part of the choir of angels.

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44-C. Excerpts from Theodotus† This appendix to Clement’s Carpets contains various extracts from the writings of Theodotus, a Valentinian Gnostic, although at times it is difficult to distinguish which material is that of Theodotus whom Clement is refuting and which material is that of Clement himself. D.82. The bread [of the Eucharist?] and the oil [of the baptismal anointing?] are sanctified by the dynamis of the NAME [of God]. They are the same outwardly as when they were taken. Yet by the dynamis they have been changed into a “pneumatic dynamis.” The same is true for the water 8. Ps 141:2. † Translated from Extraits de Théodote, trans. and ed. F. Sagnard, SChr 23 (Paris, 1948) 206–7.

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264  Chapter VI. Third Century. East which becomes an exorcised water, a water then used for baptism. This is not only changed within but also obtains sanctification. D.83. Baptism is usually celebrated with joy; but since impure spirits often 848 descend [into the water] at the same time that certain [neophytes] do, accompanying the baptized and being sealed with them—thus making these spirits obstinate in the future—fear is then mixed with joy. Consequently only a person who is pure can go down into the water. For this reason there are fasts, supplications, prayers, [the laying on of] hands, so that the soul might be preserved “from the world”1 and from the “mouth of lions.”2 [.  .  .] 4 5 . D i o n y s i u s t h e G r e at o f A l e x a n d r i a

If one is to believe Eusebius of Caesarea (WEC 2:81), and not all do, Dionysius was a pupil of Origen (WEC 1:43) and ca. 233 became head of the catechetical school at Alexandria. Ordained bishop in 248, he fled the city in 250 due to persecution. Two years later he returned, only to leave again in 257 during the persecution of Valerian. Nonetheless, he directed his flock from places of exile, a practice not without its critics. Returning to Alexandria in 264, Dionysius died shortly thereafter. He was a prolific writer on a variety of topics, both theological and pastoral. Unfortunately most of his writings survive only in excerpts preserved in the works of others, including Eusebius (WEC 2:81) and Athanasius (WEC 2:90). Although his orthodoxy had been questioned by Basil the Great (WEC 2:67), Dionysius exerted great influence in the East. Eusebius called him “the Great” (Church History, VI.xxix.3). CPG 1: nos. 1550ff. * Altaner (1961) 237 * Altaner (1966) 210–11 * Bardenhewer (1908) 153–57 * Bardenhewer (1910) 134–38 * Bardenhewer (1913) 2:167–91 * Bardy (1929) 84–85 * Bautz 1:1318–20 * Cross 169–71 * Goodspeed 153–57 * Hamell 65–66 * Jurgens 1:250 * Quasten 2:101–9 * Steidle 49–50 * Tixeront 97–99 * CATH 3:614–16 * CE 5:11–13 * DCB 1:850–52 * DHGE 4:248–53 * DictSp 3:243 * DPAC 1:980–81 * DTC 4.1:425–27 * EC 4:1661–62 * EEC 1:238 * EEChr 1:333–34 * LTK 3:241–42 * NCE 4:876–77 * NCES 4:755 * ODCC 484 * PEA (1991) 3:646 * TRE 8:767–71 F. Nau, “Le comput pascal de la Didascalie et Denys d’Alexandrie,” RBibl, n.s., 11 (1914) 423–25. * L.E. Phillips, “The Proof Is in the Eating: Dionysius of Alexandria and the Rebaptism Controversy,” in Studia Liturgica Diversa: Essays in Honor of Paul F. Bradshaw, ed. M.E. Johnson and L.E. Phillips (Portland, 2004) 31–43.

45-A. Letter to Bishop Basilides†a 849

Canon 1. [.  .  .] You [.  .  .] inquire as to the correct hour for concluding the fast at the Pasch. You say that some of the brethren believe that this should 1. John 17:14.  2. Ps 22:21. † Translated from PG 10:1271–74, 1275-78, 1281–82. a. Basilides: bishop of the parishes in Pentapolis, a district west of Egypt along the Mediterranean Sea.

45. Dionysius the Great of Alexandria  265 be done at cockcrow. Others, however, maintain that it should occur in the evening. The brethren in Rome, as they say, wait till cockcrow. And as you stated, those here do so earlier. You desire to have the hour explained exactly and with great calculation. To do this is certainly difficult and risky. All will admit that those who have been mortifying their souls by fasting should begin their festal joy immediately after the time of the Lord’s resurrection. But in what you have written to me, you have clearly shown—and with an understanding of the holy Scriptures—that nothing precise is given by these books as to the hour when he arose. The evangelists describe differently those who came to the tomb at various times, all of whom said that the Lord had already risen. [.  .  .] As things now stand, this is what we have to say to those who desire to consider more accurately and precisely at which hour or half-hour or quarter hour it is fitting to begin rejoicing because our Lord rose from the dead. Those who are too hasty and break the fast before midnight we blame as contemptuous and intemperate. [.  .  .] Those who persevere and resolutely fast till the fourth watch, a time when our Savior appeared to those at sea when he walked on the water,1 we acknowledge as being generous and industrious. Let us not, however, be too annoyed with those who being urged or of their own volition break their fast since all do not observe the six days of fasting equally or alike. Some fast every day; others two days; others three, others four, and still others none. As to those who have labored greatly in observing these fasts and, having grown weary, are almost exhausted, they are excused should they take food earlier. There are also those who not only refuse to fast for any long period of time but evade fasting completely. During the first four days they eat luxurious and rich meals, and then on the last two days—that of the Preparation and that of the Sabbath—they observe a strict fast, believing that they are doing something great and admirable if they continue to fast till the morning. I do not believe that these are equal to those whose fast has lasted several days previously. [.  .  .] Canon 2. May women enter the house of God during their time of withdrawal?b This, it seems to me, is an unnecessary question. I do not believe that they, if they are godly and faithful, will at such a time dare approach the holy table or receive the Lord’s Body and Blood. For the woman who for twelve years had been suffering from hemorrhages did not touch the physician himself but only the hem of his garment.2 No matter the condition in which people find themselves, to pray, to remember the Lord, and to request the Lord’s help—these are not to be censured. However, a person who is not completely pure in both soul and body is forbidden to approach the holy of holies. b. Namely, menstruation. 1. See Matt 9:20; Luke 8:43.  2. See Matt 14:25.

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Also known as the Ecclesiastical Canons of the Apostles (Canones ecclesiastici apostolorum) or as the Ecclesiastical Constitution of the Apostles, the Apostolic Church Order comes from Egypt—a few suggest Syria—and was redacted in the third or perhaps the fourth or even the early fifth century. The unknown author (or authors) uses a common literary device of the time, namely, ascribing to individual apostles the directives contained in the work; among these Peter and Cephas, interestingly enough, appear as two distinct individuals. So popular was the document that it became part of various canonical collections in the East, e.g., the Sinodos in Egypt. The work contains two main sections preceded by an introduction: the first part (4–14) is based on the Didache 1–4 and gives a number of moral directives; the second section (15–21) treats the ordination or appointment of bishops, deacons, readers, etc. Only one manuscript containing the original and complete Greek text of the work has come down to us. There is a fragment in Latin. Translations also exist in Arabic, Coptic, Syriac, and Ethiopic. CPG 1: no. 1739 * Altaner (1961) 57 * Altaner (1966) 254–55 * Bardenhewer (1908) 160–62 * Bardenhewer (1910) 147–49 * Bardenhewer (1913) 2:262–69 * Hamell 66 * Quasten 2:119–20 * Steidle 269 * Tixeront 214 * CATH 1:478–79 * CE 1:635–36 * EEC 1:259 * EEChr 1:92 * NCE 1:689 * NCES 1:580–81 * ODCC 90 Texts and Translations Greek J.W. Bickell, Geschichte des Kirchenrechts, vol. 1 (Giessen, 1843) 107–32. * P.A. de Lagarde, Reliquiae Iuris Ecclesiasticae Antiquissimae Graecae (Leipzig, 1856) 74–79. * J.B. Pitra, Iuris Ecclesiastici Graecorum Historia et Monumenta, vol. 1 (Rome, 1864) 75–88. * Th. Schermann, Die allgemeine Kirchenordnung, frühchristliche Liturgien und kirchliche Ueberlieferung, vol. 1, StGKA 3, Ergänzungsband (Paderborn, 1914) 12–34. Latin (fragment) E. Hauler, Didascaliae Apostolorum Fragmenta Veronensia Latina: Accedunt Canonum qui Dicuntur Apostolorum et Aegyptiorum Reliquiae, fasc. 1 (Leipzig, 1900) 99–101. * E. Tidner, Didascaliae Apostolorum, Canonum Ecclesiasticorum, Traditionis Apostolicae Versiones Latinae, TU 75 (Berlin, 1963) 107–13. Syriac (Octateuch) J.P. Arendzen, “An Entire Syriac Text of the ‘Apostolic Church Order,’” JThSt 3 (1902) 59–80. * A. Baumstark, Strwmavtion avrcaiolgikovn, Mitteilungen dem internationalen Kongress für christlichen Archäologie zu Rom gew. vom Kollegium des deutschen Campo Santo (Rome, 1900) 15–31 (with German translation). Coptic (Sinodos) H. Tattam, The Apostolic Constitutions or Canons of the Apostles in Coptic with an English Translation (London, 1848; reimpr. New York, 1965). * P. de Lagarde, Aegyptiaca Adapted from a translation based upon the Ethiopic as given in G. Horner, The Statutes of the Apostles or Canones ecclesiastici (London, 1904) 131–38. †

46. Apostolic Church Order  267 (Göttingen, 1883; 1972) 239–48. * G. Horner, The Statutes of the Apostles or Canones Ecclesiastici (London, 1904) 295–306. Arabic (Sinodos) G. Horner, Statutes, 233ff. * J. Périer and A. Périer, Les “127 canons des Apôtres”: texte arabe en partie inédit publié et traduit en français d’après les manuscrits de Paris, de Rome et de Londres, PO VIII (Paris, 1912; Turnhout, 1971) 573–90. Ethiopic (Sinodos) G. Horner, Statutes, 1ff. (text), 127ff. (translation). Studies A. Harnack, Die Lehre der zwölf Apostel, TU 2, 1–2 (Leipzig, 1884–93) 193–241. * A. Harnack, Die Quellen der sog. Apostolischen Kirchenordnung, TU 2, 5 (Leipzig, 1886). * F.X. Funk, Didascaliae et Constitutiones Apostolorum, vol. 2 (Paderborn, 1903), Proleg. XLII–XLIV. * W.H.P. Hatch, “The Apostles in the New Testament and in the Ecclesiastical Tradition of Egypt,” HThR 21 (1928) 147–61. * J.M. Hanssens, La liturgie d’Hippolyte. documents et études (Rome, 1970) 62–65. * A. Faivre, Naissance d’une hiérarchie, Théologie historique 40 (Paris, 1977) 143–53. * A. Faivre, “Le texte grec de la ‘Constitution ecclésiastique des apôtres’ et ses sources,” RevSR 55 (1981) 31–42. * A. Faivre, “Apostolicité et pseudo-apostolicité dans la ‘Constitution ecclésiastique des apôtres’: l’art de faire parler les origines,” RevSR 66 (1992) 19–67. * M. Metzger, “A propos des règlements ecclésiastiques et de la prétendue ‘Tradition apostolique,’” RevSR 66 (1992) 249–61. * L. Bernadette, “Etude de la notice sur l’éveque dans la ‘Constitution ecclésiastique des apôtres,’” QL 80 (1999) 5–23.

14. Concerning the ordination of a bishop. If a district should have only a few members of the faithful—not enough people to gather with the bishop, not even having twelve members—they shall send a message to the neighboring churches where there are many believers, requesting these churches to bring three members of the faithful, holy and chosen men of that area. They shall carefully examine these men concerning their suitability for the good work [of being bishop]: they are to determine whether he is a man who has a good reputation among the people, whether he is sinless, without anger, and a lover of the poor; whether he is kind, not a drunkard, not an adulterer, not a man who desires the greater share for himself; not a railer, not someone who is unfair, not anything of such sort. It is also good that he be unmarried, although if he married one wife before being ordained bishop, he shall live with her. He should be someone who adheres to solid doctrine and who can explain the Scriptures; yet if he is unable to do so, he should be humble and abound in love for all. The bishop should be condemned in nothing whatever, nor is he to be reproved in anything. John said: If the bishop who is to be ordained knows how to keep himself and loves God, two approved presbyters shall be appointed to be with him. And they all said: “Not two but three because there are twenty-four presbyters, twelve on the right hand and twelve on the left hand.” John said: Well it is that you have reminded me, my brethren. Behold, those on the right take the cups from the archangels, and they offer these to the

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Lord. Those on the left have authority over all the angels. It is proper that the presbyters be like elders who have passed the time of having intercourse with their wives. They shall share in the mystery with the bishop, helping him in everything and gathering around him with love for their shepherd. The presbyters on the right shall carefully assist at the altar. May they be worthy of this honor and reject all that deserves rejection. The presbyters on the left shall attend to all the people, seeing that they are quiet, that they are not causing any disturbance, that they are fully controlled and obedient. 15. Concerning the appointment of the reader. James said: A reader shall be appointed after he has first been tested. He shall not be someone of many words, not a drunkard, not a scoffer. He shall be of good character and a lover of what is good; a person who daily hastens to the church, who remembers there the judgment; he shall be obedient, a person who reads well, and who knows that the duty of the reader is to act according to what he reads. Isn’t a person who fills the ears of others with words called upon to act according to what is read? If one fails to do so, then will not this [i.e., the reading] be charged against this person as a sin before God? 16. Matthew said: Deacons shall be ordained as it is written: two or three witnesses will bear testimony. They [i.e., the candidates] shall be examined concerning all their service, with all the people bearing witness that they live with one wife, have reared their children in purity, are merciful and humble, are not murmurers, are not double-tongued, are not wrathful because wrath corrupts the wise. They shall not respect the person of the rich, not act unjustly toward the poor, not drink much wine; they shall work hard for the hidden mystery and the beauty of the consolation. They shall encourage those of the faithful who have something, to give to those who have nothing, and in this way they also shall share in the giving. They shall honor every person, doing so with all respect, humility, and fear; they shall keep themselves completely pure. Some they shall teach, some they shall question, some they shall reprove, and some they shall console. As for the rejected, they shall expel them immediately, knowing that those who oppose, who revile, who reject, are your enemies. 17. Concerning the widow. Cephas said: Three widows shall be appointed, two of them devoting themselves to prayer for all who are suffering; sufficient daily sustenance shall be given these widows. One of them shall stay with those women who are ill so that she may further their recovery, be watchful, and inform the presbyters by sending word to them. She shall not be a lover of gain, nor shall she be a drunkard lest she neglect her work of being watchful and praying during the night. If one of them wishes to do a good work, may she do it according to the commandment so that she may comfort the heart of the sorrowful because God’s goodness has been made known to her first. 18. Concerning deacons: they should do good works. Andrew said: Deacons shall do good works by night and by day, for everyone and in

47. Oxyrhynchus Hymn  269 every place; and they shall not exalt themselves over the poor and the needy nor respect the person of the rich; they shall care for those who have nothing and provide for them from what is surplus; they shall encourage almsgiving on the part of those who have something to give; in this way they carry out the words of the Lord, who said, “I was hungry and you fed me.”1 Those who serve well, doing so without fault, shall inherit a place of rest. 19. Concerning the laity. Philip said: The laity shall cheerfully do what 858 is commanded them; they shall obey those who devote themselves to the altar; and all of them shall please God in what God has given them and ordered them to do. You shall not learn to hate one another because of what is commanded you; rather, all shall hasten to do what God has given them to do; they shall not hate anyone nor cause a neighbor to be hated by making accusations. Even the angels do not overstep what is defined for them. 20. Concerning the reminder that the oblation is the Body of Christ and 859 what comes after it. Andrew said: We have already ordered what was said concerning the oblation, namely, it is the Body of Christ and his precious Blood, something we declare to you with certainty. And John said: Have you forgotten, my brethren, that on the day when our Lord offered up the bread and the wine, he said, “This is my Body” and “This is my Blood”?2 He did not command that they should treat these as common things. And Martha said in regard to Mary, “See her laughing.” Mary replied, “That is not why I laughed, for our Lord said to us, ‘It is good that the sick be healed by the whole.’” 21. Cephas said: It is not fitting for women to speak aloud while they 860 are standing in church; rather, they should prostrate themselves with faces toward the earth. James said: How can they order for women a ministry of the mystery except the ministry they have in assisting the needy? Philip said: My brethren, as to the acts of charity that people perform, by doing them they store up for themselves a rich treasure in the kingdom of heaven; a good deed is credited to one by God, who continues it forever. Peter said: My brethren, you know that we are not placed over anyone by compulsion, but we give you a command from God. We beseech you to hear and keep the commandments; add nothing to them, take nothing away from them, all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to whom be honor and praise forever and ever. Amen. 4 7 . O x y r h y n c h u s Hy m n †

In 1897 the beginnings of what would eventually prove to be an extremely rich treasure of papyri were discovered at Oxyrhynchus (today the village 1. Matt 25:35.  2. Matt 26:26, 28; Mark 14:22, 24; Luke 22:19–20; 1 Cor 11:24–25. † Translation from The Oxyrhynchus Papyri, Part XV, ed. B.P. Grenfell and A.S. Hunt (London, 1922) 21–25 (no. 1786).

270  Chapter VI. Third Century. East of al-Bahnasa or Behnesa in middle Egypt, about 110 miles up the Nile from Cairo). The site was an ancient town dump where all types of written rubbish were deposited. The many thousands of retrieved pieces, dating from the first to the seventh centuries a.d. and to a large extent in fragmentary form, include not only literary works (about 10 percent of the total) but also inventories, bills of sale, and the like. Discovered and published over the years, today most of the papyri are preserved in Oxford, where modern technology (e.g., multispectral imaging) is helping to decipher cases of illegible lettering. As to religious texts, fragments from both the Old and the New Testaments are found; also selections from various apocryphal works as well as a number of hitherto unknown writings, e.g., an ecclesiastical calendar for 535–36. In 1922 a papyrus fragment was discovered with a grain invoice on one side and on the opposite side the text and notes for what is most probably the conclusion of a longer Christian hymn text. The text itself is in Greek, and the melody appears in Greek vocal notation. The date of the hymn is usually thought to be toward the end of the third century. Quasten 1:159–60 * EEChr 2:842–43 * LTK 7:1240 * NCE 10:847 * ODCC 1206 * PEA (1991) 9:123 Th. Reinach, “Un ancêtre de la musique de l’Eglise,” Revue musicale 3 (1922) No. 9. * H. Abert, “Ein neuentdeckter frühchristliche Hymnus mit antiken Musiknoten,” Zeitschrift fùr Musikwissenschaft 4 (1922) 524ff. * H. Abert, “Das älteste Denkmal der christlichen Kirchenmusik,” Antike 2 (1926) 282–90. * R. Wagner, “Der OxyrhynchosNotepapyrus XV Nr. 1786,” Philologus 79 (1923) 201–21. * C. del Grande, “Inno cristiano antico,” Rivista Indo-Greco-Italica 7 (1923) 173–79. * O. Ursprung, “Der Hymnus aus Oxyrhynchos, das älteste Denkmal christlicher Kirchen,” Musik Bulletin de la Société “Union Musicologique” 3 (1923) 129. * O. Ursprung, “Der Hymnus aus Oxyrhynchos in Rahmen unserer kirchmusikalischen Frühzeit,” ThGl 18 (1926) 390ff. * J. Quasten, Music & Worship in Pagan & Christian Antiquity (Washington, D.C., 1983) 71. 861

All noble [ones] of God together .  .  . shall not be silent, nor shall the luminous stars lag behind .  .  . All the rushing rivers shall praise our Father and Son and Holy Spirit, all the powers shall join in saying: Amen, amen, power [and] praise .  .  . to the only giver of all good things. Amen, amen.

Index to Volume One Numbers in bold and within parentheses are subhead numbers, which indicate particular authors/documents in this volume. All other numbers refer to marginal paragraph numbers. Abercius, Inscription of, 745 (37-A) Acts of John, 298–303 (18) Acts of Paul, 304–7 (19) Acts of Peter, 308 (20) Acts of Thomas, 787–95 (39) Africa, 450 agape, 296, 759 Alleluia, use of, 480, 698 almsgiving, 181, 192, 484, 523–24 (27-D) collection for poor, 246 forgiveness of sins and, 803 role of deacons in, 857 See also poor: care for altar(s) blessing/consecration of, 808 one, 219 symbol of those gathered for prayer, 841 See also Eucharist: as sacrifice Amen, 244, 246, 301, 449 anamnesis. See Eucharistic Prayer/ anaphora: anamnesis (memorial) anaphora. See Eucharistic Prayer/ anaphora angel(s), prayer and, 820, 827, 845–46 anointing Holy Spirit and. See Holy Spirit: anointing and postbaptismal. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: anointing(s), postbaptismal prebaptismal. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: anointing(s), prebaptismal why we are called Christians and, 420 See also chrism/myron Antioch, 796

Apostles, Epistle of. See Epistle of the Apostles Apostolic Church Order, 852–60 (46) Aquarians, 548 (27-E-13). See also water: replacing wine Arcadians, 832 Aristides of Athens (2nd century), 419 (22) Asia, 257, 468 assembly, 208, 210, 292, 447, 482, 484, 515, 720–21, 770, 840 absenting oneself from, 206 as Body of Christ, 770 faithful, with the, 743 frequency of, 193 person from another community joining, 769 place for clergy and laity, 768–69 as place for prayer, 827 unity in. See unity: faithful, of the baptism/initiation apostles, of the, 463 celebrated with joy, 848 of children. See children/infants: baptism of Church, only within the, 575–76, 582–83 of converts to the Church, 578–80, 586 day(s) for celebrating, 470 devil and, 573. See also baptism/initiation, liturgy of: the devil, renunciation of fasting before, 184, 848 heretics conferring, 260, 588, 590, 593 by John the Baptist. See baptism (of Jesus) by John

271

272  Index to Volume One martyrdom and, 467, 663, 776 minister(s) of, 304, 468, 577, 607–8, 773 names for, 243, 793, 830 necessity of, 261, 464 New Testament and, 262, 266, 460, 462 Old Testament types, 422–39, 460, 573 only one, 466 Paul and, 465 Peter baptizing in the Tiber, 455 postponing, 469 repeated, not, 555, 575, 578, 595–98 (29) Samaria, of those in, 584 sick, of the, 573–74 sponsors/godparents, 469 See also Holy Spirit: baptism and; water, baptismal baptism/initiation, effects of, 243 devil, freedom from, 573–74 as enlightenment/illumination, 243–44, 830 forgiveness of (washing away/ cleansing) sin, 245, 286, 297, 422, 455, 462, 466, 486, 492, 588, 776, 793, 802–3. See also sin, forgiveness of rebirth, 245, 286, 452, 463, 588–89, 793, 810 as seal, 236, 238, 286, 450, 464, 486, 745, 787–88, 790 as shield, 224 unity, 265–66 baptism/initiation, liturgy of anointing, 492 anointing(s), postbaptismal (e.g., confirmation/chrismation), 458, 492, 576, 679, 681, 732. See also chrism/myron; Holy Spirit: baptism and anointing(s), prebaptismal, 668, 674 clothing, removal of, 672 cross, signing with. See signing with the cross the devil, renunciation of, 448, 495, 674 elect (competentes), 664

Eucharist and, 450, 495 exorcisms, 665, 668, 674. See also oil: blessing of formulas, 184, 243, 260, 263, 457, 464, 499, 565, 596, 676–78, 811 immersion/going down into/coming out of water, 184, 495, 499 kiss of peace, 244, 682–83. See also kiss of peace milk and honey, 492, 495, 685 mystagogical catecheses. See mysta­ gogical catecheses See also catechumenate, length of; catechumens; hand(s), imposition/laying on of; Holy Spirit: baptism and; oil: blessing of; signing with the cross; water, baptismal baptism (of Jesus) by John, 262, 455, 461 feast of, 837 baptismal oil. See chrism/myron; oil Barnabas, Letter of. See Letter of Barnabas Basilides, 837 Bethlehem, 733 Birkat ha-mazon, 13–22 (3) bishop(s)/hierarch(s) Church and, 222 church, from another, 769 common meal, present at, 698–99 deacons and. See deacon(s): bishop(s) and fasting and, 691 gathering with the elect on Holy Saturday, 668 giving consent to a marriage, 223 God, taking place of, 214 improvising prayer, 635 ministry of, 468, 690, 748–50, 757, 760 obedience to, 206, 213, 217, 222 ordination of, 569, 617–20, 747, 852 presbyters and, 212 presbyters and deacons, one with, 219 present throughout whole world, 204 qualities of, 199, 447, 746, 852

Index to Volume One  273 reverence toward, 207, 212, 760 selection of, 192, 198, 569, 617, 852 unity with, 212, 215, 224, 758, 765 See also clerics, exhortation to; hand(s), imposition/laying on of bishop’s chair/cathedra, 532 book of Scriptures used at appointment of readers, 637 bread breaking of. See Communion rite: fraction/breaking of bread Christ as daily, 472, 518 Jewish blessing over, 10 burial, procession during, 419, 449 Cainite heresy, 452 Callistus, Pope, 734 canonical readings. See Word, Liturgy of: canonical readings cantor(s)/singer(s), 506 catechumenate, length of, 660 catechumens exhortation to, 609 fasting before baptism, 668 forbidden jobs and professions, 644–59 imposing hands upon. See hand(s), imposition/laying on of Lord’s Supper and, 701 prayer by, 661, 683 preparation of, 451, 471, 485–86, 535, 641–43, 729 See also elect (competentes); signing with the cross cathedra. See bishop’s chair/cathedra Catholic Church, 757 cemeteries, 718. See also burial, procession during chant. See singing cheese and olives, blessing of, 628 children/infants baptism of, 262, 419, 469, 566–68 (27-E-14), 673, 804, 809–10, 812 prayer and, 820 singing psalms at common meal, 697 choir(s), heavenly, 845–46 chrism/myron Christ and, 458

See also baptism/initiation, liturgy of: anointing(s), postbaptismal; oil: blessing of Christ. See Jesus Christ Christian, name of, 213, 420 Christian prayer. See Office, Daily (cathedral)—east; Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of) Christians, 251, 469, 797 Christmas. See Nativity of the Lord church(es) construction of, 808 place for prayer, 826–27 See also assembly; prayer(s): places for Church members of Christ’s body as. See assembly: as Body of Christ a people called “holy,” 840 unity of, 254 Clement of Alexandria (ca. 150–ca. 215), 830–48 (44) Clement of Rome (d. 101), 194–202 (8) Clement, Pseudo-. See Pseudo-Clement clerics, exhortation to, 613 cockcrow, prayer at. See Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of): prayer at cockcrow collection for poor. See almsgiving Commodian (3rd century), 609–13 (30) Communion fasting before, 475, 483, 714 married persons and, 484 preparation for receiving, 766 receiving in the hand, 512 reverence toward. See Eucharist: reverence toward worthy/unworthy, reception of, 308 Communion rite, 244, 300 cup, misusing, 256 cup, receiving from, 511, 548–65 (27-E-13). See also wine, at Eucharist cup, taking contents to those who are absent, 244, 246 formulas, 303, 687, 795 fraction/breaking of bread, 687, 690 minister of, 690 Our Father during, 515–22 (27-C)

274  Index to Volume One women receiving, 851 See also kiss of peace Confession of Cyprian, 796 (40) Confirmation. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: anointing(s), postbaptismal cross not worshiped, 441 signing with. See signing with the cross cup deacon holding, 511 receiving Communion from. See Communion rite: cup, receiving from Cyprian, Confession of. See Confession of Cyprian. Cyprian of Carthage (b. between 200 and 210; d. 258), 506–94 (27)

deceased burial of. See burial, procession during offering on behalf of, 495 devil, renunciation of. See baptism/ initiation, liturgy of: the devil, renunciation of Didache or The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, 178–93 (7) Didascalia of the Apostles, 746–86 (38) Diognetus, Letter to. See Letter to Diognetus Dionysius the Great of Alexandria, 849–51 (45) dismissals. See Word, Liturgy of: dismissals from; penitent(s): dismissal of Doxology, Great. See Eucharistic Prayer/anaphora: conclusion of

Day of the Lord. See Sunday/Lord’s Day: names for Day of the Sun. See Sunday/Lord’s Day: names for daybreak, prayer at. See Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of): Morning Prayer deaconess(es), 292 appointment of, 774 honored, 757 ministry of, 774–75 deacon(s) bishop(s) and, 712, 759, 765 Christ, taking place of, 757 distributing Communion, 244, 511 gathering each day, 717 honored, 218, 222, 757 ordination of, 535, 569, 630, 633 qualities of, 199, 217, 240, 857 reconciliation and, 533 role at baptism/initiation, 468, 775 role at Mass/Divine Liturgy, 526, 631, 767, 769 role of, 214, 757 selection of, 198–99, 569, 630, 774, 855 sick and, 692, 712 who sin, 237 See also clerics, exhortation to

east, facing: during prayer. See orientation for prayer Easter. See Pasch/Easter Easter Vigil. See Pasch/Easter: vigil Egypt, 8, 25–118 passim, 147, 272, 320–98 passim, 460 Egyptians, 272, 331–32, 335, 338 Eighteen Blessings (Jewish), 151–77 (6) eighth day of the week. See Sunday/ Lord’s Day: names for elect (competentes) baptized on the Lord’s Pasch, 470 gathering with bishop on Holy Saturday, 668 emergency baptism. See baptism/initiation: sick, of the Ephesians, Letter to, 203–10 (9-A) Ephesus, 505 episcopacy, unity of, 543 episcopal ordination. See bishop(s)/ hierarch(s): ordination of Epistle of the Apostles, 295–97 (17) Eucharist bishop’s relationship to, 222 bread, breaking of, 298–99 bread called the, 818 “bread of God,” 225 “broken bread scattered/gathered,” 186, 560, 571

Index to Volume One  275 celebrated by Thomas, 789, 791, 794–95 celebrated everywhere, 248, 251, 253 celebrated for a particular person, 525 command of Christ, 250 five loaves and fishes, 295 forgiveness of sins and, 757 frequency of reception/celebration. See Mass/Divine Liturgy: frequency of celebration as medicine of immortality, 210 miracles associated with, 512, 792 offered for the deceased, 495, 525 Old Testament types, 247, 550–53, 572 pleasing to God, 252 Real Presence, 221, 245, 274, 280–81, 284–85, 492–93, 551, 557, 571, 807, 817 reconciliation before receiving, 181, 191, 766–67 reservation of, 475, 512, 735 reverence toward, 244, 495, 507–8, 715–16, 792, 801, 859 as sacrifice, 191, 248, 251–52, 268–73, 275–79, 515, 547, 561, 564, 769, 817, 841 as thanksgiving, 299, 622–23, 625, 635, 684–85 unity and, 219, 222, 246, 560, 571 women’s dress when present for, 491 See also Communion Eucharist, Liturgy of bringing/presenting/distributing/ praying over gifts, 244, 246, 524, 622, 670, 684, 691, 708–9, 757–58, 761 Last Supper, 245, 780 mixed cup. See wine, at Eucharist: mixed with water See also Communion rite; Eucharist; Eucharistic Prayer/anaphora Eucharistic Prayer/anaphora, 186–87, 244, 246, 299, 302, 622–26, 684, 817 anamnesis (memorial), 296 conclusion of, 244, 246

intercessions/supplications/reading of names/commemorations, 525 Evening Prayer. See Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of): Evening Prayer (lucernarium) Exodus, 309, 572, 581 exomologesis. See penance/ reconciliation exorcisms, women performing, 451. See also baptism/initiation, liturgy of: exorcisms faithful good order among, 196 in harmony like a choir, 205 a “holy” people, 840 one voice of, 841 united to bishop. See unity: bishop, with the unity of. See unity: faithful, of the See also laity fasting/fasts baptism, after, 471 baptism, before, 184, 848. See also baptism/initiation: fasting before bishop and. See bishop(s)/ hierarch(s): fasting and Communion, before. See Communion: fasting before feasts, not on, 800 on Good Friday, 185, 474, 497, 668, 783 on Holy Saturday, 497, 711, 783 hypocrites, not like, 185 on Monday(s), 185 those obligated to do so, 691 Pasch, during the, 711, 778, 780–83, 849–50 Pentecost, not during, 495 poor, to benefit, 419 Saturdays, on/not on, 497, 780 on Wednesdays, 185 See also Communion: fasting before feast(s), every day a, 497 fish (symbol of Christ), 736 fraction (breaking of bread). See Communion rite: fraction/breaking of bread fruits, blessing of, 709

276  Index to Volume One funerals. See burial, procession during general intercessions. See Word, Liturgy of: petitions genuflecting. See kneeling/ prostrating/genuflecting gifts, bringing/presenting of. See Eucharist, Liturgy of: bringing/presenting/distributing/praying over gifts Gnostic, 842–46 godparents. See baptism/initiation: sponsors/godparents Good Friday fasting on. See fasting/fasts: on Good Friday observance of, 185 refraining from the peace on, 474 Gregory Thaumaturgus (ca. 213–ca. 270), 740–43 (35) Hallel (Jewish Passover), 80, 114 hands, holding, 301 hand(s), imposition/laying on of, baptism, after, 493, 602–3, 680 baptism, before, 495, 662, 665, 668, 774, 848 diaconal ordinations, during, 630 episcopal ordinations, during, 617 healers, not upon, 640 presbyteral ordination, during, 631 readers, not upon, 637 reconciliation, during, 531, 589, 599, 604, 764 subdeacons, not upon, 639 virgins, not upon, 638 widows, not upon, 636 hands, upraised, 239, 304, 471, 824, 843 Hanukkah, feast of, 20 hearers, 486–87 heathens. See pagans heretics, reconciliation of, 585 Hermas, Pastor. See Pastor Hermas Hippolytus (ca. 170–ca. 236), 614–734 (31) Holy Spirit anointing and, 263. See also baptism/initiation, liturgy of: anointing(s), postbaptismal apostles, descended upon, 264, 470

baptism and, 287, 450, 457, 459, 461, 577, 584, 587, 593, 601–6, 608, 732. See also baptism/initiation, liturgy of: anointing(s), postbaptismal Christ, promised by, 265 Church, present in, 721 Pentecost and, 816 Hours. See Office, Daily (cathedral)— east; Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of) hymn sung by Christians on a fixed day, 292, 444 sung while holding hands, 301 hymns God, sung only to, 819 married couples, sung by, 484 pagan, 777 singing of, 306, 481 Ignatius of Antioch (ca. 35–ca. 107), 203–25 (9) imposition of hands. See hand(s), imposition/laying on of infants, baptism of. See children/infants: baptism of Irenaeus of Lyons (ca. 130–ca. 202/203), 254–87 (15) Israel, 21–109 passim, 142, 148–50, 162, 163, 166, 172, 177, 321–410 passim Jerusalem, 21–126 passim, 168, 172, 197, 315, 355, 383, 404–5, 603 Jesus Christ baptism by John, 262, 455, 461 chrism and, 458 as “daily bread,” 472 eucharistic command of, 250 fish as symbol of, 736 forgiveness of sins and, 509 Holy Spirit promised by, 265 penance and, 195 prayers offered through, 759, 815 Jewish prayers, 1–177 (1–6) Jewish rituals, Christians not to observe, 497 Jews “Church,” once called a, 757 darkness, remaining in, 522

Index to Volume One  277 feasts observed by, 800 John the Baptist and, 601 spiritual grace lacking, 559 war on Christians, 738 John, Acts of. See Acts of John John the Baptist, 461–63, 601, 605, 773, 830 Justin Martyr (ca. 100–ca. 165), 243–53 (14) kiss of peace abuse of, 835 at baptism. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: kiss of peace catechumens, forbidden to, 661 at episcopal ordination, 621 faithful, among the, 661, 813 “holy,” called, 813 at home, 479 refraining from, 474 kneeling/prostrating/genuflecting fast, during times of, 476 Pentecost, forbidden during, 476 praying, 825 Sunday, forbidden on, 476 laity, 858 allowed to baptize, 468 See also faithful lamps, lighting of. See Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of): Evening Prayer (lucernarium) lapsed certificates of reconciliation, 530, 533, 537 penance/reconciliation of, 528–30 (27-E-4), 531 (27-E-5), 532 (27-E-6), 536 (27-E-10), 537–44 (27-E-11), 595–98 (28) reconciliation at time of death, 534, 536 Last Supper. See Eucharist, Liturgy of: Last Supper laying on of hands. See hand(s), imposition/laying on of lectionary, 637 lectors. See reader(s)/lector(s) Letter of Barnabas, 421–40 (24) Letter to Diognetus, 738–39 (34)

levite(s). See deacon(s) Libya, 255 liturgy and good order, 196 Liturgy of the Eucharist. See Eucharist, Liturgy of Liturgy of the Hours. See Office, Daily (cathedral)—east; Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of) Liturgy of the Word. See Word, Liturgy of Lord’s Day. See Sunday/Lord’s Day Lord’s Prayer. See Our Father marriage/wedding, bishop and, 223 married couple, harmony between, 484 martyrdom, baptism and. See baptism/ initiation: martyrdom and Martyrdom of Polycarp, 242 (13) martyrs baptism and. See baptism/initiation: martyrdom and commemoration of, 527 forgiveness of sins and, 505, 509, 530, 533–34 veneration of, 242 Mary carrying Jesus in her womb, 209 Jesus not baptized by, 773 mother of Christ the Lamb, 382 Mass/Divine Liturgy dismissal from, 494. See also penitent(s): dismissal of frequency of celebration, 547 good order during, 196–97 place of celebration, 298–300, 526 time of celebration, 562–63 See also assembly; Word, Liturgy of; Eucharist, Liturgy of Matins. See Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of): Morning Prayer meal(s) Jewish prayer at, 6–12 (2), 13–22 (3) lamps for, 694–95 moderation at, 702 prayer at, 506, 845 silence during, 705 Melchizedek, 551 Melito of Sardis (d. ca. 190), 309–418 (21)

278  Index to Volume One memorial, prayer of. See Eucharistic Prayer/anaphora: anamnesis (memorial) midnight, prayer at. See Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of): nocturnal prayer (vigils) milk and honey. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: milk and honey Minucius Felix (last part of 2nd century or first part of 3rd century), 441–42 (25) mixed cup. See wine, at Eucharist: mixed with water Morning Prayer. See Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of): Morning Prayer Moses, 148, 276, 320, 324, 370, 372, 379, 380, 432, 458, 460, 569, 573, 595, 601 Mount Sinai, 432 musical instruments, 832 myron. See chrism/myron mystagogical catechesis, 689 names, reading of. See Word, Liturgy of: petitions Nativity of the Lord, 733 neophytes, heretical, 451 night, prayer during. See Office, Daily (cathedral)—east: nocturnal prayer (vigils); Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of): nocturnal prayer (vigils) None. See Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of): prayer at ninth hour Novatian (d. 257/258), 543, 595–98 (28), 735 (32) Odes of Solomon, 238–39 (11) Office, Daily (cathedral)—east nocturnal prayer (vigils), 833 prayer at sixth hour (Sext), 821 times for prayer, 419 Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of) Evening Prayer (lucernarium), 521, 726, 821 Morning Prayer, 482, 521, 713, 719, 821, 844

nocturnal prayer (vigils), 482–83, 498, 522, 726, 845 prayer at cockcrow, 728 prayer at ninth hour, 478, 520, 725, 843 prayer at sixth hour, 478, 520, 724, 821, 843 prayer at third hour, 478, 520, 723, 843 times for prayer, 478, 520–22, 821, 842–43 oil blessing of, 576, 627, 674, 847 See also chrism/myron ordinations of clergy only, 636 heretical, 451 of priests and deacons returning to the Church, 581 See also bishop(s)/hierarch(s): ordination of; deacon(s): ordination of; presbyter(s)/priest(s): ordination of orientation for prayer, 443, 828, 844 Origen (ca. 185–ca. 254), 800–829 (43) Our Father, 185, 472–81 (26-F), 803. See also Communion rite: Our Father during Oxyrhynchus Hymn, 861 (47) pagans, 453, 456, 473 Christians compared to, 799 Christians not to imitate, 798 feasts of, 496 Paraclete. See Holy Spirit Pasch/Easter, 309–418 (21) baptism during. See baptism/initiation: day(s) for celebrating celebrated each year, 497 clerics gathering on, 613 date of (e.g., Quartodeciman controversy), 784 homily on, 309–418 (21-A) observance of, 482, 816 pascha, 356 vigil, 783 Passover Christian. See Pasch/Easter Haggadah, 23–127 (4)

Index to Volume One  279 Jewish, 309–418, 816 lamb, 311–415 passim Pastor Hermas (2nd century), 226–37 (10), 473 Paul, Acts of. See Acts of Paul peace, kiss/sign of. See kiss of peace Pectorius, Inscription of, 736 (33-A) penance/reconciliation, 485–90 (26-H) allowed once, 231–32, 805 baptism, after, 487–90 baptism, before, 486 certificate of reconciliation, 534 community support, 538–39, 743 death, at time of, 542, 545–46 length of, 531, 546 the Lord, spoken of by, 195 necessity of, 226–37 (10-A) open to all, 194, 231, 540–41, 544 sins confessed/not confessed in public, 181, 191 See also lapsed: penance/reconciliation of; reconciliation penitent(s) dismissal of, 743, 762. See also Word, Liturgy of: dismissals from Eucharist, not to receive, 762 exhortation to, 610 Pentecost, 497, 606 day for baptism, 470 a festival, 307 observance of, 816 pagans and, 496 persecution of Christians, 288–93 (16-A), 294 (16-B), 444 Peter, Acts of. See Acts of Peter Philip Bardesane (154–222), 797 (41) Phos Hilaron, 744 (36) Pliny the Younger (d. ca. 113), 288–93 (16) Polycarp, Martyrdom of. See Martyrdom of Polycarp Polycarp of Smyrna (ca. 69–ca. 155), 240–41 (12) poor care for, 246, 447 See also almsgiving prayer(s) adding Alleluia to, 480

angels sharing in, 820 bishop, improvised by, 635 deceased, for the. See deceased: praying for at home, 479 at meals. See meal(s): prayer at parts of, 829 people, for all, 516 places for, 826 for rulers, 202, 446–47 See also orientation for prayer prayer, times for. See Office, Daily (cathedral)—east: times for prayer; Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of): times for prayer preaching. See Word, Liturgy of: preaching preface. See Eucharistic Prayer/ anaphora: preface presbyter(s)/priest(s) apostles, representing the, 757, 759 bishop(s)/hierarch(s) and, 853 counsellors of bishop, 759 fasting and, 691 gathering each day, 717 gifts for, 759 ministry of, 468, 526, 632, 690 obedience to, 217 ordination of, 569, 629 qualities of, 199, 205, 212, 241 respect for, 218 selection of, 569 See also clerics, exhortation to Priscilla, Inscription in Catacomb of, 737 (33-B) processions, burial. See burial, procession during prophets, giving thanks, 187–88, 190 prostration. See kneeling/prostrating/ genuflecting psalmists. See cantor(s)/singer(s) psalms/psalmody adding Alleluia to, 480 singing, 306, 481, 494 Pseudo-Clement (3rd or 4th century), 798–99 (42) Pseudo-Cyprian (3rd century), 595–608 (28) Purim, 20

280  Index to Volume One Qaddish, 1–5 (1) Quartodeciman controversy. See Pasch/Easter: date of Qiddush for Sabbaths and Feasts, 6–12 (2) reader(s)/lector(s) appointment of, 637, 854 exhortation to, 611 gifts for, 759 reading Scripture at home, 722 reconciliation of barbarians, 740 convicted, of those, 741–42 of heretics. See heretics, reconciliation of role of Christ, 415 role of priest/bishop, 806 See also hand(s), imposition/laying on of: reconciliation, during; penance/reconciliation; penitent(s); sinners: reconciliation of Red Sea, 147, 395, 399 Rome, 745, 849 rulers, prayer for. See prayer(s): for rulers Sabbath, Christian, 432–39 Sabbath, Jewish, 432–39, 443 blessing of, 6–12 (2) as inheritance, 8 replaced by Lord’s Day, 216 sacrifice, Eucharist as. See Eucharist: as sacrifice sacrifice, God accepting/rejecting our, 267–83 sacrifices, spiritual, 442 Saturday, fasting/no fasting on. See fasting/fasts: Saturdays, on/not on Saturus, made a reader, 535 Scriptures, listening to, 771. See also lectionary; Word, Liturgy of: canonical readings seal, baptism as. See baptism/initiation, effects of: as seal seraphim, 134 servants, to be treated kindly, 181 Sext. See Office, Daily (cathedral)— east: prayer at sixth hour (Sext);

Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of): prayer at sixth hour Shema< Yi∞ra>el, 128–50 (5) Shemoneh Esre, 151–77 (6) sick/dying anointing of, 803 care of, 692–94 visited by women, 491 See also oil; baptism/initiation: sick, of the signing with the cross, 493, 495, 730 Simon, 469 sin, confession of by catechumens, 471 Eucharist, before receiving, 181 not in public, 471 sin, desire to, 226 sin, forgiveness of, 513–14, 734, 803, 838–39 by charity, 523 Church, by the, 504, 576 the Lord and, 509 by martyrs, 505 See also baptism/initiation, effects of: forgiveness of (washing away/ cleansing) sin; Eucharist: forgiveness of sins and; reconciliation sin, types of common, 805 deadly, 776 forgiveable and unforgiveable, 500–505 (26-R) singers. See cantor(s)/singer(s) singing, 796 by the apostles, 264 spouses challenging one another, 484 sinners bishop and, 750–56 God’s mercy toward, 226 reconciliation of, 814. See also reconciliation sitting at prayer, 473, 824 soldiers faith and, 498 those desiring to become, 654 Solomon, 282, 552 Solomon, Odes of. See Odes of Solomon Spain, 255 Spirit, Holy. See Holy Spirit

Index to Volume One  281 sponsors/godparents. See baptism/initiation: sponsors/godparents standing Eucharist, while receiving the, 475 Eucharistic Prayer, during the, 246 for prayer, 519, 824 See also kneeling/prostrating/ genuflecting “station,” 475–76 Stephen I, Pope (254–57), 585, 592–93 subdeacons functions of, 639 selection of, 639 Sunday/Lord’s Day assembly on, 191, 205–6, 246, 444, 797 fasting/not fasting on, 495 no kneeling/genuflecting on, 495 names for, 249, 439–40, 496 observance of, 816 ordination/appointment, day for, 617 pagans and, 496 rejoicing, day of, 443, 777, 784 synaxis. See assembly Teaching of the Twelve Apostles. See Didache or The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles Terce. See Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of): prayer at third hour Tertullian (155–220?), 443–505 (26), 527 theater avoiding, 449 carrying Eucharist to, 735 Theophilus of Antioch (later 2nd century), 420 (23) Thomas, Acts of. See Acts of Thomas Torah, 43–44 tradition(s), 255, 495, 561, 570 Trajan the Emperor, 294 (16) Triduum. See Pasch/Easter unity baptism, as effect of, 265–66, 577 bishop, with the, 212, 215, 224, 758, 765 bishops, among, 543

Church, of the, 254, 577–78, 588 Eucharist and, 219, 560, 571 faithful, of the, 215 universal prayer. See Word, Liturgy of: petitions unleavened bread, fasting on, 443 Vespers (Evening Prayer). See Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of): Evening Prayer (lucernarium) vigil(s). See Office, Daily (cathedral)— east: nocturnal prayer (vigils); Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of): nocturnal prayer (vigils) virgins appointment/blessing/consecration of, 638 tasks of, 691, 697 water blessing of, 686 replacing wine, 548–65 (27-E-13), 836. See also Aquarians See also wine, at Eucharist: mixed with water water, baptismal, 184, 421–31, 457, 671 blessing of, 575, 671, 847 symbolism of, 454–56, 493, 555–56, 588 west, turning toward. See orientation for prayer widow(s) altar, compared to, 757 appointment of, 636 bishop and, 759, 772 fasting and, 691 meal for, 707 selection of, 856 wine, at Eucharist mixed with water, 560, 831 See also water: replacing wine women baptism of, 667, 774 baptize, not to, 451, 468, 591–92, 773 Communion, receiving, 851 covering head, 661 dishonoring the bodies of, 257 dress, manner of, 491, 834

282  Index to Volume One Eucharist, not to preside/serve at, 591–92 seduced by Marcus and his disciples, 257–58 speak in church, not to, 860 teach or exorcise, not to, 451 visiting the sick, 491 See also deaconess(es); virgins; widow(s)

Word, Liturgy of, 447 canonical readings, 246, 494 dismissals from, 447, 743, 762, 786 petitions, 244, 447, 494 preaching, 246, 494, 808 psalmody during, 494 See also Alleluia, use of; kiss of peace Word of God, listening to, 771

Worship in the Early Church

An Anthology of Historical Sources Volume Two

Lawrence J. Johnson

A PUE BLO BOOK Liturgical Press  Collegeville, Minnesota www.litpress.org

A Pueblo Book published by Liturgical Press Cover design by David Manahan, osb Excerpt (57-B), Epigraph in the Ambrosian Baptistery: from On Baptismal Fonts: Ancient and Modern, by S.A. Stauffer, Alcuin/GROW Liturgical Study 29–30 (Bramcote, Nottingham: Grove Books), p. 24. Copyright © 1994. Reprinted with permission of the publisher (www.grovebooks.co.uk). Excerpt (64-A), Epitaph at Salona: from The Church at Prayer, vol. 3, The Sacraments, new edition, by R. Cabié and others (Collegeville: Liturgical Press), pp. 62–63, n. 207. Copyright © 1987. Reprinted with permission of the publisher. Excerpts (79, 96), Anaphora of Addai and Mari, Strasbourg Papyrus: from Prayers of the Eucharist: Early and Reformed, 3rd rev. edition, ed. R.C.D. Jasper and G.J. Cuming (Collegeville: Liturgical Press), pp. 42–45, 53–54. Copyright © 1992. Reprinted with permission of the publisher. Excerpt (86-A), Rule of Saint Pachomius. Precepts: from Pachomian Chronicles and Rules, vol. 2, trans. A. Veilleux, Cistercian Studies Series 46 (Kalamazoo: Cistercian Publications), pp. 146ff. Copyright © 1981. Reprinted with permission of the publisher. Excerpts (87-A, 87-B), History of the Monks of the Egyptian Desert, Life of Onnophrius: from Paphnutius: Histories of the Monks of Upper Egypt and the Life of Onnophrius, rev. edition, trans. and ed. T. Vivian, Cistercian Studies Series 140 (Kalamazoo: Cistercian Publications), pp. 78ff., 164. Copyright © 2000. Reprinted with permission of the publisher. © 2009 by Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, microfilm, microfiche, mechanical recording, photocopying, translation, or by any other means, known or yet unknown, for any purpose except brief quotations in reviews, without the previous written permission of Liturgical Press, Saint John’s Abbey, PO Box 7500, Collegeville, Minnesota 56321-7500. Printed in the United States of America. The Library of Congress has cataloged the printed edition as follows: Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Johnson, Lawrence J., 1933–    Worship in the early church : an anthology of historical sources / Lawrence J.   Johnson.      p.   cm.    “A Pueblo book.”   Includes index.   ISBN 978-0-8146-6197-0 (v. 1) — ISBN 978-0-8146-6198-7 (v. 2) —  ISBN 978-0-8146-6199-4 (v. 3) — ISBN 978-0-8146-6226-7 (v. 4)    1. Worship—History—Early church, ca. 30–600.  2. Church history—Primitive   and early church, ca. 30–600. I. Title.   BV6.J64  2009   264.00937—dc22 2009035344

Contents Abbreviations  xi Introduction  xxiii Chapter VII. Fourth Century. West  1 Africa  1 48. Acts of the Martyrs of Abitina  1 49. Optatus of Milevis  2 49-A. Against the Church of the Apostates  3 50. Synods  4 50-A. Synod of Carthage (345–48)  4 50-B. Synod of Carthage II (390)  4 50-C. Synod of Hippo (393)  5 Italy  8 51. Zeno of Verona  8 51-A. Sermons. I. 24; I. 32; I. 38; I. 49; I. 55; II. 6  9 52. Damasus I, Pope  10 52-A. The Tome of Damasus  11 53. Ambrose of Milan  12 53-A. On Cain and Abel  17 53-B. On Virgins  17 53-C. On Faith to Gratian  18 53-D. On Elias and Fasting  18 53-E. Commentary on the Gospel of St. Luke  19 53-F. On the Holy Spirit  20 53-G. On Penance  21 53-H. On Abraham  25 53-I. Hexameron  26 53-J. Commentary on Psalm 118 (119)  27 53-K. Explanation of David the Prophet  27 53-L. On the Mysteries  28 53-M. On the Sacraments  40 53-N. An Explanation of the Creed  69 53-O. Duties of the Clergy  70 53-P. On the Patriarchs  71 53-Q. Commentaries on Twelve Psalms of David  71 v

vi  Contents 53-R. Sermons  73 53-R-1. Sermon on the Death of Satyrus  73 53-R-2. Sermon on the Death of Valentinian  74 53-S. Letters. 8 (39); 62 (19); 75A (21a); 76 (20); 77 (22); (63)  75 53-T. Hymns  77 53-T-1. Aeterne rerum conditor  78 53-T-2. Deus creator omnium  78 53-T-3. Jam surgit hora tertia  79 53-T-4. Intende qui regis Israel  79 54. Filaster of Brescia  80 54-A. Book of Heresies  80 55. Siricius, Pope  82 55-A. Letters  82 55-A-1. Letter 1. To Himerius  82 55-A-2. Letter 7. To Various Bishops  85 56. Three Anonymous Sermons. On Penance  85 56-A. Sermon 2  85 56-B. Sermon 3  86 57. Inscriptions  87 57-A. Epigraph of Saint Tarcisius  87 57-B. Epigraph in the Ambrosian Baptistery  87 57-C. Epigraph of Flavius Latinus  88 57-D. Epigraph of Postumius Eutenion  88 Gaul  88 58. Hilary of Poitiers  88 58-A. On the Gospel of Matthew  89 58-B. On the Trinity  89 58-C. On the Psalms  90 59. Synods  90 59-A. Synod of Arles I (314)  90 59-B. Synod of Valence (374)  91 59-C. Synod of Nîmes (394)  91 Iberia  92 60. Pacian of Barcelona  92 60-A. On Baptism  93 60-B. On the Penitents  98 60-C. Letters  106 60-C-1. Letter 1. To Simpronian  106 60-C-2. Letter 3. To Simpronian  111 61. Gregory of Elvira  116 61-A. Sermons on the Books of the Holy Scriptures  116 61-A-1. Sermon 15  117

Contents  vii 62. Synods  118 62-A. Synod of Elvira (ca. 300)  118 62-B. Synod of Saragossa (ca. 380)  121 Bulgaria/Croatia  122 63. Synod of Sardica (Serdica) (ca. 343)  122 64. Inscription. Epitaph at Salona  122 Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East  123 Asia Minor  123 65. Methodius of Philippi (of Olympus)  123 65-A. The Banquet  123 66. Lactantius  124 66-A. The Death of the Persecutors  125 67. Basil the Great  127 67-A. On the Holy Spirit  129 67-B. Longer Rules  131 67-C. Ascetical Discourse  133 67-D. Homilies  133 67-D-1. Homily 14 on Drunkards  133 67-D-2. Homily 3 on Famine and Drought  134 67-D-3. Homily 13 on Baptism  134 67-D-4. Homily on Psalm 1  135 67-D-5. Homily on Psalm 114  136 67-E. Letters  136 67-E-1. Letter 2. To Gregory  137 67-E-2. Letter 93. To the Patrician Lady Caesaria on Communion  137 67-E-3. Letter 188. To Amphilochius  137 67-E-4. Letter 199. To Amphilochius  140 67-E-5. Letter 207. To the Clergy of Neo-Caesarea  140 67-E-6. Letter 217. To Amphilochius  141 68. Gregory of Nazianzus  143 68-A. Orations. 8; 18; 38; 39; 40; 43; 45  144 68-B. Letters. 231  150 69. Gregory of Nyssa  151 69-A. The Great Catechesis  151 69-B. Life of Macrina  152 69-C. Sermons and Orations  154 69-C-1. Sermon on the Ascension  154 69-C-2. Sermon on the Day of Lights on Which Our Lord Was Baptized  154 69-C-3. Sermon on the Forty Martyrs  156 69-C-4. Sermon against Those Who Postpone Baptism  156

viii  Contents 69-D. Letters  156 69-D-1. Letter 2. To Those Wanting to Go to Jerusalem  156 69-D-2. Letter 5. To Those Who Doubt That His Faith Is Orthodox  157 69-D-3. Letter 25. To Amphilochius  157 69-D-4. Letter to Letonius  159 70. Pseudo-Ignatius. Letter to the Antiochians  159 71. Councils/Synods  160 71-A. Synod of Ancyra (314)  160 71-B. Synod of Neo-Caesarea (ca. 320)  163 71-C. Council of Nicaea I (325)  164 71-C-1. Canons  165 71-C-2. Synodal Letter to the Egyptians  168 71-D. Council of Constantinople I (381)  168 72. Inscription. Fourth Century. Asia Minor  169 72-A. From a Dokimeion marble slab  169 Syria  170 73. Ammianus Marcellinus  170 73-A. Rerum gestarum libri  170 74. John Chrysostom  171 74-A. Homilies on the Psalms. Psalms 7; 49; 140; 144; 145; 149  174 74-B. Homilies on Isaiah. 1; 4  175 74-C. Homilies on Hannah. 4; 5  177 74-D. Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew. 25; 50; 71  177 74-E. Homilies on the Gospel of John. 11; 46  178 74-F. Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles. 18; 26  179 74-G. Homilies on the First Letter to the Corinthians. 8; 24; 27; 36; 40  180 74-H. Homilies on the Second Letter to the Corinthians. 2; 18  184 74-I. Homilies on the Letter to the Ephesians. 3; 14  185 74-J. Homilies on the Letter to the Philippians. 1; 3  186 74-K. Homilies on the Letter to the Colossians. 12  186 74-L. Homilies on the Second Letter to the Thessalonians. 4  187 74-M. Homilies on the First Letter to Timothy. 5; 6; 14  187 74-N. Homilies on the Second Letter to Timothy. 2  189 74-O. Homilies on the Letter to the Hebrews. 8; 17  190 74-P. Homilies on Lazarus. 4  191 74-Q. Homilies “On the Incomprehensible Nature of God.” 3; 4; 5  191 74-R. Homilies against the Jews. 3  193 74-S. Liturgical Homilies  194 74-S-1. Homily on the Baptism of Jesus  194 74-S-2. Homily 1 on Holy Thursday  194

Contents  ix 74-S-3. Homily 1 on Pentecost  195 74-T. Other Homilies  195 74-T-1. Homily 2 on Prayer  195 74-T-2. Homily 2 on the Devil  195 74-T-3. Homily 2 on the Obscurity of Prophecies  196 74-U. Panagyrics  197 74-U-1. On Berenice and Prosdoce  197 74-U-2. On Lucian  197 74-V. Baptismal Catecheses  197 74-V-1. Catechesis 2 (Wenger)  197 74-V-2. Catechesis 3 (Wenger)  201 74-V-3. Catechesis 8 (Wenger)  202 74-V-4. Catechesis 1 (Papadopulos-Kerameus)  203 74-V-5. Catechesis 2 (Papadopulos-Kerameus)  204 74-V-6. Catechesis 3 (Papadopulos-Kerameus)  205 74-W. On the Priesthood  208 74-X. Letter 1 to Pope Innocent  211 75. Aphraates  212 75-A. Demonstrations  212 76. Ephraem the Syrian  213 76-A. Hymns  214 76-A-1. On Oil and the Olive  215 76-B. Homilies  215 76-B-1. Homily 4 for Holy Week  215 76-C. Biblical Commentaries  216 76-C-1. On Joel 2:24  216 76-D. Sermon on Our Lord  216 76-E. Last Will or Testament  217 77. Apostolic Constitutions  217 78. Epiphanius of Salamis  284 78-A. The Well-Anchored Man  284 78-B. Panarion  285 78-C. On Faith  291 79. Anaphora of Addai and Mari  292 80. Synods  296 80-A. Synod of Antioch (341)  296 80-B. Synod of Gangra (ca. 345)  298 80-C. Synod of Laodicea (between 343 and 381)  298 Palestine  304 81. Eusebius Pamphilus of Caesarea  304 81-A. Church History  305 81-B. Life of Constantine  316 81-C. Address to the Assembly of the Saints  317

x  Contents 81-D. Proof of the Gospel  318 81-E. Commentary on the Psalms. Psalms 64; 65; 91  319 82. Cyril of Jerusalem  319 82-A. Protocatechesis  322 82-B. Lenten Catecheses. I; III; VI; XVIII  323 82-C. Mystagogical Catecheses. I; II; III; IV; V  326 83. Egeria. Pilgrimage to the Holy Places  337 Egypt  361 84. Peter of Alexandria  361 84-A. Canonical Letter. On Penance  362 85. Canons of Hippolytus  370 86. Pachomius  387 86-A. Rule of Saint Pachomius. Precepts  388 87. Paphnutius  389 87-A. History of the Monks of the Egyptian Desert  389 87-B. Life of Onnophrius  392 88. Serapion of Thmuis  393 88-A. Prayerbook  394 89. Didascalia of the 318 Fathers (Fides Nicaena)  405 90. Athanasius  406 90-A. Discourse 2 against the Arians  407 90-B. Apology against the Arians  408 90-C. Apology to the Emperor Constantius  408 90-D. Apology for His Flight  410 90-E. History of Arian Impiety  411 90-F. Festal Letters. 1; 2; 3; 5; 39  411 90-G. Letter to Serapion  415 90-H. Sermon to the Newly Baptized  415 91. Canons of Father Athanasius  415 92. Timothy I of Alexandria  422 92-A. Canonical Responses  422 93. Didymus the Blind  424 93-A. On the Trinity  425 94. Pseudo-Athanasius  425 94-A. On Virginity  426 95. Dêr Balyzeh Papyrus  427 96. Strasbourg Papyrus  429 Index to Volume Two  431

Abbreviations Sc r i p t u r e

Acts Acts of the Apostles

Joel

Joel

Amos Amos

John

John

Bar

Baruch

1 John  1 John

Cant

Canticle of Canticles

2 John 2 John

1 Chr

1 Chronicles

3 John 3 John

2 Chr

2 Chronicles

Jonah Jonah

Col

Colossians

Josh

Joshua

1 Cor

1 Corinthians

Jude

Jude

2 Cor

2 Corinthians

Judg

Judges

Dan

Daniel

1 Kgs

1 Kings

Deut

Deuteronomy

2 Kgs

2 Kings

Eccl Ecclesiastes

Lam Lamentations

Eph Ephesians

Lev Leviticus

Esth Esther

Luke Luke

Exod Exodus

1 Macc 1 Maccabees

Ezek Ezekiel

2 Macc 2 Maccabees

Ezra Ezra

Mal

Malachi

Gal

Galatians

Mark

Mark

Gen

Genesis

Matt

Matthew

Hab Habakkuk

Mic

Micah

Hag Haggai

Nah Nahum

Heb Hebrews

Neh Nehemiah

Hos Hosea

Num Numbers

Isa Isaiah

Obad Obadiah

Jas

James

1 Pet

1 Peter

Jdt

Judith

2 Pet

2 Peter

Jer

Jeremiah

Phil Philippians

Job

Job

Phlm Philemon xi

xii  Abbreviations Prov Proverbs

2 Thess  2 Thessalonians

Ps/Pss Psalms

1 Tim

1 Timothy

Rev Revelation

2 Tim

2 Timothy

Rom Romans

Titus Titus

Ruth Ruth

Tob Tobit

1 Sam

1 Samuel

Wis

Wisdom

2 Sam

2 Samuel

Zech

Zechariah

Zeph

Zephaniah

Sir Sirach 1 Thess 1 Thessalonians

P e r i o d i c a l s a n d B o o k s M o s t F r e q u e n t ly C i t e d

AB ABR AC AER

Analecta Bollandiana (Brussels, 1882ff.). American Benedictine Review (Atchison, KS, 1950ff.). Antike und Christentum (Münster, 1929–50). American Ecclesiastical Review (Washington, D.C., 1889–1975). Altaner B. Altaner, Patrology, trans. H.C. Graef, 2nd ed. (New (1961) York, 1961). Altaner B. Altaner, Patrologie. Leben, Schriften und Lehre der (1966) Kirchenväter, 6th ed., rev. A. Stüber (Freiburg/Basel/ Vienna, 1966). Altaner B. Altaner, Patrologie. Leben, Schriften und Lehre der (1978) Kirchenväter, 8th ed., rev. A. Stüber (Freiburg/Basel/ Vienna, 1978). ALW Archiv für Liturgiewissenschaft (Regensburg, 1950ff.). Amb Ambrosius (Milan, 1925–60). ANF A. Roberts and J. Donaldson, eds., The Ante-Nicene Fathers: Translations of the Writings of the Fathers down to a.d. 325 (New York, 1885, 1926). Ant Antonianum (Rome, 1926ff.). APB Acta Patristica et Byzantina (Praetoria, 1990ff.). ApT Apostolic Tradition. Assem Assembly (Notre Dame, 1974ff.). AThR Anglican Theological Review (New York, 1918ff.). Aug Augustinianum (Rome, 1961ff.). AugMag Augustus Magister, Congrès international augustinien (Paris, Sept. 21–24, 1954). Vols. I and II: Communications; vol. III: Acts. BALAC

Bulletin d’ancienne litérature et d’archéologie chrétienne (Paris, 1911–14).

Abbreviations  xiii Bardenhewer O. Bardenhewer, Patrology: The Lives and Works of the (1908) Fathers of the Church, trans. T.J. Shahan (Freiburg i. B./ St. Louis, 1908). Bardenhewer O. Bardenhewer, Patrologie (Freiburg i. B., 1910). (1910) Bardenhewer O. Bardenhewer, Geschichte der altkirchlichen Literatur, (1913) 5 vols. (Freiburg i. B./St. Louis, 1913–32). Bardy (1929) G. Bardy, The Greek Literature of the Early Christian Church, trans. Mother Mary Reginald, Catholic Library of Religious Knowledge 2 (St. Louis, 1929). Bardy (1930) G. Bardy, The Christian Latin Literature of the First Six Centuries, trans. Mother Mary Reginald, Catholic Library of Religious Knowledge 12 (St. Louis, 1930). Bautz F.W. Bautz, ed., Biographisch-bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (Hamm Westf., 1970ff.). BCE Bulletin du comité des études (Paris, 1953–70). Bib Biblica (Rome, 1920ff.). BLE Bulletin de littérature ecclésiastique (Toulouse, 1899ff.). Bouyer L. Bouyer, Eucharist: Theology and Spirituality of the Eucharistic Prayer (Notre Dame, 1968). BT The Bible Today (Collegeville, 1962ff.). BVC Bible et vie chrétienne (Brussels/Paris, 1953–68). CA Campbell

Cahiers archéologiques (Paris, 1945ff.). J.M. Campbell, The Greek Fathers, Our Debt to Greece and Rome series (New York, 1929). CATH G. Jacquemet, ed., Catholicisme, 9 vols. (Paris, 1947ff.). CB Collationes Brugenses (Bruges, 1896–1954). CC La Civiltà Cattolica (Rome, 1850ff.). CCL Corpus Christianorum, Series Latina (Turnhout, 1954ff.). CE Catholic Encyclopedia, 13 vols. + index (New York, 1907–14). CH Church History (Chicago and Tallahassee, 1932ff.). CHECL F. Young, L. Ayres, and A. Louth, eds., The Cambridge History of Early Christian Literature (Cambridge, 2004). ChQ Church Quarterly Review (London, 1875–1968). Chr Christus (Paris, 1954ff.). CollMech Collectanea Mechliniensia (Mechlin, 1927–70). ComL Communautés et liturgies (Ottignies, 1975ff.). Con Concilium (Glen Rock, NJ, etc., 1965ff.). Courtonne Y. Courtonne, ed., Saint Basile: Lettres, 3 vols. (Paris, 1957, 1961, 1966). CPG M. Geerard and F. Glorie, eds., Clavis Patrum Graecorum, 5 vols. (Turnhout, 1974–87).

xiv  Abbreviations CPGS

M. Geerard and others, eds., Clavis Patrum Graecorum Supplementum (Turnhout, 1998). Cph Classical Philology (Chicago, 1906ff.). CPL E. Dekkers and A. Gaar, eds., Clavis Patrum Latinorum, 3rd ed. (Turnhout/Steebrugge, 1995). CR The Clergy Review (London, 1931–87). CRI Comptes-rendus de l’Académie des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres (Paris, 1857ff.). Cross F.L. Cross, The Early Christian Fathers (London, 1960). CS Chicago Studies (Mundelein, IL, 1962ff.). CSEL Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum (Vienna, 1866ff.). CV G.M. Diez, Concilios visigóticos e hispano-romanos (Barcelona/ Madrid, 1963). DACL

F. Cabrol and H. Leclercq, eds., Dictionnaire d’archéologie chrétienne et de liturgie, 15 vols. (Paris, 1913–53). DCA W. Smith, ed., A Dictionary of Christian Antiquities, 2 vols. (London, 1876–80). DCB W. Smith and H. Wace, eds., A Dictionary of Christian Biography, Literature, Sects and Doctrines, 4 vols. (London, 1877–87). DDC R. Naz and others, eds., Dictionnaire de droit canonique, 7 vols. (Paris, 1935–65). DDCon P. Palazzini, ed., Dizionario dei Concili, 6 vols. (Rome, 1963–67). DEC N.P. Tanner, ed., Decrees of the Ecumenical Councils (London/ Washington, D.C., 1990). Deiss L. Deiss, Springtime of the Liturgy: Liturgical Texts of the First Four Centuries (Collegeville, 1979). DGA P.-P. Joannou, ed., Disciplina Generale Antique (Rome, 1962). DHGE A. Baudrillart, ed., Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie ecclésiastiques (Paris, 1912ff.). DictSp M. Viller and others, eds., Dictionnaire de spiritualité ascétique et mystique (Paris, 1937ff.). Did Didache Didas Didascalia Apostolorum Di Sante C. di Sante, Jewish Prayer: The Origins of the Christian Liturgy, trans. M.J. O’Connell (New York, 1991). Div Divinitas (Vatican City, 1957ff.). Dix G. Dix, The Shape of the Liturgy, 4th ed. (Westminster, 1949). DLW J.G. Davies, ed., A Dictionary of Liturgy and Worship (New York, 1972). Dolbeau F. Dolbeau, ed., Vingt-six sermons au peuple d’Afrique / Augustin d’Hippone; retrouvés à Mayence, Collection des études augustiniennes, Série Antiquité 147 (Paris, 1996). DPAC A. di Berardino, ed., Dizionario Patristico e di Antichità Cristiane, 3 vols. (Marietti, 1983–88).

Abbreviations  xv DR Downside Review (Bath, England, 1880ff.). DT Divus Thomas (Fribourg i. S., 1871–1953). DTC A. Vacant, E. Mangenot, and E. Amann, eds., Dictionnaire de théologie catholique, 15 vols. (Paris, 1903–50). DV Dieu vivant (Paris, 1945–55). EC P. Paschini and others, eds., Enciclopedia Cattolica, 12 vols. (Vatican City, 1949–54). ED Euntes Docete (Rome, 1948ff.). EEC A. di Berardino, ed., Encyclopedia of the Early Church, trans. A. Walford, with a foreword and bibliographic amendments by W.H.C. Frend, 2 vols. (New York, 1992). EEChr E. Ferguson, ed., Encyclopedia of Early Christianity, 2 vols., 2nd ed. (New York, 1997). EgT Eglise et théologie (Ottawa, 1970–99). Elbogen I. Elbogen, Der jüdische Gottesdienst in seiner geschichtlichen (1962) Entwicklung, 4th ed. (Hildesheim, 1962). Elbogen I. Elbogen, Jewish Liturgy: A Comprehensive History, trans. (1993) R.P. Scheindlin (Philadelphia/New York, 1993). EO Echos d’Orient (Paris, 1897–1942). EOr Ecclesia Orans (Rome, 1984ff.). EphL Ephemerides Liturgicae (Rome, 1887ff.). ERP Etudes religieuses, philosophiques, historiques, et litteraires (Paris, 1888–1940). EstAg Estudio Teologico Augustiniano (Valladolid, Spain, 1973ff.). Et Etudes (Paris, 1897ff.). ETL Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses (Louvain, 1924ff.). ETR Etudes théologiques et religieuses (Montpellier, 1926ff.). ExpT The Expository Times (Edinburgh, 1889ff.). FF FLDG Folia FThSt FZPT

GCS

France franciscaine (Lille, 1912–29). Forschungen zur christliche Literatur- und Dogmengeschichte (Mainz/Paderborn, 1910–38). Folia. Studies in the Christian Perpetuation of the Classics (Worcester, MA, 1959–79). Freiburger theologische Studien (Freiburg i. B., 1910ff.). Freiburger Zeitschrift für Philosophie und Theologie (Fribourg i. S., 1954ff.).

Die griechischen christlichen Schriftsteller der ersten (drei) Jahrhunderte (Berlin, 1897ff.). Goodspeed E. J. Goodspeed, A History of Early Christian Literature, rev. and enl. R. Grant (Chicago, 1966). GOTR Greek Orthodox Theological Review (Brookline, MA, 1954ff.). Greg Gregorianum (Rome, 1920ff.).

xvi  Abbreviations Hamell P.J. Hamell, Handbook of Patrology (New York, 1968). Hänggi A. Hänggi and I. Pahl, Prex Eucharistica: Textus e Variis Liturgicis Antiquioribus Selecti (Fribourg i. S., 1968). Harp Harp: A Review of Syriac and Oriental Studies (Kerala, India, 1987–2000). Hefele C.J. Hefele, Histoire des conciles d’après les documents originaux, (1905) trans. H. Leclercq, 11 vols. (Paris, 1905–52). Hefele C.J. Hefele, A History of the Councils of the Church: From the (1871) Original Documents, trans. W.R. Clark and H.N. Oxenham, 5 vols. (Edinburgh, 1871–96). HS Hispania sacra (Madrid, 1948ff.). HThR Harvard Theological Review (New York, 1908–9; Cambridge, MA, 1910ff.). Idelsohn A.Z. Idelsohn, Jewish Liturgy and Its Development (New York, 1967). IER Irish Ecclesiastical Record (Dublin, 1864–1968). Imp Impacts: Revue de l’Université catholique de l’Ouest (Angers, 1967ff.). Ire Irénikon (Amay, 1926ff.). Ist Istina (Paris, 1954ff.). ITQ Irish Theological Quarterly (Dublin, 1906–22; Maynooth, 1951ff.). Jasper R.C.D. Jasper and G.J. Cuming, Prayers of the Eucharist: Early and Reformed, 3rd rev. ed. (Collegeville, 1992). JBL Journal of Biblical Literature (Boston/New Haven, 1890ff.). JECS Journal of Early Christian Studies (Baltimore, 1993ff.). JEH The Journal of Ecclesiastical History (London, 1950ff.). Jeremias J. Jeremias, Die Abendmahlsworte Jesu, 3rd. ed. (Göttingen, (1960) 1960). Jeremias J. Jeremias, The Eucharistic Words of Jesus, trans. N. Perrin (1966) (London, 1966). JL Jahrbuch für Liturgiewissenschaft (Münster, 1921–41). JLH Jahrbuch für Liturgie und Hymnologie (Kassel, 1955ff.). JQR The Jewish Quarterly Review (London, 1889–94; New York, 1896–1908). JR The Journal of Religion (Chicago, 1921ff.). JThSt The Journal of Theological Studies (London, 1900–1905; Oxford, 1906–49; n.s. 1950ff.). JucL Jucunda Laudatio (Milan, 1963ff.). Jurgens W.A. Jurgens, The Faith of the Early Fathers, 3 vols. (Collegeville, 1970–79). Kat

Katholik: Zeitschrift für katholische Wissenschaft und kirchliches Leben (Mainz, 1821–89).

Abbreviations  xvii Labriolle P.C. de Labriolle, Histoire de la littérature latine chrétienne, (1947) 3rd rev. ed. (Paris, 1947). Labriolle P.C. de Labriolle, History and Literature of Christianity from (1968) Tertullian to Boethius, trans. H. Wilson, History of Civilization (New York, 1968). LAC L’Ami du clergé (Langres, France, 1888–1968). Latomus Latomus. Revue d’études latines (Brussels, 1937ff.). Lau Laurentianum (Rome, 1960ff.). Leigh- E. Leigh-Bennett, Handbook of the Early Christian Fathers Bennett (London, 1920). LJ Liturgisches Jahrbuch (Münster, 1951ff.). LMD La Maison-Dieu (Paris, 1945ff.). LMF Le messager des fidèles (Mardesous, 1884–89). LNPF P. Schaff and H. Wace, eds., A Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church (repr. Grand Rapids, 1951ff.). LO Lex Orandi (Paris, 1944–71). LQF Liturgiegeschichtliche Quellen und Forschungen (Münster i. W., 1918–39). LThPh Laval théologique et philosophique (Quebec, 1970–82). LTK W. Kasper and others, eds., Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, 11 vols., 3rd ed. (Freiburg i. B., 1993–2001). LV Lumière et vie (Bruges, 1951–60). LWP Liturgical Week Proceedings, North American LwQF Liturgiewissenschaftliche Quellen und Forschungen (Münster i. W., 1919–2005). LXX Septuagint Mansi

J.D. Mansi, ed., Sacrorum Conciliorum Nova et Amplissima Collectio, 31 vols. (Florence, 1759–98). Mel Melto. Melta. Recherches orientales (Kaslik, Liban, 1965–69). Millgram A.E. Millgram, Jewish Worship (Philadelphia, 1971). MilS Milltown Studies (Dublin, 1978ff.). Mnem Mnemosyne: Bibliotheca classica Batava (Leyden, 1852ff.). MRR-1 J. Jungmann, The Mass of the Roman Rite: Its Origins and Development (Missarum Sollemnia), trans. F.A. Brunner, 2 vols. (New York, 1951). MRR-2 J. Jungmann, The Mass of the Roman Rite: Its Origins and Development (Missarum Sollemnia), trans. F.A. Brunner, rev. C.K. Riepe (New York, 1959). MS Mediaeval Studies (Toronto, 1939ff.). MSR Mélanges de science religieuse (Lille, 1944ff.). Mus Le Muséon (Louvain, 1882–1916, 1921ff.).

xviii  Abbreviations NCE

New Catholic Encyclopedia, 14 vols. + index (New York, 1967) + 3 supplementary vols. 16–18 (1974–89). NCES New Catholic Encyclopedia, Second Edition, 15 vols. (Detroit/ Washington, D.C., 2003). NDSW P.E. Fink, ed., The New Dictionary of Sacramental Worship (Collegeville, 1990). Not Notitiae (Rome, 1965ff.). NRTh Nouvelle revue théologique (Tournai, 1869–1913, 1920–39, 1945ff.). NTes Novum Testamentum (Leiden, 1956ff.). NTS New Testament Studies (London, 1954ff.). NWDLW J.G. Davies, ed., The New Westminster Dictionary of Liturgy and Worship (Philadelphia, 1986). OC Oriens Christianus (Wiesbaden, 1931–39, 1953ff.). OCA Orientalia Christiana Analecta (Rome, 1935ff.). OCP Orientalia Christiana Periodica (Rome, 1935ff.). ODCC F.L. Cross, The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, 3rd ed., ed. E.A. Livingstone (New York, 1997). Oesterley W.O.E. Oesterley, The Religion and Worship of the Synagogue, (1911) 2nd ed. (London, 1911). Oesterley W.O.E. Oesterley, The Jewish Background of the Christian (1925) Liturgy (Oxford, 1925). OLZ Orientalische Literaturzeitung (Berlin, 1909ff.). OrSyr L’Orient syrien (Paris, 1956ff.). OstkSt Ostkirchliche Studien (Würzburg, 1952ff.). ParL Paroisse et liturgie (Bruges, 1946–74). PB Pastor Bonus (Trier, 1889–1943). PEA (1894) A.F. von Pauly, Paulys Real-encyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft (Stuttgart, 1894–1919). PEA (1991) H. Cancik and H. Schneider, eds., Der neue Pauly. Enzyklopädie der Antike (Stuttgart, 1991ff.). PG J.P. Migne, Patrologia Graeca, 162 vols. (Paris, 1857–66). PhW Philologische Wockenschrift (Leipzig, 1881–1940). PL J.P. Migne, Patrologia Latina, 221 vols. (Paris, 1844–64). PLS J.P. Migne, Patrologiae Cursus Completus. Series Latina Supplementum, ed. A. Hamman (Paris, 1958ff.). PO Parole de l’Orient. Melto dmadnho (Kaslik, Lebanon, 1970ff.). PP Parole et pain (Paris, 1964–73). PrO Présence orthodox (Paris, 1967–81). PrOChr Proche-orient chrétien (Jerusalem, 1951ff.). QL QLP

Questions liturgiques (Louvain, 1970ff.). Questions liturgiques et paroissiales (Louvain, 1919–69).

Abbreviations  xix Quasten

J. Quasten, Patrology, 4 vols. (Westminster, MD, 1962ff.). (Vol. 4, 1986, is a translation of vol. 3 of Patrologia, ed. A. di Berardino.)

RAC RACh

Rivista di Archeologia Cristiana (Rome, 1924ff.). Reallexikon für Antike und Christentum, ed. T. Klauser (Leipzig, 1950ff.). Revue d’ascétique et de mystique (Toulouse, 1920–71). Revue pratique d’apologétique (Paris, 1905–21). Recherches augustiniennes (Paris, 1958ff.). Revue bénédictine (Maredsous, 1890ff.). Revue biblique internationale (Paris, 1891ff.; n.s. 1904ff.). Revue belge de philologie et d’histoire (Brussels, 1922ff.). Revue du clergé francais (Paris, 1894–1920). Revista catalana de teología (Barcelona, 1976–88, 1990ff.). Revue de droit canonique (Strasbourg, 1951ff.). Revue des études augustiniennes (Paris, 1955ff.). Revue d’histoire de l’Eglise de France (Paris, 1910ff.). Revue des études grecques (Paris, 1888ff.). Revue des études juives (Paris, 1880ff.). Revue ecclésiastique de Liège (Liège, 1905–67). Revue des études latines (Paris, 1923ff.). Résurrection (Paris, 1956–63). Restoration Quarterly (Abilene, TX, 1957ff.). Revista española de teología (Madrid, 1940ff.). Revista augustiniana de Espiritualidad (Calahorra, Spain, 1960–79). Revue augustinienne (Louvain, 1901–10). Revue des sciences religieuses (Strasbourg, 1921ff.). Revue d’histoire ecclésiastique (Louvain, 1900ff.). Revue d’histoire et de littérature religieuse (Paris, 1896–1922). Revue d’histoire et de philosophie religieuses (Strasbourg, 1921ff.). Revue internationale de théologie (Berne, 1893–1910). Rivista di Ascetica et Mistica (Florence, 1956ff.). Rivista Liturgica (Turin, 1914ff.). Rocznik theologico-kanoninczne (Lublin, Poland, 1949–90). Revue de philologie, de littérature et d’histoire anciennes (Paris, 1845–47; n.s. 1877–1926; 3. s. 1927ff.). Römische Quartelschrift für christliche Altertumskunde (Freiburg i. B., 1887ff.). Revue des questions historiques (Paris, 1866–1939). Revue réformé (Saint-Germaine-en-Laye, France, 1950ff.). Review for Religious (St. Louis, 1942ff.).

RAM RAp RAug RB RBibl RBPh RCF RCT RDC REAug REF REG REJ REL RELA Res ResQ RET RevAgusEsp RevAug RevSR RHE RHL RHPR RIT RivAM RL Rocz RPLH RQ RQH RR RRel

xx  Abbreviations RSPT RSR RT RTAM RTL RTP RUO

Revue des sciences philosophiques et théologiques (Paris, 1907ff.). Recherches de science religieuse (Paris, 1910ff.). Revue thomiste (Paris, 1924–65). Recherches de théologie ancienne et médiévale (Louvain, 1969ff.). Revue théologique de Louvain (Louvain, 1970ff.). Revue de théologie et de philosophie (Lausanne, 1921ff.). La revue de l’Université d’Ottawa (Ottawa, 1931–87).

Sal Salesianum (Turin, 1939ff.). SC Scuola Cattolica (Milan, 1902ff.). SCA Studies in Christian Antiquity (Washington, D.C., 1941–85). ScE Science et esprit (Montreal, 1928ff.). SChr Sources chrétiennes (Paris, 1941ff.). SCJ Second Century: Journal of Early Christian Studies (Abilene, TX, 1981–92). Scr Scripture (London, 1969–75). SE Sacris Erudiri (Bruges, 1948ff.). SJT Scottish Journal of Theology (Edinburgh, etc., 1948ff.). SM Studia Monastica (Barcelona, 1959ff.). SP Studia Patristica: Acts of the International Conventions of Oxford (TU) (Berlin, 1957ff.). SPMed Studia Patristica Mediolanensia (Milan, 1974ff.). ST Studi e Testi (Rome, 1900ff.). StC Studia Catholica (Nijmegen, 1924–60). Steidle B. Steidle, Patrologia: seu Historia Antiquae Litteraturae Ecclesiasticae, Scholarum Usui Accommodata (Freiburg i. B., 1937). StGKA Studien zur Geschichte und Kultur des Altertums (Paderborn, 1907ff.). STh Studia Theologica (Lund, 1947ff.). StLit C. Jones and others, eds., The Study of Liturgy, rev. ed. (New York, 1992). StP Studia Patavina (Padua, 1954ff.). Strack H.L. Strack and P. Billerbeck, Kommentar zum Neuen Testament aus Talmud und Midrasch, vol. iv/i, 2nd ed. (Munich, 1956). StudEnc Study Encounter (Geneva, 1965–76). StudLit Studia Liturgica (Rotterdam, 1962ff.). TD Theol ThGl ThQ ThStKr Tixeront

Theology Digest (St. Louis, 1953ff.). Theology (Norwich, England, 1976ff.). Theologie und Glaube (Paderborn, 1909ff.). Theologische Quartalschrift (Stuttgart/Tübingen, 1831–1928; various places, 1929ff.). Theologische Studien und Kritiken (Gotha, 1828–42). J. Tixeront, A Handbook of Patrology, trans. S.A. Raemers (London/St. Louis, 1947).

Abbreviations  xxi Tra

Traditio: Studies in Ancient and Medieval History, Thought, and Religion (New York, 1943ff.). TRE G. Krause and G. Müller, eds., Theologische Realenzyklopädie (Berlin, 1976ff.). TS Theological Studies (Baltimore/Woodstock, 1940ff.). TU Texte und Untersuchungen zur Geschichte de altchristlichen Literatur (Berlin, 1882ff.). TV Theologia Viatorum: Jahrbuch der kirchlichen Hochschule Berlin (Berlin, 1948/49–1979/80). TZ Theologische Zeitschrift (Basel, 1945ff.). VC VerC VetChr VS

Vigiliae Christianae (Amsterdam, 1947ff.). Verbum Caro (Taizé, France, 1947–69). Vetera Christianorum (Bari, 1964ff.). La Vie Spirituelle (Paris, 1919ff.).

WEC L. Johnson, ed., Worship in the Early Church: An Anthology of Historical Sources, 4 vols. (Collegeville, 2009). Werner E. Werner, The Sacred Bridge: The Interdependence of Liturgy and Music in Synagogue and Church during the First Millennium (London/New York, 1959). Wor Worship (Collegeville, 1952ff.; formerly Orate Fratres, 1926–51). Wright F.A. Wright, ed., Fathers of the Church: Tertullian, Cyprian, (1928) Arnobius, Lactanius, Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine: A Selection from the Writings of the Latin Fathers (London, 1928). Wright F.A. Wright, A History of Later Greek Literature from the Death of (1932) Alexander in 323 b.c. to the Death of Justinian in 545 a.d. (London, 1932). WSt Wiener Studien: Zeitschrift für klassische Philologie (Vienna, 1879ff.). ZAW ZKG ZkTh ZNeW ZNW ZTK

Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft (Berlin/New York, 1881ff.). Zeitschrift für Kirchengeschichte (Gotha, 1877–1930; Stuttgart, 1931ff.). Zeitschrift für katholische Theologie (Innsbruck, 1877–1940; Vienna, 1947ff.). Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft und die Kunde der älteren Kirche (Giessen/Berlin/New York, 1900ff.). Zeitschrift für Missionswissenschaft (Münster, 1911–37). Zeitschrift für Theologie und Kirche (Tübingen, 1891ff.).

/ = “or,” e.g., 543/554 [ ] Textual material supplied by translator of the original source or by the present editor/translator

Introduction Recent decades have witnessed numerous Christian denominations reforming and renewing their communal worship structures. Well before such a venture occurred, there took place, mainly though not exclusively in Europe, a scientific study of the early development of the Church’s common prayer, a study that continues today. Both professional and amateur historians have applied and are applying their expertise to this important task, for understanding the past is not merely an intellectual exercise but offers one of the all-important keys for understanding the present. Yet many students of worship have but little direct contact with the great literary heritage that witnesses the way Christians lived their liturgical life during the early ages of Christianity. Often a person’s acquaintance with the primitive Church’s written documentation is only by way of citations in end- or footnotes. Frequently access to the excellent English language collections of early source material is limited, since these are for the most part found only in the libraries of theological schools and major universities. The same is true of texts related to particular subjects, e.g., initiation. Furthermore, a large amount of pertinent material has simply not appeared in English. Texts in Latin, Greek, and other languages— apart from their inherent problems for many students of the liturgy—are no less difficult to obtain. The four volumes of the present series aim to present a selection or thesaurus (representative, to be sure) of a wide selection of source material illustrating the growth of the Church’s common prayer, in both East and West, from its Jewish roots down to the end of the sixth century. Included are texts from homilies, dogmatic and spiritual treatises, letters, monastic rules, church orders, prayer formulas, conciliar and synodal legislation, inscriptions, and the like. The subject matter is not only sacramental celebration but also the liturgical year, the times of the day for personal or group prayer, music and song, the physical arrangement of the church building, times for fasting (considered to be so closely allied with prayer), veneration of the martyrs, liturgical roles, decorum within and without the church, etc. The user of these volumes fortunate enough to have access to a major theological library may well profit from the references to patristic and other manuals, as well as from the bibliography of pertinent periodical articles and treatises. In a few cases the most recent edition of a text was, for various reasons, unavailable to me. Also, several texts initially intended to appear in xxiii

xxiv  Introduction this work are in fact not included since a particular volume could not be obtained. It should be noted that, unless otherwise indicated, the enumeration of the psalms follows the Hebrew. All cited texts have been translated by the present editor from the source indicated (“Translated from .  .  .”) or are taken from a preexisting translation (“Translation from .  .  .”). A note on format Each subhead (author, anonymous document, synods, etc.) is assigned an identification number, which is usually followed by a letter indicating a particular work of an author or a particular synod. The internal enumeration of paragraphs usually corresponds to that of the edition from which the text was translated. Marginal numbers, running sequentially, are assigned to paragraphs of the text. Cross-references are indicated by the abbreviation for Worship in the Early Church, i.e., WEC, followed by the volume number and then either the subhead number in bold text (e.g., WEC 2:57 or WEC 2:68-A) or else the marginal paragraph number (e.g., WEC 2:1613). There are three types of footnotes: daggers, letters, and numbers. Daggered notes indicate the sources from which translations have been made, lettered notes contain explanations for words and phrases used in the text, and numbered notes indicate scriptural references. *** No work of this kind can reach completion without the encouragement and assistance of many people. And thus I must express my gratitude to Mr. Peter Kearney for sharing his expertise in Latin and Hebrew. To the Rev. James Challancin, a priest of the diocese of Marquette, Michigan, and a former professor of liturgy, for his many words of encouragement. To the staff (especially Jessica) of the Escanaba, Michigan, Public Library for such gracious assistance in procuring by means of interlibrary loans ever so many volumes from libraries throughout the country. To the whole publishing team at Liturgical Press and especially to Stephanie Lancour, my copy editor, whose careful reading of the text has saved me from any number of embarrassing moments. And especially to my wife, Marlene Winter-Johnson, not only for her patience throughout this endeavor but especially for the numerous hours in researching materials found in the library of The Catholic University of America and in that of the University of Notre Dame, as well as for helping to prepare the work’s manuscript for publication.

Chapter VII Fourth Century. West Af r i c a 4 8 . A c t s o f t h e M a rt y r s o f A b i t i n a †

In 304 a group of Christians was arrested in Abitina (close to Medjez-el Bab in western Tunisia) and taken to Carthage to be questioned by Anulinus, the proconsul, namely, the provincial governor. The charge was that the thirtyone men and eighteen women had gathered to celebrate the Lord’s Day. The account of their questioning or trial has come down to us in a Donatist recension. CATH 1:38 * DHGE 1:129–31 * DPAC 1:10 * EEC 1:2 * NCES 1:90–91

2. At the time of Diocletian and Maximianus the devil waged war upon the Christians in the following way: the most holy writings on the Lord and the divine Scriptures were sought out and burned; churches were destroyed; it was forbidden to hold the sacred rites and the most holy assemblies. [.  .  .] In the city of Abitina, in the house of Octavius Felix [.  .  .] those celebrating the Lord’s Day as customary were apprehended by the magistrates who were accompanied by a detachment of soldiers. Among those arrested were the priest Saturninus with his four children: namely, his son Saturninus, a lector; Felix, also a lector; Mary, a consecrated virgin; and Hilarianus, a child. [.  .  .] 4. These martyrs of Christ were put in longed-for chains and from Abitina they were sent to Carthage. Throughout their whole journey they joyfully sang hymns and psalms to the Lord. [.  .  .] 10. [.  .  .] The proconsul said, “Contrary to the order of the emperors and the Caesars, did you not bring all these together?” Saturninus the priest, inspired by the Lord’s Spirit, replied, “Without fear we celebrated the Lord’s Supper [dominicum].” “But why?” “Because,” replied Saturninus, “we cannot omit the Lord’s Supper.” [.  .  .] 12. The proconsul, going on to Emeritus, said, “Is it indeed in your house that the assemblies take place contrary to what the emperors have decreed?” Emeritus, full of the Holy Spirit, replied, “It is in my house that we have celebrated the Lord’s Supper.” “Why did you allow these to †

Translated from P.F. de’ Cavalieri, Note agiografiche, vol. 8, ST 65 (Rome, 1935) 50ff.

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2  Chapter VII. Fourth Century. West enter?” Emeritus answered, “Because they are my brethren, and I was unable to hinder them.” “But this is what you should have done.” “I could not do so because we cannot live without celebrating the Lord’s Supper.” Immediately the proconsul had him placed on a rack and tortured. [.  .  .] 866 14. [.  .  .] Ampelius was the next to be questioned. He was the keeper of the law and the most faithful preserver of the divine Scriptures. The proconsul questioned him as to whether he was at the assembly [collecta]. Cheerful and unafraid, he eagerly replied, “I assembled with the brethren. I celebrated the Lord’s Supper. I have the Lord’s Scriptures with me but they are written on my heart. Praise to you, O Christ. Hear me, O Christ.” [.  .  .] 867 15. But the younger Saturninus, the venerable offspring of the priest Saturninus, [.  .  .] was questioned by the proconsul. “And you, Saturninus, were you present?” “I am a Christian,” said Saturninus. “This is not what I asked. My question was whether you celebrated the Lord’s Supper.” To this Saturninus answered, “I did so because Christ is the Savior.” Hearing the word “Savior,” Anulinus became agitated and had a rack prepared for the father’s son. The proconsul addressed Saturninus, who was stretched out on the rack. “What did you profess? Look where you are. Do you have any of the Scriptures?” Saturninus replied, “I am a Christian.” “I am asking whether you were part of the assembly, whether you have the Scriptures.” [.  .  .] “I have the Lord’s Scriptures, but they are written on my heart.” [.  .  .] 4 9 . O p tat u s o f M i l e v i s

Relatively little is known concerning the details of Optatus’s life, whose date of birth is often given as ca. 320. He seems to have been a convert and was perhaps a rhetorician. As bishop of Milevis in Numedian Africa, he wrote his Against the Church of the Apostates, a work opposing the Donatists. The date of the bishop’s death appears to be ca. 385. CPL nos. 244ff. * Altaner (1961) 435–36 * Altaner (1966) 371–72 * Bardenhewer (1913) 3:491–95 * Bautz 6:1226–27 * Jurgens 2:139–41 * Labriolle (1947) 1:428–29 * Labriolle (1968) 294–95 * Quasten 4:122–27 * Steidle 183 * Tixeront 233–34 * CATH 10:103–5 * CE 11:262–63 * DCB 4:90–93 * DictSp 11:824–29 * DPAC 2:2549–52 * DTC 11.1:1077–84 * EC 9:449–51 * EEC 2:612–13 * EEChr 2:830–31 * LTK 7:1076–77 * NCE 10:706–7 * NCES 10:611–12 * ODCC 1185 * PEA (1894) 18.1:765–72 * PEA (1991) 8:1269–70 * TRE 25:300–302 T. Sagi-Buniç, “Controversia de Baptismate inter Parmenianum et s. Optatum Milevitanum,” Lau 3 (1962) 167–209. * A. Goda, “Les mots ‘fides’ et ‘fidelis’ chez Optat de Milève,” Rocz 19 (1972) 172–80 [in Polish with resume in French]. * A. Malunowiczówna, “Signification du mot ‘sacramentum’ chez Optat de Milève,” Rocz 19 (1972) 163–70. * M. Labrousse, “Le baptême des hérétiques d’après Cyprien, Optat et Augustin: Influences et divergences,” REAug 42 (1996) 223–42. * J.L. Gutiérrez-Martin, Iglesia y liturgia en el Africa romana del siglo IV: bautismo y eucaristía en los libros de Optato, obispo de Milevi, Bibliotheca Ephemerides Liturgicae. Subsidia 116 (Rome, 2001).

49. Optatus of Milevis  3

49-A. Against the Church of the Apostates† Also called Against Parmenian or On the Schism of the Donatists, this treatise, begun ca. 367 and often rambling in composition, originally consisted of six books. A seventh book was added ca. 385 as an appendix, perhaps by Optatus himself in a revised edition of the work. The Donatists were a schismatic group, largely confined to Africa, who among other points rejected the efficacy of the sacraments when conferred “outside the Church.” Parmenian, the author of a treatise being refuted by Optatus, was the Donatist bishop of Carthage (362–391/392). In marked contrast to the attitude of most late fourth-century orthodox writers is the lenient approach Optatus takes in regard to the schismatics (not heretics, however). II.ii. [.  .  .] You know that Peter received the first episcopal chair in the city of Rome, a fact you cannot deny. This chair was occupied by Peter, the first among the apostles, and so he is called Cephas. This one chair is the basis of the unity to be kept by all. The other apostles did not act in an independent manner. Anyone arranging another chair contrary to that single chair—whoever would do anything like this would already be a schismatic and a sinner. II.iii. Peter, therefore, was the first to occupy this chair, and this was the first of his gifts. [.  .  .] II.xx. Perfect happiness is not given by Christ our Savior; it is promised. For this reason God said, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”1 And so God, who alone is perfect and holy, did not say, “You are holy,” but rather “You will be holy.” [.  .  .] When you lead some astray, you promise that you will grant them the forgiveness of their sins. And when you desire to grant them the forgiveness of sins, you confess your own innocence. You forgive as if you yourselves had no sins. This is not presumption; it is deception. It is not truth; it is a lie. For shortly after you have imposed hands and forgiven sins, you will face the altar but you cannot omit the Lord’s Prayer wherein you say, “Our Father [.  .  .] Forgive us our sins.” [.  .  .] IV.vii. Heaven is opened.2 When God the Father anointed Christ, the spiritual oil immediately descended in the form of a dove and, resting upon his head, enveloped him. The oil was spread about. For this reason he came to be called the “Christ” since he was anointed by God the Father. Should he seem to lack the imposition of the hand, the voice of God was heard speaking from a cloud, saying, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.”3 V.iv. No one baptizes always and everywhere. There were those who baptized in times past; others do so now; still others will do so in the future. The person baptizing can be different but not the sacrament. As you Translated from S. Optati Milevitani Libri VII, ed. C. Ziwsa (Vienna, 1893) 36ff. 1. Lev 11:45.  2. See Matt 3:16.  3. Matt 3:17; Luke 9:35; 2 Pet 1:17. †

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4  Chapter VII. Fourth Century. West can see, those who do the baptizing are the workers, not the lords. The sacraments are holy in themselves and are not made so by mere mortals. So what is it that you so insist upon for yourselves? What is it that you claim God rejects from what is divinely given? Acknowledge that God is in charge of what is his own. [.  .  .] 873 VI.i [.  .  .] What is so sacrilegious as to break, scrape, remove God’s altars on which you yourselves had once offered, on which both the prayers of the people and the members of Christ had been held, where God Almighty has been invoked, where the Holy Spirit has been requested and has descended, from which many have received the pledge of eternal salvation, the safeguard of the faith, and the hope of resurrection? [.  .  .] For what is an altar other than the resting place for Christ’s Body and Blood? [.  .  .] Who among the faithful does not know that in celebrating the mysteries the wooden altar is covered by a linen cloth? During the rites themselves the covering can be touched but not the wood. [.  .  .] 50. Synods

50-A. Synod of Carthage (345–48)† The purpose of this synod, which took place sometime between 345 and 348, was to thank God that the schism of Donatism had ended—or at least so the bishops participating believed—and to draw up some useful rules, fourteen in all, for church discipline. The canons of this meeting form one of the earliest canonical collections that have come down to us. Hefele (1871) 2:185–86 * EEC 1:146 * ODCC 3:293 874

Canon 1. Therefore if it pleases you, we will first consider the question of rebaptism. My question concerns someone who has gone down into the water and has been questioned regarding the Trinity according to the faith of the Gospel and the doctrine of the apostles and before God has acknowledged belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Should this person again be questioned concerning the same faith and again be washed in water? 875 All the bishops responded: In no way! Rebaptism is not allowed.a We forbid it as being contrary to the true faith and to the Catholic Church.

50-B. Synod of Carthage II (390)†† This general African synod, under the presidency of Bishop Genethlius of Carthage, enacted thirteen canons. Canons translated from Concilia Africae à 345 à 525, ed. C. Munier, CCL 149 (Turnhout, 1974) 3–4. a. See Orleans III (538) can. 34 (WEC 4:4614); Toledo III (589) ser. 1 can. 15 (WEC 4:4764). †† Canons translated from CCL 149:13–17. †

50. Synods  5 CPL no. 1765c * DDCon 1:255 * Hefele (1905) 2.1:76–78 * CATH 2:607 * DCA 1:38 * EEC 1:146 * ODCC 293

Canon 3. [.  .  .] Presbyters may not consecrate chrisma or bless virgins;b nor may a presbyter grant public reconciliation.c Canon 4. [.  .  .] If someone is in danger and seeks reconciliation at the holy altar and if the bishop is absent, the presbyter should consult the bishop and with his permission reconcile the sinner.d Canon 9. [.  .  .] A presbyter officiating without the bishop’s permission is to be deprived of his rank.

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50-C. Synod of Hippo (393)† This first plenary African council took place on October 8, 393, in the Basilica of Peace at Hippo Regius. Its president was Aurelius, the archbishop of Carthage; Augustine (WEC 3:98) gave the opening speech. Although the meeting’s Acta have for the most part been lost, manuscript evidence gives us some glimpse of what transpired at the gathering. DDCon 2:195–96 * Hefele (1905) 2.1:82–91 * Hefele (1871) 2:394–402 * CE 11:99 * DCA 1:38 * DHGE 24:621 * EEC 1:383 * ODCC 773 F.L. Cross, “History and Fiction in the African Canons,” JThSt, n.s., 12 (1961) 227–47. * B. Neunheuser, “’Cum altari adsistitur semper ad Patrem dirigatur oratio’: der canon 21 des Konzils von Hippo 393. Seine Bedeutung und Nachwirkung,” Aug 25 (1985) 105–19.

50-c-1. canons found in codex vercelli 165 Some fragments of the discussion appear to have survived in five canons found in a northern Italy manuscript, Codex Vercelli 165. Canon 5. [.  .  .] It pleases all that the Scriptures that are read are canonical;a the passions of the martyrsb may be read aloud in their particular churches. a. See Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 34 (WEC 2:891); Toledo I (400?) can. 20 (WEC 3:3172); Braga I (561) ser. 2 can. 19 (WEC 4:4752). b. See Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 1 (WEC 2:881); Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 34 (WEC 2:891); Saragossa (ca. 380) can. 8 (WEC 2:1298); Riez (439) can. 4 (WEC 3:3122); Agde (506) can. 19 (WEC 4:4555). c. See Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 30-b (WEC 2:888); Elvira (ca. 300) can. 32 (WEC 2:1279); Agde (506) can. 15 (WEC 4:4552); Toledo III (589) ser. 2 cap. 11 (WEC 4:4766). d. See note c above. † Canons translated from CCL 149:21–44. a. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) cans. 59–60 (WEC 2:2002–3). b. See Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 36-d (WEC 2:892).

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50-c-2. the breviarium hipponense In preparation for a later synod, one held in Carthage in 397, the bishops of Byzacene drafted a document, known as the Breviarium Hipponense, which gave a résumé of the canons previously enacted at Hippo in 393. This summary has come down to us through a number of manuscript traditions that incorporate various textual differences. There are two series of enactments, the first having five canons, the second having thirty-seven canons. 880

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Series 1 Canon 1. All the provinces of Africa are to be guided by the church of Car­ thage regarding the feast of Easter,c concerning which an error has arisen. Series 2 Canon 1. a) Readers may not extend the greeting to the people. b) No one is to be ordainedd nor is any virgin to be blessed who is under twentyfive.e c) Because of the need to profess and defend the faith no one is to be made a cleric unless such a person has first been instructed in the holy Scriptures or from youth has been given a good education in them.f Canon 3. During the most holy days of the Pasch no other sacrament than the accustomed salt will be given to the catechumens because if during these days the faithful do not change the sacraments, so also the catechumens are to change nothing. Canon 4. a) The deceased are not to be given the Eucharistg nor are they to be baptized since the Lord said, “Take and eat.”1 Dead bodies can neither take nor eat. b) Since the Eucharist is not given to the deceased, care must be taken that no one mistakenly believes that the dead can be baptized. Canon 20. No one may be ordained who has not been approved either by an examination carried out by the bishop or by the testimony of the people.h Canon 21. a) In prayer no one shall address the Son rather than the Father, or the Father rather than the Son except at the altar when prayer is always to be addressed to the Father. b) No one shall use strange forms of prayer without having first consulted those brethren who are well-instructed.i

c. See Nicaea I (325) (WEC 2:1459); Antioch (341) can. 1 (WEC 2:1947); Statuta (5th c.) can. 78 (WEC 3:3103); Orleans IV (541) can. 1 (WEC 4:4615). d. See Neo-Caesarea (ca. 320) can. 11 (WEC 2:1443); Agde (506) can. 17 (WEC 4:4553); Arles IV (524) can. 1 (WEC 4:4589); Orleans III (538) can. 6 (WEC 4:4605). e. See Carthage II (390) can. 3 (WEC 2:876); Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 34 (WEC 2:891); Saragossa (ca. 380) can. 8 (WEC 2:1298); Riez (439) can. 4 (WEC 3:3122); Agde (506) can. 19 (WEC 4:4555). f. See Narbonne (589) can. 11 (WEC 4:4658). g. See Auxerre (late 6th or early 7th c.) can. 12 (WEC 4:4637). h. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 13 (WEC 2:1965); Statuta (5th c.) can. 10 (WEC 3:3072); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 1 (WEC 4:4675). i. See Carthage VI (407) can. 103 (WEC 3:2748); Milevis (416) can. 12 (WEC 3:2750). 1. 1 Cor 11:24.

50. Synods  7 Canon 23. a) At the sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ nothing is to be offered other than what the Lord himself passed down, namely, bread and wine mixed with water.j b) The first-fruits, milk and honey, which on the one most solemn day are accustomed to be offered, even though offered upon the altar, have their own blessing so that they are distinguished from the sacrament of the Lord’s Body and Blood. Only what comes from grapes and grain is among the first fruits. Canon 28. The sacraments of the altar shall always be celebrated by those who are fasting except on the anniversary of their institution, namely, the Coena Domini.k For if a commendation of others is to be made in the afternoon, whether of bishops or of clerics or of others, this is to be done by prayer alone if those who do so have already eaten. Canon 30. a) The time of penance shall be determined by the bishop in proportion to the severity of the sin. b) Presbyters are not to reconcile peni­ tentsl without the consent of the bishop unless the absence of the bishop requires this. c) A penitent whose sin is public and known to all and which disturbs the whole Church shall receive the imposition of the hand before the apse. Canon 32. Sick persons who are no longer able to speak but who testified that they would desire baptism should they be in danger are to be baptized. Canon 33. Actors and apostates who convert or return to the Lord will not be refused grace or reconciliation. Canon 34. A presbyter may not bless virgins without the consent of the bishop,m and he must never prepare the chrism.n Canon 36. a) Other than the canonical Scriptures nothing is to be read in the church under the title of “divine writings.”o b) The canonical books are: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua the son of Nun, Judges, Ruth, 4 Books of Kings, 2 Books of Paralipomenon, Job, Psalms, 5 Books of Solomon, 12 Books of the Minor Prophets, Isaiah, Jere­ miah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Tibias, Judith, Esther, 2 Books of Estrous, 2 Books j. See Orleans IV (541) can. 4 (WEC 4:4618); Auxerre (late 6th or early 7th c.) can. 8 (WEC 4:4633). k. See Dvin (527) can. 24 (WEC 4:4850); Auxerre (late 6th or early 7th c.) can. 19 (WEC 4:4642); Braga II (572) can. 10 (WEC 4:4762); Mâcon II (585) can. 6 (WEC 4:4655). l. See Carthage II (390) cans. 3–4 (WEC 2:876–77); Elvira (ca. 300) can. 32 (WEC 2:1279); Statuta (5th c.) can. 20 (WEC 3:3077); Agde (506) can. 15 (WEC 4:4552); Toledo III (589) ser. 2 cap. 11 (WEC 4:4766). m. See Carthage II (390) can. 3 (WEC 2:876); Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 1 (WEC 2:881); Riez (439) can. 4 (WEC 3:3122); Agde (506) can. 19 (WEC 4:4555). n. See Carthage II (390) can. 3 (WEC 2:876); Toledo I (400?) can. 20 (WEC 3:3172); Braga I (561) ser. 2 can. 19 (WEC 4:4752); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 51 (WEC 4:4686). o. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) cans. 59–60 (WEC 2:2002–3).

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8  Chapter VII. Fourth Century. West of the Maccabees, and from the New Testament: 4 Books of the Gospels, 1 Book of the Acts of the Apostles, Fourteen Epistles of Paul the Apostle, 2 [Epistles] of Peter, 2 [Epistles] of John, 1 [Epistle] of Jude, 1 [Epistle] of James; the Apocalypse of John.p c) The church across the sea is to be consulted regarding this canon. d) It is permitted to read the acts of the martyrs on their anniversaries.q 893 Canon 37. Still in effect is what former councils established, namely, that no Donatist cleric is to be received by us—salvation being denied to no one—except as a member of the laity—inasmuch as the African churches suffer the lack of ordained clerics so that some places are completely without them. The exception is those who were not rebaptized or who desire to go over to the Catholic communion with their people. [.  .  .]

I ta ly 51. Zeno of Verona

Relatively little is known about Zeno. In a letter written ca. 380 Ambrose (WEC 2:53) refers to him as the “recently deceased bishop of Verona,” and this city’s tradition lists Zeno as its eighth bishop. Some believe that Zeno was of African origin. His death must have occurred between 375 and 380. Zeno’s works show that he was well acquainted with the theological disputes of his time, both trinitarian and christological, especially those concerning the relationship between the Father and the Son. CPL nos. 208ff. * Altaner (1961) 432 * Altaner (1966) 369 * Bardenhewer (1908) 418–19 * Bardenhewer (1910) 362–63 * Bardenhewer (1913) 3:477–81 * Bardy (1930) 96 * Bautz 14:427–30 * Labriolle (1947) 1:435–36 * Labriolle (1968) 300–301 * Quasten 4:127–30 * Steidle 152 * Tixeront 231–32 * CATH 15:1530–32 * CE 15:754–55 * DCB 4:1213 * DictSp 16:1628–30 * DPAC 2:3627–28 * DTC 15.2:3685–90 * EC 12:1793–94 * EEC 2:884–85 * EEChr 2:1187 * LTK 10:1422–23 * NCE 14:1118 * NCES 14:917–18 * ODCC 1779–80 * PEA (1894) 10.1 (n.s.) 147–49 O. Perler, “Die Taufsymbolik der vier Jahreszeiten im Baptisterium bei Kelibia,” in Mullus: Festschrift Th. Klauser (Münster, 1964) 282–90. * G. de Apoli, “L’iniziazione cristiana nei ‘Sermoni’ di S. Zeno di Verona,” RL 54 (1967) 401–17. * E.J. Kelzenberg, “An Investigation of the Baptismal Writings of Zeno of Verona,” diss. (Notre Dame, 1967). * J. Doignon, “Réfrigerium et catéchèse à Verone,” in Hommages à M. Renard, vol. 3 (Brussels, 1969) 220–39. * G. Philippart, “La fête de S. Zénon de Vérone le 8 décembre,” AB 92 (1974) 347–48. * F. Segala, Il Culto di San Zeno nella liturgia medioevala fino al secolo XII, Studi e documenti di storia e liturgica 1 (Verona, 1982). * A. Galli, “Zénon de Vérone dans l’antiphonaire de Bangor,” RB 93 (1983) 293–301. * G. Jeanes, “Early Latin Parallels to the Roman Canon? Possible References to a Eucharistic Prayer in Zeno of Verona,” JThSt, n.s., 37 (1986) 427–31. * G.P. Jeanes, The Day Has Come! Easter and Baptism in Zeno of Verona, Alcuin Club Collections 73 p. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 60 (WEC 2:2003). q. See Hippo (393) Cod. Ver. can. 5 (WEC 2:879).

51. Zeno of Verona  9 (Collegeville, 1995). * M.A. Mascari, “Zeno, Gaudentius, and Chromatius: The Dynamics of Preaching in Northern Italy, 360–420,” diss. (Washington, D.C., 1996).

51-A. Sermons Zeno’s work has come down to us in the form of sermons (tractatus), gathered into two collections. The first collection or book contains sixtytwo texts, with the second containing thirty texts. Only thirty of the total are complete sermons, others being sketches, outlines, summaries, and the like. They treat a wide variety of subjects: exegesis (especially the Old Testament), morality, sacramental theology, and liturgical practice, including discourses on baptism and the Easter liturgy. The collections as such, which were very popular during the Middle Ages, appear to have been redacted after Zeno’s death.

51-a-1. sermon i. 24. after baptism† 1. [.  .  .] After the delightful vigils of the night, the night that shines brightly due to its own sun, and after the life-giving bath that you took in the font from which honey flows forth, you have been led to the hope of immortal life. Upon coming out of the water, you, being of various ages and coming from diverse countries, suddenly seemed to be brothers and sisters sharing the same blood, as if all of you were twins to one another. [.  .  .]

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51-a-2. sermon i. 32. invitation to the font†† Brothers and sisters in Christ, rejoice and eagerly hasten to receive the heavenly gifts. The eternal font that gives birth to new life already invites you by its saving warmth. Our mother is anxious to bring you into the world but not according to the ordinary rules of childbirth. [.  .  .] Your heavenly mother begets you with happiness, abundant joy, and willingly. She brings you forth free from the bonds of sin. You will be nourished not in foul-smelling cradles but at the aromatic railing of the holy altar. [.  .  .]

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51-a-3. sermon i. 38. to the neophytes. on the twelve signs††† 1. People of heaven, first fruits of Christ, rejoice. Always be vigilant. Take care not to stain in any way the brightness of your illustrious spiritual birth which took place today. What happened on this day cannot be repeated. Behold the boys, the adolescents, the young men, the old men, both males and females. You were guilty. You were soiled by this world’s impure birth. But now, freed from all sin, you are innocent children. What is especially wonderful and pleasing is that suddenly, in an instant, you, being of various ages, attained the same age. Translated from Tractatus, ed. B. Löfstedt, CCL 22 (Turnhout, 1971) 71. Translated from CCL 22:83. ††† Translated from CCL 22:105. †

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51-a-4. sermon i. 49. invitation to the font† 897

Brothers and sisters, enter the heavenly gates as quickly as possible. Do not believe that those who go down into this eternal pool produce eternal grace by their personal merits. Here it is that you decide to be reborn. You know that your nobility of soul is measured by the greatness of your faith. Be firm and faithful in laying aside the old self with its odoriferous garments.1 You will soon go forth as newly born, clothed in white, filled with the gift of the Holy Spirit.

51-a-5. sermon i. 55. to the neophytes†† 898

Why are you waiting? Although birth, age, sex, and profession differentiate you, nonetheless, you will soon be one body. All of you, hasten to the sweet womb of your virgin mother. There you will be ennobled because of your faith. The greater your faith, the greater your happiness. It is a wonderful, holy, and truly divine birth where the mother does not suffer the pains of childbirth. The person born again knows no tears. Here is renewal, resurrection, and life eternal. Here is the mother of us all who gathers us from every race and nation, who brings us together to form us into one body.

51-a-6. sermon ii. 6. on building the house of god††† 899

[.  .  .] Just as pagan temples are fitting for the unfeeling idols, so living temples are required by the living God. [.  .  .] An incomparable glory, one truly worthy of God, is the fact that all—namely, the priest and the temple—turn to God with one accord and devotion as all pray for one another. And so, my brothers and sisters, rejoice. [.  .  .] 52. Damasus I, Pope

Damasus, said to be of Spanish origin, was born in Rome (305), where he became a member of that city’s clergy. While still a deacon he was elected (366) bishop of Rome, an election contested by a faction that selected Ursinus to be bishop. Violence on both sides ensued. Civil authority finally settled the dispute in favor of Damasus. Damasus is especially noted for his love of the martyrs and their places of burial. He excavated, enlarged, and repaired many catacombs, making them more accessible to the increasing numbers of pilgrims coming to Rome. Furthermore, he composed numerous epigrams (tituli) honoring the martyrs (see WEC 2:57-A), these inscriptions being engraved on marble slabs by the noted calligrapher Furius Dionysius Filocalus. It has been estimated that Translated from CCL 22:123. 1. See Col 3:9. †† Translated from CCL 22:130. ††† Translated from CCL 22:168–69. †

52. Damasus I, Pope  11 the texts of fifty-nine such inscriptions and thirteen fragments are authentic, many of these still existing on their original marble. In addition to his work on the catacombs, Damasus constructed several churches. Serving as the pope’s secretary from 382 to 384 was Jerome, the noted biblical scholar (WEC 3:145). As early as 376 Jerome had become a close friend of and adviser to Damasus, who encouraged Jerome to work on the Latin translation of the Bible (the Vulgate), Jerome’s translation of the Gospels being completed in 384, the year of the pope’s death. Damasus was a strong proponent of the Petrine role enjoyed by the bishop of Rome and perhaps was the first to use Matthew 16:18 to support his position. Found among the correspondence of Jerome exists a letter, although scholars generally consider it to be nonauthentic, to Damasus on the psalms and the Alleluia (CSEL 54:62–67). It is conjectured that it was during the pontificate of Damasus that the language of the liturgy changed from Greek to Latin. CPL nos. 1632ff. * Altaner (1961) 414–15 * Altaner (1966) 354–55 * Bardenhewer (1908) 421–22 * Bardenhewer (1910) 366 * Bardenhewer (1913) 3:563–67, 588–91 * Bautz 1:1199–2000 * Hamell 131 * Jurgens 1:402–7 * Labriolle (1968) 451–52 * Quasten 4:273–78 * Steidle 145–46 * Tixeront 276 * CATH 3:429–31 * CE 4:613–14 * DCB 1:783–84 * DDC 4:1014–19 * DHGE 14:48–53 * DPAC 1:883–85 * DTC 4.1:28–36 * EC 4:1136–39 * EEC 1:218–19 * EEChr 1:316–17 * LTK 2:1385 * NCE 4:624–25 * NCES 4:503–5 * ODCC 448–49 * PEA (1894) 4.2:2048–50 * PEA (1991) 3:297 E. Vacanard, “Le pape Damase et le culte des saints,” RCF 67 (1911) 611–14. * P. Blanchard, “La correspondance apocryphe du pape s. Damase et de s. Jérôme sur le psautier et le chant d’Alleluia,” EphL 63 (1949) 376–88. * P. Borella, “S. Damaso e i canti della Messa didattica,” EphL 72 (1958) 223–29. * E. Griffe, “L’inscription damasienne de la catacombe de Saint-Sébastien,” BLE 6 s. 62 (1961) 16–25. * P.H. Lafontaine, Les conditions de l’accession aux ordres dans la première législation ecclésiastique (Ottawa, 1963) 301–3. * A. de Vogüé, “La Règle du Maitre et la lettre apocryphe de s. Jérôme sur le chant des psaumes,” SM 7 (1965) 357–67. * E. Griffe, “En relisant l’inscription damasienne ‘ad catacumbas,’” BLE 71 (1970) 81–91. * H.M. Shepherd, “The Liturgical Reform of Damasus I,” in Kyriakon: Festschrift Johannes Quasten, ed. P. Grandfield and J.A. Jungmann, vol. 2 (Munich, 1970) 847–63.

52-A. The Tome of Damasus† The Tome of Damasus (Tomus Damasi, also known as the Confessio fidei catholicae Damasi as well as the Epistula Damasi ad Paulinum Antiochum episcopum) is a collection of twenty-four anathemas or condemnations relating to various trinitarian and christological heresies of the fourth century. The document appears to have been the fruit of a Roman synod held in 377/382. †

Translated from PL 13:364.

12  Chapter VII. Fourth Century. West 900

xxiv. Should anyone dare to say that the Father is God and that his Son is God and that the Holy Spirit is God—as if referring to “gods”—and calls them God not because of the one godhead which we know belongs to the Father and Son and Holy Spirit; or if they separate from God the Son or the Holy Spirit so as to believe that only the Father is God and in this way come to believe that God is one, let them be condemned as heretics. [.  .  .] We are baptized only in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and not in the names of the archangels or angels as are the heretics, the Jews, or even the foolish pagans. [.  .  .] 5 3 . Amb r o s e o f M i l a n

Born at Trier in 337/339 (scholars disagree), Ambrose belonged to an aristocratic family. His father, also called Ambrose, was the Praetorian Prefect of Gaul and died at a young age, whereupon Ambrose’s mother, Monica, returned to Rome with her children. Following the footsteps of his father, Ambrose embarked upon a career of public service, becoming the governor of Aemilia-Liguria with his headquarters at Milan. Upon the death of that city’s Arian bishop, Auxentius, great hostility broke out between the Arians and the Catholics in 373/374. Ambrose intervened and so impressed the populace that the people called upon him to become the next bishop. Still a catechumen, he initially rejected this proposal but soon consented. Being baptized, he was ordained bishop on December 7, 374. As bishop Ambrose did not hesitate to involve himself in the civil and political world of his time when it concerned religious matters and the independence of the Church. He was both friend and mentor to several of the western rulers. In addition, he was a staunch opponent of Arianism. And Augustine (WEC 3:98) credits him with playing a part in his conversion. Ambrose died at Milan on April 4, 397, and ranks among the four “Latin Doctors of the Church.” Drawing greatly on Greek Christian authors, Ambrose wrote extensive commentaries on Scripture, mostly on the Old Testament, apparently basing these on homilies he gave to the faithful in Milan. His other writings concern various moral, ascetic, and dogmatic topics. Especially valuable is the light he sheds on liturgical practice in Milan during the last years of the fourth century. CPL nos. 122ff. * Altaner (1961) 443–57 * Altaner (1966) 378–89 * Bardenhewer (1908) 431–44 * Bardenhewer (1910) 374–84 * Bardenhewer (1913) 3:498–547 * Bardy (1930) 90–95 * Bautz 1:142–44 * Hamell 132–36 * Jurgens 2:145–77 * Labriolle (1947) 380–414 * Labriolle (1968) 263–86 * Leigh-Bennett 290–303 * Quasten 4:144–80 * Seidle 152–56 * Tixeront 235–40 * Wright (1928) 173–209 * CATH 1:412–15 * CE 1:383–88 * CHECL 309–12 * DACL 1.1:1347–53 * DCB 1:91–99 * DHGE 2:1091–1108 * DictSp 1:425–28 * DPAC 1:147–56 * DTC 1.1:942–54 * EC 1:984–1000 * EEC 1:28–29 * EEChr 1:41–44 * LTK 1:495–97 * NCE 1:376–77 * NCES

53. Ambrose of Milan  13 1:337–40 * ODCC 49–50 * PEA (1894) 1.2:1812–14 * PEA (1991) 1:582–84 * RACh 1:365–73 * TRE 2:362–86 General Studies J. Schmitz, Gottesdienst im altchristlichen Mailand (Bonn, 1975). * T. Marsh, “The History of the Sacramental Concept,” MilS 3 (1979) 21–56. De Mysteriis/De Sacramentis/Initiation G. Morin, “La sputation, rite baptismal de l’Eglise de Milan au IVe siècle, d’après un passage corrigé du ‘De mysteriis’ de s. Ambroise,” RB 16 (1899) 414–18. * Th. Schermann, “Die pseudoambrosianische Schrift ‘De Sacramentis’: ihre Ueberlieferung und Quellen,” RQ 17 (1903) 237–55. * G. Morin, “Pour l’authenticité du ‘De sacramentis’ et ‘l’Explanatio symboli’ de s. Ambroise,” JL 8 (1928) 86–106. * C. Atchley, “The Date of the De sacramentis,” JThSt 30 (1929) 281–86. * O. Faller, “Was sagen die Handschriften zur Echtheit der sechs Predigten s. Ambrosii de sacramentis,” ZkTh 53 (1929) 41–65. * F.J. Dölger, “Das Oktogon und die Symbolik der Achtzahl: die Inschrift des hl. Ambrosius im Baptisterium der Thekllakriche von Mailand,” AC 4 (1934) 153–65. * O. Faller, Ambrosius der Verfasser von De Sacramentis: die inneren Echtheitsgründe (Leipzig, 1940). * R.H. Connolly, The De sacramentis, a Work of St. Ambrose (Downside Abbey, 1943). * R.H. Connolly, “St. Ambrose and the Explanatio Symboli,” JThSt 47 (1946) 185–96. * F.R.M. Hitchcock, “The Explanatio Symboli ad initiandos compared with Rufinus and Maximus of Turin,” JThSt 47 (1946) 58–69. * O. Perler, “L’inscription du baptistère de s.-Thècla à Milan et le De sacramentis de s. Ambroise,” RAC 27 (1951) 145–66. * J. Quasten, “Baptismal Creed and Baptismal Act in St. Ambrose’s De mysteriis and De sacramentis,” in Mélanges Joseph de Ghellinck, vol. 1, Muséum Lessianum—Section Historique 13 (Gembloux, 1951) 223–34. * H.S. Medeiros, The De mysteriis and De sacramentis of St. Ambrose (Washington, D.C., 1952). * C. Mohrmann, “Le style oral du De sacramentis de s. Ambroise,” VC 6 (1952) 168–77. * G. Michiels, “L’initiation chrétienne d’après s. Ambroise,” QLP 34 (1953) 109–14, 164–69. * G. Lazzati, “L’authenticità del ‘De sacramentis’ e la valutazione letteraria delle opere di s. Ambrogio,” Aevum 29 (1955) 17–48. * F. Petit, “Sur les catéchèses postbaptismales de s. Ambroise: à propos de De sacramentis IV 29,” RB 68 (1958) 256–65. * A. Caprioli, “Battesimo e confermazione in s. Ambrogio: Studio storico sul Signaculum,” in Miscellanea C. Figini (Venegono Inferiore, 1964) 49–57. * K. Gamber, “Die Autorschaft von ‘De sacramentis,’” RQ 61 (1966) 94–104. * G.M. Signori, Battesimo e professione di fede: catechesi di Sant’Ambrogio, Letture ecumenici 8 (Bergamo, 1966). * K. Gamber, Die Autorschaft von De sacramentis (Regensburg, 1967). * K. Gamber, “Nochmals zu Frage der Autorschaft von ‘De sacramentis,’” ZkTh 91 (1969) 586–89. * E.J. Yarnold, “The Ceremonies of Initiation in the De sacramentis and the De mysteriis of St. Ambrose,” SP 10, TU 107 (Berlin, 1970) 453–63. * H.M. Riley, “The Rite of Christian Initiation: A Comparative Study of the Interpretation of the Baptismal Liturgy in the Mystagogical Writings of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, St. John Chrysostom, Theodore of Mopsuestia and Ambrose of Milan,” diss. (Regensburg, 1971). * C. Calcaterra, La catechesi pasquale di Ambrogio di Milano (Rome, 1972). * R. Johanny, “Du baptême à l’eucharistie selon s. Ambroise de Milan,” PP 9 (1972) 325–37. * E.J. Yarnold, The Awe-Inspiring Rites of Initiation: Baptismal Homilies of the Fourth Century (Slough, 1972). * E.J. Yarnold, “’Ideo et Romae fideles dicuntur qui baptizati sunt’: A Note on De sacramentis I 1,” JThSt 24 (1973) 202–7. * R.S. Campbell, “The Explanatio Symboli ad Initiandos of St. Ambrose of Milan: A Comparative Study,”

14  Chapter VII. Fourth Century. West diss. (Notre Dame, 1974). * H.M. Riley, Christian Initiation: A Comparative Study of the Interpretation of the Baptismal Liturgy in the Mystagogical Writings of Cyril of Jerusalem, John Chrysostom, Theodore of Mopsuestia, and Ambrose of Milan, Studies in Christian Antiquity 17 (Washington, D.C., 1974). * E.J. Yarnold, “Did St. Ambrose Know the Mystagogic Catecheses of St. Cyril of Jerusalem?” SP 12 (1975) 184–89. * C. Mohrmann, “Observations sur ‘De sacramentis’ et ‘De mysteriis’ de s. Ambroise, SPMed 6 (Milan, 1976) 103–23. * D. Ramos-Lisson, “La tipologia de Jn. 9:6–7 en el De Sacramentis,” SPMed 6 (Milan, 1976) 336–44. * R. Iacoangeli, “La catechesi escatologica di s. Ambrogio,” Sal 41 (1979) 403–17. * A.G. Martimort, “Attualità della catechesi sacramentale di s. Ambrogio,” VetChr 18 (1981) 81–103. * D. Dufrasne, “Saint Ambroise de Milan: le Christ et les enfants,” ComL 66:5 (1984) 481–87. * W.R. Rusch, “Baptism of Desire in Ambrose and Augustine,” SP 15 (1984) 374–78. * E. Mazza, Mystagogy: A Theology of Liturgy in the Patristic Age (New York, 1989). * P. Jackson, “The Meaning of ‘spiritale signaculum’ in the Mystagogy of Ambrose of Milan,” EOr 7 (1990) 77–94. * J. Schmitz, “Die Taufe auf den Tod Jesu bei Ambrosius von Mailand: ein Beispiel für den Einfluss der Theologie auf die Liturgie,” EOr 12 (1995) 153–71. * C.A. Satterlee, “Ambrose of Milan’s Method of Mystagogical Preaching,” diss. (Notre Dame, 2000). * C.A. Satterlee, Ambrose of Milan’s Method of Mystagogical Preaching (Collegeville, 2002). Eucharist R.H. Connolly, “The ‘Irish’ and ‘Roman’ Texts of the Canon of the Mass,” JThSt 33 (1931–32) 27–33. * J. Quasten, “’Sobria ebrietas’ in Ambrosius ‘De Sacramentis,’” in Miscellanea Liturgica in Honorem L. Cuniberti Mohlberg, vol. 1 (Rome, 1948) 117–25. * Callewaert, “Histoire positive du Canon romain: une épiclèse à Rome?” SE 2 (1949) 95–110. * J. Daniélou, “Eucharistie et Cantique des Cantiques,” Ire 23 (1950) 257–77. * C. Mohrmann, “Quelques observations sur l’évolution stylistique du canon de la messe romaine,” VC 4 (1950) 1–19. * L. Lavorel, “La doctrine eucharistique selon s. Ambroise,” diss. (Lyons, 1956). * L. Lavorel, “Oblats et corps du Christ sur l’autel d’après s. Ambroise,” RTAM 24 (1957) 205–24. * E. Griffe, “Trois texts importants pour l’histoire du Canon de la messe,” BLE 59, 6th ser. (1958) 65–72. * L. Lavorel, “Que signifie l’expression ‘perfectiora sacramenta’ chez s. Ambroise?” RevSR 32 (1958) 251–54. * G. Segalla, “La conversione eucaristica in s. Ambrogio,” StP 14 (1967) 3–55, 161–203. * G. Segalla, La conversione eucaristica in s. Ambrogio (Pauda, 1967). * R. Johanny, L’Eucharistie, centre de l’histoire du salut chez Ambroise de Milan, Théologie historique 9 (Paris, 1968). Penance, Reconciliation A. Lagarde, “La pénitence dans les Eglises d’Italie au cours des IVe et Ve siècles,” RHE 92 (1925) 108–47. * H. Frank, Ambrosius und die Büsseraussöhnung in Mailand (Münster, 1938). * G. Odoardi, La dottrina della penitenza in s. Ambrogio (Rome, 1941). * J. Romer, Die Theologie der Sünde und der Busse beim hl. Ambrosius (St. Gallen, 1968). * P.J. Riga, “Penance in St. Ambrose,” EgT 4 (1973) 213–26. * R. Marchioro, La prassi penitenziale nel IV secolo a Milano secondo s. Ambrogio (Rome, 1975). * V. Fattorini and G. Picenardi, “Le riconciliazione in Cipriano di Cartagine (‘Ep. 55’) e Ambrogio di Milano (‘De paenitentia’),” Aug 27 (1987) 377–406. Orders, Priesthood J. Lécuyer, “Le sacerdoce chrétien selon s. Ambroise,” RUO 22 (1952) 104–26. * E. Ferguson, “Ordination in the Ancient Church,” ResQ 5 (1961) 17–32, 67–82,

53. Ambrose of Milan  15 130–46. * R. Gryson, “Les degrés du clergé et leurs dénominations chez s. Ambroise de Milan,” RB 76 (1966) 119–27. * B. Studer, “Il sacerdozio dei fedeli in sant’Ambrogio di Milano” (Rassegna bibliografica 1960–1970), VetChr 7 (1970) 325–40. * P. Rousseau, “The Spiritual Authority of the ‘Monk-Bishop’: Eastern Elements in some Western Hagiography,” JThSt, n.s., 22 (1971) 380–419. Liturgical Year C. Callewaert, “Le carême à Milan au temps de s. Ambroise,” RB 32 (1920) 11–21. * C. Callewaert, “La Quaresima a Milano al tempo s. Ambrogio,” in Sacris Erudiri: Fragmenta .  .  . (Steenbrugge, 1940) 549–60. * H. Frank, “Das mailandische Kirchejahr in den Werken des hl. Ambrosius,” PB 51 (1940) 40ff. * R. Cantalamessa, “La concezione teologica della Pasqua in s. Ambrogio,” in Studi G. Lazzati, SPMed 10 (Milan, 1980) 362–75. Music: Hymnody L. Biraghi, Inni sinceri e carmi di s. Ambrogio (1862). * G.M. Dreves, “Aurelius Ambrosius, der Vater des Kirchgesangs: eine hymnologische Studie,” in Erganzungsheft zu den Stimmen aux Maria Laach 58 (Freiburg i. B., 1893). * J.-V. Bainvel, “Les hymnes de s. Ambroise; à propos d’un livre récent,” ERP 61 (1894) 635–63. * A. Steiner, Untersuchungen über die Echtheit der Hymnen des Ambrosius (Leipzig, 1903). * P.P. Trompeo, “Intorno alla composizione degli innin di Ambrogio,” Atene e Roma 16 (1903) 35–40. * G. Mercati, Paralipomena Ambrosiana, ST 12 (Rome, 1904). * J.B. van Bebbern, “Der Brevierhymnus: en clara vox redarguit, eine hymnologische Studie,” ThQ 89 (1907) 373–84. * A. Walpole, “Notes on the Texts of the Hymns of St. Ambrose,” JThSt 9 (1908) 428–36. * Kl. Blume, “Ursprung des ambrosianischen Lobgesanges,” Stimmen aus Maria Lach (1911) 274–87, 401–14, 487–503. * G. Ghedini, “L’opera di Biraghi e l’innologia ambrosiana,” SC 68 (1940) 160–70, 275–85. * R.E. Messenger, “The Classical Influence in the Hymns of St. Ambrose,” Folia 4 (1949–50) 5–9. * M. Simonetti, “Osservazioni cirtiche sul testo di alcuni inni ambrosiani,” Nuova Didaskaleion (1953–55) 45–48. * M.P. Cunningham, “The Place of the Hymns of St. Ambrose in the Latin Poetic Tradition,” Studies in Philology 52 (1955) 509–14. * M.M. Beyenka, “St. Augustine and the Hymns of St. Ambrose,” ABR 8 (1957) 121–32. * N. Corneanu, “Aspecte din lirica ambrozian,” Studii theologice 11 (1959) 443–52. * E. Bolisani, L’innologia cristiana antica, s. Ambrogio e i suoi imitatori (Padua, 1963). * G.M. Dreves, Aurelius Ambrosius, der Vater des Kirchengesanges: eine hymnologische Studie (Amsterdam, 1968). * J. Fontaine, “L’apport de la tradition poétique romaine à la formation de l’hymnodie latine chrétienne,” RELA 52 (1974) 318–55. * L. Szelestei-Nagy, “Zeitmass und Wortbetonung in den frühchristlichen Hymnen in lateinischer Sprache,” Annales Universitatis Budapestinensis 2 (1974) 75–89. * B.K. Braswell, “Kleine textkritische Bemerkungen zu frühchristlichen Hymnen,” VC 29 (1975) 222–26. * J. Fontaine, “Les origines de l’hymnodie chrétienne latine d’Hilaire du Poitiers à Ambroise de Milan,” LMD, no. 161 (1985) 33–74. * J. Perret, “Aux origines de l’hymnodie latine: l’apport de la civilisation romaine,” LMD, no. 173 (1988) 41–60. * M.-J. Julien, “Les sources de la tradition ancienne des hymnes attribuées à s. Ambroise,” Revue d’histoire des textes 19 (1989) 57–189. * J. Fontaine, ed., Hymnes / Ambroise de Milan: texte établi, traduit et annoté sous la direction de Jacques Fontaine par J.-L. Charlet .  .  . [et al.], Patrimoines. Christianisme (Paris, 1992). * M.-H. Jullien, “Le chant des hymnes dans l’antiquité chrétienne,” Résurrection, n.s., 44 (1993) 20–26. * A.A.R. Bastiaensen, “Les hymnes d’Ambroise de

16  Chapter VII. Fourth Century. West Milan: à propos d’une nouvelle édition,” VC 48 (1994) 157–69. * A. Franz, Tageslauf und Heilsgeschichte: Untersuchungen zum literarischen Text und liturgischen Kontext der Tagzeitenhymnen des Ambrosius von Mailand, Pietas liturgica: Studia 8 (St. Ottilien, 1994). * X. Frisque, “Le chant au Christ chez Ambroise: la foi de Nicée dans ses hymnes,” LMD, no. 221 (2000) 101–28. Music: Studies on Individual Hymns G.M. Dreves, “Der Hymnus des hl. Ambrosius ‘Agnes beatae virginis,’” ZkTh 25 (1901) 356–65. * H. Vogels, “Hymnus ‘Splendor paternae gloriae,’” in Festschrift A. Knöpfler (Munich, 1907) 314–16. * R. Merkelbach, “’Errorum cohors’: zum Hymnus des Ambrosius ‘Aeterne rerun conditor,’” VC 40 (1986) 390–91. * J.-L. Charlet, “Richesse spirituelle d’une hymne d’Ambroise: ‘Aeterne rerum conditor,’” LMD, no. 173 (1988) 61–69. * G. Nauroy, “Le martyr de Laurent dans l’hymnodie et la prédication des IVe et Ve siècles et l’authenticité ambrosienne de l’hymne ‘Apostolorum supparem,’” REAug 35 (1989) 44–82. * M.J. Mans, “A Comparison between Ambrose’s ‘Aeterne rerum conditor’ and Prudentius’ ‘Cathemerinon I’ or ‘Hymnus ad Galli cantum,’” APB 1 (1990) 99–118. * Music: Varia E. Soullier, “Causeries sur le plain-chant: s. Ambroise,” ERP 49 (1890) 263–79. * G. Morin, “Notes additionnelles à l’étude sur l’auteur du ‘Te Deum,’” RB 11 (1894) 337–45. * L. Brou, “L’antienne ‘Dignum namque est’ sa source littéraire,” SE 4 (1952) 217–25. * B. Fischer, “Ambrosius der Verfasser des osterlichen Exsultet?” ALW 2 (1952) 61–74. * P. Borella, “La valeur pastorale du Bréviaire ambrosien et l’oeuvre de s. Ambroise,” QLP 41 (1960) 143–57. * H. Leeb, Die Psalmodie bei Ambrosius, Wiener Beiträge zur Theologie 18 (Vienna, 1967). * M. Testard, “Virgile, s. Ambroise et ‘l’Exsultet’: autour d’un problème de critique verbale,” RELA 60 (1982) 283–97. * G. Nauroy, “Le martyr de Laurent dans l’hymnodie et la prédication des IVe et Ve siècles et l’authenticité ambrosienne de l’hymne ‘Apostolorum supparem,’” REAug 35 (1989) 44–82. Other Topics F.J. Dölger, “Die Inschrift des hl. Ambrosius im Baptisterium der Theklakirche von Mailand,” AC 4 (1934) 155–56. * J. Quasten, “Sobri ebrietas in Ambrosius De Sacramentis (ein Beitrag zur Echtheitsfrage),” in Miscellanea Liturgica in Honorem L. Cuniberti Mohlberg, vol. 1 (Rome, 1948) 117–25. * “Le dédicace de la basilique ambrosiènne par s. Ambroise (Saint Ambroise de Milan Lettre 22 à sa soeur Marcellina),” LMD, no. 70 (1962) 141–45. * A. Wilmart, “Saint Ambroise et le légende dorée,” EphL 50 (1936) 167ff. * G. Francesconi, Storia e simbolo: “mysterium in figura”: la simbolica storico-sacramentale nel linguaggio e nella teologia di Ambrogio di Milano, Publicazioni del Pontificio seminario lombardo in Roma, Ricerche di scienze teologiche 18 (Brescia, 1981). * A.M. Triaca, “’Christianus qui plenitudinem temporis agnovit’: Une prospettiva escatologica in sant’Ambrogio,” EOr 2:1 (1985) 31–65. * M.P. Ellebracht, “Today This Word Has Been Fulfilled in Your Midst,” Wor 60:4 (July 1986) 347–61. * K. Baus, Das Gebet zu Christus beim hl. Ambrosius: eine frömmigkeitsgeschichtliche Untersuchung, Theophaneia 35 (Berlin, 2000). * M. Heintz, “The Prologue of Ambrose of Milan’s Homilies on Luke,” Antiphon 8:2 (2003) 26–31.

53. Ambrose of Milan  17

53-A. On Cain and Abel† This work, probably dating from early in Ambrose’s ministry as bishop of Milan, appears to have a homiletic background, perhaps being a revision of a series of instructions for the catechumens. I.v.19. Do you desire to eat? To drink? Then come to the banquet of Wisdom which invites all as it cries out, “Come and eat my bread and drink the wine I have mingled for you.”1 Do you delight in songs that calm the banqueter? Listen to the Church which exhorts and sings not only in songs but in the Canticle of Canticles: “Eat, friends; drink and be inebriated, my friends.”2 Yet this inebriation results in sobriety. It produces joy, not drunkenness. Nor should you fear that in the Church’s banquet there will be no pleasant odors nor delightful foods nor various kinds of drink. Noble guests and proper ministers will be present. Who is more noble than Christ who serves and is served in the Church’s meal? Find a place alongside him who reclines as a guest at that meal. Unite yourself to God. Do not disdain the banquet table which Christ selected, saying: “I have entered my garden, my sister, my spouse. I have gathered myrrh with my aromatic spices. I have eaten my bread with my honey, and I have drunk wine with my milk.”3 It is in the garden, namely, in paradise, that the Church’s feast takes place, the garden where we find Adam before he sinned, where Eve reclined before she succumbed to wrongdoing. There you will gather myrrh, namely, the burial of Christ so that as you are buried with him through baptism unto death, and just as he has risen from the dead, so you too may rise.4 There you will eat the bread that strengthens the human heart;5 there you will taste the honey that delights the tongue; there you will drink the wine together with the milk,6 namely, with splendor and sincerity. [.  .  .] Approach, therefore, this banquet. [.  .  .] I.viii.31. [.  .  .] It was in haste that our ancestors ate the paschal lamb, doing so with loins girded, sandals on their feet,7 and putting aside any bodily constraint, so as to be ready for the departure. [.  .  .] The pasch is the passage [transitus] of the Lord from passion to the practice of virtue. Therefore it is said to be the pasch of the Lord because at that time the truth of the Lord’s passion was being announced in the type of the lamb; now its benefit is celebrated. [.  .  .]

53-B. On Virgins†† Completed before December 397, this treatise, perhaps originally a homily, was written in the form of a letter to Marcellina, Ambrose’s sister. Translated from Sancti Ambrosii Opera, vol. 1, ed. C. Schenkl, CSEL 32.1 (Vienna, 1897) 355–56, 366. 1. Prov 9:5.  2. Cant 5:1.  3. Ibid.  4. See Luke 23:56; Rom 6:4.  5. See Ps 104:15.  6. See Cant 4:10ff.  7. See Exod 12:11. †† Translated from PL 16:225. †

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iii.18. Frequent prayer also commends us to God. For if the prophet, although occupied with the affairs of the kingdom, says, “Seven times a day I have praised you,”1 what are we to do as we read, “Watch and pray that you not enter temptation”?2 Certainly our solemn prayers are to be offered with the giving of thanks, when we rise from sleep, when we go out, before and after eating, when the lamp is lighted, and when we finally retire to our bed-chambers. But in the bed-chamber itself I wish that you frequently alternate the psalms with the Lord’s Prayer, either when you awaken or before sleep overtakes your body so that as sleep begins, you, free from worrying about worldly affairs, may be meditating on the things of God. [.  .  .]

53-C. On Faith to Gratian† Gratian was the western Roman emperor from 375 to 383. This tract, written in reply to Gratian’s request to be instructed in the faith against Arianism, is composed of five books and was published by the end of 380. 904

IV.x.124. Then he [Christ] adds: “My flesh is indeed food and my blood is indeed drink.”1 You hear him speaking about flesh? You hear him speaking about blood? Do you know that he is speaking about the sacraments of the Lord’s death, and you misrepresent the divinity? Listen to what he says: “A ghost does not have flesh and bones.”2 As often as we receive the sacramental elements, which through the mystery of the holy prayer are transformed into flesh and blood, we proclaim the “death of the Lord.”3

53-D. On Elias and Fasting†† Homiletic in nature and rebuking the lifestyle of the wealthy, this work was written between 377 and 390. 905

x.34. Not all hunger, however, makes fasting acceptable. Only that undertaken by fear of the Lord. Consider, for a moment, that during Lent fasting takes place on all days except Saturdays and Sundays. The Lord’s Pasch concludes the fast, the day of the resurrection arrives, the elect are baptized, they come to the altar, they receive the sacrament; thirsting, they drink with all their veins.a Being refreshed with spiritual food and drink, 1. Ps 119:64.  2. Matt 26:41. † Translated from Sancti Ambrosii Opera, vol. 8, ed. O. Faller, CSEL 78 (Vienna, 1962) 201. 1. John 6:55.  2. Luke 24:39.  3. See 1 Cor 11:26. †† Translated from Sancti Ambrosii Opera, vol. 2, ed. C. Schenkl, CSEL 32 (Vienna, 1897) 430, 444–45. a. The vein was at times considered as the vessel that conveyed food and drink.

53. Ambrose of Milan  19 rightly does each one say, “You have prepared a table before me, and how wonderful is your intoxicating cup.”1 [.  .  .] xv.55. Not undeservedly, therefore, is woe to those who in the morning require an intoxicating drink, those who should be praising God; they should anticipate the daybreak and hasten to meet with prayer the Son of Justice who visits his own and rises for us if we rise for Christ and not for wine and strong beverage. Hymns are sung by the righteous, and do you hold a cithara? Psalms are sung, and do you take up the psaltery or drum? Rightly there is woe because you have forsaken salvation and chosen death. [.  .  .]

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53-E. Commentary on the Gospel of St. Luke† Based on various homilies, this is the only New Testament commentary by Ambrose. It appeared before 389. i.28. But he [the angel] appeared at the right of the altar of sacrifice because he bore the mark of divine mercy; for “the Lord is at my right hand so that I not be shaken.”1 And elsewhere, “The Lord is your protection at your right hand.”2 It pleased God that we also, when we incense the altars, when we present the sacrifice, be assisted by the angel, or rather that the angel make himself visible. For you cannot doubt that the angel is there when Christ is there, when Christ is immolated; “Christ our paschal lamb has been immolated.”3 [.  .  .] viii.25. And it is not without reason that he [Christ] suffered on the Great Sabbath4 to signify the Sabbath on which death was destroyed by Christ. But if the Jews celebrate the Sabbath to the point of considering a month and a whole year as a Sabbath, how much more should we celebrate the Lord’s resurrection? Also, our ancestors taught us to celebrate all fifty days of Pentecost as belonging to Easter since Pentecost is the beginning of the eighth week. This is why the apostle as a disciple of Christ, a disciple who knew the changes of the seasons, wrote to the Corinthians, “Perhaps I will remain and spend the winter with you,”5 and further on, “I will remain in Ephesus till Pentecost since a door has opened for me.”6 Accordingly, he spent the winter with the Corinthians whose errors distressed him—it was their tepidity toward divine worship; he celebrated Pentecost with the Ephesians, gave them the mysteries, and relaxed his spirit because he saw them burning with the fervor of the faith. So throughout these fifty days of Pentecost the Church, as on Sunday which is the day of the Lord’s resurrection, does not fast; and these days are all like Sunday. 1. Ps 23:5. † Translated from Expositio in evangelium S. Lucae, vol. 1, ed. G. Tissot, SChr 45 (Paris, 1956) 61; vol. 2, ed. G. Tissot, SChr 52 (Paris, 1958) 110–11. 1. Ps 16:8.  2. Ps 121:5.  3. 1 Cor 5:7.  4. See Matt 27:62; Luke 23:54.  5. 1 Cor 16:6.  6. 1 Cor 16:8.

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53-F. On the Holy Spirit† This treatise, completed in 381, defends the divinity of the Holy Spirit and explains the place of the Spirit within the Trinity. 909

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Prol. 18. Damasus did not cleanse. Nor did Peter. Nor did Ambrose. Nor did Gregory; ministries are ours, the sacraments are yours. No, it does not belong to human powers to grant what is divine. This, Lord, belongs to you and to the Father. [.  .  .] I.iii.42. [.  .  .] [Baptism] is complete if you confess Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. If you deny one, you undermine the whole. And just as if you mention only one in words, whether it be the Father or the Son or the Holy Spirit, while in faith you deny neither Father nor Son nor Holy Spirit, then the sacrament of faith is complete; likewise, if you say Father and Son and Spirit but lessen the power of Father or Son or Holy Spirit, then the whole mystery is empty. [.  .  .] I.vi.76. Since “we are baptized in water and the Spirit,”1 there are many who do not believe that water and the Spirit have distinct functions and so do not believe that they have separate natures. Nor does it strike them that we are buried in water so that we might rise up renewed through the Spirit.2 The image of death is in the water; the pledge of life is in the Spirit so that the “body of sin”3 may die through the water which encloses the body as a type of tomb. In this way we are to be renewed through the power of the Spirit from the death of sin. I.vi.77. Therefore, as John said, “these three witnesses are one, water, blood, and Spirit,”4 one in mystery, not in nature. Water, therefore, is a witness of burial, blood is a witness of death, the Spirit is a witness of life. Should there be grace in the water, it is not from the nature of water but from the presence of the Holy Spirit. I.vi.78. Is it really possible that we live in water as in the Spirit? Are we sealed in the water as in the Spirit? We live in the Spirit who is the “pledge of our inheritance,”5 as the apostle writing to the Ephesians said, “Believing in him you were sealed with the Holy Spirit which is the pledge of our inheritance.”6 Accordingly, we were signed with the Holy Spirit, not by nature but by God since it is written, “It is God who anointed us and who sealed us and gave the pledge of the Spirit in our hearts.”7 I.vi.79. So we were sealed with the Spirit by God. Just as we die in Christ in order to be reborn, so we are also sealed with the Spirit that we might possess his brightness, likeness, and grace, for this certainly is our spiritual seal. Even though we are outwardly sealed on the body,

† Translated from Sancti Ambrosii Opera, vol. 9, ed. O. Faller, CSEL 79 (Vienna, 1964) 23ff. 1. John 3:5.  2. See Rom 6:4; Col 2:12–13.  3. Rom 6:6.  4. 1 John 5:8.  5. Eph 1:14.  6. Eph 1:13–14.  7. 2 Cor 1:21–22.

53. Ambrose of Milan  21 nonetheless we are in truth sealed in the heart so that the Holy Spirit might express in us the likeness of the heavenly image.8 I.vi.80. Who can dare say that the Holy Spirit exists apart from God the Father and apart from Christ since it is through the Spirit that we merit the “image and likeness”9 of God and became, as Peter the Apostle says, “sharers in the divine nature”?10 Surely what is received is not something from the body; it is something spiritual, namely, adoption and grace. So that we might understand that this seal is more in our hearts than on our bodies, the prophet teaches us as he says, “The light of your countenance has been impressed on us, O Lord, you have gladdened my heart.”11 I.vii.88. In the Gospel you hear that “an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and the water was stirred up; whoever stepped in first was cured.”12 What did the angel announce in this type unless the future descent of the Holy Spirit, a descent that would occur in our own day, one invoked by the prayers of the priests and which would consecrate the waters? [.  .  .] I.viii.90. At the same time notice that God gives the Holy Spirit. This is not a human undertaking nor is the Spirit given by a human being; but the Spirit, invoked by the priest, is given by God; here is the work of God and the ministry of the priest. [.  .  .] III.vi.112. How could it be that [the Holy Spirit] would not have all that pertains to God, seeing that the Spirit is named along with the Father and Son when priests baptize, is invoked in the offerings, is proclaimed along with the Father and the Son by the seraphim in heaven above. [.  .  .] III.xviii.137. [.  .  .] Note well that it is through the Holy Spirit that sins are forgiven. Men show forth their ministry when forgiving sins, but they are not exercising any power that is theirs by right. It is not in their own name but in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit that they remit sins. They petition and the divinity forgives. A human being ministers, but the gift is from the Power above.

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53-G. On Penance† Written between 384 and 394, this treatise, divided into two books, is directed against the Novatians who denied that the Church had the power to forgive greater sins. 920 I.ii.6. “But,” they [the Novatians] say, “we show respect to the Lord to whom alone we reserve the power to forgive sins.” But in truth none do more harm than those who wish to abrogate his commands and reject the functions entrusted to them. For the Lord Jesus Christ said in the Gospel, “Receive the Holy Spirit; whose sins you forgive, they will be forgiven them; and whose sins you retain, they will be retained.”1 Now who honors

8. See 1 Cor 15:49.  9. Gen 1:26.  10. 2 Pet 1:4.  11. Ps 4:6–7.  12. John 5:4. † Translated from De paenitentia, ed. R. Gryson, SChr 179 (Paris, 1971) 56ff. 1. John 20:22–23.

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the most? Those who obey the Lord’s commands or those who resist doing so. I.ii.7. The Church is obedient in both instances: when it retains sin as well as when it forgives sin. Heresy—harsh as to the former, disobedient as to the latter—wishes to retain what it will not forgive, and it does not wish to forgive what it has retained. By so doing it condemns itself; for the Lord desired that the right of forgiving and that of retaining go together since he sanctioned both in like circumstances. Consequently whoever does not have the authority to forgive does not have the authority to retain. According to the Lord’s instruction whoever possesses the right of retaining also has that of forgiving. And so what these people affirm strangles itself since by denying the power to forgive they should also deny themselves the power to retain. Now, I ask, can one be allowed and not the other? It is evident that both are permitted or it is certain that neither is permitted in the case both things have been granted. The Church can do both; heresy can do neither since this right is given only to priests. Correctly, then, does the Church claim this right, having as it does true priests. Heresy, lacking priests of God, cannot claim it. And by not claiming this right, heresy condemns itself because, not having priests, it cannot claim a priestly power for itself. So it is that in heresy’s shameless obstinacy we discover a shameful confession. I.viii.36. Why, then, do you impose hands and believe that it is an effect of the blessing if perchance the sick person is restored to health? Why do you presume that you can purify someone from the contamination of the devil? Why do you baptize if sins cannot be forgiven through a human being? Surely the forgiveness of all sins is found in baptism. What difference does it make whether it be through penance or through baptism that priests claim the right given to them? In both cases the function is the same. I.viii.37. “But in baptism,” you say, “the grace of the mysteries is at work.” Yet what about penance? Is not God’s name also at work here? When you so wish, you claim God’s grace for yourselves; and then again as you wish, you refuse it. But it is due to insolent presumption and not holy fear that you are scornful of those desiring to do penance. You cannot endure the tears of those who weep; your eyes cannot bear looking at their rough clothing, at the filth of those who are dirty. With proud eyes and a pompous heart each of you says with shocked voice, “My delicate ones,”2 “do not touch me because I am pure.”3 I.viii.39. When the Lord Jesus was about to proclaim the forgiveness of our sins, John said to him, “It is I who should be baptized by you, and yet you come to me!” The Lord replied, “Allow it now since it is in this way that we fulfill all justice.”4 Although guilty of no sin the Lord went to a

2. Bar 4:26.  3. John 20:17.  4. Matt 3:14–15.

53. Ambrose of Milan  23 sinner; he desired to be baptized even though he had no need for purification. Who will bear with you when you believe that you do not need to be purified by means of penance since, as you claim, you are purified by grace, henceforth it being impossible for you to sin? I. xvi.90. If those who have hidden crimes should nonetheless zealously do penance out of love for Christ, how do they here receive anything if reconciliation [communio] is not extended to them? My desire is that the guilty hope to be pardoned; may they seek this with tears, seek it with groaning, seek it with the weeping of all the people; may they beg to be forgiven. And when for the second or third time their reconciliation has been differed, may they believe that their petition has been too weak; may they increase their tears; may they return later on in an even more pitiable condition; may their arms embrace the feet [of Jesus]; may they cover these feet with their kisses; may they wash them with their tears, and may they not let go of them5 so that Jesus might likewise say of them [what he said of the woman], “Her many sins are forgiven because she has loved much.”6 91. I have known certain penitents whose faces were furrowed with their tears, whose cheeks were hollowed by their constant weeping, who prostrated themselves in order to be stepped on by all, and who, with faces pale due to fasting, appear to be corpses in living bodies. II.ii.12. [.  .  .] When God so wills, he is powerful enough to pardon our sins, even those for which we believe that forgiveness cannot be granted. And so whatever appears to us as impossible to obtain, it is possible for God to give. For did it not seem impossible that sin could be washed away by water? And so did Naaman the Syrian not believe that he could be cleansed of leprosy by means of water?7 But what was impossible, God made possible, giving us such great grace. Likewise, it appeared impossible that sins could be forgiven by means of penance. Yet Christ granted this to his apostles, and from them it was handed down to be among the functions of the priests. What was judged impossible has accordingly become possible. [.  .  .] II.iii.19. And so the Lord’s teaching most clearly prescribes that even those guilty of the most serious sins are to receive the grace of the heavenly sacrament if they wholeheartedly do penance for their sins and confess them openly. Consequently there can certainly be no excuse [for remaining in sin]. II.vi.41. You see what God, your God8 demands of you: it is that you remember the grace you have received and that you not “boast as if you had not received it.”9 You see by which promise of pardon he has called you to confess. Take care not to resist the heavenly commandments lest you fall into the tepidity of the Jews to whom the Lord Jesus said, “We have sung 5. See Luke 7:38.  6. Luke 7:47.  7. See 2 Kgs 5:11–12.  8. See Ps 45:8.  9. 1 Cor 4:7.

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for you, and you have not danced; we have lamented for you, and you have not cried.”10 II.vi.42. This saying is rather common, but the mystery is not. And so be watchful that no one, deceived by a superficial interpretation of this dictum, think that we are commanded to carry out the grotesque contortions of a lascivious dance and the foolishness of the stage; these are evil, even for the young. In truth, what Jesus commanded is the type of dance David performed before the ark of the Lord.11 Everything done for the sake of religion is fitting, and so we need not blush at any practice that renders homage to Christ and is due him. II.vi.43. Recommended, then, is not this dance, which is the companion of self-indulgence and dissipation, but the dance whereby each person raises up his or her body, a body full of energy, and does not allow one’s lazy members to drag along the ground or become stiff from walking slowly. Paul danced spiritually when, straining forward for our sake, forgetting all that previously occurred, and keeping his eyes focused on what would lie ahead, pressed on to the prize offered by Christ.12 You also, when you come for baptism, are told to lift up your hands, to move your feet, so that you may ascend toward things eternal. This is the dance associated with the faith, this is the dance that accompanies grace. II.vi.44. Such, then, is the mystery: “We have sung for you,” yes, sung the canticle of the New Testament, “and you have not danced,” that is, you have not lifted up your soul to spiritual grace. “We have lamented and you have not cried,” namely, you have not done penance. For this reason the Jewish people were forsaken: they did not do penance and they refused grace—penance [preached] by John, grace given by Christ. Christ gives grace, as is fitting for the Lord; John preaches repentance, as befits a servant. The Church retains both in that it obtains grace and at the same time does not reject penance. Grace is the gift of him who gives lavishly; penance is the remedy given to those who have sinned. II.ix.89. There are those who believe that penance consists in abstaining from the heavenly sacraments. These judge themselves too harshly. They inflict punishment on themselves; they refuse the remedy even though they should be mourning the punishment they are undergoing since it deprives them of heavenly grace. Others, because they hope to do penance, believe it is permissible to continue sinning although penance, being a remedy for sin, is not an invitation to sin. Medicine is necessary for the wound, not the wound for the medicine. We look for a remedy because we have a wound; we do not seek to be wounded in order to obtain a remedy. [.  .  .] II.x.91. Would anyone be able to admit that you should blush to entreat God and not do so when entreating another person? That you should be

10. Luke 7:32.  11. See 2 Sam 6:12–23.  12. See Phil 3:13–14.

53. Ambrose of Milan  25 ashamed to beseech God who knows everything you do, and that you are not ashamed to confess your sins to someone who does not know you? Do you avoid having witnesses and intimate friends associating themselves to your request when it concerns appeasing another person? Or do you avoid going around to find any number of people, when necessary, and asking them to graciously intervene as you cast yourself down at another’s knees, as you kiss his or her feet, and when you present to this person your children, who still don’t know anything related to the failing, so that they also may seek pardon on your behalf? And are you loath to do this in the Church when you beseech God to obtain for yourself the assistance of the holy people, a people among whom there is no reason for shame except not to confess since we are all sinners? Here the most praiseworthy are the most humble, the most righteous are those who most despise themselves. II.x.92. May Mother Church weep for you; may it wash away your sin with its tears; may Christ see you mourning so that he can say to you, “Blessed are they who mourn, for they will rejoice.”13 Christ loves it when many people offer their prayers for one person. [.  .  .] II.x.95. There are those who believe that penance can be done repeatedly. These “deliver themselves to debauchery in Christ.” For if they would seriously undertake penance, they would not believe it could be repeated a second time. Just as there is only one baptism, so there is only one penance, at least in regard to what takes place in public. We are to repent of our sins everyday, but penance in this case concerns lesser sins; in the former case the practice of penance pertains to sins that are greater.

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53-H. On Abraham† This work, containing two books, dates from 387. Book II appears to be based on homilies given to the newly baptized. II.v.22. May we always be with him [Christ]; may we never depart from 936 his temple, from his word. May we always read the Scriptures, meditate, pray, so that his word may always be working within us. Daily going to church or praying at home, may we begin and conclude our day with him. May each day of our entire life and the course of each day find its beginning and ending in him; just as it is salutary to believe in God and to be initiated in him from the beginning of life, so we must always persevere. [.  .  .] 937 II.xi.79. The Law commands that boys be circumcised on the eighth day—certainly by a mystical precept—because it is the Day of the Resurrection. The Lord Jesus arose on the Lord’s Day. Therefore, if the Day of 13. Matt 5:4; Luke 6:21. † Translated from Sancti Ambrosii Opera, vol. 1, ed. C. Schenkl, CSEL 32.1 (Vienna, 1897) 579ff.

26  Chapter VII. Fourth Century. West the Resurrection finds us circumcised and set free from the remains of sin, washed of all filth, cleansed from bodily sins, so if you depart this world cleansed, you will rise cleansed. [.  .  .] The Church was redeemed at the price of Christ’s blood. Therefore those who believe, whether Jew or Greek, should know that they are to be circumcised from sin in order to attain salvation. Both family members and foreigners, both the righteous and the sinner, all are to be circumcised unto the forgiveness of sins so that sin no longer is at work, for no one ascends to the kingdom of heaven unless through the sacrament of baptism. Nor will righteousness appear above if one has forsaken righteousness at the end of life. Therefore Paul says, “You have been purchased at a price; do not become slaves to humans.”1 These are contrary since slavery is contracted through sin, and sin is remitted at a price. 938 II.xi.81. Well indeed does the Law command that infant males be circumcised at a very early age, also those of slaves, because just as sin exists from infancy so there is circumcision from infancy. No time should be without protection because no time is without sin. An infant is to be summoned back from sin that it not be defiled by the contagion of idolatry, that it not grow accustomed to adoring idols and kissing images, to dishonoring the parental home, to offending against righteousness. Likewise so that he not become proud, that he not seem righteous to himself, Abraham was commanded to be circumcised before he reached a more mature age. Neither an elderly person nor a proselyte nor the infant of a slave is exempted because every age is subject to sin, and therefore the sacrament is appropriate for every age. 939 II.xi.84. [.  .  .] “Unless one is born again of water and the Holy Spirit, one cannot enter the kingdom of God.”2 There are no exceptions here, not even infants; not even those prevented by some necessity. Perhaps due to some unrevealed exemption, these may escape punishment; yet I do not know whether they can attain the honor of the kingdom. [.  .  .]

53-I. Hexameron† The Hexameron, dated after 389, is a set of nine sermons on the six days of creation. This series was given during Holy Week: the first, third, and fifth days each having two sermons (one for the morning, the other for the afternoon), whereas only one sermon appears for the second, fourth, and sixth days. 940

V.xii.36 [.  .  .] Can anyone having human feelings not be ashamed to conclude the day without the ceremonial singing of the psalms? Not even

1. 1 Cor 7:23.  2. John 3:5. † Translated from CSEL 32.1. This homily was apparently preached during a service on Thursday evening.

53. Ambrose of Milan  27 the smallest bird fails to anticipate the beginning of the day and night with its usual devotion of singing sweet songs. V.xxiv.90. The time has come when we ought to end our discourse. Now we should rather be silent or shed tears; it is a time during which the forgiveness of sins is celebrated. That mystical cock also crows for us in our rites just as the cock of Peter crowed in our sermon. May Peter, who so fittingly wept for himself, also weep for us, and may the holy face of Christ turn toward us. May the passion of the Lord Jesus come upon us, the passion that daily forgives our sins and brings about the work of pardon. V.xxiv.91. The good Lord does not desire to send away you who are fasting lest someone collapse on the road. Consider what he said, “I take pity on this crowd because they have been with me for three days and have no food, and I do not wish to send them away fasting lest they faint on the way.”1 Mary had these words in mind when she refused to make preparations for the meal.2 How much more should we consider that there are only a few who live by the word of God and that what people want is bodily refreshment. Certainly more exactly than what has happened during the past three days is what we propose for the day to come.

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53-J. Commentary on Psalm 118 (119)† This is a collection of twenty-two homilies, each homily commenting on one of the twenty-two stanzas of Psalm 118 (119). The work is dated between 386 and 390. 943 viii.48. [.  .  .] At midday you should enter the church where hymns are sung and where the sacrifice is offered. Prepare yourself so that, under [God’s] protection, you may eat the Body of the Lord Jesus which requests divine reconciliation and eternal protection. [.  .  .] The evening office urges us never to forget Christ. Going to bed, you are not able to forget the Lord who has nourished the hungry with the goodness of his Body. [.  .  .] xix.32. [.  .  .] Each morning hurry to the church. Bring with you the first 944 fruits of your godly devotion. [.  .  .] How delightful it is to return to your everyday affairs having begun the day with hymns and canticles, and with the Beatitudes which are found in the Gospel. [.  .  .]

53-K. Explanation of David the Prophet†† xii.43. [.  .  .] We read that “with great power and with outstretched arm”1 God freed his people from the land of Egypt when he had them

1. Matt 15:32.  2. See Luke 10:39–40. † Translated from Sancti Ambrosii Opera, vol. 5, ed. M. Petschenig, CSEL 62 (Vienna, 1913) 180, 438–39. †† Translated from Apologia David, ed. M. Cordier, SChr 239 (Paris, 1977) 128. 1. 2 Kgs 17:36.

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28  Chapter VII. Fourth Century. West pass through the Red Sea,2 this being a figure of baptism.3 If therefore God’s great power was a figure of the sacraments, how much more is God’s mercy shown in their reality! And so rightly is a multitude of pardons requested here where there is a multitude of sinners.

53-L. On the Mysteries† According to modern scholarship On the Mysteries, once considered of doubtful authenticity, is indeed the work of Ambrose. It has been suggested that the treatise is a compilation of earlier homiletic material, namely, instructions or catecheses given to the newly baptized on the days immediately following their baptism, the work, however, being edited for a general audience. Its date is often given as around 390. 946

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i.1. Each day, when the deeds of the patriarchs and the maxims of Proverbs were read, we gave you a moral teaching. My purpose in doing so was that you, formed and instructed by these readings, might become accustomed to follow the way of those who have preceded us, to follow in their path, and to obey the divine commands. Thus, renewed by baptism, you might hold on to a type of life that is fitting for all who have been washed. i.2. Now is the appropriate time to speak of the mysteries and to explain the sacraments. If we would have given information on these before your baptism, at a time when you were not yet initiated, it might have been said that we were engaging in a betrayal rather than in an explanation. And so the light of the mysteries better penetrates among those who are not expecting it than if some explanation had been given them beforehand. i.3. Listen, then, and take in the pleasant odor of eternal life which has been inhaled by you through the gift of the sacraments. This is what we pointed out when, celebrating the mystery of the opening, we said to you, “Ephphatha, that is, Be opened”1 so that all who were about to come to grace might know what was being asked of them and might recall what they replied. i.4. This is the mystery Christ celebrated in the Gospel passage we read to you concerning his healing of the deaf mute. Christ touched the man’s mouth because he was healing a person who was deaf and dumb, someone who was a man: on the one hand, Christ wanted to open the mouth at the sound of his own voice; on the other hand, in the case of a man, touching was fitting although this would not be true for a woman. ii.5. After this the Holy of Holies [the baptistery] was opened up for you; you entered into the sanctuary of rebirth. Recall what was asked 2. See Exod 14:15–31.  3. See 1 Cor 10:1–2. † Translated from De sacramentis; de mysteriis; nouvelle édition, ed. B. Botte, SChr 25 bis (Paris, 1961). 1. Mark 7:34.

53. Ambrose of Milan  29 of you; remember your answer. You renounced the devil, his works, the world with its excesses and pleasures. Your words are kept not in the tomb of the dead but in the book of the living. ii.6. It was there that you saw the deacon,a you saw the priest; you saw the bishop.b Do not consider their external appearances but the grace of their ministries. In the presence of angels you said, as is written, that “the lips of a priest guard knowledge, and people seek the Law from his mouth, for he is the angel of the all-powerful Lord.”2 We cannot be mistaken; we cannot deny it; it is the angel who announces the kingdom of Christ and life eternal. Do not judge according to his appearance but according to what he does. Consider what he has given you; value what he has done; acknowledge the position he holds. ii.7. And having entered so that you might encounter your enemy whom you believe should be renounced face to face, you turn toward the east since those who renounce the devil turn toward Christ in order to look directly at him. iii.8. What did you see? Certainly water, but not only water. You saw the deacons ministering there as well as the bishop posing questions and consecrating. First of all, the apostle taught you not to “look at what you are able to see but at what you cannot see, for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.”3 Elsewhere you have come to know that “ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they be, are understood and seen through what he has made.”4 This is why the Lord himself says, “Even though you do not believe me, believe my works.”5 Believe that the divine is present there. You believe in his action but not in his presence? But what is the origin of this action unless it is preceded by his presence? iii.9. Consider, moreover, how old this mystery is and how it is prefigured in the origin of the world. In the very beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, the spirit, he says, “swept over the waters.”6 Does he who swept over the waters not work over the waters? But what should I say? He was working. As to his presence, he swept over. Was not the one who was sweeping over also at work? Know that he was active from the world’s very creation since the prophet tells us that “by the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all their power by the breath of his mouth.”7 Both depend on a prophetic witness: he swept along and he worked. Moses says that he swept along; David testifies that he was at work. iii.10. Here is additional testimony. All flesh was corrupted by its iniquities. “My spirit,” God says, “will not remain in mortals because they are flesh.”8 By this God shows that spiritual grace is driven away by bodily a. Ambrose uses the word levita for deacon. b. Ambrose uses the phrase summus saceerdos for bishop. 2. Mal 2:7.  3. 2 Cor 4:18.  4. Rom 1:20.  5. John 10:38.  6. Gen 1:2.  7. Ps 33:6.  8. Gen 6:3.

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impurity and by the stain of more serious sin. God, therefore, desiring to repair what was given, caused the flood and commanded that Noah, who was a just man, go up into the ark. When the flood waters were receding, Noah first released a raven; it did not return. Then he released a dove which, as we read, returned with an olive branch.9 You see water; you see the word; you look at the dove. And you doubt the mystery? iii.11. It is water into which the flesh is immersed so as to wash away all bodily sin. All shame is buried there. The wood is that on which the Lord Jesus was hung as he suffered for us. It was under the form of a dove that the Holy Spirit descended, as you learned in the New Testament, to breathe into you peace of soul and tranquility of mind. The raven is the figure of sin which departs and does not return, provided that watchfulness and the example of the just also persevere in you. iii.12. There is also a third testimony, for the apostle teaches that “our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all of them were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.”10 And then Moses himself says in his canticle, “You sent your spirit and the sea covered them.”11 Notice that the figure of holy baptism is already prefigured in this crossing by the Hebrews in which the Egyptian perished whereas the Hebrew escaped. What other teaching do we receive each day in this sacrament unless that sin is swallowed up and error is destroyed while righteousness and innocence continue on intact. iii.13. You hear that our ancestors were under a good cloud which cooled the fire of bodily passions—a good cloud protecting those whom the Holy Spirit has visited. Finally the Spirit came upon the Virgin Mary and the power of the Most High overshadowed her12 when she begot redemption for the human race, a miracle prefigured by Moses. If the Spirit was prefigured, is the Spirit not truly present when Scripture tells you that “the Law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth have come through Jesus Christ.”13 iii.14. Marah was a bitter fountain into which Moses cast a piece of wood, and the fountain became sweet.14 For water without mention of Christ’s cross is useless for future salvation; but when water is consecrated by the mystery of the saving cross, then the water is altered for use as a spiritual bath and a saving drink. Therefore just as Moses, namely, the prophet, threw some wood into the fountain, so does the priest place into this fountain the mention of the Lord’s cross, and the water becomes sweet with grace. iii.15. Do not believe, then, only with your bodily eyes. What is not seen is really seen since the object of human sight is what is temporal, whereas what cannot be seen is eternal, the eternal not being viewed by human eyes but by the spirit and the soul. 9. See Gen 8:6–11.  10. 1 Cor 10:1–2.  11. Exod 15:10.  12. See Luke 1:35.  13. John 1:17.  14. See Exod 15:23–25.

53. Ambrose of Milan  31 iii.16. Finally, may the reading from Kings, which we have just heard, instruct you.15 Naaman was a Syrian afflicted with leprosy, and no one was able to make him clean. Then a young girl from among the captives said that in Israel there was a prophet who could cleanse him from the infection of leprosy. It is said that Naaman, taking silver and gold, went to the king of Israel. The king, when he learned the reason for Naaman’s coming, tore his garments and said that this was, as it were, a test since what was being asked of him did not depend on his royal power. But Elisha told the king that he had sent the Syrian to him so that Naaman would know that God was dwelling in Israel. And when Naaman arrived, Elisha ordered him to plunge himself seven times into the Jordan River. iii.17. Then Naaman began to reflect that the rivers of his own country had better waters, waters in which he often bathed without ever being purified of his leprosy. Remembering this, he did not obey the prophet’s commands. And yet, being advised and persuaded by his own servants, he consented and immersed himself. Immediately Naaman was made clean, and he understood that cleansing happens not by water but by grace. iii.18. Now learn who the “young girl from among the captives” is. She is the young congregation of the Gentiles, that is, the Church of the Lord, the Church previously humiliated by the captivity of sin when it still did not possess the freedom of grace, at whose counsel this foolish people of the Gentiles heard the prophetic word which it long doubted. Then, however, once it came to believe it should obey, it was washed of all contagion of vices. Before being cured, Naaman doubted. You, however, are already cured and consequently should have no doubts. iv.19. For this reason you have already been told not to believe only what you have seen lest you also might say, “Is this the great mystery which ‘no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived?’”16 I see water which I am accustomed to seeing every day. Can water purify me, water into which I often descended without ever being made clean? From this understand that water without the Spirit does not cleanse.17 iv.20. You have read, therefore, that the three witnesses in baptism are one: water, blood, and Spirit18 because if you remove one of them the sacrament of baptism exists no longer. What is water without the cross of Christ unless an ordinary element without any sacramental effect? Likewise, without water there is no mystery of rebirth: “no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.”19 Even catechumens believe in the cross of the Lord Jesus with which they are signed, but unless one has been baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, he or she can receive neither the forgiveness of sins nor the gift of spiritual grace. 15. See 2 Kgs 5:1–14.  16. 1 Cor 2:9.  17. See John 3:5.  18. See 1 John 5:8.  19. John 3:5.

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iv.21. And so this Syrian immersed himself seven times in the Law; you, however, have been baptized in the name of the Trinity. You confessed the Father—recall what you did—you confessed the Son, you confessed the Spirit. Retain the order of things. In this faith you died to the world; you arose for God; and as if entombed in that element of the world [water], being dead to sin you were revived unto life eternal. And so believe that the water is not without any effect. iv.22. This is why you were told, “The angel of the Lord went down at certain times into the pool, and the water was stirred up; whoever stepped in first after the stirring of the water was cured of whatever infirmity afflicted that person.”20 This pool, in which one person was healed each year, was in Jerusalem, yet no one was healed till the angel came down into it. As a sign this had taken place the water was set in motion for the benefit of unbelievers. They had a sign; you have faith. For them an angel descended, for you it is the Holy Spirit. For them a creature was moved; for you Christ, the very master of creation, is at work. iv.23. At that time one person was cured; now all are healed; or, to be sure, one person—the Christian people—is healed. In some there is a deceitful water.21 Baptism conferred by those lacking faith does not cleanse; it pollutes. The Jews baptize pitchers and cups22 as if inanimate things are capable of receiving blame or grace. You, however, baptize your own cup, one that is human, one in which your good works shine, in which the splendor of your grace glitters. This pool is also a figure so that you might believe that divine power descends into it. iv.24. Furthermore, the paralytic was expecting a man. Who was this man unless the Lord Jesus born of a virgin, at whose coming no longer does the shadow heal each person one after the other, but the truth heals all at once? Awaited was the descent of Christ concerning whom God the Father said to John the Baptist, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and abide is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.”23 It is concerning Christ that John the Baptist gave testimony, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending like a dove and remaining on him.”24 And why did the Spirit come down like a dove? Only to enable you to see and recognize that the dove sent forth by Noah, the just man from the ark,25 was an image of this dove and thus so that you might recognize the type of the sacrament? iv.25. Perhaps you might say, “Since the dove that was sent forth was a true dove and what descended here is ‘like a dove,’ how can we say that the former is a likeness and that here we have the truth since according to the Greeks it is written that the Spirit descended “in the likeness of a dove”?26 But what is so true as the divinity which remains forever? The creature is unable to be the truth but is a likeness which is easily broken and changed. At the same time, the simplicity of the baptized should not 20. John 5:4.  21. See Jer 15:18.  22. See Mark 7:4, 8.  23. John 1:33.  24. John 1:32.  25. See Gen 8:8.  26. Luke 3:22.

53. Ambrose of Milan  33 be in likeness but should be true. Therefore the Lord also says, “Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”27 And so it is right that the Spirit descends like a dove in order to remind us that we should be as simple as doves. But we also read, in regard to Christ, that form is to be taken for the truth: “being born in human form.”28 And in regard to God the Father, “You have never seen his form.”29 v.26. Is it still possible that you can doubt when the Father clearly calls out to you in the Gospel, saying, “This is my Son in whom I am well pleased”?30 When the Son upon whom the Holy Spirit showed himself as a dove calls out? When the Holy Spirit who descended like a dove cries out? When David cries out, “The voice of the Lord is upon the waters, the God of majesty thunders, the Lord over many waters”?31 When Scripture tells you that at Jerubbaal’s prayer fire descended from heaven,32 and when in response to the prayer of Elias, fire was sent to consecrate the sacrifice?33 v.27. Do not consider the merits of persons but the functions of the priests. And if you examine merits, just as you carefully regard Elias, also examine the merits of Peter or Paul who handed on to us this mystery which was received from our Lord Jesus. Visible fire was sent to them so that they might believe; for those of us who believe, what was at work was an invisible fire. For them it was a figure; for us it is to be an incitement. Therefore I believe that the Lord Jesus is present, invoked as he is by the prayers of the priest, the Lord Jesus who said, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them.”34 How much more does he deign to make himself present where the Church is, where the mysteries are found. v.28. Then you went down [into the water]. Recall what you responded, namely, that you believe in the Father; you believe in the Son; you believe in the Holy Spirit. Your answer was not that you believe in a greater, in a lesser, and in a last. But by the same guarantee of your voice you are obliged to believe in the Son just as you believe in the Father, to believe in the Spirit just as you believe in the Son, with this one exception that you profess that it is necessary to believe in the cross of the one and only Lord Jesus. vi.29. After this you went up to the priest. Consider what happened next. Was it not as David says, “Like precious oil on the head, running down upon the beard, on the beard of Aaron”?35 Solomon also speaks of this oil, “Your name is a spreading perfume; therefore the maidens loved you and were drawn to you.”36 How many souls that have been renewed today have loved you, Lord Jesus, as they say, “Draw us after you, let us run to the scent of your garments”37 so that they might breathe in the odor of the Resurrection. 27. Matt 10:16.  28. Phil 2:7.  29. John 5:37.  30. Matt 3:17.  31. Ps 29:3.  32. See Jdt 6:21.  33. See 1 Kgs 18:38.  34. Matt 18:20.  35. Ps 133:2.  36. Cant 1:3.  37. Cant 1:4.

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vi.30. Understand why this was done: “The wise have eyes in their head.”38 This is why it runs down upon his beard; it is upon the grace of youth. It runs down the “beard of Aaron” so that you might become a “chosen race,”39 priestly and precious. For we are all anointed with spiritual grace to form the kingdom of God and the priesthood. vi.31. You came up from the pool. Recall the Gospel reading where our Lord Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and when he came to Simon Peter, Peter said, “You will never wash my feet.”40 Peter did not understand the mystery, and so he refused this service, believing that the lowly state of the servant would be made more burdensome if he patiently allowed the master to serve him. The Lord answered him, “Unless I wash your feet, you will have no part with me.” Hearing this, Peter said, “Lord, not only my feet but also my hands and my head.” The Lord answered, “One who is washed needs only to wash the feet to be completely clean.”41 vi.32. Peter was clean, and yet he still should have had his feet washed since he had the sin that came from the first man when the serpent tripped him up and led him into error. Therefore Peter’s feet were washed in order to remove hereditary sins. Our own are remitted through baptism. vi.33. At the same time understand that the mystery itself is carried out by humble service. For the Lord says, “If I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash each other’s feet.”42 For since the author of salvation has redeemed us through his obedience, how much more should we, his servants, offer the service of humility and obedience. vii.34. Then you received the white garments as a sign that you have laid aside the covering of sin and put on the pure garments of innocence. It was concerning these that the prophet said, “Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”43 According to both the Law and the Gospel, the person who has been baptized is purified: according to the Law since Moses sprinkled the blood of a lamb with a bouquet of hyssop;44 according to the Gospel since Christ’s garments were as white as snow45 when he showed, as the Gospel says, the glory of his resurrection. The person whose sin has been taken away has become whiter than snow. And so the Lord said through Isaiah, “Though your sins be like scarlet, I will make them white like snow.”46 vii.35. The Church, having put on these garments through “the waters of rebirth,”47 says in the Canticle of Canticles, “I am dark and beautiful, O daughters of Jerusalem.”48 Dark by reason of our frail human condition, beautiful by reason of grace; dark because I am composed of sinners, beautiful because of the sacrament of faith. Looking at these garments, the daughters of Jerusalem in amazement say, “Who is this who comes

38. Eccl 2:14.  39. 1 Pet 2:9.  40. John 13:8.  41. John 13:9–10.  42. John 13:14.  43. Ps 51:7.  44. See Exod 12:22.  45. See Matt 17:2.  46. Isa 1:18.  47. Titus 3:5.  48. Cant 1:5.

53. Ambrose of Milan  35 up being made white?”49 She was dark; how is it that she has suddenly become white? vii.36. For even the angels doubted when Christ arose. Likewise the heavenly powers when they saw flesh ascending into heaven. Then they said, “Who is this king of glory?” And when some others were saying, “Lift up the gates, you princes, be lifted up, O eternal doors, and the king of glory will enter,” others doubted and said, “Who is this king of glory?”50 Also in Isaiah you will find the powers of heaven having misgivings as they said: “Who is this that comes from Edom? The crimson of his garments is from Bozrah. He is beautiful in his white robe.”51 vii.37. Christ, however, seeing his Church in white garments—for whom, as you can read in the Book of Zechariah the Prophet, he put on “filthy clothes”52—or the soul made clean and washed by the bath of rebirth says, “How beautiful are you, my love, how very beautiful; your eyes are like those of a dove.”53 It was in the likeness of a dove that the Holy Spirit came down from heaven. As we already said, your eyes are beautiful because the Spirit descended like a dove. vii.38. And further on, “Your teeth are like a flock of shorn ewes which have come up from the washing, all with twins, and not one of them is barren. Your lips are like a scarlet thread.”54 This is not ordinary praise. First, because of the delightful comparison with the shorn sheep. Goats, as we know, graze in high places without danger; without fear they take their food in precipitous places. Then, once they have been shorn, they are relieved of what is not necessary. The Church is compared to a flock of these since the Church, in itself, possesses the virtues of many souls who because of the bath must put aside superfluous sins, offer to Christ the mystic faith and the grace of a moral life, both speaking of the cross of the Lord Jesus. vii.39. It is in these that the Church is beautiful. And so the Word God says to her, “You are completely beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you”55 because sin has been swallowed up. “You come here from Lebanon, my bride; you come here from Lebanon. You will come and pass from the beginning of faith.”56 Because, renouncing the world, she passed through time, she has come to Christ. And again the Word God says to her: “How beautiful and pleasant you are, O loved one, in your delights. Your figure is like a palm tree, your breasts like clusters of grace.”57 vii.40. The Church responds to him: “O that you were like my brother, who nursed at my mother’s breasts? Finding you outside, I would kiss you and none would despise me. I would lead you and bring you into the house of my mother and into the chamber of the one who gave me birth. You will teach me.”58 Do you notice how she, delighted with the gift of grace, desires to reach the inner mysteries and consecrate all her feelings 49. Cant 8:5.  50. Ps 24:7–8.  51. Isa 63:1.  52. Zech 3:3.  53. Cant 4:1.  54. Cant 4:2–3.  55. Cant 4:7.  56. Cant 4:8.  57. Cant 7:7–8.  58. Cant 8:1–2.

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to Christ? She is still searching; she is still arousing love and asking that love be stirred up for her by the daughters of Jerusalem59 with whose aid—that is, with that of the faithful souls—she desires that the spouse be roused to love her ever more richly. vii.41. So the Lord Jesus—invited by the devotion of so great a love, by its beautiful elegance and grace since no sins defile those who have been washed—says to the Church, “Set me as a seal on your heart, as a seal on your arm,”60 namely, you are beautiful, my beloved; you are totally beautiful; you lack nothing.61 Place me like a seal upon your heart so that your faith may shine in the fullness of the sacrament. May your works also shine and manifest the image of God in whose likeness you were created. May your love not be diminished by persecution, a love which deep water cannot hinder or rivers engulf.62 vii.42. Recall, then, that you received the spiritual seal: “the spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the spirit of counsel and of fortitude, the spirit of knowledge and of piety, the spirit of holy fear,”63 and retain what you have received. God the Father signed you; the Lord Christ strengthened you; and, as the reading from the apostle taught, “he gave the Spirit into your hearts as a pledge.”64 viii.43. The people, washed and rich with these adornments, hasten to Christ’s altar as they say, “And I shall go to the altar of God who gives joy to my youth.”65 The remains of the old error having been put aside and having renewed their youth like that of an eagle,66 the people hasten to the heavenly feast. And seeing the holy altar all arranged, they cry out, “You prepare a table before me.” These are the people David has speaking when he says: “He feeds me. There is nothing I shall want. He has me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters.” He continues: “Even though I walk in the shadow of death, no evil will I fear for you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me. You have prepared a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you have anointed my head with oil. How good is your cup that inebriates me.”67 viii.44. Let us now consider this lest perhaps someone seeing visible things—since what is invisible is neither seen nor capable of being understood by human eyes—perhaps may say: “God rained down manna upon the Jews, he rained down quail; whereas this is what he prepared for his beloved Church, ‘What eye has not seen, nor has ear heard, nor has it entered the human heart what God has prepared for those who love him.’”68 Therefore, so that no one can say this, we wish to show with the greatest of care that the Church’s sacraments are older than those of the synagogue and are more excellent than manna.

59. See Cant 5:8.  60. Cant 8:6.  61. See Cant 4:7.  62. See Cant 8:7.  63. Isa 11:2–3.  64. See 2 Cor 1:22; 2 Cor 5:5.  65. Ps 43:4.  66. See Ps 103:5.  67. Ps 23:5, 1–2, 4–5.  68. 1 Cor 2:9.

53. Ambrose of Milan  37 viii.45. The reading from Genesis which we heard teaches us that the sacraments are older. The synagogue has its origin in the Law of Moses, but Abraham was much earlier. He conquered his foes, found his nephew, and enjoyed his victory. Then Melchizedek met him and brought out the things that Abraham received with respect.69 It was not Abraham who brought these out but Melchizedech who is introduced as being “without father, without mother, having neither beginning of days nor end, but like the Son of God” of whom Paul says to the Hebrews that he remains a “priest forever,” who in Latin is called the “king of righteousness, the king of peace.”70 viii.46. Do you not recognize who this is? Can someone be a king of righteousness when he is hardly righteous? Can someone be a king of peace when he is hardly peaceful? As divine he is without a mother because he was begotten by God the Father from the same substance with the Father. He is without a father according to his incarnation because he was born of a virgin. Having neither beginning nor end, he is the beginning of all things, “the first and the last.”71 Therefore the sacrament you received is not a human gift; it is a divine gift brought by him who has blessed Abraham, the father of faith, by him whose grace and deeds you admire. viii.47. It is a proven fact that the Church’s sacraments are older; now learn that they are more powerful. It is indeed wonderful that God rained down manna on the fathers and that they were nourished with this daily food. This is why it is written, “Mortals ate of the bread of angels.”72 Yet all who ate that bread in the desert are now dead. On the other hand, the food you receive, “this living bread that comes down from heaven,”73 furnishes the means of eternal life, and those who eat it “will live forever”74 since it is the Body of Christ. viii.48. Consider which is more excellent: the bread of angels or the Body of Christ which certainly bestows life? The manna came down from heaven; this from above the heavens. The former was of heaven; the latter is of the Lord of the heavens; the former was exposed to corruption when kept for a second day; the latter is safe from all corruption since those reverently tasting it will not be able to undergo corruption.75 For them water flowed from a rock, for you blood flows from Christ. Water satisfied them for an hour; blood washes you forever. The Jew drinks and is thirsty; when you drink, you can no longer thirst. The former was in shadow; the latter is in truth. viii.49. If what you admire is a shadow, how great is that whose shadow you admire? Hear that what took place among the fathers is a shadow: “They drank from the rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and they were struck down in the desert. Now these things took place as a figure for us.”76 You 69. See Gen 14:14–18.  70. Heb 7:2–3.  71. Rev 1:17; 22:13.  72. Ps 78:25.  73. See John 6:50.  74. John 6:51.  75. See John 6:50.  76. 1 Cor 10:4–6.

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38  Chapter VII. Fourth Century. West have come to know the things that are more excellent: for light is stronger than shadows; truth is stronger than figure; the body of the Creator is stronger than manna from heaven. 995 ix.50. Perhaps you might say: “I see something else. How can you allege that I will receive the Body of Christ?” This is what it remains for me to prove. Therefore we will use a great many examples to prove that the question here is not what nature has produced but what the blessing has consecrated, the power of the blessing being greater than that of nature because nature itself is changed by the blessing. 996 ix.51. Moses, who was holding a rod, threw it down, and the rod became a serpent. He seized the tail of the serpent, and it reverted to the nature of a rod.77 And so you see that by the grace of the prophet nature was changed twice, into that of a serpent and into that of a rod. The Egyptian rivers flowed with streams of pure water. Suddenly blood began to burst forth from the veins of the springs; nor was there any drinkable water in the rivers.78 Once again, when the prophet prayed, blood ceased flowing and the nature of water returned. The Hebrew people were completely encircled, with the Egyptians besieging them on one side, the sea hemming them in on the other side. Moses lifted up his rod; the waters separated and hardened into something like walls so that between them there was a path on which to travel.79 The Jordan, contrary to its nature, returned to its source of origin.80 Is it not evident that the nature of the sea’s waves and the course of the river were altered? The people of the fathers were thirsty; Moses touched the rock and water flowed from it.81 Did not grace work in a way superior to that of nature so that the rock could produce something its very nature did not have? The Marah was a most bitter stream, so much so that thirsty people could not drink from it. Moses threw a stick of wood into its water and the nature of its water laid aside its bitterness which grace, suddenly poured in, calmed.82 At the time of Elisha the prophet it happened that one of his sons lost the head of his axe, and it immediately sank. He who had lost the axe sought help from Elisha who also threw some wood into the water, and the axe head rose to the surface.83 Certainly we know that this was contrary to nature: by nature iron is heavier than water, which is a liquid. 997 ix.52. We notice, then, that grace can do more than nature can do; and yet till now we have only considered the blessing of a prophet. If a human blessing is capable of changing the nature of something, what are we to say about that divine consecration wherein our Lord and Savior’s very words are at work? For the sacrament you receive is the result of Christ’s word. If the word of Elijah was powerful enough to call down fire from heaven,84 would not Christ’s word have the power to change the nature 77. See Exod 4:3–4.  78. See Exod 7:19–21.  79. See Exod 14:21–22.  80. See Josh 3:16.  81. See Exod 17:1–7.  82. See Exod 15:22–25.  83. See 2 Kgs 6:5–6.  84. 1 Kgs 18:38.

53. Ambrose of Milan  39 of the elements? You have read in regard to the works of the whole world, “For he spoke, and they came to be; he commanded and they were created.”85 Cannot Christ’s word, which was able to make from nothing what was not, change what is into something it is not? For it is no less difficult to give a new nature to things than to change their nature. ix.53. But why are we using arguments? Let us use examples and establish the truth of the mystery by means of the mysteries of the Incarnation. Is it possible that the ordinary course of nature preceded the birth of the Lord Jesus from Mary? If we are seeking the natural way things happen, a woman usually has a child after a bodily encounter with a man. Consequently it is evident that it is beyond the order of nature for a virgin to give birth. And the body we make is that born of a virgin. Why do we here seek the order of nature in Christ’s body since the Lord Jesus was born of a virgin, namely, not according to nature. Certainly the true body of Christ was crucified and buried. Certainly, then, it is the sacrament of his Body. ix.54. The Lord Jesus himself says, “This is my Body.” Before the blessing by the heavenly words it is called something else; after the consecration the Body is signified. Jesus himself said that it was his Blood. Before the consecration it is called something else; after the consecration it is called Blood. And you say “Amen,” namely, “It is true.” May your heart within confess what your mouth says; may your soul feel what your word expresses. ix.55. Therefore it is by these sacraments that Christ nourishes his Church; through them the very being of the soul is strengthened; and, seeing that it is constantly progressing in grace, he says to it: “How beautiful are your breasts, my sister, my bride. How beautiful they have become from wine. The fragrance of your garments goes beyond that of all perfumes. Your lips make honey flow. Honey and milk are under your tongue; the scent of your garments is like the scent of Lebanon. A garden locked is my sister, my bride, a garden locked, a fountain sealed.”86 Here he shows that the mystery should remain sealed among you so that it not be violated by the works of a bad life and by the loss of chastity, that it not be divulged to those for whom it is not fitting, that it not be spread among unbelievers by garrulous talk. Therefore take good care of your faith so that the integrity of your life and of your silence remains unspotted. ix.56. This is why the Church, observing the depth of the heavenly mysteries, repels violent wind storms and invites the sweetness of springtime grace; knowing that its garden cannot displease Christ, it calls upon its spouse, saying: “Awaken, O north wind, and come, O south wind! Blow upon my garden that its fragrance may be wafted about. Let my brother go down into his garden and eat its choicest fruits.”87 For the Church has good and fruitful trees whose roots have been watered by the sacred

85. Ps 33:9.  86. Cant 4:10–12.  87. Cant 4:16.

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40  Chapter VII. Fourth Century. West fountain and which have shot up with a growth of new fecundity in order to produce good fruits: all this so that they now not be cut down by the prophet’s axe but be made to grow by the fullness of the Gospel. 1002 ix.57. Then the Lord, pleased with their fertility, responds, “I entered my garden, my spouse and my bride; I gathered my myrrh with my spices; I have eaten food with my honey; I have drunk my drink with milk.”88 Understand, faithful one, why I spoke of food and drink. Just as you have read that the Lord said he is with us in prison,89 so there is no doubt that he eats and drinks with us. 1003 ix.58. And so the Church, seeing so much grace, exhorts its children, exhorts those close to it, to assemble for the sacraments. It says, “Eat, my friends, and drink, and be drunk, my brothers.”90 What we eat, what we drink, the Holy Spirit expresses to you elsewhere through the prophet who says, “Taste and see the goodness of the Lord. Happy are those who take refuge in him.”91 Christ is in this sacrament because it is the Body of Christ, and yet this is not bodily but spiritual food. The apostle also says about this type, “Our fathers ate the spiritual food and drank the spiritual drink.”92 For the body of God is a spiritual body; the body of Christ is the body of the divine Spirit because Christ is the Spirit, as we read, “The spirit before our face is Christ the Lord.”93 And in the Letter of Peter we read, “Christ died for you.”94 This food, therefore, strengthens our heart, and this drink “gladdens the human heart”95 as the prophet recalls. 1004 ix.59. Having received everything, may we know that we have been born again. May we not ask: “How were we born again? Did we enter into the womb of our mother and then were reborn?96 I do not see nature at work here.” But nature is not at work here where there is the excellence of grace. Finally, the natural workings of nature do not always result in birth. We confess that Christ the Lord was born of a virgin, and thereby we deny the order of nature. For it was not from a man that Mary conceived, but she received from the Holy Spirit in her womb; as Matthew says, “She was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.”97 If, then, the Holy Spirit coming upon the virgin brought about the conception and performed the work of generation, there should be no doubt that the Spirit, coming upon the font or upon those who present themselves for baptism, has truly brought about rebirth.

53-M. On the Sacraments Like its companion work, On the Mysteries, these six catechetical lectures to the recently baptized were once thought not to be authentic. Today, however, they are generally held to be by Ambrose and are usually considered as dating from about the same time as On the Mysteries. Some 88. Cant 5:1.  89. See Matt 25:36.  90. Cant 5:1.  91. Ps 34:8.  92. 1 Cor 10:3–4.  93. Lam 4:20, LXX.  94. 1 Pet 2:21.  95. Ps 104:15.  96. See John 3:4.  97. Matt 1:18.

53. Ambrose of Milan  41 believe that these six homilies may well be a rough draft of Ambrose’s instructions, the text written down either by Ambrose himself or by another person at a time after the lectures were actually given. Especially noteworthy here is Ambrose’s highly allegorical approach to Scripture. Although somewhat disjointed and repetitious, these instructions give much more information about Christian initiation at Milan than we find in On the Mysteries.

53-m-1. on the sacraments. catechesis one† i.1. I will now explain the sacraments you have received. It was not appropriate for me to have done so earlier since, for the Christian, faith comes first. This is why at Rome the name “faithful” is given to the baptized; this is why it was by faith and not works that our father Abraham was justified.1 And so you have accepted baptism. You have believed. It would be wrong for me to judge otherwise since you would not have been called to grace unless Christ deemed you worthy of it. i.2. What, then, did we do on Saturday? It was the “opening,” to be sure. These mysteries were celebrated when the bishopa touched your ears and nostrils. But what is the meaning of all this? In the Gospel our Lord Jesus Christ, when the deaf mute was presented to him, touched the man’s ears and mouth: the ears because the man was deaf, the mouth because he was dumb. And Jesus said, “Ephphetha.”2 The Latin for this Hebrew word is adaperire [to open]. This is why the bishop touched your ears, namely, so that they might be open to all he would be saying to you. i.3. But, you ask, why the nostrils? Since the man was dumb, Christ touched his mouth so that the man, unable to talk about the heavenly sacraments, might receive from Christ the ability to speak. In the Gospel account it was a man, but here women are baptized. And the purity of the servant is not as great as that of the Lord—what comparison can there be since the one forgives sins whereas, for the other, sins are forgiven?— therefore, out of respect for the grace given by his action and office, the bishop touches the nostrils and not the mouth. Why the nostrils? So that using the words of the holy apostle you might say, “we are the aroma of Christ before God,”3 and so that the fullness of faith and devotion might be in you. ii.4. Then we proceeded to the font. You entered and were anointed. Think about those you saw and about what you said. Do so carefully. A deaconb came to receive you; also a presbyter. Like an athlete of Christ you were anointed as if you were preparing for an earthly contest. You agreed All catecheses are translated from De sacramentis; De mysteriis; nouvelle édition, ed. B. Botte, SChr 25 bis (Paris, 1961) 60ff. a. Ambrose uses the phrase summus sacerdos for bishop. b. Ambrose uses the word levita for deacon. 1. See Rom 4:1–22.  2. Mark 7:34.  3. 2 Cor 2:15. †

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to fight your opponent. The person who struggles has what is hoped for. Where there is a struggle, there is the crown.4 You struggle in this world, but you are crowned by Christ—you receive a crown for struggling in this world since, although the reward is found in heaven, what merits this reward is found here upon the earth. ii.5. What was your response when you were asked, “Do you renounce the devil and his works?” What did you answer? “I do renounce them.” What was your reply when you were asked, “Do you renounce the world and its pleasures?” “I do renounce them.” Remember what you said and never renege on the guarantee you have given. If you give your bond to someone, you are held liable so that you may receive that person’s money. You are strictly bound, and even if you seek to avoid your obligation, the money-lender holds you responsible. If you protest, you go before a judge where you are convicted by the guarantee you have made. ii.6. Think of the place where you promised or think of those to whom you promised. You saw a deacon, and yet he is a minister of Christ. You saw him serving at the altar. Your guarantee, therefore, is held not on earth but in heaven. Think of the place where you received the heavenly sacraments. Wherever the body of Christ is found, there also the angels are to be found: “Where the body is, there the eagles will be,”5 as you read in the Gospel. Where the body of Christ is, there also are the eagles who are accustomed to fly so that, fleeing earthly things, they strive for those of heaven. Why do I say this? Because all those on earth who announce Christ are also angels and seem to be called to take the place of angels? ii.7. And how? Just listen. John the Baptist, although born of a man and a woman, is also an angel [messenger]: “Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.”6 Here is still another proof. The prophet Malachi said that “the lips of a priest guard knowledge, and people seek the Law from his mouth, for he is the angel of the allpowerful God.”7 This was said so that we might proclaim the glory of the priesthood, not that anything be attributed to our own personal merits. ii.8. So you have renounced the world; you have renounced the age in which we live. Be watchful. Whoever owes money always carefully looks over the bond. And you who are to keep faith with Christ, keep the faith which is much more valuable than money. Faith is an eternal possession whereas money is temporal. Furthermore, always remember what you promised: be more cautious. If you keep your promise, you will also keep your guarantee. iii.9. Then you came closer. You saw the font, and you saw the bishop presiding there. I have no doubt that there came into your mind what Naaman the Syrian was thinking. Even though he was purified, at first he doubted. And why? Listen, for I will tell you.

4. See 1 Cor 9:24–25.  5. Matt 24:28.  6. Matt 11:10.  7. Mal 2:7.

53. Ambrose of Milan  43 iii.10. You entered; you saw the water; you saw the bishop; you saw the deacon. Perhaps, I fear, someone said, “Is this all there is?” Certainly this is all, for all innocence is there, all righteousness, all grace, all holiness. You saw what you were capable of seeing with your bodily eyes and with your human way of viewing things. You did not see what they effect but only what can be seen. What is not perceived is indeed greater than what is perceived because “what you can see is temporary, but what you cannot see is eternal.”8 iv.11. Therefore let us say first—remember the guarantee of my word and demand its execution—we admire the mysteries of the Jews which were given to our ancestors: first, the age of their sacraments and then their holiness. But I assure you, the Christian sacraments are older and more godly than those of the Jews. iv.12. What is more extraordinary than the passage of the Jewish people through the sea, and so we can now speak of baptism. Yet the Jews who did so all died in the desert.9 On the other hand, those who pass through this font, namely, from earthly to heavenly things—there is a passage here and therefore a pasch, namely, the passage of the baptized from sin to life, from fault to grace, from stain to holiness—such do not die but rise. v.13. Naaman, therefore, was a leper.10 A female slave said to Naaman’s wife, “If my lord wishes to be made clean, let him go to the land of Israel and find there someone who can take away his leprosy.” The slave told this to her mistress, and the mistress in turn related it to her husband Naaman, who passed it on to the king of Syria. The king of Syria sent Naaman, as one of his esteemed subjects, to the king of Israel. When the king of Israel heard that Naaman was sent to him in order that Naaman be cleansed of leprosy, the king tore his garment. Then Elisha the prophet said to him, “Why did you tear your garment, as if there were no powerful God capable of cleansing a leper? Send him to me.” The king did so and, when Naaman arrived, the prophet said, “Go down into the Jordan, immerse yourself, and you will be cured.” v.14. Naaman began to reflect on this and said, “Is this all? I came from Syria into Judea, and I was told, ‘Go to the Jordan, immerse yourself, and you will be cured.’ As if there were no better rivers in my own country!” His servants said to him, “Lord, why do you refuse to do what the prophet told you to do? Do it and see what happens.” So Naaman went into the Jordan, immersed himself, and came out cured. v.15. Now what does this mean? You have seen water, and yet not all water cures, only that containing the grace of Christ. There is a difference between an element and its sanctification, between an action and its efficacy. Action takes place with water; efficacy comes from the Holy Spirit. Water does not cure unless the Holy Spirit has descended and sanctified

8. 2 Cor 4:18.  9. See John 6:49, 58.  10. 2 Kgs 5:1–14.

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this water. You have read that when our Lord Jesus Christ instituted the rite of baptism, he went to John, who said to him, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”11 Christ answered him, “Allow it now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.”12 Notice that all righteousness is established in baptism. v.16. Why, then, did Christ descend unless that flesh be purified, the flesh he took upon himself from our condition? Christ had no need for sins to be washed away since he “committed no sin,”13 but we need this washing since we remain subject to sin. Therefore if the rite of baptism has been instituted for us, then this rite has been given for our faith. v.17. Christ descended; John who baptized stood by; and behold the Holy Spirit came down like a dove. A dove did not descend, but it was “like a dove.” Remember what I said: Christ assumed flesh, not something “like flesh” but true flesh; Christ has truly taken on flesh. The Holy Spirit descends from heaven not as a real dove but in the likeness of a dove. This is what John saw and believed. v.18. Christ descends; the Holy Spirit also descends. Why did Christ descend first and only afterwards did the Holy Spirit do so, whereas in the usual rite of baptism the water is sanctified before the person who is to be baptized goes down into it? For as soon as the bishop enters there, he performs an exorcism over the creature water; then he gives an invocation, praying that the font be sanctified and that the eternal Trinity be present there. Christ descended first, to be followed by the Holy Spirit. And why? Not that the Lord Jesus seem, as it were, to have had the need for the mystery of sanctification, but that he himself might sanctify and that the Spirit also might sanctify. v.19. Christ, therefore, descended into the water, and the Holy Spirit descended like a dove. Also, God the Father spoke from heaven.14 And so the Trinity was present there. vi.20. According to the apostle there was a figure of this baptism in the Red Sea: “All our ancestors were baptized in the cloud and in the sea.”15 And he added, “These things happened to them as a figure.”16 As in a figure for them but in truth for us. Moses was holding a stick; the Jewish people were completely encircled: the Egyptian with his army was approaching on one side; on the other side the Hebrews were cut off by the sea. They could neither cross the sea nor return to face the enemy. And so it was that they began to complain. vi.21. Take care not to be bothered by the fact that they were heard. Even though the Lord heard them, yet they were not faultless since they complained. When you are repressed, believe that you will escape. Do not complain. Ask, pray, and do not murmur.

11. Matt 3:14.  12. Matt 3:15.  13. 1 Pet 2:22.  14. See Matt 3:16–17.  15. 1 Cor 10:2.  16. 1 Cor 10:11.

53. Ambrose of Milan  45 vi.22. Moses, holding a stick, led the Hebrew people at night by means 1026 of a column of light, during the day by means of a column of a cloud.17 What is the fire unless it is the truth because the truth sheds a visible and clear light? What is the column of light unless it is Christ the Lord who has banished the darkness of unbelief and has poured into the human heart the light of truth and grace? But the column of a cloud is, to be sure, the Holy Spirit. The people were in the sea, and the column of light went before them; then came the column of a cloud as if it were an overshadowing by the Holy Spirit. You see that in the Holy Spirit and in water Christ has displayed a type of baptism. vi.23. At a time when the mysteries of the Jews certainly did not exist, 1027 a type of baptism can also be found in the flood.18 And so if the rite of baptism thus came first, you can see that the Christian mysteries are older than those of the Jews. vi.24. But for now, in light of my weak voice and the constraints of time, 1028 it suffices for today merely to have tasted the mysteries at the holy font. Tomorrow, if the Lord allows me to speak at length, I will treat the topic more fully. It is necessary that you, my holy ones, have attentive ears and even more readily disposed minds so that you can retain what I can gather from the Scriptures that are read and what I desire to impress on you so that you may have the grace of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the Trinity to whom belongs the everlasting kingdom from the ages, now, and forever and ever. Amen.

53-m-2. on the sacraments. catechesis two i.1. Yesterday we began our explanation of how baptism is prefigured in the flood. But what is the flood unless that in which the just person is saved for nurturing righteousness, that in which sin dies? For this reason the Lord, seeing human sin proliferate, saved only the just man together with his descendants, while commanding the water to cover the mountain tops. And so all corruption of the flesh perished in that flood, whereas the family and image of the just man alone remained.1 What is this flood unless it is baptism in which all sins are washed away, in which only the spirit and grace of the just are revived? i.2. There are many kinds of baptism, but there is only “one baptism,”2 as the apostle says. And why? The pagans possess baptisms, but these are not baptisms. There are washings, but these cannot be baptisms. The flesh is washed, but sin is not washed away. Indeed, sin is even contracted because of this washing. The Jews had baptisms; some were superfluous whereas others were a figure. And the figure itself assists us because it is a messenger of the truth.

17. See Exod 13:21.  18. See 1 Pet 3:21. 1. See Gen 7:17–23.  2. Eph 4:5.

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ii.3. What was read yesterday? You heard that “an angel went down at a certain time into the pool,” and as often as the angel went down, “the water was stirred up; whoever stepped in first after the stirring of the water was cured of whatever infirmity afflicted that person.”3 This represents the figure of our Lord Jesus Christ who was to come. ii.4. But why an angel? Because Christ is the “angel of great counsel.”4 At a “certain time” because the angel waited till the last hour in order to overtake the day and even to prolong it. And so each time the angel went down, the water was moved. Perhaps you will say, “Why doesn’t the water move now?” For this reason: signs are for those who do not believe; faith is for those who do.5 ii.5. Whoever was the first to go down into the water was cured of all infirmity. But what does “first” mean? Does it refer to time or to dignity? You can understand it both ways. If “first” concerns time, whoever went down first was the first to be cured, namely, the Jewish people rather than the Gentiles. If “first” refers to dignity, the first who went down is whoever had fear of God, zeal for justice, the grace of love, love of purity. This person was the first choice to be healed. Yet at that time only one person was made well, and this was in figure. How much greater is the grace of the Church by which all who go down are cured. ii.6. But consider the mystery. Our Lord Jesus Christ came to the pool; many sick people were lying there, certainly a place where only one person was cured. Then Jesus says to this paralytic, “Go down.” The paralytic answers, “I have no one” [to put me into the pool].6 See where you were baptized. From where does baptism come if not from the cross of Christ, if not from the death of Christ. This is the whole mystery: he has suffered for you. In him you have been redeemed. In him you have been saved. ii.7. “I have no one,” the paralytic says. He says this because “death came through a human being and the resurrection through a human being.”7 Those who did not believe that our Lord Jesus Christ took flesh from a virgin were not able to go down and be cured. But the man who said “I have no one” was awaiting the “mediator between God and humankind,”8 namely, the man Jesus; he was awaiting the one of whom it is said, “And the Lord will send a man who will save him.”9 For this reason he deserved to be cured since he believed in the one to come. Yet it would have been better and more perfect if he believed that the one he was hoping for had already come. iii.8. Now consider the details. We said that a type was anticipated in the Jordan when Naaman the leper was purified. Was not the young girl from among the captives an image of the Church? Did she not represent its form? The pagans were held captive. They were prisoners. I do not speak of a captivity imposed by some hostile people, but I speak of a more 3. John 5:4.  4. Isa 9:5, LXX.  5. See 1 Cor 14:22.  6. John 5:6–7.  7. 1 Cor 15:21.  8. 1 Tim 2:5.  9. Isa 19:20, LXX.

53. Ambrose of Milan  47 terrible captivity when the devil, with his own, imposes a cruel power and subjects the necks of sinners to their captivity. iii.9. There you have one baptism; a second is in the flood. You have a third kind when our ancestors were baptized in the Red Sea. A fourth kind is found when the water was stirred up in the pool. Now I ask whether you should believe that the Trinity is present in this baptism by which Christ baptizes in his Church? iv.10. And so the Lord Jesus in the Gospel says to the apostles, “Go therefore baptize all nations in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”10 This is what the Savior said. iv.11. Now tell me, Elias called down fire from heaven, and fire came down.11 Elisha called upon the Lord’s name, and the head of the axe, which was submerged, rose to the surface of the water. This is another type of baptism. Why? Because before baptism every person, like the head of the axe, is pressed upon and submerged. But once baptized, this person is raised up not as the head of an axe but like a lighter type of wood from a fruit tree. There is, consequently, a second figure here. The pieces of wood were cut with an axe. The handle fell from the axe, namely, the iron head went down into the water. The son of the prophet did not know what to do; all he knew was to beseech the prophet Elisha and ask for a remedy. Elisha then threw some wood into the water, and the head of the axe rose to the surface.12 And so you see that all human infirmity is eased through the cross of Christ. iv.12. There is another example, even though we are not following the sequence of events. For who can grasp everything that Christ did, as the apostle said?13 When Moses was in the desert the people, being thirsty, came to the pool of Marah where they wanted to have something to drink. As soon as Moses took some water, he sensed the water’s bitterness and was unable to drink it. So he threw some wood into the pool, and the water, which had been bitter, became sweet.14 iv.13. What is the meaning of this except that every creature subject to corruption tastes like bitter water to everyone? Even if the water is sweet for a time, even if it is pleasing for a time, it is bitter since it cannot take away sin. As soon as you drink it, you thirst; as soon as you taste the sweetness of the liquid, you again taste its bitterness. So the water is bitter. But once it has received the cross of Christ, the heavenly sacrament, it begins to be sweet and pleasant. Rightly is it sweet since it removes sin. If, then, such baptisms are so great in figure, then how much greater is the power of true baptism. v.14. Now consider this. The bishop comes, says a prayer at the font, invokes the name of the Father, the presence of the Son and the Holy Spirit, and uses heavenly words. The words are heavenly because they are the 10. Matt 28:19.  11. See 1 Kgs 18:38.  12. See 2 Kgs 6:5–6.  13. See John 21:25.  14. See Exod 15:22–25.

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words of Christ who says that we are to baptize “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”15 If, then, the Trinity becomes present at human words, how much more is the Trinity present where the heavenly word is at work? Do you wish to be certain that the Spirit descends? You have heard that the Spirit descended in the likeness of a dove. Why in the likeness of a dove? So that unbelievers may be called to faith. In the beginning a sign was necessary; later on fulfillment was necessary. v.15. Yet there is more. After the death of our Lord Jesus Christ the apostles came together in one place and were at prayer, it being the day of Pentecost. Suddenly there was a loud noise, like a violent wind, and there appeared divided tongues, as it were of fire.16 What does this mean unless the descent of the Holy Spirit who desires to reveal himself in a material way to unbelievers, namely, materially by means of a sign, spiritually by means of a sacrament? It is, therefore, a manifest proof of his coming; but we are offered the privilege of faith because in the beginning there were signs for unbelievers; we, however, who already live in the fullness of the Church, are to seize the truth not by means of a sign but by faith.17 vi.16. Let us now examine the meaning of baptism. You came to the font; you went down into it; you saw the bishop; you saw the deacons and the presbyter there. Now what is baptism? vi.17. In the beginning the Lord our God made us immortal so that, provided we did not sin, we would not die. Man, however, sinned, became subject to death, and was ejected from Paradise.18 But the Lord, desiring that his benefits endure and that all the snares of the serpent be destroyed by him, and also desiring to abolish whatever was harmful, first passed sentence on humankind, “You are dust, and unto dust you shall return”;19 and so we became subject to death. This was a divine sentence, unable to be undone by our human condition. Nonetheless, a remedy was given so that we might be able to die and then rise again. And why? So that what previously condemned us might now benefit us. What is this if not death? You ask how can this be because when death occurs, it puts an end to sin. For when we die, we have assuredly ceased sinning.20 So it seems that the sentence was being carried out since humankind, which had been created to live forever on condition that it not sin became mortal. Yet, so that God’s favor might continue without interruption, humankind died, but Christ initiated resurrection in order to restore the heavenly benefit that was lost through the serpent’s deceit. Both were for our benefit: death brings sin to an end, and the resurrection transforms our nature. vi.18. Nevertheless, so that the devil’s deceit and snares not prevail in this world, baptism was devised. Hear what Scripture—or rather God’s Son—says about it: the “Pharisees,” who did not want to receive John’s

15. Matt 28:19.  16. See Acts 2:1–3.  17. See 1 Cor 14:22.  18. See Gen 3:17–23.  19. Gen 3:19.  20. See Rom 6:7.

53. Ambrose of Milan  49 baptism, “rejected God’s plan.”21 Therefore baptism is designed by God. How great is the grace where God’s plan is at work. vi.19. Listen, now. So that the devil’s hold on this world might be broken, a way was found to have a living person die and to have that living person rise again. But what does it mean to be alive? It means living with the life of the body since this person can come to the font and be plunged into it. Where do we obtain water if not from the earth? Therefore the divine sentence is satisfied without the numbness brought by death. The fact that you are baptized serves the sentence: “You are dust, and unto dust you shall return.”22 Once the sentence has been carried out, there is room for the heavenly kindness and remedy. Water thus comes from the earth. On the other hand, our human situation does not allow us to be covered by the earth and then to rise up from it. Consequently, earth does not wash; water does. And so the font is like a tomb. vii.20. You were asked, “Do you believe in God the almighty Father?” You responded, “I believe.” And you were bathed, namely, buried. A second time you were asked, “Do you believe in our Lord Jesus Christ and in his cross?” You responded, “I believe,” and you were immersed— you were buried with Christ, for those who are buried with Christ rise with him. A third time you were asked, “Do you also believe in the Holy Spirit?” You answered, “I believe,” and you were immersed a third time so that the triple confession might forgive the numerous lapses of the past. vii.21. Finally, may I give you an example. During the Lord’s passion the holy apostle Peter seemed to have fallen out of human weakness. To take away and repair this denial, Peter was thrice asked by Christ whether he loved him. Peter then said, “Lord, you know that I love you.”23 Peter responded for a third time in order to be forgiven a third time. vii.22. This is how the Father forgives sin, how the Son forgives sin, and how the Holy Spirit forgives sin. Do not marvel that we have been baptized in one name, namely, “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”;24 Christ spoke of only one name because there is only one substance, one divinity, and one majesty. This is the name of which it is said, “By this name we must be saved.”25 In this name you have all been saved; you have been restored to the grace of life. vii.23. And so, as you heard in today’s reading, the apostle declares, “All who have been baptized were baptized into the death of Jesus.”26 But what is meant by “into the death”? It means that just as Christ died, so you also are to taste death; just as Christ has died to sin and lives for God, so you also have died to the former attractions of sin through the sacrament of baptism and have risen through the grace of Christ. So there is a death, but it is not a real bodily death but a likeness. For when you are bathed, you take upon yourself the likeness of death and burial; you 21. Luke 7:30.  22. Gen 3:19.  23. John 21:15–17.  24. Matt 28:19.  25. Acts 4:12.  26. Rom 6:3.

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50  Chapter VII. Fourth Century. West receive the sacrament of the cross since Christ hung on the cross and his body was nailed to it. So you are crucified with him; you are joined to Christ; with nails you are attached to our Lord Jesus Christ so that the devil cannot separate you from him. May these nails of Christ hold you, whom the weakness of the human condition attempts to pull away. 1052 vii.24. You were bathed. You approached the bishop. What did he say to you? He said, “God, the almighty Father, who gave new birth through water and the Holy Spirit and who forgave your sins, anoints you unto everlasting life.” See unto what you were anointed: as he says, “unto everlasting life.” Do not prefer the present life to everlasting life. If, for example, an enemy accosts you and wants to harm your faith, and if this person threatens to kill you so that you are not able to follow the right path, take care as to your decision. Do not opt for a life into which you were not anointed; rather, choose a life into which you were anointed so that you choose eternal life over temporal life.

53-m-3. on the sacraments. catechesis three i.1. Yesterday we spoke about the font whose appearance somewhat resembles that of a tomb. Into the font we are received and plunged as we express our belief in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Then we emerge, namely, we are restored to life. You receive the myron—the chrism—upon your head. And why upon the head? Because, according to Solomon, the head is the seat of a wise person’s senses.1 Wisdom lacking grace is lifeless; but where wisdom has received grace, the work of the wise person becomes perfect. This is called regeneration. 1054 i.2. What is regeneration? In the Acts of the Apostles you will find a verse that is recited with Psalm 2: “You are my Son, today I have begotten you.”2 Seemingly this refers to the Resurrection, for this is how the holy apostle Petera interpreted it in the Acts of the Apostles: when the Son rose from the dead, the voice of the Father was heard to say, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.”3 This is why Christ is also called the “firstborn from the dead.”4 And so, following the apostle’s interpretation,5 if Christ’s resurrection was a regeneration, so this resurrection from the font is also a regeneration. 1055 i.3. But what do you say about going down into water? Are you somewhat confused here? Do some doubts remain? We read, “May the earth bring forth vegetation, and may it produce seed-bearing fruit.”6 Likewise, in regard to the water you also read, “May the water bring forth animals and so animals were born.”7 These existed at the beginning of creation, but it was reserved for you that water regenerate you for grace just as it brought life to these other creatures. Imitate the fish which has obtained 1053

a. It was really Paul and not Peter who was speaking. 1. See Eccl 2:14.  2. Acts 13:33.  3. Ibid.  4. Col 1:18.  5. See Rom 6:3–11.  6. Gen 1:11.  7. Gen 1:20.

53. Ambrose of Milan  51 less favor, and yet it should cause you to be amazed. It is in the sea, and it is above the waters. The fish is in the sea, and it swims above the billows. A storm with its harsh-sounding winds rages at sea, but the fish swims on. It does not sink because it is accustomed to swimming. So for you this world is the sea. It has various currents, large waves, furious winds. You also are to be a fish so that the waves of this world may not submerge you. Rightly does the Father say to the Son, “Today I have begotten you,”8 namely, when you redeemed the people, when you called them to the kingdom of heaven, when you carried out my will, you proved that you are my Son. i.4. What happened after you came up from the font? You heard the reading. The bishop tucked up his garments—although the presbyters did likewise, it was the bishop who began this service—it was, I say, the bishop who washed your feet after he pulled up his garments. But what about this mystery? You have heard, haven’t you, that the Lord after washing the feet of the other disciples came to Peter, who said to him, “You are going to wash my feet?”9 What Peter meant here was, “Are you, Lord, going to wash the feet of a servant? Are you who are without stain going to wash my feet? Will you, the creator of the heavens, wash my feet?” Elsewhere you find that the Lord went to John, and John said to him, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”10 I am a sinner and you have come to the sinner so that you, who are sinless, may—as it were—put off your sins. You see the fullness of justice;11 you see humility; you see grace; you see holiness. He says, “Unless I wash your feet, you will have no part with me.”12 i.5. We are aware that the church at Rome does not practice this custom, even though we follow Rome’s example and customs in every respect. Nevertheless, Rome does not have the washing of the feet; perhaps it fell into disuse because of the large numbers of people being baptized. Yet there are some who try to offer excuses by saying that this is not to be done in the course of the mystery, not at baptism, not at the time of regeneration; and yet, they say, the feet of a guest may be washed. One is a matter of humility; the other concerns sanctification. Listen now. In short, the washing is a mystery and a sanctification: “Unless I wash your feet, you will have no part with me.”13 I say this not to criticize others but to point out what I am doing here. In all matters I wish to follow the Roman church, and yet we also are gifted with good sense. What is done elsewhere for the best of reasons, we will also do here for the best of reasons. i.6. It is the apostle Peter whom we follow; we cling to his devotion. What does the Roman church respond to this? Yes, it is indeed the apostle Peter who gives authority to my claim, Peter who was the bishop of the Roman church. Peter himself said, “Lord, not only my feet but also my 8. Ps 2:7.  9. John 13:6.  10. Matt 3:14.  11. See Matt 3:15.  12. John 13:8.  13. Ibid.

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hands and my head.”14 Look at Peter’s faith. His initial refusal came from humility; his subsequent acquiescence came from his fervor and faith. i.7. Since Peter had spoken of hands and head, the Lord replied, “One who is washed needs only to wash the feet to be completely clean.”15 Why did the Lord say this? Because all sin is washed away in baptism. Sin, therefore, recedes, but feet are washed because Adam was tripped up by the devil whose poison was spread beneath his feet. The reason for the washing is so that sanctification may give greater protection to that place where the serpent lays in wait and so that he may not be able to trip you up again. You wash the feet in order to wash away the serpent’s poison. Doing so also benefits our own humility if we are not ashamed to do in mystery what we are ashamed to do by way of showing homage. ii.8. Next comes the spiritual sealing which you heard about in today’s reading. For after what took place at the font it remains to perfect all that has been done. This happens when the Holy Spirit is poured forth at the invocation by the bishop: “the spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the spirit of counsel and of fortitude, the spirit of knowledge and of piety, the spirit of holy fear.”16 These are, as it were, the seven virtues of the Spirit. ii.9. Certainly all virtues relate to the Spirit, but these virtues are—so to speak—the cardinal, principal ones. For what is as important as piety? As knowledge of God? As fortitude? As counsel of God? As holy fear? Just as fear of the world is a weakness, so holy fear is great strength. ii.10. These seven virtues are given when you receive the consignation. As the holy apostle says, because our Lord’s wisdom has many forms and “the wisdom of God has many forms,”17 so the Holy Spirit, who possesses a wide variety of virtues, has many forms. Thus God is called the “God of virtues,”18 and this can be applied to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Such, however, could be the topic of another discourse, one given at a future time. ii.11. What happens next? You were able to approach the altar. Doing so, you can now see what previously you could not see. It is the mystery you read about in the Gospel—I presume you have read about it or at least certainly heard about it. A blind man, in order to be cured, presented himself to the Savior who, by word and speech only, cured others and by his command restored sight to the blind. And yet in the Gospel of John—John more than others saw the great mysteries, called attention to them, and explained them—we find this mystery prefigured in the man who was blind. Certainly all the evangelists, all the apostles, were holy, the betrayer being the sole exception. Yet Saint John, who was the last one to write a Gospel and doing so as if he were a dear friend sought out and chosen by Christ, has proclaimed the eternal mysteries with a more powerful trumpet. What he says is a mystery. Others—Matthew, Luke, Mark—relate that the blind

14. John 13:9.  15. John 13:10.  16. Isa 11:2.  17. Eph 3:10.  18. Ps 80:4, 7, 14, 19.

53. Ambrose of Milan  53 man was cured. But only John says, “He made some mud, wiped it on the man’s eyes, and said to him, ‘Go to Siloam.’ Then rising, he went and washed, and when he came back he could see.”19 ii.12. Also think about the eyes of your heart. With your bodily eyes you see what is corporeal. But sacramental things you were still unable to see with the eyes of the heart. So when you inscribed your name, he took some mud and smeared it on your eyes. And the meaning of this? That you have admitted your sins, examined your conscience, done penance for your sins, namely, you acknowledged the lot of the human race. For even though people coming for baptism do not confess sin, nonetheless, by this very fact they confess all their sins since they request baptism in order to be justified, that is, to pass from sin to grace. ii.13. Don’t think this is a waste of time. There are some, and I know at least one of them, who when we say, “At your age you have a greater obligation to be baptized,” would reply: “Why should I be baptized? I have no sin. Have I ever committed a sin?” People like this have no mud because Christ did not smear any on them, that is, Christ did not open their eyes. For no human being is sinless.20 ii.14. Those who seek refuge in the baptism of Christ recognize that they are human. So it is that Christ smeared mud upon you, namely, modesty, prudence, awareness of your frailty, and said to you, “Go to Siloam.” But what is Siloam? “It means,” John says, “sent,”21 namely, go to the font in which the cross of Christ is preached; go to the font in which Christ redeems the sins of all. ii.15. You went there; you washed; you came to the altar; you began to see what you did not see previously, that is, your eyes were opened through the font of the Lord and through the preaching of the Lord’s passion. Formerly you seemed to be blind in your heart, but now you begin to see the light of the sacraments. Therefore, most beloved, we have reached the altar. But since time does not allow, we cannot begin a full explanation, this topic requiring a more extensive treatment. What I said today is enough. Tomorrow, the Lord willing, we will treat the sacraments themselves.

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53-m-4. on the sacraments. catechesis four i.1. In the Old Testament it was customary for the priests to enter the outer tabernacle frequently. However, only once a year did the high priest go into the inner tabernacle. Evidently this is what Paul the apostle is explaining to the Hebrews as he recalls the provisions of the Old Testament, for the inner tabernacle contained manna, Aaron’s rod which had withered and afterwards blossomed, as well as the altar of incense.1

19. John 9:6–7.  20. See Job 14:4, LXX; Rom 3:23.  21. John 9:7. 1. See Heb 9:2–7.

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i.2. What is the purpose of this? That you might understand what this inner tabernacle is, that tabernacle into which the priest led you, the tabernacle into which once each year the high priest was accustomed to enter, namely, into the baptistery where Aaron’s rod, formerly dry, has blossomed.2 You were dry and began to blossom in the flowing water of the font. Through sin you dried up because of your sins and misdeeds, and yet, “planted by streams of water,”3 you already begin to bear fruit. i.3. But perhaps you say, “What did it mean to the people if the priest’s rod became dry and then blossomed again?” Are not the people a priestly people? To whom did Peter the apostle say, “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation”?4 Each of you is anointed for the priesthood, anointed for the kingdom, but it is a spiritual kingdom and a spiritual priesthood. i.4. The inner tabernacle also contains the altar of incense, which customarily burns with a good odor. And so you also are the sweet fragrance of Christ; no stain of sin is in you, no odor of serious error. ii.5. After this you approached and came near the altar. The angels were looking on and saw you approaching. They saw this human condition, formerly stained with the dark squalor of sin, suddenly begin to shine brightly. They also asked, “Who is this coming up from the wilderness all clean?”5 The angels also marvel. And to what extent? Listen to Peter the apostle who says that “the angels long to look at”6 what has been given to us. Also, “No eye has seen,” he says, “no ear has heard what God has prepared for those who love him.”7 ii.6. Then acknowledge what you have received. David the holy prophet saw this grace in a figure and desired it. And to what extent? Listen once again, “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”8 Why? Because snow, although white, quickly darkens with dirt and is spoiled. The grace you have received, provided you preserve it just as you have received it, will certainly continue to last forever. ii.7. And so you came, full of desire since you saw so much grace. With desire you came to the altar in order to receive the sacrament. Your soul says, “I shall go to the altar of God who gives joy to my youth.”9 You laid aside the old age of sin, and you clothed yourself with the youthfulness of grace. This is what the heavenly sacraments give you. Again, listen to what David says, “Your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”10 You became a good eagle, seeking heaven and loathing the things of the earth. Good eagles encircle the altar, since “where the body is, there the angels will gather together.”11 The altar represents the body, and the Body of Christ is on the altar. You are eagles, renewed by being cleansed from sin.

2. See Num 17:8.  3. Ps 1:3.  4. 1 Pet 2:9.  5. Cant 8:5.  6. 1 Pet 1:12.  7. 1 Cor 2:9.  8. Ps 51:7.  9. Ps 43:4.  10. Ps 103:5.  11. Matt 24:28.

53. Ambrose of Milan  55 iii.8. You have approached the altar; you have directed your attention to the sacraments placed on it, and you marveled at what you saw although it is something common and familiar. iii.9. Perhaps someone might say: “God granted the Jews such a great grace; God rained down manna from heaven upon them.12 What more has God given to his faithful ones? What more has been given to those to whom he has promised more?” iii.10. Listen to what I have to say. The Christian mysteries are older than the Jewish mysteries; the Christian sacraments are older than those of the Jews. In what way? Just listen. When did the Jews begin to exist? Certainly at the time of Judah, the great-grandson of Abraham, or if you wish to understand it differently—at the time of the Law, that is, when they merited to receive “God’s Law.” And so from Abraham’s greatgrandson they were called Jews at the time of saintly Moses. God then rained down manna upon the disgruntled Jews. But for you the figure of these sacraments came earlier, at Abraham’s time when he gathered together the 318 household retainers, went off in pursuit of his enemies, and rescued his nephew from captivity. Then he returned victorious. The priest Melchizedek met him and offered bread and wine.13 Who had the bread and wine? Not Abraham. But who, then? It was Melchizedek. And so Melchizedek is the source of the sacraments. Who is this Melchizedek whose name means “king of righteousness, king of peace”?14 Who is this king of righteousness? Who, then, is this king of righteousness unless it is the righteousness of God? Who is the peace of God, the “wisdom from God”?15 It is he who could say, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.”16 iii.11. And so, first of all, understand that the sacraments you receive are older than the sacraments claimed by the Jews as their own, and that the Christian people began to exist before the Jews did so: we existed in God’s plan; they existed in name. iii.12. So Melchizedek offered bread and wine. Who is Melchizedek? “Without father,” they say, “and without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but like the Son of God.”17 This is what the Epistle to the Hebrews says. “Without father,” it says, and “without mother.” The Son of God was born by divine generation, without a mother because he was born from God the Father alone. And again, he was born without a father since he was born of a virgin. He was not begotten of male seed, but he was born of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, coming forth from the virgin’s womb. Melchizedek, being in all things like the Son of God, was also a priest since Christ also is a priest of whom it is said, “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”18 12. See Exod 16:13–15.  13. See Gen 14:14–18.  14. Heb 7:2.  15. 1 Cor 1:30.  16. John 14:27.  17. Heb 7:3.  18. Ps 110:4; Heb 7:17.

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iv.13. Who, then, initiated the sacraments if not the Lord Jesus? The sacraments came from heaven since all purpose19 comes from heaven. It is a great and divine miracle that God rained down manna from heaven and that the people ate without toiling for their food. iv.14. Perhaps you say, “My bread is ordinary bread.” But such bread is bread before the sacramental words; only after the consecration does the bread become the Body of Christ. Let us prove this. How is it possible that bread becomes the Body of Christ? By whose words does the consecration take place? By whose expressions? Those of the Lord Jesus. Whatever is said before this, is said by the priest: one praises God, one prays to God, one petitions for the people, for kings, for others; but when it comes to bringing about a venerable sacrament, the priest uses not his own words but those of Christ. And so the word of Christ brings about the sacrament. iv.15. What is this word of Christ? Certainly the word by which all things were created. The Lord commanded that the heavens be made, that the earth be made, that the seas be made, that every creature be born. Consequently you see how efficacious is Christ’s word. If there is such great power in the word of the Lord Jesus so that what lacked existence comes into being, how much more efficacious it is for changing what already exists into something else. The heavens did not exist; there was no sea, no earth. But listen to David as he says, “He spoke and it was made; he commanded and it was created.”20 iv.16. To answer your question: before the consecration it was not Christ’s body, but after the consecration it is—I say to you—the Body of Christ. He spoke and it was done; he commanded and it was created. You yourself existed, but you were an old creature; after your consecration you began to be a new creature. You wish to know to what extent this creature is new? “Whoever,” he says, “is in Christ is a new creation.”21 iv.17. Hear, then, how Christ’s word is wont to change every creature and how it changes, when he so desires, the laws of nature. You ask how. Just listen. Our first example will be that of Christ’s birth. A human being ordinarily comes into existence from a conjugal relationship between a man and a woman. But because the Lord wished, because he chose this mystery, it was from the Holy Spirit and the virgin that he was born, namely, the “one mediator between God and the human race, Christ Jesus.”22 You see, then, that contrary to the laws and order of nature a man was born of a virgin. iv.18. Here is another example. The Jewish people, attacked by the Egyptians, were cut off by the sea. At God’s command Moses touched the waters with his rod, and the waters parted,23 certainly not as nature is accustomed to do, but according to the grace of heavenly power. Another 19. See Luke 7:30.  20. Ps 33:9; see Ps 148:5.  21. 2 Cor 5:17.  22. 1 Tim 2:5.  23. See Exod 14:21.

53. Ambrose of Milan  57 example. The people, being thirsty, came to a spring which was bitter. Moses threw a piece of wood into the spring, and the spring, formerly bitter, became sweet, that is, it changed its nature and received the sweetness of grace.24 A fourth example. The iron head of an axe fell into the water and, true to its nature as iron, sank to the bottom. Elisha cast a stick into the water and immediately the iron head rose up to the water’s surface.25 Obviously this went contrary to the very nature of iron since iron is heavier than water. iv.19. And so from this do you not understand how much is brought about by the heavenly word? If this word has an effect on an earthly spring, if it has an effect on other things, does it not have an effect on the heavenly sacraments? You know, then, that the bread is changed into the Body of Christ and that the wine, which with water is poured into the cup, becomes Blood by means of the heavenly consecration. iv.20. But perhaps you say, “I don’t see anything resembling blood.” But the likeness is there. For just as you have assumed the likeness of death, so you also drink the likeness of the precious Blood in order that no horror of blood be there and that the price of redemption take effect. And now you know that what you receive is the Body of Christ. v.21. Do you wish to be convinced that the consecration takes place by means of the heavenly words? Listen to what the priest says: “Make this offering for us approved, spiritual, acceptable. It is a figure of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ who on the day before he suffered took bread into his holy hands, looked upward toward heaven, to you, holy Father, almighty and eternal God, and giving thanks, he blessed it and gave it to his apostles and disciples, saying, ‘Take and eat of this, all of you; for this is my Body which shall be broken for many.’”26 v.22. Listen carefully now. “In like manner he also took the cup after the meal, on the day before he suffered; he looked upward to heaven, to you, holy Father, almighty and eternal God, and giving thanks, he blessed it and gave it to his apostles and disciples, saying, ‘Take and drink of this, all of you; for this is my Blood.’”27 Notice that the evangelist is the source of all the words up to “take” the body or the blood; from there on the words are those of Christ, “Take and drink, all of you, for this is my Blood.” v.23. Notice each detail. “On the day before he suffered,” it says, “he took bread into his holy hands.” Before it is consecrated, it is bread; but once Christ’s words are added, it becomes the Body of Christ. Finally, hear him as he says, “Take and eat, all of you, for this is my Body.” Before Christ’s words are spoken, the cup is full of wine and water; but once his words are said, it becomes the Blood that redeemed the people. Notice the many ways Christ’s word can change things. Furthermore, the Lord Jesus

24. Exod 15:23–25.  25. See 2 Kgs 6:5–6.  26. See Matt 26:26–28; Luke 22:19–20; 1 Cor 11:23–25.  27. Ibid.

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himself has affirmed that we are to receive his Body and Blood. Are we to doubt the authority of his faith and of what he affirms? v.24. Now return with me to the theme of my catechesis. It was indeed a great and venerable happening that manna rained down upon the Jews from heaven. But just think about it. Which is greater, manna from heaven or the Body of Christ? Surely it is the Body of Christ, who created heaven. Whoever ate the manna has died; whoever eats this Body will receive the forgiveness of sins and will never die.28 v.25. Therefore it is not insignificant that you say “Amen,” recognizing in spirit that you receive the Body of Christ. When you went up to receive, the priest said to you, “The Body of Christ,” and you replied “Amen,” namely, “it is true.” What your tongue confesses, may your heart hold fast. Know that this sacrament was preceded by its figure. v.26. Next, acknowledge how great a sacrament it is. Notice what he says, “As often as you do this, you do it in memory of me until I return.”29 v.27. And the priest says: “Therefore we call to mind his most glorious passion, his resurrection from hell, and his ascension into heaven. We offer you this spotless sacrifice, this spiritual sacrifice, this unbloody sacrifice, this holy bread and the cup of eternal life. We beseech and pray that you accept this offering upon your altar on high through the hands of your angels, just as you deigned to accept the gift of your just son Abel and the sacrifice of Abraham our Father and what the high priest Melchizedek offered to you.” v.28. What, then, does the apostle say to you each time you receive? “As often as we receive, we proclaim the death of the Lord.”30 If we proclaim his death, we proclaim the forgiveness of sins. If each time that his blood is poured out, it is poured out for the forgiveness of sins, then I should always receive it so that the Lord may always forgive my sins. Since I always sin, I should always have a medicine. v.29. Today we have gone on as far as possible in our explanation. But tomorrow and Saturday we will say something about the Lord’s Prayer and about the order of prayer, doing so as best we can. May our Lord God keep you in the grace that he gave you, and may he deign to enlighten more fully the eyes that have been opened through his only-begotten Son our King and Savior, our Lord God, by whom and with whom he has praise, honor, glory, magnificence, power, with the Holy Spirit, from the ages, now and always, forever and ever. Amen.

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i.1. Yesterday’s instruction went as far as the sacraments of the altar, and we learned that a figure of these sacraments had preceded them at the time of Abraham when saintly Melchizedek, “having neither beginning

28. See John 6:49–50.  29. See 1 Cor 11:26.  30. Ibid.

53. Ambrose of Milan  59 of days nor end of life,”1 offered sacrifice. Listen to what Paul the apostle said to the Hebrews. Where are those who say that the Son of God is of time? It is said that Melchizedek had neither beginning of days nor end of life.2 If Melchizedek had no beginning of days, could Christ have had such a beginning? But the figure is not greater than the reality. You see, then, that he is “the first and the last,”3 the first because he is the source of all things, the last not because he will have an end but because he completes all things. i.2. We have said that the cup and bread are placed on the altar. What is poured into the cup? Wine. And what else? Water. Yet you say to me, “But why did Melchizedek offer wine and bread? Why is water mixed with wine?” Here is the reason. i.3. First of all, what is the meaning of the figure which preceded at the time of Moses? When the Jewish people were thirsty and were complaining because they were unable to find water, God commanded Moses to touch the rock with his staff. Moses did so and the rock issued forth the greatest amount of water.4 As the apostle says, “They drank from the rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.”5 The rock was not immoveable since it followed the people. And you drink so that you may follow Christ. Look at the mystery. Moses, that is, the prophet, with his staff, that is, the word of God: with God’s word the priest touches the rock, water flows, and God’s people drink. The priest touches the cup, water abounds in the cup, it flows for eternal life,6 and God’s people, who have obtained divine grace, drink from it. i.4. This is what you learned. Yet there is even more. During the Lord’s passion when the great Sabbath was approaching some individuals were sent to beat Jesus or the thieves because they were still alive. Upon arriving, they found that our Lord Jesus Christ was already dead. Then one of the soldiers with his lance pierced our Lord’s side, from which water and blood flowed forth.7 Why water? Why blood? Water in order to cleanse; blood in order to redeem. Why from the side? Because where grace originates, there guilt originates. Guilt came through a woman, grace through our Lord Jesus Christ.8 ii.5. You approached the altar. The Lord Jesus Christ calls you or your soul or the Church as he says, “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth.”9 Do you wish to apply this to Christ? Nothing could be more appropriate. Do you want to apply it to your soul? Nothing could be more agreeable. ii.6. “Let him kiss me.” He sees that you are cleansed of all sin because your sins have been washed away. This is why he judges you to be worthy of the heavenly sacraments. This is why he invites you to the heavenly banquet. “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth.” 1. Heb 7:3.  2. Ibid.  3. Rev 1:17; see 22:13.  4. See Exod 17:1–6.  5. 1 Cor 10:4.  6. See John 4:14.  7. See John 19:31–34.  8. See John 1:17.  9. Cant 1:2.

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ii.7. Yet because of what follows, your soul or the human condition or the Church speaks, seeing itself purified from all sins and worthy of approaching Christ’s altar—for what is Christ’s altar unless the image of Christ’s body? Seeing the wonderful sacraments, it says, “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth,” that is, let Christ kiss me. ii.8. Why? “Because your breasts are better than wine,”10 that is, your thoughts, your sacraments are better than wine. This wine, although having a sweetness, a charm, a pleasing taste, contains a worldly joy, whereas in you is found spiritual happiness. And so it is already Solomon who introduces the wedding between Christ and his Church, or between the spirit and the flesh, or between the spirit and the soul. ii.9. And he adds, “Your name is perfume poured out; therefore the maidens love you.”11 Who are these maidens unless all the souls who have shed the old age of this body, all who have been renewed by the Holy Spirit? ii.10. “Draw us after you, let us run after the scent of your garments.”12 Listen to what he says. You cannot follow Christ unless Christ draws you after him. Furthermore, to convince you of this he says, “When I am lifted up, I will draw all things to myself.”13 ii.11. “The king has brought me into his chamber”14—the Greek has “into his storeroom” or “into his pantry” where there are good drinks, where there are good perfumes, the sweetest honeys, various fruits, where there are dishes of many kinds, so that your meal be composed of many delights. iii.12. So you approached the altar; you received the Body of Christ. Hear again what sacraments you have received. Listen to what holy David says. Under the action of the Spirit he foresaw these sacraments. He rejoiced and said that he lacked nothing. Why? Because those who have received the Body of Christ will never experience hunger.15 iii.13. How often have you heard Psalm 22 [23] without understanding it? See how well it applies to the heavenly sacraments. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul.  .  .  . Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me.”16 The rod is sovereign power; the staff is suffering, that is, Christ’s eternal divinity but also his bodily suffering. The one has created; the other has redeemed. “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”17

10. Ibid.  11. Cant 1:3.  12. Cant 1:4.  13. John 12:32.  14. Cant 1:5, LXX; see 1:4 in Vulgate.  15. See John 6:35.  16. Ps 23:1–4, New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition.  17. Ps 23:5, New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition.

53. Ambrose of Milan  61 iii.14. And so you approached the altar; you received the grace of Christ; you received the heavenly sacraments. The Church rejoices at the redemption of many and takes spiritual delight to see close by its family dressed in white. You can find this in the Canticle of Canticles.18 In its joy the Church calls upon Christ; it has prepared a feast which appears worthy of the heavenly feast. This is why the Church says, “Let my brother descend into his garden and gather the fruits of its trees.”19 But what are these fruit trees? You became dry wood in Adam, but now through Christ’s grace you shoot up like fruit trees. iii.15. Willingly has the Lord Jesus received, and with heavenly graciousness he has responded to his Church, “I have descended,” he says, “into my garden. I have gathered myrrh with my spices; I have eaten my bread with my honey. I have drunk my wine with my milk. My brothers,” he says, “eat and drink.”20 iii.16. “I have gathered my myrrh with my spices.” But what is this gathering? Know the vineyard, and you will know the gathering. “You brought a vine,” he says, “out of Egypt,”21 that is, God’s people. You are the vineyard; you are the gathering. You are planted, as it were, as a vineyard. You are the gathering. You produce fruit. “I have gathered myrrh with my spices,” that is, unto the sweet odor, the sweet odor you have received. iii.17. “I have eaten my bread with my honey.” You see that there is no bitterness in this bread; it is full of sweetness. “I have drunk my wine with my milk.” You see that this kind of joy is not polluted by any stain of sin. In fact, each time you drink, you receive the forgiveness of sins and are inebriated in spirit. This is why the apostle says, “Do not get drunk with wine, but be filled with the Spirit.”22 Those inebriated with wine stagger and sway; those inebriated by the Spirit are rooted in Christ. Therefore excellent is the drunkenness that effects sobriety of the soul. This concludes our brief review of the sacraments. iv.18. What remains is the topic of prayer. Do not think that knowing how to pray is of little importance. The holy apostles said to the Lord Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray as John taught his disciples.” Then the Lord said this prayer. “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors, and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.”23 Notice the brevity of the prayer, how it contains all the elements of prayer. How pleasing is its first phrase. iv.19. You did not dare to look up toward heaven; you lowered your eyes toward the earth and suddenly you received Christ’s grace; all your sins were forgiven. From bad servants you became good children. 18. See Cant 8:5, LXX.  19. Cant 4:16, LXX.  20. Cant 5:1.  21. Ps 80:9.  22. Eph 5:18.  23. Luke 11:1–4; Matt 6:9–13.

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Presume not, then, on what you yourself do but on the grace of Christ. As the apostle says, “By grace you have been saved.”24 This is not presumption but faith. To announce what you have received is not arrogance but devotion. Therefore lift up your eyes to the Father who begot you by the bath, to the Father who redeemed you through his Son, and say, “Our Father.” This is a good yet moderate presumption. Like children, you call him Father, but you do not desire anything special. He is the special Father of Christ alone, and for us he is a Father in common since he begot Christ alone whereas he created us. You, then, are to say through grace “Our Father” in order to merit to be God’s child. Commend yourself to the care and consideration of the Church. iv.20. “Our Father in heaven.” But what does “in heaven” mean? Listen to what the Scripture says, “High is the Lord above all the heavens.”25 And everywhere you find that the Lord is in the highest heavens, as if the angels were not also in the heavens, as if the dominations were not also there. They are in the heavens of which it is said, “The heavens tell the glory of God.”26 Heaven is the place where sin has ceased, where shameful crimes are struck down, where there is no wound of death. iv.21. “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” What is to be made holy? As though we were to hope that he be made holy who said, “You shall be holy because I am holy,”27 as if our praise could increase God’s holiness. No, but may God be made holy in us so that his holiness may reach us. iv.22. “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come.” As though God’s kingdom were not eternal. Jesus himself says, “I was born for this,”28 and you say to the Father, “Your kingdom come,” as if it has not come. Yet God’s kingdom arrived when you obtained grace. For he himself says, “The kingdom of God is within you.”29 iv.23. “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.” All things, both in heaven and upon earth, were made peaceful by the blood of Christ.30 Heaven was made holy; the devil was cast down from there. The devil is active in that place where is found the man whom he deceived. May your will be done, namely, may there be peace on earth just as there is peace in heaven. iv.24. “Give us this day our daily bread.” Recall what I said to you when I was explaining the sacraments. As I told you, what is present before the words of Christ is called bread. But once Christ’s words have been pronounced, no longer is it said to be bread, but it is called the Body. Why, therefore, do we say “our bread” in the Lord’s Prayer which follows immediately afterwards? Certainly the Lord said bread; yet he said ejpioúsios, namely, “substantial.” Bread does not enter the body but rather the bread of eternal life which strengthens the substance of our soul. Therefore in 24. Eph 2:5.  25. Ps 113:4.  26. Ps 19:1.  27. Lev 19:2.  28. John 18:37.  29. Luke 17:21.  30. See Col 1:20.

53. Ambrose of Milan  63 Greek it is called ejpioúsios. In Latin, however, this bread is called daily bread because the Greeks refer to tomorrow as th;n ejpiou`san hJmevran. And so both the Latin and the Greek seem useful. The Greek uses one word to express both meanings; the Latin speaks of it as daily. iv.25. If this bread is daily bread, why should you receive it only once a year as the Greeks in the East customarily do? Receive daily so that it can profit you daily. Live in such a way that you deservedly receive each day. Whoever does not merit to receive each day does not merit to receive after a year’s wait. Thus saintly Job daily offered a sacrifice for his sons lest they perhaps had sinned either in heart or in word.31 And so you hear it said that as often as the sacrifice is offered, the Lord’s death, resurrection, and ascension are signified, as well as the forgiveness of sins. And you do not receive this bread of life daily? Whoever is wounded requires medicine. Our wound is that we are subject to sin; our medicine is the heavenly and venerable sacrament. iv.26. “Give us this day our daily bread.” If you receive [the Eucharist] each day, then for you daily is today. If Christ is for you today, then he rises for you daily. How? “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.”32 Therefore it is today when Christ rises. As Paul the apostle says, “Yesterday and today he is.”33 Elsewhere he says, “The night has passed; the day approaches.”34 The night of yesterday has passed; the day of today comes near. iv.27. Here is what follows. “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” What is a debt except sin? So if you had not accepted the money of a stranger lending with interest, you would not be in want, and for this reason sin is imputed to you. You had money with which you should have been born rich. You were rich, created as you were in God’s image and likeness.35 You lost what you had, namely, humility. When you arrogantly desire to take vengeance, you have lost your money, making yourself nude like Adam. From the devil you received a debt that was not necessary. And for this reason you, formerly free in Christ, were in debt to the devil. The enemy held your bond, but the Lord crucified and erased it by means of his blood.36 He removed your debt and restored you to freedom. iv.28. Rightly, therefore, does the Lord say, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” Listen closely to what you say, “As I forgive, so you forgive me.” If you forgive, you make yourself suitable for being forgiven. But if you do not forgive, how do you make it fitting for God to forgive you? iv.29. “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Listen to what he says, “Do not lead us into a temptation” that we cannot resist. He does not say, “Do not lead us into temptation,” but like an athlete he

31. See Job 1:5.  32. Ps 2:7.  33. Heb 13:8.  34. Rom 13:12.  35. See Gen 1:26–27.  36. See Col 2:14.

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64  Chapter VII. Fourth Century. West wishes a test that human nature can endure; he desires that each person be delivered from evil, that is, from the enemy, from sin. 1126 iv.30. Furthermore, the Lord, who took away your sin and forgave your transgressions, is capable of guarding you and of protecting you from the snares of the devil your adversary so that the enemy, who customarily brings about sin, may not surprise you. But those who commit themselves to God do not fear the devil, “for if God is for us, who is against us?”37 So to God be praise and glory from the ages, now and always, forever and ever. Amen.

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i.1. Just as our Lord Jesus Christ is truly the Son of God—not by grace as we are but as being the Son of God born from the very substance of the Father—so it is Christ’s true flesh, as Christ himself said, which we receive. It is Christ’s true blood which is our drink.1 i.2. Yet you might perhaps say—as did Christ’s disciples when they heard his words “Whoever does not eat my flesh and drink my blood will not abide in me and will not have eternal life”2—”How can this be? Certainly I see something that looks like blood, but I do not see real blood.” i.3. First of all, I already told you that Christ’s word acts so that it can change and transform the general laws of nature. I also told you that when Christ’s disciples did not believe his words—hearing him say that he would give his flesh to eat and his blood to drink—they turned away.3 It was Peter alone who said, “You have the words of eternal life; to whom shall I go?”4 So that many might not say the same thing due to a certain fear of blood and in order to retain the grace of redemption, you receive the sacraments in likeness, but you receive the grace and power of Christ’s true nature. i.4. “I am,” Jesus says, “the living bread that has come down from heaven.”5 Flesh, however, does not come down from heaven. In other words, he took his flesh from a virgin on earth. In what way, therefore, does bread descend from heaven, and how is it living bread? Because our Lord Jesus Christ holds in common both divinity and a body, and you, receiving the flesh, share in the food of his divine nature. ii.5. You have, then, received the sacraments. You have a full grasp of everything. You were baptized in the name of the Trinity. In all that we have done the mystery of the Trinity is seen. Wherever the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are, there is one action, one sanctification, even if there seem to be some distinct traits. ii.6. How is this? God anointed you, and the Lord marked you with a seal and sent the Holy Spirit into your hearts.6 You have, therefore,

37. Rom 8:31. 1. See John 6:56.  2. John 6:53–54.  3. See John 6:61–62.  4. John 6:68.  5. John 6:41.  6. See 2 Cor 1:21–22.

53. Ambrose of Milan  65 received the Holy Spirit into your hearts. There is more. Just as the Holy Spirit is in your hearts, so Christ is also in your hearts. And how? In the Canticle of Canticles you find Christ saying to his Church, “Set me as a seal on your heart, as a seal on your arm.”7 ii.7. Therefore God has anointed you; Christ has marked you with a seal. How? Because you have been marked with the sign of his cross, with the sign of his suffering. You received this sign so that you might resemble him, so that you might rise again unto his image, so that you might live as an example of one who is crucified to sin and who lives for God. And your old self, once it was submerged in the font, has been crucified to sin but has risen for God.8 ii.8. Elsewhere you find this in particular: it is God who has called you,9 whereas in baptism it is with Christ that you were crucified in a special way,10 and then there is something special when you receive the spiritual seal. You see that there is a distinction of persons; nonetheless, the whole mystery of the Trinity is linked together. ii.9. What did the apostle next say to you when you heard the reading two days ago? “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who is at work in all of them in each person.”11 The apostle says that God is active in all of them. But as to the Spirit of God, you heard it read that “one and the same Spirit distributes to each one individually just as he chooses.”12 Listen to the Scripture which says that the Spirit divides as the Spirit so desires and not as commanded. The Spirit, then, has divided grace for you as the Spirit wills and not as ordered to do so, and especially because the Spirit of God is the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit Paraclete himself. ii.10. The Arians believe that they diminish the Holy Spirit if they call him the Spirit Paraclete. But what is the Paraclete unless a consoler? As if one had not also read that the Father is the “God of consolation”?13 You see that they think the Holy Spirit is lessened by what proclaims the power of the eternal Father with tender affection. iii.11. Listen now as to how we are to pray. Prayer has many qualities. It is important to know where you should pray—this is not a minor detail. The apostle says, “I desire, then, that men should pray everywhere, lifting up pure hands without anger or argument.”14 And the Lord says in the Gospel, “Whenever you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father.”15 Isn’t there a contradiction here? The apostle says, “Pray everywhere” whereas the Lord says, “Pray within your room.” Yet there is no contradiction. We will settle this question first. Then we will learn about how to begin prayer; the order in which to divide prayer; what

7. Cant 8:6.  8. See Rom 6:4–6, 10.  9. See Gal 1:6.  10. See Rom 6:6.  11. 1 Cor 12:4–6.  12. 1 Cor 12:11.  13. 2 Cor 1:3.  14. 1 Tim 2:8.  15. Matt 6:6.

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should be added; how to conclude prayer; and then for whom you should pray. iii.12. First, where to pray. Paul seems to say one thing, the Lord another. But could Paul ever teach anything contrary to the precepts of Christ? Certainly not. And why not? Because Paul is not an adversary of Christ; he is an interpreter of Christ. Paul says, “Imitate me as I imitate Christ.”16 And so? You can pray everywhere, and you can always pray in your room. Your room is everywhere. Even if you find yourself among the pagans, among the Jews, you have your secret room everywhere. This room is your spirit. Even if you find yourself with other people, nonetheless, you have your hidden and secret room within you. iii.13. “When you pray, go into your room.” Well does he say “go into” so that you do not pray like the Jews of whom it was said, “This people honors me with their lips; their heart, however, is far from me.”17 And so may your prayer come forth not only from your lips. Give it all your attention; enter into the quiet place of your heart; enter there completely. May the one you wish to please not find you negligent. May God, seeing that you pray from the heart, deign to hear you praying from the heart. iii.14. “When you pray, go into your room.” Elsewhere you can read, “Come, my people, enter your rooms; hide yourselves for a little while till the Lord’s anger has passed.”18 The Lord said this through the prophet. But in the Gospel the Lord says, “Whenever you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father.” iii.15. What does “close the door” mean? What door do we have? Understand that you have a door which you should close when you pray. Would that women understood this. As you already heard, saintly David taught you this when he said, “Set a guard over my mouth and a door to close my lips.”19 Elsewhere there is another door of which Paul the apostle speaks, “For me,” he says, “a door will be opened for the word so that we might proclaim the mysteries of Christ.”20 This means that when you pray, you are not to cry out in a loud voice, nor pray in all directions, nor broadcast your prayer throughout the people. Pray secretly, by yourself, being confident that God, who sees all and hears all, can hear you in secret. “Pray to your Father in secret, for your Father who sees in secret”21 hears your prayer. iv.16. Let us ask what benefit derives from praying in secret rather than praying aloud? What reason is there for doing so? Listen to this example taken from ordinary life. If you ask something of a person who has good hearing, you don’t find it necessary to shout; rather, you speak in a normal tone. But if you ask something of a deaf person, do you not speak more loudly so that this individual can hear you? Accordingly, those who shout believe that this is the only way God can hear them; so when they petition 16. 1 Cor 4:16; 11:1.  17. Isa 29:13; Matt 15:8.  18. Isa 26:20.  19. Ps 141:3.  20. Col 4:3.  21. Matt 6:6.

53. Ambrose of Milan  67 God in this manner, they diminish God’s power. On the other hand, those who pray silently give proof of their faith and acknowledge that God scrutinizes “reins and hearts,”22 and hears their prayer even before it escapes their lips. iv.17. Therefore consider this: “I wish that men pray everywhere.” Why did Paul say “men”? Obviously prayer is common to both women and men. I find no reason for this except perhaps that the holy apostle spoke of men lest women, making use of this and misunderstanding “everywhere,” begin to cry out everywhere even though we cannot endure having them do so in church. iv.18. “I wish that men,” that is, those who can obey this precept “pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands.” But what is the meaning of “lifting up holy hands”? Does it mean that when you pray you should show the Lord’s cross to the pagans? Surely the cross is a sign for courage, not for shame. However, you can pray by lifting up all that you do—not by making gestures. If you wish to lift up your hands, lift up hands that are pure through innocence. Do not lift them up everyday. Doing so once, it is not necessary for you to do so again. iv.19. “I wish that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument.” Nothing is more true. It is said that “anger brings ruin also to those who are wise.”23 So in every possible circumstance Christians are to restrain their anger as best they can, especially when they come to pray. So that indignation not trouble your soul, so that the fury of anger not hinder your prayer, dispose yourself for prayer; and when you approach, your heart is at peace. Why are you upset? Has your servant done something wrong? You pray so that your own wrongs be pardoned, and you are indignant at another! This, then, is the meaning of “without anger.” v.20. Let us now consider disappointment in prayer. Very often someone engaged in business comes to pray: an avaricious person thinking about money; another thinking about profit; another about honors; still another about what he or she wants. And each believes that God hears the prayer. Therefore when you pray, take care that you prefer divine things to those that are human. v.21. The apostle Paul desires that women pray without flaunting their ornaments or pearls.24 However, the apostle Peter says that the grace of a woman is very important, for her good conduct can change her husband’s disposition; so the disbeliever can be turned to the grace of Christ.25 Such is the influence of a woman’s seriousness, purity, and good conduct: she calls her husband to faith and to fervor, something the words of a prudent man often accomplish. And so a woman, he says, should not find her adornment in braiding her hair or in ornaments, but in prayer which

22. Ps 7:9.  23. Prov 15:1, LXX.  24. See 1 Tim 2:9.  25. See 1 Pet 3:1.

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68  Chapter VII. Fourth Century. West arises from a pure heart, where is found the hidden character of the heart which is always rich in God’s sight.26 You have, therefore, the means to be rich. Your riches in Christ are purity and chastity; your ornaments are faith, fervor, and mercy. These are the treasures of justice, as the prophet recalls.a 1148 v.22. Now, how should you begin your prayer? Listen carefully. Suppose you wish to request something of a person and you begin as follows, “Give me this; here is what I am requesting.” Would not your prayer appear to be presumptuous? Thus you should begin your prayer by praising God, beseeching the almighty God for whom all things are possible, the God who desires to grant what you ask. Petition follows, as the apostle taught when he said, “First of all, then, I urge that prayers, supplications, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made.”27 The first part of a prayer should, therefore, contain praise of God; the second, supplication; the third, intercession; the fourth, thanksgiving. You should not begin your prayer like a famished person who speaks of food in order to obtain some, but begin your prayer by praising God. 1149 v.23. Those who speak wisely have the following method for making a judge well-disposed toward them: they begin by praising him so that his decision will be favorable. Then, little by little, they request that the judge hear them patiently. Third, the object of their petition is made, namely, what is it that they are requesting. Fourthb .  .  . just as the prayer began with praise of God, it is necessary to conclude by praising and thanking God. 1150 v.24. You can find this in the Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father in heaven.”28 God is praised because he is proclaimed as Father; the glory of paternal love is in him. The God who is praised dwells in heaven and not upon the earth. “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,” that is, may God make holy his servants. God’s name is made holy within us when people are proclaimed to be Christians. Therefore “hallowed be your name” expresses what is hoped for. “May your kingdom come.” Here we petition that Christ’s kingdom be in all. If God reigns in us, then the adversary can find no room there. Guilt does not reign, sin does not reign; but virtue reigns, modesty reigns, fervor reigns. Then: “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.” This is the greatest of all the requests. “And forgive,” he says, “our debts as we forgive our debtors.” Each day receive [the Eucharist?] so that each day you may receive forgiveness of your debt. “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” What comes next? Listen to what the priest says: “Through our Lord Jesus Christ in whom you possess and with whom you possess

a. The phrase “treasures of justice” (thesauri iustitiae) is not found in the Bible. b. There is probably something missing in the text. 26. See 1 Pet 3:3–4.  27. 1 Tim 2:1.  28. Matt 6:9.

53. Ambrose of Milan  69 honor, praise, glory, majesty, power, with the Holy Spirit from the ages, now and always, forever and ever. Amen.” v.25. A further point.c Even though there is only one book of the Psalms of David that contains the qualities of prayer we have spoken about above, nonetheless most often these qualities can be found even in one psalm, for example, Psalm 8 which begins as follows: “O Lord, our Lord, how wonderful is your name in all the earth.” This is the beginning of the prayer. Then comes the entreaty: “Because I will see the heavens, the works of your fingers,” namely, I will see the heavens, “the moon and the stars which you have established.” He does not say, “I will see the heaven” but rather “I will see the heavens where grace begins to grow white with heavenly splendor.” The prophet promised that these heavens will be given to those who merit the Lord’s heavenly grace. “The moon and the stars which you have established”: the moon being the Church, the stars being the Church’s children who shine with the light of heavenly grace. Then notice his petition: “What are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them? You have made them little less than the angels; you have crowned them with glory and honor; you have made them masters of the works of your hands.” The thanksgiving follows. “You have placed all things under their feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field,”29 and so on. v.26. We have taught you—doing so to the utmost of our ability—what we perhaps have not really learned, and we have expressed it as best we are able. May your holiness, formed by priestly teaching, strive to retain what it has received. In this way may your prayer be acceptable to God and your offering be as a pure victim. May God always recognize in you his sign so that you also may obtain the grace and the rewards of virtue through our Lord Jesus Christ to whom is honor, glory, praise, eternity, from the ages, now and always, forever and ever. Amen.

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53-N. An Explanation of the Creed† Although the authenticity of this homily to those preparing for baptism was long disputed, many today consider it a genuine work of Ambrose. 1. Till now we have been celebrating the scrutinies. The object of a scrutiny is that uncleanness not adhere to anyone’s body. Through exorcism holiness not only of the body but also of the soul is sought and applied. Now is the time and the day to hand over the symbolum [the creed], which

c. Dom Botte, the editor of the text from which this translation has been made, surmises that this section is incomplete (SChr 251 bis:153). 29. Ps 8:1–7. † Translated from De sacramentis; De mysteriis; nouvelle édition, ed. B. Botte, SChr 25 bis (Paris, 1961) 46–47.

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70  Chapter VII. Fourth Century. West is a spiritual seal, the object of our heart’s meditation, and a safeguard that is always present. It is truly a spiritual treasury. 1154 2. First, we should consider the reason for its name. In Greek it is called symbolum, in Latin conlatio [a bringing together]. Bankers especially are accustomed to speak of a symbolum when they bring together their money, and the sum gathered from what each brings is kept whole and inviolate so that no one tries to defraud another or the transaction itself. Thus among bankers themselves it is the custom that if someone commits fraud, that person is rejected as a defrauder. Therefore the holy apostles, coming together, composed a summary of the faith so that we might briefly understand the lineage of our faith. Brevity was necessary so that it always be remembered and kept in mind. I know that especially in parts of the East one has added to what was originally handed down by our ancestors, some as if by fraud, others out of zeal—heretics by fraud, Catholics out of zeal. [.  .  .]

53-O. Duties of the Clergy† Perhaps of homiletic origin, the three books of the Duties of the Clergy, dating between 371 and 391, are meant to illustrate the difference between Christian and pagan morality. I.l.239. [.  .  .] In days past a lamb or a calf was offered. Now it is Christ who is offered, offered as a man and as one who suffered. Now, as a priest, he offers himself so that our sins be forgiven. Here he does so in an image but there in truth where he intercedes for us as our advocate with the Father. 1156 I.l.249. As you well know, ministry is to be seen as something unimpaired and pure, not violated by any conjugal act. Do you not know this, you who have received the gift of holy ministry with pure bodies, unsullied modesty, and never having engaged in the marital act? I mention this because in many distant places there are those who upon entering the ministry or the priesthood itself acknowledge having children. This they defend by saying that they are following an old custom, one whereby the sacrifice was offered only at intervals of several days. Yet the people themselves observed continence for two or three days before they could approach the sacrifice without stain as we read in the Old Testament, “they wash their garments.”1 If such attention was paid to what was a figure, then how much more is to be paid to what is true! Learn, O priest and deacon, the meaning of washing your garments whereby you show that your body is pure for celebrating the sacraments. If the people were forbidden to approach the offering unless they had washed their garments, 1155

† Translated from Ambrose: De officiis, vol. 1, ed. I.J. Davidson (Oxford, 2001) 255, 261, 263. 1. Exod 19:10.

53. Ambrose of Milan  71 do you, if unclean in both mind and body, dare to intercede for others? To minister to others?

53-P. On the Patriarchs† Scholars do not agree as to whether this work, whose redaction took place after 390, has a homiletic origin. 9.38. [.  .  .] The Lord Jesus was poor so that he might free us from want, 1157 as the apostle teaches, “Although he was rich, he became poor for your sake so that by his poverty you might become rich.”1 His poverty enriches; the hem of his garments cures;2 his hunger satisfies; his death gives life; his burial brings resurrection. Therefore he is a rich treasury, he whose bread is rich, indeed rich since whoever eats this bread will never experience hunger.3 He gave this bread to his apostles so that they might share it with a believing people,4 and today he gives to us the bread which he, the priest, daily consecrates using his [Christ’s] own words. Therefore this bread becomes the food of the holy ones. [.  .  .]

53-Q. Commentaries on Twelve Psalms of David†† The homilies in this collection date from the latter years of Ambrose’s life. Psalm 1. 9. [.  .  .] What is more pleasing than psalmody? As David so very well says, “Praise the Lord because psalmody is a good thing; may joyful and fitting praise be given to our God.”1 Truly psalmody is a blessing of the people; it is praise of God, the approbation by the people, the applause of all, the language of the whole world, the voice of the Church, the melodious confession of faith, the full devotion of approval, the gladness of freedom, the cry of happiness, the sound of joy. It appeases anger, renounces anxiety, alleviates grief. It is protection for the night, guidance for the day, a shield against fear, a feast of holiness, an image of tranquility, a pledge of peace and harmony. It is like a lyre issuing forth one sound from diverse and different voices. A psalm echoes at day’s beginning; it resounds at day’s close. Although the apostle commands women to be silent in church,2 they do well to sing the psalms. Doing so in church is delightful for every age, fitting for each sex. Doing so the elderly, having put off the rigor of old age, sing; the mature who are sad respond with cheerful hearts; the young sing without harming Translated from Sancti Ambrosii Opera, vol. 2, ed. C. Schenkl, CSEL 32.2 (Vienna, 1897) 146–47. 1. 2 Cor 8:9.  2. See Matt 9:20–22; 14:34–36.  3. See John 6:35.  4. See Matt 15:36. †† Translated from Sancti Ambrosii Opera, vol. 6, ed. M. Petschenig, CSEL 64 (Vienna, 1919) 7ff. 1. Ps 147:1.  2. See 1 Cor 14:34. †

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72  Chapter VII. Fourth Century. West themselves by licentiousness; adolescents sing without danger to their tender age, without any fear of being tempted to pleasure; young women sing psalms without harm to their modesty; little girls without forsaking their innocence sing a hymn to God with the sweetness of a moderated voice. Doing so, children eagerly desire to understand; in psalmody the young enjoy practicing whereas in other things they refuse to spend much time doing so; singing is more productive than rigid instruction. How much effort is undertaken in church so that there is silence when the lessons are read! If one person is chattering, all are disturbed; yet when a psalm is read, it produces silence for itself; all are singing and yet no one is disturbed. Kings without the arrogance of power echo the psalms; David took pleasure in being seen doing so. Emperors sing the psalms; the people rejoice in psalmody; individuals vie with one another in singing the psalms so that all may profit. Psalms are sung both at home and outside the home. Easily understood, they are retained with pleasure. The psalms unite those who disagree, bring together those who are at odds, and reconcile those who have been offended. For who cannot be pardoned when it is one voice that goes forth to God? Surely it is a great body of unity when a number of people are united into one choir. The lyre has various strings, but there is a harmony of sound. Even with very few strings do a musician’s fingers often make mistakes, but when the people sing, the artist, the Spirit, does not know how to err. Psalmody is the place of nightly work, the payment for daily relaxation, the method for instructing beginners, the support of those who are perfect, the activity of the angels, the military service of heaven, a spiritual offering. Psalms and rocks are related to each other: when psalms are sung, rocklike hearts are softened; we see those who are harsh in tears, those without mercy weeping. 1159 Psalm 1. 10. In psalmody doctrine contends with grace. What we joyfully sing together is instruction so that we may learn. What is forcefully commanded does not last; however, what we receive in an agreeable manner, once it is infused into our hearts, usually does not disappear. Does this not happen to you when you sing the psalms? In the psalms I read a song for the beloved one,3 and I am excited with desire for holy love; in the psalms I recognize the wine-presses of the divine mystery, the kindness of those revealing; I review the witnesses of the resurrection, the obligations of promises; in the psalms I learn how to avoid sin; I learn not to be ashamed to do penance for sins. So great a king, so great a prophet has roused me by his example so that either I take pains to diminish the sin I have committed or I take care not to commit sin. 1160 Psalm 36. 65. [.  .  .] Those who pray are redeemed if they dutifully direct their thoughts to their prayers and are constant in prayer. May they

3. Ps 45.

53. Ambrose of Milan  73 anticipate the day, may they use the night, may they hasten to greet the early morning sun so that through Christ the sun rising over the earth may shine upon them. Those who sing the psalms are redeemed; those who are encouraged to do so are redeemed. Psalm 38. 25. [.  .  .] The discourses of the prophets contain a shadow of what we now celebrate in the Church. The shadow is found in the flood, in the Red Sea, when our others were baptized in the cloud and in the water, in the rock from which water flowed forth and followed the people.4 Does not the sacrament of this most holy mystery have a shadow? Is not water from the rock a shadow, as it were, of Christ’s blood which followed the fleeing people so that they might drink and not thirst,5 so that they might be redeemed and not perish? But the shadow of the night and of the darkness of the Jews has already departed; the day of the Church has arrived. Now we see what is good through an image, and we preserve the good things of the image. We see the high priest approaching us; we see and hear him offering his blood for us; as priests we follow in order to offer the sacrifice for the people; even though rightly weak, we are honorable in the sacrifice. Even though Christ is not now seen to be offering, yet he offers on earth because his body is offered. Certainly in us he is seen to offer, he whose word makes holy the sacrifice that is offered. [.  .  .]

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53-R. Sermons 53-r-1. sermon on the death of satyrus† Satyrus was the brother of Ambrose. The text actually combines two homilies given in 378, one preached during the funeral itself and the other seven days later. i.43. What, then, should I say concerning his respect for divine worship? 1162 Before he was initiated into the more perfect mysteries, he was on a ship which, being dashed upon rocky shallows, was in danger of being broken up by waves coming in from all sides. Fearing not death but rather that he might depart this life without the mystery, Satyrus asked those whom he knew were initiated to give him the divine sacrament of the faithful, not so he could curiously look upon hidden things but to strengthen his faith. Wrapping it in a cloth which he placed around his neck, he jumped into the water. Not needing a board shaken loose from the ship’s structure on which to float till he could be rescued, he sought only the arms of faith. Thus believing that he was sufficiently protected and kept safe in this way, he sought no further assistance. 4. See 1 Cor 10:1–4.  5. See John 4:13. † Translated from Sancti Ambrosii Opera, vol. 7, ed. O. Fallers, CSEL 73 (Vienna, 1955) 232–33.

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53-r-2. sermon on the death of valentinian† Valentinian II, one of the two Western emperors, was assassinated at Vienne in May 392 when he was only twenty years old. His body was returned to Milan, where Ambrose preached this sermon. 1163

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10. Blessed are they who, even when advanced in years, have corrected their error; blessed are they who, even when death is at hand, have turned from vices. “Blessed are they whose sins are covered”1 because it is written, “Cease from evil, do good, and you will live forever.”2 Therefore whoever—no matter at what age—ceases to sin and turns to better things will obtain the forgiveness of past sins, which have been confessed with a penitential spirit or have been rejected with the desire to amend. Yet in obtaining this pardon one shares in the fellowship of many, for there are many who in old age can call themselves back from the dangers of youth; rare, however, is the one who while a youth has carried the heavy yoke with restrained sobriety. [.  .  .] 51. I hear you lamenting that he [Valentinian II] had not received the sacrament of baptism. Now tell me, what else do we have if not the desire, if not the request? For a long time he desired to be initiated so that upon arriving in Italy he would be initiated, and just recently he indicated that he desired to be baptized by me. Consequently for various reasons he thought I should go to him. And so does he not have the grace he desired, the grace he requested? Because he asked, he received. And so it is said, “By whatsoever death a just man shall be overtaken, his soul shall be at peace.”3 52. [.  .  .] Grant, I pray, to your servant Valentinian the gift he so desired, the gift he requested while in good health, while he was physically strong and unimpaired. If, afflicted with sickness, he had postponed it, yet he would not be completely lacking your mercy, he who was cheated by the swiftness of time and not by his own desire. [.  .  .] 53. If you are disturbed that the mysteries [of initiation] were not solemnly celebrated, remember that neither martyrs if they are catechumens are crowned since they are not crowned unless they have been initiated. But if the martyrs are washed in their own blood [baptized], so his righteousness and desire have washed him also. 56. With your hands offer the holy mysteries; with pious affection may we request his repose. Celebrate the heavenly sacraments; with our offerings may we escort the soul of our son. My people, “lift up your hands to the holy place”4 with me so that at least by this service we might repay him for the good he has done. I will not sprinkle his grave with flowers, but I will suffuse his spirit with the odor of Christ. Others may scatter † Translated from Sancti Ambrosii Opera, vol. 7, ed. O. Faller, CSEL 73 (Vienna, 1955) 335ff. 1. Ps 32:1.  2. Ps 37:26.  3. Wis 4:7.  4. Ps 134:2.

53. Ambrose of Milan  75 lilies by the basketfuls; Christ is our lily, and with this lily I will bless his remains; with this lily I will commend his favor. [.  .  .]

53-S. Letters The ninety-one extant letters of Ambrose (no. 23 is spurious) treat numerous aspects of ecclesial life in Milan and elsewhere. They are collected into ten books; according to some this collection is the work of Ambrose himself.

53-s-1. letter 8 (39). to faustinus† 1. I knew that you would be experiencing great grief upon the death of your sister. [.  .  .] 4. Therefore I believe she should not so much be mourned as accompanied with prayers, and I think you should not lament her with your tears but rather commend her soul to the Lord by your prayers.

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53-s-2. letter 62 (19). to vigilius†† a 2. [.  .  .] Mesopotamia lies in the East and is bounded by the Euphrates and the Tigris, the two largest rivers in that area. They have their origins in Armenia and flow, though by different routes, into the Red Sea. The word “Mesopotamia” stands for the “Church.” It is the Church that waters the souls of the faithful with the great streams of wisdom and justice, granting them the grace of sacred baptism, typified by the Red Sea and the washing away of sins. Accordingly, instruct the people to seek the bonds of marriage not from among strangers but from the Christian household. [.  .  .]

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53-s-3. letter 75a (21a). to anysius against auxentius††† a 34. They [the Arians] also claim that the people were misled by singing my hymns. Clearly I do not deny this.b Nothing is more powerful than such sublime song, for what is more powerful than proclaiming the Trinity, than having all the people giving praise each day with their voices? Eagerly do all strive to confess the faith and know how to proclaim in

† Translated from Sancti Ambrosii Opera, vol. 10.1, ed. O. Faller, CSEL 82.1 (Vienna, 1968) 66, 68. The enumeration of these letters generally follows that given in CSEL, with numbers found in parenthesis being those according to PL 16. †† Translated from Sancti Ambrosii Opera, vol. 10.2, ed. O. Faller, CSEL 82.2 (Vienna, 1968) 122. a. Vigilius: bishop of Trent 385–405. ††† Translated from Sancti Ambrosii Opera, vol. 10.3, ed. M. Zelzer, CSEL 82.3 (Vienna, 1968) 105. a. Anysius: the bishop of Alonika in Greece. Auxentius: the Arian bishop of Dorostoruno in Moesia. b. Namely, the fact that people were singing Ambrose’s hymns.

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76  Chapter VII. Fourth Century. West verse the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. In this way all, who hardly were able to be pupils, became teachers.

53-s-4. letter 76 (20). to marcellina, the sister of ambrose† 4. On the following day, which was Sunday, after the readings and the homily, and once the catechumens had been dismissed, I was handing over the creed to some of the competentesa in the basilica’s baptistery. There I received news that some court officials had been sent from the palace to the Portiana basilica where they were hanging cloth draperies. Furthermore, I was told that some of the people were going there. I, however, remained at my post and began to celebrate Mass [missam]. 1173 5. While offering, I learned that a certain Castulus, who according to the Arians was a priest, had been seized by the people, passers-by encountering him in the street. I began to weep most bitterly and to pray during the offering that [God] might provide help so that no one’s blood be shed on behalf of the Church, or at least that my blood be shed not only for the welfare of my own people but also for that of the ungodly. [.  .  .] 1172

53-s-5. letter 77 (22). to marcellina, his sister†† 1. Since I desire that nothing occurring here during your absence escape your knowledge, you should be aware that the bodies of certain martyrs have been discovered. 1175 When about to dedicate a basilica, many began to say to us with one voice: “Dedicate a basilica as you did in Rome.” I replied, “I will do so if I find any relics of the martyrs.” Immediately I experienced a strong feeling that something was about to happen. 1176 2. Need I use many words? The Lord looked upon us with favor. Terrified were the clerics whom I ordered to remove the earth found before the chancel of Saints Felix and Nabor.a I discovered suitable signs. When we called in some of those upon whom hands were to be imposed, the power of the holy martyrs became so evident that while I was still silent one woman was seized and thrown forward toward the holy tomb. We found two men [Gervasius and Protasiusb] of wonderful stature as was customary in days past. Their bones were all perfect; there was much blood. Throughout those two days a large group of people gathered. In short, we put everything in its place. Evening approaching, we transferred everything to the basilica of Fausta. Here an all-night vigil was held, and 1174

Translated from CSEL 82.3, 109–11. a. Competentes: members of the catechumenate preparing for baptism at the next Paschal Vigil. †† Translated from CSEL 82.3, 126–28, 134. a. Felix and Nabor: early Milanese martyrs, perhaps of African origin. b. Gervasius and Protasius: the protomartyrs of Milan who probably died in the late second century. †

53. Ambrose of Milan  77 hands were imposed on some. On the following day we carried these relics into the basilica called Ambrosian. A blind man was cured during the transferral. 3. This is the sermon I then preached to the people. “In light of the very large and unprecedented number of you who have gathered and the gifts of divine grace which has shown forth in the holy martyrs, I confess that I judged myself unequal to this task, unable to express in words what we can hardly grasp with our minds or understand with our eyes. [.  .  .] 13. “May these victorious victims ascend to the place where Christ is the victim. But he who suffered for all is upon the altar; they who are redeemed by his passion lie under the altar. I have already appointed this place for myself since it is right that a priest rest where he is accustomed to offer. But I yield the right side to the holy victims, this place being destined for the martyrs. Therefore may we deposit the most holy relics, carry them to their worthy dwelling places, and celebrate the whole day with faithful devotion.”

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53-s-6. letter (63). to the church at vercelli† a 1179 65. How I resisted ordination! But finally, being compelled, I at least attempted to have my ordination delayed, but what was prescribed gave way to popular pressure. By their decision the bishops of the West approved my ordination; those in the East did likewise. [.  .  .] 1180 66. But if other churches pay such great attention to the ordination of a priest, how much care is to be exercised in the church of Vercelli where two things seem to be demanded of the bishop: monastic self-control and church discipline? Eusebius of happy memory was the first bishop in western lands to bring these together: while living in the city he both obeyed monastic regulations and governed the church with the sober fasting. Much assistance is given to the grace of the priesthood if the bishop obliges young men to practice abstinence and to observe the rule of purity, and—even if they reside in the city—to reject urban practices and conduct.

53-T. Hymns Called the “Father of Western Hymnody,” Ambrose not only promoted hymn singing at Milan but also composed numerous hymn texts. Popular in nature and easy to remember, they were written in iambic dimeters (eight syllables) grouped in verses of four lines each. By the seventh century a large corpus of hymns written in this style had come into use, all called “Ambrosian.” Recent scholarship seems to agree that at least four of the texts ascribed to Ambrose are certainly authentic, testimony being found in the writings of Augustine (WEC 3:98). Moreover, other scholars Translated from PL 16:1206–7. Not found in CSEL 82. a. Vercelli: located in northwest Italy, west of Milan. †

78  Chapter VII. Fourth Century. West attribute even more hymn texts to the bishop of Milan, e.g., the Splendor paternae gloriae.

53-t-1. aeterne rerum conditor† Reference to this morning hymn is found in Augustine’s Corrections 1.21. In the Roman Breviary it was long used at Sunday Lauds from the octave of the Epiphany to the first Sunday in Lent and from the Sunday nearest the first day of October till Advent. In the present Ambrosian liturgy it is sung at every Matins. 1181

Eternal Lord the world that made, Who hides the day in night’s black shade And fixes hour on hour, that we May never faint or weary be. Hark to the herald of the morn, Who vigil through the dark has borne, Still separating night from night, To travellers a pledge of light. The day star hears, and at the call Looses the sky from night’s grim thrall, While roaming bandits at the word From mischief cease and sheathe the sword. His ringing notes the sailors cheer, The angry waves less would appear; And he on whom the Church is built When the cock crew confessed his guilt. [.  .  .]

53-t-2. deus creator omnium†† Augustine refers to this evening hymn in his Confessions IX.xii.32 (WEC 3:2515). It appears at Vespers in the present Ambrosian Liturgy of the Hours. 1182

God who all things did create And the heavens dost moderate, Who doth clothe the day with light, With benefit of sleep the night. Which may our weakened senses make Able new toils to undertake, And all our minds from anguish ease And our distempered griefs appease.

†

Translation from Wright (1928), 186. Translation (modified) from Wright (1928), 185.

††

53. Ambrose of Milan  79 Day sinks; we thank thee for thy gift, Night comes; to thee again we lift Our prayers and vows and hymns, that we Against all ills defended be. Thee let our inmost hearts acclaim, Thee let our tuneful voices name, To thee our chaste affections cling, Thee sober reason adores as king. [.  .  .]

53-t-3. jam surgit hora tertia† This hymn on Christ’s death on the cross is attested by Augustine in his De natura et gratia 63. It begins Terce on Sunday in the present Ambrosian Liturgy of the Hours. Behold the hour of terce draws nigh When Christ went to the cross to die. Let no proud thoughts distract our mind That shall in prayer in solace find.

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The heart where Christ is all in all Shall ne’er be led by sense in thrall, But by continual prayer within In depths the Holy Ghost shall win. This is the hour that once did send To sin’s old lethargy its end. Death’s realm his victory must own; The crimes of earth are overthrown. From hence by grace of Christ began A time of happiness for man; And on the churches from the sky Was shed the faith of verity. [.  .  .]

53-t-4. intende qui regis israel†† Augustine in Sermon 372 quotes this Christmas hymn, which in the Roman Liturgy is sung before Christmas during the Office of Readings in the Liturgy of the Hours. Listen, all who rule Israel, all who sit above the Cherubim, appear before Ephraim, awaken your power and come. †

Translation from Wright (1928), 181. Translation of verses two, three, and four by J.M. Neale (1818–66).

††

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80  Chapter VII. Fourth Century. West O come, Redeemer of the earth, and manifest thy virgin birth. Let every age in wonder fall: such birth befits the God of all. Begotten of no human will but of the Spirit, Thou art still The Word of God in flesh arrayed, the promised fruit to man displayed. The Virgin’s womb that burden gained, its virgin honor still unstained. The banners there of virtue glow; God in his temple dwells below. 54. Filaster of Brescia

Filaster (Philaster) became bishop of Brescia in northern Italy toward the end of the fourth century. Before his ordination he was a wandering preacher; as bishop he attended the anti-Arian synod of Aquileia in 381. Otherwise, little is known of his life. He died ca. 397. CPL nos. 121ff. * Altaner (1961) 432 * Altaner (1966) 369 * Bardenhewer (1908) 430–31 * Bardenhewer (1910) 373–74 * Bardenhewer (1913) 3:481–85 * Labriolle (1947) 1:432–34 * Labriolle (1968) 297–300 * Quasten 4:130–33 * Steidle 152 * Tixeront 234–35 * CATH 4:1277–78 * DHGE 16:1473–74 * DPAC 1:1357–58 * DTC 12.2:1398–99 * EC 5:1291–92 * EEC 1:323–24 * EEChr 1:426 * LTK 3:1279 * ODCC 1273–74 * PEA (1991) 9:783

54-A. Book of Heresies† Written between 385 and 391, the Diversarum haereseon liber or Liber de haeresibus lists a total of 156 heretics, 28 from Jewish times, 128 from the Christian era. The author utilized previous works of this genre, and his treatise was in turn used by Augustine (WEC 3:98-Q). Filaster’s writing is far from faultless: for example, he fails to distinguish between heresy and schism; and among the heretics he places certain Old Testament protagonists as well as various doctrinal statements with which he disagreed. lxxvii. (49). Other heretics are the so-called Aquarians. In the heavenly sacraments they offer water, something the Catholic and apostolic Church is not accustomed to do. 1186 cxl. (112). 1. There are certain heretics who cast doubt upon the day of our Lord and Savior’s Epiphany, a day celebrated on the VIII ides of 1185

Translated from Eusebii Vercellensis Episcopi Quae Supersunt, ed. V. Bulhart, CCL 9 (Turnhout, 1957) 249, 304, 312. †

54. Filaster of Brescia  81 January [6 January]. They say that they are to celebrate only the Lord’s birth on the VIII calends of January [25 December], and are not to celebrate the Epiphany, forgetting that under the law and according * * * the Savior in the flesh so brought himself to perfection that he was born and then appeared on the VIII calends of January in order to show himself to the Magi twelve days later * * * in the temple, so that what was true would not be hidden but would be adored by the Magi. cxl. (112). 2. A yearly series of four major feasts has been established for our salvation: the first feast is the day on which Christ was born; then there is the day on which he appeared, namely, the twelfth day afterwards; then [after] the day on which he suffered, namely, the Pasch; then the day close to Pentecost on which he ascended into heaven, this indeed being the completion of the victorious One. cxl. (112). 3. Whoever ignores one of these days is neglectful and can also have doubts concerning the other days, lacking as they do the fullness of truth since such are without the diverse joys that four times a year spring up to us from Christ the Lord, namely, the day of his birth; then the day on which he appeared; third, the day on which he suffered, rose, and was seen; and fourth, the day on which he ascended into heaven. cxl. (112). 4. Generally we always and joyfully celebrate these days throughout the year; we observe them, all of them, keeping them inviolate. Some believe that the Epiphany is the day of baptism; others that it is the day of the transfiguration on the mountain. cxlix. (121). 3. The Church celebrates four fasts during the year: first, a fast at Christ’s birth;a then at the Pasch;b the third at the Ascension;c and the fourth at Pentecost. A fast is observed at the birth of our Lord and Savior; in like manner for forty days prior to the Pasch; also at the ascension into heaven on the fortieth day after the Pasch; then for ten days till Pentecost or afterward [aut postea]. cxlix. (121). 4. This was done by the apostles who after the ascension fasted and prayed1 when, as written, they merited to obtain at Pentecost the fullness of the Holy Spirit, and when, already equipped with heavenly arms and all previous doubts having been laid aside, they hastened to become invincible teachers and glorious martyrs of the Lord. cxlix. (121). 6. Others, however, believe the fast should be observed according to the four seasons of the year. [.  .  .] * * * = corrupt text. a. Some understand in natale as indicating a fast previous to Christmas; others as a fast during the Christmas season. b. Some understand in pascha as indicating a forty-day fast between Easter and the Ascension; others as indicating forty days of fasting before Easter. c. Certain manuscript traditions read “in Epiphania,” which would certainly be out of sequence here. 1. See Acts 1:14; 14:23.

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82  Chapter VII. Fourth Century. West 55. Siricius, Pope

Elected bishop of Rome in 384, Siricius is especially noted for expanding papal power and authority by stressing the bishop of Rome’s primacy over and responsibility for all other churches. He was a friend of Ambrose (WEC 2:53), who eclipsed him in popularity, influence, and literary skills. Presiding over Roman synods (386 and again in 390–92), Siricius did not hesitate to condemn heretics, for example, the Priscillianists (a heretical group very influential in Gaul) and the monk Jovinian (d. ca. 405), who denied among other things the perpetual virginity of the Virgin Mary. Siricius died on November 26, 399. CPL no. 1637 * Altaner (1961) 415–16 * Altaner (1966) 355 * Bardenhewer (1908) 444 * Bardenhewer (1910) 385 * Bardenhewer (1913) 3:591–92 * Bautz 10:530–31 * Labriolle (1947) 2:687 * Quasten 4:580–81 * Steidle 146 * Tixeront 276 * CATH 14:128–29 * CE 14:26–27 * DCB 4:696–702 * DPAC 2:3239 * DTC 14.2:2171–74 * EC 11:756–57 * EEC 2:782–83 * EEChr 2:1064 * LTK 9:631 * NCE 13:258–59 * NCES 13:166–67 * ODCC 1506 J. Janini, S. Siricio y las Cuatro émporas: una investigación sobre las fuentes de la .  .  . (Valencia, 1958). * P.H. Lafontaine, “Remarques sur le prétendu rigorisme pénitentiel du pape Sirice,” RUO 28 (1958) 31–48. * P.H. Lafontaine, Les conditions positives de l’accession aux ordres dans la première législation ecclésiastique (300–492) (Ottawa, 1963).

55-A. Letters Among this pope’s seven letters that have come down to us, the one to Bishop Himerius of Tarragona in Spain, written in 385, is historically the most important. The Spanish bishop earlier sent a set of questions to Pope Damasus (WEC 2:52), the predecessor of Siricius, but the letter arrived only after the pope’s death in 384. So in a set of fifteen replies to fifteen questions, Siricius, once secretary to Damasus and now bishop of Rome, responded. This letter is usually considered the first decretal, namely, a papal letter responding to one or more particular questions.

55-a-1. letter 1. to himerius† 1193

i. –2. On the first page of your letter you indicated that many who have been baptized by the godless Arians are hastening to the Catholic faith and that some of our brothers wish to baptize them anew. This practice is forbidden by the apostle,1 prohibited by the canons, and condemned by the council of Ariminuma whose general decrees were sent to the provinces by Liberius,b my predecessor of happy memory. It is through the Translated from PL 13:1133–37, 1142–45. a. Today the city of Rimini; this synod took place in 359. b. Liberius: bishop of Rome 352–66. 1. See Eph 4:5. †

55. Siricius, Pope  83 invocation alone of the seven-fold Spirit and through the imposition of the bishop’s hand that we reconcile the Novatiansc and other heretics to the body of Catholics, as the synod determined and is observed by both East and West. So it is henceforth proper that you not deviate from this path if you do not wish to be separated from us by the synod’s decision. 1194 ii. –3. There is also the confusion caused by baptizing people whenever it is so desired. This is due to our brother priests who—not because of any authority but by rashness alone—presume to baptize indiscriminately and with no restrictions. They do so, as you say, on Christmas, on the Epiphany, as well as on the feasts of the apostles and martyrs. This is not approved and is to be corrected since among us and among all the churches the law maintains that baptism is to take place only on Pentecost and on the Pasch. These are the only days of the year when the sacraments in their entirety are given to those flocking to the faith; yet this pertains only to the elect who enroll their names forty or more days previously and atone for their sins by means of exorcisms, daily prayers, and fasting. In this way is fulfilled the apostle’s command that the old dough is to be cleared out, replaced by new dough.2 Just as reverence for the Pasch is not to be diminished, so we desire that the water of holy baptism be given with all speed to infants who are still too young to speak out or to those for whom a necessity exists. Our souls will risk destruction if, denying the saving font to those desiring it, someone leaving this world should lose both the kingdom and life itself. Also, those suffering the peril of shipwreck, hostile attack, the uncertainty of siege, or the hopelessness of any type of bodily weakness, and demand to be assisted by the one and only help of belief, at the very time of their request they are to receive the rewards of the desired regeneration. There has been enough error in this matter. All priests who do not wish to be separated from the solidarity of the apostolic rock, upon which Christ built the universal Church,3 are to observe the above rule. 1195 iii. –4. At the end of life pardon of sins is not to be denied to apostates, namely, to those who separate themselves from the Body of Christ. You also added that some Christians, becoming apostates—something terrible to hear—were profaned by worshiping idols and by the pollution of sacrifices. We order that these be separated from Christ’s Body and Blood through which, not long ago, they were redeemed by being reborn. And if perhaps they begin to grieve, they are to do penance for the rest of their lives; at the end they may be granted the grace of reconciliation because, as the Lord has said, we do not desire the death of the sinner but that he or she convert and live.4 1196 iv. –5. As to marriage, you asked whether a man may marry a woman who is engaged to someone else. In no way is this to happen because the c. Novatians: members of a rigorous schismatic community in Rome. 2. See 1 Cor 5:7.  3. See Matt 16:18.  4. See Ezek 18:32.

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blessing given by the priest to the engaged woman is, when violated in any way, considered by the faithful to be a type of sacrilege. v. –6. It was not improper for you, beloved, to believe that you should consult the apostolic see as to those who, having performed acts of penance, return like dogs and swine to their former vomit and pigsties; once again they long for the sword-belt, for pleasures of the theater, for new marriages, and for prohibited romances whose acknowledged incontinence is shown by the offspring born after absolution. Since these can no longer rightly do penance, we decree that they can be present within the church but only to pray with the faithful. They can also be present for the celebration of the holy mysteries even though they are unworthy of them. However, they are excluded from sharing at the table of the Lord’s Supper. In such a way, reproached by at least this restriction, they reprove their own sins and provide an example to others in that they are separated from their evil desires. Since their fall was due to human weakness, we desire that as they begin their journey to the Lord they may be strengthened by a gift for the journey [Viaticum] through the grace of Communion. We believe that such an arrangement is also applicable to women who after doing penance have attached themselves to such uncleanliness. ix. –13. Those who from infancy are vowed to serve the Church are to be baptized before the years of puberty and be associated with the ministry of readers. At the onset of adolescence such a person is to become an acolyte and subdeacon, remaining so till his thirtieth year and provided he lives in an upright fashion, having one wife who was a virgin at the time of their marriage when a public blessing was given by the priest. Afterwards he may advance to the diaconate if he first proves himself worthy and excels in continence. On condition that he has laudably served as a deacon for more than five years, he may go on to the priesthood. Then, after ten years, he can be ordained bishop if throughout these years he has demonstrated integrity of faith and life. x. –14. An older person who is called to pursue a higher way of life and wishes to leave the lay state for that of a cleric will not attain the fruit of his desire unless at baptism he is immediately enrolled among the readers or exorcists; it must be evident that he either had or has one wife, she being a virgin at the time of marriage. Two years after his initiation he can become an acolyte or a subdeacon. After five years he can be promoted to the diaconate if during this time he is judged worthy. Then when the time is at hand and after being chosen by the clergy and people, he can rightly obtain the presbyteral or episcopal office. xiv. –18. We must also see to it that just as no cleric is to do penance, so no member of the laity after penance and reconciliation is to become a cleric. Although they have been cleansed from the contagion of all sin, nonetheless, those who recently were vessels of vice are not to handle the vessels [instrumenta] used during the sacraments.

56. Three Anonymous Sermons. On Penance  85

55-a-2. letter 7. to various bishops† 3. [.  .  .] Indeed we accept and do not reject the wedding vows; we are present for the veiling. Yet we give higher honor to the virgins devoted to God, virgins who are the fruit of such marriages. [.  .  .]

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56. Three Anonymous Sermons. On Penance

Three sermons, presumably given in Rome on Thursday of Holy Week for the reconciliation of the penitents, have come down to us. Found among the Augustinian corpus, they are nonetheless regarded as the work of a fourth-century Roman archdeacon. CPL no. 238 * Quasten 4:565

56-A. Sermon 2. On Penance†† i. “This is the acceptable time, the day of salvation.”1 May the tears of the penitents move you, Holy Father, to grant forgiveness to those who desire it through you by him who dwells within you. Indeed they come to him, prostrating before him. They ask the Lord who created them to wipe away what they have done and to restore what he once made. ii. The Lord turns away from sins but not from those who have sinned. May he not look upon those doing evil so that their “remembrance may perish from the earth.”2 But may his eyes always be upon those doing penance, those who are thirsty, “and may he hear their prayers.”3 By means of the body they have sinned, and for this reason they afflict the body. They require punishment for the evil they have done, and so God’s merciful pardon is required. They are angry at themselves so that they might placate God, and they punish themselves to avoid his punishment. iii. “As a sacrifice” they offer him “an afflicted spirit”4 so that he who “resists the proud” and who “gives grace to the humble”5 may not spurn a “contrite and humble heart.”6 Baptism made them new; may penance heal those who have been wounded. They have not retained what they once professed; may the sins they confessed not be retained. They have not requested freedom; they do not pay off a debt. They have shown mercy; may they be worthy of mercy. They have remitted; may it be remitted to them. They have given; may it be given to them. iv. The vast amount of earthly evils—evils that burden them in the darkness of their conscience—is shattered by the voice of Christ. By confessing they emerge from the tomb into the light. Release them and allow them to

Translated from PL 13:1171. Translated from Eusebii Vercellensis Episcopi Quae Supersunt, ed. V. Bulhart, CCL 9 (Turnhout, 1957) 358–60. 1. 2 Cor 6:2.  2. Ps 34:16.  3. Ps 34:15.  4. Ps 51:19.  5. Jas 4:6.  6. Ps 51:17. †

††

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go, for you have the keys whereby “whatsoever you loose upon earth will be loosed in heaven.”7 By sin their members served the tyrant; now they are restored to the just conqueror. Eyes once deceived by the allurements of sin now pour forth tears. v. Ears that were receptive to ungodly sounds are now struck by the groaning of those shedding tears for themselves. The tongue that gloried in its perverse freedom is now humbled as it makes its request. Hands once uselessly at work now make supplication as they seek medicine. We see feet that once hastened toward sin now changing their direction. And the whole body, previously guilty of sin, is now seen to be prostrate in tears. vi. By these outward signs Christ appears as the victor within. The enemy, having been expelled, is in torment. The stronger one, who commanded that those who are bound should be loosed, has snatched away the armor of the strong one. Sorrow is found in the confession of the penitents, and the Lord is close to those who crush the heart. Sorrow like this is medicine, not a penalty. He who said, “Test my heart and my reins,”8 desired the hand of a physician. Sorrow like this is an enemy of decay, not of salvation. vii. “God does not desire the death of the sinner but that the sinner live.”9 “Those in good health do not need a physician, but the sick.”10 Therefore Christ did not come “to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.”11 Not that sinners are to rejoice over the fact that they have sinned. Rather, they are to acknowledge their sins by mourning. They are to hate in themselves what God hates so that, saved by God, they might merit to please God. For just as a physician does not simply desire to cure but actually cures a sick person, so Christ is the healer of sin, not the lover of sin. xiii. They who stand should take care that they fall not.12 They join their sorrow to the wounds of the penitents so that all may share in a common state of well-being. They prostrate themselves so that they might rise because the penitents themselves do so in order to rise. “God works in all things,”13 for “God is love.”14 And so may the love of all—the love which more honorably dwells in you—move you so that through your intercession the prayers and lamentations for one’s own sins and for the sins of others may be heard by the Lord so that all may share in the same salvation. Although not sharing the same wounds, may all, after experiencing together the same sorrow, rejoice in the fellowship of Christ’s body. [.  .  .]

56-B. Sermon 3. On Penance† 1210

6. All petition that the penitents may receive [forgiveness]; that it may be opened to them; all are sorrowful when the penitents bear their burden; all rejoice when the penitents are healed. [.  .  .] 7. Matt 16:19; 18:18.  8. Ps 26:2.  9. Ezek 33:11.  10. Matt 9:12.  11. Luke 5:32; see Matt 9:12; Mark 2:17.  12. See 1 Cor 10:12.  13. 1 Cor 12:6.  14. 1 John 4:8. † Translated from CCL 9:362.

57. Inscriptions  87 57. Inscriptions

57-A. Epigraph of Saint Tarcisius† The following inscription, composed by Pope Damasus (WEC 2:52), is found upon the tomb of Tarcisius in the mausoleum of Pope Zephyrinus (198–217). O Reader, whosoever you are who does read this, know that both those 1211 to whom, after their reward, Damasus dedicated these lines, were equal in merit. The Jews crushed Stephen under a rain of stones when he would have taught them the better way. The faithful levite triumphed over his enemies, snatching from them the palm of martyrdom. 1212 When he carried the holy sacrament of Christ, an impious man stretched out his hand to take it from him and to expose it to the scorn of unbelievers. Tarcisius preferred to be struck down and to give up his spirit rather than deliver to mad dogs the Body of Christ.

57-B. Epigraph in the Ambrosian Baptistery†† This inscription, often attributed to Ambrose (WEC 2:53) but of uncertain origin, was once found in the baptistery of the cathedral of Saint Tecla in Milan. This temple of eight niches was built for holy use; an octagonal font is worthy of this gift. It was fitting that on this number the hall of holy baptism was built, by which true salvation has returned to the people in the light of Christ rising again. For he who was freed from the prison of death frees the dead from their tombs, frees from every stain of guilt those who confess their sins, and washes them in the stream of the purifying font. May they come quickly to this place. Let those who want to discard the faults of a shameful life here wash their hearts and bear pure breasts. Even though in darkness may one dare to approach, for one will depart shining whiter than snow. The holy ones hasten to this place because no one just is able to shun the waters. Translation (modified) from I. Schuster, The Sacramentary (Liber Sacramentorum): Historical and Liturgical Notes on the Roman Missal, trans. A. Levelis-Marke, vol. 5 (New York, 1930) 56. †† Translation from S.A. Stauffer, On Baptismal Fonts: Ancient and Modern, Alcuin/ GROW Liturgical Study 29–30 (Bramcote, Nottingham, 1994) 24. †

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88  Chapter VII. Fourth Century. West In these [waters] is the reign and purpose of God, and the glory of [God’s] justice. For what is more divine than this, that in an instant the sin of a people falls away.

57-C. Epigraph of Flavius Latinus† Flavius Latinus was the bishop of Brescia in northern Italy. 1214

To Flavius Latinus, who was bishop for three years seven months; priest for fifteen years; exorcist for twelve years; and to Latinilla and to Flavius Macrinus, lector; Flavius Paulina, his granddaughter, put this up to his good memory.

57-D. Epigraph of Postumius Eutenion†† 1215

Postumius Eutenion, a believer, who obtained holy grace the day before his birthday at a very late hour and died. He lived six years and was buried on 11 July, the day of Jupiter on which he was born. His soul is with the saints in peace. [.  .  .]

Gaul 5 8 . H i l a ry o f P o i t i e r s

Born of a wealthy pagan family in Poitiers ca. 315, Hilary became a convert and, although married and with a daughter, was elected bishop of Poitiers ca. 353. He soon became one of the leading opponents of Arianism during the fourth century, even being called the “Athanasius of the West.” As bishop of Poitiers Hilary organized resistance against the Arianleaning Saturinus of Arles and ca. 356 was consequently deposed and exiled by the emperor Constantius to Phrygia in central Asia Minor. During this time of banishment Hilary continued his struggle against Arianism, especially through his literary activity. He returned to his see in 360 and eventually obtained the excommunication of Severinus. Through his theological expositions, exegetical writings, and various hymn texts, he was a central figure in the gradual demise of Arianism in the West. CPL nos. 427ff. * Altaner (1961) 423–28 * Altaner (1966) 361–66 * Bardenhewer (1908) 402–12 * Bardenhewer (1910) 348–56 * Bardenhewer (1913) 3:365–93 * Bardy (1930) 83–87 * Bautz 2:835–40 * Hamell 128–30 * Jurgens 1:372–89 * Labriolle (1947) 1:344–61 * Labriolle (1968) 238–50 * Leigh-Bennett 161–77 * Quasten 4:33–61 * Steidle 188–91 * Tixeront 227–30 * CATH 5:731–34 * CE 7:349–50 * CHECL 302–5 * DCB 3:54–66 * DHGE 24:449–50 * DictSp 7.1:466–99 * DPAC 2:1748–53 * DTC Translation from J.S. Northcote, Epitaphs of the Catacombs (London, 1878) 119. Translation from E. Ferguson, “Inscriptions and the Origin of Christian Baptism,” JThSt, n.s., 30 (1979) 41. †

††

58. Hilary of Poitiers  89 6.2:2388–2462 * EEC 1:381–82 * EEChr 1:527–28 * LTK 5:100–102 * NCE 6:1114–16 * NCES 6:828–30 * ODCC 769–70 * PEA (1991) 5:557–59 * TRE 15:315–22 A.S. Walpole, “Hymns Attributed to Hilary of Poitiers,” JThSt 6 (1904–5) 599–603. * A. Wilmart, “Le prétendu ‘Liber Officiorum’ de s. Hilaire et l’Avent,” RB 27 (1910) 500–513. * T. Michels, “The Synodal Letter of Rimini and the Roman Canon,” Tra 2 (1944) 486–91. * M. Pellegrino, “La poesia di sant’Ilario di Poitiers,” VC 1 (1947) 201–26. * L. Malunowicz, De voce “sacramenti” apud s. Hilarium Pictaviensem (Lublin, 1956). * J. Fontaine, “L’apport de la tradition poétique romaine à la formation de l’hymnodie latine chrétienne,” RELA 52 (1974) 318–55. * J. Fontaine, “Les origines de l’hymnodie chrétienne latine d’Hilaire de Poitiers à Ambroise de Milan,” LMD, no. 161 (1985) 33–74.

58-A. On the Gospel of Matthew† Probably written between 353 and 355 before Hilary’s exile and known by Jerome (WEC 3:145), the thirty-three chapters of this book aim at what the author calls a “deeper” understanding of the Gospel. 2.6. [.  .  .] At his baptism, when he [Jesus] heard the opening of the heavens, the Holy Spirit was sent and was seen under the visible form of a dove. In this way he was anointed with the anointing of the Father’s grace. The voice then spoke from heaven, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you.”1 [.  .  .] In like fashion [.  .  .] after the water bath the Holy Spirit descended upon us from the gates of heaven, we were anointed with the anointing of the heavenly glory. [.  .  .]

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58-B. On the Trinity†† Considered Hilary’s masterpiece and one of the fourth century’s leading treatises against Arianism, this work, which in antiquity was known under various titles, uses Greek thought in defense of Christ’s divinity. VIII.14. It is not in a human or worldly way that we are to speak of the things of God. [.  .  .] Unless we have been taught by Christ, all that we say in regard to his divine nature within us is foolishness and impiety. Christ himself said, “My flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.”1 As to the reality of his Body and his Blood, there is no room for doubt. Both the Lord’s affirmation and our own faith testify that it is indeed flesh and indeed blood. When the flesh is received and when the blood is taken as drink, they bring it about that we are in Christ and Christ is in us. Isn’t this true? [.  .  .] Translated from PL 9:927. 1. Matt 3:17. †† Translated from La Trinité. Hilaire de Poitiers, trans. G.M. de Durand and others, ed. P. Smulderg, SChr 448 (Paris, 2000) 398. 1. John 6:55–56. †

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58-C. On the Psalms† Although he may have written more commentaries on the psalms, only fifty-six such works admitted as authentic have come down to us. They are usually dated ca. 365. Hilary uses both the LXX and the Latin translations as the basis for his writing. Psalm 64:12. [.  .  .] The greatest sign of God’s mercy is the Church taking delight in its morning and evening hymns. The day is begun with the prayers of God; it is concluded with the hymns of God. [.  .  .] 1219 Psalm 118 Zain 6. [.  .  .] The spirit is not to hand itself over to a dangerous relaxation when it observes the night vigils but is to occupy itself with prayers, supplications, and confession of sins, so that, especially when an occasion to satisfy bodily vices presents itself, then especially these same vices may be subdued by the memory of God’s law. 1218

59. Synods

59-A. Synod of Arles I (314)†† Summoned by Constantine, a large number of western bishops met at Arles on August 1, 314. They discussed the problems brought about by the Donatist schism and issued twenty-two canons on various topics of ecclesiastical discipline. CPL no. 1776a * Jurgens 1:272–74 * Hefele (1871) 1:180–99 * Hefele (1905) 1.1:275–98 * CATH 1:837–38 * CE 1:727 * DACL 1.2:2914–15 * DCA 1:141–42 * DDCon 1:83 * DPAC 1:364–65 * EC 1:1949–50 * EEC 1:79 * ODCC 105 J.M. O’Donnel, “The Canons of the First Council of Arles, 314 a.d.,” diss., Studies in Sacred Theology Series 2, no. 127A (Washington, D.C., 1961). * G. Lusseaud, “Tradition conciliaire de la première église orthodoxe des Gaules: le grand concile d’Arles de 314,” PrO 20–21 (1972–73) 56–62. * P. Nautin, “Le canon du Concile d’Arles de 314 sur le remariage après divorce,” RSR 61 (1973) 353–62. * E. Vanneufville, “L’Eglise en Provence du Ve au VIIIe siècles,” MSR 53, no. 4 (1996) 61–81.

Canon 6. Concerning those who fall sick and wish to believe; they are to receive the imposition of the hand. 1221 Canon 9. Concerning the Africans who follow their own law and again baptize; if any come from heresy to the Church, they will be questioned in regard to the creed, and if it is determined that they were certainly baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, 1220

Translated from S. Hilarii Episcopi Pictaviensis. Tractatus super Psalmos, ed. A. Zingerle, CSEL 22 (Vienna, Prague, and Leipzig, 1891) 244, 253. The numeration of the psalms is that of the LXX. †† Canons translated from Concilia Galliae à 314 à 506, ed. C. Munier, CCL 148 (Turnhout, 1963) 10–13. †

59. Synods  91 then only the hand will be placed on them. But if being questioned on the creed, they do not respond by proclaiming this Trinity, rightly may they be baptized. Canon 15. Concerning deacons whom we have known to offer [the Eucha- 1222 rist?] in many places; this must never happen again. 1223 Canon 20. Concerning those who take it upon themselves alone to ordain a bishop; no one should presume to ordain unless he has seven other bishops with him, and if this is not possible, there should be no less than three bishops. 1224 Canon 22. Concerning apostates who never present themselves to the Church and who have never sought to do penance and then, once fallen ill, request Communion. This, however, is not to be given them unless they recover and carry out works that are worthy of penance.

59-B. Synod of Valence (374)† Meeting on July 12, 374, at Valence in southeastern Gaul, the thirty bishops at this interprovincial synod issued four disciplinary canons. CPL no. 1776a * Hefele (1871) 2:289 * Hefele (1905) 1.2:982 * DCA 2:2010 * DPAC 2:3538 * EEC 2:858 * NCE 14:515 * ODCC 1675

1225 Canon 3. As to those who after the one and holy baptismal bath degrade themselves either by profane sacrifices to the devils or by sinful baths, we have decided that they should be censured as follows: conforming to the Council of Nicaea [WEC 2:71-C], access to satisfaction is not to be denied them nor is the door of consolation to be closed to the tears of these unfortunate ones, and this so that they not despair. They should do penance up to the day of their death but not without the expectation of forgiveness which they should fully hope from the One who alone maintains what is right and yet shows himself so rich in mercy that no person should despair: “God, in fact, does not cause death and does not rejoice in the loss of the living.”1 a

59-C. Synod of Nîmes (394)†† Although meeting to discuss various doctrinal issues, the twenty bishops who convened in southern Gaul at Nîmes in 394 (more probably) or 396 Translated from CCL 148:39. a. See Elvira (ca. 300) can. 1 (WEC 2:1270); Ancyra (314) cans. 1–12 (WEC 2:1422–30); Nicaea I (325) cans. 8, 11, 14 (WEC 2:1449, 1451, 1454); Arles II (between 442 and 506) cans. 10–11 (WEC 3:3141–42); Epaon (517) can. 29 (WEC 4:4584). 1. Wis 1:13. †† Translated from Conciles gaulois du IVe siècle, trans. and ed. J. Gaudemet, SChr 241 (Paris, 1977) 126–29. †

92  Chapter VII. Fourth Century. West issued a number of disciplinary norms that remained unknown till their discovery in 1743. Hefele (1871) 2:402–6 * Hefele (1905) 2:91–97 * DACL 12.1:1322–28 * DDCon 3:198–99 * DPAC 2:2406 * EEC 1:597 L. Lévêque, “Le concile de Nîmes à la fin du IVe siècle,” RQH 30 (1881) 549–61. 1226

Canon 2. Likewise, some have indicated that contrary to apostolic discipline something has happened that is unheard of till now. We know not where, but some women appear to have been elevated to the diaconal ministry.a Ecclesiastical discipline, as is publicly known, does not permit this practice. May such an ordination, which is contrary to good sense, be considered void, and may no one in the future dare act in this way.

Ib e r i a 6 0 . Pa c i a n o f B a r c e l o n a

Little is known of the life of Pacian (d. before 392), bishop of Barcelona and honored by the Church as a saint. It was to Pacian’s son, Flavius Dexter, that Jerome (WEC 3:145) dedicated his On Illustrious Men. Jerome also says that Pacian’s life was more illustrious than his (i.e., Pacian’s) words. Although much of Pacian’s writing has been lost, two tracts, one on baptism and the other on penance, have survived as well as three letters to an otherwise unknown Simpronian. An opponent of Novatianism that rejected penance after baptism and a strong proponent of the ecclesial role in the penitential process, Pacian, however, is perhaps best remembered for the adage, “My [first] name is Christian; my surname is Catholic” (Letter 1. To Simpronian ix). CPL nos. 561ff. * Altaner (1961) 433–34 * Altaner (1966) 369–70 * Bardenhewer (1913) 3:401–3 * Bardy (1930) 115–16 * Bautz 6:1423–26 * Hamell 131 * Jurgens 2:141–44 * Labriolle (1947) 1:430–31 * Labriolle (1968) 296–97 * Quasten 4:135–38 * Steidle 197–98 * Tixeront 233 * CATH 10:376–77 * DCB 4:171 * DictSp 12.1:17–20 * DPAC 2:2560–61 * DTC 11.2:1718–21 * EC 9:504–5 * EEC 2:628 * EEChr 2:846 * LTK 7:1255–56 * NCE 10:854 * NCES 10:743–44 * ODCC 1207 * PEA (1894) 18.2:2077–79 * PEA (1991) 9:132 B. Poschmann, Die abendländische Kirchenbusse im Ausgang des christlichen Altertums (Munich, 1928) 144–47. * S. González, “La disciplina penítencial de la Iglesia española en el siglo IV,” RET 1 (1940) 339–60. * C. McAuliffe, “The Mind of Saint Pacianus on the Efficacy of the Episcopal Absolution,” TS 2 (1941) 19–34. * C. McAuliffe, “Absolution in the Early Church: The View of St. Pacianus,” TS 6 (1945)

a. See Nicaea I (325) can. 19 (WEC 2:1456); Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 11 (WEC 2:1964); Statuta (5th c.) can. 100 (WEC 3:3119); Orange I (441) can. 25 (WEC 3:3136); Chalcedon (451) can. 15 (WEC 3:3379); Epaon (517) can. 21 (WEC 4:4577); Dvin (527) can. 17 (WEC 4:4844); Orleans II (533) can. 18 (WEC 4:4600).

60. Pacian of Barcelona  93 51–61. * S. González, La penitencia en la primitiva iglesia española (Salamanca, 1950) 73–79. * A. Martínez Sierra, “Teología penitencial de S. Paciano de Barcelona,” Miscelánea Comillas 47–48 (1967) 75–94. * J.-C. Fredouille, “Du ‘De paenitentia’ de Tertullien au ‘De paenitentiae institutione’ du Pacien,” REAug 44 (1998) 13–23. * P. Mattei, “Baptême hérétique, ecclésiologie et Siracide 34, 25: Note sur l’influence de Cyprien dans un texte de Pacien de Barcelone,” RTL 30 (1999) 180–94.

60-A. On Baptism† Addressed to the whole community and not just to the catechumens, this sermon relies on the teaching of Paul and on the Gospels, especially the Gospel according to John. Pacian here attests what is known as the doctrine of original sin. i. My purpose is to show how we are born in baptism and how it renews us.1 I will express myself using the Lord’s words, brethren, so that you may not believe that I am intoxicated by the elegance of my literary style and so that you can understand the reality of the mystery. Would that I be able to persuade you that I do not desire glory2 since glory belongs to God alone.3 What motivates me is the concern I have for you and especially for the catechumens so that we can understand the “scrutiny” that leads to such great happiness. Therefore I will show what paganism was, what faith offers, and who is forgiven by baptism. And if, as I believe, this will penetrate your hearts, you, my brethren, can judge whether till now any preaching has been more beneficial to you. Dearly beloved, learn about the death in which people found themselves before baptism. Certainly you are acquainted with the ancient account of how Adam was assigned to the earth, his origin,4 how this condemnation imposed on him the law of eternal death,5 as well as how the same law imprisoned all his descendants.6 This death reigned over all “from Adam to Moses.”7 Yet through Moses a people8 was chosen, namely, the descendants of Abraham9 with the hope that they could observe the commandments of righteousness.10 During this time all of us were under the bondage of sin11 so that we were the fruits of death,12 destined to eat husks and to watch over pigs13—namely, unclean works—through the doing of the bad angels; under their domination it was impossible to practice or to know righteousness. The state of slavery itself forced us to obey such masters. How did we obtain freedom from these powers and from this death? Listen carefully. † Translated from Ecrits. Pacien de Barcelone, trans. C. Epitalon and M. Lestienne, ed. C. Granado, SChr 410 (Paris, 1995) 148–65. 1. See Titus 3:5.  2. See John 7:18; 8:50.  3. See John 5:44; Rom 16:27; Eph 3:21; Rev 1:6; Isa 42:8; 48:11.  4. See Gen 3:19.  5. See Gen 2:17; 3:3.  6. See Rom 5:12, 18.  7. Rom 5:14.  8. See Deut 7:6; 10:14–15; 14:2.  9. See John 8:33; Rom 9:7; Gal 3:16, 29.  10. See John 8:34ff.  11. See Rom 3:10; Gal 3:22.  12. See Rom 7:5.  13. See Luke 15:16.

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94  Chapter VII. Fourth Century. West ii. After Adam sinned, as I said, the Lord declared, “You are dust and unto dust you will return,”14 and Adam was condemned to die, a sentence extended to the whole human race, “for all have sinned.”15 Henceforth all are dust by their very nature, as the apostle [Paul] states, “Because through one man sin has entered the world and through sin came death, and so death reached all because all have sinned.”16 Sin therefore rules,17 and by its bonds we, like captives, were drawn to death,18 namely, to eternal death.19 But previous to the Law this sin was not recognized, as the apostle says, “Before the Law there was no sin in the world,”20 namely, it was not seen; with the coming of the Law sin came to be recognized:21 it was in fact made apparent so that it could be seen. But to no use, for almost no one obeyed it. In effect the Law was saying, “You shall not commit adultery; you shall not kill; you shall not covet,”22 and yet covetousness persists23 together with all the vices. So it was that previously the Law killed sin with a concealed sword;24 under the Law it brandished the sword. Is there any hope for the human race? Without the Law people perished because they were unable to recognize sin; under the Law they perished because they threw themselves into what they saw. Who could deliver them from the destruction? Listen to the apostle: “Miserable man that I am! Who will free me from this body of death? Grace,” he says, “through Jesus Christ our Lord.”25 1229 iii. What is grace? It is the forgiveness of sin, namely, it is a gift.26 Grace, in fact, is a gift.27 Thus Christ by his coming and by assuming human nature presented to God a man pure and free from the power of sin.28 Isaiah says, “The virgin shall be with child and bring forth a son, and you will name him Emmanuel. He will eat curds and honey before he rejects what is bad and chooses what is good.”29 And again in this regard, “He who has not sinned and in his mouth no falsehood has been found.”30 Protected by his innocence Christ undertook in sinful flesh itself the defense of humankind.31 Immediately the father of sin and disobedience,32 who once had deceived the first parents,33 began to make haste, to fume, to fear; he was to be overcome through the repeal of the law of sin34 through which he subdued or was able to subdue humankind. Arming himself for spiritual battle against the Immaculate One, he first attacked—by means of the ruse he used in Paradise to conquer Adam35—the false appearance of greatness. As if being solicitous of heavenly power, he said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”36 His hope was that Christ would be ashamed to conceal that he is God’s Son or, not wishing 1228

14. Gen 3:19.  15. Rom 3:23.  16. Rom 5:12.  17. See Rom 5:21.  18. See Rom 6:16.  19. See Phil 2:8.  20. Rom 5:13.  21. See Rom 7:9.  22. See Exod 20:14; 13:17; Deut 5:18; 17:21.  23. See Rom 7:7ff.  24. See Rom 7:11.  25. Rom 7:24–25.  26. See Rom 7:25.  27. See Eph 2:8.  28. See Eph 5:27; Col 1:22.  29. Isa 7:14–15.  30. Isa 53:9; see 1 Pet 2:22.  31. See Rom 8:3.  32. See John 8:44.  33. See Gen 3:13; 2 Cor 11:3.  34. See Rom 8:2.  35. See Gen 3:1–7; 2 Cor 11:3.  36. Matt 4:3.

60. Pacian of Barcelona  95 to hide this, that Christ would comply with the tempter’s orders. But the devil still was not silent; he suggested that if Christ would throw himself down from on high, he would be caught by the hands of the angels whom the Father had ordered to carry him on their shoulders so that he not dash his foot against a stone;37 the devil hoped that Christ, willing to prove that he was the one to whom the Father had given this order, might do what the tempter was urging. Vanquished at last, the serpent, as if backing off, promised what he snatched from the first man, namely, the kingdoms of the world.38 The devil hoped that the advocate of humankind,39 thinking himself a victor since he received the dominion which he was defending, might give in to the dignity of the impious and commit sin. To be sure, in all this the enemy was vanquished40 and destroyed by the heavenly power41 as the prophet said when speaking to the Lord, “You have silenced the enemy and the one seeking vengeance, and I will see the heavens, the work of your hands.”42 iv. The devil should have retreated, and yet he did not stop,43 for by his well-known snares he bribed the scribes, the Pharisees, and this whole troop of impious ones as he stirred them up with his madness. After every type of scheme44 and with deceitful hearts,45 they—like the serpent46— thought they could trick the Lord under the guise of being gracious to him.47 Stopping at nothing,48 they—like bandits—attacked him openly49 and inflicted on him the cruelest of sufferings. Their hope was that the indignity of the treatment he was receiving or that the pain of punishment would lead him to do or say something unjust, and thus he would lose the humanity he had assumed, with his soul being sent to hell.50 Their only law was to hold him as a sinner: “The sting of death is sin.”51 Christ, therefore, remained firm: “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth,”52 as we have said, not even when he was being led away to be punished.53 Victory is found in this, to be condemned without having sinned.54 For the devil had received power against sin­ ners, a power he claimed for himself over the Just One,55 and so the devil himself was conquered56 by applying to the Just One57 measures he was not allowed to take by the law he had received. And as the Prophet said to the Lord, “May you be justified in your words and conquer when you are judged.”58 As the apostle says, “The powers having been disarmed, Christ has condemned sinful flesh, nailing this to the cross and revoking the decree of death.”59 For this reason God did not abandon “his soul to the 37. See Matt 4:6; Ps 91:11–12.  38. See Matt 4:8–9.  39. See 1 John 2:1; John 14:16.  40. See 2 Pet 2:19.  41. See 1 John 3:8.  42. Ps 8:3–4.  43. See Luke 4:13, 22; 3:53; John 13:2, 27.  44. See Luke 11:53–54.  45. See Isa 59:13.  46. See Gen 3:1ff.  47. See Luke 20:20ff.  48. See Luke 20:26; 22:2.  49. See Luke 22:47ff.  50. See Ps 16:10; Acts 2:27.  51. 1 Cor 15:56.  52. 1 Pet 2:22; see Isa 53:9.  53. See Isa 53:7; Acts 8:32.  54. See 1 Pet 2:22; 2 Cor 5:21; John 8:46.  55. See 1 Pet 1:19; 2:22.  56. See 2 Pet 2:19.  57. See 1 John 2:1.  58. Ps 51:6.  59. Col 2:15; Rom 8:3; Col 2:14.

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96  Chapter VII. Fourth Century. West nether world and has not allowed his holy one to see destruction.”60 This is why, after treading on the stings of death,61 Christ came forth on the third day62 in the flesh,63 reconciling this flesh with God64 and conferring eternity upon it once sin had been conquered and removed. 1232 v. Yet if it is Christ alone who has conquered, then what has he brought to others? In short, listen! Adam’s sin passed into the whole human race. As the apostle says, “Through one man sin was introduced and through sin death; and so death reached all.”65 It is therefore necessary that Christ’s justice pass to the human race and that, just as Adam through sin caused the ruin of his posterity, so Christ by justice gives life to the whole human race. This is what the apostle stresses: “Just as through the disobedience of one all were made sinners, so also by the obedience of one to the word, many are made just; likewise just as sin reigns unto death, so also grace reigns by justice unto eternal life.”66 1233 vi. Perhaps someone will say to me, “But Adam’s sin rightly passed to his descendants since they were born from him. But have we not been born through Christ so that we might be saved by him?” Do not think according to the flesh; you will now see how we are born through the paternity of Christ. In these last times Christ certainly took a soul as well as a body from Mary;67 it is body that he came to save,68 that he freed from sin,69 that he has not consigned to hell,70 that he has joined to his own spirit,71 and that he has made his own. This is the marriage of the Lord, his union to one body so that, conforming to this great mystery, the two of them, Christ and the Church,72 become one body. Christians are born from this marriage; the Spirit of the Lord comes from on high,73 and immediately heavenly seeds are spread through the substance of our souls and are mixed with them. We develop in the belly of our mother and from her are born, receiving life from Christ.74 The apostle says, “The first Adam was created a living soul; the last Adam is a life-giving spirit.”75 So it is that Christ gives birth in the Church, doing so through his priests, as the same apostle has said, “It is in Christ that I brought you forth.”76 The seed of Christ,77 namely, God’s Spirit, produces a new person,78 formed within the mother and received by the hands of the priest at the life-giving font, faith being the maid of honor. However, I do not see how an unbeliever can be received into the Church or how someone who has not received Christ’s Spirit can be born of Christ.79 We must believe, then, that we can be born [spiritually]. This is what Philip says, “If you believe, it is possible.”80 Christ is to be received in order to give birth since the apostle 60. See Ps 16:10; Acts 2:27.  61. See 1 Cor 15:56.  62. See Mark 9:31.  63. See Luke 24:39; 1 Tim 3:16.  64. See Col 1:20, 22; 2 Cor 5:18–19.  65. Rom 5:12.  66. Rom 5:19, 21.  67. See Gal 4:4.  68. See Luke 19:10.  69. See Matt 1:21; Gal 4:31.  70. See Ps 16:10.  71. See 1 Cor 6:17.  72. See Eph 5:31–32; Gen 2:24.  73. See Luke 1:35; John 3:5ff.  74. See 1 Cor 15:22; Rom 8:11.  75. 1 Cor 15:45.  76. 1 Cor 4:15.  77. See 1 John 3:9.  78. See Eph 4:24.  79. See Rom 8:9.  80. Acts 8:37.

60. Pacian of Barcelona  97 says, “To all who have received him he has given the power to become children of God.”81 This can only happen through the mystery of the bath and of the anointing by the bishop. Sins, in effect, are washed away by the bath; by the anointing the Holy Spirit is poured down from on high; both are obtained through the actions and words of the bishop. Thus it is that the whole person is reborn82 and renewed83 in Christ, for “just as Christ has risen from the dead, so we will walk in newness of life,”84 In other words, having abandoned the errors of our former life—the service of idols, cruelty, fornication, lust, and other bodily vices85—it is through the Holy Spirit that we follow a new path in Christ, one of faith, modesty, innocence, chastity.86 “And just as we have borne the image of the earth, let us bear that of heaven”87 since “the first man, taken from the earth, is earthly; the second, taken from heaven, is heavenly.”88 Beloved, doing this, we will die no more even if our body disintegrates.89 We will live in Christ just as he himself tells us, “Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live.”90 Finally, on the testimony of the Lord himself91 we are certain that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the saints live for God; concerning them the Lord says, “All live for him, for God is the God of the living and not of the dead.”92 The apostle says, “For me to live is Christ and to die is a gain; I desire to depart and to be with Christ.”93 Also, “While we are in this body, we are walking apart from the Lord, for we are walking by faith, not by what can be seen.”94 1234 vii. Beloved, this is what we believe. For the rest, “if it is only in this life that we place our hope, then we are the most pitiable of all.”95 In this world the life of cattle, of wild beasts and of birds is, as you yourselves see, like our own or even longer. Proper to us is what Christ has given us through his Spirit: everlasting life provided we sin no more. For just as death is acquired through sin and is avoided through virtue, so life is lost through sin and is regained through virtue. “The wages of sin are death; but God’s gift is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”96 Above all, my little ones, remember this: in days past all the pagans, as we mentioned earlier, were handed over to the princes and powers of darkness.97 Now they are free through the victory of Jesus Christ our Lord.98 It is Christ, yes Christ, who has redeemed us, “forgiving all our sins,” says the apostle, “and destroying the bond of disobedience which stood against us; because he has taken it away, nailing it to a cross, divesting himself of the flesh, he has openly disarmed the powers and triumphed over them.”99 He has freed those who were in fetters and has broken our 81. John 1:12.  82. See John 3:5.  83. See 2 Cor 5:17.  84. Rom 6:4.  85. See Gal 5:19–21; Eph 4:22; 5:3–5; Col 3:8ff.  86. See Gal 6:22ff.  87. 1 Cor 15:49.  88. 1 Cor 15:47.  89. See 2 Cor 5:1.  90. John 11:25.  91. See Matt 22:31ff.; Mark 12:26ff.; Luke 20:37ff.  92. Luke 20:38.  93. Phil 1:21, 23.  94. 2 Cor 5:6–7.  95. 1 Cor 15:19.  96. Rom 6:23.  97. See Col 1:13; Eph 5:8ff.; 6:12.  98. See 1 Cor 15:54–57; John 16:33.  99. Col 2:13–15.

98  Chapter VII. Fourth Century. West bonds, for as David said, “The Lord raises up the down-trodden; the Lord frees prisoners; the Lord gives sight to the blind.”100 And elsewhere, “You have broken my bonds; I will offer you a sacrifice of praise.”101 And so, delivered from our bonds, we gather at the Lord’s standard through the mystery of baptism; let us renounce the devil and all his angels,102 whom we previously served. Freed through Christ’s blood and Christ’s name,103 no longer do we work for them. Those who later on, forgetful of themselves and ignoring their redemption, return to the service of these angels and to the “weak and needy elements of the world,”104 will be bound by the fetters and chains of the past, namely, by the shackles of sin; and for them the “last state has become worse than the first.”105 Not only the devil, acting like a conquered deserter, will bind them still more brutally,106 but Christ will not be able to suffer for them, “for whoever rises from among the dead will die no more.”107 And so, beloved, we are washed one time only;108 we are freed one time only; we receive the immortal kingdom one time only.109 “Happy are those whose iniquities have been forgiven and whose sins have been covered.”110 Courageously hold on to what you have received; conserve it with joy; sin no more;111 keep yourselves pure and immaculate112 for the day of the Lord.113 Grace and infinite rewards are given to those who remain faithful: “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it entered the human heart.”114 May you receive your works of righteousness and your spiritual desires. Amen.

60-B. On the Penitents† In this sermon (Paraenesis ad paenitentiam) Pacian addresses himself to those who refuse to admit their sinfulness as well as to sinners who acknowledge their guilt and yet refuse to submit to the penitential discipline of the time. 1235

i. Although I have several times spoken, albeit somewhat disjointedly, on the healing of the penitents, nonetheless, I am mindful of the care shown by the Lord who, for the sake of one lost sheep, did not spare his neck and shoulders1 by bringing the timid stray back to the flock, now once again made complete.2 Insofar as I am able, I will attempt to follow so wonderful an example. With my modest talents as a servant I will imitate the Lord’s labor and zeal. However, I have only one fear, beloved. It is by pointing out what should not be done that I encourage people to 100. Ps 146:7–8.  101. Ps 116:16–17.  102. See Matt 25:41.  103. See Rom 3:25; 5:9; Eph 1:7; 2:13; Col 1:14; 1 John 1:7.  104. Gal 4:9; see Gal 4:3; Col 2:8, 20.  105. 2 Pet 2:20; see Luke 11:26.  106. See Luke 11:22.  107. Rom 6:9.  108. See John 13:10.  109. See Heb 12:28.  110. Rom 4:7; Ps 32:1.  111. See 1 Cor 15:34.  112. See Col 1:22; 2 Pet 3:14.  113. See 1 Cor 3:13; 1 Thess 5:2.  114. 1 Cor 2:9; see Isa 64:3. † Translated from SChr 410:118–47. 1. See Luke 15:5.  2. See John 10:16.

60. Pacian of Barcelona  99 sin rather than turn them away from sin. Perhaps it would be better, following the example of Solon the Athenian,a to be silent about great sins rather than to warn against them, seeing that the customs of our time have reached such a point that people believe themselves encouraged to do something when it is forbidden. In fact, I think that recently this has been the effect of The Fawnb—in that the more the festival was thoroughly censured, the more it was observed. Censuring shameful acts, describing and thinking about them, seem not to have repressed dissipation but rather taught it. Unhappy am I! What transgression have I committed? I believe that people would not have learned how to keep the feast of the Fawn if I had not shown them how to do so by criticizing it. Let’s admit it! Those who have denied God or those who have been placed outside the Church are irritated by the wound of punishment, indignant that anyone can disapprove of their behavior. [.  .  .] 1236 ii. My brethren, recall that the Lord said, “Reprove the wise and they will love you; reprove the foolish and they will hate you.”3 Also, “Those whom I love I correct and reprove.”4 Therefore I, your brother and your priest, have zealously undertaken this task according to God’s will,5 doing so with mildness and solicitude. Believe that it is a sign of love rather than of strictness. Follow along with good spirits. Do not resist with obstinacy. Additionally, no one should think that this discourse on the penitential institution is directed only to the penitents, and therefore those not belonging to this category may disregard as addressed to others all that I will say, even though this type of clasp designates the discipline of the whole Church. In fact it is necessary to take care that the catechumens do not enter there, that the faithful do not return there; we are to work that the penitents themselves quickly obtain the fruit of their journey. My discourse will proceed as follows. First, I will speak of the classification of sins so that no one can believe that the greatest punishment is applied to all sins without exception. Then I will speak of those faithful who, blushing at the remedy that is fitting for them and wrongly understanding their shame, receive Communion with an impure body and a sullied soul. Very timid before others but greatly impudent before God, with impious hands and sullied mouth they profane the very altar that is feared by the saints and the angels. Third, we will consider those who, having properly confessed and revealed their sins, ignore or reject the remedies of penance and the acts of exomologesisc they are to perform. Finally, we will attempt to show as clearly as possible the punishment imposed on those failing to do penance or who do so negligently and thus die with their wounds and a. Solon: an Athenian lawgiver (638?–559 b.c.). b. This work by Pacian has been lost. c. Literally, “confession,” yet in early Christianity the term often designates the whole penitential process. 3. Prov 9:8.  4. Rev 3:19.  5. See Matt 18:15–17.

100  Chapter VII. Fourth Century. West their pride. On the other hand, we will consider what is the crown, the reward of those who wash the stains of their conscience by a confession that is correct and according to the rule. 1237 iii. First, as we have said, we will discuss the classification of sinners, carefully examining what is a sin, what is a crime, so that no one think that by reason of innumerable faults, whose shame afflicts all, I, failing to make distinctions, submit the whole human race to the same law of penance. With Moses and the ancients, even the smallest sins and, so to speak, the most minute details, were rolled up in the same streams of evil: those who profaned the Sabbath,6 those who touched impure objects,7 those who tasted forbidden foods,8 those who grumbled,9 those who with their household walls stained10 and their garments sullied11 entered the temple of the highest king, those who, guilty of the same deviations, touched the altar with their hands or grazed it with their garments.12 It would have been much easier to ascend into heaven or prefer death rather than observe all these things. The Lord’s blood13 has freed us from these and many other vices of the flesh so that we, who have been redeemed from the slavery of the law14 and dedicated to the freedom of faith, might more easily reach our goal. For this reason the apostle Paul says, “You have been called to freedom.”15 Such freedom consists in this: we are no longer bound to everything that constrained the ancients. A forest of sins, so to speak, is forgiven us, and the clemency of remedies is appointed for us. We are subject to only a few rules, indispensable yet easy for believers to observe and keep. Those failing to observe even these few cannot deny that they truly deserve hell. But let us see what these rules are. 1238 iv. After the Lord’s passion the apostles, having examined and discussed everything, sent a letter to the pagans who had become believers. The thought expressed was as follows: “Greetings to the brethren, the apostles, and the presbyters, of Gentile origin, from Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. We have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you by their words .  .  .”16 And further on, “It has seemed both to the Holy Spirit and to us that no other burden should be laid upon you other than these: abstain from meat sacrificed to idols, from blood, and from fornication. You will do well to keep yourselves from these. Farewell.”17 Thus a complete summary of the New Testament. The Holy Spirit, who has accepted many things, has left us these by assigning capital punishment to them. Other sins are cured by the reparation of good works, but these three crimes are to be feared like the breath of a basilisk, like a poisonous cup, like a deadly arrow, for they do not just injure the soul but kill it. 6. See Exod 35:2; Num 15:32–36.  7. See Lev 11:24ff.; Num 19:11–16.  8. See Lev 11:4–8; Deut 14:4–21.  9. See Exod 15:24; 16:2–8; 17:2–3; Num 14:2ff.  10. See Lev 11:33ff.; 14:55.  11. See Lev 13:47–59.  12. See Lev 21:16ff.  13. See Rom 5:9; Eph 1:7; 2:13; 1 John 1:7.  14. See Gal 3:13.  15. Gal 5:13.  16. Acts 15:23–24.  17. Acts 15:28–29.

60. Pacian of Barcelona  101 Thus austerity will be redeemed by goodness, harm repaired by apologizing, sadness by joy, severity by kindness, levity by seriousness, falsehood by honesty. Everything, corrected by its opposite, is profitable. But what about the person who shows contempt for God or who has spilled the blood of another? What remedy is available to the fornicator? Can the Lord be appeased by a deserter or by those who have spilled the blood of another so as to preserve their own life? Can God’s temple be restored by someone who has profaned it through fornication?18 These, my brethren, are capital sins; they are deadly sins. Listen now to John and if possible remain confident: “If you know that your brother has committed a sin that is not deadly, pray for him and the Lord will give him life; this only applies to a sin that is not deadly. There is, however, such a thing as a deadly sin, about which I do not say that you should pray.”19 1239 v. If you will, listen to what is said about each of these in particular. It was to Moses praying for the blaspheming people that God said, “Should anyone sin before me, I will blot that person out of my book.”20 And on the subject of murder the Lord pronounced this judgment, “Whoever kills by the sword will die by the sword.”21 And as to the fornicator, the apostle says, “Do not profane God’s temple which you are; God will destroy whoever profanes his temple.”22 All this, beloved, has been written and engraved in imperishable letters, engraved—I do not say on wax, on papyrus, or on bronze, not with the pen—but in the book of the living God: “Heaven and earth will pass away but not one letter or stroke of a letter will pass away before all these things have come to pass.”23 So is it necessary to die? Numerous are those who, at least in thought, have fallen into these sins; numerous are those guilty of having spilled blood; numerous are the slaves of idols; numerous are the adulterers. I add this: punished are not only the hands that have murdered but also all who give advice leading to the death of another. Likewise falling under the penalty of death are not only those who have burned incense upon impious tables, but also whoever * * * will have destroyedd * * *, and also whoever seeks carnal pleasure outside the marriage bed and seeks illicit embraces. Those who do these things after becoming believers will not see God’s face. Are those guilty of such great crimes to yield to despair? What have I done to you? Was it not in your power to avoid this? Did no one warn you? Did no one admonish you? Did the Church remain silent? Did the Gospel have nothing to say? Did not the apostles give warning?24 Did not the priest pray? Why are you so late in seeking help? This must be done when it is possible. This saying is hard,25 but “those who call you happy lead you into error and destroy the path that you should walk.”26 Whoever flatters d. The text here is corrupt. 18. See 1 Cor 3:17.  19. 1 John 5:16.  20. Exod 32:33.  21. Matt 26:52.  22. 1 Cor 3:17.  23. Matt 5:18.  24. See 1 Cor 6:9–10; Gal 5:21; Eph 5:5.  25. See John 6:60.  26. Isa 3:12.

102  Chapter VII. Fourth Century. West evildoers after they have done wrong indicates the way of sin to the innocent. 1240 vi. “And so,” one asks, “will we perish? Where is the merciful God who did not invent death and ‘who does not rejoice in the death of the living’?27 Are we, then, to die in our sins?28 And you, O priest, what will you do? By what gains will you compensate for so many losses to the Church?” Receive the remedy if you are beginning to despair, if you recognize that you are miserable, if you are fearful. The presumptuous person is unworthy of this: “Upon whom shall I look,” says the Lord, “if it is not upon the lowly and the afflicted one who trembles at my words?”29 First, I address you, my brethren, who after having given in to sin reject penance. You are cowardly after shamelessness, full of human respect after sin! You are not ashamed to sin, and yet you are ashamed to acknowledge it! With a bad conscience you touch God’s holy things and do not fear the Lord’s altar! You approach the hands of the priest under the gaze of the angels and with the boldness of innocence! You insult divine patience! You impose a soiled soul and a profaned body on God, who keeps silent as if he were unknowing. Listen to what the Lord has done, and then to what he has said. When the Hebrew people brought the Lord’s ark to Jerusalem from the house of Aminadab the Israelite, Ozas,30 who inadvertently had touched one side of the ark, was killed even though he did not approach it to take anything. He did so to restrain the ark when it slipped following the misstep of a young bull. So great was the divine reverence due to the ark that it could not tolerate a rash hand, not even a helpful one. This same Lord proclaims and says, “Whoever is pure may eat flesh, and whoever touches the flesh of the sacrifice of salvation and its impurity will disappear from among the people.”31 Do not these things from the past also occur today? Has God ceased to be concerned about our affairs? Or has God, having retreated from the world’s view, ceased to look down upon us from heaven? Or is God’s patience nothing more than ignorance? “In no way,” you say. God still sees what we do, but God especially waits, is patient, allowing time for penance. It is because of Christ that the redeemed do not suddenly perish. Do you, O sinner, understand this? The Lord looks upon you, and you can appease him if you so desire. 1241 vii. Yes, as we admit, forbidding the impure to approach God’s table was a past practice. But look through the writings of the apostles and see what is more recent. In his First Letter to the Corinthians Paul says, “Whoever eats the bread or drinks the Lord’s cup unworthily will be guilty of the Lord’s Body and Blood.”32 Likewise further on, “Those who eat or drink unworthily eat and drink judgment against themselves, not discerning the Body of the Lord. This is why many among you are weak and 27. Wis 1:13; see Ezek 18:32; 33:11.  28. See John 8:24.  29. Isa 66:2.  30. See 2 Sam 6:3–7.  31. Lev 7:20.  32. 1 Cor 11:27.

60. Pacian of Barcelona  103 infirm, and why many are asleep. If you judge us, we will not be judged at all, but when we are judged, we are corrected by the Lord so that we not be condemned with this world.”33 Have you trembled at these words or not? “They will be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord.”34 Can murderers be absolved? Can those who profane the Lord’s Body escape this guilt? “Those who eat and drink unworthily eat and drink judgment against themselves.”35 Awake, O sinner, if you have done anything like this. Be afraid from your very depths. “This is why many among you are weak and infirm and why many are asleep.”36 Thus if there is no fear regarding the future, there should at least be fear regarding the present sickness, the present death. “When we are judged, we are corrected by the Lord so that we may not be condemned with this world.”37 Rejoice, O sinner, if at present you are carried away by death or consumed with sickness, so that you not be punished after this age. Understand what a great sin is committed by those who unworthily approach the altar since their remedies are the sufferings of sickness or destruction by death. viii. Even if you believe that your soul has no value, spare the people, spare the priests. The apostle writes, “A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough.”38 What will you do since the whole batch is corrupted because of you? Because of you will the whole community suffer? Will you live, guilty of the loss of so many souls? Will you be vindicated when the innocent impute to you their condemnation? When the Church declares you to be the source of its ruin? This is what the apostle said to the priest: “Do not lay hands on anyone with haste and do not participate in the sins of another.”39 What will you do after deceiving the priest? After you lead him astray because he is in ignorance or confounding him when his knowledge is incomplete because it is difficult to prove something? Therefore, my brethren, I ask you by the Lord from whom nothing is kept secret,40 to cease concealing the wounds of your conscience. When reasonable people are sick, they do not fear the doctor even when he cuts or cauterizes the body’s private parts. We recall that certain people, not being ashamed of their intimate organs, have allowed these to endure fire, cutting, and stinging powder. What is gained by all this? Is not the sinner fearful? Is not the sinner ashamed to have obtained eternal life at the price of present shame? Will such sinners conceal their badly covered wounds from the Lord who is extending his hand? Can anything shame a person who has offended the Lord? Or is it better for such a one to perish so that you, fearful of shame, will not die without having felt shame? In not making room for shame, you acquire more of the damage suffered by someone for whom it were better to perish in your place. If you are ashamed before your brethren, do not fear those who share your unhappiness. No human body rejoices at the sorrow of one of its members. On the contrary, it feels 33. 1 Cor 11:29–32.  34. 1 Cor 11:27.  35. 1 Cor 11:29.  36. 1 Cor 11:30.  37. 1 Cor 11:32.  38. Gal 5:9; see 1 Cor 5:6.  39. 1 Tim 5:22.  40. See Rom 2:16.

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104  Chapter VII. Fourth Century. West the same sorrow and assists by bringing a remedy.41 In each the Church is present,42 and the Church is Christ.43 This is why those who are not silent about their sins to their brethren, when supported by the Church’s tears, are absolved by the prayers of Christ.44 1243 ix. I now wish to speak to those who, although rightly and wisely acknowledging their wounds for the sake of penance, know neither what penance is nor what it is that will heal their wounds. They resemble those who discover their wounds and their tumors, and acknowledge them to their doctors who arrive at their bedside, and yet, made aware of the remedies, they neglect what should be applied and reject what they should drink. It is as if one would say, “I am sick. I have a wound, but I do not wish to have my stomach cured!” Listen to what is even more stupid! A second sickness is joined to the first; another wound is added. All sorts of inadvisable medicines are applied; a person drinks dangerous liquids. This is the evil a community endures when new sins are added to old ones. It is thus impetuously hurled down into vice and is tortured by the most deadly decay. What, then, am I to do, being a priest who is constrained to heal? It is late for that. Yet if any of you can endure the knife and the iron, I can still do it. Here is the prophetic scalpel: “Return to your Lord, and at the same time rend your hearts with fasting, tears, and mourning.”45 [.  .  .] 1244 x. I will still apply fire from the cauterizing iron. See whether you can tolerate it. “In spirit I am with you by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ; you are to hand him over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh so that his spirit might be saved on the day of the Lord.”46 Penitents, what do you say? Where is the destruction of your flesh?47 During the time of penance are you going to walk with ever more opulence, sated by feasting, made beautiful by the bath, arrayed with elegance? Behold here is someone who once was frugal, somewhat needy, and dirty under a cheap garment but now is well dressed, wealthy, carefully adorned, as if blaming God for not being able to serve him, and reviving one’s dying soul through bodily pleasures. Happily we are a people of moderate means. Otherwise we also would do what certain of the well-to-do are not ashamed of: living in a marble house, being weighed down by gold, dripping with silk, gleaming with scarlet. The dusky powder sparkling on our eyebrows, the artificial reddening on our cheeks, the false rouge on our lips! Perhaps you have nothing like this? Yet you do not lack gardens or seaside villas, nor exquisite wines, nor opulent feasts, nor whatever cleans away old age. Thus take action, give thought while you are still alive. My brethren, I can no longer endure it. Daniel with his companions, covered with sackcloth and ashes and also exhausted by fasting,48 says, “We have sinned; we have committed a crime; we have acted impiously; we have broken 41. See 1 Cor 12:26.  42. See Matt 18:20.  43. See Col 1:24.  44. See Rom 8:34; 1 John 2:1.  45. Joel 2:12–13.  46. 1 Cor 5:3–5.  47. See 1 Cor 5:5.  48. See Dan 9:3.

60. Pacian of Barcelona  105 your precepts and commandments.”49 As to Azariah, the Holy Scriptures say the same: “Standing, Azariah prayed, spoke, and did penance,”50 together with his companions. David himself says, “Each night I wet my bed; I soak my couch with my tears.”51 As for ourselves, do we do this or anything like it? I will not speak of the surplus we have amassed in trafficking, in doing business, in stealing, in awaiting profits without and pleasures within, in simply doing nothing, in giving nothing to the poor or to one’s brethren.52 We do not even do things that a priest can see or a bishop, witnessing them, can praise: weeping in the presence of the Church, lamenting while clothed in poor garments, fasting, praying, prostrating. If invited to the baths, we refuse this amenity; if invited to a feast, we say, “Affairs like this are for those who are happy, but I have sinned against the Lord and am in danger of perishing for eternity. Of what importance are banquets to me as someone who has offended the Lord?” Furthermore, to grasp the hand of the poor, to ask for the prayers of the widow, to attempt all else rather than to perish. [.  .  .] xii. Brethren, remember that among the dead53 there is no exomologesis; no longer will any opportunity be granted for doing penance since the time for this has ended. Hasten while you are still alive, while you are still on the way with the adversary.54 Here the fires of this world frighten us and the iron nails of the executioners scare us; compare these to the eternal hands of those who will torture and to the tips of the flames that will never die. I address you, brethren, by the faith of the Church, by my solicitude, by the souls common to all. I entreat you, I beseech you, not to be ashamed of this task, not to be slow in throwing yourself as soon as possible on the appropriate remedies of salvation: to sadden one’s spirit by mourning, to wrap the body in sackcloth, to cover it with ashes, to wear it down through fasting, to overcome it with grief, to be assisted by the prayers of many. To the extent that you have not spared punishing yourselves, so God will spare you, “for he is sweet and patient, rich in kindness, and it is he who lightens judgments that have been done out of evil.”55 This I promise. This I pledge if you return to your Father by means of a true satisfaction,56 without afterwards being led astray,57 without adding anything to your former sins, and speaking these humble and compassionate words, “Father, we have sinned in your presence; we are no longer worthy to be called your children.”58 As soon as you put distance between yourself and this unclean flock and its pods,59 then upon your return you will be clothed with a garment, honored with a ring,60 and the Father will again embrace you.61 It is the Father who says, “I do not desire the death of sinners but that they return and live.”62 He 49. Dan 9:5.  50. Dan 3:25.  51. Ps 6:7.  52. See Matt 18:35.  53. See Ps 6:6.  54. See Matt 5:25.  55. Joel 2:13.  56. See Luke 15:18.  57. See Luke 15:13.  58. Luke 15:18–19, 21.  59. See Luke 15:15–16.  60. See Luke 15:22.  61. See Luke 15:20.  62. Ezek 18:23; 33:11.

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106  Chapter VII. Fourth Century. West also says, “Will not the one who has fallen rise up, and will not the adversary be converted?”63 And the apostle says, “God has the power to let him stand.”64 The Apocalypse likewise threatens the seven churches65 unless they do penance. Obviously it does not threaten those who fail to do penance unless it also pardons the penitent. Furthermore, God says, “Remember from where you have fallen and do penance.”66 And again, “When you return and grieve, then you will be saved and will know where you have been.”67 Do not so despair as to the worthlessness of a person’s sinful soul that you believe this person to be of no importance to God, for God desires that none among you be lost.68 Even the humble and the little ones are to be sought out. If you do not believe such to be true, then pay attention to this. The Gospel relates how a drachma was searched for and, once found, was shown to the neighbors.69 The little sheep, it relates, is not heavy when placed around the neck of the shepherd.70 Over a single sinner who does penance the angels in heaven rejoice,71 and the heavenly choir exults. Yes, O sinner, do not cease to implore! You see where there is rejoicing over your return. Amen.

60-C. Letters Simpronian apparently had sent Pacian a treatise that defended the Novatian position of rigorism in regard to the forgiveness of sins. Apparently Novatianism was flourishing in Spain at the time. We have Pacian’s response in three letters.

60-c-1. letter 1. to simpronian† 1246

iii. It is my understanding that the Novatians take their name from Novatusa or from Novatian.b But it is the sect, not the name, that I accuse; nor has anyone reproached Montanusc or the Phrygiansd for their names. “But,” you will say, “at the time of the apostles no one was called ‘Catholic.’” This may be true, but grant me this: when, after the apostles, heresies appeared and under various names were attempting to tear 63. Jer 8:4.  64. Rom 14:4.  65. See Rev 2–3.  66. Rev 2:5.  67. Isa 30:15.  68. See 2 Pet 3:9.  69. See Luke 15:8–9.  70. See Luke 15:5.  71. See Luke 15:7, 10. † Translated from SChr 410:170–85. a. Novatus: a priest who was part of the Novatian (see note b below) community in Carthage. b. Novatian: a Roman priest (d. 257/258) who, disappointed with the election of Cornelius as bishop of Rome, had himself ordained bishop of this city. In regard to penance, his attitude and that of his followers was one of rigorism, allowing after baptism no pardon for serious sin. c. Montanus: a second-century founder of a rigorist religious movement whose adherents rejected any leniency in regard to the penitential discipline. d. Phrygians: followers of the Montanist heresy who lived in Phrygia, which was situated in what is now Turkey.

60. Pacian of Barcelona  107 apart and divide God’s dove1 and queen,2 did not the apostolic people require its own name? A surname distinguishing the unity of an unspotted people so that the error of some would not tear asunder the members of God’s sinless virgin?3 Was it not necessary that the original source be designated by its own name? Suppose that today I enter a populous city where I discover Marcionites,e Apelleites,f Cataphrygians,g Novatians, and others of the same type, all calling themselves Christians. But by what surname might I recognize the assembly of my own people unless it is called “Catholic”? Come now! Who has bestowed so many names on these other people? Why is it that so many towns, so many nations, each have their own descriptive name? Even those who inquire about the name “Catholic” are ignorant of the origin of their own name should I inquire about this. Where have I received the name “Catholic”? Surely a name that has lasted for so many centuries did not come from a man. The name “Catholic” echoes neither that of Marcion, nor that of Apelles, nor that of Montanus, nor does it originate with any heretical author. The Holy Spirit, whom God sent4 to the apostles from heaven5 as the Paraclete6 and teacher,7 has taught us many things:8 reason, as Paul says,9 and honesty, and, as he also says, nature itself.10 And so are we to place little value on the authority of the followers of the disciples? That of the first priests? That of blessed Cyprian,h the doctor and martyr? Or do we wish to instruct the teacher? Are we more learned than he? Or does our carnal spirit desire to be puffed up with pride in opposition to him whose shedding of noble blood and whose crown of illustrious suffering made him a witness of the eternal God? What about the large number of priests who stand with us in this, priests who are united throughout the world with this same Cyprian in church unity? Why so many venerable bishops, so many martyrs, so many confessors? If these in adopting this name were not qualified authorities for using this name, are we qualified to reject it? Are the fathers to follow our authority? Is the antiquity of the saints to be changed? Will the present age, already corrupted by sin, shave away the grey hairs of apostolic antiquity? iv. Do not be disturbed, my friend, that my [first] name is “Christian” and that my surname is “Catholic.” The first gives me a name; the second specifies. The first attests to what I am; the second sets me apart. And if it e. Marcionites: followers of Marcion (d. ca. 160), a heretic who rejected the Church of his time as having departed from a more primitive purity. f. Apelleites: members of a Gnostic sect who believed that salvation came from faith alone. g. Cataphrygians: an alternative designation for followers of Montanus. h. Cyprian: bishop of Carthage (WEC 1:27). 1. See Cant 6:9.  2. See Ps 45:10.  3. See 2 Cor 11:2.  4. See John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7.  5. See John 14:26.  6. Ibid.  7. Ibid.  8. See 1 Pet 1:12.  9. See Rom 2:14–15.  10. See 1 Cor 11:14.

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108  Chapter VII. Fourth Century. West is necessary to explain the word “Catholic” and on the basis of the Greek, giving it a Latin translation, “Catholic” signifies “one throughout” or, as the more knowledgeable believe, “obedience to all,” namely, to all God’s commandments. Whence the apostle says, “If you are obedient in all things.”11 And also, “For just as through the disobedience of one person many have been made sinners, so by the attention of one person to the word, many will be made righteous.”12 Therefore whoever is Catholic is obedient; whoever is obedient is a Christian; and so to be a Catholic is to be a Christian. This is why our people, when called Catholic, are by this name set apart from those designated as heretics. [.  .  .] 1248 v. As to penance, may God grant what is necessary to each member of the faithful. Let those who have been assisted by the sacred rite of the font not throw themselves into the pit13 of death. May priests not be forced to present or to teach [baptism’s] later consolations so as not to open up the path of sin by proposing remedies that strengthen the sinner in sin. God’s mercy, as is clear, is for the wretched, not for the blessed; not before sin but after sins; it is not for those in good health but “for those who are sick”14 —being for these that we make known this medicine. If evil spirits15 can do nothing against the baptized, if nothing can be done by the serpent’s deception16 which brought about the fall of the first human and which has stamped on his descendants so many marks of domination; if the serpent has withdrawn from the world, if we have already begun to rule,17 if no evil deed surprises our eyes, our hands,18 or our thoughts—then let this gift of God be rejected; let there be no help, no exomologesis, no lamenting, and let a haughty righteousness despise every remedy. But if the Lord himself has provided such things for us, and if the same Lord rewards the upright and provides remedies to the fallen,19 then cease accusing the divine goodness. Cease hammering away under the pretext of strictness at so many marks of heavenly clemency. Cease warding off by your implacable harshness the good things given us by the Lord. We do not grant these things of ourselves. “Return to me,” says the Lord, “and at the same time rend your hearts by fasting, tears, and mourning.”20 Also, “Let the impious abandon their ways and the criminals their thoughts; may they return to the Lord and obtain mercy.”21 The prophet likewise says, “God is good, sweet, and patient, and it is he who turns back the sentence brought against our evils.”22 Does not the serpent23 have a lasting poison? Does not Christ have a remedy? If the work of the devil is to destroy the world, then is not the work of Christ to cure the world? Certainly disgust should be experienced when sinning but not while doing penance. There should be aversion to undergoing danger yet not at being delivered from it. Who will yank away a plank from a shipwrecked person, thus removing 11. 2 Cor 2:9.  12. Rom 5:19.  13. See Matt 15:14; Luke 6:39.  14. Matt 9:12.  15. See Eph 6:12.  16. See Gen 3.  17. See 1 Cor 4:8.  18. See Matt 5:28–30.  19. See Rom 14:4.  20. Joel 2:12.  21. Isa 55:7.  22. Joel 2:13.  23. See Gen 3:15.

60. Pacian of Barcelona  109 a means of escape? Who will refuse to heal wounds? Did not David say, “Each night I wet my bed; I soak my couch with my tears”?24 And, “I acknowledge my sin and did not hide my iniquity.”25 Also, “I said I will confess my sin before God, and you have remitted the guilt of my heart.”26 When David, guilty of murder and adultery because of Bethsabee,27 did penance, did not the prophet say, “The Lord has taken away your sin”?28 Did not exomologesis free the king of Babylon,29 who was condemned after so many sins of idolatry? And what about the words of the Lord, “Will not the fallen one get up again? Will not those who stray return?”30 What do the subjects of so many of the Lord’s parables teach us? What about the woman who found the drachma and rejoiced at having done so?31 And the shepherd carrying the lost sheep?32 The son who returned home33 after squandering all his goods in the company of prostitutes and courtesans? His father going out to meet him with tenderness and rebuking a jealous brother, saying, “My son here was dead and has returned to life; he was lost and has been found”?34 What about the healing of the man injured on the road, the man whom the Levite and the priest passed by?35 Think back to what the Spirit says to the churches, reproaching the Ephesians for abandoning love,36 the people of Thyatira for indulging in fornication,37 those in Sardis for failing to work,38 those in Pergamum39 for teaching dissident doctrines, and also those in Laodicea40 because of their riches. Yet it is all who are invited to penance, to satisfaction.41 What did the apostle have in mind when he said to the Corinthians, “I fear that when I return, I might have to weep over many of those who previously sinned and have not done penance for what they have done: fornication and impure actions.”42 Once again, what is meant when the Spirit said to the Galatians, “If anyone has fallen into some sin, you who are spiritual are to instruct that person in a spirit of gentleness, taking care that you yourselves are not tempted”?43 And then, is the father of a family in a large house to have only objects made of silver and gold?44 Does he not keep things made of clay, of wood, objects that are composites or that have been repaired? “Now,” says the apostle, “I rejoice because your sadness caused you to do penance.”45 Again, “Because according to God sadness produces a penitence that leads to lasting salvation.”46 1249 vi. “But penance,” you say, “is not allowed.” No one, however, orders unlucrative labor. “Laborers, in fact, deserve their pay.”47 God would never threaten those who fail to do penance if God did not grant pardon to those doing penance. “God alone,” you say, “can do this.”48 True enough! Yet 24. Ps 6:7.  25. Ps 32:5.  26. Ibid.  27. See 2 Sam 11:2–27.  28. 2 Sam 12:13.  29. See Dan 4:25ff.  30. Jer 8:4.  31. See Luke 15:8–9.  32. See Luke 15:4–6.  33. See Luke 15:22ff.  34. Luke 15:32.  35. See Luke 10:30ff.  36. See Rev 2:1–4.  37. See Rev 2:18, 21.  38. See Rev 3:1ff.  39. See Rev 2:12, 15.  40. See Rev 3:14.  41. See Rev 2:5, 16, 22; 3:3, 19.  42. 2 Cor 12:21.  43. Gal 6:1.  44. See 2 Tim 2:20.  45. 2 Cor 7:9.  46. 2 Cor 7:10.  47. Luke 10:7; 1 Tim 5:18.  48. See Mark 2:7.

110  Chapter VII. Fourth Century. West even what is done by God’s priests is the work of God’s own power. This is the meaning of what was said to the apostles: “What you bind upon earth will also be bound in heaven; and all that you loose upon earth will also be loosed in heaven.”49 Now why did he say this if men were not permitted to loose and to bind? Or were only the apostles allowed to do this? If so, then only they could baptize, only they could confer the Holy Spirit, only they could wash away the sins of the pagans, since only the apostles were ordered to do these things. But if one and the same text confers both the sacramental power and the right to loosen bonds, then all the attributes and powers of the apostles have been passed down to us, or indeed none of them have. “I will lay the foundation; another will build upon it.”50 And so the apostolic teaching is the foundation upon which we build. Finally, bishops are also called apostles, as Paul shows when speaking to Epaphroditus: “My brother and fellow soldier, your apostle.”51 If the power of washing and anointing—more important gifts—has descended to the bishops, then the power of loosening and binding has equally accompanied it. Even though our sins make it presumptuous, God, who has even given bishops the name of his only Son, will not deny them this power since they are holy ones who hold the chair of the apostles. 1250 vii. I could write more, my brother, were I not pressed by the urgent return of your servant, and were I not reserving fuller explanations for an occasion when you might be present, or when you might share all your thinking with me. A bishop should not be looked down upon as being a mere man. Remember that the apostle Peter called our Lord “bishop”: “But now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.”52 Will anyone deny that the bishop acts in the name of God? Certainly a bishop would be held accountable if he did evil or if he judged wrongly due to corruption or impiety. God is not hindered from suppressing the work of a bad builder. Yet if a bishop’s ministry is godly, then he continues to collaborate in the works of God. This is what the apostle writes to the laity: “If you forgive anyone anything, so do I. For what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, it is for your sake and in the name of Christ, so that we not be possessed by Satan whose wiles we are not to forget.53 The apostle says that he has pardoned what the regular faithful can pardon. So how can you reject a bishop who does likewise? Neither the anointing, nor baptism, nor the remission of sins, nor the renewal of the body have been conceded to the holy power of the bishop. All flow from apostolic right; he expropriates nothing. Know, my brother, that this penitential pardon is not indiscriminately given to all, nor is it granted before the divine will has been made manifest or some type of testing has taken place. It happens only after a serious and detailed consideration, after numerous lamentations and outpourings of tears, after

49. Matt 18:18.  50. 1 Cor 3:10.  51. Phil 2:25.  52. 1 Pet 2:25.  53. 2 Cor 2:10–11.

60. Pacian of Barcelona  111 the prayers of the whole Church. In such a way pardon is not refused to true penance without prejudice to the future judgment of Christ.54 My brother, if you write me more clearly regarding your thinking, I will instruct you more fully.

60-c-2. letter 3. to simpronian† i. My brother Simpronian, every treatise concerning the Novatiansa that 1251 you have sent me—all of these gathering together statements of every kind—contains the following: penance is not allowed after baptism; the Church lacks the power to forgive serious sin; furthermore, the Church itself perishes by receiving sinners. [.  .  .] 1252 ii. [.  .  .] You say, and rightly so, that “the Church is a people reborn by water and the Holy Spirit,1 a people who do not deny2 the name of Christ; the Church is the temple3 and the house of God,4 ‘the pillar and support of truth,’5 the holy virgin6 with the most chaste feelings, the spouse7 of Christ taken ‘from his bone and from his flesh,’8 ‘having neither stain nor blemish,’9 completely observing the laws of the Gospel.” Who among us denies this? Even more, we add that the Church is the “queen wearing a golden garment, one of many colors,”10 “a fruitful virgin within the house of the Lord,”11 “the mother of innumerable daughters, the beautiful and only dove, the one preferred by her mother, the flawless one.”12 She is the mother of all, “built upon the foundations of the prophets and the apostles with Jesus Christ himself as the cornerstone,”13 a huge house,14 one rich with a large variety of vessels. iii. But let us postpone this till later. Meanwhile, may we examine what 1253 you say. “The Church is a people reborn of water and the Holy Spirit.”15 Good enough! Who has refused me entrance to the font of God? Who has snatched away the Holy Spirit? In fact, it is among us that there is living water,16 water poured forth from Christ. But you, separated as you are from the eternal source, where were you born? From where did the Spirit, which has not departed the original mother, come to you? Unless, perhaps, following someone who sows discord and forsaking so many priests, the Spirit is content with a non-consecrated home and takes pleasure in a weakened cistern17 fed by a polluted font. Whence does the Holy Spirit come to your people, a people who have not been sealed by an anointed priest? What is the source of their water, they who have separated themselves from the womb? Whence comes the restoration of those 54. See 2 Tim 4:1. † Translated from SChr 410:206–65. a. See above, 60-C-1, note b. 1. See John 3:5.  2. See Matt 10:33; Luke 12:9.  3. See 1 Cor 3:16; 2 Cor 6:16.  4. See 1 Titus 3:15.  5. 1 Titus 3:15.  6. See 2 Cor 11:2.  7. See Eph 5:22–32.  8. Eph 5:30.  9. Eph 5:26.  10. Ps 45:10.  11. Ps 128:3.  12. Cant 6:9.  13. Eph 2:20.  14. See Titus 2:20.  15. See John 3:5.  16. See John 4:10.  17. See Jer 2:13.

112  Chapter VII. Fourth Century. West who have lost the cradle of nuptial peace? “The Church is a people who do not deny18 the name of Christ.” Among us is there any confessor, any martyr, any stainless and upright priest who has not undergone prison, chains, fire, the sword? “There have been such,” you will say, “but they perished because they received those who denied the faith.” I remain silent! I will not even mention the treatise on pardoning those who renounce the faith or the lapsed, the treatise written by your Novatian at a time when he was still in the Church; supporting this practice, he had the treatise read aloud. Meanwhile, whom will you be able to convince that the whole Church has fallen by receiving the lapsed, that those who by admitting penitents have become, as it were, themselves renegades? If some community has been too indulgent, have not other communities, not approving such a course of action and remaining attached to custom and to peace, also lost the name “Christian”? [.  .  .] 1254 iv. To continue, “The Church is the body of Christ.”19 Certainly a body, not a member, a body whose numerous members and parts are made one, for as the apostle says, “The body is not a single member but many.”20 The Church, therefore, is a complete body, firm and presently spread throughout the whole world, “as a city,” it is said, “whose parts form a whole,”21 and not, as is true in your case, Novatians, one type of an arrogant little group, a swelling in one place which is separated from the rest of the body. “The Church is the temple of God.”22 It is indeed a spacious temple, “a large house,” certainly possessing “vessels of gold and silver” but also vessels of clay and wood; some are held in honor,23 many are truly magnificent, destined for multiple uses in various tasks. “The Church is a holy virgin24 with the most chaste feelings, the spouse25 of Christ.” A virgin, it is true, but also a mother. Clearly a spouse but also a wife and helper, “taken from her husband,” and thus “bone from bone and flesh from flesh.”26 It is about her that David says, “Your wife is like a fruitful virgin from within your house; your sons like young olive plants around your table.”27 Numerous times has this virgin given birth, and numerous are her descendants. They fill up the whole world like a populous swarm of bees buzzing around in the hive that encloses them. Great is this mother’s care for her children; sweet is her affection: the good are honored; the proud are corrected; the sick are cured; no one perishes;28 no one is despised; her offspring remain safe under the great tenderness of the mother. 1255 “The Church ‘has neither stain nor blemish.’”29 This means that no heresy is found within her, neither that of the Valentiniansb nor that of the Cataphrygiansc nor that of the Novatians. Within the Church there b. Valentinians: followers of Valentinus, a second-century Gnostic theologian. c. See above, 60-C-1, note g. 18. See Matt 10:33; Luke 12:9.  19. See 1 Cor 12:27.  20. 1 Cor 12:14.  21. Ps 122:3.  22. See 1 Cor 3:16–17; 2 Cor 6:16.  23. 2 Tim 2:20.  24. 2 Cor 11:2.  25. See Eph 5:22–32.  26. Gen 2:23.  27. Ps 128:3.  28. See John 17:12.  29. Eph 5:27.

60. Pacian of Barcelona  113 surely are stained and blemished folds that harm the splendor of its precious garments. Yet sinners and penitents do not stain the Church since persons who sin and fail to do penance are placed outside the Church; once they cease sinning, they are already cured. The heretic, however, tears asunder the garment of Christ, the Church of Christ, killing, corrupting, and staining it. “Since there are divisions and disputes among you,” the apostle says, “are you not of flesh and do you not walk according to human ways?”30 Also, “Their words spread like gangrene.”31 This is a blot, a blemish upon unity. Finally, when the apostle speaks of these things, he calls our attention to Christ’s love and affection. “As Christ,” he says, “has loved the Church and handed over himself for it.”32 This is to warn heretics, who do not know how to love. Otherwise, why say this to the unhappy penitent who hopes to love and to be loved? 1256 v. “The Church obeys all the laws of the Gospel.” All of them, to be sure, because it does so fully. The faithful are rewarded in the Church, where the tears of the unfortunate are not repulsed, where the tears of suppliants are heard, where wounds are bandaged,33 where the sick are cured, where arrogant health and jealous righteousness claim nothing for themselves, where an ever-watchful love perseveres, “believing all things, hoping for all things, supporting all things.”34 Whence come the words of the apostle, “Someone is weak; am I not weak? Someone has fallen; am I not indignant?”35 Where the whole community supports its burdens, suffering in common, secure in mutual affection, “all supporting one another in love, doing what is necessary to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace,”36 there is found the Church, Simpronian, my brother. There is found a people reborn of water and the Holy Spirit37 in Christ. “I do not know,” you say, “whether bishops can forgive sins since the Lord has said, ‘Whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my Father who is in heaven.’”38 Why did your Novatian support such a practice when he was still a priest, before he had assumed a false episcopacy, long before Cornelius, whose priesthood he envied, had become the bishop of Rome? You have the testimony of Cyprian whose reputation you have never been able to sully. Somewhere he wrote to Antonian,d “It was added”—Novatian was then writing and reciting aloud what he had written, and Moses, then a confessor and now a martyr, was countersigning—”that it was necessary to reconcile the lapsed who were sick and near death. This letter was sent to the whole world and brought to the knowledge of all the churches.”e So what do you say about such a matter, my brother Simpronian? Novatian wrote this and, in order to join to it the submission of his strong will, he d. Antonian: a North African bishop who supported both Cyprian and Pope Cornelius against the Novatians. e. Cyprian, Letter 55:v. 30. 1 Cor 3:3.  31. 2 Tim 2:17.  32. Eph 5:25.  33. See Luke 10:33ff.  34. 1 Cor 13:7.  35. 2 Cor 11:29.  36. Eph 4:2–3.  37. See John 3:5.  38. Matt 10:33.

114  Chapter VII. Fourth Century. West also read it aloud once it was written. As a witness there was his uplifted right hand, the hand that wrote it. At this time Cornelius, against whom all your jealousy rages, was not a bishop. As the same Cyprian relates, it was much later when Cornelius along with numerous bishops, with numerous confessors, and soon to be martyrs, gave his assent. If it is never allowed to reconcile the lapsed, to refuse them access to penance, then Novatian is in sin since he wrote in favor of the practice and had his writing read aloud. Where, then, was his inflexible rigor? His arrogant judgment? If no one had preferred Cornelius to Novatian, then the authority of Novatian’s writing would have remained. [.  .  .] 1257 vii. [.  .  .] “But,” you will say, “you forgive the sins of those doing penance, whereas it is only in baptism that sins can be remitted.” I am not allowed to do this; it belongs to God alone39 who in baptism forgives sins and who does not spurn the tears of those doing penance. For the rest, what I do is done not on my own authority but on that of the Lord: “We are all God’s collaborators,” he says, “God does the building.”40 And again, “I have planted, Apollos has watered, but God has given the growth. And so neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God gives the growth.”41 This is why when we baptize, when we have someone do penance, or when we grant pardon to the penitents, we do so by reason of Christ’s authority. It is up to you to see whether Christ can do this, whether Christ has done this. 1258 viii. “If we could grant the remission of sins to penitents,” you say, “baptism would not be necessary.” What a stupid comparison! Baptism, in effect, is the sacrament of the Lord’s passion; the pardon granted to penitents is the reward for confessing. The former is something all can obtain since it is a gift of God’s grace,42 namely, a freely given gift. The latter, however, is the fruit of the effort of a small number of those who rise up after falling, who regain strength after being wounded, who are assisted by their tearful cries, who regain life by the destruction of their flesh.43 “It is useless,” you affirm, “that I cite as an example what God said, ‘I prefer that a sinner do penance rather than die.’”44 But suppose I add the words of Isaiah, “When you have returned and lamented, then you will be saved, and you will know where you have been.”45 And from the Apocalypse, “Remember how far you have fallen; do penance; and do the works you did previously.”46 According to you these words were spoken to the Gentiles before their baptism. But listen to what the apostle says, “But we know that whatever the Law says, it says to those who are under the Law.”47 Consequently, those living without the Law were not obliged to do penance. But if they would have done penance, they would have done so willingly and not because the Law obligated them to do so.

39. See Mark 2:7; Luke 5:21.  40. 1 Cor 3:9.  41. 1 Cor 3:6–7.  42. See Eph 2:8.  43. See 1 Cor 5:5.  44. Ezek 18:23; 33:11.  45. Isa 30:15.  46. Rev 2:5.  47. Rom 3:19.

60. Pacian of Barcelona  115 1259 ix. Next let us consider what you say: “If God commands that we are frequently to do penance, then God allows us,” you say, “to sin frequently.” What do you mean here? That whoever frequently points out a remedy for sin thereby gives instruction on how to sin? And that a doctor who constantly cures teaches how to inflict injury? God does not want us to sin, not even once, for God delivers us from sin. While doing so, God in no way teaches us how to sin, just as a person who rescues someone from a fire does not give a demonstration on how to set something on fire. Whoever pulls a shipwrecked person off the rock does not put this person in peril. It is one thing to be delivered from danger, another to be placed in danger. Perhaps I might believe this to be true if penance were considered pleasurable. But penance demands so great an effort that it calls for the destruction of the flesh,48 constant tears, unending lamentations. Does a person who has been cured desire to be cut again? To be cauterized a second time? Will such a one desire to sin again and do penance again since it is written, “Do not add sin upon sin lest something worse happen”?49 Also, “I will not show mercy toward the one who sins constantly.”50 1260 But if, as you say, “one is led to sin by being shown the remedy of penance,” then what will a person do who is forbidden penance itself, one whose wound is reopened without any hope for a remedy, one whose access to new life is completely denied? “In baptism,” you say, “we die once and for all as the apostle says, ‘Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death so that just as Christ was raised from the dead, so we also will walk in newness of life.’”51 Does this shock you? The teaching of the apostle is that we were renewed so that we do not sin; yet it follows that whoever has sinned is to do penance. One person is to live intact, the other as having been cured; the innocent is to win the crown, the penitent is to obtain pardon; the former has received a reward, the latter a remedy. [.  .  .] 1261 xxi. What do you gain by appearing so callous, so proud, so arrogant? What do you gain by stiffening your neck, by contorting your face, by closing your eyes and ears before those unhappy ones? And you, I ask, have you never fallen? Has there never been a stain upon your conscience? No spot in your eyes?52 “Who can boast of having a chaste heart or of being free from sin?”53 You, I presume, are righteous, kind, restrained; your members are all healthy, your body intact; you have no need for a doctor54 or a remedy for sickness. Then enter immediately into heaven; the sword being lowered,55 pass into paradise. Forbid so many people of ours, who confess the one God, access to the gifts that are yours. Yet even if it is far different than your unappeased rigidity in all things

48. See 1 Cor 5:5.  49. John 5:14.  50. Sir 12:3.  51. Rom 6:3–4.  52. See Matt 7:3–5.  53. Prov 20:9.  54. See Matt 9:12.  55. See Gen 3:24.

116  Chapter VII. Fourth Century. West and your inhumanity would have us believe, you already understand, O Novatians, that God can show pity, that a remedy, however late, is offered to the pitiable brethren who confess what is past, that the wounded man whom the Levites and the priest passed by56 can be cured by Christ, that the Church’s prayers should not be refused, that the priest should extend his hands to those who deserve pity. [.  .  .] 1262 xxiv. [.  .  .] Finally, look at this passage you cited from Scripture, “They alone will be saved.”57 Who are “they”? Certainly those who pray for sinners do not harm themselves. Why do you, then, condemn the Church? Why do you forbid praying for penitents if we may make requests on behalf of those for whom such petitions will not be granted? Read more attentively what my Cyprian has written. Read his whole letter On the Lapsed.f Also the letter he wrote to Antoniang in which he pressures Novatian with so many examples. Then you will know what Cyprian has to say regarding the healing of penitents. I say that Cyprian opposes your opinions and maintains Catholic rules. Listen to Tertullian—not Tertullian the heretic from whom you borrow much—but the Tertullian who, in a letter published when he was still a Catholic,h acknowledged that the Church can forgive sins. [.  .  .] 6 1 . G r e g o ry o f E lv i r a

Known to Jerome (WEC 3:145) as the author, still living, of several tractatus (sermons), “ordinary in style yet elegant in faith” (De viris illustribus, 105), Gregory was bishop of Elvira (Iliberis) near Granada. Many of his works, strongly anti-Arian in content, were actually known to scholars but attributed to others till the end of the twentieth century. Gregory died sometime after 392. CPL nos. 546ff. * Altaner (1961) 434–35 * Altaner (1966) 370 * Bardenhewer (1908) 415 * Bardenhewer (1910) 359–60 * Bardenhewer (1913) 3:396–99 * Bautz 2:330–31 * Jurgens 1:392–94 * Labriolle (1968) 257–59 * Quasten 4:84–89 * Tixeront 232–33 * CATH 5:253–54 * CE 7:9–10 * DCB 2:739–41 * DHGE 21:1501 * DictSp 6:923–27 * DPAC 2:1696–98 * DTC 6.2:1838 * EC 6:1085–86 * EEC 1:363 * EEChr 1:491 * LTK 4:1000 * NCE 6:790 * NCES 6:513 * ODCC 711 * PEA (1894) 7.2:1864–67 * PEA (1991) 4:1216

61-A. Sermons on the Books of the Holy Scriptures These sermons (Tractatus de Libris Sanctarum Scriptuarum) were first published in 1900 as Tractatus Origenis. Of the twenty pieces in this series, nineteen are on selections from the Hebrew Scriptures; one, based on Acts 1–2, concerns the Holy Spirit. The author uses various events and figures as being “types” that prefigure the actions and persons of the Christian Scriptures. f. WEC 1:27-B. g. WEC 1:27-E-11. h. WEC 1:26-H. 56. See Luke 10:30ff.  57. Ezek 14:20.

61. Gregory of Elvira  117

61-a-1. sermon 15† 7. Perhaps a person who is ignorant of the heavenly sacraments might ask, “Why was Christ, who was divine, baptized since God grants the grace of baptism only for the forgiveness of sins? Christ, however, was without sin since ‘no guile was found in his mouth.’”1 8. Listen to the reason for this. Understand that our Lord desired to be baptized by John not for the remission of sin—Christ being sinless—but that the Lord might sanctify the water by being baptized in it. In this way whoever is baptized in his name might, as a member of his body, merit to be made an adopted child of God, namely, a person reborn by water and by the power from on high. 9. Furthermore, elsewhere we find a foretelling of the sacrament of Christ’s baptism. In Exodus we read that the bitter waters of Marah “became sweet and fresh”2 after a piece of wood was thrown into them. The prophets sought no useless remedy for water, only what came from Christ. That piece of wood clearly showed forth the mystery of the Lord’s suffering, a suffering from which the thirsty are able to benefit by drinking the sweet waters of baptism. The Lord had the thirsty in mind when, standing in the temple, he said, “If any thirst, let them come to me and drink.”3 10. And so when the people in the desert were undergoing the test of being thirsty, Moses with a rod—namely, a piece of wood—struck the rock and immediately water flowed forth abundantly. This indicated the sacrament of baptism. That the rock was the figure of Christ is proved by the holy apostle who says, “They all drank from the same spiritual rock that followed them, the rock being Christ.”4 11. There is no doubt that the rock is a type of our Lord’s body, a body struck by the wood of the cross and providing the thirsty with living water, as is written, “Out of his side flow streams of water.”5 The apostle said this in regard to the Holy Spirit whom those believing in our Lord would soon receive. 12. In like manner these waters, coming from the rock, were the streams flowing from Christ’s side and were a type of the beneficial drink that was to be granted to all who suffer from thirst. 13. Remember when our Lord, who is the source of the living waters that produce life, was hanging on the cross. Who does not know that, in addition to the blood that issued forth from the wound in his side, much water also flowed from the same wound? This shows that his spouse the Church, like a cart with two wheels, is formed from his side just as he created Eve from Adam’s rib.6 The Church possesses two baptisms, one given by water, the other given by blood. It is by these that the Church’s faithful and martyrs are made.

† Translated from Gregorii Liberritani Episcopi Quae Supersint, ed. V. Bulhart and M. Simonetti, CCL 69 (Turnhout, 1967) 114–18. 1. 1 Pet 2:22.  2. Exod 15:25.  3. John 7:37; see Rev 22:17.  4. 1 Cor 10:4.  5. John 7:38.  6. See Gen 2:21–22.

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118  Chapter VII. Fourth Century. West 62. Synods

62-A. Synod of Elvira (ca. 300)† The synod that convened in Elvira, a town close to the modern city of Granada in southern Spain, brought together some nineteen bishops and twenty-four presbyters throughout the Iberian Peninsula. Much discussion has taken place regarding the year of the meeting—it took place on May 15 and was certainly after 295 and probably ca. 300 or perhaps ca. 306. At any rate, the eighty-one canons (some being quite rigorous) issued by the bishops in less than elegant Latin give us a good insight into the numerous problems facing the Church at that time in Spain. Jurgens 1:253–58 * Hefele (1871) 1:131–72 * Hefele (1905) 1.1:212–64 * CATH 4:33–35 * CE 5:395–96 * DCA 1:606 * DDCon 2:41–42 * DHGE 15:317–48 * DPAC 1:1144–45 * DTC 4.2:2378–97 * EC 5:266–67 * EEC 1:270 * EEChr 1:370 * LTK 3:614 * NCE 5:289–90 * NCES 5:178 * ODCC 542 A.W.W. Dale, The Synod of Elvira and Christian Life in the Fourth Century: A Historical Essay (London, 1882). * P. Batiffol, “La prima cathedra episcopatus du concile d’Elvire,” JThSt 23 (1921–22) 263–70; 26 (1924–25) 45–49. * S. González, “Tres maneras de penitencia: la disciplina penitencial de la Iglesia espánola desde el siglo V al sigli VIII,” RET 1 (1942) 985–1019. * M. Meigne, “Concile ou collection d’Elvire?” RHE 70 (1975) 361–87. * R. Grigg, “Aniconic Worship and the Apologetic Tradition: A Note on Canon 36 of the Council of Elvira,” CH 45 (1976) 428–33. 1270

Canon 1. Any adult who after salutary baptism approaches the temple of an idol in order to offer sacrifice and actually does so is not to receive Communion,a not even at the end since this is a capital crime; it is the greatest of sins.b 1271 Canon 6. If anyone kills another by means of magic—this crime being impossible to commit without idolatry—Communion is not to be granted, not even at the end. † Canons translated from La colección canónica hispana, vol. 4, ed. G. Martinez Diez and F. Rodriguez (Madrid, 1984) 148–67. a. Although some might understand “communion” to be “reconciliation” with the community of the faithful, that is, ecclesial communion, most probably the term signifies eucharistic Communion—here, Viaticum, namely, Communion received as a preparation shortly before death. See Ancyra (314) cans. 16, 22 (WEC 2:1432, 1435); Nicaea I (325) can. 13 (WEC 2:1453); Rome (488) Letter 7, can. 3 (WEC 3:2959); Statuta (5th c.) cans. 20–21 (WEC 3:3077–78); Orange I (441) can. 3 (WEC 3:3125); Vaison (442) can. 2 (WEC 3:3137); Arles II (between 442 and 506) can. 28 (WEC 3:3149); Agde (506) can. 15 (WEC 4:4552); Epaon (517) can. 36 (WEC 4:4587); Orleans III (538) cans. 6, 28 (WEC 4:4605, 4609); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 82 (WEC 4:4699); Gerunda (517) can. 9 (WEC 4:4722); Barcelona I (ca. 540) can. 9 (WEC 4:4732). b. See Ancyra (314) cans. 1–12 (WEC 2:1422–30); Nicaea I (325) cans. 8, 11, 14 (WEC 2:1449, 1451, 1454); Valence (374) can. 3 (WEC 2:1225); Arles II (between 442 and 506) cans. 10–11 (WEC 3:3141–42); Epaon (517) can. 29 (WEC 4:4584).

62. Synods  119 Canon 7. If any of the faithful have perhaps committed adultery and after the appointed time for doing penance then commit fornication, they will not receive Communion, not even at the end. Canon 14. Virgins who have lost their virginity, if they marry and keep as husbands those who violated them, have broken only the nuptial law, they are to be reconciled after a year without penance. But if they have known other men and have committed adultery with them, they are admitted to Communion after the appropriate penance has been done for five years. Canon 21. Should someone living in the city not attend church for three Sundays,c that person is to abstain [from the Eucharist?] for a short time so that the punishment is public. Canon 23. Superpositionesd of the fast are to be observed each month except, due to the weakness of some, during the two months of July and August. Canon 26. An error [in our present practice] is to be corrected. We will now observe a superpositio on every Saturday.e Canon 28. It is not permitted to accept the giftsf of those who will not receive Communion. Canon 29. The names of the energumens,g namely, those agitated by a wild spirit, are not to be read at the altar with the names of those presenting the offering nor are the energumens permitted to minister in the church. Canon 32. Those who by a serious lapse fall into grave sin are not to receive penance from a presbyter but from a bishop;h if forced by serious illness, they may receive Communion from a presbyter or, if a bishop [sacerdos] so commands, from a deacon.i Canon 33. Bishops, presbyters, deacons, and all clerics who minister at the altar are to refrain from their wives and not beget children; those failing to do so are to be deprived of their clerical dignity.j c. See Sardica (ca. 343) can. 11 (WEC 2:1299). d. A superpositio was a prolongation of the fast beyond its accustomed duration, beyond supper, thus fasting for the entire day. e. See Agde (506) can. 12 (WEC 4:4549); Dvin (527) can. 38 (WEC 4:4853); Orleans IV (541) can. 2 (WEC 4:4616). f. See Statuta (5th c.) cans. 49, 69 (WEC 3:3087, 3100); Lerida (546) can. 13 (WEC 4:4735). g. See Statuta (5th c.) cans. 62–63 (WEC 3:3094–95); Orange I (441) cans. 13–15 (WEC 3:3129–31). h. See Carthage II (390) cans. 3–4 (WEC 2:876–77); Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 30-b (WEC 2:888); Statuta (5th c.) can. 20 (WEC 3:3077); Agde (506) can. 15 (WEC 4:4552); Toledo III (589) ser. 2 cap. 11 (WEC 4:4766). i. See Statuta (5th c.) can. 58 (WEC 3:3091); Arles II (between 442 and 506) can. 15 (WEC 3:3144). j. The Latin is faulty: prohibere abstinere et non generare.

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Canon 34. It is not permitted to light candles during the day in the cemeteryk so that the spirits of the holy ones [sanctorum] not be disturbed. Those who do not obey are to be denied communion with the Church.l Canon 35. Women are not to keep night vigils in the cemeterym since under the pretext of prayer they often commit hidden sins. Canon 36. Pictures are not to be placed in churches so that what is on the wall does not become the object of worship and adoration. Canon 37. It is permitted to baptize those harassed by unclean spiritsn if they are at the point of death; if they have been baptized, they may be given Communion. They are not, however, permitted to light in public the lamps in the church. Those breaking this prohibition are to be denied Communion. Canon 38. When sailing abroad and when in a place where there is no church nearby, a member of the faithfulo whose baptism has been kept untarnished and who has not committed bigamy may baptize a sick catechumen when it is necessary; if the catechumen recovers, he or she is led to the bishop in order to be perfected through the imposition of the hand. Canon 39. Heathens who request the imposition of the hand when they are sick may receive it and become Christians provided they have been living upright lives. Canon 42. Those living good lives who desire to become members of the faithful are to be baptized after two years except in cases of sickness when baptism may more quickly be given to seriously ill persons who request it. Canon 43. To be corrected is the disapproved practice [of celebrating the fortieth rather than the fiftieth day after Easter]. In accord with the authority of the Scriptures Pentecost is to be celebrated. Those not doing so are considered as having brought about a new heresy. Canon 45. A catechumen who has not gone to church for quite some time may be baptized if a member of the clergy attests that this person is a Christian or if one of the faithful does so and it appears that the catechumen has put off the old self. Canon 47. Should a baptized married man who has often committed adultery be at the point of death, he should be questioned as to whether he will amend his ways. If he promises to do so, Communion may be granted him. But as to a man who upon recovery continues to commit adultery, [it was decided] that he no longer be able to mock the Communion of peace. k. See Elvira (ca. 300) can. 34 (WEC 2:1281); Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 9 (WEC 2:1962). l. This canon admits of various interpretations depending on the translation of sanctorum (i.e., the “faithful,” the “deceased,” the “priests who do holy things”). m. See note j above. n. See Elvira (ca. 300) can. 29 (WEC 2:1278); Statuta (5th c.) cans. 62–63 (WEC 3:3094–95); Orange I (441) cans. 13–15 (WEC 3:3129–31). o. See Statuta (5th c.) can. 41 (WEC 3:3086); Dvin (527) can. 10 (WEC 4:4840).

62. Synods  121 Canon 48. To be changed is the custom whereby those being baptized place coins into the [baptismal] shell. In this way the priest does not appear to be selling what he has received gratis.p The feet of the newly baptized are not to be washed by priests or by clerics.q Canon 52. To be condemned are those who have written satirical verses in the church. Canon 53. A person excommunicated by a bishop can only be reconciled by the bishop who issued the condemnation.r [.  .  .] Canon 77. If, in the absence of a bishop or presbyter a deacon is in charge of a people and has baptized some of them,s the bishop should then perfect themt through his blessing. But if they die before this can happen, then they can indeed be regarded as justified by their faith.

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62-B. Synod of Saragossa (ca. 380)† Twelve bishops attended this synod in northeastern Spain where in eight canons they condemned various practices of Priscillianism. Hefele (1905) 1.2:986–87 * Hefele (1871) 292–93 * CE 13:469 * DACL 15.1:763–66 * DCA 2:1842 * DPAC 2:3097 * EEC 2:755

Canon 2. Whoever fasts on Sundaya because of the season, because of persuasion or superstition or is absent from church during Lentb [.  .  .] is anathema. Canon 3. Whoever fails to consume the holy Eucharist given in churchc is anathema. Canon 4. During the three weeks before the Epiphany all are to attend church every day; no one is to remain at home, withdraw to the country, head to the mountains, nor walk around with bare feet. [.  .  .] p. See Braga II (572) can. 7 (WEC 4:4760). q. One manuscript tradition has “but by the clerics.” r. See Epaon (517) can. 28 (WEC 4:4583). s. See Orleans I (511) can. 12 (WEC 4:4565); Dvin (527) can. 18 (WEC 4:4845). t. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 48 (WEC 2:1994); Toledo I (400?) can. 20 (WEC 3:3172); Orange I (441) can. 2 (WEC 3:3124); Braga II (572) can. 4 (WEC 4:4757); Rome (ca. 400?) can. 11 (WEC 3:2958); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 51 (WEC 4:4686). † Canons translated from Canones Apostolorum, vol. 2, ed. H.Th. Bruns (Berlin, 1829) 13–14. a. See Gangra (ca. 345) can. 18 (WEC 2:1955); Statuta (5th c.) can. 77 (WEC 3:3102); Agde (506) can. 12 (WEC 4:4549); Orleans IV (541) can. 2 (WEC 4:4616); Braga I (561) ser. 1 can. 4 (WEC 4:4737); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 57 (WEC 4:4692). b. See Dvin (527) can. 29 (WEC 4:4851); Orleans IV (541) can. 2 (WEC 4:4616). c. See Toledo I (400?) can. 14 (WEC 3:3171).

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Canon 8. No virgin under forty years of age, as established by the presbyter, may take the veil.d

B u l g a r i a / C r o at i a 63. Synod of Sardica (Serdica) (ca. 343)†

Sardica, now Sofia, in Bulgaria was the city in which some hundred western bishops and about seventy eastern bishops gathered, hopefully to settle several issues regarding the Arians. However, an impasse arose as to who could take part in the discussions. As a result the bishops of the East departed the city. The westerners, however, continued to work and eventually issued a series of disciplinary canons, which have come down to us in both Greek and Latin versions. CPG 4: nos. 8560ff. * Hefele (1871) 2:86–166 * Hefele (1905) 1:737–812 * Jurgens 1:307–9 * CATH 13:835–36 * CE 13:473 * DCA 2:1842–43 * DPAC 2:3152–53 * DTC 14.1:1109–14 * EC 10:1922–23 * EEC 2:757 * EEChr 2:1034–35 * LTK 9:71–72 * NCE 12:1086–87 * NCES 12:692 * ODCC 1455 H. Hess, The Canons of the Council of Sardica, a.d. 343: A Landmark in the Early Development of Canon Law, Oxford Theological Monographs 1 (Oxford, 1958). * E. Ferguson, “Ordination in the Ancient Church,” ResQ 5 (1961) 17–32, 67–82, 130–46. * R. Gryson, “Les élections épiscopales en Orient au IVe siècle,” RHE 74 (1979) 301–45. 1299

Canon 11. [.  .  .] Remember that our elders have already directed that a layperson who is staying in a town and does not appear at the divine services for three Sundaysa shall be excommunicated. If this is ordered for the laity, then no bishop can be allowed to absent himself for a longer time from his church or leave the people entrusted to him, other than for reasons of necessity or urgent business. 6 4 . I n s c r i p t i o n . E p i ta p h at S a l o n a † †

Found at Salona, the capital of Dalmatia on the Adriatic Sea (present-day Croatia), is the following fourth-century burial inscription. 1300

Flavia received the grace of the glorious font in the usual way on the salutary day of Easter and lived on for five months after baptism; her lifespan was three years, ten months, and seven days.

d. See Carthage II (390) can. 3 (WEC 2:876); Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 1 (WEC 2:881); Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 34 (WEC 2:891); Riez (439) can. 4 (WEC 3:3122); Agde (506) can. 19 (WEC 4:4555). † Translation (modified) from Hefele (1871) 2:145. a. See Elvira (ca. 300) can. 21 (WEC 2:1274). †† Translation from R. Cabié and others, The Church at Prayer, vol. 3, The Sacraments, new edition (Collegeville, 1987) 62–63, note 207.

Chapter VIII Fourth Century. East Asia Minor 6 5 . M e t h o d i u s o f P h i l i p p i ( o f O ly m p u s )

Very little is known about the life of Methodius. The early sources simply do not agree, having him as the bishop of Olympus, a small town in Lycia; or as the bishop of Philippi in Macedonia; or as the bishop of Patara in Pamphylia. We are also told that he died a martyr ca. 311, probably at Chalcis in Euboea. Yet there are those who doubt the place, the date, and the very fact, of such an event. At any rate, Methodius was a prolific writer, although most of his literary output has not come down to us. Initially an intellectual friend of Origen (WEC 1:43), later in life he became one of the first outspoken opponents of Origenism. CPG 1: nos. 1810ff. * Altaner (1961) 242–44 * Altaner (1966) 215–16 * Bardenhewer (1908) 175–78 * Bardenhewer (1910) 153–56 * Bardenhewer (1913) 2:291–305 * Bautz 5:1380–82 * Goodspeed 158 * Hamell 69 * Jurgens 1:260–61 * Quasten 2:129–37 * Steidle 32 * Tixeront 107–8 * CATH 9:46–48 * CE 10:243 * DCB 3:909–11 * DictSp 10:1109–17 * DPAC 2:2239–40 * DTC 10.2:1606–14 * EC 8:888–90 * EEC 1:557 * EEChr 2:747–48 * LTK 7:202–3 * NCE 9:742 * NCES 9:563–64 * ODCC 1080 * PEA (1991) 8:96 * TRE 22:680–84 A. Vanbeck, “La discipline pénitentielle en Orient de Denys de Corinthe à Athanase,” RHL, n.s., 6 (1920) 181–229. * V. Loi, “La tipologia dell’agnello pasquale e l’attesa escatologica in età patristica,” Sal 33 (1971) 187–204. * C. Riggi, “Vita cristiana e dialogo liturgico nel ‘Simposio’ de Métodio (6, 5),” Sal 37 (1975) 503–45. * F. de Paverd, “’Paenitentia secunda’ in Methodius of Olympus,” Aug 18 (1978) 459–85. * B. de Margerie, “’Hoc facite in meam commemorationem’ (Lk 22, 19b): les exégèses des pères préchalcédoniens (150–451),” Div 28 (1984) 43–69, 137–49.

65-A. The Banquet† Known as The Banquet of the Ten Virgins or On Chastity, this treatise, written before 300, was modeled upon Plato’s Dialogues: rather than extolling

Translated from Le banquet, trans. V.-H. Debidour, ed. H. Musurillo, SChr 95 (Paris, 1963) 216–17, 220-21. †

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124  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East what Plato perceived to be the glories of love, here ten virgins praise the life of chastity. This is the only work of Methodius for which a complete Greek text exists. 1301

VIII.vi. The Church has its feet planted upon the moon. The symbolism of the moon is, I believe, aimed at the faith of those who are purified from corruption by the [baptismal] bath, for moonlight seems to wash us like lukewarm water, and every form of moisture depends on the moon. The Church, which has for its pedestal our faith and adoption—according to this way of viewing the moon—is in labor till “the full number of the Gentiles enter”1 in order to bring forth to a new, spiritual life those who have only natural life. In this respect the Church is a mother. Just as when a woman, receiving the formless seed from a man and after a certain length of time, brings forth a perfect human being, so, one might say, never does the Church cease to conceive in its womb those seeking refuge with the Word; they are formed and shaped according to Christ’s image and likeness so as to make them, once a certain period of time has passed, citizens of these happy states. 1302 So the Church must preside over the [baptismal] bath since the Church is the mother of those who are washed in it. More precisely, the Church’s power relative to this bath is called “the moon” because those who are renewed and reborn shine with a new light, namely, with new clarity. This is why we also call them, descriptively, the “newly enlightened.” The Church has them see through the recurring representations of his Passion [in Holy Week?] the full spiritual moon and its perpetually renewed memory till the glorious and perfect light of the great day appears. 1303 VIII.viii. [.  .  .] The enlightened spiritually take on the image and the manly character of Jesus. The likeness and form of the Word are stamped on them, this brought about through true knowledge and faith. Thus Christ is spiritually begotten in each of them. 1304 And if the Church endures the labor and pain of childbirth till “Christ is formed”2 and born within us, then each of the holy ones by participating in Christ is born as Christ, for Scripture says, “Touch not my anointed ones [christs] and do no evil to my prophets.”3 Those who have been baptized in Christ become, so to speak, other Christs through the giving of the Spirit. [.  .  .] 6 6 . L a c ta n t i u s

A native of northern Africa, Lucius Caelius Firmianus Lactantius (ca. 250–ca. 325) was a student of the Christian apologist Arnobius. He converted to Christianity, probably at Nicomedia in Bithynia, where he was summoned under Diocletian to teach rhetoric. But with the outbreak of a persecution initiated by Diocletian ca. 305/306, he left the city, fell upon hard times,

1. Rom 11:25.  2. See Gal 4:9.  3. Ps 105:15.

66. Lactantius  125 and was constrained to lead a life of extreme poverty. Eventually he was appointed as a tutor to Constantine’s son, Crispus. The date of Lactantius’s death can only be conjectured. Some suggest that it occurred in Trier. Although originality of thought is not, at least generally, considered to be a characteristic of Lactantius, his literary style has often been favorably compared to that of Cicero. CPL nos. 85ff. * Altaner (1961) 208–12 * Altaner (1966) 185–88 * Bardenhewer (1908) 203–8 * Bardenhewer (1910) 177–83 * Bardenhewer (1913) 2:472–96 * Bardy (1930) 58–63 * Bautz 4:952–65 * Cross 184–86 * Goodspeed 183–87 * Hamell 78–79 * Jurgens 1:264–72 * Labriolle (1947) 1:291–318 * Labriolle (1968) 199–219 * Quasten 2:392–410 * Steidle 77–79 * Tixeront 126–28 * Wright (1928) 157–72 * CATH 6:1581–83 * CE 8:736 * CHECL 261–65 * DACL 8:1018–41 * DCB 3:613–17 * DictSp 9:48–59 * DPAC 2:1905–8 * DTC 8.2:2425–44 * EC 7:951–54 * EEC 1:469–70 * EEChr 2:660–61 * LTK 6:583–84 * NCE 8:308–9 * NCES 8:274 * ODCC 942 * PEA (1894) 12.1:351–56 * PEA (1991) 6:1043–44 * TRE 20:370–74 V. Loi, “Per la storia dei vacabolo ‘sacramentum’: ‘Sacramentum’ in Lattanzio,” VC 18 (1964) 85–107. * V. Loi, “Il termine ‘mysterium’ nella letteratura latina cristiana prenicena,” VC 20 (1966) 25–44. * F. Gistelinck, “Lactance et sa théologie baptismale propre à son temps,” QLP 65:4 (1974) 177–93.

66-A. The Death of the Persecutors† This work is generally, though not universally, attributed to Lactantius. In any case, it was written between 316 and 320. The author relates, often in gruesome detail, how God’s anger brought to an end the evil oppressors of Christianity. xxxiii.1. When Galeriusa was in the eighteenth year of his reign, God struck him with an incurable disease. xxxiii.11. Overcome by this, Galerius was forced to acknowledge God. Amid periods of extreme pain he cried aloud that he would restore the Church of God and atone for his misdeeds. At the end he published this decree. [Edict of Galerius] xxxiv.1. “Among other endeavors that we undertook for the prosperity and welfare of the nation, we desired to bring all things into harmony with the ancient laws and the public order of Rome, making provision so that even Christians who had abandoned the religion of their forebears might return to reason. † Translated from De la mort de pérsecuteurs. Lactance, trans. and ed. J. Moreau, SChr 39 bis (Paris, 1954) 115ff. a. Galerius: emperor in the East; he died of natural causes in 311, the same year this letter was published.

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xxxiv.2. “For one reason or another these Christians acted unreasonably and fell victim to such foolishness that they would not follow what was established in antiquity, what their own ancestors had established. They made laws to suit their own desires and pleasures. They followed these laws, and they gathered the people in various places. xxxiv.3. “Finally, when our law requiring that they conform to the practices of antiquity was made known, many were overcome by fear of danger and many even underwent death. xxxiv.4. “Yet most of them continued on in their folly, and we saw that they neither showed reverence and awe to the gods nor did they worship their Christian God [since gatherings were not allowed]. So in view of our great clemency and the custom by which we customarily bestow indulgence to all, we thought that we should grant our most prompt indulgence also to Christians so that they may again exist and meet together, provided they do nothing contrary to good order. xxxiv.5. “In a future letter we will tell the magistrates what they should do. And so because of our clemency Christians are to pray to God for our safety, for the safety of the republic, and for their own safety so that the republic may continue unharmed on every side, and that they may be able to live securely in their homes.”b xxxv.1. This edict was published at Nicomedia on the day before the calends of May in the eighth consulship of Galerius and the second of Maximinus.

[Letter of Constantine and Licinius] xlviii.1. [.  .  .] Entering Nicomedia, Liciniusc gave thanks to God who provided him with assistance in conquering. On 13 June Licinius—he and Constantine were consuls for the third time—ordered that a letter be published about the “restoration of the Church.” The letter was to be given to the praeses [civil officials]; its text is as follows. 1314 xlviii.2. “When I, Constantine Augustus, and I, Licinius Augustus, met under favorable circumstances at Milan and were considering everything that pertained to prosperity and the public good, we thought—among other things which we believed would benefit many—that regulations in regard to reverencing the deity should be enacted first. In this way we could give Christians and others full freedom to follow whatever religion they chose so that whatever divinity exists in heaven may graciously look upon us and upon all who are subject to us. 1315 xlviii.3. “And so with sound and upright purpose we have decided that no one is to be denied the freedom to follow and to choose the observance of the Christian religion, and that all be allowed to adhere to whatever 1313

b. The Greek translation of this letter is found in Eusebius of Caesarea’s Church History VIII.xvii.1 (not in WEC). c. Licinius (ca. 270–325): coemperor with Constantine; in charge of the East.

67. Basil the Great  127 religion each believes useful. In this way the divinity may always be able to grant us its customary favor and goodness. xlviii.4. “And so you should know that it pleased us to suppress all the conditions regarding Christians that were contained in our previous letters and were sent to you. Everything that seemed harsh and contrary to our clemency is removed so that all who wish to observe the Christian religion may do so without hindrance. xlviii.5. “We have decided that you should be completely aware of this so that you might know that we have given these same Christians the freedom and liberty to observe their own religion. xlviii.6. “Now that you know we have granted them this freedom without any restrictions, you should likewise understand that we have granted them the freedom to follow their own religious practice, this obviously being appropriate for peace at the present time. All can choose and practice the religion of their choice. We have determined this so that we do not appear to discriminate against any rite or form of religion. xlviii.7. “We have also decreed that the following be decided in regard to the Christians. If the places where they were once accustomed to gather—concerning these a different order was given in a letter previously sent to you—should have been purchased either from the treasury or from any other person, these shall be restored to the Christians without requesting money or any other kind of recompense, doing so without any delay or hesitation. Those who have received these places as gifts are to return them as soon as possible to the Christians. xlviii.8. “Also, those who have purchased or have received these as gifts are to have recourse to the judge of the district if they seek recompense from our bounty so that through our clemency provision may be made for them. All these things are to be granted to all Christians by your intercession and without any delay. xlviii.9. “Since these Christians are known to have possessed not only places where they customarily assembled but also other places that belonged to the group as a whole and not to individuals, namely, to the churches themselves, you will order that all these, by virtue of the above law, be immediately restored to these same Christians, namely, to their society and congregation, the above-mentioned condition being observed, namely, that those returning them without charge may expect indemnity from our bounty.d [.  .  .] 6 7 . B a s i l t h e G r e at

Basil was born in 329/330 of a pious and wealthy family at Caesarea in Cappadocia. Among his relatives venerated as saints are his mother d. The Greek translation of this letter is found in Eusebius of Caesarea’s Church History X.v.4 (not in WEC). Common opinion today is that this so-called edict was issued not at Milan but at Nicomedia.

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128  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East (herself the daughter of a martyr), his sister, and his two brothers, Gregory of Nyssa (WEC 2:69) and Peter, bishop of Sebaste. Educated in rhetoric at Caesarea, Constantinople, and Athens, where he met and formed a lasting friendship with Gregory of Nazianzus (WEC 2:68), Basil returned home ca. 356. Soon after and thus as a young man he was baptized, only to set off shortly thereafter to visit notable monastic centers in Syria, Palestine, Egypt, and Mesopotamia. He then lived with some like-minded ascetic friends in the desert by the river Iris near Neo-Caesarea in Pontus. Ordained a presbyter ca. 364 and then bishop of Caesarea in 370, Basil proved to be a vigorous reformer—however, opposition to his reforms abounded—as well as a caring father of the flock and a protector of the socially and economically disadvantaged. As bishop of Caesarea, he was a leader in the struggle against Arianism, especially against Valens, the Arian emperor. A strong supporter of better relations between East and West, Basil, nonetheless, was unsuccessful in his attempt to mediate the Meletian schism that existed in Antioch. In addition to his numerous letters, orations, dogmatic and ascetic writings, Basil is also well known for the anaphora or eucharistic prayer that has come down to us under his name. The exact nature of Basil’s work on the text, however, is difficult to determine due to the historical evolution of the text itself. More a practical than a speculative theologian, Basil was already called “the Great” shortly after his death on January 1, 379. CPG 2: nos. 2835ff. * Altaner (1961) 335–45 *Altaner (1966) 290–98 * Bardenhewer (1908) 274–86 * Bardenhewer (1910) 241–49 * Bardenhewer (1913) 3:130–62 * Bardy (1929) 127–31 * Bautz 1:406–9 * Campbell 58–62 * Hamell 101–3 * Jurgens 2:3–26 * Leigh-Bennett 196–218 * Quasten 3:204–36 * Steidle 111–16 * Tixeront 169–72 * Wright (1932) 223–37 * CATH 1:1280–84 * CE 2:330–34 * CHECL 289–95 * DACL 2.1:501–10 * DCB 1:282–97 * DDC 2:218–24 * DHGE 6:1111–26 * DictSp 2:1273–83 * DPAC 1:491–97 * DTC 2.1:441–59 * EC 2:971–79 * EEC 1:114–15 * EEChr 1:169–72 * LTK 2:67–69 * NCE 2:143–46 * NCES 2:135–39 * ODCC 166–68 * PEA (1894) 3.1:52–54 * PEA (1991) 459–61 * RACh 1:1261–65 * TRE 5:301–13 K. Holl, Enthusiasmus und Bussgewalt (Leipzig, 1898) 257–68. * L. Baurain, “L’influence de s. Basile sur les hymnographes de la fête des XL Martyrs,” RevAug 3 (1903) 267–74. * A. Lagarde, “La confession dans s. Basile,” RHL 8 (1922) 534–48. * G.F. Reilly, Imperium and Sacerdotium according to St. Basil the Great, SCA 7 (Washington, D.C., 1945). * J. Janini Cuesta, “La penitencia medicinal des la Didascalia Apostolorum a s. Gregorio de Nisa,” RET 7 (1947) 337–62. * J. Grotz, Die Entwicklung des Busstufenwesens in der vornicänischen Kirche (Freiburg i. B., 1955) 404ff., 407ff., 415ff. * T. Pichier, “Das Fasten bei Basileios dem Grossen und im antiken Heidentum,” diss., Commentationes Aenipontanae 11 (Innsbruck, 1955). * P. Rouillard, “Temps et rythmes de la prière dans le monachisme ancien,” LMD, no. 64 (1960) 32–52. * J. Mateos, “L’office monastique à la fin du IVe siècle: Antioche, Palestine, Cappadoce,” OC 47 (1963) 53–88. * J. Bernardi, La prédication des pères cappadociens, le prédicateur et son auditoire, Publications de la Faculté des lettres et sciences humaines

67. Basil the Great  129 de l’Université de Montpellier (Paris, 1968). * B. Bobrinskoy, “Liturgie et ecclésiologie trinitaire de s. Basile,” VC 23 (1969) 1–33. * S.P. Brock, “Studies in the Early History of the Syrian Orthodox Baptismal Liturgy,” JThSt, n.s., 23 (1972) 16–64. * A. Verheul, “La prière monastique chorale avant Benoît: son influence sur le culte en Occident: la prière des heures avant la Règle et dans la Règle de s. Benoît,” QL 62 (1981) 227–42. * P. Karavites, “Saint Basil and Byzantine Hymnology,” GOTR 37 (1992) 203–14. * G.S. Bebis, “Introduction to the Liturgical Theology of St. Basil the Great,” GOTR 42 (1997) 273–85. * D.R. Stuckwisch, “The Basilian Anaphoras,” in Essays on Early Eastern Eucharistic Prayers, ed. P.F. Bradshaw (Collegeville, 1997) 109–30.

67-A. On the Holy Spirit† Written ca. 375, this treatise, containing thirty chapters, begins with Basil defending the liturgical use of the formula “Glory be to the Father with the Son together with the Holy Spirit.” The phraseology here, says Basil, is just as orthodox as the “Glory be to the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit.” Both, he contends, are sound scripturally and doctrinally. Especially in an age of Arianism, which denied the divinity of the Spirit, it was Basil in Asia Minor who led the way in affirming the consubstanti­ality of the Holy Spirit and of the Son with the Father. xii.28. No one, however, would rightly declare as perfect a baptism in which the name of the Spirit has not been invoked. This tradition has been handed over to us by life-giving grace. It is to ever remain inviolate since he who has redeemed our life from corruption gave us the power of renewal whose cause, ineffable and hidden in the mystery, brings to souls a wonderful salvation so that adding or taking away anything is certainly to withdraw from eternal life. If then in baptism separating the Spirit from the Father and from the Son is dangerous for the person who baptizes and harms the person being baptized, how then would it be safe for us to separate the Spirit from the Father and from the Son? To be sure, faith and baptism are the two ways of salvation. They are indivisibly bound to each other since if faith is perfected by baptism, baptism has its foundation in faith, both taking their perfection from the same names. Just as we believe in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, so it is that baptism is conferred in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. First comes the profession of faith which leads to salvation. Yet baptism, the seal of our assent, closely follows it. xxvii.66. Among the doctrines and kerygmas preserved in the Church some come from written teaching; others, handed over in mystery, we have received from apostolic tradition. All have the same force in regard Translated from Traité de Saint-Esprit. Basile de Césarée, trans. and ed. B. Pruche, SChr 17 (Paris, 1947) 157ff. †

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130  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East to religion, something that cannot be denied by anyone who has the least experience in ecclesiastical matters. If we try to discard unwritten customs as having no great force, we would unwillingly do harm to the very essence of the Gospel. Furthermore, we would transform “kerygma” into a mere word. For example (to consider the first and most common example), who among us has learned from writing to sign with the sign of the cross those who place their trust in our Lord Jesus Christ? What writing taught us to face the East when we pray? Which saint has given us in writing the words of the “epiclesis” during the prayer over the eucharistic bread and the cup of blessing? We are not satisfied with the words given us by the Apostle and the Gospel; before and afterwards we say other words, words received from unwritten teaching because they have such great importance for the mystery. We also bless the water used for baptism as well as the oil of anointing and the very person being baptized. Now where is it written that this should be done? Is it not by reason of a tradition that is secret and mystical? Even the anointing with oil, where is this written down? The triple immersion? From where does this come? And everything else that is done at baptism: for example, the renunciation of Satan and his angels? Where do we find this written down? Does it not come from that completely private and secret teaching that our fathers kept in silence, something beyond the reach of the curious and disquieted? Our fathers well knew that by keeping silence one safeguards the holy character of the mysteries; our fathers knew how foolish it would be to divulge in writing what the non-initiated are now allowed to contemplate. [.  .  .] 1325 [.  .  .] The apostles and the fathers, who in the beginning arranged all that concerns the churches, also guarded in silence and in secrecy their holy character, for what the crowd banters about is no mystery at all. This is why we have a tradition of unwritten teachings. Such a tradition exists so that, due to our careful protection of unwritten teachings, these teachings do not merely become an object of scorn on the part of the masses. Doctrine is one thing; kerygma is something else. The former we do not speak about; the latter we proclaim. Another form of silence is the obscurity used by Scripture to make the meaning of doctrines quite difficult to understand, this redounding to the very advantage of the reader. 1326 This is why when we face the east while praying, very few of us know that we are searching for our former native country, Paradise, which God planted in Eden,1 in the East. On the first day of the week we stand while praying, and yet not all of us know the reason for this. It is simply that we who have risen with Christ are to seek things from on high.2 By standing when we pray on the day consecrated to the Resurrection, we recall the grace that has been given us, for this day appears to be, as it were, an

1. See Gen 2:8; Heb 11:14.  2. See Col 3:1.

67. Basil the Great  131 image of the age to come. [.  .  .] The Church must educate its children to stand while praying on Sunday so that by continually remembering life without end, we do not fail to provide for our departure toward heaven. Throughout the Fifty Days [Pentecost] we are reminded of the resurrection we look forward to in another age. [.  .  .]

67-B. Longer Rules† Basil, generally considered the founder of monasticism in the East, wrote two Rules. The first, the Regulae Fusius Tractatae (the Longer Rules or the “Rules Treated at Length”), contains an abundance of material under fiftyfive headings. The second, the Regulae Brevius Tractatae (the Shorter Rules or the “Rules Treated Briefly”), contains 313 headings of material that applies Basil’s directions to actual ascetic living. Drafted in question and answer form, the documents, which perhaps owe much to Eustathius of Sebaste, a monastic friend of Basil, detail the duties and spiritual qualities of the devout Christian living an urban ascetic life. Question. Should prayer and psalmody be an excuse for omitting our work? What hours are appropriate for prayer? Is labor necessary? Answer. 3. We free ourselves from useless thoughts when in whatever we do we request both that God make our work successful and that we might return thanks to him who granted us the strength to act. As I said previously, may we always keep in sight our goal of pleasing him. If this does not happen, how can there be consistency between what the Apostle said when he told us to “pray without ceasing”1 and with what he said elsewhere, “we worked night and day”?2 Indeed, at all times thanksgiving has been required even by law; both reason and nature prove that this is necessary for our lives. And so we should not neglect to observe the hours for prayer that have been customarily established in communities of the brethren. These times have been necessarily selected because each recalls in its own particular way the blessings received from God. There are to be prayers early in the morning so that the first movement of soul and mind may be consecrated to God. We are to tend to nothing else till we have been cheered by the thought of God, for it is written, “I remembered God and was delighted.”3 Nor is the body to busy itself with tasks before we have carried out the words “To you, I will pray, O Lord; in the morning you will hear my voice; in the morning I will stand before you and see.”4 Again at the third hour the brethren are to gather and devote themselves to prayer. They should do so even if they have already gone off to their various tasks. Remembering the gift of the Spirit given to the Translated from PG 31:1011–16. 1. 1 Thess 5:17.  2. 2 Thess 3:8.  3. Ps 77:3.  4. Ps 5:3. †

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apostles at the third hour, all are to pray together so that they also may be made worthy of this holy gift. They are likewise to request that the Spirit guide and instruct them on what is good and useful according to the following words: “Create a clean heart in me, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence; take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and strengthen me with a guiding spirit.”5 It is also said, “Your good spirit will lead me into the right land.”6 Having prayed in this manner, we should then apply ourselves to our tasks. 4. Should there be some who are absent because the nature or location of their work keeps them too far removed, they must carry out all that is appointed for the common observance. They are to do so promptly, for “where two or three are gathered in my name,” says the Lord, “there am I in the midst of them.”7 We also judge that prayer is necessary at the sixth hour so that we might imitate the saints who say, “Evening and morning and at noon I will speak and declare; and he shall hear my voice.”8 So that we may be saved from attack and the noonday devil,9 also at this time Psalm 90a will be said. The ninth hour, however, was appointed as a required time for prayer by the apostles themselves in the Acts where it says that “Peter and John went up to the temple at the ninth hour of prayer.”10 Upon completion of the day’s work there is to be thanksgiving for what has been granted or for what has been rightly done during the day. There is also to be a confession of sins, whether voluntary or involuntary, whether a secret sin perhaps committed by word or deed or in the heart itself, for through prayer we make reparation to God for all our failings. Examining what we have already done greatly assists us in preventing such failings in the future, and so the Psalmist says, “What you say in your hearts be sorry for upon your beds.”11 5. Also at nightfall we are to request that our rest be sinless and free from dreams. Also at this hour Psalm 90b is recited. Paul and Silas, furthermore, have passed on to us the custom of compulsory prayer at midnight as the Acts declare, “At midnight Paul and Silas praised God.”12 The Psalmist also says, “I rise at midnight to praise you for your just judgments.”13 Furthermore, we must anticipate the dawn by prayer. In this way the day will not find us asleep in bed according to the words, “My eyes have prevented the morning that I might meditate on your words.”14 No such hour for prayer is to be omitted by those who have chosen a life dedicated to the glory of God and Christ. Moreover, I believe that a a. In Hebrew Psalm 91. b. Ibid. 5. Ps 51:10–12.  6. Ps 143:10.  7. Matt 18:20.  8. Ps 55:18.  9. See Ps 91:6.  10. Acts 3:1.  11. Ps 4:4.  12. Acts 16:25.  13. Ps 119:62.  14. Ps 119:148.

67. Basil the Great  133 lack of variety in prayer and psalmody somehow numbs and distracts the soul whereas change and variety renew devotion and restore attention.

67-C. Ascetical Discourse† This treatise sums up, as it were, various items found in the Longer Rules. 1339 4. [.  .  .] All life should be an occasion for prayer. Yet since at times there is an absolute need to interrupt our kneeling and our chanting of the psalms, the [specific] hours that the saints designated for prayer are to be observed. The mighty David says, “I rose at midnight to give praise to you for your just judgments.”1 We find Paul and Silas following his example because when they were in prison they prayed to God at midnight.2 Moreover, the same prophet says, “Evening and morning and at noon.”3 Furthermore, the Holy Spirit descended at the third hour as we learn in the Acts when Peter, answering the Pharisees who were jeering at the disciples because of the diversity of tongues, said that those speaking were not drunk since “it is only the third hour.”4 The ninth hour recalls the Lord’s passion,5 which he undertook to give us life. But since David says, “Seven times a day I have praised you for your just judgments,”6 and since the times for prayer that I have mentioned do not add up to this seven-fold division, the prayer at noon is to be divided, one half being prayed before the noon meal, the other afterwards. In such a way the daily seven-fold praise of God distributed throughout the whole day may become an example for us. [.  .  .]

67-D. Homilies Among the numerous homilies preached by Basil, there are nine on the Hexaemeron, all given during Lent; thirteen on the psalms, preached before Basil’s ordination to the episcopate, thus dating 364 and 370; and twenty-three authentic homilies on various other topics and themes. All show Basil’s skill as a preacher.

67-d-1. homily 14 on drunkards†† 1. [.  .  .] These wanton women, forgetting fear of God and despising eternal fire, should have stayed at home. Reflecting on the Resurrection, they should have kept in mind the day on which the heavens will be opened, the day on which there will appear for us the heavenly judge, God’s trumpets, the resurrection from the dead, the just judgment, and Translated from PG 31:877–78. 1. Ps 119:62.  2. See Acts 16:25.  3. Ps 55:17.  4. Acts 2:15.  5. Matt 27:45; Mark 15:33–34.  6. Ps 119:164. †† Translated from PG 31:445–46. †

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134  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East the rendering to each person of that individual’s just deserts. They should have been reflecting upon this. They should have purified their hearts from evil thoughts, washed away past sins by their tears, and prepared themselves for the coming of Christ on that great day when he will appear. Rather, they freed themselves from the duty of serving Christ. They removed the veils of honesty from their heads; they showed contempt for God and despised his angels; they shamelessly displayed themselves to almost everyone’s eyes as they shook their hair, stretched out their clothing, and danced. With lustful eyes they hurried about as if they were out of their senses, doing so with abundant laughter. They excited the passions of the young men. They danced in the basilicas of the martyrs in front of the town’s walls, making these holy places workshops of their own obscenities. Their wanton songs polluted the air; their unclean feet dirtied the earth. [.  .  .]

67-d-2. homily 3 on famine and drought† 1341

3. [.  .  .] I ask you, what is the quality of our supplications, our petitions? As for the men, except for a few, you have time for business. Women, you assist them in the search for gain and mammon. And so only a few pray with me. And laboring with giddiness, yawning, constantly looking this way and that, they observe when the cantor of the psalms will complete the verses so that, being dismissed from the church, it is as if they are released from prison, from the necessity of praying. However, these very young children, having laid aside their writing tablets and booklets in school, join their voices to ours.

67-d-3. homily 13 on baptism†† 1342

1. [.  .  .] There is a time for everything—a time for sleep, a time for awakening, a time for war, a time for peace.1 Yet every moment in a person’s life is fitting for baptism. The soul can no more live without knowing its Creator than the body can live without breathing. Ignorance of God is death to the soul. The unbaptized person is not enlightened. Lacking illumination [baptism] the eye cannot function; the soul cannot contemplate God. So it is that any time is appropriate for being baptized in order to be saved, whether it be day, night, a precise hour, or the shortest moment. Nonetheless, the most appropriate time for baptism is that time whose spirit is closest to that of baptism. And what could be closer than the day of the Pasch? This day commemorates the Resurrection, and baptism makes resurrection possible for us. May we receive the grace of resurrection on the day of the Resurrection. [.  .  .]

Translated from PG 31:309–10. Translated from PG 31:424ff. 1. See Eccl 3:1–8. †

††

67. Basil the Great  135 2. [.  .  .] Do you worship him who died for you? Then accept being buried with him in baptism. If you do not join with him in the likeness of his death, then how can you share in his resurrection?2 [.  .  .] If Israel had not crossed the sea, it would not have eluded the Pharaoh. If you do not cross the water, you will not be separated from the harsh tyranny of the devil. Israel would not have drunk of that spiritual rock if it were not baptized figuratively. Nor will anyone give you true drink if you are not baptized. Israel, having been baptized, ate the bread of angels.3 How will you eat the living bread unless you have first been baptized? It was through baptism that Israel entered the Promised Land. How will you enter paradise unless you have been sealed through baptism? [.  .  .] 5. Are you still young? Restrain your youth by the rein of baptism. Has the flower of youth passed you by? Take care not to lose your provisions. Do not waste your resources. Do not consider the eleventh hour as if it were the first hour4 since whoever has seen the beginning should always keep the end in sight. If a physician should promise to restore your health, revitalizing your lost youth by means of his arts and skills, would you not yearn for the day when such a change would occur? Now when baptism promises and guarantees to restore your soul to its original splendor—the soul your sins have aged and disfigured—you despise your benefactor and do not hasten to what has been promised. Why is it that you have no desire for so great and wonderful a miracle? Can anyone be born without a mother? How can something that is old and corrupted by sinful desires be made to thrive again and be returned to the true flower of youth? It is by means of baptism, which ransoms captives, which remits debts, which is the death of sin, which is a spiritual rebirth, a shining garment, an unbreakable seal, a chariot to heaven, the guarantee of the kingdom, the grace of adoption. [.  .  .]

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67-d-4. homily on psalm 1† 1. [.  .  .] When the Holy Spirit saw that the human race was only with difficulty led toward virtue and when the Spirit saw that our desire for pleasure was causing us to neglect living correctly, what did the Spirit do? The Spirit mingled the sweetness of melody with doctrines. In this way by the pleasantness and delight of what we hear we might receive, even unknowingly, the benefit of what is said, just as a wise doctor frequently smears honey on the cup when giving the sick some rather bitter liquids to drink. This is why the Spirit arranged for us such harmonious melodies of the psalms so that those who are children in age or even youthful in inclination might, outwardly, be seen as singing; they are, in fact, really being formed spiritually. Hardly has anyone ever left [the church]

2. See Rom 6:5.  3. See Ps 78:25.  4. See Matt 20:12. † Translated from PG 29:209–14.

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136  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East remembering with interest the apostolic or prophetic message. Be this as it may, they do chant the text of the psalms, even at home. They spread these words around the market place. Even if there are some who are very angry, once they begin to be calmed by the psalms, they immediately depart, their disturbed souls lulled to sleep by the melody. 1346 2. A psalm is serenity of the soul; it begets peace, a peace that soothes disquieting and stormy thoughts. Just as it represses the soul’s irasci­ bility and passion, so it chastens wantonness. A psalm creates friendships, uniting those who are apart and reconciling all who are at odds with one another. Can anyone still consider as an enemy someone with whom he or she has uttered the same prayer to God? So it is that singing the psalms brings about, as it were, a bond of unity. It joins people to a harmonious performance by one choir as well as also producing the greatest of blessings, namely, love. The psalm puts demons to flight. It is a request for protection by the angels. It is a weapon against fears brought on by the night. It is a respite from the labors of the day, a security for infants, an adornment for the young, a consolation of the elderly, a most apt ornament for women. A psalm peoples the solitudes, improves the market place. A psalm offers a beginning for those just setting out; it is improvement for those who are already making progress; it is a solid support for the perfect; it is the voice of the Church. Psalmody gives joy to feast days, creates a sorrow that accords with God. It provokes tears from a heart of stone. A psalm is the work of angels; it is a heavenly institution and a spiritual incense. [.  .  .]

67-d-5. homily on psalm 114† a 1347

1. Having arrived so early at this holy temple of the martyrs, you persevered from midnight till this midday, appeasing the God of the martyrs with hymns as you awaited our arrival. A reward awaits you who prefer to honor the martyrs and worship God rather than to sleep and to rest. [.  .  .] So that we may not be distressed at detaining you further, we shall dismiss you after discussing briefly the psalm you were singing [i.e., Psalm 114] when we arrived. [.  .  .]

67-E. Letters A Basilian corpus of about 365 letters has come down to us. Some of these, however, are written to Basil from others. Furthermore, in some instances questions of authenticity arise. Nonetheless, these writings are a store of information not only about Basil personally but also about the condition and problems of the Church in the East during the fourth century. Translated from PG 29:483–84. a. Psalm 114 according to the LXX; Psalm 116 according to the Hebrew. †

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67-e-1. letter 2. to gregory† a 1348 6. [.  .  .] May prayer precede the meal so that we become worthy of God’s gifts, both those now given by God as well as those reserved for the future. May prayers follow the meal, prayers that give thanks for what has been given and that request what has been promised. [.  .  .]

67-e-2. letter 93. to the patrician lady caesaria on communion†† a 1349 To receive Communion each day and to partake of the holy Body and precious Blood of Christ is beautiful and helpful since he himself clearly says, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has life everlasting.”1 Who, in fact, can doubt that continually participating in life is nothing other than to have life abundantly? We, however, receive Communion four times a week: on Sunday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, as well as on other days if some saint is commemorated. It is needless to point out that there is nothing wrong with receiving, during times of persecution, by one’s own hand when no priest or deacon is present as long as such a practice is confirmed by long-standing custom attested by circumstances themselves. All the monks who inhabit the desert, where there is no priest, reserve Communion in their own dwellings and receive it from their own hands. At Alexandria and in Egypt all the faithful, the laity included, almost always keep Communion at home and receive it when they so desire. Once the priest has completed the sacrifice and has distributed Communion, the person who has once received it each time as a whole, when partaking each day, should correctly believe that he or she properly takes and receives it from the giver. Even in church, the priest gives the portion requested of him; the person receiving keeps this in all freedom and with one’s own hand brings it to his or her mouth. So it amounts to the same, whether one or more parts are received from the priest at the same time.

67-e-3. letter 188. to amphilochius††† 3. The case [regarding baptism] concerning the Catharsa has already been discussed, and you are correct to recall that it is necessary to follow the custom of each area because those who decided at that time were of various opinions concerning Cathar baptism. As to the baptism given by Translated from Courtonne, vol. 1:12. a. This letter to Gregory Nazianzus was written ca. 358. †† Translated from Courtonne, vol. 1:203–4. a. Written ca. 372. 1. John 6:54. ††† Translated from Courtonne, vol. 2:121ff. This is the first of the so-called Canonical Letters (nos. 188, 199, 217) on the penitential discipline; Amphilochius was the bishop of Iconium (Kenya) in present-day southwest Turkey. a. Cathars (Cathari): a term applied to a variety of heterodox groups, e.g., the Novatians, the Manichaeans, etc. †

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138  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East the Pepuzites,b it seems to me that this has no value. Often have I wondered how this could have escaped the notice of Dionysius,c who was well-acquainted with the canons. In fact, the baptism that the ancients judged as being necessary was a baptism that in no way strayed from the faith. Consequently they called certain errors heresies, others they called schisms, and still others unlawful congregations. Heretics are completely separated and divorced from the faith itself. Schismatics are at variance with one another for certain ecclesiastical reasons or for problems capable of resolution through mutual understanding. Unlawful congregations are assemblies of undisciplined people led by rebellious bishops or priests. For example, if a person, whose guilt was proven and who was to be ejected from the ministry, did not submit to the canons but claimed for himself episcopal dignity and ministry and if others left the Catholic Church to go with him, this would be an unlawful congregation. To be at odds with those belonging to the Church regarding penance is a schism. Heresies, for example, are those of the Manichaeans,d the Valentinians,e the Marcionites,f and the Pepuzites themselves where disagreement specifically concerns faith in God. The fathers believed it best to completely reject baptism given by heretics and yet to accept baptism given by schismatics as a baptism conferred by people still belonging to the Church. As for those in unlawful congregations, when healed by a suitable penance and when sincerely repenting, they are again restored to membership in the Church. And so in many instances those in ecclesiastical orders who have departed with the insubordinate ones are frequently restored to the same order once they have done penance. Clearly the Pepuzites are heretics; they have blasphemed against the Holy Spirit by sinfully and shamefully attributing to Montanusg and to Priscillah the title of “prophet.” The Pepuzites are to be condemned because they attribute divinity to human beings and because they insult the Holy Spirit by comparing the Spirit to human beings. Furthermore, they expose themselves to eternal damnation because blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is not forgiven.1 Can anyone produce a reason as to why we should accept baptism given by those who

b. Pepuzites: another name for the followers of Montanus who came from the town of Pepuzens in Phrygia. c. Dionysius the Great (d. ca. 264): bishop of Alexandria. d. Manichaeans: followers of Mani (Manes) and members of a Gnostic sect; one of its basic teachings was that of a basic conflict between light and darkness. e. Valentinians: followers of Valentinian, a second-century Gnostic theologian. f. Marcionites: followers of Marcion (d. ca. 160), founder of a heretical sect at Rome. g. Montanus: a second-century heretic who claimed to be the spokesperson of the Holy Spirit. h. Priscilla: a “prophetess” and a follower of Montanus. 1. See Matt 12:31–32; Mark 3:29; Luke 12:10.

67. Basil the Great  139 baptize in the Father, the Son, and Montanus or Priscilla? Not baptized at all are those who have been baptized in names not found in tradition. Even though this escaped the great Dionysius, we should not imitate his error. The absurdity of such a practice is self-evident and is clear to all who have even a little amount of reason. The Cathars are also schismatics. Further, it seemed best to the ancients, to Cypriani and to our own Firmilianj to reject the Cathars, Encratites,k and Hydroparastatael by a common condemnation because the separation came about through schism. Those who separated themselves from the Church no longer possessed the grace of the Holy Spirit because this grace no longer existed once continuity had been broken. In fact, those who were the first to withdraw had been ordained by the fathers and through the imposition of hands possessed spiritual gifts. But having broken away, they became laity. As such they lacked the power to baptize and ordain because they were no longer able to obtain for others that grace of the Holy Spirit from which they themselves were excluded. And so the ancients commanded that those who had been baptized by them, as by laymen, should come to the Church where they would be cleansed by the Church’s true baptism. But some in Asia, to conform themselves to the direction of the majority, believed that such baptisms should be accepted. So let it be. We must, however, understand the evil action of the Encratites. In order 1351 that they might render impossible their readmission to the Church, they endeavored to prevent it in the future by a peculiar baptism of their own, thus violating even their own special practices. I believe, therefore, that since there is no instruction on this subject, we should reject their baptism; whoever has been baptized by them should be baptized upon entering the Church. In the case where this would be an obstacle to the general welfare, it would once again be necessary to have recourse to custom and follow the fathers who have issued regulations concerning our institutions. Although we wish that the Encratites refrain from baptizing, I fear that the severity of our decision may be an obstacle for those wishing to be saved. The fact that the Encratites accept our baptism should not distress us. Yet we, in fact, are not obligated to repay this but to strictly observe the canons. For all kinds of reasons it is necessary to decide that those who come to us from this baptism be anointed openly before the faithful and then approach the mysteries. On the other hand, I know that Izois and Saturninus, two brothers who were members of this group, were admitted by us to the episcopal rank. For this reason we can no longer separate from the Church members of this group since we set forth, as it were, a certain i. Cyprian: bishop of Carthage who was martyred in 258 (WEC 1:27). j. Firmilian (d. 268): bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia. k. Encratites: a general term for those espousing extreme ascetic practices. l. Hydroparastatae: another term for the Aquarians, namely, those using water rather than wine in the celebration of the Eucharist.

140  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East canon authorizing communion with them because we received them as bishops. 1352 4. [.  .  .] As to those who have married three times, we exclude them for five years according to custom. This penalty we do not take from the canons but from our predecessors. It is not necessary to exclude them completely from the Church, but after two, perhaps three years let them be “hearers.” Afterwards they may be allowed to stand with the others for prayer, but they must be excluded from Holy Communion. And when they have demonstrated some fruitful penance, they will be reinstated to the community. 1353 5. Heretics who repent at the time of death are to be received, yet not indiscriminately. They are to be examined as to whether they demonstrate true repentance and whether they have fruits to witness that they are zealous for salvation.

67-e-4. letter 199. to amphilochius† a 1354

27. As to a priest who unknowingly is involved in an illicit marriage, I have determined that the following procedure be followed. He will retain his rank but is to refrain from other activities. Pardon suffices to a man in this situation. It is inconsistent to bless someone else when he should be tending to his own wounds. In fact, a blessing is the communication of holiness. But one who is not holy because he sinned out of ignorance—how can he bless another? Consequently he is not to bless, neither in public nor in private; he is not to distribute the Body of Christ. He is not to carry out any other sacred function, but he is to be content with his honorable place and with tears beseech the Lord to forgive the sin he committed in ignorance.

67-e-5. letter 207. to the clergy of neo-caesarea†† 1355

2. [.  .  .] I wish you to know that we boast of having convents of men and women who lead the life of citizens of heaven, who have crucified their flesh with its passions and lusts, who concern themselves neither with food nor clothing, and who, protected and attentive to the Lord, persevere night and day in prayer. Their mouths do not celebrate human works. Rather, they continually sing hymns to our God, working with their hands so that they might be able to share with the poor. 1356 3. In response to the accusation regarding psalmody, an accusation with which our calumniators especially alarm the simple, I can say that the usages presently found in all God’s churches agree and are in harmony with each other. Among us the people rise during the night to gather at

Translated from Courtonne, vol. 2:159. a. Written in 375. †† Translated from Courtonne, vol. 2:185–86. †

67. Basil the Great  141 the house of prayer, and whether in sorrow, in affliction, or in constant mourning, they confess to God; finally they stand when the prayers have been completed in order to move on to the psalmody. Then, divided into two choirs, the faithful chant the psalms by responding to one another; in this way they give more solidity to their meditation on the words of Scripture, and at the same time they assure for themselves interior attention and steadfastness. Then there is a change. One person is given the task of leading the singing, and the others respond to him. And so having spent the night in a variety of psalmody interspersed with prayers, at daybreak, all together, as with one mouth and heart, send up to the Lord the psalm of confession,a making their own the words of repentance. If you shun us on this account, then you will have to do the same to the Egyptians; you will have to avoid the people of the two Libyas, the Thebans, the Palestinians, the Arabians, the Phoenicians, the Syrians, and all who reside beside the Euphrates; in short, all those who honor vigils, prayers, and psalmody in common.

67-e-6. letter 217. to amphilochius† a 56. Those who have willingly committed murder and then repented will 1357 be excluded from participating in the sacraments for twenty years. These twenty years will be divided: they will be mourners for four years; they will stand outside, at the door of the house of prayer; they will acknowledge their iniquity and ask the faithful who enter to pray for them. After four years they will be received among the hearers; and for five years they will leave with them. For seven years they will depart with the kneelers, praying with them. For four years they will stand with the faithful but will not take part in the offering. Once all these penances have been carried out, they will be allowed to share in the sacraments. 1358 57. Those who have unwillingly committed murder will be excluded for ten years from participating in the sacraments. These ten years will be apportioned as follows: they will spend two years among the mourners, three years among the hearers, four years among the kneelers, and they will stand for one year, after which they will be admitted to the holy things. 1359 58. Those who have committed adultery will be excluded from the sacraments for fifteen years, spending four years as mourners, five years as hearers, two years as kneelers, and only one year as those who stand but do not receive Communion.

a. Namely, Psalm 1. † Translated from Courtonne, vol. 2:210ff. a. Written in 375.

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59. Those who have committed fornication will be excluded from participating in the sacraments for seven years, spending two years among the mourners, two years among the hearers, two years among the kneelers, one year with those standing, and being admitted to Communion in the eighth year. 70. The deacon who has soiled his lips and who has been recognized as having sinned will be suspended from his functions but will be judged worthy to participate in the sacraments with the [other] deacons. The same holds true for the presbyter. If someone is caught in a more serious sin, he will be deposed no matter what his grade. 73. Those who have denied Christ and violated the mystery of salvation will spend their whole lives among the mourners and are bound to do penance; at the moment of death they may be judged worthy of the sacrament because of their faith in God’s goodness. 74. If those who have committed the sins given above make great strides in doing penance, then he who has received from God the power to loose and to bind will not merit condemnation if he, seeing the extent of the sinner’s penance, mercifully shortens their time for doing penance. History contained in the Scriptures teaches us that those who undertake a harsher penance will promptly obtain God’s mercy. 75. Those who have defiled themselves with their own sisters [or brothers] or mothers [or fathers] will be forbidden entrance to the house of prayer till they renounce such evil and criminal conduct. After becoming aware of such a horrible sin, they will be mourners for three years, standing at the door of the house of prayer and begging the people entering there to pray for them, to show pity to them, as the people address fervent petitions to the Lord on their behalf. After this they are to be admitted for another period of three years among the hearers. Having listened to the reading of the Scriptures and the instruction, they are sent out, not being considered worthy to pray. Then, if they ask it with tears and if they fall at the Lord’s feet with sorrowful hearts and deep humility, they are allowed among the kneelers for another three years. And so, when they have demonstrated worthy fruits of penance,1 they are to be admitted in the tenth year to the faithful at prayer, yet still being excluded from Communion. Once they have spent two years standing among the faithful for prayer, they may finally be judged worthy of Holy Communion. 84. I write all these rules so that I can test the fruits of penance. It is not according to time that we judge such things. We pay attention to the manner in which penance is done. If sinners are not disposed to abandon their customary ways of acting, if they prefer to be slaves of bodily pleasures rather than those of the Lord, if they fail to live according to the Gospel, then we have no common ground with them. [.  .  .]

1. See Matt 3:8.

68. Gregory of Nazianzus  143 6 8 . G r e g o ry o f N a z i a n z u s

Gregory was born in 329/330 on his family’s estate of Arianzum near Nazianzus in Cappadocia. The son of that town’s bishop (Gregory the Elder), the younger Gregory was baptized in 358. He studied in Caesarea in Cappadocia, Caesarea in Palestine, Alexandria, and finally at Athens, where he began his friendship with Basil (WEC 2:67); although not always agreeing, they remained lifelong friends. Ordained, albeit unwillingly, a presbyter by his father ca. 361, Gregory soon left Nazianzus and fled to Pontus, where he undertook various ascetic and monastic practices. However, he soon returned to Nazianzus when, shortly afterwards, Basil ordained him bishop of Sasima, seemingly an outpost of less than minor significance. Gregory never resided there but stayed in Nazianzus, where he assisted his father in the care of souls till the latter’s death in 374. A year later Gregory went to Seleucia in Isauria, where he lived a life of prayerful solitude. In 379 he proceeded to Constantinople, where he provided pastoral assistance to the city’s small orthodox community, which was living, as it were, amidst a heretical environment. While participating in the Second Council of Constantinople, in 381 Gregory was appointed bishop of that city, but he soon resigned, returning to Nazianzus. Once his cousin Eulalius was made bishop there, Gregory retired to the family estate at Arianzum, where he engaged in various scholarly activities and monastic observances. Gregory died in 389/390. Although Gregory was not a prolific writer, history has left us a large number of his poems, numerous letters (written between 383 and ca. 390), together with his well-known orations or speeches. CPG 2: nos. 3010ff. * Altaner (1961) 345–51 * Altaner (1966) 298–303 * Bardenhewer (1908) 286–95 * Bardenhewer (1910) 249–56 * Bardenhewer (1913) 3:162–88 * Bardy (1929) 131–36 * Bautz 2:331–34 * Campbell 64–67 * Hamell 104–6 * Jurgens 2:27–42 * Leigh-Bennett 219–36 * Quasten 3:236–54 * Steidle 116–18 * Tixeront 173–75 * Wright (1932) 339–42 * CATH 5:255–58 * CE 7:10–15 * CHECL 295–97 * DACL 6.2:1667–1711 * DCB 2:741–61 * DHGE 22:15–18 * DictSp 6:932–71 * DPAC 2:1707–12 * DTC 6.2:1839–44 * EC 6:1088–96 * EEC 1:361–62 * EEChr 1:491–95 * LTK 4:1004–7 * NCE 6:791–94 * NCES 6:513–17 * ODCC 711–12 * PEA (1894) 7.2:1859–63 * PEA (1991) 4:1214–15 * RACh 12:793–863 * TRE 14:164–73 H. Thurston, “The Early Cultus of the Reserved Eucharist,” JThSt 11 (1910–11) 275–79. * J. Maier, “Die Eucharistielehre der drei grossen Kappadozier,” diss. (Breslau, 1915). * O. Casel, “Das Mysteriengedächtnis der Messliturgie im Lichte der Tradition,” JL 6 (1926) 148–51. * H. Frank, “Das Alter der römischen Laudes- und Vesperantiphonen der Weinachtsoktav und ihrer greichischen Originale,” OC 36 (1939) 14–18. * A. Corvino, “Il Battesimo in s. Gregorio Nazianzeno,” diss. (Aversa, 1943). * L. Brou, “Saint Grégoire de Nazianze et l’antienne ‘Mirabile Mysterium’ des Laudes de la Circoncision,” EphL 58 (1944) 14–22. * J. Betz, Die Eucharistie in der Zeit der griechischen Väter, vol. 1, 1 (Freiburg i. B., 1955) 225–26, 284–85. * M. Jourjon, “Le

144  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East sacerdoce d’après l’Oratio secunda de s. Grégoire de Nazianze,” BCE nos. 38–39 (1962) 375–83. * D.F. Winslow, “Gregory of Nazianzus and Love for the Poor,” AThR 47 (1965) 348–59. * G. Galavaris, The Illustrations of the Liturgical Homilies of Gregory Nazianzenus, Studies in Manuscript Illumination 6 (Princeton, 1968). * L.J. Patsavos, “The Image of the Priest according to the Three Hierarchs,” GOTR 21 (1976) 55–70. * F. Trisoglio, “La conversione in s. Gregorio di Nazianzo,” Aug 27 (1987) 185–217. * P. Jeffery, “’Parádoxon Mustérion’: The Thought of Gregory the Theologian in Byzantine and Latin Liturgical Chant,” GOTR 39 (1994) 187–98. * M. Nin, “Discorso I sulla Pasqua di San Gregorio di Nazianzo,” EOr 16 (1999) 29–35.

68-A. Orations These orations or speeches date from the time Gregory was ordained a bishop till his retirement, that is, from about 362 to 388. Some forty-four of these compositions, no doubt edited for publication, are attributed to him. They were given on the occasion of funerals, events in his own life, as well as on certain feasts of the saints and on other celebrations of the liturgical year. Most famous are the so-called theological sermons (nos. 27–31) given in 380 at Constantinople and earning for him the title of “the Theologian.”

68-a-1. oration 8. on his sister, gorgonia† 1366

xviii. What did this great soul do, this soul worthy of the greatest, and how did she cure herself of this illness? We now arrive at what has been a secret. Having renounced all other medicines, she had recourse to the physician of all.1 She awaited the silence of the night, and at the moment when the illness allowed her to have a certain degree of relief, with faith she prostrated herself before the altar and cried out to him who is honored there. She employed every type of invocation, recalling all the miracles he had ever performed—for she was well instructed in both ancient and recent writings. Finally she was taken hold of by a pious and beautiful impudence. She imitated the woman whose source of blood had dried up at the very moment she touched the tassels of Christ’s garment.2 So what did Gorgonia do? With a similar cry she rested her head on the altar, and with an abundance of tears—like those of the woman who once inundated the feet of Christ3—she promised not to leave till she had regained her health. Then holding a little of the antitypesa of the precious Body and Blood, she smeared this remedy over her whole body, mixing it with her tears. What a miracle followed! She left immediately, knowing that she was cured. With lightness of body, soul, and spirit, for she had obtained the reward of her hope. By strength of soul she gained strength of body. How great Translated from Grégoire de Nazianze. Discours 6–12, trans. and ed. J. Bernardi, SChr 405 (Paris, 1995) 284–87. a. Antitypes: namely, the consecrated bread and wine. 1. See Matt 4:23.  2. See Matt 9:20–22; Mark 5:25–29; Luke 8:43–44.  3. See Luke 7:37–38; Matt 26:7. †

68. Gregory of Nazianzus  145 this is! It is not false. All of you are to believe this, whether you are sick or in good health so that you may either retain or recover your own good health. [.  .  .]

68-a-2. oration 18. on the death of his father† a xxviii. [.  .  .] It was the holy and well-known Pasch, that queen of all days, that brilliant night which removes the darkness of sin, the night during which we with abundant light celebrate the feast of our salvation, the night when we undergo death along with the light that was once put to death for us, the night when we also rise with him who rose. [.  .  .]

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68-a-3. oration 38. on the theophany of christ†† a i. Christ is born, give glory. Christ descends from on high, go out to meet him. Christ is upon the earth, be exalted. “Sing to the Lord, all the earth.”1 If we say both together, “May the heavens rejoice and may the earth be glad,”2 because of him who is “in heaven”3 and then “on earth.”4 Christ is in the flesh. “Rejoice with trembling”5 and with joy; with trembling because of your sins; with joy because you hope. Christ [born] of a Virgin. O ladies, practice virginity if you wish to be mothers of Christ. Who does not adore him who is “from the beginning”?6 Who does not give glory to him who is “the last”?7 iii. [.  .  .] The present solemnity is that of the Theophany or the Nativity since this feast has two designations, two names given to one and the same reality. [.  .  .] The name Theophany comes from the fact that he appeared; that of the Nativity from the fact that he was born. iv. [.  .  .] This is our feast; it is the feast we are celebrating today; it is the coming of God among humankind so that we might go forth or rather— and this is the better expression—so that we might return to God, putting off the old self and putting on the new.8 Just as we died in Adam so we are to live in Christ,9 being born with Christ, being crucified with him,10 being buried with him,11 and rising with him.12 [.  .  .] And so may we observe this feast not as a profane solemnity but in a god-like manner, not in a worldly manner but in a heavenly manner, not as our own feast but as that belonging to him or rather to our Master, not as that of sickness but of health, not as that of creation13 but of re-creation.

Translated from PG 35:1017–18. a. This oration was given in 334. †† Translated from Grégoire de Nazianze. Discours 38–41, trans. P. Gallay, intro., critical text, and notes by C. Moreschini, SChr 358 (Paris, 1990) 104ff. a. This oration was given in 380. 1. Ps 96:1.  2. Ps 96:11.  3. See 1 Cor 15:47.  4. Ibid.  5. See Ps 2:11.  6. 1 John 1:1.  7. Rev 1:17; 2:8.  8. See Eph 4:22–24.  9. See 1 Cor 15:22.  10. See Gal 2:19.  11. Rom 6:4; Col 2:12.  12. See Eph 2:6.  13. See Gen 2:7; Ps 119:73. †

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v. And how are we to do this? We are not to adorn our porches with garlands, to arrange dance choirs, to decorate the streets, to feast the eye, to charm the ear, to offer the nostrils effeminate perfume, to prostitute the taste, to caress the touch. Such lead to vice and are the doorways to sin. [.  .  .]

68-a-4. oration 39. on the lights† a i. [.  .  .] The Day of Lights, which we are observing today, has its origin in the baptism of Christ, who is “the true light that gives light to all who enter the world.”1 This day brings about my purification and assists the light which we from the beginning have received from him who is above, the light which we darkened and confounded through our sins. 1373 xvii. Since today’s feast has baptism for its object, and since we must suffer a little for him who for our sake assumed our form, who was baptized and then crucified, let us briefly consider the difference among baptisms so that we might depart from here purified. Moses was baptized in water2 and earlier in the cloud and in the sea.3 This took place in a figu­ rative manner as Paul also believed: the sea was a figure of the water; the cloud was a figure of the Spirit; the manna4 was a figure of “the bread of life,”5 the drink6 was a figure of the divine drink.7 John also baptized, not as the Jews did since he baptized not only in water but unto repentance;8 he did not as yet baptize in an entirely spiritual manner since he did not add “in the Spirit.” Jesus also baptized, but he did so in the Spirit.9 This is perfect baptism. And how is he not God—if I may make a small passing observation—he by whom you also become God? Furthermore, I know a fourth baptism, that by martyrdom and blood; Christ himself was baptized by these. This baptism is far more venerable than the others since it cannot be stained by later blemishes. I also know a fifth baptism, that of tears, but it is more difficult. For example, whoever submits to it washes his or her bed and couch each night with tears.10 1372

68-a-5. oration 40. on baptism†† a 1374

iii. [.  .  .] Of these births [natural birth, baptism, the resurrection] we need not presently speak of the first and the last. But the one I would like to speak to you about is the second baptism, that which our subject presently imposes on us and which gives its name to the Feast of the Lights. Illumination [baptism] is the splendor of souls, the conversion of life, “the Translated from SChr 358:168–69, 186–89. a. This oration was given on January 6 in 381. 1. John 1:9.  2. See Exod 17:6.  3. 1 Cor 10:1–2; see Exod 14:21–22.  4. See 1 Cor 10:3.  5. John 6:35.  6. 1 Cor 10:4.  7. See John 6:56.  8. Mark 1:4; see Matt 3:2.  9. See Matt 3:11; 28:19; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16.  10. See Ps 6:6. †† Translated from SChr 358:200ff. a. This oration was given ca. 381. †

68. Gregory of Nazianzus  147 appeal to God for a good conscience.”1 Illumination brings help to our weakness. It is the renunciation of the flesh,2 docility to the Spirit, participation in the Word, the setting right of the creature, the deluge engulfing sin, the communication of light, the disappearance of the darkness. Illumination is the chariot leading to God;3 it is dying with Christ, the support of faith, the perfection of the spirit, the key to the kingdom of heaven,4 the modification of existence, the suppression of slavery, the removal of chains, the renewal of our whole person. Does Illumination need a longer list of names? It is the most beautiful and the most magnificent of God’s gifts. Just as the Holy of Holies and the Song of Songs are more excellent and broader than all others, so this Illumination is more holy than any other illumination existing among us. iv. But just as Christ, who gives this Illumination, has many names, the same is true for this gift. [.  .  .] We call it a Gift, Grace, Baptism, Anointing, Illumination, the Garment of Immortality, the Bath of New Birth, the Seal—in short, all that is excellent. We call it a Gift because it is given without any previous contribution; Grace because it is granted even to those who are in debt;5 Baptism because sin is buried with it in the water; Anointing because it is priestly and royal since [priests and kings] were the ones who were anointed; Illumination because of its splendor; Clothing since it covers our shame; Bath because it washes us; Seal because it preserves us. [.  .  .] xvii. [.  .  .] Do you have a very young child? Do not allow sin to gain any opportunity, but let the infant be sanctified from childhood. Let the infant be consecrated by the Spirit from the very tenderest of age. Do you fear the seal because human nature is weak? O what a fearful mother! O what a mother of little faith! [.  .  .] xxv. [.  .  .] May we be like Peter and John. Just as they hastened toward the tomb and the resurrection,6 so may we hasten to the bath, running together, doing so as rivals; let us vie against one another to obtain what is good. Do not say, “I will return. Tomorrow I will come to be baptized” since you can receive this benefit today. Do not say: “May I have with me my father, my brothers, my wife, my children, my friends, all whom I cherish, and at that time I will receive salvation. This is still not the moment to be made bright.” If you say this, then we have reason to fear that those who you hope will participate in your joy will instead share in your sorrow. If they are present, be content; if they are absent, do not await them. It is shameful to say: “Where is the gift I am to offer on the occasion of the Illumination? Where is the white garment in which I am to be resplendent? Where are the means wherewith I can give a reception for those who will do the baptizing so that also in this I might be wellknown?” In your eyes these things are all necessary; compared to them 1. 1 Pet 3:21.  2. See ibid.  3. See 2 Kgs 2:11.  4. See Matt 16:19.  5. See Matt 6:12; Luke 11:4.  6. See John 20:3–4.

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148  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East grace counts little for you. Do not toy with what is great. Do not yield to base feelings. The mystery is greater than what you see. Offer yourself. Put on Christ.7 May your conduct be my nourishment. [.  .  .] 1378 xxvi. May nothing hinder you from making progress. May nothing curb your desire. [.  .  .] Seize the opportunity. May this bath be your great joy. Having spoken, be baptized; having been baptized, be saved. Even if outwardly you are an Ethiopian [black], become white in your soul. Obtain salvation. Nothing is higher, nothing is more valued for those who understand. Do not say, “I want to be baptized by a bishop or by a metropolitan or by the archbishop of Jerusalem”—grace does not depend on places but on the Spirit—”and I even wish that the person baptizing me be of noble birth since it would be inopportune that my own nobility be dishonored by the person who baptizes me. But if it is a presbyter, may he at least be unmarried or from one of those who themselves are teachers and who lead an angelic life since it would be inopportune that I contract a stain at the moment of purification.” Do not seek to determine whether the person who baptizes or who proclaims the faith is worthy of trust. It is another who judges this and who values what is more hidden since “mortals see what is on the outside whereas God sees what is in the heart.”8 As for you, any person from among those approved is worthy of trust provided this person has not been openly condemned and is not outside the Church. [.  .  .] 1379 xxvii. [.  .  .] Do not reject the remedy of exorcism and be not discouraged by its length, for it is the touchstone of your sincerity in regard to grace. [.  .  .] 1380 xxviii. “We admit all this,” some will say, “in regard to those who request to be baptized. But what do you have to say about those who are still infants, those who know nothing about loss or about grace? Are we to baptize these also?” Certainly you are to do so when danger [of death] is imminent. It is better that they be unknowingly sanctified rather than depart without being sealed, without having been initiated. Our reasoning here lies in the fact that circumcision, being a figure of baptism, took place on the eighth day9 and on those who still lacked reason; the same is true for the anointing of the doorposts which protected the first-born by means of material things.10 As to the others, my advice is to wait till the third year—either somewhat less or somewhat more—a time when they are capable of listening and of responding to something about the mystery. Even if they do not understand completely, they will at least gain an impression of it. Thus their souls and bodies are sanctified by the great mystery of initiation. The situation is this: they begin to be responsible for their lives when they have full use of reason and when they have knowledge of the mystery since their sins, committed out of ignorance, are not imputed to them because of their 7. See Rom 13:14; Gal 3:27.  8. 1 Sam 16:7.  9. See Gen 17:12.  10. See Exod 12:22–23, 29.

68. Gregory of Nazianzus  149 age. From every point of view it is better to be sheltered by the bath from the dangers that unexpectedly confront us and are stronger than all help. 1381 xxx. [.  .  .] Before being tempted11 Christ fasted a little. We do likewise before the Pasch. The fasts are one and the same, but the difference in the reasons for fasting is not minor. He fasted as a barrier against temptation whereas the fast gives us the power to die with Christ; it is the purification that goes before the feast. Christ, being God, fasted for forty days; we fast according to our possibilities even though the zeal of some persuades them to exceed their strength. [.  .  .] 1382 xxxi. [.  .  .] You will engage in a double struggle: one to purify yourselves before baptism, the other to preserve your baptism. It is, in fact, just as difficult to acquire a good that one does not have as it is to retain what has been acquired. Often enough negligence endangers what our activity has acquired. You will be assisted in obtaining what you desire by keeping vigil, by fasting, by sleeping on the ground, by tears, by showing compassion toward the needy, by almsgiving. In this way you may show your thanksgiving for what you have received. At the same time these may be a means of preserving it. You have the benefit of being able to recall so many commandments and precepts, none of which you are to transgress. A poor person is present? Recall how you were needy and became rich. A poor person lacks bread or has nothing to drink? Perhaps another Lazarus has been cast at your gate?12 Respect the sacramental table that you approached, the bread you shared, the cup in which you participated when being initiated into the sufferings of Christ. [.  .  .] 1383 xlvi. [.  .  .] The attitude you will assume, standing, immediately after your baptism, in front of the bema,b prefigures the glory to come. The psalmody with which you will be received is a prelude to the singing of hymns in heaven. The lamps that you will light will evoke the procession of light in heaven with which we will meet the Bridegroom, we, shining and pure souls,13 resplendent with the lamps of our faith. [.  .  .]

68-a-6. oration 43. on basil† a lii. He [the emperor] entered the holy place, his whole retinue surrounding him. Being the feast of the Epiphany, there was a large crowd of people. [.  .  .] Upon entering he was struck by the sound of the psalmody, by the ocean of people before him, and by such beautiful order that reigned both on the bema and nearby. Basil stood erect, facing the people b. Bema: a raised platform in the church used, among other things, for the proclamation of the Scriptures. 11. See Matt 4:2; Luke 4:2.  12. See Luke 16:20ff.  13. See Matt 25:1–13. † Translated from Grégoire de Nazianze. Discours 42–43, trans. and ed. J. Bernardi, SChr 384 (Paris, 1992) 234–35, 300–303. a. This sermon was given in the presence of the imperial court on the feast of the Epiphany in Caesarea, probably in 371.

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150  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East as the Scripture relates concerning Samuel,1 with body, eyes, and mind undisturbed. [.  .  .] 1385 lxxx. The funeral procession of saint [Basil], whose body was being held on high by the hands of holy men, moved on as each person attempted either to touch his garment2 or its shadow3 or the bier carrying the remains—for what could be more holy and more pure than this body? Others attempted to come close to those carrying the bier, and still others merely took delight in the sight, believing that even this would benefit them. Market places, porticoes, houses whether of one or two stories—all were full of people who were accompanying the procession, walking in front of it, behind it, or next to it as they jostled one another. There were thousands of people of every race and age—something never before seen. The singing of the psalms was overwhelmed by the sounds of mourning. [.  .  .] The body, having been rescued from those who wanted to seize it and making its way through those in the procession, was placed in the tomb of his father. The mighty voice which still echoes in my ears was added to those of the other preachers, and a martyr was added to the martyrs. Now he is in heaven where, I believe, he offers [sacrifices] for us, where he prays for the people. Even though he has departed from our midst, he has not completely left us. [.  .  .]

68-a-7. oration 45.on easter (second oration)† 1386

ii. The Lord’s Pasch, the Pasch, again I say the Pasch in honor of the Trinity. For us this is the feast of feasts, the celebration of celebrations. It exceeds all other feasts, not only human ones, namely, those of earthly origin, but also those that are of Christ himself, those celebrated in his honor. Just as the sun surpasses the stars, so this feast is superior. Certainly beautiful to us was yesterday’s display of the white garments and lights. [.  .  .]

68-B. Letters Close to 250 letters written by Gregory have come down to us. They have been described as models of the epistolary art. The majority of them were written at Arianzum during Gregory’s retirement years, namely, 383–ca. 390.

68-b-1. letter 231†† a 1387

The father, should he so desire, may crown them. This is what I decided when I had occasion to be present for weddings. The father is to crown the couple; we are to say the prayers. 1. See 1 Sam 19:20.  2. See Matt 9:20; Luke 8:43–44.  3. See Acts 5:15. † Translated from PG 36:623–24. †† Translated from Grégoire de Nazianze. Textes choisis, vol. 2, ed. P. Gallay (Paris, 1941) 122–23. a. This letter was written to a certain Eusebius, a friend of Gregory and who is not otherwise known.

69. Gregory of Nyssa  151 6 9 . G r e g o ry o f N y s s a

Gregory (ca. 330–ca. 395) was the younger brother of Basil of Caesarea (WEC 2:67), who was also one of Gregory’s tutors. After the death of his wife, Gregory, influenced by Gregory of Nazianzus (WEC 2:68), entered monastic life. But Basil, attempting to consolidate his authority as metropolitan, in 371 ordained Gregory bishop of Nyssa, a small out-of-the-way village in Cappadocia. Problems soon arose, even acknowledged by Basil, since Gregory lacked, among other qualities, skill in church management. Under the pretext of fiscal malfeasance the Arians in his absence deposed Gregory in 376. In 378 he returned to Nyssa. Two years later he was made bishop of Sebaste. Gregory played a major role in a number of church conclaves: for example, at Antioch in 379 and Constantinople (WEC 2:71-D). No more is heard of him subsequent to this gathering. Most of Gregory’s writing dates from the last years of his life. His abundant literary legacy has led many scholars to consider him the most eminent of the Cappadocian writers. Influenced by Origen (WEC 1:43), Gregory was keen of mind, well acquainted with philosophy, and a staunch defender of the orthodox faith. CPG 2: nos. 3135ff. * Altaner (1961) 351–57 * Altaner (1966) 303–8 * Bardenhewer (1908) 295–307 * Bardenhewer (1910) 256–66 * Bardenhewer (1913) 3:188–220 * Bardy (1929) 136–40 * Bautz 2:334–37 * Campbell 62–64 * Hamell 106–8 * Jurgens 2:42–59 * Leigh-Bennett 237–51 * Quasten 3:254–96 * Steidle 118–20 * Tixeront 175–79 * Wright (1932) 337–39 * CATH 5:259–62 * CE 7:16–18 * CHECL 297–300 * DCB 2:761–68 * DHGE 22:20–24 * DictSp 6:971–1011 * DPAC 2:1712–19 * DTC 6.2:1847–52 * EC 6:1096–1111 * EEC 1:363–65 * EEChr 1:495–98 * LTK 4:1007–8 * NCE 6:794–96 * NCES 6:517–21 * ODCC 712 * PEA (1894) 7.2:1863–67 * PEA (1991) 2:1212–14 * RACh 12:863–95 * TRE 14:173–81 C.J. Janini, “La penitencia medicinal desde la Didascalia Apostolorum a S. Gregorio de Nisa,” RET 7 (1947) 337–62. * E. Ferguson, “Ordination in the Ancient Church,” ResQ 5 (1961) 17–32, 67–82, 130–46. * J. Danielou, “Onction et baptême chez Grégoire de Nysse,” EphL 90 (1976) 440–45. * D. Krueger, “Writing and the Liturgy of Memory in Gregory of Nyssa’s ‘Life of Macrina,’” JECS 8 (2000) 483–510.

69-A. The Great Catechesis† This guide (Oratio Catechetica Magna) for instructing catechumens, written soon after 383, is Gregory’s most important and best-known dogmatic work. It treats the chief dogmas of the faith: the Trinity, the Incarnation, the redemption, the sacraments of baptism and Eucharist. xxxvii. [.  .  .] We must now consider how it is possible for the one body of Christ, though divided among so many of the faithful, to remain one. Translated from Discours catéchétique, trans. and ed. R. Winling, SChr 453 (Paris, 2000) 321–25, with assistance from Jurgens 2:49. †

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152  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East [.  .  .] By the indwelling of God’s Word this body has been made over to a divine dignity. Rightly then, do we believe that the bread now sanctified by God’s Word has been changed into the Body of God the Word. For that Body was, as to its potency, bread; but it has been made holy by the indwelling of the Word, who pitched his tent in the flesh.1 A similar result now takes place, brought about by the same cause, by which the bread that was made over into that Body is made to change into divine strength. Formerly the grace of the Word sanctified that body [Christ’s incarnational body] whose substance is from bread and which in a certain way is itself bread. So in this case also the bread, as the apostle says, “is consecrated by God’s word and by prayer.”2 It becomes the Body of the Word not through its being eaten. No, the bread is changed into that Body by means of the word just as the Word himself stated, “This is my Body.”3 [.  .  .] Following the plan of his grace he spreads himself to every believer by means of that flesh whose substance is from bread and wine, blending himself with the bodies of believers. By this union with the Immortal we also may share in incorruption. These gifts he bestows through the power of the blessing which transforms the nature of visible things to the nature of what is immortal.

69-B. Life of Macrina† Macrina, the younger sister of Gregory and Basil, was the head of a religious community located on the family estate. Shortly after her death in December 379, Gregory wrote this devotional biography so that others might imitate her example of holiness. 1389

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xxii. While Macrina was speaking, I desired that the day be prolonged so that she not cease having us understand these sweet words. But the singing of the choir summoned me to the thanksgiving for the light, and the great Macrina, having sent me to the church, once again took refuge in God. [.  .  .] [After the death of Macrina] xxvii. But when, as it were, I regained my composure, I looked at this holy person, and it seemed that she was reproaching me for the disorder caused by the noisy singing of a funeral song. I loudly called out to the sisters, “Look at her and remember how she instructed you to conduct yourselves properly in every circumstance. This divine soul appointed for you a time for tears and directed that you weep at the time of prayer. You may now do this by changing your sorrowful lamentations into harmonious psalmody.” [.  .  .] 1. See John 1:14.  2. See 1 Tim 4:5.  3. Matt 26:26. † Translated from Vie de sainte Macrine, trans. and ed. P. Maraval, SChr 178 (Paris, 1971) 232, 247–55.

69. Gregory of Nyssa  153 xxxiii. While [.  .  .] the sisters were singing psalms mixed with lamentations, the news of her death—I know not how—had suddenly spread to every place in the surrounding region. All living nearby began to come in great numbers to the place so that the vestibule could not hold all who were arriving. The whole night was spent in vigil with her. Hymns were sung as if a panegyric to a martyr. When dawn arrived, the crowd of men and women who came from every nearby region disturbed the psalmody by their groaning. As for me, even though my soul was upset by this calamity, I was reflecting, as far as possible, on how not to omit anything that would be appropriate for a funeral of this type. I divided up the people who came, men and women. The latter I placed with the choir of sisters; the former with the monks. I saw to it that the psalmody was sung by both men and women, in rhythmical and harmonious fashion, like the singing of a choir, perfectly blended because all know the melody. When the day had progressed and the area around this place of solitude was unable to hold the multitude of arrivals, Araxius, the bishop of the place—he together with all his clergy were present—ordered that the funeral procession begin. It was to move slowly since the procession’s path was lengthy and the size of the crowd hindered its quick movement. He also enjoined his priests to carry Macrina’s body. xxxiv. Once these decisions had been made and carried out, I placed myself in front of the bier and invited Araxius to stand at my side while two other high ranking clerics took their places in the rear. As expected, we proceeded slowly. The people pressed in around us, always wanting to see more of this holy sight, so much so that it was difficult to make progress. On both sides of the bier there processed in a long line a large number of deacons and lower clerics, all carrying candles. It was like a liturgical procession since with one voice psalmody was sung from beginning to end, for example, the Canticle of the Three Children. Seven or eight stadesa was the distance from the convent to the church of the holy martyrs where the bodies of our parents are buried. It was with difficulty that we completed this journey, which lasted the better part of the day since the crowd accompanying us continued to increase so that we were unable to move as quickly as we had hoped. Once we arrived within the church, the bier was put down and prayer was begun, but this proved to be but an excuse for the crowd’s lamentations. At a pause in the psalmody the sisters looked toward the holy one even though the tomb of our parents had already been opened. The decision had been made to inter her body in this place. One of the sisters began to weep uncontrollably, saying that we would no longer see her holy face. Then the other sisters did the same. What followed was utter confusion, disrupting the good order and holy character of the psalmody, a. Stade: an ancient Greek measurement of length, varying anywhere from 607 to 738 English feet.

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154  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East for all present burst into sobs upon hearing the wailing of the sisters. It was with difficulty that we obtained silence by our gestures. The cantor then invited all to pray, intoning the usual prayers of the Church, and the people were again predisposed for prayer.

69-C. Sermons and Orations The sermons and orations of Gregory treat a variety of moral and dogmatic topics. Of particular interest are his sermons for the liturgical year and on the saints.

69-c-1. sermon on the ascension† 1394

[.  .  .] This psalm [Psalm 22] instructs the Church that you must first become a member of the Good Shepherd’s flock by means of good catechesis. Such teaching is to lead you to the pastures and springs of divine doctrine so that through baptism you might be buried with him unto death, something not to be feared. Baptism is not death but merely a shadow and likeness of death. The psalm says, “For if I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will not be afraid of evils for you are with me.”1 [.  .  .] Then he prepares the sacramental table which is just the opposite of the table of demons. For it is through idolatry that the demons, who are opposed by the table of the Spirit, strike down human life. This is why your head was anointed with the oil of the Spirit. In addition, there is the wine which gladdens the heart, which soberly intoxicates the soul, and which draws the mind from perishable and transitory things to those that are eternal.

69-c-2. sermon on the day of lights on which our lord was baptized†† 1395

Today I recognize my flock. Today I see the accustomed form of the Church when you, putting aside the less worthy affairs of the body, with full numbers assemble to worship God. There are so many people that space is limited. They burst into the holy sanctuary and, unable to secure a place within, like bees they fill the space outside. Some of the people labor inside the hive; others buzz around the outside. [.  .  .] 1396 [.  .  .] Water points to the cleansing. Because the human body is made filthy by dirt and mud, we habitually wash it with water. And so we also use water in sacramental actions. We show spiritual brightness by what is subject to our senses. Now if it seems appropriate, let us continue inquiring more closely regarding the washing. Our starting point will be what the Scriptures say, “No one can enter the kingdom of God without being Translated from PG 46:691–92. 1. Ps 22:4, LXX. †† Translated from PG 46:577–78, 581–82, 583–84, 585–86. †

69. Gregory of Nyssa  155 born of water and the Spirit.”1 Why both? Why is not the Spirit alone considered sufficient for completing baptism? As we know, a human being is a composite, not a single element. For this reason kindred and similar medicines are designated for healing a human being, who is twofold and joined. For the visible body there is water, something that can be seen. For the invisible soul there is the Spirit, which cannot be seen, which is called upon by faith, and which comes in an inexpressible manner. “The wind [Spiritus] blows where it chooses, but you do not know from where it comes or where it goes.”2 The Spirit blesses the body that is baptized and the water used in baptism. Do not, therefore, despise the divine washing nor consider it as something ordinary just because it involves water. Something great happens, something producing wonderful effects. The altar at which we are standing is holy. Yet by nature it is ordinary, in no way differing from other stone slabs that build up our walls and adorn our pavements. But because the holy table is consecrated and dedicated to the worship of God and has been blessed, it is a spotless altar which no longer is touched by all but only by the priests as they venerate it. The same is true for the bread. Initially it is ordinary bread. But once the mystery sanctifies it, it becomes and is called the Body of Christ. The same is also true for the sacramental oil and the wine; of little value before the blessing, after their sanctification by the Spirit each works in a wondrous way. 1397 The same power of the word also makes the priest venerable and honorable, separated from the people in general by a new blessing. Yesterday he was one of the crowd of people; now he is a guide, a leader, an instructor in godliness, a teacher of the hidden mysteries. All this happens without any change in his body or form. Externally he is what he was previously; yet by some invisible power and grace his soul has been raised to a better condition. [.  .  .] 1398 [.  .  .] When we are baptized in accord with the example of the Lord, who is our teacher and guide, we are not buried in the earth, for the earth contains the dead human body and covers the infirmity and corruption of our nature. Rather we come to the water which is like the earth. We hide ourselves in the water as the Savior did in the earth. We do so three times, expressing the grace of the resurrection which was completed in three days. We receive the sacrament not in silence but while the names of the three holy persons are recited over us. We believe, we hope, in these names. From them come the present and the future. Perhaps you are offended, you who boldly fight against the glorious Spirit and begrudge the Paraclete the veneration rendered by the pious. Just stop arguing with me. Resist, if you are able, the words of the Lord who ordained that we invoke these names during baptism! What did the Lord command? “Baptize them

1. John 3:5.  2. John 3:8.

156  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Why in the name of the Father? Because the Father is the origin of all things. Why the Son? Because he is the maker of creation. Why the Holy Spirit? Because the Spirit has the power to restore all things. [.  .  .]

69-c-3. sermon on the forty martyrs† 1399

[.  .  .] I came to a town at a time when a vigil was being observed in a garden where the relics of the saints were being honored with psalmody. [.  .  .]

69-c-4. sermon against those who postpone baptism†† a 1400

[.  .  .] Those who are poor, those who have nothing, hasten to the distribution of the royal gifts. O sheep, hasten to the signation and to the sign of the cross which brings strength and healing to those in distress. Give me your names so that I might copy them in ink into visible books. God will inscribe them on indestructible tablets, writing with his own finger as he once wrote down the Law for the Hebrews. 1401 “Draw near to God and be enlightened, and your faces shall not be ashamed.”1 “Wash yourselves! Remove your sins!”2 [.  .  .] O catechumens, you are outside Paradise. You are exiles, companions of Adam, our first parent. The door is open. Return to the place you left. Delay not lest death cut short your life and deny you entrance. [.  .  .] 1402 [.  .  .] Take off the old self like a dirty garment full of reproach and shame, a garment sewed from any number of sins and mended by the miserable rags of iniquity. Receive the incorruptible garment, one that Christ unfolds and extends over you. Reject not the gift lest you do harm to it. For a long time you have been wallowing in the mud. Now hasten to the Jordan, summoned not by John but urged to do so by Christ. [.  .  .]

69-D. Letters Some thirty letters, on a variety of subjects, are attributed to Gregory.

69-d-1. letter 2. to those wanting to go to jerusalem††† 1403

9. To be truthful, if it were possible to recognize God’s presence within what we can see, then we would be tempted to believe that God dwells in the nation of the Cappadocians rather than anywhere else. How many Translated from PG 46:785–86. Translated from PG 46:417–18, 419–20. a. Given on January 7, 381. 1. Ps 33:5, LXX.  2. Isa 1:16. ††† Translated from Lettres. Grégoire de Nysse, trans. and ed. P. Maraval, SChr 363 (Paris, 1990) 114–17. †

††

69. Gregory of Nyssa  157 sanctuaries there are where God’s name is glorified! One can hardly count their number in the world. [.  .  .]

69-d-2. letter 5. to those who doubt that his faith is orthodox† 5. The power that gives life to those who are born again from death to eternal life1 comes through the Holy Trinity to those who, having faith, are judged worthy of this grace. Likewise, imperfect is the grace when one of these names—whichever it may be—is omitted during the baptism of salvation. It is not only by the Son and the Spirit—omitting the Father— that the mystery of rebirth takes place. It is not only by the Father and the Spirit—omitting the Son—that perfect life comes to the baptized. It is not only by the Father and the Son—omitting the Spirit—that the grace of the resurrection is brought about. This is why all our hope, all assurance of our spiritual salvation, lies in the three Divine Persons who are known by these three names. We believe in the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the source of life,2 and in his only Son,3 who is the author of life, as the apostle says,4 and in God’s Holy Spirit concerning whom the Lord said, “It is the Spirit that gives life.”5

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69-d-3. letter 25. to amphilochius†† a 1405 1. I am now persuaded that by the grace of God the design concerning the martyrionb is well on its way to completion. Would that you agree! The task will be completed by the power of God who can, whenever he speaks, transform words into deeds. Since, as the apostle says, “the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion,”1 I urge you in this also to be an imitator of the great Paul,2 to bring about what we are hoping for, and to send us sufficient workers to complete this undertaking. 2. On the basis of what is estimated, it should be possible to inform your 1406 Excellency as to the dimensions that are projected for the whole building. For this reason I will try to give you a description of the overall structure. 1407 3. The form of the oratory is cruciform, constituted on all sides, as is fitting, by four rooms. These rooms do not touch one another as is seen elsewhere in the cruciform plan. Within the cross there is a circle divided into eight angles—I have called this octagonal form a circle because it is round—so that the four sides of the octagon, which are diametrically

Translated from SChr 363:158–61. 1. See John 5:24; 1 Pet 1:3.  2. See John 4:14.  3. See John 3:16.  4. See Acts 3:15.  5. John 6:63. †† Translated from SChr 363:288–301. a. Amphilochius: bishop of Iconium (d. ca. 400). b. Martyrion: a word generally referring to a church constructed over the tomb or relics of a martyr. 1. Phil 1:6.  2. See 1 Cor 11:1. †

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opposed to one another, join by means of arches the central circle to the buildings on the four sides. The other four sides of the octagon, located between the rectangular buildings, will not themselves be so long as to form rooms. Rather, each of them will join a small apse which, in the form of a cone, is completed above by an arch. Thus there will be eight arches in all, which by means of the rectangular rooms and small apses will connect, side by side, with the center. 5. Within the pillars formed by the angles will stand an equal number of columns, both for ornamentation and for strength. These in turn will support the arches constructed above them in the same manner as the exterior columns and will lean up against them. 6. Above these eight arches, by reason of the proportions of the windows rising above them, the octagonal building will ascend four cubits.c What rises above will be in the form of a cone, the arch compelling the roof to pass from a large opening to a pointed wedge. 7. The width of each rectangular room will be eight cubits; its length will be half as much again; its height will be proportionate to its width. 8. Dimensions for the semicircular sections will be the same; the space between the pillars will measure eight cubits; the depth will be as much as given by the sweep of the compass with a fixed point placed in the middle of the side and extending to the end. Here also the height will be proportionate to the width. 9. The density of the walls within the interior spaces that have already measured will be three feet.d They will encircle the whole building. 10. While carefully explaining this, I have troubled your Excellency with the intent that you might ascertain the total number of feet based on the density of the walls and the interior dimensions. Because you are intelligent in all things and because with God’s help you succeed in whatever you undertake, it will likewise be possible for you, based on this careful estimate, to calculate the total sum so that you might send us neither too few nor too many stoneworkers. 11. I especially request that you take special care that some of these know how to build vaulting without supports. I have, in fact, learned that when one builds in this manner, the vaulting is more solid than vaulting that rests upon pillars. It is the lack of wood which suggests to us the idea of covering the whole building with a stone roof. In this area there is simply no lumber. 12. Know, dear friend, that some people from here have contracted with me to furnish thirty workers for a piece of gold, for cut stonework, with a specified amount of food accompanying the goldpiece. But such a method c. Cubit: a measure of length, extending from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger, namely, about eighteen inches. d. Foot: in Greek a measurement about twelve inches long.

70. Pseudo-Ignatius. Letter to the Antiochians  159 of preparing the stones is not within our [financial?] possibilities, and so the construction material will be both brick made from clay as well as ordinary stones so that the workers need not spend time in correctly joining the sides of the stones to one another. As to competency and wages I know that your workers are better than those who labor here. 1417 13. The work to be done by the stonecutters concerns not only the eight columns, which are to be finished and adorned, but also consists in making the bases of the columns in the form of an altar and of cornices sculpted in the Corinthian style. 1418 14. The entrance will be made of suitably decorated marble. Its doors will be adorned with the usual artistic representations along the molding of the entablature. It is to be understood that we will furnish the materials for these, but it is art that will give the form to be impressed on the materials. In addition, the colonnades will have no less than forty stone pillars. 15. Now if my explanation has precisely described the work to be done, 1419 I hope that your Excellency, seeing what is needed, will reassure us in regard to the question of workers. A worker wishing to labor among us should, if possible, determine a specified amount of labor to be accomplished each day. In this way he will not pass the time doing nothing; having worked for so many days without having anything to show for it, he will not be able to demand payment.

69-d-4. letter to letonius† a 1420 [Canon 6.] [.  .  .] There are two kinds of theft: robbery and burglary. They share the same purpose, namely, taking what belongs to another. Nonetheless, there is a great difference regarding the intention of each of the two evil-doers. The robber may even murder to achieve his or her goal. Such a person, desiring to return to the Church by means of penance, must submit to the sentence given to murderers. Yet if someone secretly steals the property of another and afterwards confesses this sin to a priest, the sinner will cure such an evil by zeal for the opposite virtue, namely, by giving one’s own possessions to the poor. [.  .  .]

7 0 . P s e u d o - Ig n at i u s . L e t t e r t o t h e A n t i o c h i a n s † †

Among the Ignatian corpus is this letter, probably written ca. 400 and coming from an Origenist milieu. Jurgens 1:27–28 xii. I greet the holy presbyterate. I greet the holy deacons. [.  .  .] I greet the subdeacons, readers, cantors, doorkeepers, grave diggers, exorcists, Translated from PG 45:233–34. a. Letonius: bishop of Melitene, today Malatya, a city in eastern Turkey. †† Translated from PG 5:907–8. †

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160  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East confessors. I greet those in charge of the holy doors, the deaconesses in Christ. I greet the virgins, who are betrothed to Christ—on their account I rejoice in the Lord Jesus. I greet the most honorable widows. I greet the Lord’s people, from the least to the greatest, as well as all my sisters in the Lord. 71. Councils/Synods

71-A. Synod of Ancyra (314)† Ancyra (now Ankora) in present-day Turkey was the city in which twelve to eighteen bishops gathered during the fourth week after Easter and issued twenty-five canons, the first nine concerning those who lapsed during time of persecution. CPG 4: nos. 8501ff. * Hefele (1871) 1:199–222 * Hefele (1905) 1.1:298–326 * CATH 1:519–20 * CE 1:465 * DCA 1:82 * DDCon 1:35–36 * DTC 1.1:1173–76 * EEChr 1:50 * ODCC 59–60 W.F. Whitman, “The Thirteenth Canon of Ancyra,” AThR 2 (1919–20) 225–26. * C.C. Richardson, “The Riddle of the 13th Canon of Ancyra,” CH 16 (1947) 32–36. * R. Gryson, “Les élections épiscopales en Orient au IVe siècle,” RHE 74 (1979) 301–45. 1422

Canon 1. Presbyters who sacrificed [during the persecutions] but afterwards, upon repenting, resumed combat not only in appearance but in reality, shall continue to enjoy the honors of their office, provided they have not employed any secret or devious means so that it only appears that they underwent torture; however, they shall neither sacrifice nor preach nor perform any priestly office.a 1423 Canon 2. Likewise, deacons who have sacrificed and then returned to combat shall retain the dignities of their office but shall no longer perform any holy function, shall no longer present the bread and the wine [to the celebrant or to the communicants], and shall no longer preach. But if any bishop, making allowance for their suffering, their humility, and their mild manner, wishes to increase or decrease their punishment, he has the power to do so. 1424 Canon 4. Concerning those who were forced to sacrifice and who have also eaten what was consecrated to the idols, namely, those who were constrained to take part in the sacrificial feasts: those who were forced to go to the sacrifice, who went cheerfully, who were dressed in their finest attire, and who ate of it as if there were no difference between this and other Canons translated from Disciplina Generale Antique, vol. 1.2, ed. P.-P. Joannou (Rome, 1962) 56–72. a. See Elvira (ca. 300) can. 1 (WEC 2:1270); Nicaea I (325) cans. 8, 11 (WEC 2:1449, 1451); Valence (374) can. 3 (WEC 2:1225); Arles II (between 442 and 506) cans. 10–11 (WEC 3:3141–42); Epaon (517) can. 29 (WEC 4:4584). †

71. Councils/Synods  161 meals, shall remain one year among the hearers, three years among the kneelers; they shall take part only in the prayers for two years; then they will be admitted to full communion.b Canon 5. Nevertheless, those who went there [to the sacrifices] in mourning clothing, who wept throughout the whole time they were sitting and eating, shall spend three years among the kneelers and then are to be admitted without taking part in the offering. But if they did not eat, they are to be kneelers for two years; during the third year they may stay but not participate in the offering so that in the fourth year they may be fully received. Having tested the conduct of each, the bishop shall have the power to ease the penalties or prolong the time of penance; first of all, there is to be an examination of their life both before and after, and leniency is to be given accordingly. Canon 6. Concerning those who sacrificed when merely threatened with punishment or with the confiscation of their goods or with exile and have delayed repenting or converting but who on the occasion of this synod have come and have resolved to convert: till the great feast [of Easter] they shall be among the hearers; after the great feast they will spend three years as kneelers; for two years they shall take part in the worship without participating in the offering, and only then will they come to Communion, this whole period lasting six years. For those admitted to penance before this synod, the beginning of the six years will be reckoned from the time they were admitted. If they are exposed to any danger or threatened with death due to any illness, or if there is any other serious reason, they should not be denied Communion provided they do six years of penance if they recover. Canon 7. Concerning those who participated in a heathen feast in a place appointed for heathens and yet took with them their own food to eat there: they shall spend two years as kneelers and then be received. As to the question of their being admitted to the offering, each bishop shall decide, examining the whole life of each person. Canon 8. Those who were two or three times forced to sacrifice shall remain kneelers for four years; for two years they will be present at worship b. The East generally knew four categories of penitents. There were the “mourners” or the “implorers,” namely, those standing outside the church building who were requesting admittance into the official penitential process and were asking for the prayers of those entering the building for the liturgy. There were the “hearers,” namely, those penitents who stood inside the building, in the narthex, and attended the Liturgy of the Word; these were dismissed with the catechumens but no special prayers were said on their behalf. There were also the “kneelers” or “prostrators” who were present within the nave for the Liturgy of the Word and after receiving a laying-on of the hand were dismissed with the catechumens. Finally, there were the “participants” or “standers” who stayed for the whole service but were not allowed to receive the Eucharist.

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without sharing in the offering; the seventh year they shall be admitted to full communion. Canon 9. Those who have not only apostatized but, as enemies of their brethren, have compelled their brethren to apostatize and thus are guilty of their apostasy shall spend three years among the hearers, then six years with the kneelers; they shall then take part in worship without receiving for one year so that at the end of ten years they will be admitted to full communion. Their conduct during this time shall also be examined. Canon 12. Those who have sacrificed to the gods before baptism and who were subsequently baptized may be promoted to orders since [by baptism] they have been cleansed of all their former sins. Canon 13. Chorbishopsc may not ordain presbyters and deacons,d and certainly not presbyters of the town without the written permission of the bishop of each diocese.e Canon 16. Those who have been or are now guilty of bestiality, if they were not yet twenty years old when they committed this sin, shall spend fifteen years as kneelers; they shall then be allowed to be present at the prayers for five years; after that time they may share in the sacrifice. An examination must also be made of their conduct as kneelers and then let them receive forgiveness. Those who have sinned in this way over an extended period of time are to undergo a long period of time as kneelers. Those who are over twenty and are married and who have nevertheless fallen into this sin shall be allowed to be present for the prayers only after being kneelers for twenty-five years; after five years of being present for the prayers they may share in the holy sacrifice. Married men fifty years and older who fall into this sin shall receive Communion only at the end of their lives.f Canon 20. Anyone who has violated a married woman or has committed adultery must for seven years undergo the different degrees of penance; at the end of this time admittance to full communion is given.

c. Chorepiscopi or chorbishops: bishops under the authority of the diocesan bishop and serving in rural areas. In time their powers were greatly reduced. This canon is the first mention of such ecclesiastics. d. See Antioch (341) can. 10 (WEC 2:1950); Riez (439) can. 3 (WEC 3:3121). e. Some translate this canon as follows: “[.  .  .] and deacons; neither is this permitted to the presbyters of the town in other dioceses without the written permission of the bishop of the place.” f. See Elvira (ca. 300) cans. 1, 6, 7, 37, 47 (WEC 2:1270–72, 1284, 1290); Nicaea I (325) can. 13 (WEC 2:1453); Rome (488) Letter 7, can. 3 (WEC 3:2959); Statuta (5th c.) cans. 20–21 (WEC 3:3077–78); Orange I (441) can. 3 (WEC 3:3125); Vaison (442) can. 2 (WEC 3:3137); Arles II (between 442 and 506) can. 28 (WEC 3:3149); Agde (506) can. 15 (WEC 4:4552); Epaon (517) can. 36 (WEC 4:4587); Orleans III (538) cans. 6, 28 (WEC 4:4605, 4609); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 82 (WEC 3:4699); Gerunda (517) can. 9 (WEC 4:4722); Barcelona I (ca. 540) can. 9 (WEC 4:4732).

71. Councils/Synods  163 Canon 21. Concerning women who commit fornication and who kill the children they have conceived or who are involved with abortive drugs: a former rule excommunicated them till the hour of death. Although some still follow this procedure, we, however, ease their punishment and condemn them to the various appointed degrees of penance for ten years. Canon 22. Willful murderers must be kneelers; they are allowed to receive the last gift only at the end of life.g Canon 23. As to unpremeditated murder, an earlier rule allowed Communion at the end of a penance of seven years; our later rule requires only five years.

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71-B. Synod of Neo-Caesarea (ca. 320)† The synod of Neo-Caesarea in Cappadocia, attended by seventeen bishops, issued fifteen canons. The meeting occurred early in the fourth century, certainly before 325, perhaps before 319. CPG 4: nos. 8504ff. * Hefele (1871) 1:222–30 * Hefele (1905) 1.1:326–34 * Jurgens 1:274 * CATH 9:1156 * DCA 2:1385 * DDC 6:995–97 * DDCon 3:175–76 * DPAC 2:2354–55 * EEC 2:585 * EEChr 2:800 * ODCC 1136

Canon 5. If catechumens, having been introduced into the Church among the ranks of the catechumens, conduct themselves as sinners, they must, if they are kneelers become hearers until they sin no more.a If they continue to sin while they are hearers, they shall be completely excluded from the Church. Canon 6. A pregnant woman may be illuminated [baptized] whenever she requests this; the woman who is pregnant communicates nothing to the infant who will be born since each must express his or her own willingness [to be baptized] by a confession of faith.b Canon 7. No presbyter shall participate in a wedding feast of those who marry a second time;c for when the bigamist later on asks to do penance, what will the presbyter say since his very presence at the banquet shows that he approved the marriage? g. See Nicaea I (325) can. 13 (WEC 2:1453); Statuta (5th c.) cans. 20–21 (WEC 3:3077–78); Arles II (between 442 and 506) can. 28 (WEC 3:3149); Orange I (441) can. 3 (WEC 3:3125); Rome (488) Letter 7, can. 3 (WEC 3:2959); Agde (506) can. 15 (WEC 4:4552); Epaon (517) can. 36 (WEC 4:4587); Gerunda (517) can. 9 (WEC 4:4722); Orleans III (538) cans. 6, 28 (WEC 4:4605, 4609); Barcelona I (ca. 540) can. 9 (WEC 4:4732); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 82 (WEC 4:4699). † Canons translated from P.-P. Joannou, vol. 1.2:77–82. a. See Nicaea I (325) can. 14 (WEC 2:1454). b. Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 54 (WEC 4:4689). c. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 53 (WEC 2:1999); Vannes (between 461 and 491) can. 11 (WEC 3:3162); Agde (506) can. 39 (WEC 4:4559).

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Canon 8. If the wife of a layman has committed adultery and if her guilt is public knowledge, her husband cannot be admitted to the service of the Church; but if she has committed adultery after her husband’s ordination, he must send her away. Should he nonetheless continue to live with her, he cannot continue the sacred functions that were entrusted to him. Canon 9. A presbyter who has committed a carnal sin before ordination and who confesses this afterwards must not offer the holy sacrifice; but he may continue his other functions because of his zeal in other areas, for many believe that sins can be blotted out by the imposition of the hand [by ordination to the presbyterate]. But if he does not confess it and if he cannot clearly be convicted of it, he may do as he so chooses [to offer the sacrifice or to refrain from doing so]. Canon 10. Likewise, a deacon who has committed this same sin must only carry out the duties of a lower minister. Canon 11. No one is to be ordained a presbyter before he is thirty years old.d Even though such a person be in every respect worthy, he must delay being ordained, for our Lord was baptized when he was thirty years old, and only afterwards did he commence teaching the people. Canon 12. If a man is baptized when he is ill, he cannot be ordained a presbyter; for it was not of his own will but of necessity that he made a profession of faith, unless his great zeal and faith or the lack of candidates allow him to be ordained. Canon 13. Country priests must not offer the holy sacrificee in the city’s church [the cathedral] when the bishop or the presbyters of the city are present; nor are they to distribute the sanctified bread and the cup. But if the bishop and his presbyters are absent and if the country presbyters are invited to celebrate, they may distribute holy Communion.f Canon 14. The chorbishopsg represent Christ’s seventy disciples; as fellowservants and because of their care of the poor, they have the honor [of offering the sacrifice in the cathedral]. Canon 15. No matter how large the town, the rule calls for no more than seven deacons. This may be proved from the Acts of the Apostles.

71-C. Council of Nicaea I (325)† Convoked by Constantine (still unbaptized) to resolve the question of Arianism as well as the date on which Easter was to be celebrated, this d. See Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 1-b (WEC 2:881); Agde (506) can. 17 (WEC 4:4553); Arles IV (524) can. 1 (WEC 4:4589); Orleans III (538) can. 6 (WEC 4:4605). e. Presumably as “concelebrants.” f. See Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 56 (WEC 4:4691). g. Chorbishops: see WEC 2:71-A, note c. † Canons translated from DEC 6–16.

71. Councils/Synods  165 gathering, generally considered the first ecumenical council, took place in early summer of 325 in the city of Nicaea (now Iznik) in Bithynia. We do not know the numbers attending but some estimate that between 220 and 250 bishops, all but a handful from the East, were present. The acts of the meeting do not exist, but a creed, a synodal letter, and twenty canons on a number of issues have come down to us. CPG 4: nos. 8511ff. * Hefele (1905) 1.1:335–632 * Hefele (1871) 1:262–447 * Jurgens 1:280–89 * CATH 9:1196–1201 * CE 11:44 * DCA 2:1389–94 * DDC 6:1000–1006 * DDCon 3:186–90 * DPAC 2:2395–97 * DTC 11.1:399–417 * EC 8:1828–32 * EEC 2:594–95 * EEChr 2:810–12 * LTK 7:884–85 * NCE 10:432–34 * NCES 10:346–48 * ODCC 1144–45 * TRE 24:429–41 L. Duchesne, “La question de la Pâque au concile de Nicée,” RQH 28 (1880) 5–42. * R. Proost, “Le comput pascal,” RB 16 (1899) 25–35, 145–58. * H. Linck, Zur Ueberzetsung und Erlaeuterung der Kanones IV, VI und VII des Konzils von Nicaea (Giessen, 1908). * P. Galtier, “Les canons pénitentiels de Nicée,” Greg 29 (1948) 288–94. * R.G. Coquin, “Une réforme liturgique du concile de Nicée (325)?” CRI (Paris, 1967) 178–90. * E. Ferguson, “Ordination in the Ancient Church,” ResQ 5 (1961) 17–32, 67–82, 130–46. * L. Stan, “Pour que tous les chrétiens fêtent Pâques le même jour,” Ist 19 (1974) 471–85. * R. Gryson, “Les élections épiscopales en Orient au IVe siècle,” RHE 74 (1979) 301–45. * P.J. Levesque, “Eucharistic Prayer Posture: From Standing to Kneeling,” QL 74 (1983) 30–42.

71-c-1. canons Canon 2. Many things, either from necessity or due to the pressure of certain individuals, have occurred that are contrary to the ecclesiastical canon. As a result, those who have just been converted from paganism to the faith and whose instruction has lasted only a very short time have been brought to the spiritual washing; after baptism they have even been raised to the office of presbyter or bishop. It is right that in the future this should not take place since time is required for sound instruction in doctrine and for further testing after baptism.a [.  .  .] Canon 8. Concerning those calling themselves Catharsb who come over to the Catholic and apostolic Church, this holy and great synod decrees that they must receive the imposition of the hand,c and they may then remain in the clerical state; they must above all promise in writing to conform to and follow the doctrines of the Catholic and apostolic Church, namely,

a. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 3 (WEC 2:1957); Arles II (between 442 and 506) can. 1 (WEC 3:3139); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 22 (WEC 4:4678). b. Namely, the Novatianists, members of a rigorist schismatic group objecting to leniency toward those who compromised their faith during times of persecution. c. Commonly understood as the imposition connected with the act of reconciliation.

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they must be in communion with those who have married a second time and with those who have lapsed under persecution but for whom a time [of penance] has been appointed and an occasion [for reconciliation] has been determined.d They must then follow in every respect the doctrines of the Catholic and apostolic Church. [.  .  .] Canon 9. If any have been admitted to the presbyterate without inquiry, or if upon inquiry have confessed their crimes, and if the imposition of the hand has nevertheless been conferred upon them in violation of the canon, this ordination is declared invalid; for the Catholic Church requires men who are blameless. Canon 11. Concerning those who lapsed without being forced to, without the confiscation of their property, without any kind of danger, as occurred during the tyranny of Licinius,e this synod decrees that they should be treated with mercy, although in truth they have shown themselves unworthy of it. Those among them who are truly penitent and who before their fall were believers, must do penance for three years among the hearers and seven years among the kneelers.f For the following two years they can join the people at prayer but without themselves participating in the sacrifice. Canon 12. Those who have been called by grace, who have shown initial zeal, who have laid aside their military belts but afterwards returned like dogs to their vomit1—some even have given money and presents in order to be re-admitted into military service—shall spend three years among the hearers and ten years among the kneelers. For these, their intention and the nature of their penance must be examined. In fact, those among them who through their fear and tears together with patience and good works show by deeds that their conversion is real and not merely outward, after having finished their time of penance among the hearers, may appropriately take part in the prayers; it is in the bishop’s power to treat them with still greater leniency. Those who consider this matter lightly and who think that the outward form of entering the church is all that is needed for their conversion must fulfill completely the whole period. Canon 13. With respect to the dying, the ancient rule of the Church shall continue to be observed, namely, that no one on the point of death is to

d. See Ancyra (314) cans. 1–12 (WEC 2:1422–30); Nicaea I (325) cans. 11, 14 (WEC 2:1451, 1454); Valence (374) can. 3 (WEC 2:1225); Arles II (between 442 and 506) cans. 10–11 (WEC 3:3141–42); Epaon (517) can. 29 (WEC 4:4584). e. Licinius, a coemperor with Constantine, was initially tolerant toward Christians, an attitude that changed ca. 319. Constantine defeated him in 324 at Chrysopolis. f. For the various classifications of penitents in the East see WEC 2:71-A, note b. 1. See Prov 26:11.

71. Councils/Synods  167 be deprived of the last and most necessary Viaticum.g Such individuals, should they not die and having been allowed to share in the offering, must be placed among those who take part in prayer only. Generally speaking, the bishop shall, however, after necessary inquiry allow the Eucharist to be granted to the dying when they request it.h 1454 Canon 14. This holy and great synod orders that catechumens who have lapsed be hearers for three years; afterwards they can pray with the catechumens.i 1455 Canon 18. This holy and great synod has learned that in certain districts and cities deacons give the Eucharist to presbyters although neither the canon nor custom permits Christ’s Body to be distributed to those who offer the sacrifice by those who cannot offer it. The synod has also learned that some deacons receive the Eucharist even before the bishops. All this must now cease: deacons must remain within the limits of their functions and remember that they are servants of the bishops and are subordinate to the presbyters. They must receive the Eucharist according to their order, after the priests and with a bishop or a priest presenting it to them. Deacons shall no longer sit among the presbytersj since this is against rule and order. Those refusing to obey after these rules have been promulgated are to be deposed from the diaconate. 1456 Canon 19. With respect to the Paulianistsk who wish to return to the Catholic Church, the rule which orders them to be re-baptized must be observed. Those among them who were formerly members of the clergy must be re-ordained by the bishop of the Catholic Church after they have been re-baptized provided they have been blameless and without reproach. If, upon inquiry, they are found to be unworthy, they must be

g. Viaticum: “provisions for the journey.” See Elvira (ca. 300) cans. 1, 6, 7, 37, 47 (WEC 2:1270–72, 1284, 1290); Ancyra (314) cans. 16, 22 (WEC 2:1432, 1435); Rome (488) Letter 7, can. 3 (WEC 3:2959); Statuta (5th c.) cans. 20–21 (WEC 3:3077–78); Orange I (441) can. 3 (WEC 3:3125); Vaison (442) can. 2 (WEC 3:3137); Arles II (between 442 and 506) can. 28 (WEC 3:3149); Agde (506) can. 15 (WEC 4:4552); Epaon (517) can. 36 (WEC 4:4587); Orleans III (538) cans. 6, 28 (WEC 4:4605, 4609); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 82 (WEC 4:4699); Gerunda (517) can. 9 (WEC 4:4722); Barcelona I (ca. 540) can. 9 (WEC 4:4732). h. See Ancyra (314) can. 22 (WEC 2:1435); Statuta (5th c.) cans. 20–21 (WEC 3:3077–78); Arles II (between 442 and 506) can. 28 (WEC 3:3149); Orange I (441) can. 3 (WEC 3:3125); Rome (488) Letter 7, can. 3 (WEC 3:2959); Agde (506) can. 15 (WEC 4:4552); Epaon (517) can. 36 (WEC 4:4587); Gerunda (517) can. 9 (WEC 4:4722); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 82 (WEC 4:4699). i. See Neo-Caesarea (ca. 320) can. 5 (WEC 2:1437). j. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 20 (WEC 2:1972); Arles II (between 442 and 506) can. 15 (WEC 3:3144). k. Followers of Paul of Samosata (3rd century), a heretical bishop in Antioch.

168  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East deposed. The same is true in regard to the deaconesses; and the same rule will generally be followed for all those who are on the [clerical] register of the church. We refer to deaconesses who are in this position; not having received the imposition of the hand, they are in all ways to be numbered among the laity.l 1457 Canon 20. Whereas some kneel on the Lord’s Day and during the days of Pentecost, this holy synod has decreed that all shall stand while offering prayers to God, thus ensuring the same practice in all dioceses.m

71-c-2. synodal letter to the egyptians† 1458

By the grace of the holy and great God the bishops assembled at Nicaea in a great and holy synod send greetings to the Church at Alexandria, to our dear brethren throughout Egypt, Libya, and Pentapolis. 1459 [.  .  .] So that you might know what was proposed and discussed, what was decreed and affirmed, it seemed necessary that we send you a letter. [.  .  .] Furthermore, we send you good news in regard to Easter; in answer to your prayers this matter has been settled. All our brethren in the East who in the past followed the custom of the Jews are from now on to observe the most holy feast of Easter at the same time as do the Romans, yourselves, and all those who have observed the feast of Easter from its very beginning.a [.  .  .]

71-D. Council of Constantinople I (381)†† Convoked by the emperor Theodosius I, this council began in May 381 and lasted till July 9 of the same year. The doctrine espoused by the council against the Arians and the Macedonians was so well received in both East and West that the meeting is considered the Second General Council of the Church. Yet the canon given below, not found in the oldest Greek canonical collections, is generally considered spurious; it is not in canon “form” but is more descriptive of what its author understood to be the common practice and probably dates from the mid-fifth century.

l. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 11 (WEC 2:1964); Nîmes (394) can. 2 (WEC 2:1226); Statuta (5th c.) can. 100 (WEC 3:3119); Orange I (441) can. 25 (WEC 3:3136); Chalcedon (451) can. 15 (WEC 3:3379); Epaon (517) can. 21 (WEC 4:4577); Dvin (527) can. 17 (WEC 4:4844); Orleans II (533) can. 18 (WEC 4:4600). m. See Statuta (5th c.) can. 67 (WEC 3:3099); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 57 (WEC 4:4692). † Translated from DEC 16–19. a. See Antioch (341) can. 1 (WEC 2:1947); Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 1 can. 1 (WEC 2:880); Carthage V (401) can. 73 (WEC 3:2747); Statuta (5th c.) can. 78 (WEC 3:3103); Orleans IV (541) can. 1 (WEC 4:4615). †† Translation from DEC 35.

72. Inscription. Fourth Century. Asia Minor  169 CPG 4: nos. 8598ff. * Hefele (1905) 2.1:1–48 * Hefele (1871) 2:340–74 * Jurgens 1:397– 401 * CATH 3:113–14 * CE 4:308 * DCA 1:436–39 * DDC 4:424–28 * DDCon 1:323–25 * DHGE 13:754–57 * DPAC 1:813–16 * DTC 3.1:1227–31 * EEC 1:195–96 * EEChr 1:282–83 * NCE 4:237–38 * NCES 4:190 * ODCC 406–7

Canon 7. Those who turn to orthodoxy and are counted as being saved from the heretics are received as follows: those who are Ariansa and Macedonians,b Sabbatians,c Novatians,d those calling themselves Cathars or Aristeri [.  .  .] are first sealed or anointed with holy oile on the forehead, eyes, nostrils, mouth, and ears. While sealing them we say, “The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit.” But the Eunomians,f who baptize with only one immersion, and the Montanists,g who are here called Phrygians, and the Sabellians,h who believe that the Father and the Son are one or who grievously err in other ways, and all other heretics—there are many of them here, especially those coming from Galatia—these, when they desire to turn to orthodoxy, we receive as we do the Greeks. On the first day we make them Christians; on the second day, catechumens; on the third day we exorcisei them by a triple exsufflation on the face and ears; thus we instruct them, having them spend a great amount of time in church in listening to the Holy Scriptures; then we baptize them. 7 2 . I n s c r i p t i o n . F o u rt h C e n t u ry. A s i a M i n o r

72-A. From a Dokimeion marble slab† Dokimeion was the site of Phrygia’s major marble quarry and home to a large population of stoneworkers. This stone—found in the town museum

a. Arians: followers of Arius (ca. 260–336) who espoused a subordinationist explanation of Christ's divinity. b. Macedonians: disciples of Macedonius (d. ca. 362). They denied the divinity of the Holy Spirit. c. Sabbatians: followers of the ascetic Sabbatius who celebrated Easter on the Jewish Passover. d. Novatians: followers of Novatian (3rd century), who espoused a rigorist policy in regard to those who compromised or abandoned the faith during the persecutions. e. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 7 (WEC 2:1960); Arles II (between 442 and 506) cans. 17, 26 (WEC 3:3145, 3148); Epaon (517) can. 16 (WEC 4:4576). f. Eunomius: the Arian bishop of Cyzicus in Mysia (d. 394). g. Montanism: an apocalyptic movement calling for a return to Christianity's primitive fervor and simplicity. h. The Sabellians explained the Trinity by means of "modes" or "operations." i. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 26 (WEC 2:1978); Rome (ca. 400?) can. 11 (WEC 3:2958); Braga II (572) can. 1 (WEC 4:4755). † Translation from G.J. Johnson, Early-Christian Epitaphs from Anatolia (Atlanta, 1995) 149.

1460

170  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East of Kütahya, located in west central Turkey—commemorates a Christian named Akakios, the son of Menodoros. 1461

[.  .  .] I leave behind an evil world. God preserves the Seala for me, [his] child. I, a mortal, have landed in the immortal lap of Abraham. I am a servant of God. I live in Paradise.

Syria 7 3 . Amm i a n u s M a r c e l l i n u s

Born ca. 325–35, apparently in Antioch and probably of noble birth, Ammianus served in the military from an early age. Upon retiring he settled in Rome, where in old age he wrote in Latin his famous Rerum gestarum libri. Although a pagan, he was knowledgeable in the affairs of Christianity. The date of his death is unknown, but it certainly occurred after 391 since he mentions Aurelius Victor as the prefect of Rome during that year. Bautz 1:147 * CATH 1:497 * DCB 1:99–101 * DHGE 2:1304–7 * DPAC 1:159–60 * DTC 1.1:1113–15 * EC 1:1080–82 * EEC 1:30–31 * EEChr 1:45 * LTK 1:531 * NCE 1:449 * NCES 1:361–62 * PEA (1894) 1.2:1845–52 * PEA (1991) 1:596–98 * RACh 1:386–94

73-A. Rerum gestarum libri† Although this history originally contained thirty-one books spanning the years 96 to 378, only the last eighteen of these survive, covering the years 353 to 378. The author provides much valuable information on the political, economic, social, and cultural aspects of the declining years of the Roman Empire. 1462

XXI.ii.4. In order to gain the favor of all and to have opposition from none, Juliana pretended to belong to the Christian religion from which he had long since secretly withdrawn; making a few men sharers in his secrets, he engaged in soothsaying, auguries, and other practices always followed by those who worship the pagan gods. 1463 XXI.ii.5. So as to temporarily conceal this, on the feast celebrated by Christians in the month of January and called the Epiphany,b he went to their church and, after solemnly offering a prayer to their deity, he departed. a. Apparently a reference to the “seal” of baptism. † Translated from Rerum gestarum libri, vol. 2, trans. J.C. Rolfe, The Loeb Classical Library (Cambridge, MA, 1937) 98–101. a. Julian: Roman emperor 361–63; an ardent promoter of the pagan religion, he utilized his imperial office to hinder the spread of Christianity. b. Namely, January 6.

74. John Chrysostom  171 7 4 . J o h n C h ry s o s t o m

Born of Christian parents at Antioch ca. 347, John studied law in his native city and then theology, being baptized in 369. Attracted to the monastic lifestyle, he lived such a life at home and then, after his mother’s death, became a hermit where years (ca. 378–ca. 381) of rigorous mortification caused lifelong health problems. Ordained a deacon in 381, then a priest in 386, he served at Antioch, where he was given the task of preaching in one of the city’s principal churches. So famous was he for his discourses on Scripture that he eventually came to be called Chrysostom (the “goldenmouthed”). Made bishop and patriarch of Constantinople in 398, Chrysostom initiated a reform of church practice while at the same time strongly urging the royal court to depart from its excesses. Such teaching as well as John’s very personality gave rise to numerous enemies, including the powerful Empress Eudoxia as well as Theophilus, the patriarch of Alexandria. The thirty-six bishops at the Synod of the Oak (August 403) convicted Chry­ sostom of various charges and had him removed from the see of Constantinople. Although initially recalled, Chrysostom was eventually exiled to Cucusus in Lesser Armenia, where his followers were wont to visit him. Consequently, he was then sent to Pityus in Pontus, a place he never reached since he was forced to travel there on foot and in very inclement weather. He died on September 14, 407. Certainly Chrysostom’s numerous sermons make him the best known and most beloved of the Greek Fathers, earning for him a place among the Doctors of the Church. It should be noted that according to recent scholarship Chrysostom apparently played some role in the early formation of the Liturgy of St. Chrysostom prayed in the Byzantine Churches. CPG 2: nos. 4305ff. * Altaner (1961) 373–87 *Altaner (1966) 322–31 * Bardenhewer (1908) 323–49 * Bardenhewer (1910) 297–314 * Bardenhewer (1913) 3:324–61 * Bardy (1929) 115–19 * Bautz 1:1018–21 * Campbell 68–75 * Hamell 113–18 * Jurgens 2:84– 127 * Leigh-Bennett 252–71 * Quasten 3:424–82 * Steidle 123–27 * Tixeront 200–205 * Wright (1932) 342–46 * CATH 6:498–511 * CE 8:452 * CHECL 344–47 * DACL 7.2:2184–86 * DCB 1:518–35 * DHGE 26:1408–15 * DictSp 8:331–55 * DPAC 1:1551–58 * DTC 8.1:660–90 * EC 6:534–43 * EEC 1:440–42 * EEChr 1:622–24 * LTK 5:889–92 * NCE 7:1041–44 * NCES 7:945–49 * ODCC 342–43 * PEA (1894) 9.2:1811–28 * PEA (1991) 5:1059–61 * TRE 17:118–27 Initiation L.L. Mitchell, “The Baptismal Rite in Chrysostom,” AThR 43 (1961) 397–403. * H.C. Green, “The Significance of the Pre-Baptismal Seal in St. John Chrysostom,” SP 6, TU 8 (Berlin, 1962) 84–90. * T.M. Finn, The Liturgy of Baptism in the Baptismal Instructions of St. John Chrysostom, SCA 15 (Washington, D.C., 1967). * E. Braniste, “L’explication du baptême dans les catéchèses du s. Jean Chrysostome,” Studii teologicae 22 (1970) 509–27. * H.M. Riley, “The Rite of Christian Initiation: A Comparative Study of the Interpretation of the Baptismal Liturgy in the Mystagogical Writings of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, St. John Chrysostom, Theodore of Mopsuestia

172  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East and Ambrose of Milan,” diss. (Regensburg, 1971). * E.J. Yarnold, The Awe-Inspiring Rites of Initiation: Baptismal Homilies of the Fourth Century (Slough, 1972). * L.L. Mitchell, “Four Fathers on Baptism: Saint John Chrysostom, Saint Ephraem, Theodore of Mopsuestia, Narsia,” in The Eastern Churches, ed. J. Welham, Series 6 (Kottayam, 1973) 37–56. * H.M. Riley, Christian Initiation: A Comparative Study of the Interpretation of the Baptismal Liturgy in the Mystagogical Writings of Cyril of Jerusalem, John Chrysostom, Theodore of Mopsuestia, and Ambrose of Milan, SCA 17 (Washington, D.C., 1974). * R. Tura, “Il battesimo dei bambini. Revisione in vista? Simposio su una prassi pastorale millenaria,” StP 21 (1974) 511–85. * A.-M. Malingrey, “Une méthode de catéchèse pour les enfants d’après Jean Chrysostome,” PrOChr 37 (1987) 52–57. * E. Mazza, Mystagogy: A Theology of Liturgy in the Patristic Age (New York, 1989). * P. Rodgerson Pleasants, “Making Christian the Christians: The Baptismal Instructions of St. John Chrysostom,” GOTR 34 (1989) 379–92. * J.-P. Cattenoz, Le baptême, mystère nuptial: théologie de s. Jean Chrysostom, Collection Centre NotreDame de Vie, Série Théologie 5 (Venasque, France, 1993). * J. Knupp, Das Mystagogieverständnis des Johannes Chrysostomus, Benediktbeuer Studien 4 (Munich, 1995). * P. Papageorgiou, “The Paschal Catechetical Homily of St. John Chrysostom: A Rhetorical and Contextual Study,” GOTR 43 (1998) 93–104. Eucharist F. Probst, “Die antiochenische Messe nach den Schriften des heiligen Johannes Chrysostomus dargestellt,” ZkTh 7 (1883) 250–303. * J. Sorg, “Die Lehre des hl. Chrysostomus über die reale Gegenwart Christi in der Eucharistie und die Transsubstantiation,” ThQ 79 (1897) 259–97. * A. Nägele, Die Eucharistielehre des heiligen Johannes Chrysostomus, des Doctor Eucharistiae (Freiburg i. B., 1900). * E. Michaud, “Saint Jean Chrysostome et l’eucharistie,” RIT 11 (1903) 93–111. * P. De Puniech, “La promesse de l’Eucharistie (Joann., VI), interprétée par s. Jean Chrysostome,” RT 15 (1907) 584–612. * S. Salaville,”L’épiclèse d’après s. Jean Chrysostome et la tradition occidentale,” OC 11 (1908) 101–12. * P. de Puniet,”Les paroles de la consécration et leur valeur,” RHE 13 (1912) 34–72. * A. d’Alès,”Un texte eucharistique de s. Jean Chrysostome: ‘Hom. IX De Paenitentia,’ P.G. XLIX, 345,” RSR 23 (1933) 451–62. * W. Lampen,”Doctrina s. Joannis Chrysostomi de Christo se offerente in missa,” Ant 18 (1943) 3–16. * L. Morins,”Eucharistiae promissio secundum Joannem Chrysostomum in Hom. ad Joannem 6,” diss. (Rome, 1949). * G. Fittkau, Der Begriff des Mysteriums bei Johannes Chrysostomus: Eine Auseinandersetzung mit dem Begriff des “Kultmysteriums” in der Lehre O. Casels, Theophaneia 9 (Bonn, 1953). * A. Hoffmann, “Der Mysterienbegriff bei Johannes Chrysostomus,” FZPT 3 (1956) 418–22. * G. Tilea, “Eulavia eucharistica dupa Sfîntul Joan Gurå de Aur,” Studii Teologice 9 (1957) 631–48. * G. Stöcker, “Eucharistische Gemeinschaft bei Chrysostomus,” ST 2, TU 64 (Berlin, 1957) 309–16. * F. van de Pavard, Zur Geschichte der Messliturgie in Antiocheia und Konstantinopel gegen Ende des vierten Jahrhunderts: Analyse der Quellen bein Johannes Chrysostomos, OCA 187 (Rome, 1970). * A.-M. Malingrey, “L’Eucharistie dans l’oeuvre de s. Jean Chrysostome,” PP 52 (1972) 338–45. * A.J. Festugière, “Le voile de l’épiclèse,” RHE 186 (1974) 45–53. * E.J. Kilmartin, “John Chrysostom’s Influence on Gabriel Qatraya’s Theology of Eucharistic Consecration,” TS 42:3 (1981) 444–57. * F. van de Pavard, “Anaphoral intercessions, epiclesis and communion-rites in John Chrysostom,” OCP 49 (1983) 303–39. * O. Pasquato, “Eucaristia e Chiesa in Giovanni Crisostomo,” EphL 102 (1988) 240–52.* R.F. Taft, “St. John Chrysostom and the Byzantine Anaphora that

74. John Chrysostom  173 Bears His Name,” in Essays on Early Eastern Eucharistic Prayers, ed. P.F. Bradshaw (Collegeville, 1997) 195–226. Reconciliation P. Martain, “St. Jean Chrysostome et la confession,” RevAug 6 (1907) 460–62. * J. Turmel, “St. Jean Chrysostome et la confession,” RCF 49 (1907) 294–308. * P. Galtier, “Saint Jean Chrysostome et la confession,” RSR 1 (1910) 209–40, 313–50. * A. Lagarde, “S. Jean Chrysostom a-t-il connu la confession?” RHL 4 (1913) 540–91; 5 (1914) 26–62. * H. Keane, “The Sacrament of Penance in St. John Chrysostom,” ITQ 14 (1919) 305–17. * J.F. Gilliam, “Scylla and Sin,” Philological Quarterly (Iowa) 29 (1950) 345–47. * F. Leduc, “Péché et conversion chez s. Jean Chrysostome,” PrOChr 26 (1976) 34–58; 27 (1977) 15–42; 28 (1978) 44–84. * I.R. Torrance, “’God the Physician’: Ecclesiology, Sin and Forgiveness in the Preaching of St. John Chrysostom,” GOTR 44 (1999) 163–76. Liturgical Year A. Baumstark, “Die Zeit der Einfürung des Weihachtsfestes in Konstantinopel,” OC 2 (1902) 441–46. * K. Lübeck, “Die Einführung des Weinachstfestes in Konstantinopel,” HJG 28 (1907) 109–18. * H. Usener, Das Weihnachtsfest, 2nd ed. (Bonn, 1911) 379–84. * E. Mahler, “Zur Chronologie der Predigten wegen der Weinachtsfeier,” OLZ 24 (1921) 59–63. * R.V. Schoder, “St. Chrysostom and the Date of Christ’s Nativity,” TS 3 (1942) 140–44. * E. Bickersteth, “John Chrysostom and the Early History of the Hypapante,” Studi Bizantini e Neoellenici 8 (1953) 401–4. * C. Mohrmann, “Note sur l’homélie pascale VI de la collection pseudo-chrysostomienne dite Des petites trompettes,” in Mélanges M. Andrieu (Strasbourg, 1957) 351–60. * J. Bauer, “A propos d’un passage à corriger de l’homélie pascale VI de la collection pseudochrysostomienne,” VC 13 (1959) 184–86. * E. Theodorum, “Saint Jean Chrysostome et la fête de Noël,” in Noêl, Epiphanie, retour du Christ, LO 40 (Paris, 1967) 9–23. * J. Fotopoulos, “John Chrysostom: On the Holy Pascha,” GOTR 37 (1992) 123–34. * E. Ferguson, “Preaching at Epiphany: Gregory of Nyssa and John Chrysostom on Baptism and the Church,” CH 66 (1997) 1–17. Other Topics E. Ferguson, “Ordination in the Ancient Church,” ResQ 5 (1961) 17–32, 67–82, 130–46. * P. Stockmeier, Theologie und Kult des Kreuzes bei Johannes Chrysostomus, Trier Theologische Studien 18 (Trier, 1966). * A. Nocent, “Il sacerdozio dei fedeli secondo Giovanni Crisostomo,” VetChr 7 (1970) 305–24. * R. Kaczynski, Das Wort Gottes in Liturgie und Alltag der Gemeinden des Johannes Chrysostomus, FThSt 94 (Freiburg i. B., Basel, and Vienna, 1974). * L.J. Patsavos, “The Image of the Priest according to the Three Hierarchs,” GOTR 21 (1976) 55–70. * E. Dekkers, “Limites sociales et linguistiques de la pastorale liturgique de s. Jean Chrysostome,” Aug 20 (1980) 119–29. * J-R. Boucher, “Jean Chrysostome: le Christ, les pauvres et la prédication,” VS 140 (1986) 89–100. * J.-P. Mondet, “Clartés sur le sacerdoce ministériel: le témoignage de s. Jean Chrysostom dans son ‘Commentaire sur l’épître aux Hébreux,’” La foi et le temps, n.s., 18 (1988) 259–86. * M. Lochbrunner, Ueber das Priestertum: historische und systematische Untersuchung zum Priestbild des Johannes Chrysostomus, Hereditas, Studien zur Alten Kirchengeschichte 5 (Bonn, 1993). * S. Zincone, “Valore e funzione della preghiera communitaria secondo Giovanni Crisostomo,” Aug 35 (1995) 705–13. * W. Mayer, “Who Came to Hear John Chry­ sostom Preach? Recovering a Late Fourth-Century Preacher’s Audience,” ETL 76 (2000) 73–87.

174  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East

74-A. Homilies on the Psalms This series of fifty-eight homilies—the manuscript tradition calls them “explanations”—on Psalms 4–12, 43–49, 108–17, 119–50 (the numbering here being that of the LXX) comes from Chrysostom’s days in Antioch, perhaps ca. 396. It has been suggested that these sermons were never actually preached.

74-a-1. on psalm 7† 1464

15. [.  .  .] God has accepted sacrifices without needing them. As he says, “If I were hungry I would not tell you.” Yet because he desired to allow us the opportunity of praising him, so he accepts hymns, not because he needs beautiful sounds but because he desires our salvation. [.  .  .]

74-a-2. on psalm 49†† 1465

[.  .  .] Since God saw the frivolity of many, their distaste for reading about spiritual things, and their disinclination for the effort that accompanies it, he wished to make this task more pleasant and less arduous. This is why God linked melody to his words. He desired that our souls, influenced by the lilt of the melody, might most willingly send up holy hymns to him. Nothing so edifies and gives wings to the soul, frees it from the earth and from the chains of the body, makes it contemplative and contemptuous of earthly things as the melody of music and a godly and rhythmic song. [.  .  .]

74-a-3. on psalm 140††† 1466

1. Certainly almost all know the words of this psalm and constantly sing it throughout every season. Yet they do not understand its meaning. [.  .  .] Pay close attention. Why did the fathers enjoin that this psalm be said each day in the evening? I believe they had a reason but not because of the words “the raising of my hands like an evening sacrifice,”1 for the same is also found in other psalms where we read, “Evening and morning and at noon I will declare and make known.”2 Also, “Yours is the day and yours is the night.”3 Also, “Weeping shall tarry for the evening, but joy shall be in the morning.”4 Many other psalms are appropriate for the evening. And so it was not because of suitability that the fathers enjoined this psalm; rather, they appointed it as a salutary medicine and as a means for expiating sins so that whatever stains or faults beset us throughout the day, whether in the market, at home, or in any other place, we, when we come to the evening, might wipe away [sins] through this spiritual song. It is a remedy that removes all these sins. Translated from PG 55:104. Translated from PG 55:156. ††† Translated from PG 55:426–27. 1. Ps 140:2.  2. Ps 54:17.  3. Ps 73:16.  4. Ps 29:5. †

††

74. John Chrysostom  175 The same is true for the morning psalm, namely, Psalm 62, and nothing prohibits us from briefly calling this psalm to mind. It inflames our desire for God; it stirs up and excites the soul, filling it with great joy and love so that it can approach God. Let us see how it begins and what it teaches us: “O God, my God, early I wait for you. My soul thirsts for you.”5 [.  .  .]

1467

74-a-4. on psalm 144† 1. Pay careful attention to this psalm; its text is continuously sung by those who have been initiated into our holy mysteries. “The eyes of all look to you, and you will give them food in due time.”1 Those who are children and who take delight at the spiritual table have worthily given glory to the Father. For he says, “A child glorifies the father, and a servant will fear the master.”2 You have been made children [of God], and you take pleasure at the holy altar as you eat the Body and Blood of him who gave you rebirth. Give thanks for such a benefit and give glory and honor to him who provided you with all these. [.  .  .]

1468

74-a-5. on psalm 145†† 2. [.  .  .] David once sang the psalms; today we join him in doing so. His cithara was made from inanimate strings; the Church’s cithara is full of living strings. Our tongues are the chords of the cithara which come forth as a diverse sound yet form a divine harmony. Women, men, the aged, youth, are all certainly individual persons, but they are not individuals when they sing hymns, for the Spirit, governing the voice of each, brings about one melody in all. [.  .  .]

1469

74-a-6. on psalm 149††† 2. [.  .  .] To be sure, some understand these instruments metaphorically: the tambourine signifying the mortality of our flesh; the psaltery signifying our gazing up toward heaven. For this instrument [the tambourine] is played with a downward stroke, not with an upward one as is the cithara. I would say that the Jews played these instruments in times past because of their dull temperament and so that they might be torn away from idols. Just as God allowed them to sacrifice, so God, accommodating himself to their weakness, allowed them these instruments.

74-B. Homilies on Isaiah Some of Chrysostom’s six homilies on Isaiah 6 were delivered in Antioch, others in Constantinople. 5. Ps 62:1. † Translated from PG 55:464. 1. Ps 144:15.  2. Mal 1:6. †† Translated from PG 55:521. ††† Translated from PG 55:494.

1470

176  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East

74-b-1. homily 1† 1. [.  .  .] Why do I think that my words will result in actions? Surely by the present gathering of the people, by the zeal you show in taking your places in the church, which is the mother of us all, by standing throughout the night, by the singing of hymns in imitation of the angelic choir, in all these ways you continually present offerings to the Creator. So many gifts of Christ! The legions of angels above reciting the liturgical invocation!a Here below the people forming choirs in the churches as they repeat the same invocation! The seraphim above have resounded the hymn of the three-fold Holy; here below the crowd of people singing the same hymn! Those in heaven and those on earth form one festive assembly. There is but one thanksgiving, one happiness, one joyful choir. This choir, in fact, is the inexpressible descent of the Master who formed it; the Holy Spirit gives it cohesion; the approval of the Father gives it the ability to sing in harmony; also from on high comes the rhythm of its singing; touched by the Trinity as by a bow, it resounds with a pleasing and joyful song, with an angelic melody, with an uninterrupted symphony. It is the result of your zeal here; it is the fruit of your assembling. It is for this reason that I am so happy to hold all of you in such great esteem, why I am happy to see joy in your souls, why I am happy to see such spiritual joy, such divine joy. 1472 Nothing gives more joy to our lives than the satisfaction we feel at church. In church we see the jubilation of a happy people, courage given to the disheartened, happiness given to the sorrowful, relief given to the exhausted, repose granted to the weary. “Come to me,” he says, “all who are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will grant you rest.”1 What is more desirable than to hear these words, to hear this invitation? It is a feast to which the Lord invites you when he calls you to church. It is the repose that he pledges you when you are fatigued. It is the calm he provides for you when you are worried. It is by easing the burden of sin through well-being that he heals discouragement. By happiness he heals all sorrow. 1471

74-b-2. homily 4†† 1473

1. [.  .  .] Enter the church and see what makes this city noble. Enter and see the poor who remain there from midnight till dawn. See the holy vigils held day and night. See a people in love with Christ, a people who during the day fear not the constraint of poverty, who during the night fear not the tyranny of sleep. [.  .  .]

Translated from Commentaire sur Isaïe. Jean Chrysostom, trans. A. Liefooghe, introduction, critical text, and notes by J. Demortier, SChr 304 (Paris, 1983) 44–47. a. The Glory to God? 1. See Matt 11:28. †† Translated from SChr 304:138–41. †

74. John Chrysostom  177

74-C. Homilies on Hannah Chrysostom’s five homilies on Hannah, the mother of Samuel, were preached at Antioch during the Pentecost season in 387.

74-c-1. homily 4† 5. [.  .  .] You ask whether a lay person, someone engaged in secular affairs, should hasten to the church and pray three times a day. Although it may not be convenient to do this, nonetheless such a person can pray in public places. To do so is more a matter of the mind than of the voice, more of the soul rather than of the lifting up of the hands. [.  .  .] 6. [.  .  .] By these words I urge you to be continually present in the church; at home with great peace may you pray at your leisure, doing so on bended knee and with upraised hands. But if the time or the place finds you out in public, do not forsake your accustomed prayers. I urge you, beloved, to pray and invoke God, no less certain that by such desired prayer you will obtain what you request. [.  .  .]

1474

1475

74-c-2. homily 5†† 1. [.  .  .] Pentecost is over, but the feast is not since every assembly is a feast. How can we prove this? Through the words of Christ himself who said, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them.”1 Now if Christ is in the midst of the assembled faithful, then what further evidence is needed that there is a feast? [.  .  .] 2. I say these things not to reproach all who have gathered but that I might persuade you neither to suffer nor to be sad at the small number of those who have assembled. For in church we require not a multitude of bodies but of hearers. [.  .  .]

1476

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74-D. Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew This series of ninety homilies, preached at Antioch in 390, is the oldest complete commentary on Matthew’s Gospel.

74-d-1. homily 25††† 3. [.  .  .] Paul said, “Give thanks”1 since the best way to retain a benefit is to remember it, to continually offer thanks for it. And so even the awesome mysteries, so salutary, which we celebrate at each gathering are called the Eucharist [i.e., the “Thanksgiving”] because they commemorate many benefits, signifying the very sum of God’s care for us. In every way Translated from PG 54:667–68. Translated from PG 54:670. 1. Matt 18:20. ††† Translated from PG 58:351. 1. Matt 1:22. †

††

1478

178  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East they call us to be thankful. [.  .  .] We are to be thankful not only for our own blessings but also for those of others. In this way we can remove envy and foster charity by making it more sincere. Nor will it be possible for you to continue envying those for whom you give thanks to the Lord. And so, as you know, the priest, when the sacrifice is offered, also enjoins us to give thanks for the whole world, for those who lived before us, for our contemporaries, for those already born, for those to come in the future. [.  .  .]

74-d-2. homily 50† 4. [.  .  .] If you wish to honor Christ’s Body, then do not neglect him when he is naked. Do not honor him here [in the church] with silken garments while neglecting him outside as he perishes from the cold and from a lack of clothing. He who said, “This is my Body,”1 also said, “You saw me hungry and did not feed me.”2 [.  .  .] Spend your wealth on the poor since God has no need of golden vessels but of golden souls. 1480 5. [.  .  .] Is it useful for Christ’s table to be loaded with golden vessels when another person is perishing due to hunger? You should first feed the hungry, and then from what remains adorn the Lord’s table. [.  .  .] 1479

74-d-3. homily 71†† 1481

4. [.  .  .] The first prayer—this we say for the energumensa—is a prayer that throughout recalls God’s mercy; the second, said for those doing penance, also requests an abundance of his mercy; the third is for ourselves when innocent children appear before the assembly to implore God’s mercy. [.  .  .]

74-E. Homilies on the Gospel of John Chrysostom’s eighty-eight homilies on the Gospel of John are noted for their brevity, each taking about ten to fifteen minutes to deliver. They date from ca. 391.

74-e-1. homily 11††† 1482

1. [.  .  .] I have one favor to ask of you before I proceed to the text of the Gospel. Refuse not my request since what I ask is neither heavy nor burdensome. Yet if granted, it will benefit both me who requested it as well as you; perhaps it will even be most useful to those of you who grant my request. What I ask is that each of you take in hand that section of the Translated from PG 58:508–9. 1. Matt 20:26.  2. Matt 25:42. †† Translated from PG 58:666. a. Energumens: those afflicted with mental illness. ††† Translated from PG 59:77. †

74. John Chrysostom  179 Gospels which is to be read to you on the first day of the week or even on the Sabbath. Then previous to that day sit down at home and go over it a number of times, carefully considering and examining what is said, noticing what is clear and what is obscure, what words seem to create contention but really do not. Once you have considered everything, then go to hear it read. Both of us will greatly profit from this. For our part, we need not apply ourselves to clarifying the meaning of the words since you will already be familiar with their meaning. And by doing this you will obtain greater understanding of and insight into what you hear and learn as well as in what you teach. [.  .  .]

74-e-2. homily 46† 2. [.  .  .] We must learn how wonderful are the mysteries, why they were given, what is their benefit. “We are,” he says, “one body, members of his flesh and of his bones.”1 Let the initiated [the baptized] follow what I am going to say. 3. So that we may become [his members] not in love alone but in very deed, we are to be mixed into his flesh. This is brought about by the food he gave us to show his love for us. This is why he has mixed himself with us and made us into a whole body so that we might be one, like the body joined to its head. This is a sign of his great love. [.  .  .]

1483

1484

74-F. Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles The fifty-five homilies on the Acts of the Apostles form the oldest commentary on the Acts that has come down to us. The homilies were given at Constantinople in 400.

74-f-1. homily 18†† 4. [.  .  .] Should not each individual believer construct a church? [.  .  .] I beseech and implore you, I entreat you as a favor, yes even as a law do I require that no estate should lack a church. Don’t tell me that a church is close by. Or that there is one in the vicinity. Or that the expense is great whereas available funds are modest. [.  .  .] Forever will prayers for you be offered there. Because of you there will be gatherings for prayer as well as the sacrifice on each Lord’s Day. What is more admirable? That others have constructed magnificent tombs and for this posterity remembers them? Or that you have built churches? Remember that at Christ’s coming you will be rewarded for having raised up God’s altar. 5. Imagine that the emperor ordered you to build him a house in which he will reside. Would you not do everything in your power? Here it is the Translated from PG 59:260. 1. Eph 5:30. †† Translated from PG 60:147–48. †

1485

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180  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East palace of Christ, the church, which you are building. Pay no attention to the cost. Just reckon the profit. [.  .  .] Start by constructing a small building as a temple. Someone after you will build a porch; later on another will make further additions, and the whole will be credited to you. You gave only a little and yet receive the whole reward. At any rate, begin by laying a foundation. Encourage one another; see who can outdo another in this matter. But now, where straw, grain, and the like are stored, it is easy to build. Yet for a place where spiritual fruit may be gathered, no one cares. Consequently the people are forced to travel long distances, to undertake lengthy journeys, so that they may go to church. How good it is when the priest calmly comes to the church so that he may draw near to God and each day pray for the village and for the estate. It is no small thing that your name is always recalled in the holy offerings, and that each day prayers are offered to God for the village. [.  .  .]

74-f-2. homily 26† 1487

4. [.  .  .] The church is to be a household having both men and women. There is no problem if there is only one man and only one woman. “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them.”1 Where Christ is among us, there is a great multitude. Where Christ is, there the angels together with the archangels and all the other Powers must be. And you are not alone since the Lord of all is with you. Also listen to the prophet who says, “Better one person who does the will of the Lord than ten thousand transgressors.”2 Nothing is weaker than a crowd of ungodly people; nothing is stronger than those whose lives are governed by God’s law. If you have children, wake them up. May your whole household become a church during the night. But if the children are very young and cannot endure such keeping a night vigil, they can remain for the first or second prayer, and then send them back to bed. [.  .  .]

74-G. Homilies on the First Letter to the Corinthians This series of forty-four homilies was preached at Antioch ca. 392.

74-g-1. homily 8†† 1488

1. [.  .  .] It may happen that the rulers are wicked and dissolute whereas their subjects are good and pious. It may happen that the laity live in godliness whereas the priests live in godlessness. But if grace required merit, then we would not have baptism or the Body of Christ or sacrifice. Yet as it is, God works even through those who are unworthy. In no way is the grace of baptism harmed by the conduct of the priest. Otherwise, the Translated from PG 60:203. 1. Matt 18:20.  2. See Eccl 16:3. †† Translated from PG 61:69. †

74. John Chrysostom  181 receiver would suffer loss. And so although such things happen but rarely, still we must admit that they do happen. [.  .  .]

74-g-2. homily 24† 1. [.  .  .] “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not communion with the Blood of Christ?”1 Very trustworthily and awesomely does he say, “The cup contains what flowed from his side, and we partake of it.” He called it the cup of blessing because when we hold it in our hands this is how we praise him as we are struck by wonder and astonishment at his indescribable gift, blessing him because he poured out this very gift so that we may not remain in error; we also bless him not only for having poured it out but also for sharing it with us. [.  .  .] 2. [.  .  .] Under the old Law people were very imperfect, and so God did not scorn to receive the blood they were offering to idols. He did so in order to draw them away from those idols; and this very thing again was because of his indescribable tender affection. But now he has transformed the priestly action into something that is most awesome and magnificent. He has changed the sacrifice itself; he commands not the butchering of dumb animals but the offering up of himself. [.  .  .] What is the bread? It is the Body of Christ. What do those who partake of it become? They become the Body of Christ. Not many bodies, but one Body. For just as the bread, consisting of many grains, is made one,a and the individual grains are no longer apparent yet still exist, so too we are joined to one another and to Christ. For you are not nourished by one Body while another person is nourished by a different Body. Rather, all are nourished by the same Body. [.  .  .] 4. [.  .  .] When you see [the Body of Christ] upon the altar, say to yourself, “Because of this Body I am no longer earth and ashes, no longer a prisoner but free. Because of this Body I hope for heaven, and I hope to receive the good things that are in heaven, immortal life, the lot of the angels, intimacy with Christ. This Body, scourged and nailed to the cross, death did not overcome. [.  .  .] This Body was stained with blood and was pierced by a lance; from it gushed forth those saving streams, one of blood and the other of water, for all the world.” [.  .  .] This is the Body he gave us, both to reserve [for future consumption?] and to eat. [.  .  .] 5. Let us then approach him with fervor and burning love so that we may avoid punishment. In proportion to the greatness of the benefits we have received, so the more we are chastised when we show that we are unworthy of these benefits. [.  .  .] Let us therefore rouse ourselves and be filled with awe. May we show a reverence far exceeding that of the barbarians [the three Magi] so that we may not bring down fire upon our Translated from PG 61:199–205. a. See Didache ix.4 (WEC 1:186). 1. 1 Cor 10:16. †

1489

1490

1491

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182  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East heads by recklessly and carelessly approaching. I say all this not to keep anyone from approaching but from thoughtlessly doing so. [.  .  .] In royal palaces what is most glorious is not the walls or the golden roofs, but the king sitting on the throne; likewise in heaven it is the body of the King. Yet you are allowed to see this on earth. It is not angels, not the archangels, not the highest heavens that I show you, but the very Lord of all these. Do you not see what is most precious on earth? Not only see but touch? Not only touch but eat? And after eating you return home? Cleanse your soul; prepare it for receiving these mysteries. [.  .  .]

74-g-3. homily 27† 1493

5. [.  .  .] You have tasted the Blood of the Lord, and yet you do not acknowledge your brethren. And so just how worthy are you? Even though you did not acknowledge them formerly, it was fitting for you to do so at this table, a table you disgrace when those who are worthy to share it with you [for the Eucharist], you do not believe worthy to participate with you in a meal. [.  .  .] All join the poor in approaching the holy table. But upon leaving we do not appear to have seen the poor; we are drunk and carelessly pass by those who are hungry, something the Corinthians were accused of. When does this happen? Always but especially at feasts, a time when this should not occur. It is then that drunkenness and contempt for the poor immediately follow Communion. [.  .  .]

74-g-4. homily 36†† 1494

5. [.  .  .] At that time all came together and sang psalms. This we now do. At that time all were of one heart and one mind; today, however, such unity cannot be discerned since great warfare is found everywhere. The presider in church prays for peace upon all who enter, as it were, into his Father’s house. The word “peace” is heard frequently but not its reality. 1495 At that time houses themselves were churches. Now the church itself is a house or rather something worse than a house. Much good order may be seen in a house: the mistress sitting on her chair with all dignity; the maid-servants silently weaving; the servants all carrying out their proper tasks. But here there is great tumult, great confusion. In no way do our assemblies differ from what happens in the inn, so great is the laughter, so great the disturbance. They resemble the baths and the markets where all engage in shouting and making noise. It is only here that these things happen since elsewhere it is not permitted to speak with one’s neighbor in the church, not even when encountering a long-lost friend; such things are done outside the church and properly so. The church, you see, is not a barber shop, a perfume store, a place of business in the square. No, it is

†

Translated from PG 61:230–31. Translated from PG 61:313–15.

††

74. John Chrysostom  183 the place of angels, the place of archangels, the kingdom of God himself. And so if someone were to lead you into heaven and even if you would see there your father or your brother, you would not dare speak. Only spiritual things are to be said. This place also is a heaven. [.  .  .] 6. [.  .  .] “What, do you not have houses wherein you can eat and drink? Do you not show contempt for the Church of God and humiliate those having nothing?”1 This is what Paul said to those who despised the poor and feasted alone. May I say the same to those of you who carry on and hold conversations in this place. [.  .  .] The church is not a place of conversation but of teaching. Now, however, it is no different than the market or, if I not be too bold, the stage. [.  .  .] Our assemblies are anything but a church. [.  .  .] In truth there should always be only one voice in the church just as there is only one body. Therefore the reader speaks alone while the bishop sits in silence; the cantor sings alone and, though all give the response, the sound resounds as if coming from one mouth. The one who preaches to the people speaks alone. [.  .  .]

1496

74-g-5. homily 40† 1. [.  .  .] First I wish to remind all the baptized regarding the answer you were requested to make by those who during the night [of the Pasch] introduced you to the mysteries. I will then explain what Paul said so that this also will be clearer to you. Indeed I want to speak openly but I dare not do so because of the uninitiated, who make our exposition more difficult, compelling us either not to speak openly or to reveal the things that are hidden. Nonetheless, as I am able, I will speak cautiously, as if through a veil. And so after uttering these mystical and awesome words and the terrifying rules of the doctrine that have come down from heaven, we add the following just before we baptize. They say, “I believe in the resurrection of the dead.” It is upon this faith that we are baptized. After we have confessed with the others, we are led down into the fountain of the holy waters. This is what Paul had them recall when he wrote, “If there is no resurrection, then why are you baptized for the dead?”—namely, for dead bodies. This is why you were baptized, believing in the resurrection of your dead body. Your words speak of the resurrection of the dead, but the priest, as in a kind of image, shows you by very deed what you believed and confessed in words. When you believe without a sign, he then gives you the sign also. When you have done your own part, then God makes you more certain. How? By water. Being baptized, immersed, and then emerging is a symbol or sign of descending into and returning from hell. For this reason Paul refers to baptism as burial, saying, “And so we are buried with him by baptism into death.”1 [.  .  .] 1. 1 Cor 11:22. † Translated from PG 61:547–48. 1. Rom 6:4.

1497

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184  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East

74-H. Homilies on the Second Letter to the Corinthians The thirty homilies on Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians were preached in Antioch, perhaps ca. 392.

74-h-1. homily 2† 1499

5. [.  .  .] The laws of the Church command that we are to pray not only for the faithful but also for the catechumens. The law inspires the faithful to make supplication for the uninitiated. When the deacon says, “Let us pray earnestly for the catechumens,” he does nothing other than urge all the members of the faithful to pray for the catechumens even though they are still outside [the Church]. They have not yet been inserted into the Body of Christ; they have not as yet shared in the mysteries; they still remain apart from the spiritual flock. But if we are to make intercession for the catechumens, then all the more we are to do so for our own members. [.  .  .] The words “Let us pray” are not only addressed to the priests but also to all the people, for when the deacon says, “Let us stand in order to pray,” the deacon exhorts all to pray. [.  .  .]

74-h-2. homily 18†† 1500

3. [.  .  .] Notice how powerful is the assembly of the Church: it freed Peter from his chains; it opened the mouth of Paul;1 yet in no small way does it plead successfully on behalf of those who come for spiritual honors. So it is that at the time of ordination he who will be ordained requests its prayers, with the people adding their votes and giving their assent by means of acclamations known by those who have been initiated into the mysteries; for it is not lawful to reveal all things to those who have not been initiated. Nonetheless, there are some occasions when there is no difference at all between the priest and those under him. An example would be when we share in the sacred mysteries; all are equally admitted to the same thing. It is not as under the Old Testament when the priest ate one thing and those under him ate something else, it being unlawful for the people to partake of what the priest partook. This is no longer true since one Body, one cup, are given to all. Also in the prayers the people are seen as contributing much. Whether for the possessed or for the penitents prayers are made in common both by the priest and by the people; all say one prayer, a prayer requesting mercy. Again, when we exclude from these holy precincts those who are unable to share at the holy table, another prayer is offered and all alike prostrate and all alike rise up. Again, in the most sacred mysteries themselves, the priest prays for the people who in turn pray for him since this is the meaning of the Translated from PG 61:399. Translated from PG 61:527–28. 1. See Acts 12:5. †

††

74. John Chrysostom  185 words “And with your spirit.” The offering of thanksgiving again is common, for the priest does not give thanks alone but all the people join him in doing so. Once they respond by assenting that it is “meet and right to do so,” he begins the thanksgiving. Why do you marvel that the people speak with the priest when indeed with the Cherubim and the Powers above they join together in sending up to heaven these sacred hymns? I have said this so that all the laity also may be vigilant. Let us understand that we are all one body, having only such differences among ourselves as there are among members of the [physical] body. Let us not refer everything to the priest, but we also are to care for the whole Church as being a body common to us. Doing so will bring us greater safety and provide us with greater growth in virtue. Listen to how the apostles frequently allowed the laity to share in their decisions. For when the apostles created the seven deacons,2 they first conferred with the people. And when Peter ordained Matthias, they conferred with all who were present, both men and women.3 [.  .  .] The Church is to dwell as one household; it is to come together as one body just as there is but one baptism, one table, one font, one creation, and one Father. Why, then, are we divided when such great things unite us? [.  .  .]

74-I. Homilies on the Letter to the Ephesians The twenty-four homilies in this series were given at Antioch between 392 and 397.

74-i-1. homily 3† 4. [.  .  .] I notice that many share in Christ’s Body casually and lightly, doing so out of custom and habit rather than from serious thought and understanding. When the holy season of the Forty Days occurs or when the Epiphany arrives, then, no matter what, some share in the Mysteries. Yet it is neither the Epiphany nor Lent that makes a time appropriate for receiving; it is sincerity and purity of soul. Possessing these, approach at all times. Without them, never.

1501

74-i-2. homily 14†† 4. Consider what you just said. Of what table are these words worthy? Think of what your mouth touches, what it tastes, what kind of food it eats? Do you believe that you are doing nothing grievous when you revile your brother? How, then, can you call him a brother? Yet if he is not your brother, how can you say “Our Father”? For the word “Our” signifies many persons. Think with whom you are standing at the time of the 2. See Acts 6:2–3.  3. See Acts 1:15. † Translated from PG 62:28. †† Translated from PG 62:103–5.

1502

186  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East mysteries. With the cherubim. With the seraphim. The seraphim do not revile. No, their mouths have only one task, namely, to sing the hymn of praise, to glorify God. And how will you be able to say with them “Holy, Holy, Holy” if you use your mouth for reviling? [.  .  .]

74-J. Homilies on the Letter to the Philippians The fifteen homilies on the Letter to the Philippians were most probably delivered in Constantinople, thus between 398 and 404.

74-j-1. homily 1† 1503

1. [.  .  .] [Writing to the Philippians, Paul begins,] “To the fellow bishops and deacons.”1 What is this? Were there a number of bishops in the city? Certainly not! Yet he used this word [i.e., “bishops”] to designate the presbyters. At that time titles were still interchangeable, and even the bishop was called a deacon [a servant]. And so when writing to Timothy, who was a bishop, Paul said, “Fulfill your ministry,” your diakonia. That Timothy was a bishop is evident from the fact that Paul said to him, “Lay hands hastily on no man.”2 And also, “The gift that was given you with the imposition of the hands of the presbyterate.”3 Presbyters would not have imposed hands on a bishop. [.  .  .]

74-j-2. homily 3†† 1504

4. [.  .  .] Let us mourn for them [the deceased]; let us help them as we are able; let us provide assistance for them, small though it may be, yet as we can. How and in what way? By praying for them and entreating others to pray for them, by continually giving alms to the poor on their behalf. Doing so brings relief. [.  .  .] Not in vain did the apostles order that the deceased be remembered in the sacred mysteries. They understood that the deceased greatly benefit when all the people with open hands are standing as a priestly assembly and when the awesome sacrifice is displayed. How do we not please God when we pray for them? This we do for those who have departed in faith; the catechumens, however, are not deemed worthy even of this consolation. They lack all means of help except one, namely, that we give alms to the poor on their behalf. When we do so, they receive refreshment.

74-K. Homilies on the Letter to the Colossians The twelve homilies on the Letter to the Colossians were given in Constantinople, probably in 399.

Translated from PG 62:183. 1. Phil 1:1.  2. 1 Tim 5:22.  3. 1 Tim 4:14. †† Translated from PG 62:204. †

74. John Chrysostom  187

74-k-1. homily 12† 4. [.  .  .] After the monks have completed their morning prayers and hymns, they betake themselves for the reading of the Scriptures. [.  .  .] Then they perform Terce, Sext, None, and the evening prayers. Dividing the whole day into four parts, in each part they honor God with psalmody and hymns. [.  .  .] 5. [.  .  .] What need is there for dancing? Dances are found in the pagan mysteries, but among us there is silence and decency, modesty and peacefulness. The mystery we celebrate is a great mystery. Out with the harlots, out with the unclean! How great a mystery it is! Two come together and form one. Why no dancing when the bride enters? Why no cymbals? Why only profound silence and calm? When you gather, making not a lifeless image or the image of an earthly creature but becoming the image of God himself, why do you introduce such a pagan uproar, disturbing those present and filling their souls with shame and confusion? [.  .  .] Tell me, do you celebrate the mystery of Christ and then invite the devil? [.  .  .] Where flutists are, there Christ is not. Even if he should come, he first expels the flutists and only then he does wonders. What can be more disagreeable than such diabolical pomp? [.  .  .]

1505

1506

74-L. Homilies on the Second Letter to the Thessalonians The five homilies on Paul’s Second Letter to the Thessalonians were given at Constantinople between 398 and 404.

74-l-1. homily 4†† 4. [.  .  .] All things are equal among us, even the very source of our blessings. I do not partake of the holy table with greater abundance and you with less; we both partake equally. If I am the first to receive, it is no great privilege since even among children the oldest is the first to eat; nonetheless, there is no advantage in this. With us all things are equal. The saving life that maintains our souls is given with the same honor to both of us. I do not partake of one Lamb and you of another. We partake of the same. Both of us share the same baptism. We have both been judged worthy of the same Spirit. We are both hastening to the same kingdom. We are both Christ’s brethren. All things we have in common. [.  .  .]

74-M. Homilies on the First Letter to Timothy The eighteen homilies on the First Letter to Timothy were preached in Antioch, probably after 392 and before 398.

†

Translated from PG 62:576–77. Translated from PG 62:492.

††

1507

188  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East

74-m-1. homily 5† 1508

3. [.  .  .] Since priests cannot know those who are sinners and thus who unworthily partake in the mysteries, God often delivers them to Satan as follows. When diseases, attacks, sorrow, calamities, and the like occur, it is for this reason that they are inflicted. Paul shows this when he says, “For this reason many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.”1 “But how,” you ask, “when we approach only once a year?” It is indeed evil that the worthiness of your approach is measured not by purity of heart but by the length of time. You believe that not to receive more often is a sign of godliness; you forget that receiving unworthily, even if only once, burns a mark. [.  .  .] But why is time to be measured out here? Let us approach when our conscience is pure. The mysteries celebrated at the Pasch are not of more value than the mysteries celebrated today. They are one and the same. It is the same grace of the Spirit. It is always a Pasch. You, the initiated, know this. On the Preparation Day, on the Sabbath, on the Lord’s Day, on the day of the martyrs, it is the same sacrifice. “For as often,” he says, “as you eat this bread and drink this cup you proclaim the death of the Lord.”2 There is no time when the sacrifice may not be offered. So why is it called the paschal feast? Because at that time Christ suffered for us. Let not the time, therefore, make any difference as to when you approach. At all times there is the same power, the same dignity, the same grace, one and the same Body; one celebration is not more or less holy than another. [.  .  .]

74-m-2. homily 6†† 1. “I exhort that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all.”1 [.  .  .] But what is “first of all”? It means daily worship. The initiated know that each day there are prayers in the evening and in the morning. They know how we make supplication for the whole world, for kings, and for all in authority. [.  .  .] 1510 2. [.  .  .] Let nothing bitter come forth from the mouth that has been considered worthy of such holy mysteries. Let the tongue, upon which the Lord’s Body has been placed, never say anything offensive. Let it be kept pure. Let it utter no curses. [.  .  .] 1509

74-m-3. homily 14††† 1511

3. [.  .  .] Go to the dwelling of a holy man. What you will see there is not what can be seen in a private home. Nothing impure is found. Only silence and profound quiet. The words “mine” and “yours” are not used. Translated from PG 62:529–30. 1. 1 Cor 11:30.  2. 1 Cor 11:26. †† Translated from PG 62:530–31. 1. 1 Tim 2:1. ††† Translated from PG 62:575–77. †

74. John Chrysostom  189 [.  .  .] As soon as it is day, or rather before daybreak, the cock crows. What you see is not a house where the servants are sound asleep, where the doors are closed, where all are at rest like the dead, while the mule-driver is ringing his bells without. None of this. All, immediately shaking off sleep, reverently rise when their president summons them. They form themselves into a holy choir. Standing, they raise their hands and all sing holy hymns. [.  .  .] 4. [.  .  .] As I said, at cockcrow the leader comes and gently touches the sleepers with his foot, rousing them all, for none sleep without clothing. Then as soon as they are awake, they stand and sing the prophetic hymns with much harmony and well-composed tunes. Neither the harp nor pipe nor any other musical instrument utters such sweet melodies as you hear from the singing of the saints in their deep and quiet solitude. The songs themselves are suitable, full of the love of God. [.  .  .] And when day is approaching, they again take rest. [.  .  .] Having performed their morning prayers and hymns, they proceed to reading the Scriptures. [.  .  .] Then at the third, sixth, and ninth hours, and in the evening they perform their devotions, having divided the day into four parts. At the conclusion of each they honor God with psalms and hymns. [.  .  .] 5. [.  .  .] They die there since their bodies are not immortal. Yet they do not know death as death. The departed are carried to the grave with hymns. It’s called a procession, not a funeral. When someone is reported to have died, great is the joy, great is the delight. No one dares say that a person is dead, only that he or she is completed. Then there is thanksgiving, much praise and joy as all pray that such be their own destiny, that their own struggles may end, that they may rest from labor and strife, and that they may see Christ. If any are sick, they have recourse to prayers rather than to tears and lamentations. Often enough it is not the physician’s care but faith alone that heals the sick. [.  .  .]

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74-N. Homilies on the Second Letter to Timothy Ten homilies on the Second Letter to Timothy have come down to us. They were preached at Antioch between 392 and 398.

74-n-1. homily 2† 4. [.  .  .] The offering is the same, no matter who offers, whether it is an ordinary mortal, whether it is Peter or Paul. It is the same that Christ gave to his disciples and which the priests now minister. The present offering is in no way inferior to the former because it is not men who sanctify but Christ himself who sanctifies it. The words are the same. The words spoken by God are the same as the priest now says. And so the offering is the same as is also true for the baptism he gave. [.  .  .] †

Translated from PG 62:612.

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74-O. Homilies on the Letter to the Hebrews These thirty-four homilies date from the last years of Chrysostom’s time in Constantinople, namely, from 405 to 406. They were published after his death by Constantine, a priest of Antioch.

74-o-1. homily 8† 1515

4. [.  .  .] Do you know the source of these words? Personally, I do not think you do, notwithstanding some exceptions. Yet every week these words are read two or even three times. The reader upon going up [to the bemaa] first gives the name of the prophet, apostle, or evangelist who authored the book. The reader then proclaims [what is written] so that you might notice and observe these things and not only know the contents of the writing but also the reason for the writing along with its author. [.  .  .]

74-o-2. homily 17†† 3. [.  .  .] What then? Do we not offer every day? Certainly we offer. We make remembrance of his death, and this [remembrance] is one, not many. How is it one and not many? Because the sacrifice was offered once, as was true in the holy of holies. This sacrifice is a figure of the former, and this is a remembrance of that, for we always offer the same, not one today, another tomorrow, but always the same. Wherefore the sacrifice is one. [.  .  .] 1517 4. But since I mentioned this sacrifice, I wish to say a few words to those of you who have been initiated into the mysteries. Although my words may be few in number, they have great force. They are useful. For they are not my words but those of the Holy Spirit. What then is it? Many partake of this sacrifice once a year, others twice, still others more often. What we say is directed to all, not only to those who are present here, but also to those who dwell in the desert, for these receive once a year, often every two years. 1518 What, then? Whom shall we approve? Those receiving once [a year]? Those receiving many times? Those receiving but rarely? I approve those who come with a good conscience and a pure heart, those whose lives are beyond reproach, whether they receive once, twice, or more often. Let these always draw near; those who are not without reproach should never do so. And why not? Because they bring down upon themselves judgment, condemnation, and punishment. [.  .  .] 1519 Tell me, I ask, when after a year you receive Communion, do you think that the Forty Days are sufficient so that you can purify the sins you committed. Again, when a week has passed, do you relapse into your former sins? Tell me now, if after a lengthy illness you have been in good health 1516

Translated from PG 63:75–76. a. Bema: a raised area or platform used, for example, by the readers and cantors. †† Translated from PG 63:131–33. †

74. John Chrysostom  191 for forty days, will you again eat the food that caused the illness and have you not also lost all that you previously did? [.  .  .] I say this not to forbid you from receiving annually but as wishing that you continually draw near to the things that are holy. 1520 The priest [deacon?] proclaims this when he calls upon those who are holy, and by speaking in this way he sees to it that no unprepared person approaches. These are to be separated from the former. The same is true for the Church where some are in good health, others are diseased. By saying this he separates one from the other. [.  .  .] 5. [.  .  .] When he [the priest or deacon] says, “Holy things for the holy,” 1521 he means “those who are not holy should not approach.”

74-P. Homilies on Lazarus The homilies on Lazarus, seven in number, were preached at Antioch in 388.

74-p-1. homily 4† 1522 4. [.  .  .] Why, I ask, are you ashamed? Why do you blush to acknowledge your sins? Do you relate them to another person who might reproach you? Do you confess them to a fellow-servant who might make them public? No, you show your wounds to the Lord, to the Guardian, to the Benefactor of all. [.  .  .] Unless you speak of the magnitude of your debt, you do not experience the abundance of grace. “I do not oblige you,” he says, “to go to the middle of a theater and to call upon many witnesses. Tell your sins to me alone, doing so in private, so that I might heal your wounds and release you from your pain.” [.  .  .]

74-Q. Homilies “On the Incomprehensible Nature of God” The twelve homilies under this title are actually two series. The first series, consisting of five homilies, was preached at Antioch in 386–87. The second set was delivered at Constantinople in 397.

74-q-1. homily 3†† [.  .  .] Just as people cut olive branches and wave them before the king in 1523 order to obtain his pity and favor, so do the angels at this moment as they present not the olive branches but the very Body of the Lord as they invoke the Lord on behalf of all people. They say something like the following: “We beseech you for those whom you yourself have judged worthy of your love to the extent that you gave up your own life. For these we pour forth Translated from PG 48:1012. Translated from Sur l’incompréhensibilité de Dieu. Jean Chrysostom, trans. R. Flacelière, introduction by J. Daniélou, critical text and notes by A.-M. Malingrey, 2nd ed., SChr 28 bis (Paris, 1970) 224–25. †

††

192  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East our supplications just as you shed your blood for them. We plead to you for these on whose behalf you offered your body in sacrifice.” 1524 It is also at this time that the deacon has the possessed come forward and enjoins them to bow their heads so that they might supplicate by means of their bodily posture, doing so because they are not allowed to take part in the prayers of the assembly of their brethren. [.  .  .] 1525 You have approved what I have said. By means of loud applause you have shown that you agree with what I have said. [.  .  .]

74-q-2. homily 4† 1526

[.  .  .] Why do we habitually exhort you? Our intent is that you may pray with a sober spirit and a vigilant soul. I recently spoke to you about this, and I noted that you are eagerly conforming yourselves to my desires. Yet it would be illogical, after finding fault when you slack off, not to praise you when you improve your conduct. And so I intend to praise you today and show that I recognize your compliance. I will do so by teaching you why this prayer is said before the other prayers and why the deacon at this moment orders that the possessed and those held prey to pernicious ravings bow their heads. The influence of the demons is a pernicious and unbearable chain, a chain more unyielding than one made from the strongest iron. When the judge appears in public and proceeds to sit on his elevated chair, the prison wardens lead all the prisoners—dirty, with unkempt hair, covered in rags—to the iron railings and hangings of the court. In like manner our fathers established that at the moment when Christ will come to be seated, so to speak, on an elevated chair and show himself in the mysteries themselves, the possessed are to be brought in like prisoners, not to answer for their sins, as regular prisoners do, nor to undergo any penalty or punishment, but so that all the people, the whole village gathered in this building, might make common supplication on their behalf. With one heart all petition the Master of us all and loudly implore God to be merciful to the possessed. 1527 And so we censure those who are not present for this prayer and who, at such a moment, stay outside. I also wish to censure those who remain within, certainly not because they do so but rather, while inside they carry on conversations with one another at such an important time; consequently their conduct is no better than that of those who have departed the church. [.  .  .]

74-Q-3. Homily 5†† 1528

[.  .  .] This is why I ask you, why I request you, why I admonish you to unceasingly confess your sins to God. My intent is not to lead you into a

†

Translated from SChr 28 bis, 256–57. Translated from SChr 28 bis, 316–19.

††

74. John Chrysostom  193 theater so that you might acknowledge your sins in front of your companions in misery, for in no way are you to reveal your sins to others. Lay bare your conscience before God, showing him your wounds and imploring his remedies. Address yourselves to him not as if to someone who lays blame but as to a physician. Furthermore, you gain nothing by being silent since God is omniscient. Speak out, then, it’s to your advantage. Speak so that, putting aside all your sins, you may depart as being pure and freed from your sins and that you be thus exempt from an unbearable public acknowledgement [at the Last Judgment?]. [.  .  .]

74-R. Homilies against the Jews Chrysostom preached eight sermons, Adversus Judaeos, at Antioch in 387. Extremely anti-Jewish and highly partisan, these sermons seem to have been occasioned by what, in his mind, was too close a relationship between the Christian (perhaps converts from Judaism) and Jewish inhabi­ tants of that city.

74-R-1. Homily 3† 4. [.  .  .] The Pasch [the eucharistic celebration] and the Forty Days [Lent] 1529 are not the same. The Pasch is one thing; the Forty Days another. Whereas the Forty Days are celebrated only once a year, the Pasch is celebrated three times a week, sometimes four times, or even as often as we wish. The Pasch does not call for fasting but offering and sacrifice, these taking place at each gathering [of the faithful]. You may learn the truth of this from Paul who said, “Our Pasch is Christ who was sacrificed for us.”1 Also, “As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord.”2 And so as often as you approach with a pure conscience, you celebrate the Pasch, not by fasting but by sharing in this sacrifice. [.  .  .] Truly the Pasch is to proclaim his death. What is offered today was offered yesterday, and what is celebrated on individual days is akin to and the same as what is celebrated on the Sabbath [Sunday]. One is not more or less valuable than the other. Both are considered awesome and salutary. Why, it is asked, do we fast for the forty days. In the past and especially at 1530 this time of year when Christ gave us the holy mysteries, many approached these mysteries in a heedless and thoughtless fashion. And since the fathers knew how much harm is done by a careless approach, they agreed to designate forty days of fasting, praying, gathering together to listen to God’s word. On these days all—by means of prayer, almsgiving, fasting, vigils, tears, confession—are to be cleansed. In this way we may approach with a pure conscience. [.  .  .] Should a Jew or a pagan question you as to why you are fasting, do not say that it is because of the Pasch or because of the cross. Translated from PG 48:867–70. 1. 1 Cor 5:7.  2. 1 Cor 11:26. †

194  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East By answering in such a fashion you make us subject to reproach. We do not fast because of the Pasch nor because of the cross. We do so because of our sins since we will soon approach the mysteries. The Pasch is an occasion not of fasting and mourning but of joy and happiness. [.  .  .] 1531 5. Although the catechumens fast each year, they do not celebrate the Pasch because they do not share in the offering. Those who do not fast, if they approach with a pure conscience, celebrate the Pasch, whether today, tomorrow, or any other time. The most appropriate time to approach the mysteries is judged not by the observance of certain seasons but by purity of heart. [.  .  .] 1532 6. [.  .  .] When the bishop enters and before going to his chair, he prays that peace may come upon all of you, and upon rising [from his chair?] he does not begin to instruct you till he has given the peace to all. When priests are about to give the blessing, they first pray for peace and then give the blessing. 1533 When the deacon invites you to pray together, he also does so by means of prayer in which we ask for the angel of peace and for all that will bring about peace. And he dismisses you from the assembly by requesting peace, saying, “Go forth in peace.” [.  .  .]

74-S. Liturgical Homilies 74-s-1. homily on the baptism of jesus† a 1534

2. [.  .  .] This is the day on which he was baptized, the day on which he sanctified the nature of the waters. Also on this feast all who gathered in the middle of the night, having drawn water, set it aside in their houses and preserve it throughout the year. Today these waters are sanctified. What is wonderful is that the water has not been polluted due to the long period of time that has passed; the water drawn today will remain pure and fresh for an entire year, indeed for two or three years. Even after so long a time it will rival water that has just been drawn from the spring.

74-s-2. homily 1 on holy thursday†† 1535

6. [.  .  .] Christ is present, and he who prepared the Lord’s table [at the Last Supper] now also prepares this table. It is no mere man who causes the gifts to become the Body and Blood of Christ, the very Christ who was crucified for us. The priest is playing a role when he says these words; the power and the grace, however, are God’s. “This is my Body,” he says. The word transforms the gifts; and just as the words “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth”1 were said only once and yet give us the power to bring Translated from PG 49:365–66. a. This homily was preached in 387. †† Translated from PG 49:380. 1. Gen 1:28. †

74. John Chrysostom  195 forth children throughout all time, so also these words, spoken only once, accomplish the perfect sacrifice upon every table of the churches till the present day and will do so up to the time of his coming. [.  .  .]

74-s-3. homily 1 on pentecost† 4. If there were no Holy Spirit, there would be neither shepherds nor teachers in the Church, for as Paul says, “The Holy Spirit has appointed you shepherds and overseers.”1 Do you see how this happens through the Spirit? Unless the Holy Spirit were dwelling within in this father and teacher of us all [within Flavianus the bishop] then when he ascended to his chair in the holy place and extended the peace to all, you acclaimed, “And also with your spirit.” You would not have done this unless the Holy Spirit were actually dwelling within him. For this reason not only when he goes up, not only when he is ushered in, and not only when he prays for you, do you acclaim him in this way. You also do so when he stands at this holy table, when he offers this most sacred sacrifice. [.  .  .]

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74-T. Other Homilies 74-t-1. homily 2 on prayer†† [.  .  .] Why do we lift up our hands when we pray? Our hands are involved in many types of sins and so we lift them up in order that our prayer may fetter evil and destroy wickedness. Therefore when you are tempted or otherwise burdened or stricken, you might recall that you lift up your hands as your advocates before God and that through them you offer a spiritual sacrifice. Do not obscure them or make them unworthy by doing anything evil. Rather, cleanse them by means of almsgiving, acts of mercy, protecting the poor. [.  .  .] This gesture is not yet permitted for the catechumens because they have not yet reached the fullness of the faith. You, however, are required to pray for the whole world, for the Church which extends to the far corners of the world, for those governing and ruling. When you eagerly obey, you witness the extent of the Church’s prayer, a prayer offered together by the people. [.  .  .]

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74-t-2. homily 2 on the devil††† 6. [.  .  .] We have indicated to you five ways of doing penance: the first is to condemn the offense; the second is to forgive our neighbor’s sins; the third is to pray; the fourth is to bestow alms; the fifth comes from being humble. [.  .  .] Having learned, then, how our wounds are healed, we are to apply these remedies with perseverance so that, once we have regained Translated from PG 50:458. 1. Acts 20:28. †† Translated from PG 63:586. ††† Translated from PG 49:264. †

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196  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East true health, we may confidently participate at the holy table and with much glory meet Christ the King of glory. [.  .  .]

74-t-3. homily 2 on the obscurity of prophecies† a 1539

4. [.  .  .] If the prayer of many people was able to free Paul from danger, is it not right that we should expect to benefit greatly from the assistance given by a similar type of prayer? When sick, we pray alone. But when physically stronger, we gather together and, supported by our many companions, we offer prayer to God. In like manner a king, condemning someone to death, does not permit one person to intercede for the person condemned. On the other hand, a king is easily moved by the pleading of the whole city. In this case the person about to be led away to punishment, now reprieved, is freed by the supplication of the multitude. So great is its prayer. This is why we gather and assemble in this place, namely, that we might more intensely beseech God to be merciful. As I have already said, when we pray by ourselves we are weak. We exhort God to grant—out of his love for us—what we request. Such is not given us by chance or only because of ourselves, but so that you might always hasten to the gathering. You are not to ask, “Can I really pray at home?” Certainly you can pray at home, but your prayer does not have as much power as when it is offered with your fellow members, with the whole body of the Church, doing so with one voice as it prays in the presence of the priests who present the prayers of those who have gathered. 1540 5. Are you anxious to learn how powerful is the prayer that is offered in a church? [.  .  .] If an ordinary person would command that you pray for the bishop’s health and that you do this by yourselves, alone, each would have an excuse for not doing so. It’s as if an insurmountable burden has been removed. Yet all of you hear the deacon commanding this when he cries out, “Let us pray for the bishop, for the elders, and for the clergy that they may properly preach the truth; let us pray for those who are absent; let us pray for the whole world.” In this case you do not refuse to do what is enjoined. Rather, with great effort of the heart you offer prayers because you well know how great is the power of your assembly. Those already initiated into the mysteries understand what I am saying. The catechumens, however, are not allowed to participate in this prayer since they are not yet allowed to speak in church. You, however, pray for the whole world, for the Church which extends to the ends of the earth, and for all the bishops who guide the Church. It is with the utmost zeal that you comply with the deacon’s request. By so doing you show the greatness of the power of the prayer that is unanimously offered in the church by the people. [.  .  .]

Translated from PG 56:182–83. a. This homily was composed in Antioch in 386. †

74. John Chrysostom  197

74-U. Panagyrics 74-u-1. on berenice and prosdoce† a 3. [.  .  .] Early on there were lamentations and signs of grief for the dead. Now, however, there is the singing of psalms and hymns. The people spent forty days crying for Jacob, and for the same number of days did the Jews mourn for Moses1 because at that time death was indeed death. At present it is different because now there are hymns, prayers, and psalms, all showing that the event is joyful. In fact, the psalms are a symbol of spiritual joy. “Is anyone among you happy? Let them sing psalms.”2 Since we are full of joy, we sing psalms over the deceased, the psalms exhorting us to have confidence when faced with death.

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74-u-2. on lucian†† a 2. [.  .  .] Be not surprised that I call martyrdom a baptism since here also the Spirit comes with its fullness; here also sins are forgiven; here also is a wonderful and astounding spiritual cleansing. Just as those being baptized are washed in water, so the martyrs are washed in their own blood. [.  .  .]

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74-V. Baptismal Catecheses We have two major collections of baptismal instructions given by Chrysostom, presumably in Antioch between 386 and 397. There is the collection of four instructions, given in 388–89, which were published in 1909 by A. Papadopoulos-Kerameus from two tenth-century manuscriptsaa Then in 1957 appeared a series of eight sermons issued by A. Wenger from a manuscript found in a monastery on Mount Athos. Excluding duplications and including a text found elsewhere (PG 49:231–40), twelve baptismal instructions are attributed to Chrysostom.

74-v-1. catechesis 2††† (wenger) 9. All of you, now that you have merited to have your names inscribed in this heavenly book, are to demonstrate a generous faith and a strong resolve. Faith is needed to bring about what occurs here; the eyes of the soul

Translated from PG 50:634. a. Berenice and Prosdoce: sisters martyred in Syria under Diocletian between 302 and 310. 1. See, however, Gen 50:3 and Deut 34:8.  2. Jas 5:13. †† Translated from PG 50:522–23. a. Lucian: a presbyter of Antioch who was martyred in 312. aa. See PG 49:231–40. ††† Translated from Huit catéchèses baptismales inédits, ed. A. Wenger, SChr 50 (Paris, 1957) 138ff. †

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are needed so as not to think only about what is seen but, starting from what is seen, to picture for oneself what is not seen. This, in fact, is what the eyes of faith do. Our bodily eyes see only objects perceived by the senses; the eyes of faith, however, are just the opposite since they see nothing that is visible, but they see what is invisible as if what cannot be seen is actually seen by their eyes. Faith properly grasps what we do not see as if we saw it. “Faith,” according to Scripture, “is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things that are not seen.”1 10. What does all this mean? Why did I say that it is not necessary to pay attention to visible things but to look with spiritual eyes? It is so that when you see the pool of [baptismal] water and the hand of the priest extended over your head, you do not believe that it is purely and simply water nor that it is merely the hand of the bishop extended over your head since this is done not by a human being but by the grace of the Spirit. It is the Spirit who sanctifies the natural waters; it is the Spirit who descends upon you through the hand of the priest. Was I not correct in saying that we need the eyes of faith so that we might believe in the invisible without mixing therein a suspicion of what is physical? 11. Burial and resurrection! Such is baptism. The old self is buried with its sin and the new self rises, “remade according to the image of its Creator,”2 putting on a garment, putting off a garment. We put off a garment dirtied by the heap of our sins, and we put on a new garment, one that is cleansed of every stain. What shall I say? We put on Christ himself, “for all of you,” says Scripture, “who have been baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”3 12. But since we are now at the threshold of your reception of such precious gifts, learn then from me, as much as possible, the reasons for the various rites. Knowing them well, you will leave here armed with more than enough knowledge. It is necessary, then, that you know why after daily instruction we send you to those who will exorcise you. This rite lacks neither gravity nor reason. It is the King of heaven whom you will receive within you. This is why after our sermon those designated for this task will take you as if to a house where the king will dwell; they will completely purify your soul by awesome words; expelling all the wiles of the evil one, they make your soul worthy for the coming of the King. It is impossible that the demon, as fierce and unmoving as it is, should not hastily depart after such wonderful words and after the invocation of the common Master of all beings. This rite also imprints on the soul great godliness and leads it to deep compunction. 13. Finally—and this is admirable and unbelievable—all distinctions, all differences in dignity are here swept away. Should some be held in honor by this world or possess riches, should some be proud of their birth or the

1. Heb 11:1.  2. Col 3:10.  3. Gal 3:27.

74. John Chrysostom  199 glory they enjoy in the present life, they now stand alongside the beggar and the person clothed in rags or, as often happens, next to the blind and the crippled. They do not consider themselves unworthy of doing such since they now realize that nothing of this matters in the world of spiritual realities where what is sought is only a soul that is well-disposed. 14. See what fruit these words, these wonderful and powerful words, bring with them! But the exterior attitude—bare feet, hands lifted up toward heaven—all show us something else. Those suffering bodily captivity show by their posture that they are experiencing unhappiness; this is also true for the captives of the devil. Since they will soon be delivered from the devil’s tyranny and come under the yoke of goodness, they recall by means of their posture their former condition so that they may understand from what they are now being delivered and toward what they are hastening, and to find in this understanding a further reason for giving thanks and for nourishing their good sentiments. 15. Do you wish that we now address those [the sponsors] who will respond in your name. We do this so that they also will know what rewards they will merit if they show great care in your regard and what condemnation their negligence will bring about? Listen to me, beloved. Those who stand bail for another are at more risk than the person who is paid the money. In fact, those who borrow show that they are well-disposed; they lessen the burden of the bail. But in a contrary case, if you grant bail, consider yourself as bound.4 If, then, those who stand bail in the matter of money for another are liable for the whole amount, so those who offer spiritual bail, when it is a balance-sheet of virtue that is at risk, should show greater vigilance, exhorting, counseling, and reforming with parental love. 16. They should not think that this is just an ordinary thing. Let them understand that they share in the credit if by their personal admonitions they lead those confided to their care along the path of virtue. On the other hand, if they are negligent, they themselves will undergo grave condemnation. This is why we customarily call them “spiritual parents” so that they may learn what affection they should witness when instructing in spiritual matters. For if it is a beautiful thing to inspire noble zeal for virtue in those who are not related to us, all the more should we fulfill this precept in regard to those receiving the title “spiritual child.” And so you, the sponsors, know that no small danger threatens you should you be negligent. 17. Now let us speak to you about the mysteries themselves and of the contract that will be made between you and the Master. In fact, just as in the affairs of this life, those desiring to entrust their goods to another must draw up a contract between the person entrusting the deposit and the one

4. See Sir 8:13.

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receiving it. The same is true here since the sovereign Master will entrust you with non-earthly goods, goods that are spiritual and heavenly rather than corruptible and perishable. This is called “faith” since it concerns what is not visible but things that can only be seen through spiritual eyes. Thus it is necessary that the contract be enacted not with ink on paper but with God through the Spirit. In fact, the words that you say here on earth are recorded in heaven, and the promises proclaimed by your mouth remain forever with the Master. 18. Recognize here the external signs of your captivity. The priests escort you in. First they instruct you to kneel, to raise your hands toward heaven, and thus to pray so that by this posture you might recall the one from whom you are freed and the one to whom you will be joined. Then the priest comes to each of you as he requests the contracts and the confessions; he has you pronounce these awesome words so full of unbelievable consequences, “I renounce you, Satan.” 20. [.  .  .] Then you say, “I renounce you, Satan, your pomp, your service, and your works.” How few the words! How great their power! The angels who are present and the invisible powers who rejoice at your conversion receive the words pronounced by your mouth and lift them up to the common Master of all things where they are inscribed in the heavenly books. 21. Have you seen the terms of this contract? After renouncing the evil one and all that benefits him, [the priest] again has you say, “I attach myself to you, O Christ.” Have you not seen his unfathomable goodness? From you he has received only words, and he entrusts you with so great a treasure of realities. He forgets your former ingratitude; no longer does he remember your past deeds; he is content with these brief words. 22. Then, after this contract of renouncing and attaching, after you have proclaimed Christ’s sovereignty, and after your words have attached yourself to him, then, as if to a combatant enlisted for the spiritual arena, [the priest] anoints your forehead with spiritual myron and signs you as he says, “[He or she] is anointed in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” 23. The priest knows that henceforth the enemy is furious, is gnashing his teeth, going about like a roaring lion as it sees that those who just recently were subject to his tyranny have suddenly defected, have renounced him, and have passed over to Christ, being obedient to him. This is why [the priest] signs you with the anointing and traces on you the sign [of the cross], doing this so that the enemy may turn away his eyes. In fact, the enemy does not dare look you in the face when he sees the lightning flash which leaps forth from it and blinds him. Henceforth there are struggles and counter-struggles against him, and it is for this purpose that the priest leads you by means of this anointing into the spiritual arena where you are athletes of Christ. 24. When night arrives [the priest] removes all your garments and, as if leading you into heaven by that action itself, he anoints your whole body

74. John Chrysostom  201 with the spiritual oil to strengthen all your members and to render them invulnerable to the arrows coming from the adversary. 25. After this anointing, he has you go down into the holy waters, bury- 1558 ing the old self and at the same time raising up the new person who is renewed in the image of the One who created it. It is now that by the priest’s words and hand the Holy Spirit descends; another person rises up, completely washed from every stain of sin, having laid aside the old garment of evil and being clothed with a royal garment. 26. That you might also learn that the Father and the Son and the Holy 1559 Spirit are but one substance, baptism is conferred as follows. When the priest says, “So and so is baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” three times does he plunge the person’s head into the water and lift it up again, thus preparing this person by this mystical rite to receive the coming of the Holy Spirit. It is not only the priest who touches the head; it is also Christ’s right hand. This is shown from the very words of the person baptizing who does not say, “I baptize so and so,” but “So and so is baptized,” thus showing that he is only the minister of the grace, that he only lends his hand, being ordained to do this by the Spirit. It is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the indivisible Trinity which accomplished all these things. This faith in the Trinity gives us the gift of the remission of sins; this confession grants us filial adoption. 27. What follows shows what those deemed worthy of this mystical rite 1560 have been liberated and what they have gained. As soon as they emerge from the holy waters, all embrace them, greet them, give them the kiss, congratulate them, and share in their joy since, formerly slaves and captives, they have become in an instant free people, children invited to the royal table. In fact, as soon as they come out of the pool, they are led to the wonderful table, the source of a thousand favors. There they taste the Body and Blood of the Lord and become the dwelling place of the Spirit. They have been clothed with Christ himself and as such, wherever they go, they are like angels on earth, radiant as the rays of the sun.

74-v-2. catechesis 3† (wenger) 5. “Blessed be God,” we repeat it, “for he has done wonderful things,”1 he who makes and renews all things. Those who yesterday were captives are today free, being citizens of the Church. Those who recently were in the shame of sin are now assured of justice. They are not only free, but also holy; not only holy, but just; not only just, but children; not only children, but inheritors; not only inheritors, but brothers [and sisters] of Christ; not only brothers [and sisters] of Christ, but also his joint heirs; not

Translated from SChr 50:153–54, 158. 1. Ps 72:18. †

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202  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East only his joint heirs, but his members; not only his members, but also the temple; not only the temple, but also instruments of the Spirit. 1562 6. “Blessed be God who alone does wonderful things.” You have seen how numerous are the benefits of baptism. Although many believe that its only benefit is the remission of sins, we have counted ten honors that are conferred by it. This is why we baptize small infants even though they are sinless. We do so that they may be given justice, filial adoption, inheritance, that they may become brothers [and sisters] and members of Christ and may become the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. 1563 12. [.  .  .] God has also prepared a food that is more powerful than any armor. He does so that you may not hesitate to join the combat. Your victory is to be that of someone who has been joyfully filled at a meal. Now if the devil merely sees you returning from the Master’s feast, he, the devil, flees faster than the wind as if he had seen a lion breathing forth fire. If you show him your tongue stained with the precious Blood, he will not be able to stand it. If you show him your purple mouth, he will make a full retreat like a pitiful animal.2

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16. This is why I ask you to seek the goods that always remain and never change. If in the past I spoke about this, it was to interest you, both those who were formerly initiated as well as those who just recently merited the grace of baptism. On the days when we were continuing to gather at the tombs of the holy martyrs, we fully received the blessings coming from them, and we profited from their teaching. But since the rest of our gatherings will be interrupted, I believe it necessary that I remind you, my beloved, to always keep alive the memory of this important teaching and always to consider spiritual things as being more important than all worldly things. 1565 17. Show great zeal in coming here to the church at dawn, bringing to the God of the universe your prayers and praise, thanking him for benefits already received, and requesting his powerful assistance in preserving this treasure for the future. Then, upon leaving the church, may all devote themselves to their daily chores, one doing manual labor, another serving in the military, still another engaging in public life. May all go to their affairs with fear and trembling, and may the whole day be passed remembering that in the evening one will return to the church in order to render to the Master an account of the whole day and to request the forgiveness of sins. [.  .  .] 1566 18. This is why each evening we are to ask pardon from the Master. This is why we must flee to the goodness of God and invoke divine assistance.

2. See Exod 11:1–11; 12:1–20. † Translated from SChr 350:256–57.

74. John Chrysostom  203 We must pass the hours of the night in spiritual sobriety, thus preparing ourselves anew for confession at dawn. If we rule our lives in this manner, we will be able to cross the sea of the present life without danger and merit the goodness of the Master. And when the hour for gathering in church summons us, we must prefer this gathering and all things spiritual over all others so that even what we now have will be placed in safe hands.

74-v-4. catechesis 1† (papadopulos-kerameus) 1567 4. If you look into the very heart of the one lying there,a you will find it even more somber. In fact, just as the winds violently confront one another and divide the sea into numerous waves, so the representation of the terrors that beset him fall upon the sick man’s soul and torture his spirit with innumerable cares. If he looks upon his children, he sees them as orphans; if he looks at his wife, he thinks about her as a widow; if he looks at his servants, he considers how empty the household will be; if he thinks about himself, he recalls his present life; on the verge of being separated from it, he allows himself to be engulfed by a cloud of discouragement. Then, in the midst of confusion within and without, the priest arrives, and his entrance is a greater cause for fear than the fever itself and is harder than death itself for the sick man’s relatives. When the priest enters, the despair of the relatives is greater than the physician’s announcement that there is no longer any hope. And so what is a sign of eternal life is seen as a sign of death. 1568 6. It is necessary that those who approach these sacred and awesome mysteries be ever vigilant and alert. They are to be free from every worldly care, chaste, and full of zeal so that they might expel from their minds all reflection incompatible with the mysteries; they are to clean their houses, making them ready as if to receive a king. Such should be the way you dispose your hearts; such should be your thoughts; such should be the determination of your souls. Having prepared yourselves spiri­ tually, you are to await God’s just reward, for he outdoes those who are obedient to him. Since servants must bring their personal contributions, so we are to bring what is ours or what the Lord has given us. “What do you have,” asks the apostle, “that you did not receive? And if you have received it, why do you take glory in it as if you had not received it?”1 1569 7. Above all and before proceeding to another topic, I would like to explain why our fathers, leaving aside the rest of the year, prescribed that the Church’s children be initiated at this particular time; and why, once

Translated from Trois catéchèses baptismales, ed. A. Piédagnel and L. Doutreleau, SChr 366 (Paris, 1990) 118–29, 136–37. a. Chrysostom is speaking about the person who, having postponed baptism, is at death’s door. 1. 1 Cor 4:7. †

204  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East you have been instructed by us, your sandals and clothing are removed before, with bare feet and wearing only a small tunic, you are led in procession to hear the words of the exorcists. It is not without reason or purpose that this removal of clothing and this season have been appointed; both have a mystical and hidden reason, and it is this that I would like to explain to you. But I notice that today my discourse impels me to treat another subject, one that is more urgent. 1570 8. Now to explain what baptism is, why it was introduced into our life, and the numerous benefits it brings us. Yet if you agree, we will first speak about the names of this mystical purification, for it has more than one name. There are many different types. In fact, this rite of purification is called the bath of rebirth. “It has saved us,” says [the apostle], “by a bath of rebirth and of renewal in the Holy Spirit.”2 It is also called illumination, and it was the apostle Paul himself who so designated it when he said, “Recall these first days when, after being illuminated, you endured a great conflict of suffering.”3 Also, “It is impossible to restore to penance those who were once enlightened, those who have tasted the heavenly gift and yet have fallen, to bring about in them the renewal of their conversion.”4 It is also called baptism: “All of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”5 Also burial: “You were buried with Christ,” says the apostle, “into his death.”6 It is also called circumcision: “It is likewise in him that you have been circumcised by a spiritual circumcision by putting off from your body the sins of the flesh.”7 It is also called a cross: “Our old self has been crucified with Christ so that this body of sin was destroyed.”8 Other names can also be given. [.  .  .] 1571 12. Someone might say that if this bath removes all our sins, why not call it the “bath of the remission of sins,” or even the “bath of purification” rather than the “bath of rebirth”?9 The reason is that baptism does not simply remit our sins, simply purify us of our misdeeds; rather, its power is so great that it is as if we were born anew.10 In fact, it makes us a new creation, not modeling us from the earth11 but allowing a different element, namely, the nature of these waters, to create. In fact, the vase is not only wiped dry but the vase itself is recast, completely so. [.  .  .]

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3. I also wish to recall a promise I made to you during my previous sermon. At that time I failed to keep it because we were then drawn to a more urgent topic. Now what did I promise? 1573 I was asking why our elders, laying aside the rest of the year, ruled that our spiritual initiation take place during this season; I mentioned that the observance of a chosen time took place neither lightly nor by accident. It is

2. Titus 3:5.  3. Heb 10:32.  4. Heb 6:4, 6.  5. Gal 3:27.  6. Rom 6:4.  7. Col 2:11.  8. Rom 6:6.  9. See Titus 3:5.  10. See John 3:3, 7.  11. See Gen 2:7. † Translated from SChr 366:174ff.

74. John Chrysostom  205 always the same grace, a grace unfettered by the season since grace is divine. And yet the observance of a designated season has, in itself, a mystical meaning. Why, then, did our fathers fix the date at this particular time? Because at this moment our King won the war against the barbarians—the demons, in fact, are all barbarians and even more cruel than the barbarians. This is when he destroyed sin, the moment when he annihilated death, overcame the devil, and took captives.1 It is on this day that we celebrate the memory of this victory. Why then did our fathers decide that the royal gifts be distributed at this time. It is, in fact, the law of triumph. The kings of this world act in like manner; they honor the days of triumph by numerous marks of honor. Yet their honor is most contemptible. In fact, what type of honor is found in the spectacles and in all that is said or done there? Are not these spectacles full of dishonor, meriting simple derision? The honor of this season, on the contrary, equals the goodness of him who gives it. The reason our fathers appointed the present time for baptism is that this appointed time might recall the Lord’s victory, and so that there be participants in his triumphal procession, so that these participants, wearing shining white garments, may go forward to honor the King. Yet this was not their sole motive; it was also so that you might join the Lord: “He,” Scripture says, “was crucified on the wood.”2 You were crucified by means of baptism since baptism is also a cross and a death, but it is the death of sin and the cross of the former self.3 6. The motive for our fathers determining that your initiation take place at the present time has, I believe, been sufficiently shown by what I just said. Yet I want to fulfill another promise I made to you, provided you have not grown tired of listening. I wish to tell you why at this time we lead you, unclothed and bare-footed, in procession to hear the exorcists. Indeed, there also appears the same reason, namely, that the King, the victorious warrior, has taken prisoners.4 As to what happens to prisoners, listen, for example, to what God said to the Jews: “’Just as Isaiah my servant walked without clothing and bare-footed,’5 so the children of Israel will walk toward captivity, nude and without sandals.” Wishing that you remember by your appearance the former tyranny of the devil, God thus leads you to recall your previous low condition. This is why you not only stand upright, without clothing and sandals, but even with raised hands you proclaim the sovereignty of the God toward whom you are now advancing. [.  .  .]

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74-v-6. catechesis 3† (papadopulos-kerameus) 3. [.  .  .] I promised to explain to you why we are called “faithful.” Why do we bear this name? We, the faithful, have received in deposit certain 1. See Eph 4:8; Ps 68:19.  2. See 1 Cor 1:23; Gal 3:13; Col 2:12.  3. See Rom 6:6.  4. See Eph 4:8; Col 2:15; Ps 68:19.  5. Isa 20:3. † Translated from SChr 366:220ff.

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206  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East realities that our bodily eyes cannot see, realities so great and awesome that they exceed our very nature. Human reason cannot discover them. Nor can human words explain them. It is only the teaching of the faith that understands them well. For this reason God has given us two types of eyes, those of the body and those of faith. When you enter to be initiated into the holy mysteries, the eyes of the body see water whereas those of the spirit discern the Spirit. The first contemplate the immersed body; the second see the tomb of the old self.1 The former see flesh being washed; the latter see the soul being purified. The former see the body coming up out of the water; the latter see the new self2 all resplendent coming forth from this holy purification. The former see the priest raise and then impose his right hand, touching the head; the latter see the High Priest who invisibly extends his right hand from the heavens on high and who touches the head. As to the person who baptizes, he is not a man but the only Son of God in person. [.  .  .] 1578 The priest who baptizes does not say, “I baptize so and so,” but “So and so is baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” This shows that it is not the priest who baptizes but the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit whose name is invoked. [.  .  .] 1579 4. [.  .  .] Tomorrow, [Good] Friday, at the ninth hour you will be asked certain questions whereby you will enter a contract with the Lord. It is not without reason that I have recalled to you that day and that hour; it is possible to draw a mystical teaching from these. In fact, it was on the Preparation Day, at the ninth hour, that the good thief entered paradise,3 that the darkness that ruled from the sixth to the ninth hour4 was dispersed, and that [he who is] the physical and spiritual light was offered in sacrifice for the whole world, for it was then that Christ said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”5 It was then that the sun of the physical world, seeing the Son of Justice6 shining down from the cross, turned aside its rays.7 When at the ninth hour you are on the point of being led [into the church], recall the greatness of these marvels and count the gifts awaiting you. No longer will you be riveted to the earth, but you will rise again and your soul will be attached to heaven itself. 1580 Without any doubt it is necessary that you be led in together. Notice this. Everything is given to you in common so that the rich do not scorn the poor and so that the poor not believe they have less than the rich, for “in Christ Jesus there is neither man nor woman, neither Scythian nor barbarian, neither Jew nor Greek,”8 and not only differences in age or nature but even those of condition will no longer exist. There will be only one dignity for all, one gift, one place of loving affection between us, one grace. And so it is necessary that once having been led in, all of you together kneel rather than stand, that you raise your hands upward to 1. See Eph 4:22.  2. See Eph 4:24.  3. See Luke 23:43.  4. See Luke 23:44.  5. Luke 23:46.  6. See Mal 3:20.  7. See Luke 23:44–45.  8. See Col 3:11; Gal 3:28.

74. John Chrysostom  207 heaven to thank God for the gift God has given you. The holy laws require that you kneel since by doing so you acknowledge the authority of the Lord. Kneeling is appropriate for those who recognize their servitude. Listen to what Paul says, “Every knee will bend before him, in heaven, upon the earth, and under the earth.”9 6. “I renounce you, Satan.” What is happening here? What does this strange and unexpected formula mean? You who are fearful, you who tremble, have you stood up against the tyrant? Do you scorn his cruelty? Who has pushed you on to such utter foolhardiness? What is the origin of your recklessness? You respond, “I have strong armor.” But tell me, what armor? What ally? And you reply, “I am attached to you, O Christ. This is why I have confidence and face forward. I have, in fact, a powerful means of escaping the devil; this made me stronger than the devil although formerly I was fearful and trembling; also it is not only the devil that I renounce but all his pomp.” As to the pomp of the devil, there is every kind of sin: indecent spectacles, horse races, gatherings where there is laughing and shameful talk. The devil’s pomp includes portents, oracles, omens, observing the seasons,10 superstitious comparisons, amulets, and incantations. The cross itself is an admirable amulet and a very powerful incantation. Happy is the soul that pronounces the name of the crucified Jesus. Invoke this name, and every sickness will depart, every satanic scheme will take flight. [.  .  .] 7. After these words, after renouncing the devil, after adhering to Christ, and in that you henceforth belong to Christ’s family and no longer have anything in common with the evil one, [the priest] immediately requests that you be sealed and he traces the cross on your forehead. Since it is likely that the savage beast upon hearing these words will become even more savage—for he is shameless—and since he desires to attack you on sight, [the priest] by marking your forehead with the sign of the cross with the oil of the anointing, holds in check all the devil’s fury. For the devil no longer dares to look upon such a sight. It is as if he had looked at the sun’s rays and then jumped away; so in like manner he will lose his sight and depart. The cross is impressed by means of the chrism, and the chrism used is made of olive oil and myrrh: myrrh for the sake of a bride, oil for the sake of an athlete. Once again, because it is not a man but God himself who performs this anointing through the hand of the priest, listen to what Paul says, “It is God who strengthens us and you in Christ and who gives the anointing.”11 Once he has anointed all your members, you will fearlessly be able to contain the serpent and will be protected from all harm. 8. After this anointing, then, all that remains is to proceed to the pool of the holy waters. Then the priest removes your garments and has you

9. Phil 2:10.  10. See Gal 4:10.  11. 2 Cor 1:21.

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208  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East go down into the flowing water. Why without garments? This recalls your former bodily nudity when you were in Paradise and when you felt no shame, for as Scripture says, “Adam and Eve were nude and felt no shame”12 till they took up the garment of sin, a garment loaded with immense shame. Do not feel any shame here since the pool is indeed better than Paradise. There is no serpent here; Christ is present, initiating you into the rebirth brought about by water and the Spirit.13 There are no beautiful trees here, trees pleasing to the sight,14 but there are spiritual graces. Here there is no celebrated tree of good and evil,15 no longer the Law nor the commandments16 but only grace and gifts. “Sin will have no dominion over you since you are not under the Law but under grace.”17 1587 10. [.  .  .] I now wish to say something about the kiss. Each time that we approach the holy table we are invited to love one another and to share with one another a holy kiss. And why? Because, just as our bodies are apart, so we join our souls at this particular moment by the kiss. In this way our assembly becomes like that of the apostles when believers formed one heart and one soul.18 In this way that we are to approach the holy mysteries, strictly bound one to another. Listen to Christ. “If you present your offering at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, first go and be reconciled with your brother and then present your offering.”19 He did not say, “First offer” but “First be reconciled and then offer.” This is why when the offering is there before us, we should first be reconciled with one another and only then go on to approach the sacrifice. 1588 There is likewise a second explanation, mystical, for the kiss. The Holy Spirit has made us temples of Christ.20 And so, by giving one another a kiss with the mouth, we are kissing the entrance to the temple. No one is to do this with an evil conscience, with a hypocritical heart, for this kiss is holy. “Greet one another,” says the apostle, “with a holy kiss.”21

74-W. On the Priesthood† Certainly among the most celebrated books of the patristic era is Chry­ sostom’s treatise On the Priesthood. The six chapters of this panegyric on the priestly office are written in the form of a dialogue between a certain Basil and John. Numerous conjectures have been made as to Basil’s identity, some scholars believing that the person of Basil was simply a literary device. 1589

iii.4. The priesthood, in fact, is exercised on earth but it takes place among heavenly things. It is rightly named since it is not the work of a man, an angel, an archangel, or another created power. No, the Paraclete 12. Gen 2:25.  13. See John 3:5; Titus 3:5.  14. See Gen 2:9.  15. See Gen 2:17.  16. See Gen 3:3.  17. Rom 6:14.  18. See Acts 4:32.  19. Matt 5:23–24.  20. See 1 Cor 3:16; 6:19.  21. 1 Cor 16:20. † Translated from Sur le sacerdoce: dialogue et homélie, ed. A.-M. Malingrey, SChr 272 (Paris, 1980) 132–55, 314–19.

74. John Chrysostom  209 itself has instituted this order by persuading men who are still in the flesh to imitate the service given by the angels. [.  .  .] When you see the Lord sacrificed and lying upon the altar and the priest standing as he prays over the victim and all present being stained with that precious Blood, do you think that you are still among humans and living upon the earth? Do you not think that you have been transported to heaven? Thrusting aside all earthly thoughts, do you not see around you, with your soul alone and as with a pure spirit, what is seen in heaven? How wonderful is God’s love! He who sits at his Father’s right hand is now held by all as he gives himself to those who desire to grasp him, to touch him. This is done through the eyes of faith. [.  .  .] Do you wish to learn from another the sublime holiness of this [priestly] 1590 office? Picture to yourself Elijah before a vast multitude, the victim lying on the altar, and all those present being calm and greatly silent.1 The prophet prays alone. Then fire suddenly descends upon the victim. All are amazed and greatly terrified. Now pass from this scene to what is happening at present. You will see that present realities are not only wonderful but even transcend any feeling of terror. In fact, the priest is standing there, requesting the descent not of fire but of the Holy Spirit. He prays at length not that fire from on high may come and consume the offerings but that grace, falling upon the victim, might thereby inflame the souls of all, rendering them more brilliant than purified silver. Would any, other than those who are mad or insane, scorn this celebration which inspires such great awe? Do you not know that no human being could have survived the fire of the sacrifice? All people with no exceptions would have been destroyed, would have been completely destroyed if God had not graciously bestowed upon them the assistance of his abundant grace. 1591 iii.5. [.  .  .] Priests have received a power given neither to the angels nor to the archangels. Were not the following words said to priests: “All that you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and all that you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven”?2 The mighty of the earth have the power to bind, but they bind only the body. Priests, on the other hand, bind what concerns the soul, and this passes into the heavens; all that priests do here below is approved by God on high. The Master confirms the sentence given by his servants. 1592 Did not God give all heavenly power? “Whose sins you shall forgive they are forgiven them; whose sins you shall retain they are retained.”3 What power could be greater than this? “The Father has given his Son the power to judge all things.”4 It is from the Son that priests have received this power. In fact, it is just as if they already were in heaven, as if they had already gone beyond human nature and separated themselves from human restraints. [.  .  .]

1. See 1 Kgs 18:22ff.  2. Matt 18:18.  3. John 20:23.  4. John 5:22.

210  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East iii.6. If no one can enter the kingdom of heaven without having been born of water and the Spirit5 and if one who does not eat the Lord’s Body and drink his Blood is denied eternal life,6 and if all these things come to be only by means of holy hands, namely, those of the priest, then can anyone without priests escape the fire of hell and obtain the crown that has been prepared?7 It is to these—yes, to these—that spiritual childbirth has been entrusted; it is these who have been entrusted with the birth that comes through baptism. Through them we put on Christ, we are buried with the Son of God, and we become members of this wondrous head. So it is that we hold priests in greater awe than rulers and kings; we honor them more than our parents, our parents who brought us into the world through blood and human choice.8 The priest, however, is the author of our birth in God, a wonderful new birth, one of true freedom and of becoming children through grace. 1594 The Jewish priests were unable to deliver from bodily leprosy; all they could do was to state that someone had been released, and you know how the priestly office was desired at that time. But for our priests, on the other hand, it concerns not bodily leprosy but spiritual purification; they have received the power not just to determine whether someone has been delivered but the power to do so themselves. [.  .  .] 1595 [.  .  .] God has granted his priests a power greater than that given to their natural parents. The difference between them is as great as that between the present life and the future life since parents bring about birth to the first life, priests to the second life. The former are incapable of warding off physical death and are not strong enough to heal any sickness; the latter often save the sick soul or a person on the point of perishing, doing so by inflicting on some sinners a very moderate penalty or by preventing others from sinning. They do so not only by their teachings and warnings but also through the help of their prayers. They have the power to forgive sins not only when they bring us to rebirth but also after baptism. “Are any,” asks the apostle, “sick among you? They are to call in the presbyters of the Church who are to pray over them after having anointed them in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick and the Lord will raise them up; even if a person has sinned, the Lord will grant forgiveness.”9 Furthermore, our earthly parents, if their children have offended important and powerful people, can do nothing for them, whereas the priest can grant reconciliation not with authorities and kings but with God himself. [.  .  .] 1596 vi.4. [.  .  .] It is, in fact, as if he were in charge of the whole world, as if he himself were the father of all, that the priest approaches God while asking him to end all wars, to put an end to troubles, to request peace, abundance, and quick deliverance from all the evils that threaten each of 1593

5. See John 3:5.  6. See John 6:53–54.  7. See 2 Tim 4:8.  8. See John 1:13.  9. Jas 5:14–15.

74. John Chrysostom  211 us, whether these evils afflict us in public or in private. Just as those who govern must surpass the members of the community, so the priest must in every way excel those for whom he prays. So when the priest invokes the Holy Spirit, when he offers the sacrifice which inspires such great awe, when he constantly handles the Master of all, where, tell me, do we place him? What purity and godliness do we demand of him? Imagine, in fact, what are to be the hands that carry out such a service? What should be the tongue that utters such words? Should not the soul that receives this Spirit be purer and holier than all others? At such a time the angels stand around the priest; the bemaa and the space surrounding the altar are all filled with heavenly powers honoring him who is there. What is celebrated gives proof to what we believe. As for me, I have heard it said that an old man, an admirable man, someone who customarily had revelations, spoke of being favored by such a sight; at that moment he suddenly saw, insofar as possible, a host of angels garbed in sparkling robes, encircling and surrounding the altar, bending down as soldiers do when the king is present. I believe him. Someone else told me—this person not learning from another but personally seeing and hearing it—that those about to depart this life, if they partake in the mysteries with a pure conscience when on the verge of breathing their last, are led by the angels from here below because of what they have received. [.  .  .]

1597

74-X. Letter 1 to Pope Innocent† 3. [.  .  .] Who am I to relate what happened next? It exceeded every tragedy. What words will we use to describe these events? What kind of ear will hear them without shuttering? During our exhortation, as I already said, a band of soldiers broke into the church toward evening on the great Sabbath. Violently did they expel all the clergy who were there with us, and, armed, they surrounded the church. The women from the oratories who had removed their clothing for baptism fled unclothed, terrified at this grievous assault; they were not allowed to put on a modest apparel fitting for women. Many people were wounded before being expelled. The baptismal pools were filled with blood, the holy waters being stained. This was not the end of it. Soldiers, some of whom we know were not baptized, entered the place where the vessels were stored and saw all that was within. As happens in such confusion, Christ’s most holy Blood was spilled on the garments of these soldiers; every outrageous act was committed; it was like a siege carried out by the barbarians. Some people fled to the wilderness; many stayed outside the city; the churches were empty on this great feast; without reason more than forty bishops in a. Bema: a raised platform customarily used for proclaiming the Scriptures. † Translated from PG 52:533.

1598

212  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East communion with us were driven away together with the people and the clergy. [.  .  .] 7 5 . A p h r a at e s

Little biographical information on Aphraates exists. Writing during the early fourth century (died ca. 345), he belonged to some type of ascetic movement and held an office in the Church, that of bishop as some suggest. Known as “the Persian Sage,” Aphraates is also considered the first Father of the Syrian Church. His theology is rather primitive, anti-Jewish, yet highly scriptural. Altaner (1961) 400 * Bardenhewer (1908) 385–87 * Bardenhewer (1910) 333–35 * Bardenhewer (1913) 4:327–40 * Bautz 1:51–52 * DPAC 1:58–61* Hamell 124 * Jurgens 1:302–7 * Steidle 137 * Tixeront 216–17 * CATH 1:686 * CE 1:593–94 * DHGE 3:936–39 * DictSp 1:746–52 * DTC 1.2:1457–63 * EEC 1:54 * EEChr 1:71–72 * NCE 1:653–54 * NCES 1:542–53 * ODCC 82 * PEA (1991) 1:835–36 * RACh Sup. 4:497–506 * TRE 1:625–35 A. Vanbeck, “La discipline pénitentielle en Orient de Denys de Corinthe à Athanase,” RHL, n.s., 6 (1920) 181–229. * E.J. Duncan, Baptism in the Demonstrations of Aphraates the Persian Sage, SCA 8 (Washington, D.C., 1945). * A. Vööbus, Celibacy, a Requirement for Admission to Baptism in the Early Syrian Church, Papers of the Estonian Theological Society in Exile 1 (Stockholm, 1951). * E. Beck, “SymbolumMysterium bei Aphraat und Ephräm,” OC 42 (1958) 19–40. * R. Murray, “The Exhortation to Candidates for Ascetical Vows at Baptism in the Ancient Syriac Church,” NTS 21 (1974–75) 59–80.

75-A. Demonstrations† Aphraates is especially noted for his Demonstrations—also, though incorrectly, called “Homilies”—wherein he presents a summary of orthodox belief. The work has twenty-two sections, all of which—other than the last—are arranged according to an alphabetical (Syriac) acrostic. 1599

xii.10. Israel, in fact, was plunged into the midst of the sea during the night of Passover, the day of salvation. Our Lord washed the feet of his disciples on Passover night as a sacrament of baptism. What you should know, my friend, is that during this night our Lord gave true baptism. Throughout the time he spent with his disciples the priests were baptizing with the baptism of the Law, the baptism spoken of by John who said, “Turn away from your sins.”1 During this night he showed them the sacrament of baptism, namely, the suffering of his death as the apostle said, “We have entered with him through baptism unto death, and we have † Translated from Les exposés. Aphraate le Sage Persan, vol. 2, trans. and ed. M.-J. Pierre, SChr 359 (Paris, 1989) 582, 587. 1. Matt 3:2.

76. Ephraem the Syrian  213 risen with him by the strength of God.”2 Know then, my friend, that John’s baptism does not bestow the pardon of sins but only conversion. 1600 xii.13. What is required of us is that we observe the feast at its proper time, season after season: the fast in its purity, prayer that perseveres, praise that is constant, singing the psalms as is fitting, anointing and baptizing as necessary, blessings of consecration at their proper time, and carrying out all that pertains to worship. 76. Ephraem the Syrian

A native of Nisibis—today Nusaybin in Turkey—and born ca. 306, probably of Christian parents, Ephraem was ordained a deacon before 338, remaining in this order throughout his life. Sometime after 361 he and other Christians departed Nisibis, a town ceded by the Romans to the Persian invaders. Settling in Edessa—today Urfa in Turkey—where he continued teaching and preaching, Ephraem is generally credited with being the founder of the “School of the Persians,” so-called because many young people left Persia to become his disciples there. Famous for both learning and holiness, he died in 373. Early accounts of his life often contain fanciful details, as deemed becoming by not a few biographers of the time. Ephraem wrote in Syriac, but early on many of his writings were translated into various Eastern languages, Greek and Armenian among others. His literary output was voluminous, and yet not all compositions historically attributed to Ephraem are authentic. Although a number of studies on Ephraem have recently appeared, for all practical purposes we are still in an initial stage of research on his theological and spiritual thinking. CPG 2: nos. 3905ff. * Altaner (1961) 401–5 * Altaner (1966) 343–46 * Bardenhewer (1908) 387–93 * Bardenhewer (1910) 335–40 * Bardenhewer (1913) 4:342–74 * Bautz 1:1519–20 * Hamell 125 * Jurgens 1:309–15 * Steidle 137–39 * Tixeront 217–20 * CATH 4:299–301 * CE 5:498–500 * CHECL 362–71 * DCB 2:137–44 * DHGE 15:590–97 * DictSp 4.1:788–822 * DPAC 1:1103–7 * DTC 5.1:188–93 * EC 5:126–29 * EEC 1:276–77 * EEChr 1:376–77 * LTK 3:708–9 * NCE 5:463–64 * NCES 5:277–78 * ODCC 551 * PEA (1894) 6.1:17–19 * PEA (1991) 3:1090–91 * RACh 5:520–81 * TRE 9:755–62 Initiation E. Beck, “Le baptême chez s. Ephrem,” OrSyr 1 (1956) 111–36. * J.P. de Jong, “La connexion entre le rite de la consignation et l’épiclèse dans s. Ephrem,” in TU 64, Studia Patristica 2 (Berlin, 1957) 29–34. * L.L. Mitchell, “Four Fathers on Baptism: Saint John Chrysostom, Saint Ephraem, Theodore of Mopsuestia, Narsai,” in The Syrian Churches, Series 6, ed. J. Vellian (Kottayam, 1973) 37–56. * G. Saber, “La typologie sacramentaire et baptismale de s. Ephrem,” PO 4 (1973) 73–91. * G. Saber, Le théologie baptismale de s. Ephraem (Kaslik, 1974). * E. Beck, Dorea und charis: Die Taufe: zwei Beiträge zur Theologie Ephräms de Syrers, Corpus Scriptorum 2. See Rom 6:3–4; Col 2:12.

214  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East Christianorum Orientalium 457, Subsidia 72 (Louvain, 1984). * V. van Vossel, “L’onction baptismale chez s. Ephrem,” diss. (Baghdad, 1984). * S.P. Brock, “Some Important Baptismal Themes in the Syriac Tradition,” Harp 4 (1991) 189–214. Eucharist E. Beck, “Die Eucharistie bei Ephräm,” OC 38 (1954) 41–67. * L. Mariès, “Une ‘Antiphona’ de s. Ephrem sur l’Eucharistie,” RSR 42 (1954) 394–403. * F. Graffin, “L’Eucharistie chez s. Ephrem,” PO 4 (1973) 93–121. * P. Youssif, “L’eucharistie et le Saint-Esprit d’áprès Ephraem de Nisibe,” in A Tribute to A. Vööbus, ed. R. Fischer (Chicago, 1977) 235ff. * P. Yousif, L’Eucharistie chez s. Ephrem de Nisibe, OCA 224 (1984). * J.P. Amar, “Perspectives on the Eucharist in Ephraem the Syrian,” Wor 61:5 (September 1987) 441–53. * S.P. Brock, “A Hymn of St. Ephrem on the Eucharist,” Harp no. 1 (1987–88) 61–68. * S.H. Griffith, “’Spirit in the Bread; Fire in the Wine’: The Eucharist as ‘Living Medicine’ in the Thought of Ephraem the Syrian,” Modern Theology 15 (1999) 225–46. Hymns H. Grimme, Der Strophenbau in den Gedichten Ephraems des Syrers: mit einem Anhange über den Zusammenhang zwischen syrischer und byzantinischer Hymnenfor (Fribourg i. S., 1893). * L. Mariès, “Une ‘antiphona’ de s. Ephrem sur l’eucharistie,” RSR 42 (1954) 394–403. * I.-H. Dalmais, “L’apport des Eglises syriennes à l’hymnographie chrétienne,” OrSyr 2 (1957) 243–60. * G. Khouri-Sarkis, “La Passion dans la liturgie syrienne occidentale,” OrSyr 2 (1957) 193–204. * L. Mariès, F. Graffin, and L. Froman, “Mimré de s. Ephrem sur la bénédiction de la table,” OrSyr 4 (1959) 73–109, 163–92, 285–98. * J. Gelineau, “Données liturgiques contenues dans les sept madrosé ‘De la Nuit,’” OrSyr 5 (1960) 107–21. * L.-M. Froidevaux, “Sur un recueil arménien d’hymnes de s. Ephrem,” RSR 51 (1963) 558–78. * J. Gribomont, “Les hymnes de s. Ephrem sur la Pâque,” Mel 3 (1967) 147–82. * J. Gribomont, “La tradition liturgique des hymnes pascales de s. Ephrem,” PO 4 (1973) 191–246. * T. Kronholm, Motifs from Genesis 1–11 in the Genuine Hymns of Ephrem the Syrian: With Particular Reference to the Influence of Jewish Exegetical Tradition, Coniectanea Biblica: Old Testament Series 11 (Lund, 1978). * E. Beck, “Glaube und Gebet bei Ephräm,” OC 66 (1982) 15–50. * S.P. Brock, “A Hymn of St. Ephraem on the Eucharist,” Harp no. 1 (1987–88) 61–68. * E.R. Hanbye, “St. Ephraem and His Prayers,” Harp nos. 2–3 (1987–88) 47–52. * G.A.M. Rouwhorst, Les hymnes pascales d’Ephrem de Nisibe: analyse théologique et recherche sur l’évolution de la fête pascale chrétienne à Nisibe et à Edesse et dans quelques Eglises voisines au quatrième siècle, Supplements to Vigilae Christianae 7 (Leiden, 1989). Other Topics J.-M. Fiey, “Les évêques de Nisibe au temps de s. Ephrem,” PO 4 (1973) 123–35. * J. Gribomont, “Le triumphe de Pâques d’après s. Ephrem,” PO 4 (1973) 147–89. * I. Ortiz de Urbina, “L’évèque et son rôle d’après s. Ephrem,” PO 4 (1973) 137–46. * L. Leloir, “Ephrem, diacre au service du peuple de Dieu,” ComL 67:2 (1985) 153–59. * J. Naduvilezham, “Paschal Lamb in Ephrem of Nisibis,” Harp 5 (1992) 53–66.

76-A. Hymns Ephraem is most famous for his poetic works (he was called the “lyre of the Holy Spirit”) and is considered the greatest of the Syrian poets, hav­ ing left us over five hundred hymns or madråsh∑. After his death these

76. Ephraem the Syrian  215 compositions were gathered into collections or hymn cycles, for example: “On Faith,” which includes five hymns titled “On the Pearl”; “On Paradise” (fifteen hymns); “On Nisibis,” his hometown (seventy-seven hymns—four have not survived); “On the Church and on Virginity” (fiftytwo hymns, some under the title “On Oil and the Olive”); “On the Epiphany” (thirteen hymns); etc.

76-a-1. on oil and the olive† VII.6. That oil is a friend of the Holy Spirit, and his servant. Like a disciple, it accompanies him, that with which the priests and the anointed are sealed. By means of the oil, the Holy Spirit impresses His seal upon the sheep; Like a signet pressed in wax, He impresses his seal. So also the invisible seal of the Spirit is impressed on our bodies with the oil With which we are anointed in baptism whereby we bear his seal.

1601

76-B. Homilies Called m∑mr∑, these homilies, also known as verse homilies, are written in a metrical style.

76-b-1. homily 4 for holy week†† iv.4. Our Lord Jesus took into his hands what in the beginning was only 1602 bread; and he blessed it, signed it, and sanctified it in the name of the Father and in the name of the Spirit; he broke it and in his gracious kindness he distributed it to each of his disciples. He called the bread his living Body, and himself did fill it with himself and the Spirit. 1603 Extending his hand, he gave them the bread which his right hand had made holy: “Take, all of you, eat of this, which my word has made holy. Do not regard as bread what I have given you; but take, eat this Bread, and do not scatter the crumbs; for what I have called my Body, that it is indeed. One particle from its crumbs is able to sanctify thousands and thousands, capable of giving life to those who eat of it. Take, eat, entertaining no doubt of faith because this is my Body, and whoever believes eats it in Fire and Spirit. But if any doubters eat it, for them it will be only bread. And believers who eat the bread made holy in my name will be pure.

†

Translation from Jurgens 1:313. Translation (with modifications) from Jurgens 1:311.

††

216  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East They will be preserved in their purity; if they are sinners, they will be forgiven.” Those who despise it, reject it, or treat it with ignominy surely revile the Son, who called it and actually made it his Body. 1604 iv.6. After the disciples had eaten the new and holy Bread, and when they understood by faith that they had eaten of Christ’s Body, Christ went on to explain and to give them the whole Sacrament. He took and mixed a cup of wine. Then he blessed it, signed it, and made it holy, declaring that it was his own Blood, which was about to be poured out. [.  .  .] Christ commanded them to drink, and he explained to them that the cup which they were drinking was his own Blood: “This is truly my Blood, which is shed for all of you. Take, all of you, drink of this, because it is a new covenant in my Blood. As you have seen me do, do you also in my memory. Whenever you are gathered together in my name in churches everywhere, do what I have done, in memory of me. Eat my Body and drink my Blood, a covenant new and old.”1

76-C. Biblical Commentaries Ephraem wrote a number of biblical commentaries of which only a few survive.

76-c-1. on joel 2:24† 1605

“And your floors shall be filled with wheat, and the presses shall overflow equally with wine and oil.” [.  .  .] This has been fulfilled mystically by Christ, who gave to the people whom he had redeemed, that is, to his Church, wheat and wine and oil in a mystic manner. For the wheat is the mystery of his sacred Body; and the wine his saving Blood; and again, the oil is the sweet unguent with which those who are baptized are signed, being clothed in the armaments of the Holy Spirit.

76-D. Sermon on Our Lord†† 1606

[.  .  .] [The Spirit] used oil to put his mark on priests and kings. With oil the Holy Spirit puts his seal on his sheep. [.  .  .] When persons are anointed and signed in baptism, they are anointed with holy oil so that the body may be purified [.  .  .] in that baptism becomes as it were a second womb for them. [.  .  .] Priests assist this womb in giving birth. Anointing precedes the birth. [.  .  .] Oil, the source of healing, is applied to the body, which is the source of sicknesses because oil destroys sins as did the flood. [.  .  .] The oil lovingly accompanies the person who is immersed. [.  .  .] Oil, which by its nature penetrates within, unites itself to the body that is 1. See Matt 26:26–28; Mark 14:22–24; Luke 22:19–20; 1 Cor 11:23–24. † Translation from Jurgens 1:314. †† Translation from R. Cabié and others, The Church at Prayer, vol. 3, The Sacraments, new edition (Collegeville, 1987) 40, note 112.

77. Apostolic Constitutions  217 immersed, and when it is immersed it brings back from the depths a rich treasure. Christ, who by his nature is incapable of dying, put on a mortal body, immersed himself, and brought from the waters the treasure of life which our first parents had possessed.

76-E. Last Will or Testament† [.  .  .] When thirty days have passed after my death, offer the holy sacrifice for me; for the deceased profit from the sacrifices offered by the living. 7 7 . A p o s t o l i c C o n s t i t u t i o n s ††

Being the largest collection of legislative and liturgical material that has come down to us from early Christian antiquity, the Apostolic Constitutions (its full title is Ordinances of the Holy Apostles through Clement) was redacted in Syria or perhaps Constantinople not earlier than 341, probably about 380. The various authors (or final author) of the work show Arian tendencies, and for this reason the book as such was condemned by the Trullan Synod in 692. Among possible authors is Julian, bishop of Neapolis, who was the person responsible for the longer recension of the letters of Ignatius of Antioch (WEC 1:9). The author, who lists the Constitutions among the Scriptures of the Church, claims an apostolic origin for the work and says its instructions were written out and distributed to all priests and bishops by Clement of Rome (WEC 1:8)—this being a tad more than just a legitimate literary device. Divided into eight books, the Apostolic Constitutions greatly relies on and modifies previous Church orders. Books I to VI are a revision of the Didascalia (WEC 1:38). The first half of Book VII (i–xxxii) is an enlargement of the Apostolic Tradition (WEC 1:31-A), whereas its second half (xxxiii–il) reproduces the texts of what appear to be ancient Jewish blessings. Book VIII, using the Apostolic Tradition as its base, begins by considering various charisms (chapters i–ii) and then proceeds to give various texts for ordinations and blessings (chapters iii–xvi). Here we find the oldest complete text of the Mass, the so-called Clementine Liturgy (chapters vi–xv). The Book continues with providing a number of legal regulations (chapters xxvii–xlvii); the last chapter (xlviii) contains eighty-five prescriptions, mostly for the clergy and called the Apostolic Canons. † Translated from M.J. Rouet de Journel, Enchiridion Patristicum: Loci SS. Patrum, Doctorum, Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum (Freiburg i. B., 1913) 256, no. 741. †† Translated from Les constitutions apostoliques, trans. and ed. M. Metzger, SChr 320, 329, 336 (Paris, 1985–86). Headings are based on those given by the editor in SChr. For a commentary on the liturgical directives of the Apostolic Constitutions, see W.J. Grisbrooke, The Liturgical Portions of the Apostolic Constitutions as listed in the initial bibliography.

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218  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East CPG 1: no. 1730 * Altaner (1961) 57–60 * Altaner (1966) 255–56 * Bardenhewer (1908) 349–58 * Bardenhewer (1910) 319–26 * Bardenhewer (1913) 4:262–75 * Bardy (1929) 124–25 * Hamell 83–84 * Jurgens 2:127–30 * Quasten 2:183–85 * Steidle 269–70 * Tixeront 213–14 * CATH 3:125–26 * CE 1:636–37 * DACL 3.2:2732–95 * DCA 1:119–26 * DDC 4:453–60 * DPAC 1:825–26 * DTC 3:1520–37 * EC 4:781–82 * EEC 1:62 * EEChr 1:92–93 * LTK 1:872–73 * NCE 1:689–90 * NCES 1:581 * ODCC 90 * PEA (1991) 1:898 Text and Translations F.X. Boxler, Bibliothek der Kirchväter (Kempten, 1874) [German]. * ANF 7, 391–505 [English]. * R.H. Cresswell, The Liturgy of the Eighth Book of the “Apostolic Constitutions,” Translated into English with Introduction and Notes (London, 1900). * F.X. Funk, Didascalia et Constitutiones Apostolorum, 2 vols. (Paderborn, 1905); photo-mechanically reproduced (Turin, 1964). * H. Lietzmann, Kleine Texte 61 (Bonn, 1910). * R. Stord, “Das achte Buch der Apostolischen Konstitutionen,” in Griechische Liturgien übersetz: mit Einleitungen versehen von Th. Schermann (Kempten, 1912) 17–79. * J. Quasten, Monumenta Eucharistica et Liturgica Vetustissima [liturgical selections] (Bonn, 1935–37) 178–233. * B. Wigan, The Apostolic Constitutions Book VIII, Henry Bradshaw Society (London, 1953). * M. Metzger, Les Constitutions Apostoliques, SChr 320, 329, 336 (Paris, 1985–87) [Greek and French]. * W.J. Grisbrooke, The Liturgical Portions of the Apostolic Constitutions, Liturgical Studies 13–14 (Bramcote, Nottingham, 1990) [English]. General Studies F.X. Funk, Die Apostolischen Konstitutionen, eine literarhistorische Untersuchungen (Rotterdam, 1891). * D.L. O’Leary, The Apostolic Constitutions and Cognate Documents with Special Reference to Their Liturgical Elements (London, 1906). * A. Baumstark, Aegyptischer oder antiochenischer Liturgietypus in AK 1–VII, OC 7 (1907). * W. Bousset, “Eine jüdische Gebetssammlung im siebten Buch der apostolischen Konstitutionen,” in Nachrichten der Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen, Phil.-hist. Kleine Texte (1915) 449–79. * L. Duchesne, Origines du culte chrétien, 5th ed. (Paris, 1925) 57–66. * A. Faivre, “La documentation canonico-liturgique de l’Eglise ancienne,” RevSR 54 (1980) 204–19, 273–97. * M. Metzger, “Les Constitutions apostoliques,” RevSR 62 (1988) 306–12. * M. Metzger, “A propos d’une édition des Constitutions apostoliques,” RDC 46 (1996) 161–63. Initiation D. van den Eynde, “Baptême et confirmation d’après les Constitutions Apostoliques VII 44, 3,” RSR 27 (1937) 196–212. * P. Galtier, “Imposition des mains et bénédictions du baptême,” RSR 27 (1937) 464–66. * J. Quasten, “The Blessing of the Baptismal Font in the Syrian Rite of the Fourth Century,” TS 7 (1946) 309–13. * J.N.D. Kelly, Early Christian Creeds (London, 1950) 186–87. * E. Ferguson, “Baptism from the Second to the Fourth Century,” ResQ 1 (1957) 185–97. * F. Manns, “La liturgie de renvoi des catéchumènes d’après les ‘Constitutions Apostoliques 8, 6, 5’ et un parallel juif possible,” EphL 102 (1988) 234–39. * A.H.B. Logan, “Post-Baptismal Chrismation in Syria: The Evidence of Ignatius, the ‘Didache’ and the ‘Apostolic Constitutions,’” JThSt, n.s., 49 (1998) 92–108. Eucharist A. Baumstark, “Das eucharistische Hochgebet und die Literatur des nachexislischen Judentums,” ThGl 2 (1910) 353–70. * W.H. Frere, The Primitive Consecration Prayer, Alcuin Pamphlets 8 (London, 1922). * H. Lietzmann, Messe und Herrenmahl

77. Apostolic Constitutions  219 (Bonn, 1926) 122–36. * G. Dix, The Shape of the Liturgy (Westminster, 1945) 477–80. * W.E. Pitt, “The Anamnesis and Institution Narrative in the Liturgy of the Apostolic Constitutions Book 8,” JEH 9 (1958) 1–7. * MRR-1, 35–37. * MRR-2, 24–26. * L. Ligier, “Autour du sacrifice eucharistique: anaphores orientales et anamnèse juive de Kippur,” NRTh 82 (1960) 40–55. * M. Metzger, “Les deux prières eucharistiques des Constitutions Apostoliques,” RSR 45 (1971) 57–77. * M. Metzger, “The Didascalia and the Constitutiones Apostolorum,” in W. Rordorf and others, The Eucharist of the Early Christians (New York, 1978) 194–219. * E. Mazza, “La ‘Gratiarum Actio Mystica’ del Libro VII delle Costituzioni Apostoliche una Tappa nell Storia della Anafora Eucaristica,” EphL 93 (1979) 123–37. * A. Verheul, “Les prières eucharistiques dans les ‘Constitutiones Apostolorum,’” QLP 61:2–3 (April–September 1980) 129–43. * R. Graves, “The Anaphora of the Eighth Book of the Apostolic Constitutions,” in Essays on Early Eastern Eucharistic Prayers, ed. P.F. Bradshaw (Collegeville, 1997) 173–94. * A. Verheul, “Les prières eucharistiques dans les ‘Constitutiones Apostolorum,’” QL 80 (1999) 358–78. Orders W.H. Frere, “Early Ordination Services,” JThSt 16 (1914–15) 323–71. * E. Lanne, “Les ordinations de le rite copte: leurs rélations avec les Constitutions Apostoliques et la Tradition de s. Hippolyte,” OrSyr 5 (1960) 81–106. * E. Ferguson, “Ordination in the Ancient Church,” ResQ 5 (1961) 17–32, 67–82, 130–46. * G. Gryson, “L’ordination des diaconesses d’après les ‘Constitutions apostoliques,’” MSR 31 (1974) 41–45. * C. Vagaggini, “L’ordinazione delle diaconesse nella tradizione greca e bizantina,” OCP 40 (1974) 145–89. * M. Paternoster, “La testimonianza delle Costituzioni Ecclesiastiche sul gesto della imposizione delle mani per il conferimento del ministero,” EphL 91 (1977) 203–34, 332–49. * N.J. Watt, “The Deaconess in the Fourth Century Eastern Church as Reflected in the Ordination Prayers,” thesis (River Forest, IL, 1998). Gloria J. Lebreton, “La forme primitive du ‘Gloria in excelsis’: prière au Christ ou prière à Dieu le Père,” RSR 13 (1923) 322–29. * G. Prado, “Una nueva recension del himmo ‘Gloria in excelsis,’” EphL 6 (1932) 481–86. * B. Capelle, “Le texte du ‘Gloria in excelsis,’” RHE 44 (1949) 439–57. * D.M.E. Bottecchia, “Nota in margine alla Grande Dossologia delle Constituzioni Apostoliche,” OCP 63 (1997) 163–70. Other Topics A. Spanier, “Die erste Benediktion des Achtzehngebetes (Const. Apost. 33–38),” Monatsschrift für Geschichte und Wissenschaft des Judentums 45 (1937) 71–75. * B. Botte, “Le traité des charismes dans les ‘Constitutions Apostoliques,’” SP 12, TU 115 (1975) 83–86. * E. Brainiste, “The Liturgical Assembly and Its Functions in the Apostolic Constitutions,” in Roles in the Liturgical Assembly, ed. A.M. Triaca, trans. M.J. O’Connell (New York, 1981) 73–100. * D.A. Fiensy, “A Redactional Examination of Prayers Alleged to be Jewish in the Constitutiones Apostolorum,” diss. (Ann Arbor, 1980). * M. Metzger, “La pénitence dans les ‘Constitutions apostoliques,’” RDC 34 (1984) 224–34. * D.A. Fiensy, Prayers Alleged to be Jewish: An Examination of the Constitutiones Apostolorum, Brown Judaic Studies 65 (Chico, CA, 1985). * M. Metzger, “La fidélité dans le mariage selon le témoignage des ‘Constitutions apostoliques,’” RDC 44:2 (1994) 1–15. * M. Metzger, “Le lien du carême à Paques dans les Constitutions Apostoliques,” EOr 14 (1997) 71–77. * J.G. Mueller, L’Ancien Testament dans l’ecclésiologie des pères: une lecture des Constitutions apostolique (Turnhout, 2004).

220  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East [Respect due the bishop] II.xxxii.3. [.  .  .] For by him [the bishop] the Lord has given you the Holy Spirit through the imposition of the hands. Through him you have learned the holy doctrines, “have known God,”1 and have believed in Christ. Through him you have been sealed with the “oil of gladness”2 and with the chrism of understanding. Through him you have been made “children of the light.”3 Through him at the moment of enlightenment the Lord has enclosed each and every one of you with his holy voice, doing so by the testimony of the laying on of the bishop’s hands: “You are my son, this day I have begotten you.”4 1609 II.xxxiii.2. [.  .  .] “Have they not regenerated you by water,”5 given you the fullness of the Holy Spirit,6 nourished you with the milk of the Word,7 strengthened you with their teachings, affirmed you by their admonitions? Have they not bestowed on you the saving Body and the “precious Blood”?8 Have they not freed you from your sins?9 Have they not given you Communion in the holy and sacred Eucharist? Have they not made you sharers and coheirs of the promise of God?10 1608

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[Reconciliation during the liturgy] II.liv.1. This is why, O bishops, when you are ready to begin the prayer after the reading, the psalmody, and the teaching on the Scriptures, the deacon—standing next to you—says in a loud voice, “Let no one quarrel with another, let no one be a hypocrite.” And so if such find that they are in conflict with one another, their consciences will be stirred up, they will pray to God and be reconciled with one another.a 2. If upon “entering the house” of another, it is necessary that you “first say ‘Peace to this house,’”11 doing so as children of peace who give the peace to those who are worthy of it, as is written, “To those who are near and to those who are far off,”12 “those whom the Lord knows are his,”13 how much more is it necessary that upon entering God’s church, we first request God’s peace for the people.b 3. If you request this for others, how much more you should remain there as a child of the light,14 for whoever does not have peace within is not qualified to share it with others.c 4. This is why we should especially be at peace with ourselves, for those who do not revolt against themselves will not quarrel with others; on the contrary, such people will be peaceful, friendly, gathering the goods of the Lord, and making themselves God’s helpers so that the number of those saved may Book II a. Cf. Didas xi. [II.liv.] 1 (WEC 1:767). b. Cf. Didas xi. [II.liv.] 2. c. Cf. Didas xi. [II.liv.] 4. 1. Gal 4:9.  2. See Ps 45:7.  3. John 12:36; 1 Thess 5:5.  4. Ps 2:7.  5. John 3:5.  6. See Acts 8:15.  7. See 1 Cor 3:2.  8. 1 Pet 1:19.  9. See Matt 18:18.  10. See Eph 3:6.  11. Luke 10:5.  12. Eph 2:17; Isa 57:19.  13. 2 Tim 2:19.  14. See John 12:36.

77. Apostolic Constitutions  221 harmoniously increase.d 5. Those who stir up hatred and quarrels, conflicts and lawsuits, are evil-doers and enemies of God.e [The church building and the assembly] 1611 II.lvii.1. As for you, O bishop, be holy and beyond reproach, neither quarrelsome nor irascible nor harsh, but knowing how to edify, to improve, and to instruct; be kind, pleasing, gentle, patient, being able to exhort and encourage as a man of God.15 f 2. When you assemble the church of God, require—as does the captain of a large ship—that those gathered conduct themselves with good order; command the deacons, like sailors, to assign places to the brethren—as they would to passengers—doing so with great care and respect.g 3. First, the building is to be oblong, facing the east with chapels [pastophoria] on each side of the east end; it is to resemble a ship. 4. The bishop’s throne is placed in the middle; the presbyters are seated on both sides; the deacons assist them, alert and with ample garments, for the deacons are like the sailors and the lesser officers in charge of the rowers. With great discipline and calm they see to it that the laity sit in the other section, women sitting apart and remaining silent.h [Liturgy of the word] II.lvii.5. The reader, standing in the middle and in a raised location, reads the writings of Moses and Joshua the son of Nun, of Judges and Kings, of Chronicles and what was written after the return from exile; also the writings of Job, Solomon, and the sixteen prophets. 6. After two readings another person sings the hymns of David, and the people respond by singing the refrain. 7. Then is read our Acts and the letters sent by Paul our fellow-worker to the churches under the impulse of the Holy Spirit; then a presbyter or a deacon reads one of the Gospels which we, Matthew and John, have passed down to you and which Paul’s fellow-workers— namely, Luke and Mark—have received and have handed down to you. 8. During the reading of the Gospel all the presbyters, the deacons, and the people stand while observing a great silence, for it is written, “Be silent and listen, O Israel.”16 Also, “But you, stand here near me and hear.”17 9. Then the presbyters, one after another but not all together, exhort the people, and last of all the bishop, who is like the captain of a ship. [Good order in the assembly] II.lvii.10. The doorkeepers remain next to the entrances for the men in order to watch over them—the deaconesses next to the doors for the d. Ibid. e. Cf. Didas xi. [II.liv.] 5. f. Cf. Didas xii. [II.lvii.] 1. g. Cf. Didas xii. [II.lvii.] 2 (WEC 1:768). h. Cf. Didas xii. [II.lvii.] 4–5 (ibid.). 15. See 1 Tim 6:11.  16. Deut 27:9.  17. Deut 5:31.

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222  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East women—like sailors in charge of the passengers, for what is followed is the same model as that found in the tent of witness. 11. Should the deacon find some not sitting in their proper places, he—like a lieutenant—will reprimand them and lead them to their assigned places.i 12. The church can be compared not only to a ship but also to an enclosure for sheep. In fact, shepherds place each of the animals—namely, goats and sheep— according to type and age, and each animal mingles with others that are similar to it. Likewise in the church the young people sit by themselves if there is room; if not, they remain standing. The elderly sit in order. As to the children who remain standing, fathers and mothers are to take charge of them. The younger women are also apart if there is room; if not, they stand behind [the rest of] the women; let those women who are married and have children [with them] be placed by themselves. Virgins, widows, and elderly women remain standing or are seated in front of all the others.j 13. The deacon attends to the places so that each person upon entering the church goes to his or her own place and does not sit near the door. The deacon likewise watches over the people so that no one whispers, nods, laughs, or makes signs, for in church it is necessary to be attentive, sober, and alert, with ears attentive to the Lord’s word. 1614

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[Preparation for the eucharistic offering] II.lvii.14. Then all rise together and, looking toward the east and after the departure of the catechumens and then of the penitents, they pray to “God who ascended to the highest heavens, toward the east,”18 namely, humankind’s old possession, Paradise located in the east, from which the first human was expelled for having disobeyed the precept by following the serpent’s advice. 15. After the prayer some of the deacons concern themselves with the eucharistic offering, reverently preparing to minister the Body of the Lord. Other deacons watch over the crowd and see that the people remain silent. 16. The deacon who is next to the bishop says to the people, “Let no one have a quarrel with another. Let no one be a hypocrite.” 17. Then the men greet one another as they exchange the Lord’s peace; likewise the women among themselves, but let no one do so deceitfully as Judas did when he betrayed the Lord with a kiss. [The Universal Prayer] II.lvii.18. The deacon prays for the whole Church, for the whole world and for its various parts, for the products of the earth, for priests and rulers, for the bishop, for the sovereign, and for peace everywhere. 19. Then the bishop requests peace for the people and blesses them with the words Moses commanded the priests to use when blessing the people, “The Lord i. Cf. Didas xii. [II.lvii.] 7 (ibid.). j. Cf. Didas xii. [II.lvii.] 8 (ibid.). 18. Ps 68:34.

77. Apostolic Constitutions  223 bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”19 20. The bishop will then pray as follows, “Lord, ‘save your people and bless your heritage’ 20 ‘which you redeemed’21 and ‘obtained’22 by the precious blood of your Christ23 and whom you called ‘a royal priesthood and a holy nation.’”24 [The Eucharist proper] II.lvii.21. Then the sacrifice takes place; all the people stand and pray in silence. When the offering has been made, each group separately receives the Body of the Lord and the precious Blood,25 doing so with good order, “reverence, and awe,”26 for they approach, as it were, the body of a king; the women veil their heads when they draw near as befits the order of women. The doors will be watched so that neither an infidel nor a nonbaptized person enters. [Receiving visitors to the assembly] II.lviii.1. If a brother or a sister coming from the district with letters of recommendation is introduced, the deacon will examine their situation and determine whether they are believers, whether they belong to the Church, whether they have been sullied by some heresy, and also, in the case of a woman, whether she is married or is a widow; thus informed about them, knowing that they truly are believers and share a like mind in what pertains to the Lord, the deacon will lead them to their place.k 2. If a presbyter arrives from another district, the presbyters will receive him as one of their own; if it is a deacon, he is welcomed by the deacons; and if it is a bishop, he sits with the bishop who will bestow on him the same honor as he himself has.l 3. And you, O bishop, will ask him to speak to the people and instruct them, for the exhortations and admonitions given by strangers are, as we all know, very useful. The saying goes that “No prophet is accepted27 in his own country.”28 You will also entrust him with offering the Eucharist. On the other hand, if, out of respect and wisdom, he defers this honor to you and makes a decision not to do so, you will then ask him that he at least give a blessing to the people.m II.lviii.4. If while all are seated someone enters who is distinguished and well-known in the world,29 whether a stranger or a native of the country, and if this happens while you, O bishop, are preaching or while you are listening to the singer or to the reader, pay no attention to this person and do not neglect the service of the word30 in order to grant precedence k. Cf. Didas xii. [II.lviii.] 1 (WEC 1:769). l. Cf. Didas xii. [II.lviii.] 3 (ibid.). m. Cf. Didas xii. [II.lviii.] 2–3 (ibid). 19. Num 6:24–26.  20. Ps 28:9.  21. Ps 74:2.  22. Acts 20:28.  23. 1 Pet 1:19.  24. 1 Pet 2:9.  25. 1 Pet 1:19.  26. Heb 12:28.  27. Luke 4:24; John 4:44.  28. John 4:44.  29. See Jas 2:1–9.  30. See Acts 6:2, 4.

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224  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East to this individual. Rather, remain calm, without ceasing to speak or to listen, and let the brethren receive these individuals by means of the deacons.n 5. If there is no place for them, the deacon will have the youngest person stand, by speaking to him or her but without anger; and so the deacon will see to it that the new arrival is seated. It is normal for one who loves the brethren to spontaneously act in this way; should the young persons refuse, force them to stand behind all the others so that the young might learn to make room for those who are more honorable.o 6. But if a poor person enters, someone of humble position or a stranger, whether young or elderly, and this person does not have a place, for these also will the deacon with all his heart find room so that there may not be within him any human partiality and so that his ministry be pleasing to God. The deaconesses will act in like manner as to the women who present themselves, be they rich or poor.p 1619

[Be part of the assembly; hours for prayer] II.lix.1. In your teaching, O bishop, enjoin and persuade the people to frequent the church diligently, each day, morning and evening, and not to excuse themselves in any way from so doing but to continuously assemble there so as not to mutilate the Church by staying away from it, by cutting off a member of Christ’s body. For these words concern not only the priests but also the laity; when thinking about it, they should understand that it was to each of them that the Lord said, “Whoever is not with me is against me; and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”31 q 2. Since you are Christ’s members,32 do not separate yourselves by failing to attend the assemblies, and since according to his promise Christ is your head,33 united to you and in communion with you, do not neglect yourselves; do not deprive the Savior of his very own members, do not divide his body; do not scatter his members; do not prefer worldly things to the divine word; rather, assemble each day, morning and evening, for singing the psalms and for prayer in the house of the Lord, each morning saying Psalm 62 and in the evening Psalm 140.r 3. Especially on the Sabbath and on the Lord’s Day, the day of his resurrection, be even more zealous in gathering so that you may address your praise to God who has created all things through Jesus, to God who has sent him to us, who has accepted his suffering, and who has raised him from the dead. 4. What justification can there be for not joining the assembly on this day to hear the salutary teaching on the resurrection? On this day we, standing, address three n. Cf. Didas xii. [II.lviii.] 4 (ibid.). o. Cf. Didas xii. [II.lviii.] 5 (ibid.). p. Cf. Didas xii. [II.lviii.] 6 (ibid.). q. Cf. Didas xiii. [II.lix.] 1 (WEC 1:770). r. Cf. Didas xiii. [II.lix.] 2 (ibid.). 31. Matt 12:30.  32. See Eph 5:30.  33. See Eph 4:15; 5:23.

77. Apostolic Constitutions  225 prayers in memory of him who rose on the third day; on this day we read the Prophets, proclaim the Gospels, offer sacrifice, and receive the gift of holy food.s [Ministries forbidden to women] III.ix.1. As to women who baptize, we inform you of the great danger in which those who dare act in such a way place themselves. We do not recommend this practice since it is questionable, or rather illegal and ungodly.a 2. In fact, if “the husband is the head of his wife,”1 it is the man who has been chosen for the priesthood; it is not right to despise what has been created and to retreat from what is first in order to go to the body that comes last; a woman is man’s body, sprung from his side,2 subject to him, and distinct from him in view of procreation. In fact, it is said, “He shall rule over you.”3 “The male” is the commander “of the female” since he is “her head.”4 3. If we earlier forbade women to teach, how can we allow them to act contrary to nature by exercising the priesthood? For this error, consisting in appointing priestesses in the place of female goddesses, springs from pagan atheism, not from what was established by Christ. 4. If baptism were to be given also by women, the Lord would certainly have been baptized by his own mother rather than by John,5 and when we were sent out to baptize,6 women would have been sent with us. But on this point he has commanded us nothing nor handed down anything in writing, well knowing the order of nature as well as what is expedient in this area, the Lord being the Creator of nature and the lawgiver of what has been established.b [Functions forbidden the laity] III.x.1. We also forbid the laity from usurping a priestly function like sacrifice, baptism, the imposition of hands, or any blessing, be it major or minor. 2. For “no one presumes this honor but takes it only when called by God.”7 It is by the imposition of the bishop’s hands that this dignity is conferred. 3. Those who have not received this responsibility but assume it on their own will suffer the punishment of Uzziah.8 III.xi.1. Nor do we allow other clerics to baptize, whether they be readers, singers, doorkeepers, or servants, but only bishops and presbyters, whom the deacons assist. 2. Those doing so will undergo the punishment of the partisans of Korah.9 3. We do not allow presbyters to lay hands upon [ordain] deacons, deaconesses, readers, servants, singers, or door

s. Cf. Didas xiii. [II.lix.] 3 (ibid.). Book III a. Cf. Didas xv. [III.ix.] 1 (WEC 1:773). b. Cf. Didas xv. [III.ix.] 2. 1. 1 Cor 11:3.  2. See Gen 2:21.  3. Gen 3:16.  4. 1 Cor 11:3.  5. See Matt 3:13.  6. See Matt 28:19.  7. Heb 5:4.  8. See 2 Chr 26.  9. See Num 16.

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226  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East keepers; this belongs to bishops alone; such is the ecclesiastical and harmonious way things have been arranged. 1623

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[Envious widows] III.xii.1. As to jealousy, envy, slander, disputes, you have already been told that these are unbecoming a Christian and especially widows.c 2. But since the devil occupies himself with numerous deceits and great craftiness, he has shown these among false widows, as in times past he did with Cain. There are those who, in fact, pretend to be widows but who do not do what is proper to widowhood, just as Cain did not fulfill the duties of being a brother; in fact, they do not understand that the mere title of widow does not allow them to enter the kingdom, but rather it is authentic faith and pious works that do so; a woman who has obtained the title of widow but practices the Adversary’s life-style will not be grateful for her widowhood; she will be ejected from the kingdom and delivered to eternal punishment.d 3. We have learned that some widows are jealous, envious, speakers of evil, and suspicious of the tranquility of others; these neither depend on Christ nor follow his teaching.e 4. For when a widow has received clothing, money, food, drink, or footwear from someone, the other widows—seeing their sister being given aid—should say.f [Thanksgiving for the good done to another] III.xiii.1. “Blessed are you, O God, for you have assisted this widow, my companion. O Lord, bless and exalt those who have given aid, and may what they have done truly rise up to you. Remember them10 on the day of your visitation;11 and to my bishop, who has served you well and who in a timely manner has made known that alms should be given to my companion who was left unprovided for, grant glory and give him the crown of exaltation on the day of your manifestation and visitation.”12 g 2. The widow who has been given assistance will pray in like manner for the person who provided this service.h [Role of the deaconess] III.xvi.1. O bishop, [.  .  .] also choose a faithful and holy deaconess to serve the women. It sometimes happens that because of unbelievers you cannot send into some houses a deacon for the women; you will then send a woman, a deaconess, because of the thoughts of the evil-minded.i 2. In c. Cf. Didas xiv. [III.xii.] 1. d. Cf. Didas xiv. [III.xii.] 2. e. Cf. Didas xiv. [III.xii.] 3. f. Cf. Didas xiv. [III.xii.] 4. g. Cf. Didas xiv. [III.xii.] 5. h. Cf. Didas xiv. [III.xii.] 6. i. Cf. Didas xvi. [III.xii.] 1 (WEC 1:774). 10. See Neh 5:19.  11. See 1 Pet 2:12.  12. Ibid.

77. Apostolic Constitutions  227 fact, we have recourse to a woman deaconess for many services. First, during the baptism of women the deacon anoints only the forehead with the holy oil; afterwards the deaconess herself will anoint them, for women are not to be looked upon by men.j [Rite of baptism] III.xvi.3. While imposing hands, the bishop anoints only the head as kings and priests were formerly anointed; not that the baptized are now being ordained priests, but as followers of Christ they are Christians, “a royal priesthood and a holy nation,”13 “the Church of God, the pillar and bulwark”14 of the wedding chamber, “those who once were not a people but now”15 are beloved and chosen. 4. According to this model you, O bishop, will anoint the head of each baptismal candidate, both men and women, with holy oil to signify the baptism of the Spirit; then you, O bishop—or a presbyter who is under your orders—saying and pronouncing over them the holy invocation “of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”16—will baptize them in water; a deacon receives the men, and the deaconess is in charge of the women so that the infrangible seal may be given with dignity. The bishop then anoints the newly-baptized with myron.k III.xvii.1. And so baptism is given in the death of the Son,17 the water in place of the burial, the oil in place of the Holy Spirit, the seal in place of the cross, and the myron confirming the confession. 2. The Father is remembered as the author and sender; and with the Father the Holy Spirit is mentioned as being a witness. 3. Going down into the water means participating in Christ’s death; coming out of the water is participating in the resurrection. 4. The Father is the God above all; Christ is the only-begotten God, the beloved Son, “the Lord of glory”;18 the Holy Spirit is the Paraclete sent and revealed by Christ, and who is his messenger.19 [The newly baptized] III.xviii.1. Those who have been baptized will keep themselves free from all godlessness; they are not to prize sin; they are to be friends of God, enemies of the devil, “heirs of God and joint heirs”20 of his Son. They have renounced Satan, his demons, and his deceits; they are to be pure and sinless, holy, lovers of God, children of God, praying as children to their Father with the words they take from the assembly of the faithful: 2. “’Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our

j. Cf. Didas xvi. [III.xii.] 2 (ibid.). k. Cf. Didas xvi. [III.xii.] 3 (ibid.). 13. 1 Pet 2:9.  14. 1 Tim 3:15.  15. 1 Pet 2:10.  16. Matt 28:19.  17. See Rom 6:3.  18. 1 Cor 2:8.  19. See John 15:26; 16:13–14.  20. Rom 8:17.

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228  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East debtors. And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one.’21 For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours forever. Amen.” 1629

[Deacons serving the Church] III.ixx.1. Also, the deacons, like the bishop, are to be beyond reproach in all things, only more diligent and in number proportionate to the importance of the Church, so that they can care for the sick like “workers who have no need to be ashamed”;22 the deaconess is to be concerned with serving the women; both will be occupied with proclamation, travelers, service, and assistance, as Isaiah the prophet said in regard to the Lord, “To justify the just who assure the service of the multitude.”23 l 2. May all recognize their function and zealously carry it out in accord with thought and feeling, knowing what kind of reward there is for giving service.m 3. They are not to be ashamed to serve the poor, thereby following the example of Jesus Christ our Savior, “who came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many,”24 and so they should do likewise. Even if it is necessary to lay down one’s life for one of the brethren, let them not hesitate to do this, for Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior did not hesitate “to lay down his life for his friends,”25 as he himself said.n 4. If the Lord of heaven and earth endured all things for our sake, how can you hesitate to serve the poor since you are to imitate him who for our sake took upon himself service, poverty, wounds, and the cross.26 Imitating Christ, you also are to serve your brethren. As Christ said, “Whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave.”27 o 5. Thus Christ himself has “served the multitude,”28 doing so not with words. In fact, “he took a towel, tied it around himself, and then he poured water into a basin,” and when we were reclining, he came and washed the feet of all and “dried them with a towel.”29 By doing this he showed us the tenderness of his fraternal love so that we also would act in like manner toward one another.30 If, then, our Lord and Master31 so humbled himself, how can you be ashamed to do the same toward your sick and weak brethren since you are workers who serve the truth and are defenders of the faith?p 6. Thus serve with kindness, without murmuring, without disagreement; do not act because of others but for the sake of God,32 and on the day of your

l. Cf. Didas xvi. [III.xiii.] 1 (WEC 1:775). m. Cf. Didas xvi. [III.xiii.] 2 (ibid.). n. Cf. Didas xvi. [III.xiii.] 2. o. Cf. Didas xvi. [III.xiii.] 4. p. Cf. Didas xvi. [III.xiii.] 5. 21. Matt 6:9–15.  22. 2 Tim 2:15.  23. Isa 53:11, LXX.  24. Matt 20:28.  25. John 15:13.  26. See Heb 12:2.  27. Matt 20:26–27.  28. Isa 53:11, LXX.  29. John 13:4–5.  30. See John 13:15.  31. See John 13:14.  32. See Eph 6:7–8.

77. Apostolic Constitutions  229 visitation God will reward you for your service.33 q 7. It is necessary that you, the deacons, visit all who need to be visited, and that you inform your bishop of those who have met with ill fortune; for you are to be his soul and his senses, diligent and docile in everything regarding him who is your bishop, your father, and your lord.r [Powers of various clerics] III.xx.1. This is what we prescribe: the bishop is ordained by three bishops or at least by two; you are not allowed to be ordained by one bishop, for the witness of two or three is more sure and inspires confidence;34 the presbyter and the deacon are ordained by only one bishop; the same is true for the other clergy. 2. Neither the presbyter nor the deacon is to ordain clerics from among the laity; the presbyter can only teach, offer, baptize, and bless the people; the deacon serves the bishop and the presbyters, namely, he is to be of service but not to perform other functions. [First part of the liturgical year] V.xiii.1. Brethren, observe the feast days and especially the Nativity, which you should celebrate on the twenty-fifth of the ninth month. 2. Then solemnly observe the Epiphany when Christ revealed his divinity to us; this occurs on the sixth day of the tenth month. 3. Next, observe the forty-day fast when we recall the Lord’s deeds and teaching. This fast is observed before that of the Pasch, beginning on Monday and concluding on Friday. 4. Once these days have passed, cease fasting and begin the holy week of the Pasch when all will fast with fear and trembling, a time when you pray for the departed.a [Chronology of the Passion and Resurrection] V.xiv.1. They began to plot against the Savior on Monday of the first month or Xanthique; their secret meetings continued on Tuesday; on Wednesday they decided that he would die upon the cross. 2. Judas was aware of this; for quite some time he was corrupted and struck with avarice by the devil himself. Formerly he was in charge of the purse and even though he stole what was meant for the poor,1 the Lord in his leniency did not dismiss him; but when we were at table with him, the Lord wanted to warn him and at the same time to teach us his fore-knowledge by saying, “Amen. Amen. I tell you, one of you will betray me.”2 b 3. And when each of us asked, “Surely, it is not I?”3 and when the Lord remained silent, q. Cf. Didas xvi. [III.xiii.] 6. r. Cf. Didas xvi. [III.xiii.] 7 (WEC 1:775). 33. See 1 Pet 2:12.  34. See John 8:17; Matt 18:16. Book V a. Cf. Didas xxi. [V.xiii.] 11. b. Cf. Didas xxi. [V.xiv.] 1 (WEC 1:780). 1. See John 12:6.  2. John 13:21.  3. Mark 14:19.

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230  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East I—one of the twelve, the one he loved more than the others—stood, embraced him, and asked him to disclose who would betray him.4 Nevertheless, the good Lord did not reveal the name but designated the traitor by two signs: first by saying, “He who dips his hand into the bowl with me,”5 and then “the one to whom I give this piece of bread which I have dipped in.”6 4. When the traitor asked, “Surely not I, Rabbi?”7 the Lord did not say “Yes” but rather “You have said it.” And wishing to warn him against this action, he said, “Woe to the one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for him not to have been born.”8 5. Hearing these words, Judas left and said to the priests, “What will you give me if I betray him to you? They paid him thirty pieces of silver.”9 c 6. Then on Thursday we ate the Passover with him; afterwards Judas “dipped his hand into the bowl,”10 received the piece of bread, and “went out into the night.”11 The Lord said to us, “The hour is coming when you will be scattered and you will leave me alone.”12 But each strongly maintained that he would not abandon him; and I, Peter, promised to die with him;13 he then told me, “Truly, I tell you, this very night before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.”14 d 7. Then, Judas being absent, he bequeathed to us the mysteries, figures of his precious body and of his precious blood;15 “he went out to the Mount of Olives,”16 “across the Kidron valley to a place where there was a garden.”17 We also were there, and we sang hymns as was customary.18 8. He then withdrew a little from us and prayed to the Father, saying, “Father, remove this cup from me; yet not my will but yours be done.”19 Three times he did this while we had fallen asleep due to cowardice. Then the Lord came and said to us “The hour is at hand when the Son of Man will be handed over into the hands of sinners.”20 1633 V.xiv.9. And behold “Judas arrived and with him a large crowd”21 of the impious ones; he openly gave them the proof of his treachery,22 a perfidious kiss;23 and they, seeing the agreed-upon sign, arrested the Lord, making him a prisoner. They “took him to the house of Caiphas the high priest”24 where a crowd, not the people, had gathered, not the holy presbyterate but the council of criminals and the senate of the impious; they caused the Savior much suffering, not overlooking any form of gross insult, spitting on him time and time again, multiplying injuries, acts of violence, blows,25 insults; they tested him by asking that he respond to riddles rather than prophecies, they treated him as a deceiver, blasphemer, c. Cf. Didas xxi. [V.xiv.] 2 (ibid.). d. Cf. Didas xxi. [V.xiv.] 3 (ibid.). 4. See John 13:23–25.  5. Mark 14:20; Matt 26:23.  6. John 13:26.  7. Matt 26:25.  8. Matt 26:24; Mark 14:21.  9. Matt 26:15.  10. Matt 26:23.  11. John 13:30.  12. John 16:32.  13. See Matt 26:33; John 13:37.  14. Matt 26:34; Luke 22:34.  15. See 1 Pet 1:19.  16. Matt 26:30.  17. John 18:1.  18. See Matt 26:30; Luke 22:39.  19. Luke 22:42.  20. Matt 26:45.  21. Matt 26:47.  22. See Matt 26:48.  23. See Luke 22:48.  24. Matt 26:57; Luke 22:54.  25. See Matt 26:67.

77. Apostolic Constitutions  231 an enemy of Moses, a destroyer of the temple,26 a grave-digger of sacrifices, an adversary of the Romans as well as an opponent of Caesar.27 e 10. Till early morning “the bulls and the dogs”28 acted thus with him in their frenzy; then “they took him to Annas” who was “the father-in-law of Caiphus,”29 and there they acted in like manner; it was the day of Preparation;30 “they handed him over to Pilate the Roman governor”31 as they spouted forth numerous and serious accusations, which they were unable to prove.32 The governor was unhappy with all this33 and said, “I find no basis for an accusation against this man.”34 f 1634 V.xiv.11. But producing two false witnesses,35 they wanted to bring untrue accusations against the Lord; since it happened that the two witnesses disagreed, they turned it into a question of high treason. “This man pretends to be king,” they said, and “he is against paying taxes to Caesar.”36 g 12. Then the accusers turned themselves into witnesses, judges, and masters of the sentence, saying “Crucify him! Crucify him!”37 so that what “the Prophets”38 said about him might be fulfilled, namely, “False witnesses have risen against me and their injustice has deceived.”39 Also, “Numerous dogs surround me, an assembly of evil-doers encircles me.”40 And elsewhere,”My heritage has become to me like a lion in the forest; she has lifted up her voice against me.”41 13. Then Pilate, dishonoring his power by his very cowardice, himself demonstrated his dishonesty by serving the cause of the crowd rather than that of the Just One. And although declaring Jesus innocent, Pilate punished him like a guilty person by handing him over to be crucified, even though Roman law prescribed that no one be put to death without having been convicted. 1635 V.xiv.14. The executioners received the Lord of glory42 and nailed him to the wood of the cross; at the sixth hour43 they crucified him44 although they received his sentence at the third hour.45 15. Next “they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall”;46 then “they divided his garments among themselves by casting lots”;47 afterwards “they crucified two thieves with him”48 so that what was written would be fulfilled, “They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.”49 Also, “They divided my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots.”50 And elsewhere, he “was counted among the evil ones.”51 16. There e. Cf. Didas xxi. [V.xiv.] 4 (ibid.). f. Cf. Didas xxi. [V.xiv.] 7–8 (ibid.). g. Cf. Didas xxi. [V.xiv.] 8 (ibid.). 26. See Matt 26:59–65; Acts 6:14.  27. See John 19:12; Luke 23:2.  28. Ps 22:13.  29. John 18:13.  30. John 19:14.  31. Matt 27:2.  32. See John 18:30.  33. John 18:30; 19:4.  34. Luke 23:4.  35. See Matt 26:60.  36. Luke 23:2.  37. Luke 23:21; John 19:6.  38. See Matt 26:56; Luke 22:37.  39. Ps 27:12.  40. Ps 22:13.  41. Jer 12:8.  42. See 1 Cor 2:8.  43. See John 19:14.  44. See Matt 27:35.  45. See Mark 15:25.  46. Matt 27:34.  47. Matt 27:35.  48. Matt 27:38.  49. Ps 69:21.  50. Ps 22:18; John 19:24.  51. Isa 53:12; Mark 15:28.

232  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East followed three hours of darkness, from “the sixth to the ninth hour.”52 In the evening light returned, as is written, “And there will be neither day nor night, for in the evening there will be light.”53 h 17. “About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice” and said to the Father, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”54 Shortly afterwards “he again cried out in a loud voice,55 ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.’”56 Then he added, “Into your hands I commend my spirit.”57 He died and was buried before sunset in a “new tomb.”58 1636 V.xiv.18. “At dawn on the first day of the week”59 he rose from among the dead, fulfilling what he foretold before his passion when he said, “The Son of Man must spend three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”60 i 19. Having risen from among the dead, “he appeared first to Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James,”61 and then to Cleopas on the road.62 Subsequently he appeared to us, his disciples, who fled “for fear of the Jews”63 and who secretly made inquiries of us concerning him. This is also recorded in the Gospel.j 1637

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[The Holy Week fast] V.xiv.20. The Lord commanded us to fast on these six days because of the godlessness and iniquity of the Jews; he enjoined us to weep for them because they did not recognize “the time of their visitation.”64 He commanded that we fast on Wednesday and Friday—on Wednesday because of the betrayal and on Friday because of the Passion; he commanded that the fast be broken at cockcrow on the Sabbath, but we are to fast even on the Sabbath—not because the Sabbath is a day for fasting since it is the day of repose after the creation, but we are to fast on this one Saturday only, for on this day the Creator still remained under the earth.k 21. On their very feast day the Jews arrested the Lord so that this saying might be fulfilled, “They established their emblems amidst their feasts, and they did not know.”65 We must weep for them since when the Lord came, they did not believe in him but rejected his teaching, thus becoming unworthy of salvation.l [Date of the Pasch] V.xvii.1. And so, brethren, having been redeemed by the “precious blood of Christ,”66 you are to celebrate exactly and with great care the days of the Pasch, after the equinox, so that you do not commemorate twice h. Cf. Didas xxi. [V.xiv.] 10 (ibid.). i. Cf. Didas xxi. [V.xiv.] 11, 13 (ibid.). j. Cf. Didas xxi. [V.xiv.] 11, 14 (ibid.). k. Cf. Didas xxi. [V.xiv.] 15 (ibid.). l. Cf. Didas xxi. [V.xiv.] 21 (ibid.). 52. Matt 27:45.  53. Zech 14:7.  54. Matt 27:46; Ps 22:1.  55. Matt 27:50.  56. Luke 23:34.  57. Luke 23:46.  58. Matt 27:60.  59. Matt 28:1.  60. Matt 12:40.  61. Mark 16:1, 9.  62. See Luke 24:18, 32.  63. John 20:19.  64. Luke 19:41, 44.  65. Ps 74:4.  66. 1 Pet 1:19.

77. Apostolic Constitutions  233 in the same year the one Passion but do so only once each year for him who died only once; you are not to concern yourselves with observing the feast with the Jews.m 2. Henceforth you will have nothing in common with them; in fact, they are wrong as to their customary calculation, and behold they are led astray on every side and are far distant from the truth. 3. You, however, are to hold fast with exactitude to the vernal equinox which occurs on the twenty-second of the twelfth month, namely, Dystros; precisely count till the twenty-first day of the moon so that the fourteenth day of the moon does not fall in another week. In this way the Pasch will not be erroneously observed twice in the same year because of ignorance; nor will we celebrate the day of our Lord Jesus Christ’s resurrection on any day other than on Sunday. [The fast during Holy Week] 1639 V.xviii.1. Fast then on the days of the Pasch, from Monday to Friday and Saturday, namely, for six days; eat only bread, salt, vegetables, and—as drink—water; refrain from wine and meat on these days which are days of mourning, not of feasting.n 2. Those capable of doing so are to fast all day on Friday and Saturday, taking nothing till the evening cockcrow; whoever cannot prolong the fast during these two days is to observe it at least on Saturday since the Lord himself somewhere says in regard to himself, “When the bridegroom will be taken away from them, they will fast on those days.”67 o 1640 V.xix.1. On these days, then, he has been taken away from us by those who wrongly bear the name of Jews;68 he was nailed to the cross and was “counted among the evil ones.”69 2. This is why we exhort you to fast on these days till evening just as we ourselves fasted when he was taken from us. On the other days before Friday each is to eat at the ninth hour or in the evening or according to one’s abilities, but at Saturday’s cockcrow break the fast that began on Thursday evening. [The Paschal Vigil] V.xix.3. Up to the time when “the first day of the week begins to dawn,”70 namely, Sunday, stay awake from evening till cockcrow, and assemble in the church, keeping vigil, praying, and invoking God during your watch, reading the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms till cockcrow; then after having baptized your catechumens, having read the Gospel with fear and trembling, having preached salvation to the people, bring your sorrow to an end and pray to God for the conversion of Israel, that it be allowed to convert71 and be forgiven its ungodliness.p 4. Because the m. Cf. Didas xxi. [V.xvii.] 1 (WEC 1:781). n. Cf. Didas xxi. [V.xviii.] 1 (WEC 1:782). o. Ibid. p. Cf. Didas xxi. [V.xix.] 1 (WEC 1:783). 67. Luke 5:35.  68. See Rev 2:9; 3:9.  69. Isa 53:12.  70. Matt 28:1.  71. See Heb 12:17.

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234  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East foreign judge washed his hands, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this man; see to it yourselves,”72 Israel cried out, “May his blood be upon us and upon our children.”73 When Pilate asked, “Am I to crucify your king?” they cried out, “We have no king but Caesar.”74 “Crucify him! Crucify him!”75 “for whoever claims to be a king sets himself up against Caesar, and if you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar.”76 q 5. Both Pilate the governor and Herod the king ordered that he be crucified, and in this way the oracle was fulfilled, “Why do the nations conspire and the people plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves up, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and his Anointed,”77 and they rejected the Beloved “like a corpse that has been abandoned.”78 r 1642 V.xix.6. Crucified on the Preparation Day and rising at dawn on Sunday, he fulfilled the Scripture, “Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are yours.”79 Also, “I will now rise up, says the Lord; I will place them in the safety for which they long.”80 And, “But you, O Lord, be kind to me and raise me up that I may repay them.”81 7. Now that the Lord has risen, you also are to offer your sacrifice since in regard to this he prescribed that you do so through us as intermediaries: “Do this in memory of me.”82 Bring, then, your fast to an end; rejoice, feast because the pledge of your resurrection, Jesus “Christ, has been raised from the dead”83 and because this is “an everlasting ordinance for you”84 “till the end of the world”85 at which time the Lord will come.86 s 8. For the Jews the Lord is still dead, but for Christians he is risen; for the former it is a matter of their unbelief, and for the latter it pertains to the deep conviction that hope in the Lord brings immortal and eternal life.t 1643

[Feasts during Paschal Time] V.xx.1. Eight days afterwards, solemnly celebrate another feast, namely, the octave: on this day the Lord fully convinced me, the unbelieving Thomas, of his resurrection when he showed me the marks of the nails as well as the wound made in his side by the spear.87 2. Count forty days88 after the first Sunday, and on the fifth day after this Sunday celebrate the feast of the Lord’s Ascension, the day on which the Lord, having completely accomplished his mission and, having instituted all, ascended to God the Father who had sent him. The Lord did so in order to sit “at the right hand of Power”89 and to await the subjection of his enemies at

q. Cf. Didas xxi. [V.xix.] 4 (ibid.). r. Cf. Didas xxi. [V.xix.] 5 (ibid.). s. Cf. Didas xxi. [V.xix.] 7 (ibid.). t. Cf. Didas xxi. [V.xix.] 8 (ibid.). 72. Matt 27:24.  73. Matt 27:25.  74. John 19:15.  75. John 19:6.  76. John 19:12.  77. Ps 2:1–2.  78. Isa 14:19.  79. Ps 82:8.  80. Ps 12:5.  81. Ps 41:10.  82. Luke 22:19; 1 Cor 11:24.  83. 1 Cor 15:20.  84. Lev 16:34.  85. Matt 28:20.  86. See 1 Cor 11:26.  87. See John 20:24–29.  88. See Acts 1:3.  89. Matt 26:64.

77. Apostolic Constitutions  235 his feet.90 “He will return at the end of the world with great power and glory”91 “to judge the living and the dead”92 “and to repay according to each person’s deeds”;93 at that time “they will look on” God’s beloved Son, “whom they have pierced.” Acknowledging him, “they will cry” for themselves, “family by family and their wives” separately.94 3. For still at the present time, on the tenth day of the month of Gorpiaeos, they gather and read the Lamentations of Jeremiah which says, “The Lord’s anointed, the breath of our life, was taken in their pits.”95 They also read Baruch where it is written, “This is our God; no other is comparable to him. He found the whole way to knowledge and gave her to his servant Jacob and to Israel whom he loved. Afterward she appeared on earth and lived with humankind.”96 During these readings they cry and lament over the destruction caused by Nabuchodonoser, as they believe; in reality, without them willing it, their laments concern the sorrow that afflicts them. 4. May the tenth day after the Ascension, namely, the fiftieth day after the first Sunday, be for you a great feast since on this day at the third hour97 the Lord Jesus sent us the gift of the Holy Spirit,98 and we were filled with his power; under his inspiration we spoke in foreign tongues; and we proclaimed to the Jews and to the pagans that Jesus is God’s Anointed One, divinely established to be “the judge of the living and of the dead.”99 [.  .  .] V.xx.14. Having feasted for Fifty Days, continue to feast for still another 1644 week, and then fast for a week; it is right to rejoice over God’s gift and to fast after a time of waiting. 15. Moses and Elias fasted forty days,100 and “for three weeks Daniel ate no rich food, no meat or wine entering his mouth.”101 And blessed Hannah when asking for Samuel said, “I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord.”102 16. The Ninivites, by fasting three days and three nights,103 avoided the threatening anger; by their fast Esther, Mordecai,104 and Judith105 escaped the snares of the godless Holofernes and Aman. And David says, “My knees are weak through fasting, and my body is impaired due to lack of oil.”106 17. So you also are to be fasting when you make your requests before God. 18. We command that you, after this week of fasting, fast every week, doing so on Wednesday and Friday and giving to the poor what you saved by doing so. 19. On the other hand, joyfully assemble every Saturday with one exception, and also every Sunday; guilty of sin will be those who fast on Sunday, the day of the Resurrection, or those who mortify themselves during the Fifty Days or on any other feast of the Lord since on these days we are to rejoice and not mourn.u u. Cf. Didas xxi. [V.xix.] 9 (ibid.). 90. See Ps 110:1; 1 Cor 15:25.  91. Matt 24:30.  92. 2 Tim 4:1; 1 Pet 4:5.  93. Rom 2:6; Ps 62:12.  94. Zech 12:10, 12; see Rev 1:7; John 19:37.  95. Lam 4:20.  96. Bar 3:36–38.  97. See Acts 2:15.  98. See Acts 2:4.  99. Acts 10:42; 1 Pet 4:5.  100. See Exod 34:28; 1 Kgs 19:8.  101. Dan 10:2–3.  102. 1 Sam 1:15.  103. See Jonah 3:4–5.  104. See Esth 4:16.  105. See Jdt 8:6.  106. Ps 109:24.

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[Funerals] VI.xxx.2. Without any scruple gather in the cemeteries, reading the holy books and singing psalms for the martyrs who rest there, for all the holy ones from the beginning [of the world], and for your brethren who are asleep in the Lord. In your churches and in your cemeteries offer the acceptable Eucharist, the image of Christ’s royal body. For the funerals of those who were faithful to the Lord, accompany the departed with the singing of the psalms.a 3. “Precious in the Lord’s eyes is the death of his holy ones.”1 Also, “Return, my soul, to your rest, for the Lord has heaped up his benefits for you.”2 Also, “The memory of the righteous is a blessing.”3 And, “The souls of the just are in God’s hands.”4 4. Those who believed in God, although they are now asleep, are not dead; for the Savior said to the Sadducees, “And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what you were told by God, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is God not of the dead but of the living,’5 for through him all are alive.”6 b 5. The mortal remains of those who live with God are not something to be looked down upon; in fact, the prophet Elisha, after his death, restored to life a man who was killed by some Syrian marauders7: his corpse touched Elisha’s bones and the man, now living, arose; this would not have happened if the body of Elisha had not been holy.c 6. The chaste Joseph kissed the dead Jacob8 and placed him on a couch. Moses with Joshua, who was the son of Nun, carried the mortal remains of Joseph9 without even thinking that these would pollute him. 7. This is why you also, bishops and others, are to care for your deceased without any scruple; do not imagine that you are soiled by doing so; do not abandon their mortal remains; avoid foolish practices; clothe yourselves with holiness and chastity so that you may share in immortality, be associated with God’s kingdom, benefit from God’s promise, and obtain eternal rest through Jesus Christ our Savior.d [Baptism] VII.xxii.1. Concerning baptism, O bishop and presbyter, we have already given you directions; now we affirm that you are to baptize as the Lord commanded when he said, “Go, teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and

Book VI a. Cf. Didas xxvi. [VI.xxii(xxviii)] 2. b. Cf. Didas xxvi. [VI.xxii(xxviii)] 3. c. Cf. Didas xxvi. [VI.xxii(xxviii)] 4. d. Cf. Didas xxvi. [VI.xxii(xxviii)] 10. 1. Ps 116:6, LXX.  2. Ps 116:7.  3. Prov 10:7.  4. Wis 3:1.  5. Matt 22:31–32; see Exod 3:6.  6. Luke 20:38; see Rom 14:8.  7. See 2 Kgs 13:20–21.  8. See Gen 50:1.  9. See Exod 13:19; Josh 24:32.

77. Apostolic Constitutions  237 instructing them to obey all that I have commanded you.”1 You are to do so in the name of the Father who sent,2 of Christ who came, and of the Paraclete who bore witness.3 a 2. First, anoint with the holy oil; then baptize with water; finally seal with myron so that the anointing may be a participation in the Holy Spirit, water being a symbol of death, and myron being a seal of the covenants. 3. In the absence of oil and myron, water suffices for the anointing, for the sealing, and for the confession [of faith] of someone who is dying or rather who is dying [with Christ]. [The pre-baptismal fast] VII.xxii.4. The candidate is to fast before baptism, for the Lord, who was 1647 first baptized by John and then remained in the wilderness, “fasted forty days and forty nights.”4 b 5. He was first baptized and then he fasted, not that he required a bath, a fast, or a purification—he who by nature was pure and holy—but in order to testify to the truth before John and to give us an example. 6. And so that the Lord was not baptized into his own passion, death, or resurrection—none of these having as yet taken place— but in view of another order of things; furthermore, it was by his own authority as being the Lord of John that he fasted after being baptized. But whoever is initiated into the death of Christ5 should first fast and then be baptized since it is unbecoming that a person who has been buried with Christ and then rises with him should appear sad in the resurrection itself; a human being, in fact, has no authority over the Savior’s institutions since one is the master, the other is the subordinate. [The weekly fast] 1648 VII.xxiii.1. Do not fast when the hypocrites do so;6 they, in fact, fast on the second and the fifth days [Monday and Thursday] of the week.c 2. You are to fast either for five whole days or on the fourth day [Wednesday] and on the Preparation Day [Friday] because on the fourth day the process for condemning the Lord ended with Judas promising to betray Christ in exchange for some pieces of silver;7 you are to fast on the Preparation Day because on this day the Lord, under Pontius Pilate, suffered on the cross.d 3. But you are to feast on the Sabbath as well as on the Lord’s Day since the first commemorates creation and the second commemorates the Resurrection. 4. Only one Saturday throughout the whole year requires a special observance from you, namely, the Saturday when the Lord was in the tomb. On this day you are to fast and not feast; as long as the Creator Book VII a. Cf. Did vii.1 (WEC 1:184). b. Cf. Did vii.4 (ibid.). c. Cf. Did viii.1 (WEC 1:185). d. Ibid. 1. Matt 28:19–20.  2. See John 17:3, 25.  3. See John 15:26.  4. Matt 4:2.  5. See Rom 6:3.  6. See Matt 6:16.  7. See Luke 22:1–6.

238  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East is under the earth, sorrow for him prevails over joy for creation because the Creator by nature and dignity is more precious than his creatures. 1649 VII.xxiv.1. When you pray, do not pray as do the hypocrites but as the Lord who commanded us in the Gospel “to pray as follows: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours forever. Amen.’”8 e 2. Pray in this way three times a day,9 making yourselves worthy of adoption by the Father so that you do not unworthily claim him as your Father and thus undergo his reproaches as did Israel, once his firstborn child, who heard him say, “If I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am the lord, where is the awe that is due me?”10 3. For the honor of the fathers is the holiness of the children, and the awe due the masters is the awe of the servants. Whatever is opposite is dishonor and anarchy, for it is said, “Because of your sin my name is blasphemed among the pagans.”11 1650

[Mystical thanksgiving] VII.xxv.1. Always give thanks as faithful and thankful servants; for the Eucharist, pray as follows.f 2. “Our Father, we thank you for the life you have revealed to us through Jesus your servant through whom you have created everything and through whom you provide for the needs of every being,12 and whom you sent to become man for our salvation. You allowed him to suffer and die; you raised him up; you were pleased to glorify him; you had him sit at your right hand;13 and through him you promised us the resurrection of the dead. 3. Almighty Master, eternal God, as this bread was scattered and was then gathered to become one loaf, so in like manner gather your Church from the ends of the earth14 into your kingdom.g 4. We also thank you, our Father, for the ‘precious blood’15 of Jesus Christ, which was poured out for us, and for the precious body, whose symbols we offer; for he commanded that we ‘proclaim his death.’16 Through him glory be to you forever and ever. Amen.”h 5. Let no unbaptized person eat, but only those “who have been baptized into the death”17 of the Lord.i 6. If unbaptized persons conceal themselves and partake, they will “eat” eternal “judgment”18 because, not believing in Christ, they will have taken what is

e. Cf. Did viii.2 (ibid.). f. Cf. Did ix.1 (WEC 1:186). g. Cf. Did ix.4 (ibid.). h. Cf. Did ix.2 (ibid.). i. Cf. Did ix.5 (ibid.). 8. Matt 6:9–13.  9. Dan 6:11.  10. Mal 1:6.  11. Isa 52:5.  12. See Wis 6:8.  13. See Mark 16:19.  14. See Zeph 3:10.  15. 1 Pet 1:19.  16. 1 Cor 11:26.  17. Rom 6:3.  18. 1 Cor 11:29.

77. Apostolic Constitutions  239 not allowed them, doing so unto their punishment. 7. If some receive out of ignorance, instruct them in summary fashion and as quickly as possible in order to initiate them so that they may not leave despising you. [Blessing after Communion] VII.xxvi.1. After Communion offer thanks as follows.j 2. “We thank you, O God and Father of Jesus our Savior, for your holy name which you have made to dwell among us, and for the knowledge, the faith, the love, and the immortality which you have given us through your servant Jesus Christ.k 3. Almighty Master, God of all things, through Christ you have created the world and all it contains; you have sown the Law in our hearts and have prepared for us what is necessary for our subsistence. ‘O God of our’ holy and blameless ‘ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,’19 your faithful servants; O God you are powerful, faithful, true, and trustworthy in your promises; you have sent to earth Jesus your Christ so that he might live among people20 as one of us, even though he is God the Word and man, and so that he might totally destroy error. 4. Through him remember your holy Church which you ‘acquired with the’ precious ‘blood of’ your ‘Christ’;21 ‘rescue it from all evil’;22 perfect it in your love and in your truth; gather all into your kingdom, which you prepared for it.l 5. ‘Maranatha.’23 ‘Hosanna to the son of David.’24 ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’25 ‘The Lord God has appeared to us in the flesh.’”26 m VII.xxvi.6. “Those who are holy may approach; those who are not holy should become so through penance.” Allow also your presbyters to give thanks.n [Blessing of the myron] VII.xxvii.1. For the myron, offer thanks as follows— VII.xxvii.2. “O God, Creator of all things, we thank you for the sweet scent of the myron and for the future immortality which you revealed to us through Jesus your servant. For yours is the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.” [The examination of strangers] VII.xxviii.1. If any come to give thanks, receive them as you would disciples of Christ.o 2. But if they profess a doctrine other than what Christ j. Cf. Did x.1 (WEC 1:187). k. Cf. Did x.2 (ibid.). l. Cf. Did x.5 (ibid.). m. Cf. Did x.6 (ibid.). n. Ibid. o. Cf. Did xi.1 (WEC 1:188). 19. Exod 3:16; Acts 3:13.  20. See Bar 3:38.  21. Acts 20:28; 1 Pet 1:19.  22. Matt 6:13.  23. 1 Cor 16:22.  24. Matt 21:9.  25. Ps 118:26; Matt 21:9.  26. See 1 Tim 3:16.

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240  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East has revealed to you through us, do not allow them to offer thanks, for they insult rather than glorify God. 3. Whoever comes among you is to be tested before being received; for you are intelligent and know “how to tell their right hand from their left”27 and how to distinguish false teachers from true teachers. 4. As to teachers who arrive among you, willingly obtain whatever they need; you will most certainly tend to the needs of false teachers, but you will not agree with their error nor join in praying with them so that you may not be sullied with them. 5. Every true prophet or teacher arriving among you is “deserving of food as a laborer”28 who serves the doctrine of righteousness.p 1656

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[First fruits and tithes] VII.xxix.1. All the first fruits of the wine-press, of the threshing floor, and of cattle and of sheep you will give to the priests so that the stores of your granaries be blessed29 as well as the “fruit of your ground.”30 In this way you will be provided with grain, with wine,31 and with oil, and so “your cattle and the issue of your flock”32 will increase.q 2. All tithes you will give to the orphan, to the widow, to the beggar, and to the stranger. 3. From each loaf coming out of the oven, from each container of wine, of oil, of honey or of fruit, from every basket of grapes and other produce you will give a tithe to the priests; but as to money, clothing, and all your goods, give tithes to the orphan and the widow.r [The Sunday gathering] VII.xxx.1. On the day of the Lord’s resurrection, namely, on the Lord’s Day, gather assiduously, give thanks to God, and proclaim the benefits God has given you through Christ by delivering you from ignorance, from error, from servitude.s 2. In this way your sacrifice will be pure and acceptable to God, who has said concerning his universal Church: “In every place let there be offered to me incense and a pure sacrifice, for I am a great king,” says the almighty Lord, “and my name is wonderful among the nations.”33 t [Ministers] VII.xxxi.1. Choose for yourselves bishops worthy of the Lord, and as priests and deacons men who are pious, righteous, humble, unselfish, sincere, proven, holy, impartial, capable of teaching the doctrine of faith, faithfully dispensing34 the Lord’s teachings.u 2. But honor them like p. Cf. Did xiii.1–2 (WEC 1:190). q. Cf. Did xiii.3 (ibid.). r. Cf. Did xiii.5–7 (ibid.). s. Cf. Did xiv.1 (WEC 1:191). t. Cf. Did xiv.3 (ibid.). u. Cf. Did xv.1 (WEC 1:192). 27. Jonah 4:11.  28. Matt 10:10.  29. See Deut 28:4–5.  30. See Deut 28:4, 33.  31. See Gen 27:37.  32. Deut 7:13.  33. Mal 1:11, 14.  34. See 2 Tim 2:15.

77. Apostolic Constitutions  241 fathers, teachers, benefactors, authors of your happiness.v 3. Correct one another, doing so not in anger but with patience, goodness, and peace.w 4. Do all that the Lord has commanded you. VII.xxxix.1. We explained above how those already baptized in Christ should live, and what thanksgivings they should address to God through Christ. Yet it is not right to abandon the unbaptized without assisting them. 2. Before being baptized those to be instructed in the faith are to be taught about the unbegotten God, about the only-begotten Son, about the certainty of the Holy Spirit. They are to learn the order of the various crea­ tions, the series of divine interventions, the laws of the different legislations. Instruction is to be given on the reason for the world’s creation and why people were made to inhabit it; information is to be given on one’s own nature, such as it is. 3. Instruction is to be given on how God has punished the evil ones by means of water35 and fire,36 and on how God has glorified the holy ones of every age, namely, Seth, Enoch, Henoch, Noah, Abraham and his descendants, Melchizedech, Job, Joshua, Kaleb, the zealous priest Phinehas, and the holy ones of each generation. Instruction is to be given on how God in his providence, rather than turning away from the human race, has at various times called it from error and vanity to the “knowledge of the truth,”37 leading it from slavery and ungodliness to freedom and piety, from injustice to justice, and from eternal death to eternal life.

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[Imposition of hands upon the catechumens] 1660 VII.xxxix.4. During the catechesis the candidates are to learn these and similar things. The one who imposes hands on them will adore God, the Master of all things, and will give thanks for creation, for sending Christ his only-begotten Son to save us, to wipe away our transgressions; to forgive impieties and sins; “to cleanse from every defilement of body and of spirit”;38 to sanctify us in his kindness and goodness; to teach us the divine will; “to enlighten the eyes of the human heart”39 so that the candidates may contemplate the divine wonders and so as to reveal to them the judgments of righteousness that they may hate every way of injustice40 and journey forth upon “the way of faithfulness”; that they may be judged worthy of “the water of rebirth”41 in view of “adoption into Christ”;42 that by being assimilated into his death “they may be united to him”;43 and that in the hope of a glorious communion they may put sin to death44 and “live for God”45 in thought, word, and deed; and that they may be numbered in the book of the living. 5. Following this thanksgiving, instruction v. Cf. Did xv.2 (ibid.). w. Cf. Did xv.3 (ibid.). 35. See Gen 7.  36. See Gen 19.  37. 1 Tim 2:4.  38. 2 Cor 7:1.  39. Eph 1:18.  40. Ps 118:7.  41. Titus 3:5.  42. Eph 1:5.  43. Rom 6:5.  44. See Col 3:5.  45. Gal 2:19.

242  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East is given on the Savior’s incarnation, on his passion, on his resurrection from among the dead, and on his ascension. 1661

[Immediate preparation for baptism] VII.xl.1. When the catechumens are close to being baptized, they should learn to renounce the devil and adhere to Christ. They should first abstain from contrary things before being introduced to the mysteries. Once their hearts have been cleansed from all evil, stain, and wrinkle,46 they can then take part in the holy mysteries. 2. Just as a good farmer first clears the land and rids it of the thorn-bushes growing there before he sows wheat, likewise you must first remove from the candidates all impiety before sowing godliness in them, before judging them to be worthy of baptism. 3. This, in fact, is what the Lord commanded of us when he said, “Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”47

[Renunciation of Satan] VII.xli.1. At the renunciation each candidate is to declare the following— 1663 VII.xli.2. “I renounce Satan, his works, his pomps, his service, his angels, his inventions, and all that are subject to him.” 1662

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[Adhesion to Christ and profession of the baptismal faith] VII.xli.3. After the renunciation the candidate’s adhesion is professed. “And I adhere to Christ.” 4. “I believe in and am baptized in the one, unbegotten, ‘only true God,’48 the Almighty, the Father of Christ, the Creator and author of all that is, ‘through whom all things were made.’49 5. And in Jesus Christ, the Lord, his only-begotten Son, ‘the firstborn of all creation’50 who before the ages was not created but begotten through the good pleasure of the Father ‘by whom all things’51 were made both in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible. 6. In the last days he came down from heaven and assumed flesh, being born of the holy Virgin Mary; he lived a holy life according to the laws of God his Father; he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he died for us; he was raised from among the dead, and on the third day after his passion he ascended into heaven where ‘he is seated at the right hand’ of the Father;52 he will come in glory at the end of the world53 to ‘judge the living and the dead,’54 and ‘of his kingdom there will be no end.’55 7. I am also baptized in the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, who from the beginning of the world was actively present in all the holy ones, and who afterwards was also sent to the apostles by the Father according to the promise of our Savior

46. Eph 5:27.  47. Matt 28:19.  48. John 17:3.  49. 1 Cor 8:6.  50. Col 1:15.  51. 1 Cor 8:6.  52. Mark 16:19.  53. See Matt 24:30; 28:20.  54. 2 Tim 4:1; 1 Pet 4:5.  55. Luke 1:33.

77. Apostolic Constitutions  243 and Lord Jesus Christ, and after the apostles to all who believe in the holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. 8. [I believe] in the resurrection of the body, in the forgiveness of sins, in the kingdom of heaven, and in the life of the age to come.” [Pre-baptismal anointing] VII.xlii.1. After this profession of faith there is, according to the order of things, the anointing with oil. 2. As a preparation for baptism the bishop blesses the oil for the forgiveness of sins. 3. He invokes the unbegotten God, the Father of Christ, the king of all sensible and intelligible nature, to sanctify the oil “in the name of the Lord Jesus”56 Christ who is to grant it the grace and power of the Spirit and the forgiveness of sins; it is to be a preparation for the baptismal confession so that the person anointed be absolved from all ungodliness and be made worthy of baptism according to the command of the only-begotten Son. [Blessing of the baptismal water] VII.xliii.1. Then he goes to the water. 2. He blesses and glorifies God the almighty Lord, the Father of the only-begotten God, by giving thanks that God has sent his Son to save us by assuming flesh on our behalf; that God has allowed this Son in his incarnation to “become obedient”57 in all things and “to proclaim the kingdom”58 of heaven, “the forgiveness of sins,”59 and “the resurrection of the dead.”60 3. For this he adores the uncreated God himself, after the Father and because of the Father, giving thanks to him after having suffered death on the cross for the salvation of all—a type of this he gave in the baptism of new birth.61 4. He also gives glory that God the Lord of all things, in the name of Christ and by the Holy Spirit, has not rejected the human race but at different times and in various ways has demonstrated his providence by giving Adam the garden itself as his first place of habitation;62 then by giving a commandment as a precaution;63 then by justly expelling Adam after he sinned; and then in his goodness by not completely rejecting Adam but instructing each of his descendants in various ways. It was because of Adam that, when the time came, he sent his Son to take on flesh for our sake and to assume all human passions except sin.64 VII.xliii.5. Let the priest now call upon God for the baptism and say, “Look down from heaven and sanctify this water; give it grace and power so that whoever is baptized according to the commandment of Christ may be joined to his crucifixion, to his death, to his burial, and to his resurrection, so that being adopted in him65 those being baptized might die to sin and live for righteousness.”66 56. Acts 8:16.  57. Phil 2:8.  58. Luke 9:2.  59. Luke 1:77.  60. Matt 22:31.  61. See Titus 3:5.  62. See Gen 3:23–24.  63. See Gen 2:15–16.  64. See Heb 4:15.  65. See Rom 6:2–8, 11.  66. See Rom 8:10; Col 3:5.

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244  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East [Post-baptismal anointing] VII.xliv.1. Then, after having “baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”67 he is to anoint with the myron and add the following— 1669 VII.xliv.2. “Lord, uncreated and sovereign God, Master of all things, you have spread ‘the fragrance that comes from knowing’68 the Gospel upon all nations as a sweet odor; grant that this myron may have its effect upon these who are baptized; may this sweet odor of your Christ69 be firm and strong in them, and may they, having died with Christ, rise and live with him.”70 1668

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[Conditions of efficacy] VII.xliv.3. He is to say these and similar things, for this is the efficacy of the imposition of hands upon each element. If, in fact, a prayer of this type is not said by a holy priest over each of them, then the baptismal candidates only descend into the water as do the Jews and rid themselves only of bodily filth, not spiritual filth.

[Prayer of the newly baptized] VII.xlv.1. Then those who have been baptized are to stand and say the prayer taught us by the Lord.71 Whoever is raised up by baptism must stand for prayer because a person who has been raised up stands upright. And so whoever has died and has been raised by Christ stands upright. 2. Let these pray facing the east, for the Second Book of Chronicles prescribes this, namely, when the Lord’s temple was finished under King Solomon, during its dedication “the priests and the Levites and the singers stood, with cymbals” and harps; they “turned to the east, praised, confessed, and said, ‘Praise the Lord for he is good, for his mercy remains forever.’”72 1672 3. After the initial prayer, he is to pray as follows— 1673 “Almighty God, Father of your Christ, your only-begotten Son, give me a sinless body, a pure heart, a watchful spirit, unerring knowledge, and the presence of the Holy Spirit so that I may obtain, and be thoroughly imbued with, truth through your Christ by whom glory be to you in the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.” 1674 VII.xlv.4. We have deemed it proper to prescribe the following for the catechumens— 1671

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[The Great Doxology] VII.xlvii.1. “’Glory to God in the heavens and on earth peace, goodwill among people.’73 2. We praise you, we sing to you, we bless you, we glorify you, we adore you through your ‘high priest’;74 you are the true God, one and not created, the only accessible one, being so because of your 67. Matt 28:19.  68. 2 Cor 2:14.  69. See 2 Cor 2:15.  70. See 2 Cor 7:3.  71. See Matt 6:9.  72. 2 Chr 5:11–13; Ps 135:3.  73. Luke 2:14.  74. Heb 4:14.

77. Apostolic Constitutions  245 great glory, Lord, heavenly king, God, the Father almighty. 3. Lord, God, and Father of our Savior, the spotless ‘lamb who takes away the sin of the world,’75 receive our prayer, for ‘you are enthroned upon the cherubim.’76 You alone are holy; you alone are Lord, God and Father of Jesus the Christ, the God of all created nature, our king, through whom glory, honor, and adoration is yours.” [Evening hymn] VII.xlviii.1. “’Children, praise the Lord, praise the name of the Lord.’77 2. We praise you, we hymn you, we bless you because of your great glory, Lord, king, Father of Christ, the spotless ‘lamb who takes away the sin of the world.’78 3. ‘Praise is due to you.’ To you belong hymns,79 to you belong glory, God and Father, through the Son, in the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.” VII.xlviii.4. “’Master, now dismiss your servant in peace according to your word, for my eyes have seen the salvation you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light to enlighten the Gentiles and to give glory to your people Israel.’”80 [Blessing for meals] VII.il.1. “’Blessed are you, O Lord,’81 who ‘fed me from my youth’82 and ‘who gives food to all flesh.’83 Fill ‘our hearts with’ gladness and ‘joy’84 ‘so that we may always possess enough of everything and may share abundantly in every good work’85 in Christ Jesus our Lord, through whom glory, honor, and veneration be to you forever. Amen.” [Introduction to ordinations]a VIII.iii.1. In the first part of this treatise we considered the charisms freely given by God; we considered how God denounced the conduct of those who dared to speak untruths or who were moved by a foreign spirit, and how God often uses evil-doers to speak prophecies and to work miracles. 2. But now our purpose leads us to the basic question of church organization so that, receiving from us these constitutions, you, the bishops whom we have established according to Christ’s will, may always act according to the prescriptions that have been handed down to us, knowing that those who hear us hear Christ, and that whoever hears Christ hears his God and Father1 to whom glory is to be given forever. Amen.

75. John 1:29.  76. Ps 80:1.  77. Ps 113:1.  78. John 1:29.  79. Ps 65:1.  80. Luke 2:29–32.  81. Ps 119:12.  82. Gen 48:15, LXX.  83. Ps 136:25.  84. Acts 14:17.  85. 2 Cor 9:8. Book VIII a. Cf. ApT 1 (WEC 1:614–16). 1. See Luke 10:16.

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246  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East [Preliminaries of episcopal ordination]b 1680 VIII.iv.1. Gathering together, we the Lord’s twelve apostles inform you of these divine constitutions which pertain to the whole organization of the Church, doing so in the presence of Paul, the vessel whom I have chosen2 and our fellow apostle, as well as in the presence of James the bishop [of Jerusalem] and of the other presbyters and of the seven deacons. 1681 VIII.iv.2. I, Peter, being the first, prescribe that a bishop be appointed in the way all of us together determined. [.  .  .] He is to be beyond reproach in all things, selected by all the people because of his merit. 3. Once his name has been announced and agreed upon, the people are brought together with the presbyters and the bishops being present, this taking place on a Sunday. He who has precedence over all the others will ask the presbyterate and the people if such is indeed the one whom they nominate as their leader. 4. After the people have consented, he will again ask if all give testimony that the candidate is worthy of this great and illustrious presidency; if in matters of faith in God he has conducted himself with rectitude; if it is evident that he is just toward others; if the affairs of his own household are well managed;3 and if his conduct is beyond reproach.4 5. When all have given testimony that the candidate is such a person, in truth and not by presumption, as at the tribunal of God and of Christ and in the evident presence of the Holy Spirit and of all the holy spirits who serve,5 they will be asked a third time whether the candidate is indeed worthy of this office so that “the whole affair be determined on the evidence of two or three witnesses.”6 When they agree for the third time that he is worthy, all are asked to give some sign of their approval; this is to be given promptly. 1682

[Episcopal ordination] VIII.iv.6. When silence has returned, one of the principal bishops with two others is to remain standing next to the altar, whereas the other bishops and the presbyters pray silently; the deacons are to hold the divine gospels open upon the head of the candidate; meanwhile, the bishop addresses God—

[Prayer of episcopal ordination]c 1683 VIII.v.1. “O powerful Lord, God, the Creator of all things, you alone are uncreated and independent. Needing nothing, you exist before time. You require nothing and transcend every cause and every process. You ‘alone are true,’7 you alone are wise, you alone are high above, invisible8 by nature. Your being is knowledge without beginning; you are the only

b. Cf. ApT 2 (WEC 1:617–18). c. Cf. ApT 3 (WEC 1:619–20). 2. See Acts 9:15.  3. See 1 Tim 3:4, 2.  4. See 1 Tim 3:2.  5. See Heb 1:14.  6. Deut 19:15; see Matt 18:16; 2 Cor 13:1.  7. John 17:3.  8. See 1 Tim 1:17.

77. Apostolic Constitutions  247 good9 and are incomparable. You ‘know all things before they were made, and you know all that is hidden.’10 You are inaccessible and sovereign. 2. God and Father of your only-begotten Son, our God and Savior, through whom you have created all things, you are the providence, the protector, the ‘Father of mercies, and the God of all consolation.’11 You ‘dwell on high and look upon what is below.’12 3. You have given institutions to the Church through the incarnation of your Christ, with the witness of the Paraclete, by your apostles and by us the teachers, the bishops appointed by your grace. From the beginning you provided priests to look after your people: first Abel, Seth, Enos, Enoch, Noah, Melchisedech, and Job. 4. You designated Abraham and the other patriarchs together with your faithful servants Moses, Aaron, Eleazar, and Phineas, some of whom you established as rulers and priests in the tent of witness. You chose Samuel as priest and prophet. You did not allow your sanctuary to lack those who serve, and you were pleased to be glorified in those whom you have chosen. 5. Now through us and by the mediation of your Christ spread the power of your guiding Spirit13 who is at the service of your beloved servant Jesus Christ and who, eternal God, has according to your will been given to your holy apostles. 6. Through your name, O God who knows the depths of the hearts,14 grant that this your servant whom you have chosen for the episcopate may feed your holy flock15 and that before you he may exercise the sovereign priesthood by faultlessly serving and pleasing you, day and night. Grant that he may gather together the number of the saved and offer you the gifts of your holy Church. 7. Almighty Master, through your Christ grant him the Holy Spirit so that he may have the power to forgive sins16 in accord with your precept, to distribute responsibilities17 in accord with your order, ‘to break every yoke’18 by virtue of the power you gave to the apostles, and that he in his kindness may please you by his purity of heart19 by offering to you without deviation or blame or reproach ‘a pure offering,’20 unbloody, which you instituted through Christ, the mystery of ‘the new covenant’21 as a ‘pleasing odor’22 through ‘your holy servant Jesus,’23 the Christ of God and our Savior. Through whom to you be glory, honor, and praise in the Holy Spirit now and forever and ever.” 1684 VIII.v.8. After this prayer the priests will answer “Amen” and all the people with them. 1685 VIII.v.9. Then one of the bishops will bring the offering to him upon whom hands were laid. 10. In the morning the other bishops will enthrone him in his proper place, and all will give him the Lord’s peace.

9. See Matt 19:17.  10. Dan 13:42.  11. 2 Cor 1:3.  12. Ps 113:5–6.  13. See Ps 51:12.  14. See Acts 1:24.  15. See John 21:16.  16. John 20:23.  17. See Acts 1:26; Titus 1:5.  18. Isa 58:6; Matt 18:18.  19. See Ps 51:10.  20. Mal 1:11.  21. Luke 22:20; 1 Cor 11:25.  22. Eph 5:2; Exod 29:18.  23. Acts 4:27, 30.

248  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East [Eucharistic celebration: Liturgy of the Word] VIII.v.11. After the reading of the Law, the prophets, our letters, the Acts, and the gospels, the new bishop will greet the assembly as follows— 1687 “’The grace’ of our ‘Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God’ the Father, ‘and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.’”24 All respond, “And with your spirit.” 1688 VIII.v.12. After the greeting he gives the people an exhortation. 1686

[Dismissal] VIII.vi.1. I, Andrew, brother of Peter, prescribe this: at the conclusion of the preaching 2. all stand; the deacon ascends into the high place and proclaims— 1690 “Let no hearer remain. Let no unbeliever remain.” 1689

[Dismissal of the catechumens] VIII.vi.3. When silence returns, he says, “Catechumens, pray.” VIII.vi.4. All the faithful fervently pray for them saying, “Lord, have mercy.” The deacon shall plead for the catechumens, saying— 1693 VIII.vi.5. “For the catechumens. May all of us fervently ask God that in his goodness and love for all people, he favorably ‘hear their prayers’25 and supplications, receive their petitions, help them, and grant them ‘the desires of their hearts’26 for their good; that he reveal to them the Gospel of his Christ; that he enlighten and teach them; that he instruct them with divine knowledge; that he ‘teach them’ his commandments and ‘his statutes’;27 that he instill in them a pure and salutary fear of him; that he open the eyes of their hearts so that they devote themselves to his Law ‘day and night’;28 6. that he strengthen their faith, bring them together, and number them among his holy flock; that he judge them worthy of the ‘water of rebirth,’29 of the robe of immortality, and ‘of life that is true life’;30 that he free them from all godlessness and ‘not allow the enemy to have any power over them’;31 that he cleanse them from ‘every bodily and spiritual defilement’;32 that he ‘live in them and walk among them’33 through his Christ; that he bless ‘their goings out and their comings in,’34 and that he direct all that they do unto good.”35 1694 VIII.vi.7. With even greater fervor we again pray for them: may they obtain the pardon of their sins and through baptism become worthy of the holy mysteries and of the community of the holy ones. 8. “Catechumens, please stand. Through his Christ request the peace of God so that your day and your whole life may be peaceful and sinless. Ask for a Christian death, God’s mercy and graciousness, and the forgiveness of your sins. Through his Christ commend yourselves to the one and uncreated God. Bow down to receive the blessing.” 1691 1692

24. 2 Cor 13:13.  25. Ps 6:9.  26. Ps 37:4.  27. Ps 119:12.  28. Ps 1:2.  29. Titus 3:5.  30. 1 Tim 6:19.  31. Eph 4:27; see 1 Tim 5:14.  32. 2 Cor 7:1.  33. 2 Cor 6:16; see Lev 26:12.  34. Ps 121:8.  35. Ps 90:17.

77. Apostolic Constitutions  249 VIII.vi.9. After each diaconal intention the people will respond Kyrie, eleison [“Lord, have mercy”] as we have already said, and first the children. VIII.vi.10. While the catechumens are bowing their heads, the bishop upon whom hands have just been placed gives this blessing— VIII.vi.11. “Almighty God, you are uncreated and unapproachable; you alone are the only ‘true God’36 and the Father of your only-begotten Son. You are the God of the Paraclete and the Lord of all. You appointed your disciples as teachers to instruct us in the faith. 12. Now look upon your servants who are being instructed in the Gospel of your Christ; give them ‘a new heart, and sustain in them a willing spirit’37 so that they might know and fulfill your will ‘with a strong heart and a willing spirit.’38 13. Make them worthy of holy baptism; join them to your holy Church and have them partake of the divine mysteries through ‘Jesus Christ our hope’39 who died for us. Through him be glory and honor to you in the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.” VIII.vi.14. Then the deacon says, “Catechumens, go in peace.” [Dismissal of the energumensd] VIII.vii.1. After their departure, he says— VIII.vii.2. “Pray, those of you who are possessed by the ‘unclean spirits.’40 May all fervently pray for them so that God in his love for us may through Christ rebuke the evil and ‘unclean spirits’41 and deliver from the oppression of the enemy those who petition him. May he who has reproached the legion of demons and the devil, the source of evil, now rebuke42 those who have apostatized from goodness; may he deliver his creatures from their ill-treatment, creatures he made with such great wisdom. 3. With fervor let us pray again for them. O God, save and raise them up in your power. Bow down, all who are possessed, and receive the blessing.” VIII.vii.4. The bishop prays as follows— VIII.vii.5. “You have ‘tied up those who are strong and plundered their property.’43 To us you have given ‘authority to tread on snakes, scorpions, and all the power of the enemy.’44 You have delivered to us that serpent, that murderer of people, bound ‘like a sparrow in the hands of children.’45 All things fear you and tremble before your power.46 You have cast him down like lightning from above47 upon the earth, not by a fall from a particular place, but from honor to dishonor, all because of his willful perversity. 6. Your look dries up the abyss;48 your threats turn the mountains d. Energumens: those suffering from psychological disorders; those thought possessed by the devil. 36. John 17:3.  37. Ps 51:12.  38. 2 Macc 1:3.  39. 1 Tim 1:1.  40. Luke 4:36.  41. Ibid.  42. See Zech 3:2.  43. Matt 12:29.  44. Luke 10:19.  45. Job 40:29.  46. See Prayer of Manasses II.22.12.  47. Luke 10:18.  48. See Ps 106:9.

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250  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East into water;49 your ‘truth endures forever.’50 Children praise you; nursing babies bless you;51 the angels adore you and sing hymns to you.52 7. ‘You gaze upon the earth and cause it to tremble; you touch the mountains and they bring forth smoke.’53 ‘You threaten the sea and have it dry up; you make arid all the rivers. For you the clouds are dust under the feet.’54 ‘You walk upon the sea as upon solid ground.’55 8. Only-begotten God, Son of the great Father, reprove the evil spirits and free ‘the work of your hand’56 from the control of the enemy spirit. For to you be glory, honor, and veneration, and through you to your Father in the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.” 1703 VIII.vii.9. Then the deacon says, “Depart, you energumens.” [Dismissal of the baptismal candidates] VIII.viii.1. After their departure he proclaims, 2.”Pray, you enlightened ones [the illuminandi]. All members of the faithful, you are to pray fervently to the Lord for them so that after they have been initiated ‘into Christ’s death,’57 they may be deemed worthy to rise with him,58 to share in his kingdom, and to participate in his mysteries so that he might gather them together and join them to the saved in his holy Church. 3. Once again, may we fervently pray for them. Save them and lift them up into your grace. 4. Those who have been signed for God through his Christ, bow down.” 1705 The bishop blesses them as follows— 1706 VIII.viii.5. “Through your holy prophets you once told the baptismal candidates to ‘wash yourselves and be made clean.’59 Through Christ you instituted spiritual regeneration.60 Look upon these candidates for baptism. Bless and sanctify them. Make them worthy of your spiritual gift, of your authentic adoption, of your spiritual mysteries, and of being joined to the assembly of the saved, through Christ our Savior. Through him glory, honor, and veneration be to you in the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.” 1707 VIII.viii.6. The deacon says, “Depart, enlightened ones.” 1704

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[Dismissal of penitents] VIII.ix.1. Then he proclaims: 2.”Penitents, pray. For our brethren who are penitents may all of us fervently ask the merciful God to show them the way of penance, to receive their return and confession, to ‘crush Satan under their feet.’61 May he deliver them from ‘the snare of the devil’62 and from the intrigues of the demons. May he preserve them from every improper word, from every evil deed, and from every wicked thought. 3. May he pardon all their sins, both voluntary and involuntary. May he ‘erase the record’63 against them and ‘write their names in the book of life.’64 May he ‘cleanse them of every defilement

49. See Ps 97:5.  50. Ps 117:2.  51. See Ps 8:2.  52. See Ps 148:2.  53. Ps 104:32.  54. Nah 1:4, 3.  55. Job 9:8.  56. Ps 8:3.  57. Rom 6:3.  58. See Rom 6:5.  59. Isa 1:16.  60. See John 3:5.  61. Rom 16:20.  62. 2 Tim 2:26.  63. Col 2:14.  64. Dan 12:1; Rev 20:15.  65. 2 Cor 7:1.

77. Apostolic Constitutions  251 of body and of spirit’65 and, after their reintegration, may he join them to his holy flock.66 4. ‘He knows how we were made’;67 for can anyone ‘boast of having a clean heart or truly say that he or she is pure from sin?’68 ‘We all deserve punishment.’69 5. With still more fervor we pray for them since ‘there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents’70 so that, turning away from every forbidden deed, they may devote themselves to every good action. We pray that God in his love for us will most quickly and favorably receive their prayers, restore them to their former dignity, and ‘give them the joy of salvation and strengthen them with his guiding spirit’71 so that ‘their feet may never slip.’72 May they be judged worthy to share in his holy gifts and to partake in the divine mysteries. In this way may they be made worthy of adoption and obtain eternal life. 6. With fervor let us all once again pray for them, Kyrie, eleison [“Lord, have mercy”]. Save them, O God, and raise them up by your mercy. Rise up, bow your heads before God and through his Christ receive the blessing.” 1709 VIII.ix.7. The bishop then prays as follows— 1710 VIII.ix.8. “Almighty and eternal God, Lord of all things, Creator and governor of all that is, through Christ you made humankind the ornament of the world. You gave us the Law, both inborn and written, so that we might live according to it as rational beings and to whom, after our sin, you offered your goodness to sustain us as we repent. Look upon those who bend before you the neck of their soul and body, for ‘you are not pleased by the death of the sinner but’ by the sinner’s conversion, so ‘that he turn back from his evil ways and live.’73 9. You accepted the repentance of the Ninivites.74 You ‘desire everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.’75 Because of his repentance you kindly accepted with a father’s mercy the son who squandered his fortune in wasteful living.76 Even now you likewise receive the repentance of those who are present and pray to you since ‘no one is sinless in your sight,’77 for ‘if you, O Lord, mark iniquities, Lord, who will stand? But with you there is pardon.’78 10. Bring them back to your holy Church. Restore their former dignity and honor, doing so through Christ, our God and Savior. Through whom glory and adoration be to you in the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.” 1711 VIII.ix.11. The deacon says, “Penitents, depart.” [The Universal Prayer] VIII.x.1. He adds— VIII.x.2. “Let no one come near who is not authorized to do so. Let all the faithful kneel. Let us pray to God through his Christ. Let all of us fervently beseech God through his Christ. 66. See John 10:16.  67. Ps 103:14.  68. Prov 20:9.  69. Sir 8:5.  70. Luke 15:7.  71. Ps 51:12.  72. Ps 17:5.  73. Ezek 33:11; 18:23.  74. See Jonah 3.  75. 1 Tim 2:4.  76. See Luke 15:13, 20.  77. 1 Kgs 8:46.  78. Ps 130:3–4.

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VIII.x.3. “Let us pray for the peace and tranquility of the world and of the holy churches. May the God of the universe grant us his constant and unwavering peace; may he keep us so that we may fully persevere in the faith.79 VIII.x.4. “Let us pray for the holy, universal, and apostolic Church of God, stretching as it does from one end of the earth to the other. May the Lord preserve it from disturbances and storms; may he protect it, ‘founded on rock,’80 to ‘the end of the age.’81 VIII.x.5. “Let us pray for this holy parish. May the Lord of the universe allow us to steadfastly await his heavenly hope and carry out the uninterrupted prayer that we owe him. VIII.x.6. “Let us pray for all bishops throughout the world who ‘rightly dispense the word of truth.’82 VIII.x.7. “Let us pray for our bishop James and his parishes. Let us pray for our bishop Clement and his parishes. Let us pray for our bishop Evodius and his parishes. Let us pray for our bishop Annianus and his parishes. May the merciful God keep them in his holy churches and grant them health, honor, long life, and an honorable old age83 in godliness and righteousness. VIII.x.8. “Let us pray for our presbyters. May the Lord preserve them from every improper and evil84 action and grant them an upright and honorable ministry. VIII.x.9. “Let us pray for all deacons and for those who serve Christ. May the Lord grant them a blameless service. VIII.x.10. “Let us pray for readers, cantors, virgins, widows, and orphans. Let us pray for spouses and for parents. May the Lord show mercy to all of them. VIII.x.11. “Let us pray for those who in holiness live in continence. Let us pray for those who live in chastity and in godliness. VIII.x.12. “Let us pray for those who in the holy church bring offerings and for those who provide alms to the needy. Let us pray for those who bring offerings and first fruits to the Lord our God. May the God of all goodness grant them in exchange his heavenly gifts and give them ‘a hundredfold’ in this world and ‘life everlasting’85 in the world to come. For earthly things may he give them ‘eternal things’;86 for ‘earthly things, heavenly things.’87 VIII.x.13. “Let us pray for our newly baptized brethren. May the Lord strengthen and uphold them. VIII.x.14. “Let us pray for our brethren who are ill. May the Lord deliver them from every sickness and from ‘every infirmity.’88 May he restore them in good health to his holy Church. VIII.x.15. “Let us pray for those who travel on land or on sea. Let us pray for those in the mines, in exile, in prison, or in chains because of the Lord’s name. Let us pray for those oppressed by slavery. 79. See 1 Tim 2:2.  80. Matt 7:25.  81. Matt 28:20.  82. 2 Tim 2:15.  83. See Wis 4:8.  84. See Job 1:1.  85. Matt 19:29.  86. 2 Cor 4:18.  87. John 3:12.  88. Matt 4:23.

77. Apostolic Constitutions  253 VIII.x.16. “Let us pray for our ‘enemies and for those who hate us; for those who persecute us because of the Lord’s name.’89 May the Lord appease their anger and dissipate their wrath toward us. VIII.x.17. “Let us pray for those who are outside [the Church] or who wander in error. May the Lord convert them. VIII.x.18. “Let us remember the children of the Church. May the Lord perfect them in their awe of him and lead them ‘to maturity.’90 VIII.x.19. “Let us pray for each other. May the Lord by his grace protect and keep us to the end and ‘rescue us from the evil one’91 and ‘from the snares of the evildoers.’92 May he ‘save us for his heavenly kingdom.’93 VIII.x.20. “Let us pray for every Christian soul. VIII.x.21. “Lord, in your mercy save us and raise us up. VIII.x.22. “Raise us up. In fervent prayer we commend ourselves and one another to the living God through his Christ.” [Prayer for the Christian people] VIII.xi.1. The bishop then prays as follows— VIII.xi.2. “Almighty Lord, the Most High, you ‘dwell on high, the Holy One who rests among the holy ones.’94 You have no beginning. You are the only ruler. Through Christ you gave us the message and the revelation to make known your glory and ‘your name which you revealed’95 to us for our understanding. 3. Through him gaze down on this your flock. Deliver it from all ignorance and from every evil deed. Grant that it may indeed fear and love you and tremble before your glory. 4. Be kind, merciful, and attentive to its prayers. Shelter it from error, reproaches, and blame so that it may be holy in body and soul,96 ‘without spot or wrinkle or anything of such kind,’97 but may it be firm. May none of its members be impaired or in need. VIII.xi.5. “Powerful defender, you are not a respecter of persons. Protect this your people whom you have chosen from among numerous others and whom you have redeemed ‘by the precious blood of Christ.’98 Be their defender, supporter, protector, guardian, their strong rampart, a stable refuge, ‘for no one can snatch them out of your hand’;99 there is no other God like you,100 for our hope rests in you.101 6. ‘Sanctify them in the truth’ because ‘your word is truth.’102 You are impartial and cannot be deceived. Deliver them from ‘every disease and every sickness,’103 from every sin, from every injury and deceit, ‘from fear of the enemy,’104 ‘from the arrow that flies by day, from the danger that walks in the night.’105 Judge them worthy of eternal life in your Christ, your only Son, our God and Savior, through whom glory and honor be to you in the Holy Spirit now and forever and ever. Amen.” 89. Matt 5:44; 10:22.  90. Eph 4:13.  91. Matt 6:13.  92. Ps 141:9; 14:4.  93. 2 Tim 4:18.  94. Isa 57:15, LXX.  95. John 17:6.  96. See Col 1:22.  97. Eph 5:27.  98. 1 Pet 1:19.  99. John 10:29.  100. See Isa 45:5.  101. See Ps 62:6.  102. John 17:17.  103. Matt 4:23.  104. Ps 64:2.  105. Ps 91:5–6.

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[Preparation for the offering] VIII.xi.7. After this the deacon says, “Be attentive.” VIII.xi.8. The bishop greets the assembly, saying, “The peace of the Lord be always with you.” The people reply, “And with your spirit.” VIII.xi.9. Then the deacon says to all, “’Greet one another with a holy kiss.’”106 The peace is then exchanged: the clergy with the bishop, laymen with laymen, women with women. VIII.xi.10. The children stand near the bema;e with a deacon watching so that they do not cause a disturbance. The other deacons walk about, attending to the men and the women so that there be no disturbance, so that no one nods, whispers, or sleeps. 11. The subdeacons stand next to the entrances of the men, the deaconesses next to those of the women, so that no one may leave or open the door, not even to allow a member of the faithful to enter during the sacrifice. 12. A subdeacon brings water to the priests so that they may wash their hands, this symbolizing the purity of souls that are consecrated to God. VIII.xii.1. I, James, brother of John, son of Zebedee, prescribe the following. The deacon immediately says— VIII.xii.2. “Let no catechumen, no hearer, no unbeliever, no heterodox person remain. Those who have prayed the first prayer may draw near. Mothers, take your children with you. No one is to hold anything against another. No one is to come in hypocrisy. With fear and trembling stand upright before the Lord for the offering.” VIII.xii.3. Then the deacons bring the offerings to the bishop at the altar. The presbyters, like disciples assisting their master, stand on the bishop’s right and left. There are two deacons, one on each side of the altar, each holding a fan made of a thin membrane or of peacock feathers or of fine cloth; they discretely chase away flying insects so that these do not come close to the cups.

[The Eucharistic Prayer]f 1744 VIII.xii.4. The bishop then prays silently with the priests. Having put on a splendid vestment107 and standing at the altar, he makes the sign of the cross with his hand on his forehead and says— [Initial dialogue] “’The grace of God’ almighty, ‘the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you’ all.”108 With one voice all reply, “And with your spirit.” 1746 VIII.xii.5. The bishop: “Lift up your hearts.” All: “We lift them up to the Lord.” 1745

e. Bema: a raised area or platform for the proclamation of God’s word. f. Cf. ApT 4 (WEC 1:622–26). 106. 1 Cor 16:20.  107. See Jas 2:2.  108. 2 Cor 13:13.

77. Apostolic Constitutions  255 The bishop: “Let us give thanks to the Lord.” All: “It is right and just.” And the bishop says— [Praise of God] VIII.xii.6. “Truly it is right and just to praise you before all things, for you are the true God, existing before all creatures and ‘from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name.’109 You are the only uncreated one, without beginning, independent, sovereign, lacking nothing, the giver of all that is good, above every cause and origin, always and in every way remaining the same; ‘from you’ as a source ‘everything’110 comes into existence. 7. For you are knowledge without beginning, the eternal vision, unbegotten hearing, inborn wisdom, the first by nature, the measure of being, beyond all number. You made everything from nothing111 through your only-begotten Son. Him you begot directly before all ages by your will, your power, and your goodness, without an intermediary, your only-begotten Son, God the Word,112 the living wisdom, ‘the firstborn of every creature,’113 ‘the angel of your mighty counsel,’114 your high priest, the king and Lord of every rational and sensible nature, who is ‘before all things and through whom all things’ [exist].”115 [Anamnesis of creation] VIII.xii.8. “Eternal God, through him you made everything. Through him you made all things to benefit from your providence; through him you have bestowed existence; through him you have also granted joy. God and Father of your only-begotten Son, through him you created the ‘Spirit of truth,’116 the interpreter and servant of the only-begotten One. After him [you created] the cherubim and the seraphim, the aeons and the hosts, the authorities and ‘the powers, the principalities and the thrones,’117 the archangels and the angels; and after these you also created through him the visible world and all that exists within it. 9. You ‘established the heavens like a veil’118 and ‘stretched it out like a tent’;119 you hung ‘the earth upon nothing’120 by your will alone; you fixed the firmament, formed the day and the night, ‘brought light out of the treasury’;121 and by diminishing it you had the darkness come forth so that the living things that move in the world might rest. You placed the sun in the heavens ‘to govern the day’ and the moon ‘to govern the night.’122 You situated the choir of the stars in the heavens to praise your magnificence. VIII.xii.10. “You created water to drink and to cleanse, life-giving air for us to breathe, for sending forth sounds when the tongue strikes it, and for assisting the ear to receive the sounds that come to it. 11. You created

109. Eph 3:15.  110. 1 Cor 8:6.  111. See Rom 4:17.  112. 1 John 1:18.  113. Col 1:15.  114. Isa 9:5, LXX.  115. Col 1:17.  116. John 14:17.  117. Col 1:16.  118. Isa 40:22.  119. Ps 104:2.  120. Job 26:7.  121. Jer 10:13; see Ps 135:7.  122. Gen 1:16; see Ps 136:8–9.

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256  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East the first so that it might reduce the darkness, supply our needs, warm us, and give us light. 12. You separated the great sea from the land; the former you made navigable, the latter you made firm for our feet. The former you populated with a multitude of ‘animals small and great’;123 the latter you filled with animals tame and wild. You adorned the latter with various plants, crowning it with herbs, beautifying it with flowers, and enriching it with seeds. 13. You formed the abyss, setting it in a great basin,124 the sea which teems with salt water and which you enclosed behind gates,125 namely, the beaches with their finest sand. At times you raise it up to the mountain peaks; at times you spread it out like a plain; at times you have it erupt in a storm; at times you calm it by restraining the winds and by making the waters navigable for sailors to sail upon. 14. With rivers you encircled the world that you created through Christ. You watered it by streams, moistened it by inexhaustible springs, surrounded it with mountains, thus giving the earth a stable and most solid foundation. 15. Then you populated the world and adorned it with fragrant and healing plants, with numerous and varied animals that are strong and weak, to be used for food and for labor, animals tame and wild, as well as with the hissing of reptiles, the singing of various kinds of birds, the rhythm of the years, the counting of months and days, the sequence of the seasons, the movement of the rain clouds which produce fruit and aid living things, ‘the breath of the winds’126 which you command to blow upon the numerous plants and herbs. 1751 VIII.xii.16. “You not only created the world but also placed a human being in it as the inhabitant of the world, making this person the ornament of the world, for to your Wisdom you say, Let us ‘make humankind in our image, according to our likeness and may they have dominion over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air.’127 17. You gave them an immortal soul and a mortal body, the first from nothing, the second from the elements. As to the soul, you gave it rational judgment, the ability to distinguish between godliness and godlessness, between justice and injustice. As to the body, you granted it the ability to move from place to place. 1752

[Anamnesis of the first covenant] VIII.xii.18. “Almighty God, through Christ ‘you planted a garden in Eden, located toward the east,’128 adorning it with all kinds of edible plants. You introduced a man into it as into a very rich dwelling. You gave him an innate law by creating him so that in and by himself he might have the seeds of divine knowledge. 19. By introducing him ‘into the garden of pleasure’129 you permitted him to share authority over each thing,130 forbidding him only one food in the hope of higher benefits so that by obeying this commandment he would be rewarded with immortality. 20. 123. Ps 104:25.  124. See Ps 65:8.  125. See Job 38:8.  126. Job 28:25.  127. Gen 1:26.  128. Gen 2:8.  129. Gen 3:23.  130. See Gen 2:16–17.

77. Apostolic Constitutions  257 But when through the deceit of the serpent and at the advice of his wife he showed disdain for your commandment and tasted the forbidden fruit, you rightly ejected him from the garden.131 Yet in your goodness you did not definitively discard this lost man, for it was you who created him. On the contrary, having subjected creation to him, you allowed him to acquire food for himself by means of his own sweat and toil, for it is you who have all [the fruits of the earth] spring up, grow, and ripen. You had him sleep for a short period of time, and then with an oath132 you summoned him to rebirth. Releasing him from the law of death, you promised him life after the resurrection. VIII.xii.21. “You did not remain content with this, but you increased his descendants beyond number. You glorified those who remained faithful to you, punishing those who rejected you. You accepted the sacrifice of Abel as coming from a holy person. You rejected the sacrifice of Cain, who murdered his brother, as coming from someone guilty of bloodshed.133 Furthermore, you received Seth and Enos,134 and Enoch you carried away.135 22. You are the Creator of humankind, the provider of life. You satisfy wants; you enact laws; you reward those who observe them; and you punish those who break them. ‘You brought a’ great ‘flood upon the world’136 because of the large number of the ungodly, and you saved righteous Noah together with ‘eight others’137 in the ark. This ended one generation and began a new one. You lit a terrible fire against five cities of Sodom,138 changing a ‘fruitful land into salty water because of the wickedness of its inhabitants,’139 but you saved holy Lot from the inferno. 23. You freed Abraham from the godlessness of his ancestors; you appointed him heir of the world;140 and you revealed your Christ to him.141 You appointed Melchizedek to be the high priest of your worship.142 You caused your servant Job, after many sufferings, to vanquish the serpent, the source of evil. You made Isaac the son of the promise.143 Jacob you made the father of twelve sons and multiplied his descendants, whom you led into Egypt, ‘seventy persons in all.’144 24. Lord, you did not abandon Joseph but as a reward for the chastity he observed on your account, you allowed him to become governor of the Egyptians.145 The Hebrews, oppressed by the Egyptians, you did not forsake, Lord, because of the promises made to their father, but you freed them by punishing the Egyptians.146 VIII.xii.25. “People corrupted the natural law, either considering creation147 as making itself or honoring it more than was appropriate, making it equal to you, the God of all. You did not allow the Hebrews to remain in error, but you raised up Moses your servant; through him you gave them 131. See Gen 3.  132. See Heb 6:17.  133. See Gen 4.  134. See Gen 4:25–26.  135. See Gen 5:24.  136. 2 Pet 2:5; see Gen 6–9.  137. 1 Pet 3:20.  138. See Gen 19; Wis 10:6.  139. Ps 107:34.  140. See Gen 12.  141. See John 8:56.  142. See Gen 14:18.  143. See Gen 17:19.  144. Gen 46:27.  145. See Gen 41.  146. See Exod 1–15.  147. See Rom 1:21–25.

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258  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East the written Law148 to back up the natural law. You showed that creation is your work, and you destroyed the error of polytheism. You honored Aaron and his descendants with the dignity of the priesthood. When the Hebrews sinned, you chastised them; when they converted, you received them back. 26. You punished the Egyptians with ten plagues; dividing the sea, you led the Israelites through it; you destroyed the pursuing Egyptians, drowning them in the water. With wood you sweetened the bitter water;149 you made ‘water’ spring forth from ‘the stone rock’;150 you caused the manna to fall from the sky,151 and from the air you gave them quail as food152 as well as ‘a column of fire to give light at night, and during the day a pillar of cloud’153 to shelter them from the heat. You raised up Joshua as commander of the army;154 through him you destroyed the seven nations of Canaan.155 You divided the Jordan; you dried up the rivers of Etham.156 Without machines or human hands you brought down walls. 1755

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[The Trisagion] VIII.xii.27. “For all this, glory be to you, almighty Lord. Before you prostrate every bodiless and holy host. Before you prostrates the Paraclete; and above all Jesus Christ your holy servant, our Lord and our God, your angel and the ‘commander of the army,’157 the eternal and unending high priest. Before you prostrate innumerable hosts of angels, archangels, ‘thrones, dominions, principalities, powers, virtues,’158 eternal armies; cherubim and ‘six-winged seraphim with two wings covering their faces, with two covering their feet, and with two they fly,’159 with thousands of thousands of archangels and with myriad myriads of angels160 they sing without ceasing and with a voice that is never silent. May all the people join them, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; heaven and earth are filled with your glory.’161 ‘Blessed are you forever. Amen.’”162 [Christological anamnesis] VIII.xii.28. The bishop continues— VIII.xii.29. “You are indeed holy, all-holy, the most high, ‘highly exalted forever.’163 30. Holy also is your only-begotten Son, our Lord and God, Jesus the Christ, who serves you in all things, you his God and Father, doing so in your varied creation and according to your fitting providence. He did not abandon the human race to perdition, but after the natural law, after the exhortations of the Law, after the warnings of the prophets and the interventions of the angels—people, in fact, disobeyed the written Law just as they did the natural law; they forgot about the flood, the burning

148. See Exod 20; Isa 8:20.  149. See Exod 15:22–25.  150. Deut 8:15.  151. See Exod 16.  152. See Num 11:31.  153. Neh 9:12.  154. See Josh 1–13.  155. See Acts 13:19.  156. Ps 74:15.  157. Josh 5:14.  158. Col 1:16.  159. Isa 6:2.  160. See Dan 7:10.  161. Isa 6:3.  162. Rom 1:25; 9:5.  163. Dan 3:52.

77. Apostolic Constitutions  259 [of Sodom], the plagues of Egypt, the massacres of the people in Palestine, and they were close to loosing everything—he, our Creator, in his goodness and according to your will, was made flesh. The lawgiver submitted to the Law; the high priest became the victim; the shepherd became the flock. 31. He appeased you, his God and Father; he ‘reconciled’ you ‘to the world’;164 he delivered each of us from impending wrath by being born of a virgin, ‘being born in the flesh.’165 He is ‘God the Word,’166 ‘the beloved Son,’167 ‘the firstborn of all creation,’168 according to the prophecies he spoke beforehand; he ‘descended from David’169 and from Abraham, from the tribe of Judah; he who fashioned all that are born took flesh in the virgin’s womb; he who is not of flesh assumed flesh; he who was born outside of time was born within time. 32. He lived a holy life and taught according to the Law; he freed us from ‘every disease and every sickness’;170 he worked ‘signs and wonders among the people’;171 he ate, drank, and slept, he who nourishes all who need food, and ‘in his goodness he satisfies every living thing’;172 ‘he has revealed your name’173 to those not knowing it; he has driven away ignorance; he has revived godliness; he has fulfilled your will; ‘he has finished the work you gave him.’174 VIII.xii.33. Once he had accomplished all this, he was seized by the god- 1758 less—those wrongly called priests and high priests—and by an impious people after being betrayed by one corrupted by evil. He suffered much at their hands and endured this ignominy with your consent. He was the judge, handed over to Pilate, who was judged; he was the Savior who was condemned. He who cannot suffer was nailed to a cross, and he who by nature is immortal suffered death. He who grants life was buried so as to deliver from suffering and rescue from death those for whom he had come. In this way he broke the bonds of the devil and freed us from the devil’s deceit. 34. On the third day he rose from the dead; forty days he remained with his disciples; ‘he was taken up into heaven and sat at your right hand,’175 being with you his God and Father. [Anamnesis of the Last Supper] 1759 VIII.xii.35. “Remembering therefore that he suffered for us, ‘we give you thanks, God Almighty,’176 not as much as we should but insofar as we are able, and we obey his command. 36. For ‘on the night when he was betrayed he took some bread’177 into his holy and spotless hands, lifting up his eyes178 to you, his God and Father, ‘he broke the bread, gave it to his disciples and said,’179 “This is the mystery of the new covenant,180 take, eat, this is my body broken” for many, “for the forgiveness of sins.”181 164. 2 Cor 5:19.  165. John 1:14, 1.  166. John 1:1.  167. Matt 3:17.  168. Col 1:15.  169. Rom 1:3.  170. Matt 4:23.  171. Acts 5:12.  172. Ps 145:16.  173. John 17:6.  174. John 17:4.  175. Mark 16:19.  176. Rev 11:17.  177. 1 Cor 11:23.  178. See Matt 14:19.  179. Matt 26:26.  180. 1 Cor 11:25.  181. Matt 26:26, 28; 1 Cor 11:24.

260  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East 37. ‘Likewise’ he filled ‘the cup’182 with wine and water, blessed it, gave it to them, saying, “Drink from this, all of you; for this is my blood poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.183 Do this in memory of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim my death until I come”.”184 1760

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[Offering] VIII.xii.38. “Remembering, then, his passion, his death, his resurrection from the dead, his return to heaven, and his future second coming when ‘he will come with power and great glory’185 ‘to judge the living and the dead’186 ‘and to repay according to each one’s works,’187 we offer you, O King and God, according to his command this bread and this cup, and to you we ‘give thanks through him’188 because you have made us worthy to stand before you and to serve you through the priesthood. [Epiclesis] VIII.xii.39. “We ask that you look favorably upon these offerings which are presented to you, O God, who have no need of them. May they be pleasing for the honor of your Christ. Upon this sacrifice send your Holy Spirit, the ‘witness of the sufferings’189 of the Lord Jesus. May the Holy Spirit make of this bread the Body of your Christ and of this cup the Blood of your Christ so that those partaking of them may be strengthened in the faith, be forgiven their sins, be delivered from the devil and his error, be filled with the Holy Spirit, become worthy of your Christ, and obtain life eternal by being reconciled with you, Almighty Lord.

[Prayer of intercession] VIII.xii.40. “We pray to you, Lord, for your holy Church spread from one end of the earth to the other, ‘which you have acquired’190 ‘by the precious blood of Christ.’191 Keep it free from disturbance and storms, ‘even to the end of the world.’192 Also we pray to you for the whole episcopate which ‘rightly dispenses the word of truth.’193 1763 VIII.xii.41. “We pray to you for ourselves who in spite of our unworthiness present you with this offering; we likewise pray for the whole presbyterate, for the deacons, and for all the clergy. Fill them with wisdom and the Holy Spirit. 1764 VIII.xii.42. “Lord, we also ‘pray to you for the king, for the powerful,’194 and for the entire army. May we enjoy peace and, living our whole lives in harmony and concord, may we glorify you through ‘Jesus Christ, our hope.’195 1762

182. 1 Cor 11:25.  183. Matt 26:27–28.  184. 1 Cor 11:24–26.  185. Matt 24:30.  186. 1 Pet 4:5.  187. Rom 2:6.  188. Col 3:17.  189. 1 Pet 5:1; see Heb 9:14.  190. Acts 20:28.  191. 1 Pet 1:19.  192. Matt 28:20.  193. 2 Tim 2:15.  194. 1 Tim 2:2.  195. 1 Tim 1:1.

77. Apostolic Constitutions  261 VIII.xii.43. “We offer to you for all the holy ones who have pleased you from the beginning: patriarchs, prophets, the just, apostles, martyrs, confessors, bishops, presbyters, deacons, subdeacons, readers, singers, virgins, widows, the laity, and all those whose names are known to you. VIII.xii.44. “We offer to you for the people who are here present; to the praise of Christ make them ‘a royal priesthood, a holy nation’;196 also for those who live in virginity and chastity, for the widows of the Church, for spouses who live in a holy manner and bear children, for the infants of your people. Reject none of us. VIII.xii.45. “We pray to you for this city and those dwelling within it, for the sick, for slaves who suffer harsh treatment, for exiles, for prisoners, for those journeying by water and on land. Assist them; ‘defend and protect them.’197 VIII.xii.46. “We pray for ‘those who hate and persecute us for your name’s sake,’198 for those outside the Church, and for those who stray. Lead them back to what is good. Calm their hearts. VIII.xii.47. “We pray to you, Lord, for the Church’s catechumens, for those whom the enemy torments, and for our brethren who are doing penance. Lead the first of these to the fullness of the faith; cleanse the second from the attacks of the Evil One; receive the penance of the others and forgive their sins as well as our own. VIII.xii.48. “We present our offering for good weather and for an abundant harvest so that, constantly receiving good things from your hand, we may always praise you ‘for you give food to all flesh.’199 VIII.xii.49. “We petition you on behalf of those who, for good reasons, are absent. Keep all of us in your godliness and by gathering us together in the Kingdom of your Christ, the God of all rational and intelligible nature who is our King; keep us free from error, blame, and reproach. VIII.xii.50. “Through him be to you all glory, honor, and adoration in the Holy Spirit, now, always, and forever, continually and without end.” VIII.xii.51. All the people respond, “Amen.”

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[Second Universal Prayer] VIII.xiii.1. The bishop then says—”May God’s peace be with all of you.” 1774 All the people respond, “And with your spirit.” VIII.xiii.2. Then the deacon proclaims anew—3. “Let us once again pray 1775 to God through his Christ. By the offering presented to the Lord our God may we request that the God of goodness, through the mediation of his Christ, accept it upon his heavenly altar ‘as a sweet smelling fragrance.’200 VIII.xiii.4. “Let us pray for this assembly and this people; let us pray for the 1776 whole episcopate and for all priests, for the whole diaconate and the ministers of Christ, for the whole Church. May the Lord protect and keep all of them. 196. 1 Pet 2:9.  197. Ps 119:114.  198. Matt 10:22; see 5:44.  199. Ps 136:25.  200. Eph 5:2; see Exod 29:18.

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VIII.xiii.5. “Let us pray ‘for kings and all who are in high places’; may we benefit from peace so that we may lead ‘a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity.’201 VIII.xiii.6. “Let us remember the holy martyrs so that we may be reckoned worthy to share in their struggle. Let us pray for those who have fallen asleep in the faith. VIII.xiii.7. “Let us pray for good weather and for a fruitful harvest. VIII.xiii.8. “Let us pray for the neophytes. May they be ‘strengthened in the faith.’202 Let us all pray for one another. VIII.xiii.9. “Raise us up, O God, in your grace. Thus standing, let us commend ourselves to God through his Christ.” VIII.xiii.10. The bishop says, “One and only God, great is your name, ‘great is your counsel, and mighty are your deeds.’203 God and Father ‘of your holy servant Jesus’204 our Savior, look down upon us and upon your flock which is here present and which you have chosen through him [Jesus] for the glory of your name. Sanctify our bodies and souls. Purify us ‘from every stain of body and of spirit’205 and make us worthy to obtain the good things that have been promised us. Judge none of us to be unworthy but be our defender, our protector,206 and our helper through your Christ. Through whom glory, honor, praise, glorification, and thanksgiving be to you in the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.”

[The Communion] VIII.xiii.11. After all have responded “Amen,” the deacon says, “Let us be attentive.” 1784 VIII.xiii.12. Then the bishop will proclaim to the people, “Holy things for those who are holy.” 1785 VIII.xiii.13. The people respond, “One is holy, there is ‘one Lord,’207 Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father in the Holy Spirit. ‘You are blessed forever. Amen.’”208 “‘Glory to God in the highest and peace upon earth, goodwill among people.’209 ‘Hosanna to the Son of David. ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,210 ‘the Lord God, and he has revealed himself among us.’211 ‘Hosanna in the highest heaven.’”212 1786 VIII.xiii.14. Then the bishop receives Communion; next the presbyters, the deacons, the subdeacons, the readers, the singers, the ascetics; and among the women the deaconesses, the virgins, and the widows; then the children; and finally all the people, in order, doing so “with reverence and awe,”213 and without disturbance. 1783

201. 1 Tim 2:2.  202. Col 2:7.  203. Heb 32:19; see Jer 39:19, LXX.  204. Acts 4:27, 30.  205. 2 Cor 7:1.  206. See Ps 119:114.  207. Eph 4:5.  208. Rom 1:25.  209. Luke 2:14.  210. Matt 21:9.  211. Ps 118:27.  212. Matt 21:9.  213. Heb 12:28.

77. Apostolic Constitutions  263 VIII.xiii.15. The bishop presents the oblation, saying, “The Body of Christ.” The person receiving replies, “Amen.” The deacon takes the cup and while presenting it says, “The Blood of Christ, the cup of life.” The one who drinks answers, “Amen.” VIII.xiii.16. Psalm 34 is said while the others are receiving. 17. When all the men and women have received, the deacons remove what remains, placing it in the sacristy. [The Post-Communion] VIII.xiv.1. When the cantor has finished, the deacon says, 2. “Having received the precious Body and ‘the precious Blood of Christ,’214 we give thanks to him who deemed us worthy to partake in the holy mysteries. We ask that this not be unto our condemnation215 but for our salvation, for the good of our soul and body, for safeguarding the faith, for the remission of sins, and for the life of the world to come.” 3. Let us stand. In the grace of Christ we commend ourselves through his Christ to the one uncreated God. VIII.xv.1. Then the bishop gives thanks. 2. “Lord, Almighty God, Father of your Christ, your blessed Son, you hear those who invoke you with righteousness. You even know the requests that are made in silence. We thank you because you have counted us worthy to share in the holy mysteries which you have given us to strengthen the good of which we are aware, to safeguard the faith, to pardon sins, since the name of your Christ has been invoked over us,216 thereby uniting us to you. 3. You have set us apart from the ungodly. Join us to those who are consecrated to you. By the coming of the Holy Spirit strengthen us in the truth. Reveal to us what we do not know. Make up for what we lack. Strengthen what we know. 4. Keep priests blameless in your service; keep kings in peace, magistrates in justice. Grant us favorable weather, abundant harvests, a world under your all-powerful providence. Pacify war-like nations. Convert those who stray. 5. Sanctify your people. Watch over virgins. Keep spouses faithful to each other. Strengthen those who live in chastity. Lead the young to maturity. Strengthen the neophytes. Instruct the catechumens and make them worthy of baptism. Gather all of us together in your heavenly kingdom, doing so in Christ our Lord. Through whom glory, honor, and veneration be to you in the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.” VIII.xv.6. The deacon says, “Bow down before God, through his Christ, and receive the blessing.” VIII.xv.7. And the bishop prays, saying, “Almighty, true, and incomparable God, you are everywhere present in all things. In no way are you bound by, or contained in, or circumscribed by space. You do not grow old due to time nor are you terminated by the ages. Words deceive you not. You are not subject to birth. You need no guardian. You are above all corruption. Change you know not. By nature you are immutable. You ‘dwell 214. 1 Pet 1:19.  215. See 1 Cor 11:29.  216. See Jas 2:7.

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264  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East in unapproachable light.’217 By nature you are invisible. You reveal yourself to all reasonable natures that seek you with good will; you allow yourself to be found by those who seek you with good will, O God of Israel, by your people who truly see and who believe in Christ. 8. Graciously hear me for your name’s sake. Bless those who bow their heads before you, and ‘give them the desires of their hearts,’218 desires that will assist them. Do not refuse any of them entrance into your kingdom but sanctify them, guard them, protect them, help them, deliver them from the Adversary and from all enemies, watch over their dwellings, guard their ‘goings out and their comings in.’219 9. To you be glory, praise, magnificence, honor, adoration, after you and for your sake to your servant Jesus Christ, our Lord and King, through whom to you be fitting thanksgiving which every rational and holy nature owes you in the Holy Spirit, now and forever and ever. Amen.” 1793 VIII.xv.10. The deacon then says, “Go in peace.” 1794 VIII.xv.11. We the apostles impose the following prescriptions regarding mystical service upon you, bishops, presbyters, and deacons. [Presbyteral ordination]g 1795 VIII.xvi.1. As to the ordination of the presbyter, I, the Lord’s beloved disciple,220 prescribe that you do the following, O bishops. 2. When you ordain a presbyter, O bishop, you, assisted by the presbyterate and the deacons, will lay your hand on the head and pray as follows— 1796 VIII.xvi.3. “Almighty Lord, our King, you created all things through Christ, whom you brought into existence before all else. Through him you suitably provided for the needs of all since whoever can create various types of beings can also provide for various kinds of needs.221 O God, through Christ you provided for the needs of immortal beings simply by sustaining them; for the needs of mortal beings by seeing to their relief; for the needs of the soul by lovingly giving the law; for those of the body by satisfying its necessities. Look down, now, upon your holy Church and make it grow. Increase the number of those presiding over it and give them the strength to work by means of word222 and deed for the building-up of your people. 4. Look, now, upon this your servant who has been made a member of the presbyterate by the vote and approval of all the clergy. Fill him with the Spirit of grace and of counsel so that he may take charge of your people and with a pure heart may participate in governing just as you, caring for your chosen people, commanded Moses to choose the Elders,223 whom you filled with the Spirit. 5. Now, Lord, deign to preserve unchangeable in us your Spirit of grace so that your servant, filled with health-giving energies and instructive words, may humbly g. Cf. ApT 7 (WEC 1:629). 217. 1 Tim 6:16.  218. Ps 37:4.  219. Ps 121:8.  220. See John 13:23.  221. See Wis 6:7.  222. See 1 Tim 5:17.  223. See Num 11:16.

77. Apostolic Constitutions  265 teach your people,224 may sincerely and willingly serve you with a pure heart,225 and may blamelessly carry out the sacred rites for your people through your Christ. Through whom glory, honor, and worship be to you in the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.” [Ordination of deacons]h VIII.xvii.1. As to the ordination of the deacon, I, Philip, prescribe this. 2. O bishop, you appoint him by laying hands upon him. Assisted by the whole presbyterate together with the deacons, you pray as follows— VIII.xviii.1. “Almighty, true, and truthful God, you are ‘generous to all who’ in truth ‘call upon you’;226 you are ‘awesome in your deeds,’227 ‘wise in heart, mighty in strength.’228 2. ‘Lord, heed our prayer and listen to our supplication.’229 ‘May your face shine upon your servant’230 here present, proposed to you for the diaconate. Fill him with the Spirit and with strength just as with these you filled Stephen,231 the first martyr and the imitator of the ‘sufferings of’ your ‘Christ.’232 3. Grant that he may satisfactorily carry out the service confided to him, doing so in a fitting way, without digression, blame, or reproach so as to be deemed worthy of a higher rank through the mediation of your Christ, your only-begotten Son. Through whom glory, honor, and adoration be to you in the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.”

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[The deaconess] 1799 VIII.xix.1. As to the deaconess, I, Bartholomew, prescribe this. You, bishop, impose hands on her in the presence of the presbyterate, the deacons, and the deaconesses, and you say— VIII.xx.1. “Eternal ‘God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,’233 Creator of man 1800 and woman, with your spirit you filled Miriam,234 Deborah,235 Anna,236 and Huldah.237 You did not judge it unworthy that your only-begotten Son was born of a woman. In the tent of meeting and in the temple you appointed women to be keepers of your holy gates. 2. Look now upon this your servant who is proposed for ministry. Give her the Holy Spirit and ‘cleanse her from every stain of body and of spirit’238 so that she might worthily fulfill the office confided to her, for the glory and praise of your Christ. Through whom glory and worship be to you in the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.” [The subdeacon]i VIII.xxi.1. As to the subdeacon, I, Thomas, prescribe the following to you, the bishops. 2. When ordaining a subdeacon, O bishop, you lay hands upon him and say— h. Cf. ApT 8 (WEC 1:630–33). i. Cf. ApT 13 (WEC 1:639). 224. See 2 Tim 2:25.  225. See 2 Macc 1:3.  226. Rom 10:12.  227. Ps 66:5.  228. Job 9:4.  229. Ps 143:1.  230. Ps 31:16.  231. See Acts 6:8.  232. 1 Pet 5:1.  233. 2 Cor 1:3.  234. See Exod 15:20.  235. See Judg 4:4.  236. See Luke 2:36.  237. See 2 Kgs 22:14.  238. 2 Cor 7:1.

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VIII.xxi.3. “Lord God, you created heaven and earth and all they contain. In the tent of meeting you appointed servants of the temple to guard your holy objects.239 4. Look now upon your servant who is here present, proposed to be a subdeacon; grant him the Holy Spirit so that he may worthily handle your liturgical vessels and always carry out your will through your Christ. Through whom glory, honor, and worship be to you in the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.”

[The reader]j 1803 VIII.xxii.1. As to readers I, Matthew, also called Levi, formerly a taxcollector,240 prescribe the following. 2. For designating a reader, impose your hand upon him while praying to God the following— 1804 VIII.xxii.3. “Eternal God, ‘rich in love and mercy,’241 by your works you have made manifest the organization of the world;242 you preserve the number of your elect in the whole world. Now look down upon your servant who has been chosen to read your holy Scriptures to your people, and give him the Holy Spirit, the prophetic Spirit. 4. In times past you instructed Esdras your servant to read your laws to your people.243 We now ask you to instruct this your servant, and grant that he may blamelessly fulfill the office committed to him and may merit a higher rank through Christ. Through whom glory and worship be to you in the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.” [Confessors]k 1805 VIII.xxiii.1. I, James, son of Alphaeus,244 prescribe the following in regard to confessors. 2. The confessor is not ordained since one becomes a confessor by means of a personal decision and a spiritual force. He is worthy of a great honor for having confessed the name of God and of his Christ “before the Gentiles and kings.”245 3. The confessor may be ordained if he is needed as a bishop, priest, or deacon. 4. If a non-ordained confessor assumes on his own one of these high offices under the pretext of the witness he gave, he is to be deposed and excluded since he is not [what he pretends to be] in that he has gone against what Christ has instituted and is “worse than an unbeliever.”246 [Virgins]l 1806 VIII.xxiv.1. Again it is I speaking on the subject of virgins. 2. A virgin is not ordained since “we have no command of the Lord.”247 This comes from a personal decision, one taken not in opposition to marriage but as a consecration to piety. j. Cf. ApT 11 (WEC 1:637). k. Cf. ApT 9 (WEC 1:634). l. Cf. ApT 12 (WEC 1:638). 239. See Num 3; 1 Chr 9.  240. See Mark 2:14.  241. Ps 103:4.  242. See Wis 7:17.  243. See Neh 8.  244. See Matt 10:3.  245. Acts 9:15.  246. 1 Tim 5:8.  247. 1 Cor 7:25.

77. Apostolic Constitutions  267 [Widows]m 1807 VIII.xxv.1. I, Lebbaeus, surnamed Thaddeus, prescribe the following in regard to widows. 2. A widow is not ordained. But if a period of time has passed since she lost her husband, if her life has been chaste and blameless, and if she pays the greatest attention to the affairs of her own household as did the very holy Judith248 and Anna,249 she is to be allowed to enter the order of widows. 3. But if she has recently lost her spouse, do not trust her but allow time for discernment since passion is at times found in the elderly when they lack the restraint of a rather strong bridle. [Exorcists]n VIII.xxvi.1. Again it is I regarding the exorcists. 2. An exorcist is not ordained since the success of his struggle relates to the good will and grace of God through Christ as well as to the descent of the Holy Spirit upon him; for whoever has received the gift of healing250 God manifests and reveals, with the grace in him being manifested to all. 3. Yet if there is a need for him as bishop, presbyter, or deacon, he is ordained.

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[Canons on ordinations and on the responsibilities of clerics] 1809 VIII.xxvii.1. And I, Simon of Cana, prescribe the following concerning the number of participating bishops required for episcopal ordination. 2. A bishop should be ordained by three or two bishops; whoever has been ordained by only one bishop is to be deposed, both he and the bishop who ordained him. 3. But if necessity requires that the ordination be done by only one bishop because other bishops are unable to come due to persecution or a similar reason, a document is to be drawn up showing that several bishops give their approval. 1810 VIII.xxviii.1. Again it is I in regard to the canons. 2. A bishop blesses, but he is blessed by no one; he ordains, imposes the hand, offers, receives the eulogiao from a bishop but never from presbyters. The bishop deposes every cleric who is to be deposed; he cannot depose another bishop on his own. 3. A presbyter blesses but is not blessed by anyone; he receives the eulogia from a bishop or from another presbyter, just as he gives them to another presbyter; he imposes hands but he does not ordain; he does not depose but he excommunicates inferiors when they incur such a sanction. 4. A deacon does not bless; he does not give the eulogia but receives this from the bishop or the presbyter; he does not baptize; he does not offer; when the bishop or the presbyter offers, he distributes the Eucharist to the people, not as a priest but as one who serves the priests. 5. No other

m. Cf. ApT 10 (WEC 1:636). n. Cf. ApT 15 (WEC 1:642). o. Eulogia: a word having several meanings in early Christianity, probably here signifying bread brought to the eucharistic celebration but not consecrated. 248. See Jdt 8.  249. See Luke 2:36.  250. See 1 Cor 12:9.

268  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East cleric can fulfill the diaconal office. 6. A deaconess does not bless, nor does she do what presbyters or deacons do; rather, she watches over the doors, and for the sake of modesty she assists the presbyters at the baptism of women. 7. A deacon excommunicates a subdeacon, a reader, a singer, and a deaconess when it is necessary and in the absence of presbyters. 8. Neither a subdeacon nor a reader nor a singer nor a deaconess, since these are servants of the deacon, can excommunicate a cleric or a lay person. [Blessing of water and of oil]p 1811 VIII.xxix.1. As to the water and the oil, I, Matthew, prescribe the following. 2. The bishop blesses the water or the oil; yet if he is absent, the presbyter with the assistance of the deacon does this. However, if the bishop is present, the presbyter and the deacon assist him. 3. He says: “Lord of hosts, God of power, creator of the water and maker of oil, you are merciful and loving; you give water to drink and to wash with; you give ‘oil to make the face shine,’251 for joy and cheerfulness.252 Through Christ make holy this water and this oil in the name of the person who brought them. Give them the power to restore health, to chase away illness, to put demons to flight, to protect the home, to banish every snare through ‘Christ our hope.’253 Through whom glory and honor and worship be to you in the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.” [First fruits or tithes]q 1812 VIII.xxx.1. It is still I in regard to the first fruits and tithes. 2. Again I prescribe that every first fruit is to be taken to the bishop, to the presbyters and deacons, for their sustenance; but every tithe is to be offered for the sustenance of other clerics, the virgins, the widows, and the destitute poor. The first fruits belong to the priests and to the deacons who serve them. 1813

[Eulogia] VIII.xxxi.1. It is still I in regard to the rest. 2. The eulogia which are left over at the holy mysteries are distributed by the deacons to the clergy, according to the will of the bishop or the presbyters: four parts to the bishop, three parts to the presbyter, two parts to the deacon, and as to the other parts, one part to the subdeacons or readers or singers or deaconesses. 3. For “it is right and acceptable to God”254 to honor each according to one’s dignity since the Church is not a school of disorder but of good order.

[Access to the catechumenate]r 1814 VIII.xxxii.1. And I, Paul, “the least of the apostles,”255 prescribe this to you, O bishops and presbyters, in regard to the canons. 2. Those who p. Cf. ApT 5 (WEC 1:627). q. Cf. ApT 31 (WEC 1:708). r. Cf. ApT 15–17 (WEC 1:641–60). 251. Ps 104:15.  252. See Ps 45:16, LXX.  253. 1 Tim 1:1.  254. 1 Tim 2:3.  255. 1 Cor 15:9.

77. Apostolic Constitutions  269 come for the first time to the mystery of faith are led by the deacons to the bishop or the priests. There is to be an examination of the reasons why the candidates presented themselves to hear the Lord’s word; those presenting them, after carefully informing themselves regarding this matter, will testify on their behalf. Their conduct and their lives as well as whether they are slaves or free will be examined. 3. If it concerns a slave, he or she is to be asked who the master is and whether the master is a believer. Determine whether the master will testify on this slave’s behalf. If he will not do so, then have the slave depart till the master has been shown that the slave is worthy. Once the master testifies on behalf of the slave, the slave is to be accepted. If it concerns the servant of a pagan, the servant should learn how to satisfy the master256 so that “the word may not be discredited.”257 4. As to those who are married, they should learn to be content with one another. But if they are not married, they should be instructed not to commit fornication but to marry in accord with the law. 5. If the master is a believer and knows that his slave is committing fornication and yet does not give the man a wife or the woman a husband, the master is to be excluded. VIII.xxxii.6. Teach godliness to those possessed by demons, but do not receive these persons into the community before they are purified; yet if death is imminent, receive them. 7. The keeper of a house of prostitution is to forsake it or else be sent away. If a prostitute presents herself, she is to cease being such or else be sent away. 8. If the maker of idols presents himself, he will cease making idols or else be sent away. 9. If men or women from the theatrical world present themselves, if someone is a driver, a gladiator, a runner, an organizer of the games, an athlete, a flutist, a player of the harp or lyre, a presenter of the dance, or a tavern-keeper, let them cease doing such or else be sent away. 10. The soldier presenting himself will be taught to do no harm, “not to falsely accuse, and to be satisfied with his wages”;258 if he obeys, he is to be received; if he resists, he is to be sent away. 11. The doer of infamous deeds, the rake, the lazy person, the magician, the charlatan, the charmer, the astrologer, the diviner, the enchanter, the procurer, the maker of charms, the purifier, the soothsayer, the interpreter of omens or of tremors, whoever when meeting you observes [through superstition] defects in eyesight or on the feet of birds, or cats, or sounds, or noises having a symbolic character: all these are to be tested for a period of time, for their evil is difficult to weed out; if they cease, receive them; but if they do not submit, they are to be sent away. VIII.xxxii.12. An unbeliever’s concubine slave, if she is faithful to him alone, is to be received; but if she still gives herself to others, she is to be sent away. 13. The believer who has only one concubine, and if she is a slave, is to cease and marry according to the law. If she is a free woman,

256. See Titus 2:9.  257. Titus 2:5.  258. Luke 3:14.

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270  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East he is to marry her in accord with the law. But if he does not, he is to be sent away. 14. Those who observe pagan customs or the Jewish myths259 are to change; failing to do so, they are to be sent away. 15. Those having a strong passion for the theater, for hunting, for horse racing, or for wrestling matches are to cease; if they do not, they are to be sent away. 1817 VIII.xxxii.16. The candidate will be instructed for a period of three years. Whoever is zealous and demonstrates eagerness during this time is to be received by you, for judgment depends not on time but on conduct. 17. The instructor, even if a lay person and provided that he or she has experience with the word and is upright in conduct, is to teach, for “they shall all be taught by God.”260 [A Christian’s day]s 1818 VIII.xxxii.18. All believers, men as well as women, at day’s beginning when they rise from sleep and before beginning the day’s labor, are to wash themselves and pray. If there is doctrinal instruction, they are to prefer this rather than labor. 1819

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[Servants] VIII.xxxii.19. The believer, man or woman, is to treat servants kindly,261 as we have prescribed above and taught in our letters. [Days on which servants do not work] VIII.xxxiii.1. I, Peter, and I, Paul, prescribe this. 2. Servants will work five days, but on the Sabbath and on the Lord’s Day they will go to church to be instructed in the faith; the Sabbath is justified by creation, as we have said; the Lord’s Day by the Resurrection. 3. Servants will not work throughout the Great Week and during the following week because the first week is that of the Passion; the second week is that of the Resurrection. They are to be instructed that the one who died is risen and that whoever assents to this has also risen. 4. They will not work on the Ascension because on this day Christ completed his mission. 5. They are not to work on Pentecost because of the descent of the Holy Spirit whose beneficiaries are those who believe in Christ. 6. They are not to work on the feast of the Nativity because on this day humankind received the unhoped-for grace that God’s Word, Jesus Christ, was born from the Virgin Mary for the world’s salvation. 7. They are not to work on the feast of the Epiphany since on this day Christ’s divinity was revealed; the Father bore witness to him at the baptism, and in the form of a dove the Paraclete showed those present the one to whom witness was given.262 8. They are not to work on the feasts of the apostles since the apostles, being your teachers, will lead you to Christ and make you worthy of him. 9. They are not to work on the s. Cf. ApT 35, 41 (WEC 1:713, 719–29). 259. See Titus 1:14.  260. John 6:45; Isa 54:13.  261. See Eph 6:9; Col 4:1.  262. See Matt 3:16–17.

77. Apostolic Constitutions  271 feast of Stephen the first martyr and on the feasts of the other holy martyrs who preferred Christ to their own lives. [Daily prayer] 1821 VIII.xxxiv.1. Pray in the morning, at the third hour, at the sixth hour, at the ninth hour, in the evening, and at cockcrow. 2. Give thanks in the morning because the Lord has given you light by chasing away the darkness and by bringing forth the day. 3. At the third hour because at this time the Lord was sentenced by Pontius Pilate. 4. At the sixth hour because at this hour he was crucified. 5. At the ninth hour because at this time when the Lord was on the cross all [creation] was shaken,263 horrified at the rashness of the godless Jews and unable to bear the outrage afflicted on the Lord. 6. In the evening give thanks because you have been given the night to rest from the labors of the day. 7. At cockcrow because this hour announces that day is at hand during which we carry out the works of light.264 8. If it is impossible to gather at the church because of the unbelievers, gather in a house, O bishop, so that those who are godly may not gather with the ungodly,265 for the place does not sanctify the people; it is just the opposite. 9. If the ungodly occupy a place, you should avoid it since they have profaned it. For just as holy priests sanctify a place, so do the accursed profane it. 10. If you are unable to gather either in a house or in a church, each person is to sing, read, and pray in his or her own home; or better yet, two or three should do so together, “for where two or three are gathered in my name,” says the Lord, “I am there among them.”266 11. A believer is not to pray with a catechumen, not even at home; for it is not fitting that a baptized person be defiled by gathering with a nonbaptized person. 12. The godly person will not pray with a heretic, not even at home, for “what fellowship is there between light and darkness?”267 13. A believing man or woman having intercourse with a slave is to cease doing this or be sent away. [Evening office or the lucernarium] VIII.xxxv.1. And I, James—the brother of Christ according to the flesh268 1822 but his servant269 in that he is the only begotten Son of God—made bishop of Jerusalem by Christ and by the apostles, prescribe this. 2. When evening arrives, O bishop, gather the members of the Church, and once the psalm for the lighting of the lamps has been prayed, the deacon will request prayers for the catechumens, the possessed, the baptismal candidates, and the penitents, as we indicated above. VIII.xxxvi.1. After these have been dismissed, the deacon says, “All you 1823 faithful, pray to God.” Then after the first prayer has been said, he adds— 1824 VIII.xxxvi.2. “O God, through your Christ save us and raise us up.” 3. Standing, we ask that the Lord be compassionate and merciful and that he 263. See Matt 27:46, 51.  264. See Rom 13:12–13.  265. See Ps 26:5.  266. Matt 18:20.  267. 2 Cor 6:14.  268. See Gal 1:19.  269. See Jas 1:1.

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send the angel of peace; we request what is good and useful, a Christian end, a peaceful and sinless evening, and a blameless life. We recommend ourselves and one another to the living God through his Christ. VIII.xxxvii.1. Then the bishop prays, saying— VIII.xxxvii.2. “You are the eternal God, the Creator and protector of all things through Christ, but above all his God and Father, the Lord of the Spirit and king of every intelligent and rational [being]. You have created the day for the works of light; the night, considering our weakness, is a time for us to rest. For ‘yours is the day, yours also is the night; you established the luminaries and the sun.’270 Lord, you love all people and all that is good. Favorably receive our evening thanksgiving. 3. You guided us throughout the course of this day, and you led us to the beginning of the night. Protect us through your Christ. Grant us a peaceful evening as well as a night without sin and bad dreams. Graciously judge us to be worthy of eternal life through your Christ. Through him glory, honor, and power be to you in the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.” VIII.xxxvii.4. Then the deacon says, “Bow for the imposition of hands.” VIII.xxxvii.5. The bishop prays as follows— “God of our fathers, Lord of mercy, ‘in your wisdom you formed humankind,’271 namely, these intelligent living beings whom you prefer to all that lives upon the earth. You have given them power272 over all that exists upon the earth. By your will you have established rulers and priests, the former to protect life, the latter for lawful worship. 6. Almighty Lord, look down and ‘let your face shine upon your servants’273 who bow in their hearts. Bless them through Christ, through whom you made the light of knowledge shine upon us and whom you revealed to us. Through him fitting worship is forever owed you by every intelligent and holy nature, in the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete. Amen.” VIII.xxxvii.7. The deacon says, “Go in peace.”

[Morning office] VIII.xxxviii.1. Likewise in the morning after reciting the morning psalm274 and after having dismissed the catechumens, the possessed, the baptismal candidates, and the penitents, and after the customary prayer—we need not repeat it—the deacon adds the following after the “Save them, O God, and restore them to your grace.” 1832 VIII.xxxviii.2. “We beseech the Lord to show pity and mercy: for a peaceful and sinless morning and day; for the same throughout the span of our short earthly journey; for the angel of peace; for a Christian end; and that God be merciful and kind. We recommend ourselves and others to the living God through his only-begotten Son. 1833 VIII.xxxviii.3. Then the bishop prays, saying— 1831

270. Ps 74:16.  271. Wis 9:2.  272. See Ps 63.  273. Ps 31:16.  274. Namely, Ps 63.

77. Apostolic Constitutions  273 VIII.xxxviii.4.”’God of the spirits and of all flesh,’275 incomparable and needing nothing, you have given ‘the sun to rule over the day and the moon and stars to rule over the night.’276 Graciously look upon us; accept our morning thanksgiving; be merciful to us since we have not ‘spread out our hands to a strange god.’277 5. For ‘there is no foreign god among us,’278 but you alone are eternal and without end. Through Christ you have granted us our very being, and through him you have given us joy. Likewise through him deem us worthy of eternal life. Through him be glory, honor, and worship to you in the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.” VIII.xxxix.1. The deacon says, “Bow for the imposition of hands.” VIII.xxxix.2. The bishop prays, saying— VIII.xxxix.3. “Faithful and truthful God, you ‘show mercy to thousands’279 and tens of thousands ‘of those who love you.’280 You are a friend to the lowly and a defender of the poor. All things need you, for all things serve you. 4. Look upon your people here present who bow their heads before you. Bless them with a spiritual blessing. ‘Guard them as the apple of the eye.’281 Keep them in godliness and justice. Deem them worthy of eternal life in Christ Jesus your beloved servant. Through him glory, honor, and worship be to you in the Holy Spirit now, always, forever and ever. Amen.” VIII.xxxix.5. The deacon says, “Go in peace.” [Thanksgiving for the first fruits] VIII.xl.1. At the offering of the first fruits, the bishop gives thanks as follows— VIII.xl.2. “’We give you thanks, Almighty Lord,’282 Creator and protector of all things, through your servant Jesus Christ, the only-begotten One, our Lord. We do so for the first fruits that are offered to you, doing so not as we should but as we are able. 3. Who among us can worthily give thanks for all you have given us to share? ‘God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob,’283 and of all the holy ones, you brought all things to maturity through your Word. You commanded the earth to produce all types of fruit for our enjoyment and nourishment. You gave fodder to the heavier and duller animals, greenery to the herbivorous animals, meat to some, grain to others; but to us you have given corn and other various products as useful and fitting food, some for our customary use, others for reasons of health, and still others for pleasure. 4. For this reason you are worthy of our hymns, being so because of your goodness toward all through Christ. Through him be glory, honor, and worship to you in the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.” [Prayer for the deceased] VIII.xli.1. For those who rest in Christ, after the requests of the first prayer—we need not repeat it—the deacon again adds— 275. Num 16:22.  276. Ps 136:8, 9; see Gen 1:16.  277. Ps 44:20.  278. Ps 81:9.  279. See Exod 20:6.  280. Ibid.  281. Ps 17:8.  282. Rev 11:17.  283. Exod 3:6.

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VIII.xli.2. “Let us pray for our brethren who rest in Christ; let us pray for the repose of such a person so that God, friend of humankind, may receive his or her soul, forgive every voluntary and involuntary sin, show kindness and favor, and admit him or her into the company of the godly departed who rest in the bosom of Abraham,284 of Isaac, of Jacob, and with all who from the beginning have pleased him285 and done his will; may they rest in that place where ‘there will no longer be sorrow, sadness, and sighing.’286 Let us stand. We recommend ourselves and others to the eternal God through his Word who was in the beginning.”287 VIII.xli.3. Then the bishop says— VIII.xli.4. “By nature you are immortal and without end. All beings, both mortal and immortal, have come forth from you. You created humankind, living and intelligent, inhabitants of the world, mortal in constitution. To it you promised resurrection. You did not permit Henock and Elias to be subject to death. O ‘God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob,288 you are not the God of the dead but of the living,’ for the souls of ‘all the living’289 are with you; ‘the souls of the righteous are in your hand, and no torment will ever touch them’290 since ‘all the holy ones are in your charge.’291 5. Look down now upon this servant whom you have chosen and sent ahead to another state. Grant pardon if any sin, whether voluntary or involuntary, has been committed. Send friendly angels to this person. Allow [your servant] to enter the company of the patriarchs, the prophets, the apostles, and of all those who from the beginning of the world have pleased you, there where exists neither ‘sorrow’ nor ‘sadness’ nor ‘sighing’292 in the resting place of the godly and in the land of the upright, a land dedicated to you and which is the dwelling place of those who gaze upon the glory of your Christ.293 Through him glory, honor, worship, thanksgiving, and adoration be to you in the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.” VIII.xli.6. The deacon says, “Bow for the blessing.” VIII.xli.7. The bishop gives thanks for them as follows— VIII.xli.8. “Lord, ‘save your people and bless your inheritance’294 which you have gained by ‘the precious blood of your Christ.’295 Pasture them under your right hand. ‘Protect them under your wings’296 and allow them to ‘fight the good fight, to finish the race, to keep the faith’297 with neither deviation nor blame nor reproach. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your beloved servant. Through him glory, honor, and worship be to you in the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.” [Commemorating the deceased] VIII.xlii.1. The third day of death is celebrated with psalms and prayers because of him who rose on the third day. 2. Also the ninth day to console 284. See Luke 16:22.  285. See Gen 5:24.  286. Isa 35:10.  287. See John 1:1–2.  288. Exod 3:6.  289. Luke 20:38.  290. Wis 3:1.  291. Deut 33:3.  292. Isa 35:10.  293. See John 17:24.  294. Ps 28:9.  295. 1 Pet 1:19.  296. Ps 17:8.  297. 2 Tim 4:7.

77. Apostolic Constitutions  275 those who survive and to remember the deceased. 3. The thirtieth day according to the ancient example, for on this day the people mourned for Moses.298 4. And the anniversary in memory of the deceased person. 5. In remembrance of the dead person, some of his or her goods are distributed to the poor. VIII.xliii.1. We say this concerning the godly. But as to the ungodly, even if you give to the poor the goods of the entire world, in no way will this benefit the deceased. 2. For if the divine was an enemy throughout the person’s whole lifetime, the same evidently remains so after death. For “there is no justification in him.”299 3. In fact, “the Lord is righteous and loves righteous deeds.”300 And behold, “the man and his work.”301 [Conduct at funeral meals] VIII.xliv.1. When you are invited to commemorations of the dead, eat moderately and with fear of God so that you also are able to intercede for the deceased. Presbyters and deacons, be vigilant at all times,302 both regarding yourselves and others so that you can correct those who behave badly. 2. For Scripture says, “Rulers are irascible; they are not to drink wine lest while drinking it they forget wisdom and are unable to judge fairly.”303 But after almighty God and his beloved Son, those who rule the Church are the presbyters and the deacons. 3. We say this not so they refrain from drinking since this would insult what God has created for the sake of our joy,304 but so that they do not become intoxicated. Scripture does not forbid the drinking of wine, but what does it say? Not to drink wine unto drunkenness.305 Also, “Spines grow in the hand of the drunkard.”306 4. We say this not only concerning clerics but also in regard to every Christian layperson on whom “was invoked the name”307 of our Lord Jesus Christ. For it is also said concerning them: “For whom are the curses? For whom the uproar? For whom the sharp words and disputes? For whom the livid eyes? For whom the empty blows? Are they not for those who linger over wine and frequent places where drinking occurs?”308 [Ecclesiastical discipline] VIII.xlvi.1. As a group we prescribe the following. All are to remain in the rank assigned them, not exceeding its limits, since these ranks come from God and not from us. “Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”309 2. Now if good order is observed by inanimate creatures like the night, the day, the sun, the moon, the stars, the elements, the seasons, the months, the weeks, the days, the hours, and if they guarantee their 298. See Deut 34:8.  299. John 7:18.  300. Ps 11:7.  301. Isa 62:11.  302. See 1 Pet 4:7; 5:8.  303. Prov 31:4–5.  304. See Sir 31:27.  305. See Tob 4:15.  306. Prov 26:9.  307. Jas 2:7.  308. Prov 23:29–30.  309. Luke 10:16.

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276  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East services following predetermined arrangements [.  .  .], then with all the more reason you should not allow yourself to disturb what we have established for you according to God’s will. 1852 VIII.xlvi.3. Many believed this to be unimportant. They dare confuse the orders and disturb the ordination regulated for each by appropriating to themselves responsibilities greater than those given to them. Like absolute masters, they allow themselves to give what they have no power to give; they anger God as did the partisans of Korah310 and as did King Uzziah311 who, lacking authority and scorning God’s will, assumed the priesthood. The first were burned with fire; the other was afflicted with leprosy on his forehead. They also anger Christ Jesus, the author of our institutions, and they ‘grieve the Holy Spirit’312 by rendering his testimony useless. 4. We rightly foresee the dangers brought about by those acting in this fashion; also the disorders in the sacrifices and the thanksgivings that will arise from being godlessly offered by those to whom such is forbidden and who consider the high priestly dignity as a game even though it means imitating the “high priest Jesus”313 Christ, our King. We believe it necessary to address this warning to you, “for some have already turned away,”314 allowing themselves to be led astray by their own vanity. 1853 VIII.xlvi.5. We say that “Moses—the servant”315 of God with whom God spoke “face to face as one speaks to a friend”316 and to whom he said, “I have known you and prefer you above all,”317 and to whom he spoke not through signs, dreams, angels, or riddles, but in person when Moses promulgated the divine legislation—we say that Moses distinguished between what the high priests are to do, what the priests are to do, and what the Levites are to do, assigning to each a proper ministry corresponding to his function. 6. But what the high priests were commanded to do, the priests were not allowed to do; the Levites were not to do what the priests were to do; each respected the boundaries of the services given him. Now if anyone desired to go beyond the limits of the office he received, death was the punishment.318 7. This was especially made clear by what Saul attempted to do. Thinking he could offer sacrifice in the absence of Samuel the prophet and high priest, he incurred an unforgivable sin and curse even though he had been anointed king by the prophet who was no less angry.319 8. By a still more striking intervention God called attention to the affair of Uzziah by immediately punishing him for his iniquity;320 and he who foolishly arrogated to himself the high priestly function was also deprived of his kingship. 9. Certainly you are not unaware of what took place among us; you know perfectly well that bishops, presbyters, and deacons were made such by you through prayer and the imposition of hands, and that the difference of their names reveals a difference of 310. See Num 16.  311. 2 Chr 26:16–21.  312. Eph 4:30.  313. Heb 4:14.  314. 1 Tim 5:15.  315. Num 12:7.  316. Exod 33:11.  317. Exod 33:17.  318. See Num 4.  319. See 1 Sam 13.  320. See 2 Chr 26.

77. Apostolic Constitutions  277 their functions. For among us “he did not lay his hand upon all who so desired”321—as was true for the adulterous and rebellious priesthood of the calves under Jeroboam—”but upon him who is called by God.”322 VIII.xlvi.10. If there were no legislation, no distinction of orders, it would have sufficed to group everything together under one name; but instructed by the Lord as to a hierarchy of functions, we assigned to the bishops the function of the high priest, to the presbyters that of the priest, and to the deacons the service of each of these, so that worship may be correctly celebrated. 11. The deacon is not allowed to offer sacrifice, to baptize, to give a blessing whether it be small or large. Nor is a presbyter allowed to ordain since doing so would be an act of impiety that upsets what has been ordered. 12. God “is not a god of disorder,”323 allowing those who are subordinate to take upon themselves powers belonging to higher ranks and thus inventing a new legislation to their misfortune since they do not know that for them “it is hard to kick against the goad.”324 These people are not attacking us or the bishops but the universal bishop, the high priest of the Father, namely, Jesus Christ our Savior. 13. Moses, God’s beloved, appointed the high priests, the priests, and the Levites;325 then our Lord appointed us, the thirteen apostles; then the apostles would institute us—I, Clement [of Rome], and I, James [of Jerusalem], and the others with us—so that we would not have to name them all again; finally we together would appoint presbyters, deacons, subdeacons, and readers. VIII.xlvi.14. But the first of these, Christ the only-begotten, by nature a high priest, did not unlawfully claim this honor for himself;326 he was appointed such by the Father. Christ took on flesh for our sake; by offering a spiritual sacrifice to his God and Father he, before suffering, commanded that we alone perform this sacrifice327 even though others among us believed in him. And so in no way does it follow that each believer was immediately instituted a priest or obtained the high-priestly dignity. 15. After the Lord’s ascension we—offering the pure and unbloody sacrifice as he commanded—appointed bishops, priests, and deacons to the number of seven.328 16. One of these was Stephen, the blessed martyr; because of his good relationship with God he was not inferior to us; by his faith he showed his piety toward God and his love of our Lord Jesus Christ for whom he gave up his life when he was stoned by the Jews, those who murdered Christ. Yet such a man, so heroic, who overflowed with the Holy Spirit329 and who saw Christ at God’s right hand and the heavens being opened,330 never did anything that did not pertain to the diaconate; for example, he did not offer the sacrifice or impose hands on someone; he remained a deacon to the end; and so it was that the martyr respected 321. 1 Kgs 13:33.  322. Heb 5:4.  323. 1 Cor 14:33.  324. Acts 26:14.  325. See Exod 28; 29.  326. See Heb 5:4.  327. See Luke 22:19.  328. See Acts 6:5–6.  329. See Acts 18:25.  330. See Acts 7:55–56.

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278  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East the Church’s good order. 17. Those who act on the authority of Philip the deacon and Ananias331 our faithful brother because Philip baptized the eunuch and Ananias baptized me, namely, Paul, misunderstand our words. What we are affirming, in fact, is that no one can arrogate for himself the priestly function; this he receives from God332 as did Melchizedek,333 or from a high priest as did Aaron from Moses;334 and so Philip and Ananias did not appoint themselves but were chosen by Christ, the high priest of the incomparable God. 1856 1857

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[Apostolic Canons] VIII.xlvii.1. A bishop is ordained by two or three bishops; a presbyter by one bishop; the same for a deacon and the other clerics. VIII.xlvii.2. If contrary to the Lord’s prescriptions on sacrifice, a bishop or a priest offers upon God’s altar something else, namely, honey or milk or even fabricated drinks in place of wine, or even birds, animals, or vegetables, contrary to what is commanded, he is to be deposed. VIII.xlvii.3. Let no one bring anything to the altar except, at the time desired, the new corn or grapes and oil for the holy lamp and incense for the time of the divine sacrifice. VIII.xlvii.4. All other harvest products, like the first fruits for the bishop and presbyters, are intended for domestic use and not for the altar; it is evident that the bishop and the priests also share these with the deacons and the other clerics. VIII.xlvii.5. A bishop, a priest, or a deacon will not divorce his wife under the pretext of piety; if he does so, he is to be excommunicated; should he persist, he is to be deposed. VIII.xlvii.6. A bishop, a presbyter, or a deacon is not to concern himself with worldly affairs; otherwise, he is to be deposed. VIII.xlvii.7. If a bishop, presbyter, or deacon celebrates the holy day of the Pasch before the spring equinox, as do the Jews, he is to be deposed. VIII.xlvii.8. If a bishop, a presbyter, or a deacon, or anyone on the clerical list does not receive Communion after the offering takes place and yet gives a reason for this, pardon will be granted should it be appropriate; but if he does not offer a reason, he is to be excommunicated, for he has harmed the people and has placed under suspicion the one who offered as if the latter did not offer correctly. VIII.xlvii.9. All the faithful who enter and hear the Scriptures but do not remain for the prayer and holy Communion are to be excommunicated, for they cause disorder in the Church. VIII.xlvii.10. Whoever prays, even at home, with a person who has been excommunicated is to be excluded. VIII.xlvii.11. A cleric who prays with a deposed cleric as if the latter were still a cleric is also to be deposed. 331. See Acts 8–9.  332. See Heb 5:4.  333. See Gen 14:18.  334. See Num 17.

77. Apostolic Constitutions  279 VIII.xlvii.17. Whoever has married a second time after baptism or has taken a concubine cannot be a bishop, a presbyter, or a deacon, nor can his name in any way be inscribed on the clerical list. VIII.xlvii.18. Whoever “marries a widow, a divorced woman,”335 a courtesan, a servant, or an actress, cannot be a bishop, a presbyter, or a deacon, or in any way be inscribed on the clerical list. VIII.xlvii.19. Whoever has married two sisters or his niece cannot become a cleric. VIII.xlvii.21. A eunuch who has become so through human cruelty or has been deprived of his virility in a persecution, or who has been born such, is to be admitted to the episcopate if he is worthy. VIII.xlvii.22. A man who has castrated himself is not to become a cleric, for he is his own murderer and an enemy of God’s creation. VIII.xlvii.26. The unmarried among the clergy who wish to marry are not allowed to do so, the exception being readers and singers. VIII.xlvii.27. A bishop, a presbyter, or a deacon inflicting blows upon believers who have sinned or on unbelievers who have done evil, with the desire to inspire fear, is to be deposed, for the Lord never taught us to do this; on the contrary, the Lord when struck did not strike back; “when he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten.”336 VIII.xlvii.29. A bishop, a presbyter, or a deacon who has attained his dignity through money is to be deposed, he and whoever has ordained him; may he be completely separated from communion as Simon the Magician was by me, Peter.337 VIII.xlvii.31. A presbyter who is scornful of his bishop and who holds a separate assembly, who erects another altar, and who has no reason to reproach his bishop in regard to faith and righteousness, is to be deposed as someone who loves power, for he is a tyrant; the same holds true for other clerics insofar as they side with him. Laics are to be excommunicated. But this is not to be done till after a first, second,338 or even a third warning by the bishop. VIII.xlvii.35. A bishop will not venture to ordain outside his own district, in cities or areas that do not belong to him. If he is convicted of having done so without the permission of those responsible for these places, he is to be deposed together with those he ordained. VIII.xlvii.36. Whoever is ordained a bishop but does not tend to the ministry and care of the people entrusted to him is to be excommunicated till he assumes his responsibility; the same is true for the presbyter and the deacon. But if upon his arrival no one receives him—not from his own doing but from the ill-nature of the people—he remains bishop, but the clergy of the city will be excommunicated for not having better instructed this unruly people.

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VIII.xlvii.37. Bishops will hold assemblies twice a year in order to study together the teachings of the faith and to resolve any ecclesial disputes that might follow; the first assembly is to be held during the fourth week of the Fifty Days, the second on the twelfth of Hypeberetaos [October]. VIII.xlvii.39. Presbyters and deacons will do nothing without the bishop’s consent since the Lord’s people have been entrusted to the bishop, who will have to give an accounting of their souls. VIII.xlvii.41. We command that the bishop is to have power over the Church’s goods; for if it is fitting to entrust him with precious human souls, it is all the more necessary that he have at his disposal resources so that under his authority everything be administered and distributed to the needy by the priests and deacons, doing so with fear of God and in all godliness. The bishop himself may also take whatever is necessary for his own needs and for helping the brethren who receive hospitality so that they may not lack anything. According to God’s law those who serve the altar are to live from the altar339 just as no soldier serves at his own expense340 to fight the enemy. VIII.xlvii.45. A bishop, a presbyter, or a deacon who has simply prayed with heretics is to be excommunicated; if he has allowed them to function as clerics, he is to be deposed. VIII.xlvii.46. A bishop or a presbyter who permits heretics to baptize or to offer sacrifice is to be deposed. “For what accord does Christ have with Beliar? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?”341 VIII.xlvii.47. A bishop or a presbyter who rebaptizes a person who has been truly baptized, or who refuses to baptize someone who has been polluted by the impious, is to be deposed because he mocks the Lord’s cross and death and does not differentiate between [true] priests and false priests. VIII.xlvii.48. A layman who divorces his wife and marries another or who marries a woman whom another man has divorced is to be excommunicated. VIII.xlvii.49. A bishop or a priest who does not baptize in the [name of] “the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”342 as the Lord commanded but in [the name of] three “without beginning” or in three sons or in three Paracletes is to be deposed. VIII.xlvii.50. A bishop or a presbyter who does not perform the three immersions of the one baptism but only one immersion given unto the death of the Lord343 is to be deposed, for the Lord did not say, “Baptize unto my death,” but “Go, teach all nations and baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”344 The person baptized will be taught that the uncreated God has not been crucified and has not undergone human birth since, being independent, 339. See Deut 18.  340. See 1 Cor 9:7, 13.  341. 2 Cor 6:15.  342. Matt 28:19.  343. See Rom 6:3.  344. Matt 28:19.

77. Apostolic Constitutions  281 he did not submit to another’s will. Also teach that the Paraclete did not become man, that he did not in this way enter the world, and that not being of flesh he did not undergo the Passion since he was not incarnate. Only the only-begotten Son delivered the world from imminent wrath;345 he became man out of love for us by taking unto himself a body from a virgin as a creator. “Wisdom has built herself a house.”346 He voluntarily suffered upon the cross347 with the consent of the Father. As high priest he freed the world from impending wrath.348 t And so we baptize in the name of the Father, not as if he became human or suffered, or as if he were some type of high priest, but insofar as he is the sovereign master who agreed to be born, who consented to the Passion, and who welcomed the mediation of the high priest. We baptize in the name of the Son not as if he were the sovereign master, not as if he had welcomed, not as if he had consented, but in that he accepted being born, being crucified, dying, and being raised. We baptize in the name of the Paraclete, not as being Father or Son, but in that he witnesses God’s goodness and consent and the submission in all of the Only-Begotten. To be deposed are those who do not baptize in this fashion because they do not know the mystery of faith. Whoever affirms that the Father has suffered commits a greater impiety than did the Jews, for such a person crucifies the Father with Christ. Whoever denies that the only-begotten Son became flesh for us and submitted to the cross349 is an enemy of God and of the holy ones. Whoever gives the name of Father or Son to the Paraclete is ignorant and stupid, for this is to declare the minister of the Only-Begotten—who is the co-creator, the co-protector, the co-legislator, the co-judge, the co-author of the resurrection, and the high priest—to be equal in honor to the Father or to the Son. It is to profess two “without beginning.” It is to recognize two fathers, misunderstanding the words, “The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.”350 In our own time Simon the Magician spewed forth these teachings, inspiring the people with the spirit of ill-conduct, of trouble, and of perversion; he foolishly said that there was only a single God having three names; he even went so far as to eliminate Christ’s passion and birth. You then, O bishops, are to immerse three times in one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,351 in conformity with the Lord’s will and our prescriptions in the Spirit. VIII.xlvii.52. A bishop or a presbyter who does not welcome but turns away a person who was converted from sin is to be deposed since he grieves Christ, who said, “There will be joy in heaven over one sinner who repents.”352 t. This paragraph and the following two paragraphs are a later gloss on canon 50. 345. See 1 Thess 1:10.  346. Prov 9:1.  347. See Heb 12:2.  348. 1 Thess 1:10.  349. See Heb 12:2.  350. Deut 6:4.  351. See Matt 28:19.  352. Luke 15:7.

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VIII.xlvii.53. A bishop, a presbyter, or a deacon who does not take meat or wine on feast days is to be deposed since “his conscience is seared with a hot iron,”353 and he has scandalized many. VIII.xlvii.58. A bishop or a presbyter who neglects the clergy or the people and does not teach them the faith is to be excommunicated; if he persists in his negligence, he is to be deposed. VIII.xlvii.60. Anyone who spreads throughout the Church books of the impious with misleading titles and presents them as holy, doing so to the perdition of the people and the clergy, is to be deposed. VIII.xlvii.61. The believer accused and convicted of fornication, adultery, or any other forbidden act, will not be admitted to the clergy. VIII.xlvii.64. A cleric found to be fasting on the Lord’s Day or on Saturday, with the exception of a single Saturday, will be deposed; a layperson doing this will be excommunicated. VIII.xlvii.65. A cleric or a layperson attending a gathering of Jews or of heretics in order to pray is to be excommunicated. VIII.xlvii.68. A bishop, a presbyter, or a deacon who is ordained a second time is to be deposed as well as the person ordaining him unless it can be proven that his former ordination was performed by heretics; those baptized or ordained by such people can be neither members of the faithful nor clerics. VIII.xlvii.69. A bishop, a presbyter, a deacon, a subdeacon, a reader, or a singer who refuses to fast during the holy forty days or on Friday or on Wednesday is to be deposed unless he is impaired by bodily weakness; a layperson is to be excommunicated. VIII.xlvii.70. A bishop or another cleric who fasts with the Jews, celebrates feasts with them, or accepts gifts—like unleavened bread or anything else of this kind—is to be deposed; a layperson is to be excommunicated. VIII.xlvii.71. A Christian who offers oil or even lamps at a pagan sanctuary or at a Jewish synagogue is to be excommunicated. VIII.xlvii.72. A cleric or a layperson who steals beeswax or oil in the holy church is to be excommunicated and “should add one-fifth”354 to what has been taken. VIII.xlvii.73. None are to transfer to their own use sanctified objects made of silver or gold or of fine cloth; this is against the law; anyone caught doing so is to be punished by excommunication. VIII.xlvii.76. A bishop is not to confer the high episcopal office upon his brother or son or another relative, nor is he to ordain whomsoever he pleases, for it is not proper that he pass on the episcopal office as if it were an inheritance by giving God’s goods according to human feelings; God’s Church must not be considered as being under inheritance laws; invalid

353. 1 Tim 4:2.  354. Lev 5:16.

77. Apostolic Constitutions  283 is the ordination of anyone acting in this way, and he himself will be punished with excommunication. VIII.xlvii.77. A sick person, one with failing eyesight, or a cripple is worthy of the episcopate and is to be admitted; for defects of the body cannot defile him, only the stains of the soul. VIII.xlvii.78. A deaf-mute or a blind man is not to become a bishop; not that he is defiled but so that the Church’s affairs may not suffer. VIII.xlvii.79. A man who is possessed is not to become a cleric; furthermore, he should not even pray with the faithful; but once purified, he is to be received; and if he is worthy, he may become a cleric. VIII.xlvii.80. A person coming from paganism and who has just been baptized or someone who formerly led an evil life should not be immediately raised to the episcopate.355 It is not right that someone who has not yet been tested should teach others unless perhaps this is the result of divine grace. VIII.xlvii.82. A domestic is not to be chosen as a cleric without the permission of his master; doing so would harm those who purchased him; it would also disturb the household. Should it happen that a domestic appears worthy of ordination to a [hierarchical] degree as was true for our Onesimus,356 he is to be ordained if the master gives his consent, discharges him, and dismisses him from his house. VIII.xlvii.85. All of you, clerics and laity alike, are to venerate and hold as sacred the books of the Old Testament:357 five of Moses; that of Joshua son of Num; that of Judges; that of Ruth; the four of Kings; the two of the Paralipomenon of the Book of Days; the two of Esdras; that of Esther; that of Judith; the four of the Maccabees; that of Job; the Book of the 151 Psalms; the five books of Solomon; and the sixteen prophets. As to our books, namely, those of the New Testament:358 the four Gospels as we have said above, namely, that of Matthew, of Mark, of Luke, and of John; the fourteen letters of Paul; that of James; the three of John; that of Jude; the two of Peter; the two of Clement; and the Constitutions in eight books which we have transmitted to you, the bishops, through me, Clement, and which are not to be divulged to the whole world because of the mysteries contained therein; and our own Acts of the Apostles. [Final Exhortation] VIII.xlviii.1. O bishops, this is what we have again commanded you in regard to the canons. 2. “Observing them, you will be saved and know peace; but if you disobey them, you will be punished and will engage one another in continual warfare, undergoing a punishment fitting your obstinacy. 3. God, the only uncreated one, the maker of all things through Christ, will unite all of us through his peace in the Holy Spirit; he ‘makes’ you ‘complete in all that is good,’359 free from deviation, blame, and 355. See 1 Tim 3:6; Titus 1:6.  356. See Phlm 10; Col 4:9.  357. See 2 Cor 3:14.  358. See 2 Cor 3:6.  359. Heb 13:21.

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284  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East reproach. May he grant you eternal life with us through the mediation of his servant, the well-beloved Jesus Christ, our God and Savior. Through whom glory be to him, the God and Father above all, in the Holy Spirit the Paraclete, now, always, and forever and ever. Amen.” 78. Epiphanius of Salamis

Born ca. 315 in the town of Besanduche near Eleutheropolis in Judaea, Epiphanius spent time in Egypt, where he became involved in the monastic movement, later establishing a monastery near his birthplace in Judaea. He even continued to govern this foundation after 367 when the bishops of Cyprus elected him bishop of Constantia (today Salamis). Epiphanius remained metropolitan of that island till his death during a journey by sea in 403. Skilled in numerous languages, Epiphanius nonetheless rejected Hellenic learning and literary style as well as theological speculation. Accordingly, his writing appealed to the less educated. A firm and contentious opponent of Origen (WEC 1:43) and Origenism in particular, Epiphanius was no less involved in numerous theological controversies of the day. Purity of faith, understood as Nicene orthodoxy, was the hallmark of this bishop, whose writings have often been criticized as being inaccurate, superficial, often disjointed, and deficient in both spirit and content. On the other hand, Epiphanius has preserved for us much source material that otherwise would have been lost. CPG 2: nos. 3744ff. * Altaner (1961) 365–68 * Altaner (1966) 315–18 * Bardenhewer (1908) 310–15 * Bardenhewer (1910) 288–91 * Bardenhewer (1913) 3:293–302 * Bardy (1929) 121–24 * Bautz 1:1521–22 * Hamell 109–11 * Jurgens 2:67–77 * Quasten 3:384–96 * Steidle 106–8 * Tixeront 193–94 * CATH 4:320–22 * CE 13:393 * CHECL 286–88 * DCB 2:149–56 * DHGE 15:617–31 * DictSp 4.1:854–61 * DPAC 1:1162–64 * DTC 5.1:363–65 * EC 5:428 * EEC 1:281–82 * EEChr 1:380–81 * LTK 3:723–25 * NCE 5:478–79 * NCES 5:292–93 * ODCC 553 * PEA (1894) 6.1:193–94 * PEA (1991) 3:1152–53 * RACh 5:909–27 K. Holl, “Die Schriften des Epiphanius gegen die Bilderverelung,” Sitzungsberichte der preussichen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin (Berlin, 1916) 828–68, repr. in his Gesammelte Aufsätze zu Kirchengeschichte, vol. 2 (Tübingen, 1928) 351–87. * H. Engberding, “Zur griechischen Epiphanusliturgie,” Mus 74 (1961) 135–42. * C. Vagaggini, “L’ordinazione delle diaconesse nella tradizione greca e bizantina,” OCP 40 (1974) 145–89.

78-A. The Well-Anchored Man† The Well-Anchored Man (Ancoratus), written in 374 at the request of Christians living in Syedra in Pamphylia (southern Asia Minor), is a †

Translated from PG 43:118.

78. Epiphanius of Salamis  285 compendium of Christian dogma, serving as an “anchor” of faith against numerous heresies (e.g., that of the Arians, the Manichaeans, the Marcionites, to name but a few). The treatise is especially noted for its inclusion of two creeds. First, there is the baptismal creed (cxix) of Constantia (introduced in that city shortly before Epiphanius became its bishop), a formula standing in the literary tradition of the profession redacted at the Council of Nicaea (325) and eventually becoming with significant alterations the baptismal creed of the East. The second and longer formula (cxx) is one composed by Epiphanius himself. lvii. [.  .  .] The Savior took bread into his hands, and once he had given thanks, he said, “This is my body [.  .  .].” It is not equal or akin to a bodily image or to an invisible deity, or to the arrangement of the members of the body. It is round in shape, lacking feeling as far as its power is concerned. He wanted to say that “this is my body” by means of grace. [.  .  .] No one should refuse to believe what he said. Those who do not believe that the Savior speaks the truth separate themselves from grace and salvation. What we have heard, we believe, namely, that it is his Body and Blood. [.  .  .]

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78-B. Panarion† Listing and combating the heterodox was, as it were, a cottage industry during the early centuries of the Church. The Panarion (in Latin literally a “breadbox” or as Epiphanius—perhaps following common usage—understood it, a “medicine box”) was his contribution to this literary genre since the treatise provides, as the author envisioned it, a medicine or antidote against the poisonous doctrines of those he considered dangerous, if not heretics. Written 374–77, the work is divided into three books, each having various subsections. Some eighty heresies are discussed, the first twenty from the pre-Christian era and including pagan philosophical schools as well as Jewish religious groups.

78-b-1. book i. section 1. heresy 8a vi. [.  .  .] The Law prescribed bodily circumcision, which was long practiced till it was followed by a greater circumcision, namely, baptism through which we are separated from our sins and signed in God’s name. Furthermore, the Law had the Sabbath which prepared for that great Sabbath, namely, the rest observed by Christ the Lord, so that while ceasing from sin we might celebrate a certain Sabbath in Christ. [.  .  .]

Translated from PG 41:213ff.; 42:353ff. a. The group treated in Heresy 8 is that of the Epicureans, followers of a philosophical system of ethics, founded by Epicureus (342–270 b.c.) and holding that the senses are the only source of truth. †

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78-b-2. book i. section 2. heresy 29b vii. [.  .  .] These [the Nazoreans] differ from both Jews and Christians. They are unlike the Jews because they believe in Christ; they are unlike the Christians since they still engage in Jewish practices like circumcision, observance of the Sabbath, and other ceremonies. 1915 ix. [.  .  .] The Jews not only show great hatred toward them but in the morning, at noon, and in the evening, namely, the three times each day when they gather in their synagogues for prayer, they curse and anathamatize them. [.  .  .] 1914

78-b-3. book i. section 2. heresy 30c ii. Ebion was their [the Nazoreans’] contemporary and took his origin from them. First, he believed that Christ was born as the result of intercourse and by means of Joseph’s seed. And as I already stated, he was of the same opinion as the others on all matters other than his observance of the Jewish rites and ceremonies, such as the Sabbath, circumcision, and various other Jewish and Samaritan observances. [.  .  .] 1917 xvi. In addition to their daily washings they are also baptized, and imitating the sacred mysteries of the Church they celebrate the daily mysteries, using only unleavened bread; for the other part of the mysteries they use only water. [.  .  .] 1916

78-b-4. book i. section 3. heresy 42d iii. [.  .  .] He [Marcion] ordered that a fast be observed on Saturday. He celebrates the mysteries with the catechumens being present. In these mysteries he uses water, and this is why he consecrates Saturday by a fast. Since, he said, it is the God of the Jews who made this world and rested on the seventh day, let us fast on this day so that we not appear to be following the holy rites of the Jews. [.  .  .] 1919 He reached the position of allowing three baptisms because he was mocked by his disciples who were aware of his transgression of seducing virgins. Since he was in serious sin, having seduced a virgin in his home town and then having fled, he came up with the idea of his second baptism. He said it was permitted to baptize three times, namely, baptizing 1918

b. The heretics treated in Heresy 29 are the Nazoreans, members of a JudaeoChristian sect who lived in Beroea, a city in northern Syria; little is known of their beliefs and practices. c. The heretics treated in Heresy 30 are the Ebionites, members of a JudaeoChristian sect who believed that Jesus was the human son of Joseph and Mary. d. The heretics treated in Heresy 42 are the Marcionites, members of a sect founded in Rome by Marcion (d. ca. 160) who rejected the Old Testament as the foundation of Christianity, believed that God the Father of the Lord Jesus was different from the God of the Old Testament, and accepted only ten letters of Paul and an edited version of Luke’s Gospel.

78. Epiphanius of Salamis  287 for the forgiveness of sins so that if a person sins the first time, he or she may with repentance be baptized a second time; likewise a third time if one sins again after the second baptism. [.  .  .]

78-b-5. book ii. section 4. heresy 50e 1920 i. [.  .  .] Others who observe one and the same day, a day on which they fast and celebrate the mysteries, boast that it is from the Acts of Pilatef that they have learned the precise reason for this practice. These Acts, they say, state that the Savior suffered on the eighth day before the calends of April. This is why they celebrate the Pasch on whatever day the fourteenth of the month falls. Those in Cappadocia always celebrate it on the same day, namely, on the eighth day before the calends of April. Yet there is no great dissension among them, for some determine the fourteenth day of the month, others the eighth day before the calends of April. We have found copies of the same Acts of Pilate which say that Christ’s passion took place earlier than the eighth day before the calends of April. Certainly and from the truth of the matter we know that the Savior suffered prior to the thirteenth day before the calends of April. Others place it on the tenth day before the calends of April. But the Quartodecimans have fallen away from what has been prescribed. I do not wish to engage in a long discussion about this, for there is much that could be said here.

78-b-6. book ii. section 4. heresy 59g ii. Just as a person who has lost his or her virginity cannot regain it according to the flesh—this being physically impossible—so the same is true for those who sin seriously after baptism. And just as a person who falls from virginity can have continence as a secondary honor, so those who sin gravely after baptism have a secondary remedy. iv. [.  .  .] The husband of a wife who is still living and bearing children is not approved for the priesthood. But if after marriage a husband remains continent or if his wife has died and he remains a widower, he may be approved as deacon and presbyter and bishop and subdeacon, especially where the Church’s canons are observed. e. The group treated in Heresy 50 is that of the Quartodecimans, Christians who always celebrated the Christian Pasch on the fourteenth of Nisan, no matter the day of the week, and not on Sunday. f. Acts of Pilate: an apocryphal work detailing Christ’s trial, death, and resurrection, with its first section perhaps based on a second-century original. g. The heretics treated in Heresy 59 are the Novatians, members of a highly rigorist, yet orthodox, Christian community whose name is taken from the Roman cleric Novatian (d. 257/258); disappointed with the election of Cornelius in 251, Novatian joined this community, had himself ordained bishop, and became a rival of Cornelius.

1921

1922

288  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East

78-b-7. book iii. section 1. heresy 69h 1923

xi. [.  .  .] The emperor was deeply concerned about the Church since at this time its many members disagreed among each other, this resulting in any number of schisms. Consequently he called for an ecumenical council.i [.  .  .] At this council the [318 participating] bishops enacted a number of ecclesiastical canons. They also issued a decree regarding the Pasch, namely, that there is to be unanimous agreement in the celebration of this holy and most excellent day, which people observed at various times: some kept it early, others between the disputed dates, and still others afterwards. There was a great deal of controversy at the time. God, through Constantine, directed that all things be rightly ordered so that peace might reign.

78-b-8. book iii. section 1. heresy 70j ix. They [the Audians] choose to celebrate the Passover with the Jews, namely, they celebrate the Pasch at the same time the Jews are celebrating their feast of the Unleavened Bread, in this way seeming to be opposed to the Church. To be sure, such was once the Church’s former practice. But they engage in slander when they say, “At the time of Constantine you abandoned your ancestors’ paschal rite, doing so out of deference to the emperor and changing the day to suit him.” There are even some who arrogantly claim, “You’ve changed the Pasch to Constantine’s birthday.” 1925 Now if the Pasch were observed on the same day each year and the council convoked by Constantine had decided this, then what they [the Audians] say might be plausible. However, their position is meritless since the observance cannot occur on the same day each year. What concerned the emperor was not his birthday but the unity of the Church. God accomplished two very important things through Constantine of most blessed memory. The first was the ecumenical council and the publication of the creed issued at Nicaea, a profession confessed to and signed by all the bishops who gathered there so as to depose Arius and to declare to all the purity of faith. The other was establishing stability as to the day of the Pasch for the sake of our unity. 1926 Long ago, even from the earliest days, various disputes and differences arose regarding this solemnity. The result was much laughter and derision on the part of the people. Some, desiring to be different, celebrated 1924

h. The heretics treated in Heresy 69 are the Arians, followers of Arius (ca. 260–336), a priest in Alexandria, who denied the unity and consubstantiality of the three persons of the Trinity and consequently the full divinity of Christ; his opinion was condemned by the Council of Nicaea in 325. i. Namely, the Council of Nicaea in 325 (WEC 2:71-C). j. The heretics treated under Heresy 70 are the Audians, a fourth-century sect, founded in Syria by Audius, a deacon of Edessa, whose members accused the clergy of being lax and secularized.

78. Epiphanius of Salamis  289 the feast a week earlier, some a week later, some at the week’s beginning, some at its middle, and still others at its end. In a word, there existed distressful confusion and astonishment concerning the matter. This was not unknown to the learned, who knew that at various times there were diverse ecclesiastical practices as well as disputes and controversies in regard to the celebration of the feast. This was especially true at the time of Polycarpk and Victorl when those living in the East and those living in the West shared no written documents of reconciliation with each other. The same was true at other times, especially when Alexander of Alexandriam and Criscentius, writing against one another, fought most bitterly. Such disputes became more intense from the time when the bishops converted to Christ from circumcision and from the Jewish religion. Those who gathered at the Council of Nicaean carefully considered this matter and determined that the feast should be celebrated by all according to a fitting computation and calculation.

78-b-9. book iii. section 6. heresy 75o 1927 iii. [.  .  .] The teaching of Aerius—a teaching that is mad and horrible— exceeds human comprehension. He asks, “In what does a bishop differ from a presbyter? There is no difference between them. Both share one and the same order, the same honor, the same dignity. The bishop imposes hands; also the presbyter. The bishop baptizes; also the presbyter. The bishop presides at all worship; also the presbyter. The bishop sits on his throne; also the presbyter.” In this Aerius has led many of the people into error. [.  .  .] 1928 iv. Can a presbyter be called an equal of the bishop? To be sure, some excessive boldness or ambition has deceived Aerius. The following is his objection; it is that of those who deceive themselves as well as their listeners: “The apostle writes that presbyters and deacons make up the clergy, not bishops.” Speaking to a bishop, he says, “Neglect not the gift that is within you, the gift you received through the imposition of the hands of the presbyterate.”1 Elsewhere the apostle speaks of “bishops and deacons”2 so that the bishop seems to be the same as a presbyter. To be sure, Aerius was ignorant of the lineage of the truth. He was not wellversed in true history. He failed to grasp that the apostle, living at a time when the teaching of Christian truth was still recent, wrote according to the circumstances of the time; for when new bishops were made, he wrote

k. Polycarp (ca. 69–ca. 155/156): bishop of Smyrna (WEC 1:12). l. Victor: bishop of Rome 189–98. m. Alexander: bishop of Alexandria 312–28. n. Council of Nicaea (see note i above). o. The heretics treated under Heresy 75 are the Aerians, who denied any distinction in rank between presbyter and bishop; they also refused to practice the prescribed days of fasting. 1. 1 Tim 4:14.  2. Phlm 1:1.

290  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East to the “bishops and deacons.” Often enough the apostles were incapable of doing everything. In the beginning labor was entrusted to presbyters and deacons, both being able to administer the Church’s affairs. And when no one appeared worthy to be made a bishop, then no one was created a bishop for that place. But once necessity required it and there was no lack of worthy candidates, then bishops were created. Where there was no great multitude and where none could be found who might be made presbyters, the people were limited to a bishop only. There can be no bishop without a deacon. And so the apostle saw to it that when the thanksgiving is offered, deacons should attend the bishop. [.  .  .] 1929 vii. Can anything be more useful and reasonable than our custom of remembering the deceased? Its main purpose is to persuade those who are still with us that the souls of the dead are alive; they have not been destroyed. A further purpose of these prayers is to show that we have a good hope for the deceased. These prayers not only benefit the living but also are even more advantageous for the dead. Although not all sins are removed, such prayers benefit some of the sins committed in this world. We recall both sinners and the righteous: the first, to request God’s mercy on their behalf; as to the righteous, we commemorate the fathers, patriarchs, prophets, apostles, evangelists, martyrs, confessors, bishops, anchorites, and all Christians—doing so we distinguish between Jesus Christ and all creatures, giving him due worship. [.  .  .]

78-b-10. book iii. section 7. heresy 79p 1930

iii. [.  .  .] Successors to the bishops and presbyters in the house of God were appointed by the bishop of Jerusalem and by other bishops. No woman was appointed among them. [.  .  .] If it were determined that women should become priests or have any canonical function in the Catholic Church, then Mary herself, if anyone, should have ministered as a priest in the New Testament. [.  .  .] Even she was not permitted to baptize. [.  .  .] To be sure, there is an order of deaconesses in the Church. Its purpose is not that women be priests or do any type of official [liturgical?] work. Deaconesses exist to preserve the modesty of the female sex, either when women are baptized or when there is the question of examining the sick or the suffering. In this way a woman’s naked body may not be seen by men administering the holy rites but only by the deaconess appointed by the priest, the deaconess who will attend the woman when the woman’s garments are removed. The prescription as to modesty is the result of a purposeful rule, one determined by church discipline and by the canons. Wherefore the Scriptures do not allow a woman to speak in church or to exercise authority over men.3 [.  .  .] p. The heretics treated in Heresy 79 are the Collyridians, a fourth-century group of women in Arabia who offered twice-baked bread to the Virgin Mary. 3. See 1 Cor 14:34.

78. Epiphanius of Salamis  291

78-C. On Faith† The treatise On Faith (Expositio Fidei), a doctrinal summary of what Christians believe and containing twenty-four brief chapters, appears at the end of the Panarion. 1931 xxi. [.  .  .] The Church does not allow a man who has married a second time to advance to the priesthood, not even if he refrains from his wife or is a widower. He is likewise denied the rank of bishop, presbyter, deacon, and subdeacon. After these grades is that of the reader, who can be selected from all ranks, namely, from among virgins, monks, those who are continent, widows, and those bound by a lawful marriage. To be sure, if necessity requires, to be approved as readers are those who after the death of a previous spouse marry again; certainly a reader is not a priest but is, as it were, a scribe of God’s word. Deaconesses are used only for the sake of grace and respectability; they assist women, should this be necessary, whether when these women are initiated at baptism or when their bodies are examined. Deaconesses are to have been married only once and then being widowed they are to be chaste. Or they are always to have been virgins. Next are the exorcists and those who translate either the readings or the sermons from one language to another. Next are those who care for the bodies of the deceased. Then come the doorkeepers and the other ranks that have been established for the sake of good order. xxii. Long ago the apostles determined that assemblies and synaxes are 1932 to be held especially on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. On Wednesday and Friday there is a fast till the ninth hour: on Wednesday because on this day the Lord was arrested, and on Friday since this was the day of his crucifixion. And so the apostles ordered that a fast be observed on these days so as to fulfill what was written, “The day will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast on these days.”1 It is not to please him who suffered for our sake. No, the fasts were instituted so that we, for the sake of our salvation, may proclaim that the passion our Lord suffered for us might bring about our salvation and so that God might view these fasts as expiating our sins. Long ago the Catholic Church diligently observed a fast of this kind up till the ninth hour on Wednesdays throughout the year and on Fridays, but not during the fifty days of Pentecost, a time when there is no kneeling or fasting. Replacing the Wednesday and Friday services are those held early Sunday morning. There is no fasting [or kneeling] during the fifty days of Pentecost; nor is there fasting on the Epiphany, the day when our Lord was born in the flesh, not even if this day should fall on a Wednesday or on a Friday. Yet those striving after perfection, doing so admirably and laudably, take upon themselves continuous fasting and observe vigils except on Sundays

Translated from PG 42:823ff. 1. Luke 5:35. †

292  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East and the days of Pentecost. The Catholic Church has sanctified all Sundays as joyful feasts and established solemn gatherings during the morning hours; on these days there is no fasting, and so it is foolish to fast on the Lord’s Day. The Church habitually observes Quadragesima before the seven days of the Pascha, fasting each day but never on Sundays. [.  .  .] 1933 In addition, in the evening during the six days before the Pasch all the people eat dry food—namely, taking only bread, salt, and water. Some extend the fast for two, three, even four days. Others go the whole week without food till dawn on the following Sunday. They keep vigil on Saturday, celebrating synaxes on Saturday and throughout Quadragesima from the ninth hour till evening. But in some places they keep vigil only from Friday dawn till the Saturday evening before the Lord’s Day. In other places there is worship at the ninth hour on Thursday, and thus the people cease fasting. Elsewhere the divine mysteries are celebrated only on Sunday, the vigil concluding at cockcrow on the feast of the Resurrection. It is on this solemn and celebrated day that, as prescribed, there is a festal assembly. The various other mysteries, namely, baptism and the secret rites, are carried out in accordance with the tradition of the Gospel and according to apostolic authority. 1934 xxiii. As to the deceased, they are mentioned by name; there are prayers and worship. In addition to the morning hymns, in the Catholic Church there are also the morning prayers, these being said with the utmost of zeal; likewise the evening psalms and prayers. [.  .  .] 1935 xxiv. [.  .  .] The Church accepts baptism in Christ as replacing outmoded circumcision; the repose of the great Sabbath replaces the small Sabbath. [.  .  .] The Church accepts offerings from those who have not injured anyone and live in a righteous way. It enjoins that night and day assiduous and most frequent prayers to God be fervently poured forth on the appointed days, days when all are to kneel. Long ago in some places holy gatherings and synaxes were also to take place on Saturday. Not all observed this; only the more pious. [.  .  .] 7 9 . A n ap h o r a o f A d d a i a n d M a r i †

One of the most intriguing anaphoras that have come down to us is that entitled the Anaphora of Addai and Mari. This prayer’s oldest manuscripts date from about the sixteenth century; yet many scholars assign the primitive text as belonging to a period between the second and fourth centuries, with others dating it in the fifth century. The attribution to Addai and Mari, supposedly the founders of Christianity in Mesopotamia (today Iraq), first appears in the eleventh century; formerly the formula was simply called the Anaphora of the Apostles. † Translation with slight modifications from Jasper 42–45. The text is that found in the church of Mar Eshaya, Mosul. Sections in brackets [.  .  .] are from other manuscripts.

79. Anaphora of Addai and Mari  293 Among the interesting features of the anaphora is that it lacks an institution narrative, a fact that raises the question as to whether this absence is the result of later editing (e.g., B. Botte) or textual corruption, or whether this lack is original. In time, however, an institution narrative was added either to the anaphora itself or to the pre-Communion prayers in the liturgies of the Malabarese and Chaldean Christians in communion with Rome. Furthermore, the person to whom the prayer is addressed seems to waver between God the Father and God the Son, this giving rise to speculation that the formula was initially addressed to the Son alone. Scholars, in a search to arrive at an “original” text, have attempted to unravel the additions or interpolations made to the prayer. Various scholars have suggested that the following structural elements were added through the centuries: the Sanctus, certain intercessions, the epiclesis, the paragraph “And we also, Lord,” which may or may not be understood as an anamnesis. The homeland of the anaphora is eastern Syria, an area that for centuries was somewhat isolated from the West and resisted various attempts to bring it into conformity with the practices not only of Christian Europe but also of Constantinople. In light of such a semi-isolationist religious conservatism and considering that the prayer itself is characterized by such Semitic literary devices as textual parallelism and redundancy, a strong case has been made for linking the origins of this anaphora to Jewish practice, either that of the Jewish meal prayers or that of the Jewish synagogue morning service. Recent research takes into account the Maronite anaphora known as the Sharer or the Anaphora of Peter the Apostle,a which shows a close relationship with the Addai and Mari textual tradition. CE 1:136–37 * DPAC 1:49–50 * EEC 10–11 * EEChr 1:19–20 * NCE 3:431 * NCES 1:112–13 * ODCC 17 Text and Editions F.E. Brightman, Liturgies Eastern and Western, vol. 1 (London, 1896) 245–305. * J.E.Y. Kelaita, The Liturgy of the Church of the East (Mossul, 1928) [English]. * A. Hänggi and I. Pahl, Prex Eucharistica: Textus e Variis Liturgicis Antiquioribus Selecti (Fribourg i. S., 1968) 375–80 [Latin]. * L. Deiss, Springtime of the Liturgy: Liturgical Texts of the First Four Centuries (Collegeville, 1979) 155–63 [English]. * B.D. Spinks, Addai and Mari—The Anaphora of the Apostles: A Text for Students, Grove Liturgical Study 24 (Bramcote, Nottingham, 1980) [English]. * Jasper 124–28 [English]. * A. Gelston, The Eucharistic Prayer of Addai and Mari (Oxford, 1992). Studies (Many of these also include the text.) R.H. Connolly and E. Bishop, “The Work of Menzenes on the Malabar Liturgy,” JThSt 15 (1914) 396–425, 569–89. * E.C. Ratcliff, “The Original Form of the a. A Latin translation of this anaphora is given by Hänggi 410–15. An English version is found in Jasper 45–51 as well as in Spinks, Addai and Mari 15–23.

294  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East Anaphora of Addai and Mari: A Suggestion,” JThSt 30 (1928–29) 23–32. * H. Engberding, “Urgestalt, Eingenart und Entwicklung eines altantiochenischen eucharistischen Hochgebetes,” OC 29 (1932) 32–48. * A. Raes, “Le récit de l’institution eucharistique dans l’anaphore chaldéenne et malabre des apôtres,” OCP 10 (1944) 216–26. * Dix 177–87. * B. Botte, “L’anaphore chaldéenne des apôtres,” OCP 15 (1949) 259–76 [Latin]. * B. Botte, “L’épiclèse dans les liturgies syriennes orientales,” SE 6 (1954) 48–72. * B. Botte, “Problèmes de l’anamnèse,” JEH 5 (1954) 16–24. * H. Engberding, “Zum anaphorischen Fürbittgebet der ostsyrischen Liturgie der Apostel Addaj und Mar(j),” OC 41 (1957) 102–24. * D. Webb, “Antonio de Gouvea’s Version of the Nestorian Liturgy of the Apostles,” SP 5 (1962) 213–40. * B. Botte, “Problèmes de l’anaphore syrienne des apôtres Addai et Mari,” OrSyr 10 (1965) 89–106 [French]. * W.F. Macomber, “The Oldest Known Text of the Anaphora of the Apostles Addai and Mari,” OCP 32 (1966) 335–71 [Syriac and Latin]. * D. Webb, “Variations dans les versions manuscrites de la liturgie nestorienne d’Addai et de Mari,” SE 18 (1967/1968) 478–523. * Bouyer 146ff. * A. Raes, “The Enigma of the Chaldean and Malabar Anaphora of the Apostles,” in J. Vellian, The Malabar Church, 1–8, OCA 186 (Rome, 1970). * D. Webb, “La liturgie nestorienne des Apôtres Addai et Mari dans la tradition manuscrites,” in Eucharisties d’Orient et d’Occident, ed. B. Botte, LO 47 (Paris, 1970) 25–49. * W.F. Macomber, “The Maronite and Chaldean Versions of the Anaphora of the Apostles,” OCP 37 (1971) 55–84. * J. Vellian, “The Anaphoral Structure of Addai and Mari Compared to the Berakoth Preceding the Shema in the Synagogue Morning Service,” Mus 85 (1972) 201–23. * E. Cutrone, “The Anaphora of the Apostles: Implications of the Mar Esa’ya Text,” TS 34:4 (December 1973) 624–42 [English]. * R.J. Galvin, “Addai and Mari Revisited: The State of the Question,” EphL 87 (1973) 383–414. * G. Vavanikunnel, Die eucharistische Katechese der Anaphore der Apostel Mar Addai und Mar Mari in der syro-malabarischen Kirche gestern und heute (Würzburg, 1976). * J.M. Sanchez Caro, “La anafora de Addai y Mari y la anafora meronita Sarrar: intento de reconstruccion de la fuente primitiva comun,” OCP 43 (1977) 41–69. * B.D. Spinks, “The Original Form of the Anaphora of the Apostles: A Suggestion in the Light of Maronite Sharar,” EphL 91 (1977) 146–61. * H.A.J. Wegman, “Pleidooi voor een Teskst de Anaphora van de Apostelen Addai en Mari,” Bijdragen 40 (1979) 15–43. * A. Verheul, “La prière eucharistique de Addaï et Mari,” QLP 61:1 (January–March 1980) 19–27; repr. in QL 80 (1999) 348–57 [French]. * B. Spinks, “Priesthood and Offering in the Kussape of the East Syrian Anaphoras,” StudLit 15 (1981/1983) 104–17. * W.F. Macomber, “The Ancient Form of the Anaphora of the Apostles,” in East of Byzantium: Syria and Armenia in the Formative Period, ed. N.G. Garsoïan (Washington, D.C., 1982) 73–88. * G. Cuming, “Four Very Early Anaphoras,” Wor 58 (March 1984) 168–72. * B.D. Spinks, “Addai and Mari and the Institution Narrative: The Tantalising Evidence of Gabriel Qatraya,” EphL 98 (1984) 60–67. * J. Magne, “L’anaphore nestorienne dite d’Adeé et Mari et l’anaphore maronite dite de Pierre III. Etude comparative,” OCP 53 (1987) 145–47. * N. Marston, “A Solution to the Enigma of ‘Addai and Mari,’” EphL 103 (1989) 79–91. * P.G. Cobb, “The Anaphora of Addai and Mari,” in StLit, 217–19. * A. Gelston, The Eucharistic Prayer of Addai and Mari (New York, 1992) [Syriac, English]. * W.D. Ray, “The Chiastic Structure of the Anaphora of Addai and Mari,” StudLit 23:2 (1993) 187–93. * S.H. Jammo, “Le Quddasha des Apôtres Addai et Mari: un lien avec l’époque apostolique,” Ist 40 (1995) 106–20. * P. Hofrichter, “L’anaphore d’Addai et Mari dans l’Eglise de l’Orient: une eucharistie sans récit d’institution,” Ist 40 (1995) 95–105. * S.B. Wilson, “The Anaphora of the Apostles

79. Anaphora of Addai and Mari  295 Addai and Mari,” in Essays on Early Eastern Eucharistic Prayers, ed. P.F. Bradshaw (Collegeville, 1997) 19–37. * M. Stylianos, “A Brief Overview of the Structure and Theology of the Liturgy of the Apostles Addai and Mari,” GOTR 43 (1998) 59–83.

Priest: Peace be with you. Answer: And with you and your spirit. Priest: The grace of our Lord [Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all now and for ever world without end.1] Answer: Amen. Priest: Up with your minds. Answer: They are with you, O God. Priest: The oblation is offered to God, the Lord of all. Answer: It is fitting and right.

1936

The priest says privately: Worthy of glory from every mouth and thanksgiving from every tongue is the adorable and glorious name2 of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. He created the world through his grace and its inhabitants in his compassion, he saved all people through his mercy, and gave great grace to mortals. Your majesty, O Lord, a thousand thousand heavenly beings adore; myriad myriads of angels, and ranks of spiritual beings, ministers of fire and of spirit together with the holy cherubim and seraphim glorify your name, crying out and glorifying [unceasingly calling to one another and saying]: People: Holy, holy, [holy, Lord God almighty, heaven and earth are full of his praises]. The priest says privately: And with these heavenly armies we, yes we your lowly, weak, and miserable servants, Lord, give you thanks because you have brought about us a great grace which cannot be repaid. You took upon yourself our human nature in order to give us life through your divine nature; you raise us from our lowly state; you restored our Fall; you restored our immortality; you forgave our debts; you justified our sinfulness; you enlightened our understanding. You, our Lord and our God, conquered our enemies, and made the lowliness of our weak nature to triumph through the abundant mercy of your grace. [aloud] And for all [your help and grace toward us, let us raise to you praise and honor and thanksgiving and worship, now and ever and world without end]. People: Amen. The priest says privately: You, Lord, through your many mercies which cannot be told, be graciously mindful of all the pious and righteous fathers who were pleasing in your sight, in the commemoration of the Body and Blood of your Christ, which we offer to you on the pure and holy altar, as you taught us.

1937

1. See 2 Cor 3:13.  2. See Phil 2:9–11.

1938

1939 1940

1941

1942

296  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East And grant us your tranquility and your peace for all the days of this age [repeat]. People: Amen. That all the inhabitants of the earth may know you, that you alone are the true God and Father, and you sent our Lord Jesus Christ, your beloved Son, and he, our Lord and our God, taught us through his life-giving gospel all the purity and holiness of the prophets, apostles, martyrs, confessors, bishops, priests, deacons, and all sons of the holy Catholic Church who have been sealed with the living seal of holy baptism.b 1944 And we also, Lord, [thrice] your lowly, weak, and miserable servants, who have gathered and stand before you, [and] have received through tradition the form which is from you, rejoicing, glorifying, exalting, commemorating, and celebrating this great mystery of the passion, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.c 1945 May your Holy Spirit, Lord, come and rest on this offering of your servants, and bless and sanctify it that it may be to us, Lord, for remission of debts, forgiveness of sins, and the great hope of resurrection from the dead, and new life in the kingdom of heaven, with all who have been pleasing in your sight. 1946 And because of all your wonderful dispensations towards us, with open mouths and uncovered faces we give you thanks and glorify you without ceasing in your Church, which has been redeemed by the precious blood of your Christ, offering up [praise, honor, thanksgiving, and adoration to your living and life-giving name, now and at all times for ever and ever]. People: Amen. 1943

80. Synods

80-A. Synod of Antioch (341)† In the autumn of 341 and on the occasion of the dedication of Constantine’s Golden Church in Antioch, a synod of eastern bishops was held; this meeting is known as the “Dedication Council.” The twenty-five canons often ascribed to this synod, however, are, as many believe, most probably the work of an earlier episcopal gathering at Antioch in 330. CPG 4: nos. 8556ff. * Hefele (1871) 2:56–82 * Hefele (1905) 1.2:702–33 * CATH 1:652 * DCA 1:92 * DDC 1:589–98 * DDCon 1:48 * DHGE 3:572 * DPAC 1:234 * DTC 1.2:1433–34 * EC 1:1467–68 * EEC 1:49 * ODCC 78 1947

Canon 1. All who dare to act contrary to the command of the great and holy synod that assembled at Nicaea in the presence of the Emperor Constantine, loved by God, in regard to the holy and salutary feast of the b. Botte places the institution narrative here. c. In most manuscripts this paragraph contains no main verb. † Canons translated from DGA 104–12.

80. Synods  297 Pasch, shall be excommunicated from and rejected by the Church if they obstinately persist in their opposition to this most excellent decision.a This applies to the laity. But if after this decree any of the Church’s officials, bishops, presbyters, or deacons still dare to celebrate the feast of the Pasch with the Jews, and to follow their own perverse will to the ruin of the people and the disturbances of the Church, the holy synod considers them from that time on as separated from the Church because they not only sin themselves but are the cause of corruption and confusion for many; the synod not only deposes such clerics from their offices but also all who after their deposition shall dare communicate with them. The deposed shall also be deprived of the external honors merited by the holy canon and by God’s priesthood. 1948 Canon 2. All who enter the church of God and hear the sacred Scriptures but do not join the people in prayerb or, lacking restraint, turn away from sharing in the Eucharist shall be excommunicated from the Church till they have done penance, shown forth the fruits of penance, and by their prayers have obtained pardon. It is not permitted to associate with those who have been excommunicatedc or to assemble in private houses for prayer with those who do not pray with the Church or to receive into one church those who have been excluded from another. If a bishop, a presbyter, a deacon, or another cleric associates with the excommunicated, he shall also be excommunicated because he disturbs the ecclesiastical order. 1949 Canon 5. Should any presbyter or deacon, despising his bishop, separate himself from the Church, form a separate community, set up an altar, refuse to listen to the warnings of his bishop, and refuse to obey, even though summoned once or twice, he will be completely deposed, have no further remedy, and be unable to regain his office. [.  .  .] 1950 Canon 10. According to the decree of the holy synod the bishops of villages and country places, namely, the chorbishops,d even though consecrated bishops, are to know their appointed limits and govern only the churches subject to them and be content with caring for and guiding them. They shall not appoint readers, subdeacons, and exorcists, nor shall they presume to ordain a priest or deacone without permission of the bishop of the city to which the chorbishop himself and the whole district is subject. Whoever dares to disobey these rules will be deposed and deprived of his office. The chorbishop is to be appointed by the bishop of the city to which he is subject. a. Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 1 can. 1 (WEC 2:880); Carthage V (401) can. 73 (WEC 3:2747); Statuta (5th c.) can. 78 (WEC 3:3103); Orleans IV (541) can. 1 (WEC 4:4615). b. See Agde (506) can. 47 (WEC 4:4562); Orleans I (511) can. 26 (WEC 4:4571); Orleans III (538) can. 32 (WEC 4:4612); Narbonne (589) can. 12 (WEC 4:4659). c. See Irish Synod I (between 450 and 456) can. 28 (WEC 3:3179). d. See WEC 2:71-A, note c. e. See Ancyra (314) can. 13 (WEC 2:1431); Riez (439) can. 3 (WEC 3:3121).

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80-B. Synod of Gangra (ca. 345)† Held in Gangra in Paphlagomia (present-day Cankiri in Turkey), this synod is of uncertain date, perhaps ca. 345. The fourteen bishops attending issued twenty canons directed against a rigorist and false asceticism espoused by the followers of a certain Eustathius of Sebaste. Among other practices, the Eustathians rejected marriage, fasted on Sundays, and held their own liturgical assemblies. CPG 4: nos. 8553ff. * Hefele (1871) 2:325–39 * Hefele (1905) 1.2:1029–45 * CATH 4:1745–46 * CE 6:377 * DCA 1:709–10 * DDCon 2:100–101 * DDC 5:935–38 * DPAC 2:1435 * EEC 1:337 * LTK 4:288–89 * NCE 6:279 * NCES 6:88–89 * ODCC 654–55 T.D. Barnes, “The Date of the Council of Gangra,” JThSt, n.s., 40 (1989) 121–24. * A. Laniado, “Note sur la datation conservée en syriaque du Concile de Gangres,” OCP 61 (1995) 195–99. 1951 1952 1953

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Canon 4. If any maintain that when a married presbyter offers the sacrifice no one should participate, let them be anathema. Canon 5. If any teach that the house of God as well as the assemblies held there are to be despised, let them be anathema. Canon 6. If any hold assemblies outside the churches and do what only the Church can do, with the presbyter refusing permission and the bishop agreeing with him, let them be anathema. Canon 11. If any despise those who in the spirit of faith prepare an agape and in honor of the Lord invite their brethren to it, and if they do not respond to these invitations because they are considered as being of no importance, let them be anathema. Canon 18. If any under the pretext of asceticism fast on Sunday,a let them be anathema.

80-C. Synod of Laodicea (between 343 and 381)†† Some suggest that these canons are apocryphal, being the product of the late fourth or the fifth century. Others postulate that they do indeed derive from a synod held at Laodicea in Phrygia Pacatania, a synod whose date is difficult to determine. Certainly such a meeting would be post-Nicene, probably between 343 and 381. Its sixty canons, found in both Latin and Greek canonical collections (and thus the text has come down to us in both these languages), treat many diverse aspects of liturgical practice. There Canons translated from DGA 1.2:91–96. a. See Saragossa (ca. 380) can. 2 (WEC 2:1295); Statuta (5th c.) can. 77 (WEC 3:3102); Agde (506) can. 12 (WEC 4:4549); Orleans IV (541) can. 2 (WEC 4:4616); Braga I (561) ser. 1 can. 4 (WEC 4:4737); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 57 (WEC 4:4692). †† Canons translated from DGA 1.2:131–56. †

80. Synods  299 is reason to believe that canon 60, listing the approved books to be read in the liturgical assembly, is a later addition. CPG 4: no. 8607 * Hefele (1871) 2:295–325 * Hefele (1905) 1.2:989–1028 * Jurgens 1:315–19 * CATH 6:1818–19 * CE 8:794 * DCA 1:928–30 * DDC 6:338–43 * DDCon 2:227–29 * DPAC 2:1898–99 * DTC 8.2:2611–15 * EEC 1:472–73 * EEChr 2:663 * ODCC 950–51 R. Gryson, “Les élections épiscopales en Orient au IVe siècle,” RHE 74 (1979) 301–45.

Canon 2. Sinners of various kinds who have persevered in the prayer of confession and penance and who have completely turned away from evil shall, after a time of penance that is proportionate to the seriousness of their sins, be again received into communion due to the mercy and goodness of God. Canon 3. Those who have been recently baptized are not to be raised to the clerical office.a Canon 5. Ordinations are not to take place in the presence of the hearers.b Canon 6. Heretics as long as they continue in heresy may not enter the house of God. Canon 7. Heretics returning from the Novatian,c Photinian,d or Quartodecimane heresies, whether they are among the catechumens or among the faithful, shall not be received till they have anathematized all heresies, especially those in which they were involved. Those among them whom these sects call “the faithful” may be allowed to participate in the holy mysteries as soon as they learn the creed and receive the anointing with the holy chrism.f Canon 8. Those converting from the heresy of the so-called Phrygiansg are to be most carefully instructed in religion; they are also to be baptized by the bishops and presbyters of the Church. This rule is to be observed even a. See Nicaea I (325) can. 2 (WEC 2:1448); Arles II (between 442 and 506) can. 1 (WEC 3:3139). b. See WEC 2:71-A, note b. Some understand this canon as forbidding the presence of the hearers at the session during which the candidates for ordination were examined. c. Novatians: a rigorist group that arose out of the Decian persecution in 249–50. d. Photinus: a fourth-century heretic whose followers were condemned at the Council of Constantinople (WEC 2:71-D). e. Quartodecimans: Christians who celebrated the Christian Pasch or Easter always on the fourteenth day of the month of Nisan and not on the following Sunday. f. Orange I (441) can. 1 (WEC 3:3123); Arles II (between 442 and 506) cans. 17, 26 (WEC 3:3145, 3148); Epaon (517) can. 16 (WEC 4:4576). g. The name given to the Montanists, an apocalyptic ascetic group. Its founder, Montanus, first began to prophecy in Phrygia.

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by those who were part of the so-called clergy of this heresy and who were among its leading members. Canon 9. Members of the Church shall not be allowed, for purposes of prayer or worship, to go into cemeteriesh or places called martyriai belonging to any heretical group whatever. The faithful who do so will be excommunicated for a time; but if they do penance and acknowledge their fault, they shall again be received. Canon 10. Members of the Church shall not indiscriminately give their children in marriage to heretics. Canon 11. Those called presbyterae or praesidentes are not to be appointed in the church.j k Canon 13. The selection of those to be appointed to the priesthood shall not rest with the people.l Canon 14. During the Easter season the Eucharist is no longer to be sent to foreign dioceses as eulogia.m Canon 15. Except for those who mount the ambo and sing from the book, no others are allowed to sing in church.n o Canon 16. On Saturday the Gospels and other sections of the Scripture will be read.p Canon 17. At the gathering of the people the psalms are no longer to be sung immediately one after another, but a lesson is to be read after each psalm. Canon 18. The same service of prayers shall take place everywhere at the ninth hour as in the evening.q Canon 19. After the bishop’s homily the prayer for the catechumens will be said separately; after the departure of the catechumens prayers will be h. See Elvira (ca. 300) can. 35 (WEC 2:1282). i. Martyrium: name given to a church built over the grave of a martyr or, at times, a church built in honor of a martyr. j. Although the precise meaning of this canon has given rise to much discussion, there seems to be general agreement that the canon concerns deaconesses and not female presbyters. See Hefele (1871) 2:305–7; Jurgens 1:318. k. See Nicaea I (325) can. 19 (WEC 2:1456); Nîmes (394) can. 2 (WEC 2:1226); Orange I (441) can. 25 (WEC 3:3136); Chalcedon (451) can. 15 (WEC 3:3379); Epaon (517) can. 21 (WEC 4:4577); Orleans II (533) can. 18 (WEC 4:4600). l. See Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 20 (WEC 2:884); Statuta (5th c.) can. 10 (WEC 3:3072); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 1 (WEC 4:4675). m. For an explanation of this canon see Hefele (1871) 2:308–9. For a listing of the many meanings of eulogia (literally “to speak well” or “to bless”) see EEC 1:297. n. See Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 45 (WEC 4:4682). o. It is generally agreed that this canon refers to singing by an appointed soloist, not to the singing of the people as a whole. p. Namely, that on Saturday (as well as on Sunday) the liturgy is to be celebrated. q. See Hefele (1871) 2:311.

80. Synods  301 offered for those doing penance; and when these also have received the imposition of hands and have left, then three prayers are said for the faithful: the first silently, the second and third aloud. The [kiss of] peace is then given. After the presbyters have given the [kiss of] peace to the bishop, the laity give the same to one another, and the holy sacrifice is offered. Only clerics are allowed to approach the altarr and there to receive Communion. Canon 20. A deacon may not sit in the presence of a presbyters unless bidden to do so by the presbyter. In like manner the deacons shall be honored by the ministers and all clerics. Canon 21. Subdeacons shall not have a place in the diaconicum,t nor are they to touch the sacred vessels.u Canon 22. A subdeacon is not to wear the orarionv nor leave the doors unattended. Canon 23. Readers and cantors are not to wear the orarion while reading or singing. Canon 24. No cleric—from a presbyter to a deacon, and so on in churchly orders, to subdeacons, readers, cantors, exorcists, door-keepers, or any class of ascetics—is to frequent a tavern. Canon 25. Subdeacons may not distribute the bread or bless the cup.w Canon 26. Those lacking the bishop’s appointment may not exorcise,x whether in churches or in private homes. Canon 28. The so-called agape shall not be held in the Lord’s houses or churches; nor is it permitted to eat or to place couches in the house of God. Canon 29. Christians shall not judaize nor shall they rest on Saturday but shall work on that day; the Lord’s Day they will especially honor. Being Christians, they shall if possible do no work on that day.y However, if they are found to be judaizing, then before Christ they shall be anathema. Canon 31. Christians are not to marry heretics. They shall neither take them nor their children in marriage, nor shall they give their sons or daughters in marriage to them until the latter promise to become Christians. r. See Braga I (561) ser. 2 can. 13 (WEC 4:4748); Tours II (567) can. 4 (WEC 4:4623). s. See Nicaea I (325) can. 18 (WEC 2:1455); Arles II (between 442 and 506) can. 15 (WEC 4:3144); Barcelona I (ca. 540) can. 4 (WEC 4:4727). t. The diaconicum would presumably be the room in which the various liturgical vessels and garments were placed, namely, the sacristy. u. See Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 41 (WEC 4:4680). v. See Braga I (561) ser. 2 can. 9 (WEC 4:4744). In the Eastern Churches the orarion is the stole hung over the deacon’s left shoulder. w. To “bless the cup” appears to be an idiomatic expression for “to present the cup.” x. See Rome (ca. 400?) can. 11 (WEC 3:2958); Statuta (5th c.) cans. 64, 95 (WEC 3:3096, 3114); Braga II (572) can. 1 (WEC 4:4755). y. See Orleans III (538) can. 31 (WEC 4:4611); Auxerre (late 6th or early 7th c.) can. 16 (WEC 4:4640); Mâcon II (585) can. 1 (WEC 4:4651); Narbonne (589) can. 4 (WEC 4:4657).

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Canon 32. The eulogiaez of the heretics shall not be accepted, for they are alogiai [absurdities] rather than eulogiae [blessings]. Canon 33. No one shall pray together with heretics and schismatics.aa Canon 34. No Christian is to forsake the martyrs of Christ and turn to false martyrs, namely, those of the heretics, or to the leaders of the heretics, for these are far from God. Whoever goes over to them shall be excommunicated. Canon 35. Christians shall not forsake the Church of God and turn to the worship of angels, thus having gatherings in their honor. This is forbidden. Those who devote themselves to this hidden idolatry, let them be anathema because they have forsaken our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and gone over to idolatry. Canon 37. No one shall accept festal presents from Jews and heretics or celebrate feasts with them. Canon 38. No one shall accept unleavened bread from the Jews or share in their impiety. Canon 39. No one shall participate in the feasts of the heathensbb or take part in their impiety. Canon 43. Subdeacons may not leave the doors even for a short time, not even to pray. Canon 44. Women may not go near the altar.cc Canon 45. After the second week of Lent no one shall be received for baptism.dd Canon 46. Those to be baptized shall learn the creed by heart and on Thursday recite it before the bishop or the presbyters.ee Canon 47. Those who have been baptized during an illness and then recover shall learn the creed by heart and be made to understand that they have received a divine gift. Canon 48. The baptized shall after baptism be anointed with the heavenly chrismff and become participants in the kingdom of Christ. z. For eulogia see note m above. aa. See Statuta (5th c.) can. 82 (WEC 3:3105); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 70 (WEC 4:4698). bb. See Auxerre (late 6th or early 7th c.) can. 1 (WEC 4:4629); Tours II (567) can. 23 (WEC 4:4627). cc. See Braga I (561) ser. 2 can. 13 (WEC 4:4748); Tours II (567) can. 4 (WEC 4:4623); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 42 (WEC 4:4681). dd. See Irish Synod II (after 456) can. 19 (WEC 3:3180); Agde (506) can. 13 (WEC 4:4550); Auxerre (late 6th or early 7th c.) can. 18 (WEC 4:4641); Gerunda (517) can. 4 (WEC 4:4720); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 49 (WEC 4:4684); Mâcon II (585) can. 3 (WEC 4:4653). ee. See Agde (506) can. 13 (WEC 4:4550); Braga II (572) can. 1 (WEC 4:4755). ff. See Elvira (ca. 300) can. 77 (WEC 2:1294); Rome (ca. 400?) can. 11 (WEC 3:2958); Toledo I (400?) can. 20 (WEC 3:3172); Riez (439) can. 3 (WEC 3:3121); Orange I (441) can. 2 (WEC 3:3124); Braga II (572) can. 4 (WEC 4:4757).

80. Synods  303 Canon 49. During Lent the bread will be offered only on Saturday and Sunday.gg Canon 50. The fast is not to be relaxed on Thursday of the last week of Lent,hh thereby dishonoring the whole season. It is to be strictly observed throughout the whole period. Canon 51. During Lent no anniversaries of the martyrs are to be celebrated, but the holy martyrs are to be commemorated on the Saturdays and Sundays of Lent. Canon 52. No wedding or birthday shall be celebrated during Lent. Canon 53. When attending weddings Christians shall not clap and dance but shall partake of the meal or breakfast with a modesty becoming Christians.ii Canon 56. Presbyters shall not enter and be seated in the bemajj before the entrance of the bishop, but they shall always come in after the bishop unless he is ill or has departed.kk Canon 58. No sacrifices are to be offered in private homes by bishops or presbyters.ll Canon 59. No psalms composed by private individuals are to be read in church;mm nor are the uncanonical books but only the canonical books of the Old and New Testaments.nn Canon 60. These are the books of the Old Testament appointed to be read: (1) Genesis of the world; (2) the Exodus from Egypt; (3) Leviticus; (4) Numbers; (5) Deuteronomy; (6) Joshua, the son of Nun; (7) Judges, Ruth; (8) Esther; (9) First and Second [Books] of Kings; (10) Third and Fourth [Books] of Kings; (11) First and Second [Books] of Paralipomenon; (12) First and Second [Books] of Ezdras; (13) the Book of the 150 Psalms; (14) the Proverbs of Solomon; (15) Ecclesiastes; (16) the Song of Songs; (17) Job; (18) the Twelve Prophets; (19) Isaiah; (20) Jeremiah and Baruch, the Lamentations and the Letters; (21) Ezekiel; (22) Daniel. The books of the New Testament are these: four Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; the Acts of the Apostles; the seven Catholic Epistles, namely, one gg. Namely, during Lent the liturgy is celebrated only on Saturday and Sunday. hh. See Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 50 (WEC 4:4685). ii. See Neo-Caesarea (ca. 320) can. 7 (WEC 2:1439); Vannes (between 461 and 491) can. 11 (WEC 3:3162); Agde (506) can. 39 (WEC 4:4559). jj. The Greek word bema has a number of meanings: it was a raised space upon which the presbyters were seated, or upon which the Scriptures were proclaimed, or upon which the altar was placed, etc. kk. See Statuta (5th c.) can. 12 (WEC 3:3073). ll. Dvin (527) can. 16 (WEC 4:4843); Auxerre (late 6th or early 7th c.) can. 3 (WEC 4:4631). mm. See Braga I (561) ser. 2 can. 12 (WEC 4:4747); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 67 (WEC 4:4696); Tours II (567) can. 24 (WEC 4:4628). nn. Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 36-a (WEC 2:892); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 67 (WEC 4:4696).

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Pa l e s t i n e 8 1 . E u s e b i u s Pa m p h i l u s o f C a e s a r e a

Born ca. 260 in Palestine and probably at Caesarea, Eusebius studied in that city under Pamphilus, who continued the theological tradition of Origen. So grateful was Eusebius to Pamphilus that he assumed his teacher’s name, thus becoming Eusebius Pamphilii, namely, “Eusebius son of Pamphilus.” When the persecution of 303 began, he fled to Tyre and then to Egypt, where he was imprisoned for several months. After the edict of toleration (311) Eusebius returned to Caesarea, where he was ordained bishop (ca. 313). From the very beginning of his years as bishop Eusebius was involved in the Arian controversy. There can be little doubt that he strongly leaned toward the position of the Arians and strongly rejected the homoousios of Athanasius (WEC 2:90). Yet some consider him to have been more of a peacemaker. At any rate, Eusebius signed the decrees of the Council of Nicaea (WEC 2:71-C), although withholding internal consent. He did so to please the emperor, with whom he was close friends. In fact, Eusebius has been described as the perfect model of a “court” bishop. Continuing to write on a vast variety of topics till very old age (d. ca. 340), Eusebius was neither a skilled author nor a great theologian. His fame and designation as the “Father of Church History” come from his ability to collect previous material that would have otherwise been lost, thereby giving us invaluable insights into the early centuries of Christianity. CPG 2: nos. 3465ff. * Altaner (1961) 263–71 * Altaner (1966) 217–24 * Bardenhewer (1908) 245–53 * Bardenhewer (1910) 275–81 * Bardenhewer (1913) 3:240–62 * Bardy (1929) 104–9 * Bautz 1:1561–64 * Campbell 43–46 * Goodspeed 191–95 * Hamell 93–95 * Jurgens 1:290–99 * Quasten 3:309–45 * Steidle 101–3, 251, 254 * Tixeront 185–90 * Wright (1932) 327 * CATH 4:702–7 * CE 5:617–22 * CHECL 266–73 * DACL 5.1:747–75 * DCB 2:308–48 * DHGE 15:1437–60 * DictSp 4.2:1687–90 * DPAC 1:1285–93 * DTC 5.2:1527–32 * EC 5:841–54 * EEC 1:299–301 * EEChr 1:399–402 * LTK 3:1007–9 * NCE 5:633–36 * NCES 5:451–54 * ODCC 574 * PEA (1894) 6.1:1370– 1439 * PEA (1991) 4:310–11 * RACh 6:1052–88 * TRE 10:537–43

oo. See Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 36-b (WEC 2:892). pp. Missing from this list are the Old Testament books of Judith, Tobias, Wisdom, Sirach, Maccabees; and from the New Testament, the book of Revelation.

81. Eusebius Pamphilus of Caesarea  305 F.H. Chase, “The Lord’s Command to Baptize (St. Matthew xxxviii:19),” JThSt 6 (1904–5) 481–512. * F.J. Dölger, “Die Taufe Konstantins und ihre Probleme,” RQ Supplementheft 19 (1913) 377–447. * B.H. Cuneo, “The Lord’s Command to Baptize: An Historico-Critical Investigation with Special Reference to the Works of Eusebius of Caesarea,” diss., Studies in Sacred Theology 21 (Washington, D.C., 1923). * J. de Ghellinck, “L’histoire du Symbole des Apôtres: à propos d’un texte d’Eusèbe,” RSR 18 (1928) 118–25. * N. Zernov, “Eusebius and the Paschal Controversy at the End of the Second Century,” ChQ 116 (1933) 24–41. * G. Florovsky, “Origen, Eusebius, and the Iconoclastic Controversy,” CH 19 (1950) 77–96. * D.S. Wallace-Hadrill, “Eusebius and the Institution Narrative in the Eastern Liturgies,” JThSt, n.s., 4 (1953) 41–42. * G. Bardy, “La théologie d’Eusèbe de Césarée d’après ‘l’Histoire Ecclésiastique,’” RHE 50 (1955) 5–20. * B. Botte, “La question pascale: Pâque du vendredi ou Pâque du dimanche?” LMD, no. 41 (1955) 84–95. * E. Ferguson, “Ordination in the Ancient Church,” ResQ 5 (1961) 17–32, 67–82, 130–46. * E. Ferguson, “Eusebius and Ordination,” JEH 13 (1962) 139–44. * G.J.M. Bartelink, “’Maison de prière’ comme dénomination de l’église en tant qu’édifice, en particulier chez Eusèbe de Césarée,” REG 84 (1971) 101–18. * T.D. Barnes, “The Emperor Constantine’s Good Friday Sermon,” JThSt, n.s., 27 (1976) 414–23. * H.A. Drake, “Eusebius on the True Cross,” JEH 36 (1985) 1–22. * P.W.L. Walker, Holy City, Holy Places: Christian Attitudes to Jerusalem and the Holy Land in the Fourth Century, Oxford Early Christian Studies (Oxford, 1990). * G. Florovsky, “Origène, Eusèbe et la controverse iconoclaste,” Ist 39 (1994) 341–57.

81-A. Church History† This, the most well-known of Eusebius’s works, is largely a collection of materials pertaining to the history of the Church from its beginnings down to Constantine’s victory over Liciniusa in 324. Errors are not infrequent. The work, in ten books, possibly underwent various redactions, with the last three books being added to account for more recent events. The author’s purpose is apologetic: to show how God has been at work in bringing the Church to its victory over the pagan State. The original Greek still exists as well as versions in Syriac, Latin, and Armenian. [Philo and the Therapeutes] II.xvii.9. Then Philob writes in regard to their dwelling places, and this is what he says about the churches in the area: “In each house there is a holy room called an oratory or monastery. It is there that the therapeutesc

† Translated from Histoire ecclésiastique. Eusèbe de Césarée, trans. and ed. G. Bardy, SChr 31, 41, 55, 73 (Paris, 1952–60). a. Licinius (ca. 270–325): coemperor with Constantine; in charge of the East. b. Philo (ca. 20 b.c.–ca. 50 a.d.): a Hellenistic Jewish writer and philosopher who lived in Alexandria. c. Therapeutes: a pre-Christian monastic community of Egyptian Jewish ascetics, here mistakenly taken by Eusebius to be early followers of Christ.

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go to celebrate the mysteries of the religious life. They bring nothing with them, neither drink nor nourishment, nothing needed by the body but only the laws and inspired oracles of the prophets, together with hymns, and other [books] that increase and perfect knowledge and godliness.”d II.xvii.12. [.  .  .] “They not only engage in meditation but also perform songs and hymns to God in a variety of meters and melodies, although of necessity dividing them into solemn measures.”e II.xvii.21. It is necessary to add an account of their gatherings in one place, or of their respective occupations, or of the separation between the men and the women, or of traditional practices still observed among us today, especially at the time of the feast of the Savior’s passion when it is our custom to fast, to spend the night in prayer, and to meditate on God’s words. II.xvii.22. All this the above-mentioned author indicates exactly; his account agrees with the usages that we observe still today, and he has included this information in his writings: the vigils kept at the time of the great feast; the religious practices observed during these vigils; the hymns we are accustomed to sing; how one person harmoniously sings in regular rhythm while the others listen in silence, singing with him only the last words of the hymn; how on appointed days they sleep on the ground upon beds of straw; and how they—to use Philo’s very words—”taste no wine at all, nor any meat, but having only water to drink, and with their bread they take only salt and hyssop.” II.xvii.23. Furthermore, Philo describes the order of precedence of those who perform the ecclesiastical liturgies, from the functions of the deacon to the presidency of the bishop who sits above all. Whoever desires to carefully study these things can learn them from the book by Philo that I have cited. [.  .  .] [Sunday celebration] III.xxviii.5. They [the Ebionitesf] kept the Sabbath and observed other Jewish practices as did the Jews, but they celebrated Sundays in a manner close to our own, doing so in memory of the Savior’s resurrection. [Date of Easter] V.xxiii.1. In those days there arose a question certainly of no small importance since Christians throughout Asia, following a very ancient tradition, believed that they were to observe the fourteenth day of the moon as the Pasch of the Savior. This was the day when the Jews were to sacrifice the lamb and, according to them, it was absolutely necessary that their

d. On the Contemplative Life, III.25. e. Ibid. f. Ebionites: a sect of Jewish Christians existing in the early centuries of Christianity.

81. Eusebius Pamphilus of Caesarea  307 fast end on this day, no matter on which day of the week it occurred. But the churches in the rest of the world were not accustomed to observing in this fashion and, according to apostolic tradition, they followed the usage which still prevails, namely, that it was improper to conclude the fast on any day of the week other than that of our Savior’s resurrection. V.xxiii.2. Synods and assemblies of bishops were held regarding this. All were of one accord, formulating an ecclesiastical decree by means of a letter for all the faithful that the mystery of the Lord’s resurrection from among the dead should never be celebrated on a day other than Sunday and that on this day only would the fast conclude. V.xxiii.3. We have the letter of those who gathered in Palestine over which presided Theophilus,g bishop of the Christians in Caesarea, and Narcisius,h bishop of Jerusalem. We likewise have a letter on the same question by those who gathered in Rome; it indicates that Victori was the bishop there. There is another, from the bishops of Pontus over whom Palmas,j being the oldest, presided; and still another letter from the province of Gaul over which Irenaeusk presided. V.xxiii.4. Also from Osrhoenel and the towns located in that region; and especially from Bacchylus,m bishop of the church at Corinth, and of many more, who all agreed in giving the same opinion and judgment and voted likewise. What we stated above is what they decided. V.xxiv.1. Nonetheless, the bishops of Asia vigorously affirmed that the ancient and primitive custom, the one handed down to them, had to be retained. Their leader was Polycrates.n In a letter written to Victor and the Roman church he set forth the tradition that he had received. V.xxiv.2. “And so we celebrate the very day, without adding or taking away anything. In fact, it is in Asia that the great lights have fallen asleep, they who will rise again on the day of the Lord’s coming when he will come from heaven with glory and will seek out all his holy ones. [.  .  .] V.xxiv.6. “All these have observed the fourteenth day [of the month] as the Pasch according to the Gospel, in no way deviating from but conforming to the rule of faith. I also, Polycrates, the least among you, observe the tradition of my ancestors, some of whom were my predecessors. Seven of my relatives were bishops. I am the eighth. They have always observed the Pasch on the day when the Jewish people refrained from eating leavened bread. g. Theophilus: bishop who lived in the late second century. h. Narcisius: became bishop of Jerusalem between 180 and 192; died after 212. i. Victor: bishop of Rome 189–98. j. Palmas (late second century): bishop of Amastris in Pontus. k. Irenaeus: bishop of Lyons (WEC 1:15). l. Osrhoene: a province in eastern Syria; its major city was Edessa. m. Bacchylus: lived in the late second century; this letter was sent in 196. n. Polycrates: bishop of Ephesus in the late second century.

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V.xxiv.7. “But for me, brethren, I have lived sixty-five years serving the Lord. I have been in contact with brethren throughout the whole world; I have read all the Scriptures; I have not been frightened by those who would attempt to intimidate me1 since one greater than I has said, ‘It is better to obey God rather than men.’”2 V.xxiv.8. He adds in regard to the bishops who were with him when he wrote and who thought as he did. “I could mention the bishops who were with me, those I invited at your bidding. Their names, should I write them, would be numerous. They, seeing my littleness, consented to the letter, knowing that I did not squander my long life but that I have always served Christ Jesus.” V.xxiv.9. Thereupon Victor, head of the church at Rome, attempted to cut off completely from common unity all the churches of Asia as well as neighboring churches, considering them as being heterodox; he published a letter of condemnation and declared excommunicated all the brethren, no exceptions, of these lands. V.xxiv.10. But this did not please all the bishops. They, for their part, counseled him to consider the things of peace, union with and love for one’s neighbor. Their words, quite sharp, still exist. V.xxiv.11. Among these was Irenaeus, writing in the name of the Christians whom he directed in Gaul. He first established that the mystery of the Lord’s resurrection was to be celebrated only on a Sunday. Then he exhorted Victor, in a very becoming way, not to cut off entire churches of God because they retained a tradition based on a very ancient custom. This is how he continued. V.xxiv.12. “The dispute is not only about the day but also about the very manner of fasting. Some in fact believe that they should fast for only one day; others, two days; others, even more. Some count their ‘day’ as having forty hours of day and night. Such variety of observances did not arise in our own day but long ago, during the time of our ancestors, who—in all likelihood not following strict accuracy—retained this custom in their simplicity and particular characteristics, handing it down to those coming after them. All of them lived in peace, as do we. The difference in fasting highlights our agreement in faith.” V.xxiv.14. To this Irenaeus adds an account which I can relate. It goes like this. “Among these were the presbyters previous to Sotero who directed the church that you lead today, namely, Anicetus,p Pius,q Hyginus,r

o. Soter: bishop of Rome ca. 166–ca. 175. p. Anicetus: bishop of Rome ca. 154–ca. 166. q. Pius: bishop of Rome ca. 140–ca. 154. r. Hyginus: bishop of Rome ca. 137–ca. 140. 1. See Phil 1:28.  2. Acts 5:29.

81. Eusebius Pamphilus of Caesarea  309 Telesphorus,s and Xystus.t They kept it [the fourteenth day] themselves, nor did they impose [their usage] on those who were with them; and even if they themselves did not keep [the fourteenth day], they were nonetheless at peace with those coming from churches where this day was observed; although keeping the fourteenth day was more objectionable to those who did not observe it. V.xxiv.15. “No one, however, was ever expelled for doing so. But the presbyters who preceded you, even though they did not observe [the fourteenth day], sent the Eucharist to the churches that observed this day. V.xxiv.16. “When blessed Polycarpu was at Rome at the time of Anicetus, they disagreed over certain matters of minor importance, but they immediately made peace with each other since they did not want to dispute this question. On the one hand, Anicetus was unable to persuade Polycarp concerning what he, Anicetus, had always observed with John, the Lord’s disciple, and with the other apostles with whom he associated. On the other hand, Polycarp could not persuade Anicetus to observe his observance, for Polycarp’s position was that he had to preserve the custom of the presbyters who lived before him. V.xxiv.17. “Nonetheless, they shared the Eucharist with one another, and Anicetus allowed Polycarp [to preside at] the Eucharist in the church, surely out of respect. It was in peace that they departed from one another; and there was peace throughout the Church, whether or not the fourteenth day was observed.” V.xxiv.18. Thus the name “Irenaeus” was most fitting since what he did always agreed with his name: it was in this way that he exhorted the churches and brought about peace for them. By letter he conferred not only with Victor but also with many other heads of the various churches, laying out both sides of any question under discussion. V.xxv. Those in Palestine whom I just mentioned, namely, Narcisius and Theophilus—with Cassius,v bishop of the church at Tyre, and Clarus, bishop of the church of Ptolemais,w and those who gathered with them gave very explicit information on the tradition handed down to them from the apostles on the subject of the feast of the Pasch; at the end of their letter they added the following. “Try to send copies of our letter to each church so that we may not be responsible for those who easily lose their own souls. We tell you that those in Alexandria also celebrate [the Pasch] on the same day as we do, In fact, letters are exchanged among us so that we celebrate together the same day.” s. Telesphorus: bishop of Rome ca. 127–ca. 137. t. Xystus: bishop of Rome ca. 117–ca. 127. u. Polycarp (ca. 69–ca. 155): bishop of Smyrna (WEC 1:12). v. Cassius: participant in a council of 190 that discussed the question of the date of Easter. w. Ptolemais: a seaport town in Phoenicia.

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[Serapion and the Eucharist] VI.xliv.1. Dionysius of Alexandriax also wrote a letter to the same Fabiy us who leaned somewhat toward schism. In these letters he treated many questions, penance among others, and recounted the most recent conflicts of those at Alexandria who had given witness through martyrdom. [.  .  .] He mentions something wonderful, an event I must now recount. VI.xliv.2. “I will relate to you one example, an event that happened here. A certain Serapion, an elderly member of the faithful, resided among us. For a long time he lived a life beyond reproach, but he lapsed when he underwent testing. Often did he request [pardon of his sins], and yet no one paid any attention to him, for he had sacrificed. He fell ill and for the next three days was speechless and unconscious. On the fourth day he improved somewhat and called for his grandson. ‘My child, how long will you allow me to live? I beseech you, hurry, allow me to depart quickly. Summon one of the presbyters for me.’ Having said this, Serapion again was unable to speak. VI.xliv.4. “So the boy hastened off to get the presbyter. It was night, and the presbyter, being sick, could not come. Since I had ordered that persons on the point of death should be pardoned if they requested it—and especially if they did this previously—so that they might die in hope, the presbyter gave a little of the Eucharist to the little boy, telling him to soak it and let it drop part by part into the elderly man’s mouth. VI.xliv.5. “The boy, carrying the Eucharist, returned home. As the lad was approaching and before entering, Serapion again rallied, saying, ‘My child, you have come because the presbyter was unable to do so. Quickly do what he commanded you to do, and let me depart.’ Then the boy soaked the portion of the Eucharist and let it drop into the old man’s mouth. When the man had swallowed it a little, he immediately expired. VI.xliv.6. “Is it not evident that the man was preserved and his life was prolonged till he was absolved and, his sin being blotted out, could be acknowledged [as a Christian] for the many good actions he had done?”

[Baptism and the heretics] VII.ii.2. [.  .  .] Dionysiusz addressed the first of his letters on baptism to Stephen.aa A spirited controversy broke out at that time as to whether those coming from heresy of any kind were to be washed by baptism. 2038 VII.ii.3. To be sure, there was the ancient custom that in such instances all that was necessary was prayer and the laying on of hands. 2037

x. Dionysius (d. ca. 264): bishop of Alexandria who was very involved in many of the controversies of his time (WEC 1:45). y. Fabius: bishop of Antioch; martyred in 249. z. See note x above. aa. Stephen I: bishop of Rome 254–57.

81. Eusebius Pamphilus of Caesarea  311 VII.iii.1. Cyprian,bb pastor of the church at Carthage, was the first in his day to maintain that baptism was required for them to be admitted. VII.iii.2. Stephen, however, believing it wrong to introduce any innovation contrary to the tradition established in the beginning, strongly protested. VII.ix.1. The fifth letter of Dionysius of Alexandria was written to Xystus, the bishop of Rome.cc In it he accuses the heretics and relates what he experienced. “My brother, truly do I need your advice. And so I request your counsel concerning something that has happened to me, for I fear that I have acted wrongly. VII.ix.2. “In fact, among us there is a man who has long been considered a believer. He became so before my ordination and, as I believe, even before the installation of blessed Heraclas.dd Recently he attended a baptism where he could hear the questions and the responses. Afterwards, he came to me in tears and fell down, declaring and protesting that his baptism among the heretics was not like ours, having nothing in common with it and being full of impieties and blasphemies. VII.ix.3. “He said that his soul was now full of sorrow and that he even lacked the courage to lift up his eyes toward God,3 after making his beginning with these words and sacrilegious rites. And so he asked to receive this purification, this welcome, this very grace. VII.ix.4. “But I could not do this. I informed him that his long communion [with the Church] was sufficient. He had, in fact, listened to the eucharistic prayer and responded Amen;4 he stood before the table and extended his hands to accept the holy food; he received it, for a long time partaking in the Body and Blood of the Lord; I could not presume to renew him from the beginning. Rather, I told him to be strong, to go with a solid faith, and with much hope to participate in the holy things. VII.ix.5. “But he, continuing to grieve, is too scared to approach the [holy] table; and although invited by me to do so, scarcely is he present at the prayers.” VII.xxxii.13. Anatoliusee did not write a large number of works, but in those that have come down to us we can discern his eloquence and knowledge. In these works he presents in particular his thinking on the Pasch, and so we should cite the following. Extract from the Canons of Anatolius on the Pasch VII.xxxii.14. “There is then in the first year the new moon of the first month, which begins the whole cycle of nineteen years, according to the bb. Cyprian: bishop of Carthage 248–58 (WEC 1:27). cc. See note t above. dd. Heraclas: ordained bishop of Alexandria in 231/232. ee. Anatolius: bishop of Laodicea 270–80. 3. See Luke 18:13.  4. See 1 Cor 14:16.

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Egyptians the twenty-sixth of Phamenoth, according to the Macedonians the twenty-second of Dystrus, or—as the Romans would say—the eleventh before the calends of April [22 March]. VII.xxxii.15. “On the twenty-sixth of Phamenoth, which was just mentioned, the sun has not only reached the first sign [of the Zodiac] but is already passing through its fourth day. This sign is customarily called the first of the twelve, the equinox, the beginning of months, the head of the cycle, and the starting point of the planetary circle. This is why we say that those who place the first month in it, determining the fourteenth to be the Passover, are greatly mistaken, not just slightly so. VII.xxxii.16. “This is not an opinion of our own but something known to the Jews of old, even before Christ, and was carefully observed by them. We learn this from Philo, from Josephus,ff from Musaeus,gg and not only from them but also from those who lived earlier, namely, the two Agathobulihh surnamed ‘Masters’ and the famous Aristobulus,ii who was chosen to be among the seven translators of the sacred and divine Hebrew Scriptures by Ptolemy Philadelphusjj and his father, and who also dedicated his exegetical books on the Mosaic Law to the same kings. VII.xxxii.17. “These writers, explaining questions relating to the Exodus, say that the Passover is always to be sacrificed after the spring equinox, at the middle of the first month. But this happens while the sun is passing through the first sign of the solar, or as some of them state it, the zodiacal cycle. Aristobulus adds that it is necessary at the feast of the Passover that not only the sun but also the moon should be passing through an equinoctial sign. VII.xxxii.18. “There are two such signs, in the spring and in the autumn, directly opposite each other, and the day of the Passover is appointed to the fourteenth of the month, in the evening so that the moon will hold a position diametrically opposite the sun, as may be seen when the moon is full. The sun will be in the sign of the spring equinox, with the moon necessarily in that of autumn. VII.xxxii.19. “I know that many other things have been said by them, in some cases probable, in others presumed to be final proof, by which they attempt to prove that the feast of Passover and of the Unleavened Bread are to be celebrated after the equinox. But I refrain from demanding such proof from those from whom the veil of Moses has been removed. With faces unveiled they are at all times to reflect as in a mirror both Christ ff. Flavius Josephus (ca. 37–ca. 100): a Jewish historian. gg. Musaeus: the semimythological personage, son or pupil of Orpheus, and said to have written various poems and oracles. hh. We have no information on the “Agathobuli.” ii. Aristobulus: a well-known Hellenistic philosopher in Alexandria during the second century b.c. jj. Ptolemy Philadelphus: ruler of Egypt 285–246 b.c.

81. Eusebius Pamphilus of Caesarea  313 and his teachings and suffering.5 That the Hebrews considered the first month as including the equinox is shown by the teachings of the Book of Enoch.”kk [Edict of Galerius] 2054 VIII.xvii.1. As Galeriusll wrestled with this awful illness, he was filled with sorrow for his cruel treatment of God’s servants. So he pulled himself together, and after first confessing openly to the God of the universe, he summoned the court officials, ordering them to lose no time in halting the persecution of the Christians. By an imperial law and decree the building of churches was stimulated as well as the performance of the customary rites with the addition of prayers for the Emperor’s Majesty. Word was immediately followed by action. The imperial decrees were published in all the cities, setting forth as follows the recantation by our Emperor. [.  .  .]mm [Feasts of Dedication] X.iii.1. After this all of us saw what we desired and hoped for: in each city there were feasts of dedication, the consecration of recently constructed churches, bishops gathering for this purpose, crowds coming from far and wide, people exchanging signs of friendship, the unification of the members of Christ’s Body6 into one harmonious assembly of people. X.iii.3. One and the same power of the divine Spirit circulated through all the members. There was one soul in all,7 one and the same enthusiastic faith, one hymn glorifying God. Yes, perfect services were conducted by our leaders, sacred rites by the priests; and in the church there were institutions worthy of God—at times manifested by singing the psalms, by hearing God’s words that were sent to us; at times by carrying out the divine and mystical rites, which are the ineffable symbols of the Savior’s passion. X.iii.4. People of all ages, both men and women,8 with all the power of their minds and united in spirit and soul, gave glory to God, the author of all that is good, through prayers and thanksgivings. And every bishop present, each as best as he could, gave a panegyric oration, thus inspiring the assembly. X.iv.1. One of those who was moderately giftednn came forward to the middle of the assembly. He had composed a discourse. The church being full and in the presence of a very large number of pastors who in silence kk. Book of Enoch: an important Jewish noncanonical book well known to many early Christian writers. ll. Galerius: ruled the western part of the Roman Empire from 305 to 311. mm. What follows is the Edict of Galerius, which is also found in its original Latin in The Death of the Persecutors by Lactantius (WEC 2:1307–12). nn. Commentators generally agree that this discourse was given by Eusebius himself. 5. See 2 Cor 3:16–18.  6. See Rom 12:5; 1 Cor 12:12.  7. See Acts 4:32.  8. See Ps 148:12.

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Panagyric on the Building of Churches Addressed to Paulinus, Bishop of Tyre X.iv.2. “Friends of God, priests clothed in holy garb, adorned with the heavenly crown of glory, anointed with the divine unction, clothed with the priestly robe of the Holy Spirit. [.  .  .] X.iv.20. “These [ornamental offerings] would need a special discourse if we were to give an exact description and explanation of them. X.iv.37. “For this church he [God] has thus given boundaries for the whole site, much larger [than the first]. The exterior perimeter is fortified by a wall that entirely surrounds it, thus providing a veritable rampart for the whole. X.iv.38. “You see a large and very high gateway which receives the rays of the rising sun. Those standing outside the sacred precincts have a full view of what is within; those not of the faith are, as it were, invited to look toward the primary entrances. No one can pass in front of the temple whose soul is not penetrated by the memory of former desolation and by the astonishing wonder that has taken place. It was hoped that people, thus filled with sorrow, might be attracted and induced to enter by the very sight [of the building]. X.iv.39. “Once inside, a person is not permitted to go through the door and immediately enter the sanctuary with soiled and unwashed feet; a very wide space has been left between the temple and its outer entrances; this area is adorned with four colonnades set at right angles so that there is, as it were, a type of quadrangle with colonnades standing upright on all sides. The space between them is filled with wooden lattice screens of an appropriate height. There is an open space through which the sky can be seen so that the air is bright and exposed to the rays of the sun. X.iv.40. “Placed there are the symbols of the holy purifications. In front of the temple are fountains that supply an abundance of living water with which those who enter the temple precincts can wash themselves. This first stopping-place is for all who enter. It offers to all something beautiful and graceful; to those still in need of initial instruction it presents a station suitable for their needs. X.iv.41. “But let us go beyond such a wonderful sight. Still more numerous interior gateways allow entrance into the temple. These face the east. There are three doors on one side, the middle door being larger than the other two in height and width; this door is decorated with bronze plates joined together with iron. It has various reliefs. There are two other doors, one on each side as if bodyguards for a queen. X.iv.42. “Likewise provided are a number of gateways to the colonnades on both sides of the structure, their number corresponding to that of the colonnades. To allow more light to shine through, separate openings are

81. Eusebius Pamphilus of Caesarea  315 provided over the colonnades; these also are decorated with various wood carvings. “As to the church itself, even more precious and richer materials were used. No attention was given to cost. X.iv.43. “It is, I believe, superfluous to describe the length and breadth of the building, its striking beauty, its indescribable majesty, the wonderful workmanship, the pinnacles reaching to the sky, the precious cedars of Lebanon placed above the edifice. The divine oracle itself has not failed to mention these, ‘The trees of the Lord will rejoice and the cedars of the Lord which he has planted.’9 X.iv.44. “Why must I now exactly describe the perfection of the building’s general architectural design, the astounding beauty of its individual parts, since the witness of what is seen renders superfluous what is heard by the ears? Once the building was completed, it was given three lofty thrones to accord with the honor of those who preside; also with seats in proper order for common use as needed. Placed in the middle was the altar for the holy mysteries. So that it not be accessible to the multitude, the altar is encircled with a wooden trellis which is so artistically created as to present a wonderful picture to all who gaze upon it. X.iv.45. “Not even the floor is neglected, for this too is exquisitely constructed of the most beautiful marble. “Equal thought was given to the building’s exterior. On both sides are very large halls and chambers; these were joined to the basilica and were linked to the passageways leading to the central building. As to the places necessary for those still requiring purification and absolutions given by water and the Holy Spirit, our very peaceful Solomon, who built God’s temple, created these. [.  .  .]” Copies of imperial laws pertaining to the Christians X.v.1. Let us now add the imperial laws of Constantine and Licinius, these being translated from the Latin. [.  .  .] X.v.2. “Long ago we saw that religious freedom should not be denied, but every person, according to his or her own judgment and desire, should be allowed to perform religious duties as he or she so chooses. For this reason we ordered that each person, Christians as well as non-Christians, should be permitted to keep the faith of his or her belief and religion. X.v.3. “But since numerous and various conditions clearly seem to have been added to the rescript that granted such permission to these very same Christians, perhaps some of them were soon afterwards hindered from practicing their religion. X.v.4. “When I, Constantine Augustus, and I, Licinius Augustus, came together [.  .  .].”oo oo. See The Death of the Persecutors (WEC 2:1314–21). 9. Ps 104:16.

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I.liii. Licinius passed another law commanding that men were not to gather with women in the church of God; nor were women to frequent the revered schools of virtue in order to receive instruction; nor were bishops to teach women the precepts of religion. Rather, women were to be appointed to be teachers of other women. Since everyone ridiculed all this, Licinius devised other means for bringing about the destruction of the churches. He ordered that the solemn assemblies of the people were to be held outside the city in the open countryside, outside the gates, alleging that the open air outside the city was more suitable for a crowd of people than houses of prayer within the city. IV.xvii. Still more venerable proof of Constantine’s piety might be discerned by those who notice how he turned, as it were, his own palace into a church of God, how he himself was a model of attentiveness and eagerness for all who gathered there, how he took the sacred books into his hands, devoting himself to studying these divinely inspired oracles, and after which he would offer up regular prayers with all who belonged to the imperial court. IV.xviii. Constantine also decreed that one day should be regarded as a special time for prayer, namely, the first and principal day, the day of our Lord and Savior. He ordered that the entire care of his household be entrusted to the deacons and other ministers consecrated to God and distinguished by seriousness of life. [.  .  .] He enjoined that all the subjects of the Roman empire should observe the Lord’s Day as a day of rest and also honor the day that precedes the Sabbath in memory, as it seems, of what the Savior of all is said to have done on this day. Since he desired to teach his whole army to zealously honor the Savior’s day—a day whose name comes from the light and from the sun—he freely granted to those among them who embrace the divine faith leisure for attending the services of God’s Church so that without any hindrance they might have sufficient time for prayer. IV.xix. As to the others who were still ignorant of divine truth, he issued a second statute that they should appear on the Lord’s Day on an open plain near the city. There, at a given signal, they were all to offer God a prayer that they had previously learned. [.  .  .] IV.xxii. The emperor himself, as a sharer in the holy mysteries, would seclude himself daily at appointed hours within the innermost rooms of the palace. There, speaking alone with God, he would kneel in humble supplication and ask for whatever he needed. It was especially at the †

Translated from PG 20:967–68, 1163–70, 1213–18.

81. Eusebius Pamphilus of Caesarea  317 salutary feast of the Pasch that his religious activity increased. He carried out, as it were, the duties of a high priest and instructor in worship with the utmost energy of soul and body, surpassing all others in celebrating this feast. He changed the night’s vigil into a brightness akin to that of the day by having long wax candles lighted throughout the city; furthermore, lighted torches shed their light everywhere, giving this mystical vigil a brilliant splendor surpassing that of the day. As soon as day broke, he imitated our Savior’s kindness by extending a bountiful hand to all his subjects, to every province and people, by giving the most lavish presents to all. IV.lxii. “The time has arrived,” [said Constantine,] “that I long hoped for, that I earnestly longed for, and with the prayers of all desired so as to obtain salvation from God. The hour has come when I also might receive the seal that confers immortality; it is the hour when I will receive the seal of salvation. There was a time when I anticipated doing this in the Jordan River where our Savior, as an example for us, is said to have been baptized. But God, who knows what is good for us, is pleased that I be baptized here. Then may all doubt be removed. But should the Lord, the judge of life and death, desire that my life here on earth be prolonged, and should it be decreed that henceforth I am to associate myself with God’s people and be united to them as a member of the Church, I pledge to prescribe laws that are considered worthy of God.” After he had spoken, the sacred ceremonies were carried out as customary. Having received the necessary instructions, he was made a partaker in the holy mysteries. [.  .  .] Afterwards, he clothed himself in shining imperial vestments, brilliant as the light, and reclined on a couch of shining white, refusing to wear purple any longer.

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2082

81-C. Address to the Assembly of the Saints† This Good Friday sermon, appearing in some manuscripts as an appendix to the Life of Constantine, is given as an example of the emperor’s eloquence on sacred things. Questions, however, remain as to the document’s authenticity. xii. [.  .  .] Just as the life of a martyr is one of sobriety and obedience to God’s commandments, so the martyr’s death is an example of strength and nobility. And so afterwards there are hymns and psalms, words and songs of praise to the God who sees all things. A sacrifice of thanksgiving is offered in their memory; it is bloodless, without violence. There is no need of fragrant incense, no need of a funeral pyre, but only as much light as is needed by those praying to God. There are many who prepare temperate banquets to assist the needy and to offer relief to those who have lost their property and homelands. [.  .  .] †

Translated from GCS 7:171.

2083

318  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East

81-D. Proof of the Gospel† Twenty books were intended for this work; yet only Books I–X and a large fragment of Book XV have come down to us. Written sometime during the first quarter of the fourth century, the intent of the Demonstratio evangelica is to show how the Mosaic Law prepared for Christ. I.x. [.  .  .] According to the testimony of the prophets the great and highly esteemed ransom for redeeming Jews and Greeks alike has been found. It is an expiation for the whole world, a sacrifice for the spiritual well-being of all, a most pure offering for every stain and sin. It is certainly the Lamb of God, the most pure sheep pleasing to God. It is the Lamb concerning which the prophets spoke so often, through whose divine and mystical teaching all of us—who have been taken from among the Gentiles—have received the forgiveness of our past sins. It is through him that the Jews [Jewish Christians] who hope in him are freed from the curse of Moses as they daily celebrate the memorial of his Body and Blood. [.  .  .] 2085 We have received a memorial of this sacrifice. It is celebrated on a table. We do so by signs of his Body and saving Blood so that we might receive what was established by the new covenant. We are again taught by David the prophet to say, “You have prepared a table before me in the face of those afflicting me. My head you have anointed with oil, and your cup cheers me like the best [wine].”1 Therefore these things signify the mystical anointing and the magnificent sacrifice of Christ’s table. By these we are instructed to offer to God on high, and through our great High Priest, the celebration of our unbloody, reasonable, and well-pleasing sacrifices, doing so throughout our whole lives. Isaiah the great prophet wonderfully foretold this through the Holy Spirit. He predicted it when he said, “O Lord, my God, I will praise you, I will glorify your name because you have done marvelous deeds.”2 The prophet then proceeds to explain what these deeds are, saying, “The Lord of the Sabbath will prepare a feast for all the nations. They will drink joy; they will drink wine; they will be anointed with oil on this mountain. Impart all these things to the nations since this is God’s counsel among all of them.”3 Such were the “marvelous deeds” spoken of by Isaiah, the promise of a pleasant smelling anointing done with myrrh and promised to all the nations, not just to Israel. Christians receive their name, and rightly so, from the anointing with oil. Isaiah also speaks to the nations about the “wine of joy,” thereby in an obscure fashion referring to the sacrament of Christ’s new covenant, a sacrifice now openly celebrated among the nations. [.  .  .] 2084

Translated from PG 22:87, 91. 1. Ps 23:5.  2. Isa 25:1.  3. Isa 25:6. †

82. Cyril of Jerusalem  319

81-E. Commentary on the Psalms† Although of uncertain date, this work—it must have been monumental—is often dated among the last treatises of Eusebius. Highly regarded in Christian antiquity, the work was translated into Latin by both Hilary of Poitiers (ca. 315–367/368) and Eusebius of Vercelli (d. 371). These translations, however, have been lost, and only sections of the original Greek survive. Psalm 64 2086 [.  .  .] At every rising of the sun and at every return of the evening, God’s churches throughout the world offer hymns, praises, and divine pleasures. This is no ordinary sign of God’s power. The hymns that rise up daily at dawn and dusk in churches everywhere are indeed “pleasures for God.” [.  .  .] Psalm 65 [.  .  .] Psalms are to be sung to his name. We know that this custom is observed in all places. For in all the churches of God established among the pagans, not only among the Greeks but even among the barbarians, people are instructed to sing melodies and psalms to God. [.  .  .] Psalm 91 7. The followers of Moses certainly sacrificed the paschal lamb only once each year, doing so toward evening on the fourteenth of the first month. We however, being children of the new covenant and celebrating our Pasch on every Sunday, are always fed with the Body of the Savior; we always share in the Blood of the Lamb. [.  .  .] 12. [.  .  .] Throughout the whole year we celebrate these mysteries, commemorating the Savior’s passion with a fast on the preceding Saturday, a fast the apostles observed when the Spouse was removed from their midst.1 Each Sunday we are given life by the sanctified Body of the same saving Lamb, and our souls are nourished by his precious Blood. 82. Cyril of Jerusalem

The date of Cyril’s birth is often given as ca. 313/315. Presumably the place was Palestine. Cyril was probably educated in Jerusalem, where he was ordained a deacon in 325, and a presbyter in 345. Ordination as bishop of Jerusalem occurred ca. 348–50. Cyril’s years as bishop were indeed turbulent. Questions as to Jerusalem being an independent see and the manner of formulating the Son’s relationship to the Father within the Trinity were among the causes † Translated from PG 23:639–40, 647–48, 701–2, 705–6. The psalm numbering is that of the LXX. 1. See Matt 9:15–16; Mark 2:19–20; Luke 5:34–35.

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320  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East leading to his being deposed and even exiled several times. The last period of banishment, during the reign of Valens, began in 367 and lasted eleven years. He died in 387, probably on March 18. In regard to the Son’s relationship to the Father, Cyril, although a staunch opponent of Arianism, personally avoided the term homoousios (consubstantialis), perhaps because the word is nonscriptural and open to misinterpretation. Yet he was among the 150 or so bishops attending the Council of Constantinople (381), which ratified the Nicene Creed, a profession of faith containing the word homoousios. Cyril’s greatest literary contribution is certainly the two groups of lectures or instructions he delivered to those preparing for baptism and to those who had just been baptized. Most probably the text we have received is based upon notes transcribed by one of his listeners. CPG 2: nos. 3585ff. * Altaner (1961) 361–63 * Altaner (1966) 312–13 * Bardenhewer (1908) 271–74 * Bardenhewer (1910) 283–86 * Bardenhewer (1913) 3:273–81 * Bardy (1929) 110–11 * Bautz 1:1186–87 * Hamell 99–100 * Jurgens 1:347–71 * Leigh-Bennett 178–95 * Quasten 3:362–77 * Steidle 105–6 * Tixeront 191–92 * CATH 3:412–14 * CE 4:595–96 * CHECL 284–86 * DACL 7.2:2374–92 * DCB 1:760–63 * DHGE 13:1181–85 * DictSp 2.2:2683–87 * DPAC 1:696–97 * DTC 3:2527–77 * EC 3:1725–29 * EEC 1:215 * EEChr 1:312–13 * LTK 2:1370 * NCE 4:576–78 * NCES 4:470–72 * ODCC 442–43 * TRE 8:261–66 General Studies on Initiation L.L. Rochat, Le catéchuménat au IVe siècle d’après les Catéchèses de s. Cyrille de Jérusalem (Geneva, 1875). * C.P. Caspari, “Alte und neue Quellen zur Geschichte des Taufsymbols,” Christiana (1879) 146–60. * J. Marquardt, S. Cyrillus Hieros. baptismi, chrismatis, eucharistiae mysteriorum interpres (Leipzig, 1882). * A. Heisenberg, Grabeskirche und Apostelkirche, vol. 1 (Leipzig, 1908) 47–89. * J.P. Bock, Die Brotbitte des Vaterunsers: Ein Beitrag zum Verständnis des Universalgebetes und einschlägiger liturgisch-patristicher Fragen (Paderborn, 1911). * S. Salaville, “Les ‘Catéchèses mystagogiques’ de s. Cyrille de Jérusalem: une question critique littéraire,” EO 17 (1915) 531–37. * T.H. Bindley, “On Some Points Doctrinal and Practical in the Catechetical Lectures of St. Cyril of Jerusalem,” American Journal of Theology 21 (1917) 598–607. * A. Bludau, “Der Katechumenat in Jerusalem im 4. Jahrhundert,” ThGl 16 (1924) 225–42. * A. Bludau, Die Pilgerreise der Aetheria (Paderborn, 1927) 41–190. * L. Duchesne, Origines du culte chrétien, 5th ed. (Paris, 1925) 57–65. * H. Leclercq, “Jérusalem (La liturgie à),” DACL 7 (1927) 2374–92. * W.J. Swaans,”A propos des catéchèses mystagogiques attribuées à s. Cyrille de Jérusalem,” Mus 55 (1942) 1–43. * J. Daniélou, “Le symbolisme des rites baptismaux,” DV 1 (1945) 15–43. * G. Dix, The Shape of the Liturgy (London, 1945) 187–209, 349–54. * J. Quasten, “The Blessing of the Baptismal Font in the Syrian Rite of the Fourth Century,” TS 7 (1946) 309–13. * D. Moraitis, “Cyril of Jerusalem as a Catechist and Educator,” Greg. Palamas 30 (1948) 57–59, 122–30, 187–200, 238–46, 283–86 (in Greek). * J.C.M. Fruytier, Het woord MYSTERION in de Catechesen van Cyrillus van Jeruzalem (Nijmegen, 1950). * G. Touton, “La méthode catéchétique de s. Cyrille de Jérusalem comparée à celles de s. Augustin et de Théodore de Mopsuestia,” PrOChr 1 (1951) 265–85. * A.A. Stephenson, “The Lenten Catechetical Syllabus in the Fourth-Century Jerusalem,” TS 15 (1954) 103–16. * E. Ferguson, “Baptism

82. Cyril of Jerusalem  321 from the Second to the Fourth Century,” ResQ 1 (1957) 185–97. * C.L. Beukers, “’For Our Emperors, Soldiers and Allies’: An Attempt at Dating the Twenty-third Catechesis by Cyrillus of Jerusalem,” VC 15 (1961) 177–84. * M.-B. Carra de Vaux Saint Cyr, “Le sacrement de confirmation: Notes historiques,” LV 10 (1961), no. 51, 16–58. * A. Renoux, “Les catéchèses mystagogiques dans l’organisation liturgique hiersolymitaine du IVe et du Ve siècle,” Mus 78 (1965) 355–59. * A. Piédagnel, “A propos des catéchèses mystagogiques de Cyrille de Jérusalem,” RSR 55 (1967) 565. * R. Tura, “Battesimo e storia della salvezza nelle catechesi di s. Cirillo di Gerusaalemme,” StP 17 (1970) 556–74. * H.M. Riley, “The Rite of Christian Initiation: A Comparative Study of Interpretation of the Baptismal Liturgy in the Mystagogical Writings of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, St. John Chrysostom, Theodore of Mopsuestia and Ambrose of Milan,” diss. (Regensberg, 1971). * E.J. Yarnold, The Awe-Inspiring Rites of Initiation: Baptismal Homilies of the Fourth Century (Slough, 1972). * E.J. Yarnold, “’Ideo et Romae fideles dicuntur qui baptizati sunt’: A Note on ‘De Sacramentis’ I.I,” JThSt, n.s., 24 (1973) 202–7. * H.M. Riley, Christian Initiation, SCA 17 (Washington, D.C., 1974). * R. Tura, “Il battesimo dei bambini. Revisione in vista? Simposio su una prassi pastorale millenaria,” StP 21 (1974) 511–85. * K. Deddens, “Annus liturgicus? Een ondersoek naar de betekenis van Cyrillus van Jeruzalem voor de ontwikkeling van het ‘kerkelijk jaar,’” diss. (Goes, 1975). * E.J. Cutrone, “Saving Presence in the Mystagogical Catecheses of Cyril of Jerusalem,” diss. (Notre Dame, 1975). * E.J. Yarnold, “Did St. Ambrose Know the Mystagogic Catecheses of St. Cyril of Jerusalem?” SP 12 (1975) 184–89. * E.J. Cutrone, “Cyril’s Mystagogical Catecheses and the Evolution of the Jerusalem Anaphora,” OCP 44 (1978) 52–64. * S. Janeras, “A propos de la catéchèse XIVe de Cyrille de Jérusalem,” EOr 3:3 (1986) 307–18. * M.E. Johnson, “Reconciling Cyril and Egeria in the Catechetial Process in Fourth-Century Jerusalem,” in Essays in Early Eastern Initiation, ed. P.F. Bradshaw, Alcuin/GROW Liturgical Study 8 (Bramcote, Nottingham, 1988) 18–30. * A.J. Doval, Cyril of Jerusalem: Mystagogue: The Authorship of the Mystagogic Catecheses (Washington, D.C., 2001). Eucharist Becker, “Der hl. Cyrillus von Jerusalem über die reale Gegenwart Christi in der heiligen Eucharistie,” Kat 1 (1872) 433–49, 539–54, 641–61. * V. Schmitt, Die Verheissung der Eucharistie (Joh. 6) bei den Antiochenern Cyrillus von Jerusalem und Johannes Chrysostomu (Würzburg, 1903). * R. Rios, “St. Cyril of Jerusalem on the Holy Eucharist,” Pax 25 (1935) 77–81. * J. Daniélou, “Eucharistie et Cantique des Cantiques,” Ire 23 (1950) 257–77. * J.C.M. Fruytier, “Het woord ‘musterion’ in de Catechesen van Cyrillus van Jerusalem,” diss. (Nijmegen, 1950). * J. Quasten, “Mysterium tremendum: Eucharistische Frömmigkeitsauffassungen des vierten Jahrhunderts: Vom christlichen Mysterium,” in Festschrift O. Casel (Düsseldorf, 1951) 66–75. * K. Baus, “Die eucharistiche Glaubensverkündigung der alten Kirche in ihren Grundzügen,” in Die Messe in der Glaubensverkündigung (Festschrift J.A. Jungmann), eds. F.X. Arnold and B. Fisher (Freiburg i. B., 1953) 55–70. * G. Fittkau, Der Begriff des Mysteriums bei Johannes Chrysostomus (Bonn, 1953). * F.M. Young, From Nicaea to Chalcedon: A Guide to the Literature and Its Background (London, 1983) 128–30. * K.J. Burreson, “The Anaphora of the Mystical Catechesis of Cyril of Jerusalem,” in Essays on Early Eastern Eucharistic Prayers, ed. P.F. Bradshaw (Collegeville, 1997) 131–51. Other Topics A.A. Stephenson, “St. Cyril of Jerusalem and the Alexandrian Heritage,” TS 15 (1954) 573–93. * A.A. Stephenson, “St. Cyril of Jerusalem and the Alexandrian

322  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East Christian Gnosis,” SP 1 (1957) 142–46. * H.A. Wolfson, “The Theology of Cyril of Jerusalem,” Dunbarton Oaks Papers 11 (1957) 3–19. * B. Piasecki, “La struttura sacramentale della vita della comunita’ cristiana: In San Cirillo di Gerusalemme,” diss. (Rome, 1973). * G.J. Cuming, “Egyptian Elements in the Jerusalem Liturgy,” JThSt, n.s., 25 (1974) 117–24. * K. Dedden, “Cyrile de Jérusalem et l’année liturgique,” QLP 56 (1975) 41–46. * D. Dufrasne, “Saint Cyrille de Jérusalem,” ComL 66 (1984) 63–71. * P.W.L. Walker, Holy City, Holy Places: Christian Attitudes to Jerusalem and the Holy Land in the Fourth Century, Oxford Early Christian Studies (Oxford, 1990). * O.F. Cummings, “Cyril of Jerusalem as a Postliberal Theologian,” Wor 67 (1993) 155–64. * M.-T. Olszewski, “L’image et sa fonction dans la mosaïque byzantine des premières basiliques en Orient. L’iconographie chrétienne expliquée par Cyrille de Jérusalem (314–387),” CA 43 (1995) 9–34. * R.L. Mullen, The New Testament Text of Cyril of Jerusalem, New Testament in the Greek Fathers 7 (Atlanta, 1997). * E. Yarnold, Cyril of Jerusalem (London and New York, 2000).

82-A. Protocatechesis† This is an introductory instruction given perhaps ca. 350 and highlighting the rule of secrecy. The mysteries of the faith are known only by those who have been fully initiated and by those immediately preparing for this initiation, which takes place during the Easter Vigil. 2090

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1. O those to be enlightened, there is already in you a fragrance of happiness. [.  .  .] The inscription of your names and your call to service has already taken place. [.  .  .] 6. [.  .  .] You were once called a catechumen, this word assailing you on every side from without. You heard about hope but did not experience it. You heard about the mysteries but did not understand them. You heard the Scriptures but did not recognize their depth. [.  .  .] 7. We are not allowed to be baptized two or three times. Otherwise, one might say, “I have fallen once and I will fix it the second time.” But if you fall once, it cannot be fixed, for “there is one Lord, one faith, and one baptism.”1 Only heretics are rebaptized because there was no previous baptism. 9. May you hasten to the catecheses. Attentively receive the exorcisms; whether you are breathed upon or exorcised, this concerns your salvation. [.  .  .] Without the exorcisms your soul cannot be cleansed; they are from God, taken from the Holy Scriptures. [.  .  .] 12. Once the catechesis has been given and if a catechumen asks you what the teachers said, say nothing to this outsider. What we give you is a mystery and hope of future life. Keep the mystery for him who will reward you. May no one ever say to you, “What harm can befall you if I also know it?” The sick request wine, but delirium results if given at the wrong time. And so there are two evils: the sick person dies, and the physician is † Translated from Cyrilli Hiersolymarum Archiepiscopi Opera Quae Supersunt Omnia, vol. 1, ed. W.K. Reischl and J. Rupp (Munich, 1848) 3ff. 1. Eph 4:5.

82. Cyril of Jerusalem  323 blamed. The same is true when a catechumen hears about a mystery from a believer. The catechumen becomes delirious, not understanding what is heard, and disparaging and scoffing at what has been said; and so the believer is condemned as a traitor. You are already standing at the border. Take heed. Say nothing. It is not that what has been said is unworthy of repetition; it is only that the catechumen’s ears are unworthy to receive. There was a time when you also were a catechumen, and at that time I did not tell you what you could expect in the future. When experience teaches you how exalted is our teachings, then you will understand that the catechumens are not worthy to hear them. 14. Once the exorcism has taken place and while awaiting the arrival of the others who have been exorcised, the men are to be with the men and the women with the women. Just consider Noah’s ark where Noah was separated from his wife and his sons were separated from their wives. For although the ark was one and its door were closed, all things were suitably arranged. Although the church is closed and all of you are within, nonetheless, there is to be a separation, men with the men, women with the women, so that the help of salvation is not turned into an occasion of destruction. Even if it is deemed advisable that men and women sit together, all evil desires are to be absent. Men, while sitting, are to have a useful book in their hands; one man is to read, another to listen. If there is no book, one is to pray, another to speak something beneficial. As to the young women, they are to sit together in similar fashion, singing or reading silently so that others do not hear what their lips are saying: “I do not allow women to speak in church.”2 Married women are to pray, lips moving, but not heard by others. [.  .  .] 16. The baptism awaiting you is indeed wonderful. It is ransom to the captives; the remission of sins; the death of sin; rebirth of the soul, a garment of light; a holy and indelible seal; a chariot toward heaven; the delight of paradise; a pledge of the kingdom; the gift of adoption as children. [.  .  .] To the reader These instructions, designed for those soon to be illuminated, you may lend to be read by those coming forth for baptism and by the faithful who have already been baptized. You are not to give them to the catechumens or to others who are not Christians. If you do so, you will have to answer to the Lord. Should you make a copy of this, write it in the beginning as if the Lord were watching.

82-B. Lenten Catecheses The eighteen Lenten instructions were addressed to the baptismal candidates—called “the enlightened” as distinct from the catechumens in

2. 1 Tim 2:12.

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324  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East general—during Lent, probably ca. 350 and shortly before the Easter Vigil. The venue was the basilica Constantine built on Calvary. Catecheses six through eighteen are a commentary on the baptismal creed professed in Jerusalem.

82-b-1. lenten catechesis i† 2098

4. You are receiving arms that are spiritual, not corruptible. You are being planted in an invisible paradise. You are accepting a name you did not previously have. You were formerly a catechumen; now you are one of the faithful. [.  .  .] 2099 5. [.  .  .] The present time is a time for doing penance. Confess all you have done, be it in word or deed, be it during the day or during the night. Confess “in an acceptable time”1 and on the day of salvation receive the heavenly reward. Zealously take part in the exorcisms. Faithfully attend the catecheses. [.  .  .] 2100 6. Diligently attend the gatherings of the Church, not only now when the clergy require it but also after you receive baptism. If such a practice is worthwhile before you are baptized, is it not also worthwhile afterwards? [.  .  .]

82-b-2. lenten catechesis iii†† 2101

4. Since we are composed of two parts, soul and body, there is a twofold purification, one cleansing being incorporeal for what is incorporeal, the other being corporeal for what is corporeal: water indeed washes the body; the Spirit seals the soul. [.  .  .] 2102 10. A nonbaptized person is not saved, the only exception being the martyrs who without bodily washing enter the kingdom. When the Savior was redeeming the world through the cross and when his side was pierced, blood and water flowed forth.1 Thus those living during times of peace are baptized by means of water, those living during times of persecution are baptized in their own blood. It was customary for the Savior to refer to martyrdom as baptism: “Can you drink from the cup from which I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?”2 [.  .  .]

82-b-3. lenten catechesis vi††† 2103

29. [.  .  .] The mysteries being explained to you, now that you are about to leave the category of catechumens, are not ordinarily explained to the gentiles. We do not customarily explain to them the mysteries pertaining to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Nor do we speak openly Translated from Reischl and Rupp, vol. 1, 32–37. 1. 2 Cor 6:2. †† Translated from Reischl and Rupp, vol. 1, 68ff. 1. See John 19:34.  2. Mark 10:38. ††† Translated from Reischl and Rupp, vol. 1, 194–97. †

82. Cyril of Jerusalem  325 about these mysteries to the catechumens. Yet we often discourse about them in a veiled manner so that believers who have knowledge may understand and so that those who lack such knowledge may not suffer harm.

82-b-4. lenten catechesis xviii† 20. [.  .  .] The stain of sin also remains in the body. After a wound has been deeply inflicted on the body, and even if healing has occurred, the scars remain. In like manner sin injures both body and soul, and its scars remain in both. They are removed only from those who have been washed. It is through baptism that God heals the past sins of soul and body. [.  .  .] 32. My dear brothers and sisters, I have spoken in order to prepare you to receive the heavenly gifts. Concerning the holy and apostolic faith handed over to you to confess, through the Lord’s grace we have instructed you during the past days of Lent. I did not say all that could have been said, omitting much which perhaps may be better explained by better teachers. But now that the holy day of the Pasch is at hand, you, my beloved in Christ, are to be enlightened by the bath of new birth. Once again, God willing, you will be taught what is appropriate: for example, the devotion you should have and the procedure to be followed when you will be called upon to enter; the purpose of each of the baptismal mysteries; the reverence and order when you go from baptism to God’s holy altar in order to enjoy the spiritual and heavenly mysteries distributed there. [.  .  .] 33. After the Pasch, a holy day of salvation, and beginning on Monday you are to come after the assembly into the Place of the Resurrection. There, God willing, you will be further instructed. You will be taught the reasons for all that has happened to you, with demonstrations coming from both the Old and New Testaments. You will first be instructed on what took place immediately before your baptism; then on how the Lord washed you of your sins through the water-bath and the word; next, on how like priests you became sharers in the name of Christ. Following that, you will learn how the seal of the communicating of the Holy Spirit was given to you. Finally, you will receive instruction concerning the mysteries that take place at the altar of the New Testament—mysteries that began in this place [Jerusalem]—and what the Holy Scriptures have told us about them, what is their force and power, how we are to approach them, when and how to receive them, and last of all how in the future you are to act in a manner worthy of this grace, doing so in words and actions, so that all of you will be able to enjoy eternal life. God willing, all these things we will explain to you.

†

Translated from Reischl and Rupp, vol. 1, 222ff.

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82-C. Mystagogical Catecheses Presented during the week following Easter, these instructions (Mystagogical Catecheses) given to the “newly enlightened” explain the significance of the initiation rites. The first two instructions treat baptism; the third concerns the anointing with oil; the fourth focuses on the Eucharist; and the fifth is on the liturgy of the Eucharist. Some scholars believe that these sermons are really the work of John of Jerusalem (386–417), Cyril’s successor at Jerusalem. Others suggest that John may have played the role of a reviser or editor. At any rate, for many the question of authorship still remains open.

82-c-1. mystagogical catechesis i† 1. My true and dearly beloved children of the Church, long have I desired to address you concerning these spiritual and heavenly mysteries. But because I well know that the eye is better than the ear, I awaited the present occasion so as to find you, from your own experience, ever more open to my words so that I might take your hand and lead you into the brighter and more perfumed meadow of paradise. Moreover, now you are able to understand the more holy mysteries, those concerning divine and life-giving baptism. It remains for us to lay before you a table of more perfect instruction. And so allow us to give you exact instruction in order that you might know the meaning of what happened to you on the evening you were baptized. 2108 2. You began by entering the forecourt of the baptistery. Standing, facing the west, you listened and heard the command to extend your hand and, as if he were present, you renounced Satan. But you must understand that the symbolism here is found in the Old Testament. When, in fact, the Pharaoh, that harsh and cruel tyrant, was afflicting the free and noble Hebrew people, God sent Moses to deliver them from their dreadful slavery under the Egyptians. With the blood of a lamb they anointed their doorposts so that the destroyer would pass over the houses that carried the sign of blood.1 Miraculously the Hebrews were set free. The Pharaoh pursued them after their deliverance. When the sea wonderfully opened up before them, he nonetheless pressed on and was immediately submerged and engulfed in the Red Sea.2 2109 3. Join us in passing from the old to the new, from figure to reality. Whereas at that time lived Moses, sent by God to Egypt, today we have Christ, sent forth from his Father into the world. Whereas Moses had the oppressed people leave Egypt, Christ rescues those who in the world are overcome by sin. Whereas the blood of the lamb turned away the destroyer, the blood of Jesus Christ, the spotless lamb,3 is a refuge against 2107

† Translated from Catéchèses mystagogiques. Cyrille de Jérusalem, trans. P. Paris, ed. A. Piédagnel, SChr 126 bis (Paris, 1988) 82–101. The reading is 1 Peter 5:8ff. 1. See Exod 12:7, 13, 22–23.  2. See Exod 14:22–30.  3. See 1 Pet 1:19.

82. Cyril of Jerusalem  327 the evil spirits. The tyrant pursues to the sea the ancient Jewish people; in your case the devil—shameless, foolhardy, the source of evil—follows you to the very waters of salvation. The tyrant of old was swallowed up by the sea whereas the present tyrant has disappeared in the waters of salvation. 4. Nonetheless, you were told to stretch out your hand and to say as to one present, “I renounce you, Satan.” Why did you turn toward the west? I’ll tell you. You need to know this. The west is the place of visible darkness. Since he of whom we are speaking is darkness, and since he exercises his power in the darkness, this is the symbolic reason why you faced the west when you renounced this prince of darkness and gloom. Why did each of you, while standing, say, “I renounce you, Satan, you evil and most evil tyrant. No longer do I fear your power”? For Christ has destroyed you by sharing with me his flesh and blood in order to abolish death by dying and so that I may no longer be subject to slavery.4 I renounce you, you cunning and most crafty serpent. I renounce you, you plotter. Faking friendship, you carried out all evil and were the force behind the apostasy of our first parents. I renounce you, Satan, the author of and accomplice in all evil. 5. You were then taught a second phrase: “And all your works.” Satan’s works refer to all sins; it is necessary to renounce these just as someone who has escaped a tyrant must indeed escape his weapons. Every type of sin is thus included among the works of the devil. Just remember this: all that you say, especially at this most awesome hour, is written in God’s invisible books. Should you do anything contrary to what you promised, you will be judged a transgressor.5 And so you renounced the works of Satan, that is, all actions and thoughts contrary to what you promised. 6. You then said, “And all your pomp.” The devil’s pomp is love of the theater, of horse racing, hunting, and all such foolishness. From this the holy person prays to be delivered when saying to God, “Turn my eyes so they see no vanity.”6 Do not immerse yourselves in the folly of the theater where are found the obscene gestures of the actors accompanied by mockery and all kinds of indecencies. Also stay away from the raging dances of effeminate men. Avoid the madness of those who while hunting expose themselves to wild beasts in order to placate their unfortunate stomachs; to provide food for themselves they themselves become food for the bellies of the wild beasts. To be exact, for the sake of their own god, namely, their belly,7 they throw away their own lives, risking these in combat. Also avoid horse races, for these are spectacles that destroy the soul. All this is, in fact, the pomp of the devil. 7. Also included among the devil’s pomp are all that is suspended in the temples of the idols and on feasts—for example, meat, bread, and other such foods, all polluted by invoking the filthy demons. Likewise, 4. See Heb 2:14–15.  5. See Rom 2:25–27; Gal 2:18; Jas 2:9–11.  6. Ps 119:37.  7. See Phil 3:19.

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328  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East just as the bread and wine of the Eucharist before the holy epiclesis [“calling down”] of the adorable Trinity are ordinary bread and wine but afterwards become Christ’s Body and his holy Blood, so in like manner foods of this kind, constituting the pomp of the devil, in themselves are merely food and become profane by invoking the evil spirits. 2114 8. Then you say, “and all your worship.” Worship of the devil is to pray in the temple of the idols. It is all that happens to honor the lifeless idols, whether to light lamps or to burn incense beside springs or rivers as do those who, misled by dreams or evil spirits, go to these waters expecting their bodily ailments to be cured. Do not act in this way. The watching of birds, divination, omens, amulets, writings found on leaves, magic, other types of evil, and all practices of this kind are the worship of the devil. Flee all this. If in fact you should fall after having renounced Satan and pledged your allegiance to Christ, you will experience a tyrant who is more cruel, who in the past treated you kindly and rendered less bitter your cruel slavery, but who has now been greatly incensed by you. And so deprived of Christ, you will experience the devil. [.  .  .] 2115 9. When you renounce Satan, you trample underfoot all pacts with him; you break all former agreements with hell;8 Paradise, planted by God in the east9 and from which our first father was ejected because of his disobedience,10 is open to you. Symbolizing this, you turned from the west to the east, the region of light. Then you were told to say, “I believe in the Father and in the Son and in the Holy Spirit and in one baptism of repentance.” We spoke to you about all this at length in previous instructions, as God’s grace permitted.

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1. Useful to all of us are these daily teachings on the mysteries. Also these new instructions which proclaim new realities, and all the more so since you have been renewed from an old life to a new life. This is why I must continue my mystagogical catechesis so that you might learn the symbolic meaning of the rites celebrated for you within the building. 2117 2. Immediately after entering, you removed your garment. This represented the putting off of the old self with its deeds.1 Stripped naked, you were nude, in this also imitating Christ naked on the cross, who by his nudity stripped the principalities and the powers, who on the wood of the cross openly triumphed over them.2 Since the hostile powers made their den in your members, you are no longer permitted to wear that former garment. In no way do I speak of a visible garment but of the old self which is corrupted by deceitful lust.3 May the soul that has once put off the old self not put it on again, but may it say with Christ’s spouse in the 8. See Isa 28:15.  9. See Gen 2:8.  10. See Gen 3:23. † Translated from SChr 126 bis, 104–19. The reading is Romans 6:3–14. 1. See Col 3:9.  2. See Col 12:15.  3. See Eph 4:22.

82. Cyril of Jerusalem  329 Canticle of Canticles, “I have put off my garment; how shall I again put it on?”4 How wonderful! You were naked in the sight of all, and ashamed you were not. Truly, in fact, you bore the image of Adam, the first man, who was naked in Paradise and yet bore no shame.5 3. Then, once stripped, you were anointed with the exorcised oil, from the hairs on the top of your head to your toes; you became sharers in the cultivated olive tree, Jesus Christ. Detached, in fact, from the wild olive tree, you were grafted upon a cultivated tree, and you shared in the abundance of the true olive tree.6 The exorcised oil thus symbolized participation in the abundance of Christ, this being a refuge against all traces of the enemy’s influence. Just as breathing upon the holy ones and invoking the name of God like a brightly burning flame chase away the evil spirits, so this exorcised oil—by invoking God’s name and by prayer—receives such power that not only does the oil purify by burning away the traces of sin but also chases away the invisible power of the evil one. 4. You were subsequently taken by the hand to the holy pool of divine baptism just as Christ was taken from the cross to the tomb that is before you. Each of you was asked whether you believe in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. You made a confession, one that brings salvation. Then you descended into the water and emerged three times, this symbolizing the three days Christ spent in the tomb. Just as our Savior spent three days and three nights in the heart of the earth,7 so your first ascent [from the water] imitated Christ’s first day in the tomb, and your descent imitated the night, for at night one can no longer see. On the other hand, during the day there is light. So during the night you see nothing; but upon emerging you find yourselves as during the day. And so at one and the same time you were born and you died. The saving water was both your tomb and your mother. What Solomon said about others can surely be applied to you: “There is a time to be born and a time to die.”8 But for you it was just the opposite; there was a time to die and a time to be born. At one and the same time there were two events: your birth coinciding with your death. 5. How strange and paradoxical! We were not really dead; we were not really buried; we were not really crucified; we did not really rise again. Yet whereas imitation is only an image, our salvation is a reality. Christ has really been crucified, really buried, really risen, and all this grace is given to us so that we, sharing in his sufferings by imitating them, will in reality obtain salvation. O limitless kindness! Christ received the nails in his pure hands and has suffered. As for us, without our suffering and without our pain, he allowed us to participate in the grace of salvation. 6. No one should believe that baptism obtains only the grace of the forgiveness of sins and of adoption as children, and that it is akin to John’s

4. Cant 5:3.  5. See Gen 2:25.  6. See Rom 11:17–24.  7. See Matt 12:40.  8. Eccl 3:2.

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330  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East baptism, which brought about only the forgiveness of sins. We well know that baptism removes our sins, gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit, and is also a sign of Christ’s passion. It is for this reason that Paul just now said, “Do you not know that we who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Indeed we were buried with Christ through baptism.”9 Paul said this to those who believed that baptism, although granting the forgiveness of sins and adoption as children, does not imply any participation, by imitation, in the sufferings of Christ. 2122 7. We should, therefore, learn this: whatever Christ endured, he endured for us and for our salvation. He did so in reality, not in appearance; and thus we participate in his sufferings. For this reason Paul cried out with all exactitude, “If we have been planted together with Christ in the likeness of his death, we will also be planted with him in the likeness of his resurrection.”10 How good is the expression “planted with”! Since “the true vine”11 [the cross] has been planted here [in Jerusalem], we also, by participating in the baptism of his death, have become “planted with” him. Pay close attention to the words of the apostle. He did not say, “If we are ‘planted with’ him by death.” No! What he said was, “in the likeness of death.” Truly it was a real death, his soul being separated from his body and truly a burial, with his holy body being wrapped in a pure linen cloth.12 All this really took place. For us it is the likeness of his death and suffering; as to salvation, there is no likeness but the reality.

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1. Baptized into Christ and having put on Christ,1 you have become conformed to the Son of God. God, in fact, has “destined us to be his adopted children.”2 He has made us like the glorious body of Christ.3 In that you “share in Christ,”4 it is proper to call you the anointed ones, and it is about you that God said, “Do not touch my anointed ones.”5 For you have become “anointed ones,” having received the sign of the Holy Spirit. All has been accomplished in you as an image because you are images of Christ. 2124 Christ bathed in the Jordan River and communicated his divinity to the waters; he came up from the waters, and the substance of the Holy Spirit came upon him—like, as it were, coming upon like. After coming up from the pool of the holy waters, you received the chrismation, the antitype of that with which Christ was anointed, namely, “the Holy Spirit,” of whom the blessed Isaiah also prophesied, saying in the person of the Lord, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; this is why he anointed me; he sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor.”6 9. Rom 6:3–4.  10. Rom 6:5.  11. John 15:1.  12. See Matt 27:59. † Translated from SChr 126 bis, 120–33. The reading is 1 John 2:20–28. 1. See Gal 3:27.  2. Eph 1:5.  3. See Phil 3:21.  4. Heb 3:14.  5. Ps 105:15.  6. Isa 61:1; Luke 4:18.

82. Cyril of Jerusalem  331 2. It was not a human being who anointed Christ. It was the Father who, before designating him beforehand to be the Savior of the world, anointed him with the Holy Spirit. As Peter said, “Jesus of Nazareth whom God anointed with the Holy Spirit.”7 David the prophet wrote, “O God, your throne lasts forever; the scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom. You loved justice and hated iniquity; this is why God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness, beyond all your companions.”8 Truly was Christ crucified, buried, and raised again. It was in a likeness, through baptism, that you were judged worthy to be crucified, buried, and raised with him. Likewise for the anointing. He was anointed with the spiritual oil of gladness, namely, the Holy Spirit, called the oil of gladness because the Spirit is the source of spiritual joy. And you, you have been anointed with myron, having become partakers and companions of Christ. 3. Take care not to believe that myron is an ordinary oil. Just as the eucharistic bread after the epiclesis of the Holy Spirit is no longer ordinary bread but the Body of Christ, so this holy oil after the epiclesis is no longer a pure and simple liquid or, as some might say, common oil. It is a gift from Christ and by the presence of the Holy Spirit is capable of installing his divinity within us. This oil is symbolically applied to your forehead and other senses. Your body is anointed with the myron whereas your soul is sanctified by the holy and life-giving Spirit. 4. You were anointed first on your forehead in order to be freed from the shame that the first man, the transgressor, carried with him everywhere,9 and so that with face uncovered you might reflect as in a mirror the glory of the Savior.10 Then your ears were anointed so that you might receive the ears spoken of by Isaiah, “The Lord has given me ears so that I might hear.”11 There is also what the Lord said in the Gospel, “Let those with ears listen.”12 Then you were anointed on the nostrils so that you could say, “We are the aroma of Christ for God in those who are being saved.”13 Following this you were anointed on your chest so that “having put on the breastplate of righteousness, you might resist the snares of the devil.”14 Just as the Savior after his baptism and after the visitation of the Holy Spirit went out to fight the adversary,15 so you also after your holy baptism and the mystical anointing are to put on the armor of the Holy Spirit.16 Resist the power of the enemy. Struggle against him while saying, “I can do all things in Christ who gives me strength.”17 5. Now that you have been deemed worthy of this holy chrismation, you are called Christians [the “anointed ones”], a title justified by your 7. Acts 10:38.  8. Ps 44:6–7.  9. See Gen 3:9–10.  10. See 2 Cor 3:18.  11. Isa 50:4, LXX.  12. Matt 11:15.  13. 2 Cor 2:15.  14. Eph 6:14, 11; see Isa 11:5; 59:17; 1 Thess 5:8.  15. See Matt 4:1–11; Mark 1:12–13; Luke 4:1–13.  16. See Eph 6:11.  17. Phil 4:13.

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new birth. In fact, before you were judged worthy of baptism and of the grace of the Holy Spirit, you did not strictly merit this title although you were on the way toward becoming Christians. 6. It is necessary for you to know that the sign of this chrismation is found in the ancient Scriptures. When Moses gave his brother God’s command and made him a high priest, and after having washed Aaron with water, Moses anointed Aaron.18 Consequently Aaron was called “the anointed one”19 by virtue of this pre-figuring anointing. Likewise when the high priest elevated Solomon to kingship, he anointed him after washing him in Gihon.20 Yet for all these this anointing was but a figure. For you, however, it is a reality, not a figure, because you were truly anointed by the Holy Spirit. Christ is the beginning of your salvation.a He is truly the first fruits, and you are the dough. If the first fruits are holy, obviously holiness passes over into the dough. 7. Preserve this gift without stain. It will teach you all things provided it remains in you as you have just heard blessed John say to you21 in his lengthy discourse on the anointing. This holy gift is the spiritual safeguard of your body and the salvation of your soul. Listen to what blessed Isaiah foretold so long ago, “On this mountain the Lord will work for all the people.”22 The word “mountain” designates the Church as it does elsewhere when he says, for example, “The mountain of the Lord will be visible during the last days,”23—and “they will drink wine, they will drink happiness, they will be anointed with oil.”24 And to invite you to understand fully this oil in a mystical sense, he says, “Give all this to the nations, for the Lord’s plan concerns all nations.”25 And so those of you who have been anointed with the holy myron are to keep yourselves spotless and pure, progressing in good works, seeking to please the author of our salvation,26 Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

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1. The teaching of blessed Paul is itself sufficient to give you complete assurance regarding the divine mysteries; you were judged worthy of these and thus became one Body and one Blood with Jesus Christ. Paul, in fact, just proclaimed to you, “On the night he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread and, having given thanks, broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take, eat, this is my Body.’ In the same way he took the cup, and having given thanks he said, ‘Take, drink, this is my

a. The text here seems corrupt. 18. See Lev 8:1–12.  19. See Lev 4:5.  20. See 1 Kgs 1:38–39, 45.  21. See 1 John 2:27.  22. Isa 25:6, LXX.  23. Isa 2:2, LXX.  24. Isa 25:6, LXX.  25. Isa 25:7, LXX.  26. See 2 Cor 5:9; Heb 2:10. † Translated from SChr 126 bis, 134–45. The reading is 1 Corinthians 11:23ff.

82. Cyril of Jerusalem  333 Blood.’”1 Since Christ himself declared and said, “This is my Body,” can anyone doubt any longer? And since he himself affirmed and said, “This is my Blood,” who will hesitate to say that it is not his Blood? 2. Previous to this Christ by his own power changed water into wine at Cana.2 Thus should we not believe him when he says that he is changing wine into his blood? Invited to a human wedding, he performed such a wonderful miracle. Accordingly should we not be much more willing to acknowledge that he gives to his wedding guests3 the joy of receiving his Body and Blood? 3. And so, completely assured, may we receive Christ’s Body and Blood. Under the figure of bread we receive his Body. Under the figure of wine we receive his Blood. In this way, by sharing in Christ’s Body and Blood, we become one Body and one Blood with Christ. In this way we become “bearers of Christ,” his Body and his Blood spreading throughout the members of our bodies. And so, according to blessed Peter, we become “sharers in the divine nature.”4 4. Christ once told the Jews, “Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you will not have life in you.”5 Failing to understand his words spiritually, they were scandalized and left him, believing that the Savior was extending them an invitation to eat in a physical manner.6 5. In the Old Testament there were the “Shewbread.”7 But these loaves, being of the Old Testament, exist no longer. In the New Testament we have heavenly bread and the cup of salvation,8 sanctifying soul and body. Just as bread is made the Body, so the Word well agrees with the soul. 6. Do not regard the bread and wine as merely bread and wine, for they are, according to the declaration of the Master, Christ’s Body and Blood. Even though your senses suggest otherwise, let your faith reassure you. In such a matter do not judge on the basis of taste, but may your faith fully assure you, now that you have been deemed worthy of Christ’s Body and Blood. 7. Blessed David explains to you the power of this mystery when he says, “You prepared a table for me, in the sight of my foes.”9 His meaning is this: “Lord, before your coming the evil spirits prepared for humankind a table that was dirty, defiled, and full of the devil’s power. But after your coming, O Master, you laid before me a table.” When someone says to God, “You have laid before me a table,” what do they wish to signify unless it is the mystical and spiritual table prepared for us by God against the enemy, a table that resists the evil spirits? Yes, indeed! The previous table calls for communion with the evil spirits. This table, on the contrary, calls for communion with God.

1. 1 Cor 11:23–25.  2. See John 2:1–11.  3. See Matt 9:15; Mark 2:19; Luke 5:34.  4. 2 Pet 1:4.  5. John 6:53.  6. See John 6:61, 63, 66.  7. See Lev 24:5–9; 1 Chr 9:32.  8. See Ps 116:13.  9. Ps 23:5.

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334  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East “You anointed my head with oil.”10 With oil he has anointed your forehead because of the seal you obtain from God—so that you become what is engraved on this seal, “the holiness of God.”11 “And your cup cheers me like the best [wine].”12 Here you see the cup that Jesus took into his hands and over which he gave thanks, saying, “This is my Blood shed for many unto the forgiveness of sins.”13 8. This is why Solomon, alluding to this gift, says in Ecclesiastes, 2142 “Come, eat your bread in joy,” spiritual bread. “Come.” His call designates salvation and brings joy. “Drink your wine with a happy heart.” Spiritual wine. “And spread oil upon your head.” Do you see him alluding to the mystical anointing? And “may your garments always be white since the Lord is pleased with your works.”14 Yes, the Lord is now pleased with your works. Before you came to grace [the grace of baptism], your works were “vanity of vanities.”15 But now that you have put off your former garments and clothed yourselves in spiritual whiteness, you must always be garbed in white. By this we surely do not mean that you should always wear white garments, but that it is necessary for you to be clothed with garments that are truly white, spiritually shining so that you might say with blessed Isaiah, “My soul rejoices in the Lord, for he has clothed me with the garment of salvation, he has placed a robe of joy around me.”16 9. Now you have been instructed. Now you are fully convinced. You 2143 know that what seems to be bread when tasted, is not bread but the Body of Christ. What seems to be wine when drunk, is not wine but the Blood of Christ. And you also know that it was in this regard that David sang, “Bread strengthens the human heart; oil has the human face shine gloriously.”17 Strengthened in heart, receive this bread as spiritual bread. Gladden the face of your soul. May you unveil it with a pure conscience, reflecting as if in a mirror the glory of our Lord.18 May you journey on from glory to glory in Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 2141

82-c-5. mystagogical catechesis v† 1. In our previous gatherings and by the goodness of God you heard us sufficiently instruct you regarding baptism, the chrismation, and participation in Christ’s Body and Blood. Now we must pass on to what happens next, namely, we must place a crown on the spiritual edifice that has been of such great benefit to you. 2. You saw the deacon presenting the water for the washing of the 2145 hands to the priest and to the elders who surround God’s altar. The 2144

10. Ibid.  11. See Exod 28:36; Sir 45:12.  12. Ps 22:5, LXX.  13. Matt 26:28.  14. See Eccl 9:8, 7.  15. Eccl 1:2.  16. Isa 61:10, LXX.  17. Ps 103:15, LXX.  18. See 2 Cor 3:18. † Translated from SChr 126 bis, 146–61, 168–75. The reading is 1 Peter 2:1ff.

82. Cyril of Jerusalem  335 deacon did this not because of bodily uncleanness. Not at all. Our bodies were not dirty when we entered the church at the beginning. Washing the hands is a sign that we must be purified of all our sins and failings. Just as the hands are a symbol of the altar, it is clear that by washing them we indicate the purity and innocence of our actions. Have you not heard blessed David reveal this very mystery, saying, “I will wash my hands among the innocent, and I will go around your altar, O Lord”?1 And so washing the hands is a sign of incompatibility with sin. 3. Then the deacon cries out, “Greet one another, kiss one another.” Do not think that such a kiss is like that given in public among ordinary friends. There is no comparison. This kiss shows a union of souls, and it solicits for them the absence of all resentment. It is a sign that souls are united and that all resentment has been banished. This is why Christ said, “If you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift at the altar, go, and first be reconciled with your brother. Then come and present your offering.”2 And so this kiss is one of reconciliation. This is why it is holy; blessed Paul somewhere says, “Greet one another with a holy kiss.”3 Also Peter, “Greet one another with a loving kiss.”4 4. Then the priest cries out, “Lift up your hearts.” Truly at this most awesome moment we should lift up our hearts to God and not toward the earth and earthly affairs. So the priest now enjoins us to lay aside all cares and domestic worries; we are to raise our hearts toward the all-loving God in heaven. You reply, “We lift them up to the Lord.” Here you give your assent. May no one stand there and say with the mouth, “We lift them up to the Lord,” while being concerned with the things of this world. To be sure, we should always be thinking about God. Yet if human weakness makes this impossible, it is especially at this moment that we should be thinking about him. 5. The priest says, “Give thanks to the Lord.” Indeed we are to give thanks since God has called us, unworthy as we are, to so great a grace. He reconciled us when we were his enemies, because he judged us worthy of the spirit of adoption.5 You then say, “It is right and fitting.” To give thanks is, in fact, an action that is right and fitting. It is an action that is not merely fitting but more than fitting since God has done good things for us and has judged us worthy of such great gifts. 6. Next we mention heaven, the earth, the sea; also the sun and the moon, the stars, and all creation both rational and irrational, both visible and invisible. Also the angels, the archangels, the Virtues, Dominions, Principalities, Powers, Thrones, the Cherubims with many faces.6 With energy we repeat the words of David, “Magnify the Lord with me.”7 We 1. Ps 26:6.  2. Matt 5:23–24.  3. Rom 16:16; 1 Cor 16:20.  4. 1 Pet 5:14.  5. See Rom 5:10; 8:15.  6. See Ezek 10:21.  7. Ps 34:3.

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also mention the Seraphim whom Isaiah in the Holy Spirit envisioned as surrounding the throne of God, with two wings covering their faces, with another two hiding their feet, and with still another two hovering above, while they cry out, “Holy, holy, holy Lord of hosts.”8 The reason we pray this doxology, which has been handed down to us by the Seraphim, is that we desire to be associated with these heavenly hosts by sharing in this hymn. 7. Once made holy by such spiritual songs, we beseech the all-kind God to send the Holy Spirit upon the gifts placed here so that the bread may become the Body of Christ, that the wine may become his Blood, for everything touched by the Holy Spirit becomes holy and is transformed. 8. Then once the spiritual and unbloody sacrifice has been completed, we invoke God over this propitiatory victim for general peace among the churches, for harmony in the world, for emperors, for soldiers and allies, for the sick, for the afflicted, and, in a word, for all who need help. It is for these that all of us pray and offer this sacrifice. 9. Next we mention those who have fallen asleep [in the Lord]. We pray first for the patriarchs, the prophets, the apostles, the martyrs, so that— thanks to their prayers and intercessions—God might welcome our supplications. We then pray for the holy fathers, the deceased bishops, and in general for all the departed. We believe that souls will greatly profit if we pray for them during the offering of the holy and most awesome sacrifice. 10. Allow me to persuade you by means of an illustration, for I know that many of you are saying, “What advantage is there for a soul that has departed this world, whether with or without sins, to be mentioned during the eucharistic sacrifice?” Let us see. If a king were to exile those who had offended him, and if some of the exiles’ friends, having woven a crown, were to present it to the king on behalf of those exiled, would not the king hold off the punishment? It is exactly the same when we present our supplications to God on behalf of the dead, even if they were sinners. We do not weave a crown but we offer Christ, who was sacrificed for our sins, propitiating the all-kind God for them and for ourselves. 11. After this you say the prayer given by Christ to his own disciples. [.  .  .] 18. [.  .  .] Once the prayer has been completed you say, “Amen,” which means “So be it,” thus attesting your assent to the contents of the prayer taught us by God. 19. The priest then says, “Holy things to the holy ones.” Holy are the gifts placed here, for the Holy Spirit has descended upon them. You also are holy, for you have been judged worthy of the Holy Spirit. And so, “Holy things to the holy ones.” They go together. But you say, “There is only one Holy One, only one Lord Jesus Christ.” To be sure, only one is

8. See Isa 6:3.

83. Egeria. Pilgrimage to the Holy Places  337 holy, holy by nature, for if we also are holy, we are holy not by our nature but by participation, by practice, and by prayer. 20. Then you hear the cantor. By means of a divine melody he invites you to participate in the Holy Mysteries as he sings, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.”9 Do not trust your judgment to your bodily palate but to unwavering faith. When tasting, you taste neither bread nor wine but Christ’s Body and Blood which they signify. 21. When you approach, do not come forward with hands extended or with fingers apart. Rather, with your left hand make a throne for your right hand since you are to receive the King. In the hollow of your hand receive the Body of Christ and say, “Amen.” Then carefully sanctify your eyes by touching them with the holy Body, which you then receive, being careful not to lose any of it, for whatever you lose is as if you were deprived of one of your own bodily members. Tell me. Suppose you were given some grains of gold-dust, would you not retain them with the utmost care, taking care not to lose any of them and thus suffering harm? And so would you not all the more take care not to drop what is more valuable than gold and precious stones? 22. After receiving the Body of Christ, you receive his Blood from the cup. Do not stretch out your hands but, making a bow as a sign of adoration and veneration, you say, “Amen.” By receiving the Blood of Christ you sanctify yourself. While your lips are still moist, touch them and then sanctify your ears, forehead, and other senses. While awaiting the prayer, give thanks to God who has judged you worthy of such great mysteries. 23. Retain and do not change these traditions. Keep yourselves from stumbling. Do not separate yourselves from communion. Do not by the stain of sin deprive yourselves of his sacred and spiritual mysteries. “May the God of peace make you completely holy. May your body, soul, and spirit be kept sound for the coming of our Lord Jesus,”10 to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 8 3 . Eg e r i a . P i l g r i ma g e t o t h e H o ly P l a c e s †

In 1884 G.F. Gamurrini came across an eleventh-century manuscript in the library of the Fraternità S. Maria in Arezzo, located in central Italy. The document, once the property of the monastery of Monte Cassino and mutilated at its beginning and end as well as having several lacunae, is a type of diary or letter describing the author’s journeys in Egypt, Palestine, Mesopotamia, and elsewhere in the East. 9. Ps 34:8.  10. 1 Thess 5:23. † Translated from Journal de voyage: itinéraire Egérie, trans. M.C. Diaz y Diaz, ed. P. Maraval, SChr 296 (Paris, 1982), from which many of the headings are taken. Excellent notes and commentaries are found in G.E. Gingras, Egeria: Diary of a Pilgrimage, Ancient Christian Writers 38 (New York, 1970). Also in J. Wilkinson, Egeria’s Travels to the Holy Land, rev. ed. (Warminster, 1999).

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338  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East Although the manuscript itself does not bear the name of the journal’s author, the more prevalent name given to this person is that of Egeria (also known as Aetheria, Eucheria, etc.), thought to be a member of a religious community, perhaps even an abbess, and originating either from southern Gaul or from Galicia in northwestern Spain. The travels (actually four journeys) she describes to her “sisters back home” took place, as most believe, between 381 and 384. Her Latin, reflecting the more popular speech of the time, is unique for its transliteration of various Greek terms. Of special interest are the chapters in which Egeria describes the liturgical celebrations in Jerusalem. She begins by treating the daily liturgy (xxiv:1–7), then the Sunday schedule of observances (xxiv:8–xxv:5). A lacuna then appears in the manuscript; perhaps the lost text details the weekly Wednesday and Friday liturgies. Finally she discusses the various feasts and seasons of the liturgical year (xxv:6–il:3). CPL no. 2325 * Altaner (1961) 261–62 * Altaner (1966) 245 * Bardenhewer (1908) 424–25 * Bardenhewer (1910) 368–69 * Bardenhewer (1913) 3:416–21 * Bardy (1930) 115 * Labriolle (1947) 2:560–66 * Labriolle (1968) 376–80 * Quasten 4:558–62 * Steidle 257 * Tixeront 246 * CATH 1:174 * CHECL 283 * DACL 5.1:552–84 * DPAC 1:1108 * DHGE 15:1–5 * DictSp 4.2:1448–52 * EC 5:133–36 * EEC 1:263–64 * EEChr 1:362–63 * LTK 3:464 * NCE 11:119 * NCES 5:104–6 * ODCC 534 * RACh 19:15–17 G. Morin, “Le carême à Jérusalem, à la fin du IVe siècle,” LMF 6 (1889) 102–9. * F. Cabrol, Etude sur la Peregrinatio Silviae: les églises de Jérusalem, la discipline et la liturgie au IVe siècle (Paris and Poitiers, 1895). * A. Baumstark, “Das Alter der Peregrinatio Aetheriae,” OC, n.s., 1 (1911) 32–76. * J.B. Thibaut, “Solemnnité du dimanche des palmes,” EO 24 (1921) 68–78, 155–67. * A. Bludau, “Der Katechumenat in Jerusalem im 4. Jahrhundert,” ThGl 16 (1924) 225–42. * J.B. Thibaut, Ordre des offices de la semaine sainte à Jérusalem du IVe au Xe siècle (Paris, 1926). * A. Bludau, Die Pilgerreise des Aetheria, StGKA 15 (1927). * C. Lambot, “Un Ieiunium Quinquagesimae en Afrique au IVe siècle et date de quelques sermons de s. Augustin,” RB 47 (1935) 114–24. * D. Baldi, La liturgia della chiesa di Gerusalemme dal IV al IX secolo (Jerusalem, 1939). * F.J. Dölger, “Zu den Zeremonien der Messliturgie: Ite missa est in kultur- und sprachgeschichtlicher Beleuchtung,” AC 6 (1940) 81–132. * E. Dekkers, “De Datum der Peregrinato Egeriae en het Feest van Ons Heer Hemelvaart,” SE 1 (1948) 181–205. * J.G. Davies, “The Peregrinatio Egeriae and the Ascension,” VC 8 (1954) 93–100. * A.A. Stephenson, “The Lenten Catechetical Syllabus in Fourth-Century Jerusalem,” TS 15 (1954) 103–16. * G. Kretschmar, “Himmelfart and Pfingsten,” ZKG 66 (1954–55) 209ff. * A. Pagliaro, “Da Missa est a Missa Messa,” Rendiconti della classe di scienze morali, storiche et filologiche dell’Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, ser. 8, 10 (1955) 104–35. * A. Baumstark, Nocturna Laus: Typen frühchristlicher Vigilienfeier und ihr Fortleben vor allem im römischen und monastischen Ritus, LQF 32 (Münster, 1957). * A. Coppo, “Una nuova ipotesi sull’orgine di Missa,” EphL 71 (1957) 225–67. * J. Mateos, Lelya-Sapra: essai d’interprétation des matines chaldéennes, OCA 156 (Rome, 1959). * J. Mateos, “La vigile cathédrale chez Egérie,” OCP 27 (1961) 281–312. * J.-G. Préaux, “Panis qui delibari non potest,” VC 15 (1961) 105–15. * A.A.R. Bastiaensen, Observations sur le vocabulaire liturgique dans l’Itinéraire d’Egérie, Latinitas Christianorum Primaeva 17 (Nijmegen, 1962). * P. Devos, “Egérie à Bethléem. Le 40e jour après Pâques à

83. Egeria. Pilgrimage to the Holy Places  339 Jérusalem, en 383,” AB 86 (1968) 87–108. * R. Zerfass, Die Schriftlesung im Kathedraloffizium Jerusalems, LQF 48 (Münster, 1968). * J. Crehan, “The Assumption and the Jerusalem Liturgy,” TS 30 (1969) 312–25. * J. Wilkinson, “Jewish Influences on the Early Christian Rite of Jerusalem,” Mus 92 (1979) 347–59. * M.E. Johnson, “Reconciling Cyril and Egeria on the Catechetical Process in Fourth-Century Jerusalem,” in Essays in Early Eastern Initiation, ed. P.F. Bradshaw, Alcuin/GROW Liturgical Study 8 (Bramcote, Nottingham, 1988) 18–30. * M. Augé, “Une liturgia del peregrinaje,” EOr 2:2 (1985) 113–25. * R.J. Oróz, “Del latín cristiano al latín litúrgico: algunas observaciones en torno al ‘Itinerarium Egeriae,’” Latomus 48 (1989) 401–15. * M. Augé, “La assamblea litúrgica en el ‘Itinerarium Egeriae,’” EOr 7 (1990) 43–60. * E.J. Yarnold, “Egeria’s Pilgrimage,” in StLit, 95–96. * E. Bermejo Cabrera, La proclamacion de la escritura en la liturgia de Jerusalem: estudio terminologico del “Itinerarium Egeriae,” Collectio Maior: Studium Biblicum Franciscanum 37 (Jerusalem, 1993). The Liturgy of Jerusalem

xxiv.1. So that Your Affection might know which offices take place each day in the holy places, I will instruct you since I know that you are eager to learn about these things.

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Morning vigil and office Each day before cockcrow all the doors of the Anastasisa are opened, and all the monazontes and parthene [monks and virgins],b as they call them here, go down; not only these but also the laity, both men and women, who desire to rise early. From that hour till dawn they singc hymns; they respond to the psalms and even to the antiphons;d a prayer follows each a. In Egeria’s day what we call the Church of the Holy Sepulcher was a complex of buildings, consisting of two halves separated by a courtyard or atrium. The Anastasis (from the Greek for “resurrection”), a distinct building, was located on the western end of the complex. This was a domed building, constructed under the patronage of Constantine and his mother sometime between 335 and 340, containing in its very center the rock or cave in which according to tradition Christ was buried. The daily offices were celebrated in this basilica. On the eastern end of the complex was the major church, called the Martyrion. b. Egeria here uses the transliterated Greek words monazontes and parthene, presumably local terms designating male and female religious connected with the prayer life of the Jerusalem church. Our translation simply uses the words “monks” and “virgins.” c. The Latin dicuntur, dicitur, etc., used by Egeria are translated by “sung,” although “singing” at the time of Egeria may well have been quite different from what is customarily considered “singing” today. d. It is difficult to make technical distinctions as to Egeria’s use of the words psalmus and antiphona. Furthermore, she says that the participants at the vigil “respond” to the psalms and even to the antiphons. Does this refer to antiphonal psalmody as we know it? Does the word antiphona refer to singing by two choirs in alternation? We just don’t know.

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340  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East hymn. On successive days two or three presbyters as well as deacons come with the monks and say prayers after each hymn or antiphon. 2. Once it becomes light, they begin singing the morning hymns. Behold the bishop and the clergy arrive; he immediately goes into the grotto and inside the railings he first says a prayer for all; then he mentions the names of those he wishes to commemorate, and he blesses the catechumens. Afterwards the bishop says a prayer and blesses the faithful. Next, when he has come out from behind the railings, all approach to kiss his hand;e exiting, he blesses them one by one, and so the dismissalf takes place; by now it is already day. 2165

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Sixth and ninth hours xxiv.3. At the sixth hour all return to the Anastasis. Psalms and antiphons are sung while the bishop is being summoned. He also returns but does not sit. Immediately he goes inside the railings in the Anastasis, namely, into the grotto he entered in the morning. As earlier, he says a prayer and then blesses the faithful. Once he comes out from behind the railings, the faithful likewise approach to kiss his hand. At the ninth hour all takes place as at the sixth hour. Lucernarium xxiv.4. At the tenth hour, which is here called the licinico—we say lucernariumg—all the people again assemble at the Anastasis. The lamps and candles are lighted; consequently there is an abundance of light. The light is not brought in from the outside but it is taken from within the grotto, namely, from within the railings where day and night a lamp is always burning. The evening psalms are sung as well as the antiphons, and this lasts for quite some time. And so someone summons the bishop. He enters and is seated on an elevated chair; the presbyters also sit in their assigned places. Hymns and antiphons are sung. 5. When these are completed according to custom, the bishop rises and stands in front of the railings, namely, in front of the grotto. As customary, one of the deacons commemorates each. When the deacon mentions a particular name, the large number of children who are standing there, respond over and over again Kyrie eleison—we say “Lord, have mercy”—and their voices are innumerable. e. The Latin here and elsewhere simply reads, omnes ei ad manum acceditur. f. The Latin missa has two meanings in Egeria: the liturgical dismissal at the end of a religious service; the religious service itself, which may or may not be eucharistic. g. The lucernarium (“candlelight”) appears to have had its origin in the Jewish and then monastic custom of blessing the lamps at the beginning of evening. Since the time of Benedict (WEC 4:155) this evening service came to be known in the West as Vespers and was celebrated, depending on the season of the year, between the fifteenth and seventeenth hours. It was a popular observance, one of the whole community, not only of the religious and the ordained.

83. Egeria. Pilgrimage to the Holy Places  341 6. Once the deacon has finished all that he has to say, the bishop says a prayer, praying for everyone; then all pray, both the faithful and the cate­ chumens. Next the deacon raises his voice so that all the catechumens, wherever they are standing, may bow their heads. Then the bishop, standing, blesses the catechumens. A prayer is said, and the deacon again raises his voice and asks that all members of the faithful, wherever they are standing, bow their heads. The bishop then blesses the faithful, gives the dismissal at the Anastasis, and all approach to kiss his hand. 7. After this the bishop is led out of the Anastasis to the Cross.h Hymns are sung as the people accompany him. Arriving there, he says a prayer and then blesses the catechumens; he says another prayer and blesses the faithful. Afterwards the bishop with all the people goes behind the Cross and there repeats what was done in front of the Cross. The people approach to kiss the bishop’s hand behind the Cross as they did in the Anastasis before the Cross. A goodly number of very large glass lamps are hung throughout, and there are just as many candles before the Anastasis as there are before and behind the Cross. All this concludes at twilight. These offices take place daily on weekdays at the Cross and at the Anastasis. T h e S u n d ay L i t u r g y

Arriving early xxiv.8. On the seventh day, Sunday, before cockcrow, all the people gather outside—as many as can assemble in this place as at Easter—in the courtyard, which is next to the Anastasis but outside where lamps are hanging for this purpose. The people, fearing they will arrive late for the cockcrow, arrive early and are sitting there. Hymns as well as antiphons are sung, and each hymn or antiphon has a prayer. Due to the crowd that gathers, presbyters and deacons are always present, ready to conduct the service. It is customary not to open the holy places before cockcrow. Vigil xxiv.9. As soon as the first cock has crowed, the bishop arrives at the church and enters the grotto at the Anastasis. All the doors are now opened, and the whole multitude enters the Anastasis where already a large number of lamps are burning. Once the people have come in, a h. Between the Anastasis and the Martyrion was an open-air courtyard, with porticoes or porches on three sides. In the southeast corner of this atrium was the rock or hill of Golgotha (“place of the skull”), where a cross was located, the whole shrine enclosed behind a railing. Egeria designates this area as being “at the Cross” (ad Crucem); it was here that the people were dismissed from the evening service each evening. She generally employs the term “before the Cross” (ante Crucem) to designate either the whole courtyard or to contrast the area in front of the Cross with that behind it. Somewhere behind the shrine (post Crucem according to Egeria) was located a small chapel with an altar. It was here that the eucharistic liturgy was celebrated on Thursday of Holy Week and the cross was venerated on Good Friday.

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342  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East presbyter sings a psalm and all respond; a prayer follows. Then one of the deacons sings a psalm, and there is another prayer. A third psalm is sung by a cleric; again there is a prayer and a commemoration of all. 2169 xxiv.10. After these three psalms and three prayers, censers are brought into the grotto of the Anastasis so that the whole basilica is filled with a sweet odor. Then the bishop, standing within the railings, takes the gospel book, goes to the entrance, and himself reads the account of the Lord’s resurrection. When he begins to do so, there is such crying and lamentation on the part of all who are present that even the hardest of heart are moved to tears by what the Lord has endured for us. 11. After the gospel has been read, the bishop leaves, escorted to the Cross with the singing of hymns, and all the people accompany him. Again there is a psalm and a prayer. Then he blesses and dismisses the faithful. As the bishop is leaving, all the people approach to kiss his hand. 12. The bishop then returns home. From this moment on all the monks return to the Anastasis where they sing psalms and antiphons till dawn, each psalm or antiphon being followed by a prayer. The presbyters and deacons alternate in keeping vigil at the Anastasis with the people. As to the laity, namely, the men and the women, those who desire to do so remain there till dawn; those not wishing to do so return home in order to retire and sleep. 2170

Morning office xxv.1. Since it is Sunday, all gather at dawn for worship in the major church constructed by Constantine and located on Golgotha behind the Cross;i what is customarily done all over on Sunday is done there. The custom here is that all the presbyters present, as many as so desire, preach and after them the bishop does likewise. This preaching takes place on all Sundays so that the people may continually be instructed in the Scriptures and in love of God. The length of time required by these sermons greatly delays the dismissal from the church, and so this occurs not before the fourth or even the fifth hour. 2. Once the dismissal from the church takes place in the manner observed everywhere, the monks accompany the bishop from the church to the Anastasis, doing so with the singing of hymns. Once the bishop begins to approach with the singing of hymns, all the doors of the basilica of the Anastasis are opened. The people enter, that is, the faithful but not the catechumens. 3. When the people have gone in, the bishop enters and immediately goes behind the railings of the grotto of the Martyrion. First, thanks is given to God; j then a prayer is offered for all. After this a deacon loudly declares that all, wherever they are standing, should bow their heads. And so the bishop, standing behind the i. The church here is that of the Martyrion (“witness”), a five-aisled building located at the eastern end of Constantine’s complex; it was built over the place where Helena was said to have discovered the relics of the true cross. j. Presumably this refers to the Eucharist.

83. Egeria. Pilgrimage to the Holy Places  343 railings, blesses them and leaves. 4. While he is departing, all approach to kiss his hand. And so the dismissal is deferred to the fifth or sixth hour. At the lucernarium everything proceeds according to the custom of each day. This practice is observed on all the days of the year except on feasts. Later on we will indicate how these days are celebrated. xxv.5. What is most noteworthy is that appropriate psalms and antiphons are always sung. Whether these occur at night, in the morning, or during the day, whether at the sixth hour, the ninth hour, or at the lucernarium, they are always fitting and well-chosen so that they agree with what is being celebrated. 6. Although throughout the year the people always gather on Sunday behind the Cross in the major church built at Golgotha by Constantine, yet on one Sunday of the Fifty Days [after Easter], namely, on Pentecost, the people gather at Sion,k as you will find indicated below. But so that they may go to Sion before the third hour, the dismissal is first given in the major church. [A folio is missing at this point in the manuscript.]

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Night office at Bethlehem [.  .  .] “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,”1 etc. Since it is necessary to move very slowly because of the monks who come on foot, the people reach Jerusalem at the hour when they can begin to recognize one another, namely, when dawn is just beginning. 7. Once they arrive there, the bishop and all with him immediately enter the Anastasis where the lights are already shining very brightly. A psalm is said, followed by a prayer. The bishop first blesses the catechumens, then the faithful. He leaves, and each person goes home to gain some rest. The monks, however, remain there till dawn singing hymns. Offices during the day xxv.8. When the people have rested and at the beginning of the second hour all gather in the major church which is at Golgotha. We need not describe how beautiful the church is on this day, whether the Anastasis or that of the Cross or that at Bethlehem. Nothing other than gold, precious stones, and silk are seen there, together with silk hangings and tapestries embossed with gold. All the various liturgical objects used on this day are

k. This mount was situated within Jerusalem and was the location of a small oratory built about 130. The building was enlarged sometime between 335 and 347. It is the traditional site of the upper room where the Eucharist was instituted and where the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles. At Egeria’s time the assembly gathered here on Wednesday and Friday throughout the year, as well as on the night before Good Friday, on Easter after the evening service, and for the main observance on Pentecost. 1. Ps 118:26; Matt 21:9.

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344  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East of gold or are inlaid with precious gems. How can we begin to estimate or describe the number and weight of the candles, the candelabra, the lamps, and the various sacred vessels? 9. What can I say about the splendor of the buildings themselves which Constantine and his mother, employing all the resources of his empire, have endowed with gold, mosaics, precious marble, the major church as well as the Anastasis, the Cross, and the other holy places in Jerusalem? 10. But to return to my subject. The service on the first day is celebrated in the major church on Golgotha. Whatever the sermons, whatever the various readings, whatever the hymns—all are appropriate to the day. Then after the dismissal from the church all, singing hymns, go to the Anastasis according to custom; after this the dismissal takes place about the sixth hour. 11. Also on this day Vespers is celebrated according to each day’s custom. Octave of the Epiphany On the following day all assemble in the church at Golgotha; they do so again on the third day. And so for three days this solemnity is celebrated up to the sixth hour in the church built by Constantine. On the fourth day it is at the Eleona,l namely, the church, a very beautiful one, located on the Mount of Olives where everything is celebrated in the same manner. On the fifth day it is at the Lazarium,m which is about fifteen-hundred paces from Jerusalem; on the sixth day it is at Sion; the seventh day at the Anastasis; and the eighth day at the Cross. And so this solemnity is celebrated throughout eight days with great pomp in all the holy places that I have just named. 2176 xxv.12. At Bethlehemn on every day throughout the whole octave this solemnity is celebrated by the presbyters, all the clergy of the place, and the monks who are attached there. From the hour when all with the bishop return at night from Jerusalem, the monks of this place, whoever they are, keep vigil till dawn in the church at Bethlehem, singing hymns and antiphons; the bishop is always to celebrate these feasts in Jerusalem. Because of the joyful solemnities on this day innumerable crowds gather in Jerusalem from all over, not only monks but also the laity, both men and women. 2175

l. Eleona (“olive yard” or “olive grove”): a church located on the Mount of Olives, which is situated to the east of Jerusalem and rises to some twenty-six hundred feet; one of the four churches built by Constantine. According to tradition it was here that Christ spoke to his disciples about the last things as recounted in Mark 13. m. The Lazarium: the tomb of Lazarus located at Bethany about two miles east of Jerusalem on the southeast slopes of the Mount of Olives. Here the community assembled on the Saturday before Holy Week. It is disputed whether a church existed at this location at the time of Egeria. n. Bethlehem: situated five miles south of Jerusalem and the location of the Church of the Holy Nativity, constructed by Constantine in 350.

83. Egeria. Pilgrimage to the Holy Places  345 The fortieth day after the Epiphany xxvi. To be sure, the fortieth day after the Epiphany is here celebrated with great ceremony.o On this day the people gather in the Anastasis. All assemble and celebrate everything in the usual way, doing so with the greatest solemnity as on Easter. All the presbyters and then the bishop always preach on the passage from the Gospel according to which on the fortieth day Joseph and Mary brought the Savior to the temple where he was seen by Simeon and the prophetess Anna, the daughter of Phanuel; they also preach on what they said when they saw the Lord and on the offering made by the Lord’s parents.2 After this when all has been performed in the usual manner, the mysteries [sacramenta] are celebrated, and the dismissal takes place.

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Lent xxvii.1. When the paschal season approaches, all is celebrated as follows. Whereas among us there is an observance of forty days before Easter, here they observe eight weeks. The reason for the eight weeks is that people do not fast on Sundays and Saturdays, except for the Saturday that is the vigil of the Easter, this vigil being one on which the people are obliged to fast; except for this day there is no fasting here on any Saturday during the year. And so if Saturdays and Sundays are removed from the six weeks, and since people are required to fast on one Saturday only, as I said above, there remain forty-one fast days. Here these are called the eortaep [the feasts], namely, Lent. Sunday offices xxvii.2. This is what is done each day of the week. On Sunday at the first cockcrow the bishop at the Anastasis reads the gospel passage on the Lord’s resurrection as is done on all Sundays throughout the year; likewise up to daybreak one does at the Anastasis what is customary on all Sundays of the year. 3. Afterwards, during the morning as always happens on Sundays, all gather in the major church called the Martyrion, which is on Golgotha behind the Cross, and they do what is ordinarily done on Sunday. Likewise when the dismissal is given, all go singing

o. This is the first witness of a feast that the East came to call the Hypapante, namely, the meeting between Simeon and the Lord. In the West it was called the feast of the Presentation or the Purification. It has been suggested that the observance at Egeria’s time had no proper name in the East and was unknown in the West (“is .  .  . here celebrated”). p. Here Egeria uses the Greek for “festivals” or “feasts,” thus showing the inner unity between Lent and the Easter celebrations. The mystery of Christ’s suffering and victory is indivisible. 2. See Luke 2:22–38.

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346  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East hymns to the Anastasis, as always happens on Sunday. By the time these ceremonies are finished it is the fifth hour. The evening office also occurs at its accustomed hour, as always at the Anastasis and at the Cross, as it does in all the other holy places. On Sunday there is an office at the ninth hour.q Monday and Tuesday offices xxvii.4. Likewise on Monday at cockcrow all go to the Anastasis as they do during the rest of the year, and all is done as is customary till morning. At the third hour all go to the Anastasis and do there what is usually done throughout the year at the sixth hour; during Lent all go there also at the third hour. At the sixth hour, at the ninth, and at Vespers one does what is customarily done throughout the year in these holy places. 2181 xxvii.5. On Tuesday all takes place as on Monday. 2180

Wednesday and Thursday offices On Wednesday all go by night to the Anastasis and do what always happens there till morning; the same is true for the third and sixth hours. At the ninth hour they gather at Sion as is the custom during the whole year on Wednesday and Friday—for in these places except on the feasts of the martyrs all, even the catechumens, always fast on Wednesday and Friday. Should it happen that the feast of a martyr occurs on a Wednesday or Friday of Lent, all go to Sion at the ninth hour.r 6. During Lent, as I mentioned above, on Wednesday all gather at Sion at the ninth hour, as is customary throughout the year; except for the offering, one does there all that is usually done at the ninth hour. So that the people be constantly instructed regarding the law, the bishop and a presbyter preach assiduously. After the dismissal the people, singing hymns, lead the bishop from Sion to the Anastasis so that it is already time for Vespers when he enters the Anastasis. Hymns and antiphons are sung; prayers are said; then the service of Vespers takes place at the Anastasis and the Cross. 7. During Lent Vespers is always celebrated later than on other days of the year. 2183 On Thursday all takes place as on Monday and Tuesday. 2182

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Friday office On Friday all occurs as on Wednesday; the people go to Sion at the ninth hour, and from there, singing hymns, they accompany the bishop to the Anastasis where on Friday a vigil is kept. It begins as soon as the people have returned from Sion with the singing of hymns and lasts till morning, that is, from the hour of Vespers till the beginning of morning on the next day, that is, Saturday. q. Some emend the Latin to read: “On Sunday there is no office at the ninth hour.” r. The text here might also read, “they do not go to Sion .  .  .” See Gingras, Egeria, 99 and note 328.

83. Egeria. Pilgrimage to the Holy Places  347 Saturday office The offering takes place very early at the Anastasis so that the people may be dismissed before sunrise. 8. During the whole night there are in turn responsorial psalms, antiphons, various readings, all lasting till morning. The Saturday office, namely, the offering, occurs before sunrise so that the dismissal from the Anastasis may be given before sunrise. In this way each week of Lent is celebrated. Rules for fasting xxvii.9. I have said that on Saturday the people are dismissed earlier, before sunrise. This is to more quickly release from fasting those who are here called hebdomadarii,s namely, those who fast throughout the whole week and eat on Sunday after the dismissal has taken place at the fifth hour. Once they have eaten on Sunday morning, they take nothing more till the following Saturday morning immediately after they have received Communion at the Anastasis. It is on their account, to release them earlier from the fast, that the dismissal at the Anastasis on Saturday morning takes place before sunrise. As I said, it is for their sake that the dismissal takes place early; yet they are not the only ones who receive Communion; all who wish to do so receive on this day at the Anastasis. xxviii.1. This is how the fast is customarily observed during Lent. Some eat on Sunday after the dismissal at the fifth or sixth hours and take nothing more during the week till the following Saturday after the dismissal at the Anastasis. It is these who keep the full weeks of fast. 2. On Saturday, once they have eaten in the morning, they take nothing in the evening, but on the next day, Sunday, they eat after the dismissal from the church at the fifth hour or later; and then they eat nothing more till the following Saturday, as I have already said. 3. It is the custom here that those who are, as they are called, aputactitae,t both men and women, eat only once a day when they do eat, not only during Lent but throughout the whole year. If some of them are unable to fast for the whole week—we spoke of these above—during Lent they take food in the middle of the week, on Thursday. Those unable to do this, fast for two complete days during Lent. Those who cannot do even this take a meal each evening. 4. No one, meanwhile, imposes what others should do; all do what they are capable of doing. Whoever does more is not praised; whoever does less is not blamed. Such is the custom here. During Lent their nourishment is as follows: they take neither bread—even bread is forbidden themu—nor oil, s. Hebdomadarii: a local word designating those who fasted throughout the whole week, from the meal on Sunday till after the Eucharist on Saturday. t. Aputactitae: a local term designating men and women who perhaps were leading a more austere form of life. u. The Latin is corrupt here. The bread that is forbidden might also be that made with honey or some other added ingredients.

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348  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East nor anything that comes from trees, but only water and a little flour soup. As we said, this is how Lent is observed. 2188 xxix.1. At the end of the week there is a vigil at the Anastasis. Beginning with Vespers on Friday, to which all come from Sion with the singing of psalms, the service lasts till Saturday morning when the offering is made in the Anastasis. What occurs during the first week of Lent also occurs during the second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth weeks. 2189

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The Seventh Week xxix.2. When the seventh week arrives, namely, when there are only two weeks including the present one remaining before Easter, each day everything is done as during the preceding weeks, except that the Friday vigils observed during the previous six weeks at the Anastasis are on Friday of the seventh week observed at Sion, but with the same customs as followed at the Anastasis during the previous six weeks. Throughout the vigil psalms and antiphons appropriate to the place and day are sung. Saturday: Station at Bethany xxix.3. When morning arrives, at the first light on Saturday, the bishop offers the sacrifice and makes the offering,v doing so in the morning. At the dismissal of the people the archdeacon says aloud, “All are to be present today at the seventh hour in the Lazarium.” And so at the seventh hour all go to the Lazarium. The Lazarium, namely, Bethany, is about the second milestone from the city. 4. In going from Jerusalem to the Lazarium, perhaps five hundred paces from the latter, there is a church on the road, at the place where Mary, the sister of Lazarus, met the Lord. When the bishop arrives, all the monks come out to meet him and the people enter the church. A hymn and an antiphon are sung; then the gospel passage where Lazarus’ sister meets the Lord is read.3 Then there is a prayer; the people are blessed; and all sing hymns as they proceed to the Lazarium. 5. Upon entering, the crowd becomes so large that it fills not only the place itself but also the surrounding fields. Hymns and antiphons appropriate to the day and place are sung; there are also readings that are fitting to the day. Notice of Easter is given before the dismissal: a presbyter ascends to a more elevated place and reads the gospel passage, “When Jesus came to Bethany six days before the Passover,”4 etc. Once this text has been read and Easter has been announced, the people are dismissed. 6. All this takes place on this day because, as is written in the Gospel, these things occurred at Bethany six days before the Passover. There are six days from Saturday to Thursday or, to the night after the Last Supper when the Lord was arrested. Then all return to the city, directly to the Anastasis where Vespers occurs in the usual way. v. The text is redundant: .  .  . offeret episcopus et facit oblationem .  .  . 3. John 11:29.  4. John 12:1.

83. Egeria. Pilgrimage to the Holy Places  349 T h e G r e at W e e k

Sunday 2191 xxx.1. The next day, that is, Sunday, begins the paschal week which is here called the “Great Week.” In the morning, once they have done what is ordinarily done at the Anastasis or at the Cross from cockcrow till morning, all gather as customary in the major church which is called the Martyrion. It is located at Golgotha behind the Cross, where the Savior suffered, and so it is named the Martyrion. 2. After the usual ceremonies have taken place in the major church and before the dismissal, the archdeacon raises his voice and first says to all: “Throughout this entire week, beginning tomorrow, all of us will gather at the ninth hour in the Martyrion, namely, in the major church.” Then he again says aloud, “Today let us assemble at the Eleona at the seventh hour.” 3. When the dismissal has been given in the major church, the Martyrion, the bishop is conducted with the singing of hymns to the Anastasis, and there occurs what is customarily done in this place on Sunday after the dismissal from the Martyrion. Everyone hastens home to eat so that at the beginning of the seventh hour all may be present in the church which is on the Eleona, on the Mount of Olives, where is located the cave in which the Lord used to teach. Procession with the branches 2192 xxxi.1. At the seventh hour all the people ascend the Mount of Olives, that is, to the Eleona where they enter the church. The bishop is seated; the people sing hymns and antiphons appropriate to the day and place; the readings are likewise appropriate. At the ninth hour the people, singing hymns, go up to the Imbomon,w namely, to the place from which the Lord ascended into heaven; all are seated. When the bishop is present, the people are always told to sit; only the deacons remain standing. Hymns and antiphons appropriate to the place and day are sung; interspersed are readings and prayers. 2. At the eleventh hour there is a reading of the passage from the Gospel where the children with palms and branches go out to meet the Lord5 while saying, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”6 Immediately afterwards the bishop as well as the people stand, and then all walk down from the top of the Mount of Olives. The people precede the bishop and continue to respond to the hymns and antiphons with “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”7 3. All the children of the area, even those carried on their parents’ shoulders because they are too young to walk on their own, bear branches, whether of palm trees or olive trees. And thus the bishop is escorted in the same way as the Lord was once escorted. 4. From the top of the mountain to the city, then w. The Imbomon, meaning “at the summit” or “upon the height,” was the traditional site of the Lord’s ascension. Before 378 a church was built there by a matron named Paemenia. 5. See Matt 21:8; John 12:13.  6. Matt 21:9; Ps 118:26.  7. Ibid.

350  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East throughout the whole city to the Anastasis, all accompany the bishop on foot, even the women, even the notables, while singing the responses; thus they move slowly, very slowly, so that the people do not become fatigued. It is already late by the time they arrive at the Anastasis. When they do so, even though it is late, they celebrate Vespers; a prayer is said at the Cross; and the people are dismissed. 2193

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Monday xxxii.1. On the next day, Monday, all the usual things are done at the Anastasis, from cockcrow till morning; at the third and sixth hours they do what is usually done during Lent. At the ninth hour all gather in the major church or Martyrion, and hymns and antiphons are continually sung till the first hour of the night; lessons fitting to the day and place are read, always interspersed with prayers. 2. Vespers also is celebrated at its usual time. Consequently it is already night when the dismissal occurs at the Martyrion. Afterwards a hymn is sung; there is a prayer; the catechumens and the faithful are blessed; then all are dismissed. Tuesday xxxiii.1. On Tuesday all is done as on Monday. The only addition is that late at night, once the dismissal has been given in the Martyrion and after going to the Anastasis where another dismissal takes place, all proceed at that hour of the night to the church located on Mount Eleona. 2. Once they have arrived there, the bishop enters the grotto where the Lord custom­ arily instructed his disciples; he takes the gospel book and while standing he himself reads the Lord’s words that are written in the Gospel according to Matthew where it says “Take care that no one seduce you.”8 The bishop reads this entire discourse. When he has finished, a prayer is said; the catechumens and then the faithful are blessed; there is the dismissal; and each person returns home. It is very late, already night. Wednesday xxxiv. On Wednesday, throughout the whole day from the first cockcrow, all is done as on Monday and Tuesday. But after the dismissal at night in the Martyrion and after he has been led to the Anastasis with the singing of hymns, the bishop immediately enters the grotto which is within the Anastasis and stands within its railings. A presbyter standing outside the railings holds the gospel book and reads the passage where Judas Iscariot sets off to find the Jews and determine the price that they should pay him for handing over the Lord.9 While this passage is being read, the cries and moaning of the people are such that no one at that hour can resist being moved to tears. A prayer follows; the catechumens and then the faithful are blessed; the dismissal follows.

8. Matt 24:4.  9. See Matt 26:14–15.

83. Egeria. Pilgrimage to the Holy Places  351 Thursday: Station at the Anastasis 2196 xxxv.1. On Thursday at the Anastasis one does what is customary from the first cockcrow till morning; also what is ordinarily done at the third and sixth hours. At the eighth hour, as is customary, the people assemble in the Martyrion, only earlier, however, than on other days since the dismissal is to be given sooner. Once the people have gathered, the prescribed ceremonies are carried out; on this day the offering takes place in the Martyrion, with the dismissal taking place about the tenth hour. Before the dismissal, the archdeacon says aloud, “At the first hour of the night let us gather at the church which is on the Eleona, for great is the labor that awaits us today, in this night.” 2. After the dismissal from the Martyrion all go behind the Cross; only one hymn is sung; there is a prayer; the bishop offers the sacrifice, and all receive Communion. With the exception of this day, the sacrifice is never offered behind the Cross. It happens only on the present day. After the dismissal all go to the Anastasis where there is a prayer; as customary the catechumens and then the faithful are blessed; and all are dismissed. All hurry home in order to eat. Stations on the Mount of Olives As soon as the people have eaten, all go to the Eleona, to the church containing the grotto within which on this very day the Lord gathered with the apostles. 3. There, till about the fifth hour of the night, hymns and antiphons appropriate to the occasion are sung; there are also readings with prayers interspersed. The readings are passages chosen from the Gospel where the Lord on this same day spoke to his disciples while sitting in the very grotto which is in this church. 4. Then, toward the sixth hour of the night, all sing hymns as they go up to the Imbomon, the place from which the Lord ascended into heaven. There in the same manner are readings, hymns, and antiphons appropriate to the day; likewise, whatever prayers the bishop says are always fitting for the place and day. Friday Station at Gethsemane xxxvi.1. At first cockcrow all come down from the Imbomon with the singing of hymns and go to the very place where the Lord prayed, as is written in the Gospel, “And after withdrawing about a stone’s throw from them, he prayed,”10 etc. In this place there is an excellent church. The bishop and all the people enter; a prayer appropriate to the day and place is said; there is also a fitting hymn followed by the reading of a passage from the Gospel where Jesus tells his disciples, “Watch so that you do not enter into temptation.”11 This whole section is read; it is followed by a prayer. 2. Then from there all, including the youngest infants, sing hymns as they descend on foot to Gethsemani with the bishop, doing so 10. Luke 22:41.  11. Matt 26:41.

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352  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East very slowly due to the great number of people who are fatigued by the vigils and weakened by the daily fasts, and who have to descend from a rather high hill. The lamps of the church, more than two hundred of them, have been prepared so as to provide light for the people. 3. When all have arrived at Gethsemani, there is an appropriate prayer and then a hymn; the passage from the Gospel concerning the Lord’s arrest is read.12 During its reading there are such cries, such moaning on the part of the weeping people that their lamentations are heard as far away as the city, or almost so. From that hour all go on foot to the city as they sing hymns, and they arrive at the gate at the hour when people begin to recognize each other. Then they go through the city; all are present down to the very last person, the oldest and the youngest, rich as well as poor. On this day especially no one leaves the vigil before morning. Thus the bishop is accompanied to the gate and from there through the whole city to the Cross. 2199

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Station before the Cross xxxvi.4. When they arrive before the Cross, it is already almost full daylight. There that passage from the Gospel is read where the Lord is taken to Pilate;13 and what Scripture records Pilate saying to the Lord and to the Jews is read in full. 5. After this the bishop speaks to the people, encouraging them, because they have toiled the whole night and they still have to toil during the present day, admonishing them not to tire but to place their hope in God, who will reward them for their efforts. Encouraging them as best he can, he says: “Now may each one of you return home, rest a little, and at the second hour of the day return here so that from that hour to the sixth hour you might see the holy wood of the cross which, as each of us knows, will profit our salvation. From the sixth hour on we will again gather here before the Cross so that we might devote ourselves to readings and prayers till nightfall.” Station at Sion xxxvii.1. After the dismissal at the Cross and before the rising of the sun, all fervently go to pray at Sion; they do so in front of the column at which the Lord was scourged. Then, returning home, they rest a little; soon all are ready. Veneration behind the Cross A chair for the bishop [cathedra] is then set up in Golgotha, behind the Cross which now stands there. Here the bishop is seated while a table covered with a linen cloth is prepared before him. The deacons, standing, encircle the table. Brought in is a small silver gilded box containing the holy wood of the cross; it is opened, and the wood of the cross and the inscription are placed on the table. 2. When this has been done, the bishop,

12. See Matt 26:47–56.  13. See Matt 27:1–26.

83. Egeria. Pilgrimage to the Holy Places  353 seated, firmly holds the edges of the sacred wood while the deacons, still standing about, closely look on. As to why the deacons do this, it is customary that the people, both the faithful and the catechumens, approach one after another, bow to the table, kiss the holy wood, and then move on. But it is said that someone, I know not when, bit off and stole a fragment of the holy wood. This is why the deacons, standing around, now keep watch so that none of those approaching dare do likewise. 3. One by one the people pass by. Each bows, touches the cross and the inscription, first with the forehead, then with the eyes; each kisses the cross and moves on, but no one touches it with the hand. When all have kissed the cross and moved on, a deacon standing there holds out the ring of Solomon and the phial used for the anointing of the kings. The phial is kissed; the ring is venerated [.  .  .] until the sixth hour all the people pass through, entering by one door, leaving by another door. This occurs at the place where on the previous day, Thursday, the offering was made. Station before the Cross xxxvii.4. At the sixth hour all go before the Cross, whether it is raining or very hot; this place is out in the open; it is a kind of very large and very beautiful courtyard between the Cross and the Anastasis. All the people crowd in so that the doors can no longer be opened. 5. A chair is placed for the bishop before the Cross and, from the sixth to the ninth hour, nothing else is done other than reading the lessons in the following manner. First from the Book of Psalms are read the passages that speak about the passion; then from the writings of the apostles, whether the letters or the Acts, all the passages that speak of the Lord’s passion. Also read are the gospel passages where he undergoes his passion; then the passages from the prophets that speak of the Lord suffering his passion. Finally the gospel selections where he speaks of his passion. 6. And so from the sixth to the ninth hours there is a continual reading of lessons and a singing of hymns in order to show the people that what the prophets foretold regarding the Lord’s passion was realized, as is shown by both the Gospels and the writings of the apostles. During these three hours all the people are made to understand that nothing has occurred which was not prophesied and that nothing was prophesied that has not been completely realized. Continually interspersed are prayers appropriate for this day. 7. At every reading and prayer the emotion and groaning on the part of the people is just amazing. There is no one, from the oldest to the youngest, who during the three hours on this day does not lament to such an unbelievable extent over the fact that the Savior has suffered all this for us. Afterwards, once the ninth hour begins, there is a reading from the Gospel according to John where Christ gave up the spirit.14 This is followed by a prayer and the dismissal.

14. See John 19:30.

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Evening offices xxxvii.8. When the dismissal has taken place before the Cross, all immediately gather in the major church, in the Martyrion, and from the ninth hour till evening they do what is customarily done during this week. After the dismissal the people go from the Martyrion to the Anastasis. When all have arrived, that passage of the Gospel is read where Joseph asks Pilate for the Lord’s body15 and then places it in a new tomb.16 After this lesson there is a prayer; the catechumens and then the faithful are blessed; the dismissal follows. 9. On this day there is no announcement that there is a vigil at the Anastasis since, as all know, the people are weary; yet it is customary to observe a vigil there. Those of the people who so wish, or at least who are able, keep watch there; those unable to do this do not keep watch; joining them are the clerics who are strong or young enough to do so. Throughout the whole night they sing hymns and antiphons, doing this till morning. A large crowd keeps watch, some from evening, others from midnight, each doing what one is able. Saturday: the vigil xxxviii.1. On the following day, Saturday, the third hour is observed as customary. The same is true for the sixth hour. There is no service at the ninth hour, but a paschal vigil is prepared in the major church, the Martyrion. This vigil takes place as it does among us. The only addition is that the neophytes, once they have been baptized and clothed and once they leave the baptismal font, are first led to the Anastasis with the bishop accompanying them. 2. He goes within the railings of the Anastasis; a hymn is sung; and the bishop prays for them. He then goes with them to the major church where, according to traditional practice, all the people are keeping vigil. What we customarily do back home is done there, and all are dismissed after the offering. Immediately after the office of the vigil in the major church, all go to the Anastasis singing hymns. There is a reading of the gospel passage concerning the Resurrection; there is a prayer; and then the bishop again offers the sacrifice. For the sake of the people all this takes place rapidly so that they not be delayed for too long a time; then they are dismissed. The dismissal from the vigil on this day takes place at the same hour as among us. Af t e r t h e G r e at W e e k

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Easter week xxxix.1. The feasts of Easter are celebrated for eight days, as is true among us, with the offices taking place in the usual manner as they are celebrated everywhere during these eight paschal days, from Easter to its octave. The splendor and the arrangement [of the services] are here the same during the Easter octave as they are for the Epiphany, in the major 15. See John 19:38.  16. See John 19:41–42.

83. Egeria. Pilgrimage to the Holy Places  355 church, in the Anastasis, at the Cross, in Eleona, as well as in Bethlehem, in the Lazarium and all over because these are the days of Easter. 2. On the first day, that is, on Easter Sunday, all gather at the major church, namely, at the Martyrion; the same is true on Monday and Tuesday. Yet after the dismissal the people always go from the Martyrion to the Anastasis, singing hymns while doing so. On Wednesday all assemble at the Eleona, on Thursday at the Anastasis, on Friday at Sion, on Saturday before the Cross, on the octave Sunday again at the major church, namely, at the Martyrion. 3. During the Easter octave on each day after lunch the bishop with all the clergy and all the neophytes, namely, those who have been baptized, with all the aputactitae, both men and women, and with all the people who so desire, go up to the Eleona. Hymns are sung and prayers are said, both in the church which is on the Eleona, the church containing the grotto in which the Lord instructed the disciples, and at the Imbomon, the place from which the Lord ascended into heaven. 4. Afterwards there are psalms and a prayer. Then all come down to the Anastasis, doing so while singing hymns, at the hour for Vespers. This is done throughout the whole octave. Station at Sion On Easter Sunday, after the dismissal from Vespers at the Anastasis, all the people accompany the bishop to Sion, singing hymns on the way. Upon arrival all sing hymns appropriate to the day and the place; a prayer is said; there is a reading from the Gospel where on this very day, in the very place where the church is today found on Sion, the Lord passed through closed doors to be present with his apostles. Thomas,17 one of the apostles, was absent; when he returned and the other apostles told him that they had seen the Lord, he said, “I will not believe unless I have seen.”18 After this reading all again pray; the catechumens and then the faithful are blessed; each returns home; it is late, about the second hour of the night. Sunday after Easter xl.1. On Sunday, the octave of Easter, immediately after the sixth hour the people and the bishop go up to the Eleona. First, the people sit for a moment in the church found there; hymns are sung; also antiphons appropriate to the day and place; there are prayers that are likewise proper for the occasion. Then, with the singing of hymns, all leave and go up to the Imbomon above; what was done in the Eleona is repeated there. When the hour comes, all the people and all the aputactitae escort the bishop to the Anastasis, singing hymns as they do so. They reach the Anastasis at the hour when Vespers is customarily celebrated. 2. Vespers is celebrated both at the Anastasis and at the Cross; then all the people without exception, 17. See John 20:24.  18. See John 20:25.

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356  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East and with the singing of hymns, escort the bishop to Sion. Arriving there, they likewise sing hymns fitting to the place and day; the gospel passage is read where eight days after Easter the Lord entered the room where his disciples were and reproached Thomas for his incredulity.19 This is the lesson that is read. Then there is a prayer. After the catechumens and the faithful have been blessed according to custom, all return home as on Easter Sunday at the second hour of the night. 2208

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Season after Easter xli. From Easter to the fortieth day, namely, to Pentecost, absolutely no one fasts here, not even the aputactitae. During this season what is customarily done throughout the whole year from the first cockcrow at the Anastasis is likewise done at the sixth hour and at Vespers. But on Sundays it is always in the Martyrion, in the major church, that all gather as usual. Then singing hymns they go to the Anastasis. On Wednesday and Friday, days on which there is no fast, all gather at Sion, but in the morning. There the office is celebrated in the usual manner. The Fortieth Day: The Ascension xlii. As to the fortieth day after Easter, which is a Thursday, all go to Bethlehem after the sixth hour of the preceding day, Wednesday, to celebrate the vigil. This is observed in the church that contains the grotto in which the Lord was born. On the following day, that is, on Thursday, the fortieth day, the office is celebrated in the usual manner: the presbyters and the bishop preach in a fashion befitting the day and the place. Afterwards, in the evening, all return to Jerusalem. Pentecost xliii.1. On the fiftieth day after Easter—it is a Sunday and a day that has much for the people to do—all is celebrated as is customary from the first cockcrow onwards; the vigil is held at the Anastasis so that the bishop may read the passage from the Gospel that is always read on Sunday, namely, the account of the Lord’s resurrection. Then what is ordinarily done throughout the year occurs at the Anastasis. 2. When it is morning, all the people gather in the major church, namely, in the Martyrion, and all takes place as usual: the presbyters and then the bishop preach; the things that are required are done, namely, the sacrifice is offered as it customarily is on Sunday. But on this day the dismissal in the Martyrion is held earlier so that it may precede the third hour. Station at Sion In fact, after the dismissal in the Martyrion, all the faithful without exception lead the bishop to Sion, with the singing of hymns, but so that the people are at Sion exactly at the third hour. 3. When all have arrived 19. See John 20:26–29.

83. Egeria. Pilgrimage to the Holy Places  357 there, a passage from the Acts of the Apostles is read in which the Spirit descends so that people of all languages might understand what is being said.20 Then the service is celebrated as usual. The presbyters now read a passage from the Acts of the Apostles because, according to this reading, it was at this place, at Sion—where presently there is another churchx— that the crowd after the Lord’s passion once gathered with the apostles and where what we mentioned earlier took place. Afterwards the office is celebrated as usual; the sacrifice is also offered; before the dismissal of the people the deacon raises his voice and says, “Today, immediately after the sixth hour, we will gather on the Eleona, in the Imbomon.” Station on the Mount of Olives xliii.4. All the people then return home in order to rest. Immediately after lunch they go up the Mount of Olives to the Eleona, each as best he or she can, so that no Christian remains in the city since all are present there. 5. When the people have ascended to the Eleona, they first go to the Imbomon, the place from which the Lord went up into heaven. The bishop, the presbyters, and all the people are seated there. There are readings interspersed with hymns. Antiphons appropriate to the day and place are sung. The interspersed prayers are also such that they also agree with the occasion. There is a reading of the gospel passage that relates the Lord’s ascension21 as well as the passage from the Acts of the Apostles that also speaks of the Lord’s ascension into heaven after his resurrection.22 6. When this has been done, the catechumens and then the faithful are blessed. Thereupon all come down and, it already being the ninth hour, they go from there, singing hymns, to the church which is also on the Eleona, the church containing the grotto where the Lord sat when teaching his apostles. By the time the people arrive there, it is already the tenth hour. Vespers is celebrated; a prayer is said; the catechumens and the faithful are blessed. Then all descend while singing hymns, all the people without exception accompanying the bishop, all singing hymns and antiphons appropriate to this day. 7. When they arrive at the gate of the city, it is already night; torches are brought from the church, at least two hundred of them, to assist the people. Since the gate is rather distant from the major church, the Martyrion, the people arrive there only toward the second hour of the night, for they travel very slowly so that the procession may not weary them. The large doors on the market side are opened, and all the people, singing hymns, enter the Martyrion with the bishop. Once all are within, hymns are sung; a prayer is said; the catechumens and then the faithful are blessed. With the singing of hymns all then proceed to the Anastasis. 8. Arriving there, hymns and antiphons are likewise sung; a x. Perhaps referring to a church constructed at the site of the Upper Room mentioned in Acts 1:13. 20. See Acts 2:1–12.  21. See Luke 24:50–51.  22. See Acts 1:9–11.

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358  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East prayer is said; the catechumens and then the faithful are blessed; finally all are dismissed. After the dismissal all approach the bishop to kiss his hand; then each returns home about midnight. And so on this day the people endure much fatigue since the vigil at the Anastasis begins with the first cockcrow and since throughout the whole day there is no relief; the celebration is so prolonged that it is at midnight, after the dismissal at Sion, that all return home. 2213

Ordinary Time xliv.1. Starting from the day after Pentecost all fast according to their abilities as is customary throughout the year except on Saturday and Sunday when no one fasts in this area. Then, on the following days, all takes place as during the year, namely, starting with the first cockcrow a vigil is observed at the Anastasis. 2. But if it is a Sunday, at the first cockcrow the bishop reads the gospel passage inside the Anastasis, this being the custom; it is the section on the Lord’s resurrection which is always read on Sunday. There follows the singing of hymns and antiphons at the Anastasis till dawn. If it is not Sunday, only hymns and antiphons are sung, from the first cockcrow till dawn, in the Anastasis. 3. All the aputactitae come; also those people who wish to do so. Each day the clergy take turns going there at cockcrow; but the bishop is always present at dawn to conduct the morning service with all the clergy, except on Sunday when he goes there at cockcrow to read the gospel in the Anastasis. Then whatever is customary is done at the sixth hour at the Anastasis; likewise at the ninth hour; at Vespers one does what is customary throughout the year. On Wednesday and Friday the ninth hour is observed at Sion according to custom. B a p t i s m a l C at e c h e s i s

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Inscription of names xlv.1. I have to write you about something else: how the people to be baptized at Easter are instructed. Those who give their names do so on the day before Lent; a presbyter inscribes all these names on the day before the eight weeks when, as I said, Lent is observed here. 2. After the presbyters have written down the names of all the candidates, then on the next day, the first day of Lent, a chair is placed for the bishop in the middle of the major church, namely, in the Martyrion. On both sides the presbyters are sitting on stools; standing are the clergy. The candidates are then led forward one by one, the men with their godfathers, the women with their godmothers. 3. The bishop questions the neighbors of the one who has come forward, saying: “Does this person lead a good life? Does this person respect his or her parents? Is this person a drunkard or a liar?” He inquires about the person’s other sins, at least those that are more serious. 4. If the candidate proves to be irreproachable in all the things concerning which the bishop has made inquiries, the bishop writes down with his own hand that individual’s name. But should there be an accusation, he

83. Egeria. Pilgrimage to the Holy Places  359 requests that the person depart, saying: “May you amend your ways and after doing so you may then come forward to be baptized.” The same inquiry takes place for both men and women. Strangers do not easily come forth for baptism unless there are witnesses who know them. Catechesis before baptism 2215 xlvi.1. Ladies, my sisters, I must write something so that you do not think that baptism can be conferred without an explanation [of the mysteries]. The custom here is that the candidates for baptism fast throughout the forty days that are to be observed as fast days. Early in the morning they are exorcised by clerics after being dismissed from the morning service in the Anastasis. Immediately afterwards a chair is placed for the bishop in the Martyrion, the major church, and all the candidates for baptism, both men and women, sit in a circle close to the bishop. Their godfathers and godmothers are also present; and all the people who wish to listen, provided they are members of the faithful, may enter and be seated. 2. Catechumens do not enter when the bishop is instructing the candidates on the law. He does so as follows: during these forty days the bishop goes through all the Scriptures, beginning with Genesis, first explaining their literal meaning, then explaining their spiritual sense. Throughout this time they are instructed not only on everything that concerns the Resurrection but also on all that pertains to the faith. This is called catechesis. “Handing over” the creed xlvi.3. When five weeks of instruction are completed, they receive the creed. He then explains it as he did the Scriptures, interpreting each article first literally and then spiritually; in this way the creed is taught. Because of this all the faithful in this region can follow the Scriptures when they are read in the church, for all have been instructed in them throughout these forty days, from the first to the third hour, with a catechesis lasting three hours. 4. And God knows, my ladies, that the voices of the faithful who enter in order to listen to the catechesis are louder in approving what the bishop says and explains than they are when he sits and preaches in church. Right after the catechesis, at the third hour, the bishop is escorted with the singing of hymns to the Anastasis where the office of the third hour takes place. And so catechesis is given for three hours each day over a period of seven weeks. During the eighth week of Lent—here it is called the “Great Week”—the bishop does not have time to instruct them since the ceremonies we spoke of above have to take place. Recitation of the creed xlvi.5. Once seven weeks have passed and only paschal week remains—here it is called the “Great Week”—the bishop comes in the morning to the major church, namely, to the Martyrion. At the rear, in the apse behind the altar, is placed a chair for the bishop; and they go there one after another, men with their godfathers and women with their

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360  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East godmothers, to recite the creed to the bishop. 6. When they have done so, the bishop addresses all, saying: “During the past seven weeks you have been instructed on the whole law contained in the Scriptures; you have also heard about the faith and about the resurrection of the body. As to a thorough explanation of the creed, you have heard only what you as cate­ chumens are allowed to understand. Being only catechumens, you cannot know what pertains to the still deeper mystery, namely, to baptism. So that you do not think that anything is done without a good reason, once you have been baptized in the name of God, during the eight days of Easter you will be given an explanation in the Anastasis after the dismissal from the church. But since you are still catechumens we cannot speak to you about the most secret mysteries.” 2218

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Catechesis after baptism xlvii.1. When Easter week has arrived and during the eight days between Easter and its octave day, as soon as the people have been dismissed from the church and when all, singing hymns, have gone to the Anastasis, a prayer is immediately said; the faithful are blessed; the bishop stands. Leaning against the interior railing within the Anastasis, he explains all that happened during the baptism. 2. At this hour no cate­ chumen is to go into the Anastasis; only the neophytes and the faithful who wish to hear about the mysteries may enter. The doors are closed so that no catechumen may have access. When the bishop is teaching and explaining each point, the cries of approval are such that they can be heard even outside the church. In truth the bishop reveals all the mysteries in such a way that no one can fail to be moved by what is heard. 3. And because in this province some people know both Greek and Syriac, and others know only Greek, and still others know only Syriac, and since the bishop even though knowing Syriac speaks only in Greek and never in Syriac, there is always a presbyter who translates into Syriac what the bishop has said in Greek. In this way all understand what is being explained. 4. Likewise, since the lessons read in church are to be in Greek, someone is always present who translates them into Syriac; in this way the people are always receiving instruction. As to the Latins who are here, namely, those who understand neither Syriac nor Greek, so that they not be disappointed they are also given explanations, for there are some brothers and sisters who, knowing both Greek and Latin, can explain things in Latin. 5. But what is most agreeable and truly admirable here is that the hymns and the antiphons, the readings as well as the prayers said by the bishop, are always fitting and apt for the feast being celebrated and the place where the celebration takes place. Feast of Dedications xlviii.1. The Feast of Dedications is the name given to the day on which the holy church located on Golgotha, the church called the Martyrion,

84. Peter of Alexandria  361 was consecrated to God. Furthermore, the holy church which is at the Anastasis, namely, the place where the Savior rose after his passion, was also consecrated to God on the same day. The dedication of these churches is celebrated with the greatest solemnity because the Lord’s cross was discovered on this same day. 2. And so it was determined that when the aforementioned holy churches were to be consecrated, the consecrations would be on the very day when the Lord’s cross was discovered. In this way both events would be celebrated with great solemnity on the same day. The holy Scriptures also relate that this Feast of Dedications occurs on the very day when Solomon, during the consecration of the house of God that he built, stood and prayed before God’s altar, as is written in the book of Paralipomenon.23 2220 il.1. When the Feast of Dedications arrives, it is celebrated for eight days. Much earlier crowds of monks and aputactitae begin to gather from all places, coming not only from provinces such as Mesopotamia, Syria, Egypt, and the Thebaid where monks are numerous, but also from other places and provinces. Not one among them fails to travel to Jerusalem on this day for such a solemn and illustrious feast. Also during these days the laity, both men and women from all the provinces, gather in Jerusalem with a spirit of faith. 2. Though less numerous, there are more than forty or fifty bishops in Jerusalem, and with them come a large number of their clerics. What can I add? Those failing to be present for such a great solemnity—unless some necessity keeps them from fulfilling their desire to be present—believe that they have committed a very great sin. 3. During the Feast of Dedications the splendor of the churches resembles that of the various holy places on Easter and the Epiphany. On the first and second days all gather at the major church, called the Martyrion; on the third day it is at the Eleona, the church located on the mountain from which the Lord ascended into heaven after his passion. In this church there is a grotto where the Lord instructed the apostles on the Mount of Olives. On the fourth day [.  .  .]

Eg y p t 84. Peter of Alexandria

Once director of the catechetical school in Alexandria, Peter was ordained bishop of that city in 300. Persecution, however, caused him to go into hiding. During this time Melitius, the bishop of Lycopolis and a member of the rigorist camp vis-à-vis reconciling those who had lapsed, claimed jurisdiction over Alexandria as well as a few other dioceses lacking the active presence of a bishop. Peter returned to his see ca. 310/311 and had Melitius deposed, thus the beginning of the Melitian schism, which lasted

23. See 2 Chr 7:8.

362  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East several centuries. Shortly after his return to Alexandria Peter was martyred. Little of Peter’s writing remains. CPG 1: nos. 1635ff. * Altaner (1961) 239–40 * Altaner (1966) 212–13 * Bardenhewer (1908) 159–60 * Bardenhewer (1910) 139–40 * Bardenhewer (1913) 2:203–11 * Bautz 7:326–28 * Cross 173–74 * Goodspeed 157–58 * Jurgens 1:259–60 * Quasten 2:113–18 * Steidle 50–51 * Tixeront 99 * CATH 11:350 * CE 11:771–72 * DCB 4:331–34 * DictSp 12.2:1495–1502 * DPAC 2:2778 * DTC 10.1:531–36; 12.2:1802–4 * EC 9:1398 * EEC 2:677–78 * EEChr 2:907 * LTK 8:103–4 * NCE 11:209 * NCES 11:195–96 * ODCC 1263–64 * PEA (1894) 19.2:1282–86 * PEA (1991) 9:677

84-A. Canonical Letter. On Penance† This series of fourteen canons was redacted in 306 from Peter’s letter on The Paschal Fast in order to explain how those who lapsed due to persecution but now doing penance or about to do so were to be readmitted to the Church. A fifteenth canon, on days of fast, is added in many Greek manuscripts. 2221

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[Those who yielded after suffering great torments] Canon 1. The fourth Pasch during the persecution [of Diocletian] is at hand. There are those who have been arrested and imprisoned, sustaining unbearable torments, intolerable beatings, and many other terrible afflictions. Thus they were betrayed by bodily weakness. Even though they were not initially received due to their serious fall, nonetheless they struggled bravely and resisted at length. Their yielding did not happen of their own volition. Rather, they were betrayed by weakness of the flesh, their bodies showing forth the marks of Jesus.1 Some, and already for the third year, are lamenting their sins. As to these, from the time of their return they should observe a period of forty days, in this way remembering that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ fasted for forty days. After he was baptized, he was tempted by the devil. During these forty days they are to fast continually; they are to be vigilant in prayer, meditating upon what the Lord said to the one who was tempting him to fall down and worship him: “Get behind me, Satan; for it is written, ‘You shall adore your Lord; him only shall you serve.’”2 [Those who lapsed without undergoing great torture and then repented] Canon 2. There are those who were taken into custody and thrown into prison where in a dungeon they suffered afflictions and breathed in foul odors. Afterwards, without torments being applied, they were made captives, broken by a great lack of strength and a certain blindness. For these a year added to the previous time suffices since they gave themselves Translated from PG 18:467–508. 1. See Gal 6:17.  2. Matt 4:10. †

84. Peter of Alexandria  363 over to be afflicted for the sake of Christ even though in prison they were greatly consoled by their brethren [who were not in custody]. This they shall repay many times over as they desire to be freed from the most bitter captivity of the devil. They shall especially remember him who said: “The spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to free those who are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord and a day of recompense unto our God.”3 [Those who lapsed but were neither imprisoned nor tortured and then repented] Canon 3. There are those who suffered none of these things, showing no fruit of faith but of their own accord deserting to wickedness, betrayed by fear and cowardice. Now, however, they come to repentance. Here it is necessary and fitting to recall the parable of the unfruitful fig tree. The Lord says: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his orchard; and he came and sought the fruit of this tree but found none. He then said to the gardener, ‘Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit from this fig tree but I can find none. So cut the tree down. Is there any reason why it should use up the soil?’ And the gardener then replied, ‘Lord, let it alone this year also. Meanwhile I will cultivate and fertilize it. If the tree bears fruit, well enough. But if it does not, then you may proceed to cut it down.’”4 If they keep this before their eyes and show forth fruit worthy of repentance, then after such a long period of time, they will be assisted even more [i.e., they will be reconciled]. [Those who lapsed but have not repented] Canon 4. To those who are completely sinful and unrepentant, to those who have the Ethiopian’s unchanging skin and the leopard’s spots,5 it shall be said what was said to another fig tree, “’May no fruit evermore grow on you,’ and immediately the tree withered away.”6 These words fulfilled what was said by Ecclesiastes, “What is crooked cannot be made straight; and what is wanting cannot be supplied.”7 Unless what is crooked is first made straight, it is impossible for it to be adorned; and unless what is wanting shall first be provided for, it cannot be numbered. Therefore what Isaiah the prophet said will befall them, “They shall look upon the corpses of those who rebelled against me; their worm shall not die nor shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be abhorrent to all people.”8 The same prophet has also said, “The wicked are like the raging sea, which cannot rest, the sea whose waters cast up mire and dirt. ‘There is no peace,’ says my God, ‘for the wicked.’”9 3. Isa 61:1–2; Luke 4:18–19.  4. Luke 13:6–9.  5. See Jer 13:23.  6. Matt 21:19.  7. Eccl 1:15.  8. Isa 66:24.  9. Isa 57:20.

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364  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East [Those who escaped persecution by means of fraud or sent non-Christians to take their place] 2225 Canon 5. There are those who had recourse to fraud as did David, who feigned madness,10 in order to avoid death. There are also those who have not openly and in writing denied the faith. Like smart and shrewd boys among foolish children, they, in tribulation, have mocked the snares of their enemies by avoiding the altars, by giving a writing, or by sending a pagan friend to offer sacrifice rather than doing so themselves. I have heard that some of these have been pardoned by those who have confessed since they have most carefully avoided touching the fire with their own hands and offering incense to the impure demons. Although in this way they escaped detection by their persecutors, a penalty of six months’ penance is to be imposed. By such means they will be greatly assisted, meditating upon the prophet’s words and saying, “For a child is born to us, a Son is given us; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called the Messenger of my mighty counsel.”11 As you know, even before this child’s birth there was another child—conceived six months earlier—who preached the forgiveness of sins.12 Both preached not only repentance but also the kingdom of heaven, which, as we have learned, “is among us,”13 for this word is within our mouths and hearts. Remembering this, they will learn to confess with their mouths that Jesus is the Christ; “believing in our hearts that God has raised him from the dead,” and being like those who hear that “with the heart a person believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”14 2226

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[Slaves sent by their masters to offer sacrifice] Canon 6. There are also those who have sent their Christian slaves to act as their substitutes. Such slaves were subject to and under the control of their masters. They were threatened. Those who lapsed out of fear shall during one year perform works of penance and so, as slaves of Christ, learn to do Christ’s will, and fear him. They shall especially remember that “whatever good we do, the same shall we receive from the Lord, whether we be slaves or free.”15 [Those who sent slaves to sacrifice in their place] Canon 7. Those who are free shall be tested by penance for three years, both for their fraud and for having compelled their fellow servants to offer sacrifice. They have not obeyed the apostle, who would have masters do what servants are to do. The apostle says that our Master and their Master, not being partial,16 is in heaven where he is no respecter of persons. Now, if all of us share the same Master who shows no partiality17—Christ being 10. See 1 Sam 21:14.  11. Isa 9:5.  12. Luke 1:77.  13. See Luke 17:21.  14. Rom 10:10.  15. Eph 6:8.  16. See Eph 6:9.  17. Rom 2:11.

84. Peter of Alexandria  365 all and in all, whether “barbarians, Scythians, those who are free or in chains”18—then they should consider what they have done when they desired to save their own lives. They have drawn to idolatry their fellow servants who would have been able to escape had they been given what is just and equal, as the apostle also says. [Those who were arrested, then lapsed, and then repented and were tortured] Canon 8. There are those who have been handed over and have lapsed; willingly they entered the struggle, confessing that they were Christians. They were tormented and cast into prison. It is right that we with exultation of heart strengthen them and share with them in all things, both in prayer and in participating in the Body and Blood of Christ; also with encouraging words so that struggling with more determination they may be counted worthy of “the prize of their high calling.”19 “Seven times the righteous fall and rise up again.”20 Now if all the lapsed would have done this, then they would have demonstrated a most perfect penitence, one penetrating the whole heart.

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[Those who provoked the magistrates to persecute them] 2229 Canon 9. There are those who rise up, as it were, from a deep sleep to engage in a struggle that is arduous and protracted. They bring upon themselves trials that resemble large waves on a stormy sea. They kindle for others the coals of sinners. We must also be in communion with these insofar as they acted in the name of Christ, even though they failed to hear Christ’s words when he taught us “to pray that we not enter into temptation.”21 Also, when praying he said to his Father, “[A]nd lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”22 Perhaps those who provoked did not know that the Master of the House, our Great Teacher, often went apart from—and at times did not walk openly among—those who desired to ensnare him. Even when the time of his passion was approaching, he did not hand himself over to them but waited till they came to him with “swords and staves.” And so he said to them, “Have you come out with swords and staves as against a thief in order to seize me?”23 They “delivered him” to Pilate.24 What happened to Christ happens to those who follow him. They recall the divine words in which, strengthening us, he speaks of persecution, “Beware, for they will deliver you up to the courts, and they will scourge you in their synagogues.”25 He says, “they will deliver you up,” not “you shall deliver up yourselves.” Also “you shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake,”26 not “you shall bring yourselves,” for he would have us move from one place to another when faced with those who would persecute us for his name’s sake. We also hear him 18. Col 3:11.  19. Phil 3:14.  20. Prov 24:16.  21. Matt 26:41.  22. Matt 6:13.  23. Matt 26:55.  24. Matt 26:2.  25. Matt 10:17.  26. Matt 10:18.

366  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East saying, “When they persecute you in this town, flee into another.”27 Christ would not have us hand ourselves over to the devil’s ministers and partisans lest we cause them to suffer a manifold death, lest we force them to act more harshly and to carry out deadly deeds. Rather, he would have us wait and tend to ourselves, watching and praying so that we do not enter into temptation.28 And so Stephen, following in Christ’s footsteps, was martyred after having been apprehended in Jerusalem by the transgressors, after being brought to the court, after being stoned. Glorified for the name of Christ, he prayed, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”29 Then there is James, whom Herod apprehended and had beheaded with the sword. Also Peter, the first of the apostles who was often taken into custody, was thrown into prison, treated with ignominy, and finally was crucified in Rome. Likewise the renowned Paul, often handed over and placed in danger of death. Enduring many evils, he boasted of numerous persecutions and afflictions.30 It was also in Rome that Paul was beheaded, his life ending with what he glorified. In Damascus he was lowered during the night in a basket by the wall, and escaped the hands of those who sought to seize him.31 His primary task was to evangelize, to teach God’s word in order to strengthen the brethren so that they might persevere in the faith. They also said that “we must endure many tribulations in order to enter the kingdom of God.”32 [Paul and Barnabas] sought not what would profit them but what would profit the many, so that the many might be saved, might be enabled to act in accord with God’s word “lest,” as the apostle says, “the time should fail me in speaking.”33 [Clergy who brought about their own persecution, then succumbed, and then recanted their error] 2230 Canon 10. It is not right that clerics who of their own accord have deserted, lapsed, and then taken up the struggle anew, should continue on in their holy office, for they have abandoned the Lord’s flock and brought blame upon themselves, something no apostle ever did. When the blessed apostle Paul had endured many persecutions and had revealed the numerous prizes of his struggle—though he knew it was far better to “depart and to be with Christ”—he anticipated this and said, “Nevertheless, to continue living in the flesh is more necessary for you.”34 Considering not his own personal advantage but that of others, namely, their salvation, he believed that to remain with and to care for the brethren was more important than his own comfort. As a teacher of doctrine35 he was to be an example to the faithful. Therefore totally wanting in understanding are those who, contending in prison, have abandoned their ministry and then desire to take up the struggle anew. How is it that they seek what they have left when at present they can be useful to their brethren? Pardon might be 27. Matt 10:23.  28. Matt 26:41.  29. Acts 7:60.  30. See 2 Cor 6:4–5.  31. See Acts 9:25.  32. Acts 14:22.  33. Heb 11:32.  34. Phil 1:23–24.  35. See Titus 2:7.

84. Peter of Alexandria  367 granted them had they remained firm and stable, had their actions not been irrational. But since they lapsed due to their own arrogance,36 bringing reproach upon themselves, they are no longer to discharge their sacred office. They are to spend their lives in humility, no longer being arrogant. Communion [with the faithful?] is sufficient for them, provided this is granted with diligent caution and care. 2231 If we fail to do this, then we afflict them with sorrow, sentencing them, as it were, to depart this world with violence; also that we not cause others who have lapsed—namely, those who may wish to return to what is right—to be negligent in this regard. They, if not converted, will reap more shame and ignominy than all others since they have laid the foundation and yet were unable to finish the building. “All who pass by,” he says, “will begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man laid the foundation, yet he was not able to finish it.’”37 [Those who lapsed during an imprisonment or while being punished for their sympathy for the martyrs] Canon 11. There are those who, when persecution was at its highest, eagerly came forward, stood at the judgment seat, and looked upon the martyrs who were hastening to the “prize of their high calling.”38 Roused by an honorable envy and with great freedom they submitted themselves to martyrdom, especially when seeing some who were taken away and who then lapsed. Being inwardly inflamed, they—as if moved by some internal voice—undertook to subdue the enemy who was rejoicing. This they did so that the enemy might not appear “to be wise in his own estimation,”39 his craftiness making it appear that they were inferior to him. Nevertheless, the enemy failed to notice that he was overcome by those who bravely endured the torments of the lash and scourge, the sharp edge of the sword, the burning fire, the immersion in water. It is right that we give our consent to those who request that the faithful offer prayers and supplications for those who have been punished by imprisonment, or have suffered hunger and thirst, or—although not in prison—have been whipped and scourged and then have succumbed to the weakness of the body. In no way can it be harmful to sympathize with those who sorrow and mourn for individuals who in the struggle were overcome by the great strength of the wicked devil, whether these be parents, children, or other relatives. We know that through the faith of some, others have been blessed by God, whether this concerns the forgiveness of sins, the health of the body, or the resurrection from the dead. Therefore, being mindful of the many labors and distresses that they have suffered for the name of Christ, let us pray for them since they themselves have also repented and have shown sorrow for what they did as a result of being betrayed by bodily weakness and vulnerability. Furthermore, they testify that during 36. See 1 Cor 13:4.  37. Luke 14:29–30.  38. Phil 3:14.  39. Rom 12:16.

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368  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East their lives they have, as it were, been aliens from their city. Let us pray together for them and request their reconciliation together with other things that are fitting. May we do so through him who is “our Advocate with the Father and makes propitiation for our sins.” “And if any sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, who is the propitiation for our sins.”40 2233

[Those who purchased their freedom with money] Canon 12. No accusation can be made against those who have given money that they might be entirely undisturbed by evil. They have undergone the loss and privation of their material possessions to protect their souls from injury or destruction; others for the sake of material gain did not do this. Yet the Lord says, “What does it profit them to gain the whole world and yet lose their soul?”41 Also, “You cannot serve both God and mammon.”42 In this way, then, they have shown themselves to be God’s servants, for they have hated, disdained, and despised money, thereby fulfilling what is written, “One’s riches are the ransom of one’s life.”43 Also, according to the Acts of the Apostles the leaders of the people, although they would have preferred sending Paul and Silas, sent others, who were dismissed with a fine, to the magistrates in Thessalonica. Those who were sent had for the Lord’s name been a burden to the leaders and to the magistrates, causing them trouble. “The magistrates took a surety payment from Jason and the others and then released them. And during the night the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away to Beroea.”44

[Those who gave up everything in order to save their lives and fled even if others were detained because of them] 2234 Canon 13. It is not lawful to accuse those who have left everything and have fled in order to save their own lives even if others were detained because of their actions. At Ephesus, Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s travel companions, were seized rather than Paul and rushed into the theater.45 Paul wanted to go into the crowd. A tumult arose because he succeeded in persuading the people, drawing away a great many to worship the true God. “The disciples, however, would not allow him to do so. Even some of the Asian leaders, being his friends, sent word to him, telling him not to enter the theater.” But if any continue to contend with them, let these sincerely heed him who says, “Flee for your life; do not look back.”46 Let them also remember how Peter, the head of the apostles, “was thrown into prison and was guarded by four squads of four soldiers each.”47 Once Peter had escaped during the night and had been saved from Jewish hands by the command of the Lord’s angel, we are told that “at daybreak there was no small stir among the soldiers as to what had 40. 1 John 2:1.  41. Matt 16:26.  42. Matt 6:24.  43. Prov 13:8.  44. Acts 17:9–10.  45. See Acts 19:26–30.  46. Gen 19:17.  47. Acts 12:4.

84. Peter of Alexandria  369 happened to Peter. Herod, seeking Peter but finding him not, questioned the jailers and ordered that they be executed;48 for this Peter receives no blame. When they saw what happened they could have escaped just as all the infants in Bethlehem and vicinity49 could have done likewise if their parents had known what was going to happen. These infants were put to death by the murderer Herod in order to obtain the death of the one infant whom Herod sought, the very infant who also escaped at the command of God’s angel, the infant who now quickly began to receive spoils and to speedily plunder according to the name whereby he was called, for it is written, “Call him Maher-shalal-hash-baz [‘the spoil speeds, the prey hastens’] for before the child knows how to call out its father’s and mother’s names, the riches of Damascus and the spoils of Samaria shall be carried away by the king of Assyria.”50 Therefore the Magi, as [if] already having been speedily robbed and plundered, humbly and as suppliants adore the child. They open their treasure chests and present him with the most fitting and magnificent gifts—gold, frankincense, myrrh—as to a king, to God, and to a man, and so they were no longer willing to return to the Assyrian king, for God had forbidden them to do so. “Being warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their own country in another way.”51 And so when the bloodthirsty “Herod realized that he had been deceived by the wise men, he was exceedingly angry. He ordered the slaying of all the male children who were in Bethlehem and its vicinity, two years old and under, this being the age he learned from the wise men.”52 In addition, he sought to kill a child who was born earlier. Not being able to find him, he murdered the child’s father, Zachariah, between the temple and the altar.53 The child meanwhile had escaped with his mother Elizabeth.a And so those who have fled are in no way to be blamed. [Those who lapsed only after severe torture and no longer have the ability to speak or make any movement] Canon 14. There are those who have been subjected to violence and have been forced to receive by means of hooks and pieces of iron [meat offered to the idols]. Because of their love for the faith and even though they were unwilling, bravely did they endure having their hands filled with hot coals as they were led to the pagan sacrifice. The most blessed martyrs have written me concerning those in Libya. On the basis of the testimony given by their fellow ministers, such clergy can be numbered among the a. According to a pious legend—one included in the Gospel of James, an apocryphal work dating from the second century—Elizabeth went up into the mountains with John during the time of the soldiers’ search; Zachariah, on the other hand, was murdered in the temple for refusing to disclose the whereabouts of his son. 48. Acts 12:18–19.  49. See Matt 2:13–16.  50. Isa 8:3–4.  51. Matt 2:12.  52. Matt 2:16.  53. See Matt 23:35.

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370  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East confessors in carrying out their holy ministry. Also those who have been greatly subjected to torture and are no longer able to utter sounds, to speak, or to move so that they might resist those who in vain inflicted violence upon them. These did not consent to evil deeds. As I have also heard from their fellow ministers, they are numbered among the confessors. The same is true in regard to those who, following Timothy’s example, lived their lives in obedience to him who says, “Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith. Lay hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made a good confession before many witnesses.”54 2236

[Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday] Canon 15. No one should blame us for observing the fourth and sixth days of the week, days on which it is rightfully enjoined that, according to tradition, we fast. We do so on the fourth day because on this day the Jews began to take counsel that the Lord be handed over to them; on the sixth day because on this day the Lord suffered for us. As to the Lord’s Day, it is celebrated as a day of joy because he rose on this day; it is a day on which we customarily do not kneel. 8 5 . Ca n o n s o f H i pp o ly t u s †

Based on the Apostolic Tradition (WEC 1:31-A), which some attribute to Hippolytus of Rome, this collection of canons probably originated in upper Egypt. The final date of the work, which apparently underwent a number of redactions and which reflects the various local traditions of its unknown editors, has been given as late as the fifth or sixth century and as early as 336. Originally written in Greek, the canons today exist only in Coptic and Arabic. CPG 1: no. 1742 * Altaner (1961) 60–61 * Altaner (1966) 257 * Cross 94–96 * Quasten 2:186 * Hamell 84 * Tixeront 215 * CATH 1:477–78 * CE 3:279–81 * CHECL 149 * DCA 1:110–19 * DDC 5:1154–59 * EEC 1:62 * EEChr 1:212–13 * ODCC 774 Text and Translations D. Haneberg, Canones Hippolyti (Munich, 1870) [with a Latin translation]. * H. Achelis, Die ältesten Quellen des orientalischen Kirchenrechts: Die Canones Hippolyti, TU 6, 4 (Leipzig, 1891). * W. Riedel, Die Kirchenrechtsquellen des Patriarchats Alexandrien (Leipzig, 1900) 193–230 [German]. * R.-G. Coquin, Les Canons d’Hippolyte, Patrologia Orientalis 31.2 (Paris, 1966) [French]. * P. Bradshaw, The Canons of Hippolytus, Liturgical Study 2 (Bramcote, Nottingham, 1987) [English].

54. 1 Tim 6:11–12. † Translated from Les Canons d’Hippolyte, trans. and ed. R.-G. Coquin (Paris, 1966). For an excellent introduction to this document as well as informative notes, see P. Bradshaw, The Canons of Hippolytus, as listed in the introductory bibliography.

85. Canons of Hippolytus  371 Studies F.C. Burkitt, “On the Baptismal Rite in the Canons of Hippolytus,” JThSt 1 (1899– 1900) 279. * G. Morin, “L’origine des Canons d’Hippolyte: note lue au Congrès archéologique de Rome, le 23 avril 1900,” RB 17 (1900) 241–46. * P. Batiffol, “Les canons d’Hippolyte d’après des travaux récents,” RBibl 10 (1901) 252–59. * J.P. Arendzen, “The XXXII Canon of Hippolytus,” JThSt 4 (1902–3) 282–85. * C.J. Oeh­ lander, Canones Hippolyti och besläkta de skrifter (Lund, 1911). * J.V. Bartlet, “The Ordination Prayers in the Ancient Church Order,” JThSt 17 (1915–16) 248–56. * R.H. Connolly, The So-called Egyptian Church Order and Derived Documents (Cambridge, 1916) 50–134.* A. de Alès, “Aux origines du droit canon,” RSR 8 (1918) 132–38. * A. Maloy, “L’onction des malades dans les canons d’Hippolyte et les documents apparentés,” RSR 9 (1919) 222–29. * K. Müller, “Hippolyts Apostolikh; paravdosi~ und die Canones Hippolyti,” ZNW 23 (1924) 214–47. * G. Dix, The Treatise on the Apostolic Tradition of St. Hippolytus of Rome (London, 1937) lxxvi–lxxxi. * G. Graf, Geschichte der christlichen arabischen Literatur, vol. 1 (Rome, 1944) 602–5. * G.V. Jourdan, “Agape or Lord’s Supper: A Study of Certain Passages in the Canons of Hippolytus,” Hermathena 64 (1944) 32–43. * B. Botte, “L’origine des canons d’Hippolyte,” in Mélanges en l’honneur de monseigneur Michel Andrieu (Strasbourg, 1956) 53–63. * J.M. Hanssens, “L’édition critique des canons d’Hippolyte,” OCP 32 (1966) 536–44.

Canon 1. The holy faith Above all else we speak of the holy and true faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God. This we have faithfully set down, and we most confidently adhere to it; indeed we say that the Trinity, equal and perfect in honor, is equal in glory, having neither beginning nor end. That Word, the Son of God, has also created every creature, all that is visible and invisible.1 This we have set down, and we indeed adhere to it. As to those who dared to say what they should not have said about the Word of God, according to what our Lord Jesus Christ said about them, we have gathered, we who are the great majority, in the power of God; we have separated ourselves from them because they are not in accord with the holy Scriptures, with the word of God, nor with us who are the followers of the Scriptures. This is why we have separated them from the Church and have handed their case over to God, who judges every creature with righteousness.2 Those who do not know them, we teach them such things without envy so that they may not fall into an evil death, as do certain heretics, but may be worthy of eternal life and may instruct their children and those succeeding them in this holy faith.

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Canon 2. Bishopsa The bishop is to be chosen by all the people; as the apostle wrote,3 he is to be without reproach. On the Saturday of his ordination all the clergy and the people say, “We have chosen him.” All the flock, having given

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a. See ApT 2 (WEC 1:617–18). 1. See Col 1:16.  2. See Ps 9:8; 96:13; etc.  3. See 1 Tim 3:2; Titus 1:6–7.

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372  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East their approval, observes silence and then prays for him as they say, “O God, this is he whom you have prepared for us.” They are to select one of the bishops and presbyters; the bishop places his hand on the head of the one elected and prays, saying, 2240

Canon 3. Prayer over him who becomes a bishop—the order of the liturgyb “O God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Father of mercies and God of all consolation,4 you dwell on high and look down upon the lowly;5 you know all things before they come to be; you have established the laws of the Church; you have decreed that from Adam there should exist a righteous race—this bishop being the intermediary—namely, the race of the great Abraham; you have instituted authorities and powers. Look upon N. with your great power and mighty Spirit,6 which you gave to the holy apostles through our Lord Jesus Christ, your only Son—the apostles who established everywhere the Church, for the honor and glory of your holy name. Since you know the hearts of all,7 make him the sinless shepherd of your people so that he might merit to shepherd your great and holy flock;8 make his life more excellent than that of all his people, a life without strife; make him envied by all because of his virtue; receive the prayers and the offerings he will give you day and night; may these be a sweet-smelling savor for you.9 Give him, Lord, the episcopate, a merciful spirit, and the power to remit sins; grant him the power to loosen every bond of demonic oppression, to heal the sick, and to immediately crush Satan under his feet. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom glory be to you, with him and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.” All the people say, “Amen.” 2241 All turn toward him and give him the kiss of peace because he is worthy of this. 2242 Then the deacon brings the offerings, and the newly-ordained bishop lays his hand on the offerings with the presbyters, saying, “The Lord be with all.” The people reply, “And with your spirit.” He says, “Lift up your hearts.” They reply, “We have lifted them to the Lord.” He says, “Let us give thanks to the Lord.” They reply, “It is fitting and right,” namely, “it is fitting.” After this he says the prayer and continues the liturgy. 2243 If there is oil, he prays over it in this manner, not with the same wording but with the same meaning. Should there be any first fruits, anything that is edible, whatever someone has brought, he prays over these and in his prayer blesses the fruit that was brought to him. b. See ApT 3–6 (WEC 1:619–28). 4. See 2 Cor 1:3.  5. See Ps 112:6, LXX.  6. See Ps 50:12, LXX.  7. See Acts 1:24.  8. Allusion to Luke 19:17 (?).  9. See Gen 8:21.

85. Canons of Hippolytus  373 The conclusion of the prayer said over each is “Glory to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.” Canon 4. Ordination of presbytersc When a presbyter is ordained, everything is done as for the ordination of a bishop except sitting in the chair. The prayer used for ordaining a bishop is prayed over him, but the name of the bishop is omitted. The presbyter is equal to the bishop in everything except using the episcopal chair and performing ordinations because the power to ordain is not given to the presbyter. Canon 5. Ordination of deaconsd When a deacon is ordained, the same rules are followed; this prayer is said over him. He is not appointed for the presbyterate but for the diaconate. As a servant of God, he assists the bishop and the presbyters in everything. He serves not only during the liturgy but also ministers to those who are sick, to those having no one. He acquaints the bishop with those whom he, the bishop, should pray over; he provides for the needy as well as for those whose poverty is not apparent but who are nonetheless poor. Deacons are also to assist those in charge of episcopal almsgiving; and they are to give to widows, to orphans, and to the poor. The deacon is to carry out all services of this kind. In such a way he is indeed the deacon concerning whom Christ said, “My Father will honor whoever serves me.”10 The bishop, laying his hand on the deacon, prays over him, saying: “O God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we ask you to pour out your Holy Spirit upon N.; number him among those who serve you by following your will as did Stephen and his companions; fill him with strength and wisdom11 as you did Stephen; may he triumph over all the powers of the Evil One by the sign of your cross with which you sign him; grant him a sinless life in the sight of all; may he be an example for many so that without scandal he may save a multitude in the holy Church; accept all his service. Through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom glory be to you, with him and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.” Canon 6. Those punished because of the holy faithe When someone has been worthy to appear before a tribunal because of the faith, has suffered punishment because of Christ, and has then been freed by the help of grace, this man has in such a way been deemed by God worthy of the presbyteral rank. Accordingly, he is not to be ordained

c. See ApT 7 (WEC 1:629). d. See ApT 8 (WEC 1:630–33). e. See ApT 9 (WEC 1:634). 10. John 12:26.  11. See Acts 6:8.

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374  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East by the bishop because he was ordained by his confession. But if he is to be made a bishop, he is to be ordained. 2252 When someone has confessed the faith but has not endured punishment, he has become worthy of the presbyterate, and yet he is to be ordained by the bishop. 2253 If anyone’s slave has endured punishment because of Christ, that slave is thus a presbyter of the flock. Even though he has not received the mark of the priesthood, he has received the spirit of the priesthood. 2254 The bishop is not to pray by reciting, but by the Holy Spirit. 2255

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Canon 7. The choice of the reader and of the subdeaconf When a reader is selected, he is to have the virtues of a deacon. The hand is not to be laid on him beforehand, but the bishop is to give him the gospel [book]. The subdeacon is to be appointed according to this arrangement: he is not to be ordained if he is still single and unmarried unless his neighbors bear witness on his behalf and testify that he has always refrained from women throughout his whole life as an adult. The hand is not to be imposed on an unmarried man till he has attained or is about to attain adulthood unless he is deemed worthy and unless witness is presented on his behalf. The subdeacon and the reader, when they pray alone, are to remain behind; the subdeacon serves behind the deacon.

Canon 8. Gifts of healingg 2259 If someone requests ordination by saying, “I have received the gift of healing,” he is to be ordained only when the healing is evident and only if the healing done by him comes from God. 2260 A presbyter is not to be removed from the ministry when his wife has given birth. Canon 9. A presbyter who dwells in a foreign place and the function of widowsh 2261 If a presbyter goes to live in a foreign place where its clergy accept him, the bishop of his see is to be questioned to determine whether this presbyter is taking flight for some reason. If his town is distant, there should first be an examination as to whether he has been instructed—this being a sign of a presbyter—and afterwards he is to be accepted and given a double honor.12 2262 Next, widows are not ordained but appointed. They have, in fact, the precepts of the Apostle.13 They are not to be ordained, but one prays over f. See ApT 11, 13 (WEC 1:637, 639). g. See ApT 14 (WEC 1:640). h. See ApT 10 (WEC 1:636). 12. See 1 Tim 5:17.  13. See 1 Tim 5:3–15.

85. Canons of Hippolytus  375 them since only men are ordained. The function of widows is important because of their responsibilities, their frequent prayer, their ministering to those who are sick, as well as the frequency of their fasting. Canon 10. Those who become Christiansi 2263 Those who come to the Church for the purpose of becoming Christians are to be very carefully examined—why did they give up their old religion?—so that they not enter motivated by a desire to engage in mockery. Those who come with true faith are to be joyfully received, questioned about their occupations, and taught by the deacon. In such a way they are to be instructed in the Scriptures so that they may renounce Satan and all his pomp. Once they begin to be catechized, they are numbered among the faithful. Not to be baptized are those slaves with pagan masters who forbid that 2264 their slaves be baptized, but it suffices that such [slaves] be Christians; even those who die without having received the gift [of baptism] are not excluded from the flock. Canon 11. Makers of idols and images, whether these be sculptors or painters j Every artisan is to be taught not to fashion any image or idol, whether this person be a sculptor, silversmith, painter, or any other. If after baptism they have made anything of such sort except what is needed by the people, they are to be excluded till they have repented. Canon 12. Prohibition of several occupations—those involved in them are to be received only after doing penancek As to someone who is the director of a theater, or a wrestler, or a runner, a music teacher, or plays before funeral processions, or teaches the art of the gladiator, or is a hunter, or a hairdresser, or battles savage animals, or is a pagan priest—to none of these is the holy word to be revealed till they have first been purified from these impure occupations. Then, during forty days, they are to hear the word, and if judged worthy, they are to be baptized. The Church’s teacher is the judge in this matter. A schoolmaster who teaches little children may continue to educate provided he has no other means of livelihood, provided he admits to his students that what the Gentiles call gods14 are demons, and provided he daily tells them that there is no divinity except the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. If he can teach his pupils the excellent word of the poets, and better still if he can teach them the faith of the word of truth, then he will be rewarded. i. See ApT 15 (WEC 1:641). j. See ApT 16 (WEC 1:646). k. See ApT 16 (WEC 1:644–50). 14. See Ps 96:5.

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376  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East Canon 13. The magistrate and the soldier—not to kill even if ordered to do so—not to wear wreaths—whoever possesses authority and does not comply with the righteousness of the Gospel is to be excluded and is not to pray with the bishopl 2268 Whoever has authority to kill or is a soldier is never to kill, even if ordered to do so. They are not to say a bad word. Those who have received any honors are not to wear wreaths on their heads. Whoever has been elevated to the position of prefect or magistrate and does not comply with the works of the righteousness15 of the Gospel is to be excluded from the flock; the bishop is not to pray with him. Canon 14. A Christian not to become a soldierm 2269 A Christian must not become a soldier unless compelled by a chief carrying a sword. He is not to saddle himself with the sin of blood. But if he has shed blood, he is not to share in the mysteries till he has been made pure by punishment, tears, and lamentation. He is not to exercise authority with deceit but with fear of God. Canon 15. Several forbidden occupationsn 2270 A fornicator or one who lives off the proceeds of fornication, or an effeminate person and especially one who speaks of what is shameful, or an idler, or a rake, or a magician, or an astrologer, or a soothsayer, or an interpreter of dreams, or a snake charmer, or an agitator who stirs up the people, or one who makes phylacteries, or a usurer, or an oppressor, or someone who loves the world, or someone who loves swearing, that is, oaths, or a person who criticizes people, or a hypocrite, or a slanderer of people, or someone who decides whether the hours and the days are favorable—these and others like them are not to be catechized and baptized till they have renounced all such occupations and till three witnesses have testified on their behalf16 that they really have rejected all these sins, the reason being that people often remain in their passions until old age, unless enabled to escape them by a great power. 2271 If after baptism they continue to commit such sins, they are to be excluded from the Church till they do penance with tears, fasting, and almsgiving. Canon 16. The Christian who has a concubine and is married to another o 2272 If a Christian who has a concubine—especially if she has had a child by him—marries another, he is guilty of homicide unless he catches her in fornication. l. See ApT 16 (WEC 1:652–53). m. See ApT 16 (WEC 1:654). n. See ApT 16 (WEC 1:655–57). o. See ApT 16 (WEC 1:658). 15. See Job 29:14; Ps 132:9; Isa 59:17; Eph 6:14.  16. See Deut 19:15; Matt 18:16; 2 Cor 13:1.

85. Canons of Hippolytus  377 Canon 17. What a free woman is to do A free woman is not to wear jewelry in church17 even if ordered to do so by her husband. She is not to leave her hair loose, that is, flowing, in God’s house. She is not to wear fringes on the head when she desires to share in the holy mysteries. She is not to hand over to nurses the children she has given birth to, but she is to raise them herself according to the law of marriage. She is not to neglect her housework. She is not to answer back her husband in anything even if she knows more than he, but she is to remember God at all times; if she knows more than men, she is not to reveal this to anyone but is to serve her husband as if he were her master. She is to be attentive to the poor who are her neighbors; she is to concern herself with the first offerings rather than with vain attire because no woman adorned with precious stones is as beautiful as the woman whose beauty is found in her nature and excellence alone. May such women take care to be pure, not loving pleasure; they are not to laugh in church; they are not to talk when they are in church since God’s house is not a place for conversation but a place for prayer and awe. Whoever talks in church is to be expelled and forbidden to participate in the mysteries. Time should not be a hindrance for those catechumens who are worthy of the light [baptism] because their conduct is a proof: the Church’s teacher judges in this matter.p Canon 18. Midwives and the separation of women from men during prayer—girls are to wear a veil—women who give birthq After the teacher has concluded the daily instruction, the catechumens are to pray apart from the Christians. Midwives are not to partake of the mysteries till they have been purified. Their purification shall be thus: if the child they have delivered is a male, twenty days; if a female, forty days. They are not to neglect those confined but are to pray to God for such women. If she [a midwife] goes to God’s house before being purified, she is to pray with the catechumens who are yet to be received and have not yet been deemed worthy of acceptance. Women are to be placed apart. They are not to give the kiss of peace to any man. The teacher is to impose his hand on the catechumens before he dismisses them. Girls, once they approach maidenhood, are to cover their heads in a manner similar to the adult women, namely, with a scarf and not with a thin veil. A woman who has given birth stays outside the holy place for a period of forty days if her baby is male; if female, eighty days.18 Should she enter the church, she is to pray with the catechumens. p. See ApT 17 (WEC 1:660). q. See ApT 18–19 (WEC 1:661, 662). 17. See 1 Tim 2:9; 1 Pet 3:3.  18. Lev 12:1–5.

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There should be a number of midwives so that they may not be outside [the church] for their complete lives.

Canon 19. Catechumens who are killed because of their witness before baptism are to be buried with the martyrs—conditions they are to carry out during their baptism and exorcism—the order of the baptismal liturgy and of the consecration of the Body and Bloodr 2281 Catechumens arrested because of their witness and killed before having been baptized are to be buried with all the martyrs because they have been baptized in their own blood. 2282

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Chapter of the catechumens Catechumens, when they are baptized, and those who present them are to attest that they have zealously observed the commandments during the time of their catechumenate, that they have visited the sick or given to the needy, that they have kept themselves free from every evil and unseemly word, that they have hated vainglory, despised pride, and chosen humility for themselves. Then they are to confess to the bishop—it is the bishop alone who has this duty—so that he may satisfy himself about them and consider them worthy to receive the mysteries, for they have truly become pure. The Gospel is then read over them, and several times they are asked, “Do you have doubts, or are you being pressured by human respect or by any other such thing? No one is to mock the kingdom of heaven, which it is given to those who love it with all their hearts.” Those to be baptized are to bathe in water on the fifth day of the week and take food. On Friday they are to fast. In the case of a woman having her menstrual period, she is not to be baptized at this time but should wait till she has been purified. On Saturday the bishop assembles the candidates for baptism. He has them bow toward the east, extends his hand over them, and prays, expelling all evil spirits by his exorcism; these will henceforth never return because of what has been done. Once he has finished exorcising them, he breathes on the face of each candidate and signs the breast, the forehead, the ears, and the mouth. They are to pass the night listening to the sacred word and praying. At cockcrow they are to be placed near the water, water from a river, flowing and pure, prepared and sanctified. Those who respond for the little children are to remove each infant’s clothing; those capable of answering for themselves remove their own clothing; finally, the women are to divest themselves of their garments, removing their jewelry, whether of gold or something else, and loosening their hair so that nothing of the foreign spirits should go down with them into the water of regeneration. r. See ApT 19–21, 33 (WEC 1:663–89, 711).

85. Canons of Hippolytus  379 The bishop blesses the oil of exorcism and hands it to a presbyter; he then blesses the oil of anointing, namely, the oil of thanksgiving; he gives this to another presbyter. Whoever holds the oil of exorcism stands on the bishop’s left, whoever holds the oil of anointing stands on his right. Those to be baptized turn toward the west and say, “I renounce you, Satan, and all your pomp.” When they have said this, the presbyter anoints each candidate with the oil of exorcism which has been blessed so that every evil spirit may depart from them. A deacon then hands them over to a presbyter standing near the water. The presbyter holds each person’s right hand and has the person turn toward the east, near the water. Before descending into the water, facing the east, and standing near the water, each person says the following after having received the oil of exorcism: “I believe and I submit myself to you and to all your pomp, O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” And so they descend into the water; the presbyter places his hand on each person’s head and asks, “Do you believe in God the Father Almighty?” The candidate replies: “I believe.” Then the presbyter immerses the candidate into the water once, his hand on the person’s head. The presbyter again asks, “Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, whom the Virgin Mary bore by the Holy Spirit, who came to save the human race, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, who died and on the third day was raised from the dead, who ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of the Father, and will come to judge the living and the dead?” The candidate replies, “I believe.” Then the presbyter immerses this person into the water a second time. The presbyter again asks, “Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete who flows from the Father and the Son?” When the candidate replies,“ I believe,” the presbyter immerses the person a third time into the water. Each time the presbyter does so, he says, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, equal Trinity.” When the newly-baptized comes up out of the water, the presbyter takes the oil of thanksgiving and signs the person’s forehead, mouth, and breast, and anoints the whole body, the head and the face, saying, “I anoint you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” The presbyter wipes the newly-baptized with the towel that he has for this person, who is now dressed and taken back into the church. The bishop, laying his hand on all the baptized, prays as follows: “We bless you, Lord God almighty, because you have made these worthy to be born again. We ask that you pour out upon them your holy Spirit so that they now be one in the body of the Church, never to be separated by alien works; but, just as you have granted them forgiveness of their sins, grant them also the pledge of your kingdom,19 through our Lord

19. See 2 Cor 1:22; 5:5; Eph 1:14.

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Jesus Christ, through whom glory be to you, with him and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.” Next he signs each person’s forehead with the oil of anointing and gives them the kiss, saying, “The Lord be with you.” The newly-baptized respond, “And with your spirit.” He does this to each of the baptized. After that they pray with all the faithful, exchange the kiss, and cheerfully rejoice with them. The deacon begins the liturgy, and the bishop celebrates the Eucharist of the Lord’s Body and Blood. When finished, the bishop gives Communion to the people as he stands near the table of the Lord’s Body and Blood; the presbyters hold the cups containing Christ’s Blood and the other cups containing the milk and honey so that those who partake may know that they are born again like infants because infants partake of milk and honey. If there are no presbyters to hold these cups, the deacons do so. And so the bishop gives the newly-baptized the Body of Christ as he says, “This is the Body of Christ.” They reply, “Amen.” The person distributing from the cup says, “This is the Blood of Christ.” They reply, “Amen.” Then they receive the milk and honey, doing so to recall the future age and the sweetness of its gifts, which will not revert to bitterness and will not grow old. In this way they have become full Christians and have been fed with Christ’s Body. They will vie with one another in wisdom so that their lives may shine with virtue, not only before each other but also before the Gentiles so that these may envy them, become Christians, and observe that the progress of those who have been illuminated [baptized] is great and better than the way ordinary people conduct themselves. Those who have been baptized as well as those who have joined them in fasting are not to taste anything before they receive the Body of Christ because doing this will not be attributed to them as a fast but as a sin. Whoever takes anything before receiving Christ’s Body disobeys and despises God. But once the liturgy is concluded, all can eat whatever they desire. All the catechumens are to gather as a group; one teacher suffices for them, someone who will give them adequate instruction. They are to pray, kneel, and not take anything before those who have been baptized have received the Body and the Blood.

Canon 20. The fast on Wednesday, Friday—the forty days The fast days that have been appointed are Wednesday, Friday, and the forty days.s Whoever adds to this will be rewarded; whoever lessens it—other than for illness, constraint, or necessity—breaks the rule and disobeys God who fasted for our sake. 2298 The bishop is to send to the catechumens bread that has been purified by prayer so that they may share in the communion of the Church. 2297

s. Not a prepaschal Lent but a period of forty fast days after the Epiphany.

85. Canons of Hippolytus  381 Canon 21. The daily assembly of all the presbyters and people in the churcht 2299 Each day at cockcrow all the presbyters are to gather in the church, doing so with the deacons, the subdeacons, the readers, and all the people. There is to be prayer, psalmody, the reading of Scripture, and [final] prayers as enjoined by the apostle who said, “Attend to the reading until I come.”20 Whoever lags behind the clergy, except for reasons of illness, and does not hurry is to be excluded. 2300 The sick, unless they are seriously ill and approaching death, go to the church in order to be cured, to receive the water of prayer and the oil of prayer; each day the clergy visit those who know them. Canon 22. The week of the Jewish Passover during which joy is set aside— what is eaten—a person in another country who forgets about the Paschu 2301 During the week of the Jewish Passover all the people are to take the greatest care to fast from every desire. One’s speech should not be that of joy but of sadness, knowing that the Lord of all, the impassible Lord, suffered for us during this time so that by doing so we might escape the suffering we deserve because of our sins. May we also share in the suffering he accepted for our sake so that we might have a share with him in his kingdom.21 During the Pasch in addition to water one is to take only bread and salt. 2302 2303 If a person is ill or is in a region where there are no Christians and the Pasch ends without this person even knowing its date, then he or she is to fast after Pentecost and to observe the Pasch with discipline. May their intention be clear: they are not to delay observing the fast through any lack of reverence; they are not to fast with the intention of observing their own Pasch, as if to build a foundation other than the one that has been laid.22 [.  .  .] Canon 24. The bishop visiting the sick—a sick person who has prayed in a church is to go home if he or she has a home A deacon is to accompany the bishop at all times to make him aware of each case. He is to inform the bishop about each sick person because it is important for the sick that the chief priest should visit them. The sick, unless the end of life be near, are cured of their sickness when the bishop goes to call upon them, especially when he prays over them because Peter’s shadow healed the sick.23 Unless they are poor, the sick are not to sleep in a dormitory. This is why the sick person who has a home is taken to God’s house only for the purpose of praying; afterwards, he or she is to return home.

t. See ApT 39 (WEC 1:717). u. See ApT 33 (WEC 1:711). 20. 1 Tim 4:13.  21. See Rom 8:17; Phil 3:10–12; 2 Tim 2:12; 1 Pet 4:13.  22. See 1 Cor 3:11.  23. See Acts 5:15.

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382  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East Canon 25. The appointment of the steward of the sick by the bishop— times of prayer 2306 The steward is that person whose task it is to look out for the sick, the sick whom the bishop is to support. He is to provide the steward with the clay vessel necessary for them. 2307 Each person in the order of Christians is to pray upon arising from sleep, in the morning—they are to wash their hands when they desire to pray—before doing anything.v They are to pray again at the third hour, for this is when Jesus the Savior was voluntarily crucified for our salvation in order to set us free. Again at the sixth hour they are to pray because at this time all creation shook due to the evil deed done by the Jews to Jesus. Also at the ninth hour they are to pray because this is when Christ prayed and delivered his spirit into the hands of his Father. Again, when the sun sets they are to pray because this is the end of the day. Furthermore, when the lamps are lighted in the evening they are to pray because David said, “During the night I meditate.”24 Also, they are to pray at midnight because at this time David prayed;25 Paul and Silas, the servants of Christ, also prayed at midnight, giving praise to God.26 Canon 26. Hearing the word of God—praying in the churchw 2308 At the time when people gather in church to hear the word of God, all are to hurry and assemble there. They are to understand that hearing the word of God is better for them than all the glory of the present world. They should deem it a great loss when some necessity prevents them from listening to God’s word. On the other hand, all should be zealous in frequently gathering in church; in this way they can drive away the hatred of the enemy, especially if a person can read since it is more profitable to hear what one does not know. For the Lord, in that place where his majesty is praised, has the Spirit descend upon those who gather, bestowing his grace upon all. As to those among them who are hesitant, be reassured regarding them because you know that they share in the Spirit. Those who are busy about household chores are not to forget what they have learned in church. For this reason each should take care to attend church on all days when there are prayers. Canon 27. Those who do not attend church are to read the Scriptures each day—whenever you pray, wash your hands—the exhortation to pray at midnight and when the cock crowsx 2309 On days when there is no prayer in church, take a Bible and read from it. Each dawn let the sun see the Bible on your knees. Christians are to v. See ApT 41 (WEC 1:719). w. See ApT 41 (WEC 1:721). x. See ApT 41 (WEC 1:722, 726). 24. Ps 77:7.  25. See Ps 119:62.  26. See Acts 16:25.

85. Canons of Hippolytus  383 wash their hands each time they pray. The man bound by marriage, even if he rises from beside his wife, is to pray since marriage is not impure, and a bath is not necessary after one’s second birth except for the washing of the hands since the Holy Spirit signs the body of the believer and completely purifies this person. Each person should take care to pray with great diligence at midnight because, according to our forebears, at this hour all creation attentively gives glory to God, all the ranks of angels and the souls of the righteous bless God. The Lord testifies as to this, saying, “In the middle of the night there will be a cry: Lo, the bridegroom has come out to meet him.”27 Cockcrow is also a time for prayer in the churches since the Lord says, “Watch, for you do not know when the master comes, in the evening, at midnight, at cockcrow, or in the morning,”28 namely, we must remember God at each hour. And when we are lying in bed, we must pray to God in our hearts. Let us do this and instruct one another, including the catechumens, as to how we are to serve God; the demons will be unable to sadden us if we remember Christ at each hour. Canon 28. No member of the faithful should taste anything till after he or she partakes in the mysteries, especially on days of fastingy No member of the faithful should taste anything till after partaking in the mysteries, especially on days of fasting. The clergy are to watch that only members of the faithful partake of the mysteries.

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Canon 29. Vigilance over the altar so that nothing falls into the cup; so that nothing falls into it due to a fault of the priest or the faithful lest an evil spirit have power over it—nothing is to be spoken behind the veil except prayer—when they have finished giving Communion to the people, all who enter the holy place are to recite the psalms, which take the place of Aaron’s bells—the sign of the cross, and throwing the dust of the sanctuary into a streamz The clergy are to stand attentively at the altar after it has been prepared. 2314 They are to watch over it so that no insect climbs up on it, so that nothing falls into the cup; this would constitute a deadly sin for the presbyters. For this reason everyone is to stand watching over the holy place: he who gives the mysteries and those who receive are to take great care that nothing falls to the ground lest an evil spirit should have power over it. There is to be no speaking within the veil except for prayer and what is 2315 necessary for the service. Nothing else is to be done here. Once they have distributed Communion to the people, they enter, singing hymns each y. See ApT 36–37 (WEC 1:714–15). z. See ApT 38, 42 (WEC 1:716, 730). 27. Matt 25:6.  28. Mark 13:35.

384  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East time because of the powers of this holy place. The psalms are to replace the bells that were on Aaron’s garment.29 No one is to sit down here where only praying, genuflecting, and prostrating before the altar are to occur. 2316 The dust that is swept up from the holy place is to be thrown into the water of a flowing stream; this is to be done immediately so that the people do not trample upon it. 2317 At all times be pure and mark your foreheads with the sign of the cross, which stands for victory over Satan and the glory of your faith. This is what Moses did with the blood of the lamb, the blood he smeared on the lintels and on the two doorposts,30 and it healed all who lived there. Should not Christ’s blood purify more and protect more those who believe in him and show forth the sign of the whole world’s salvation, the world that has been healed by the blood of Christ, the perfect lamb? 2318 It is only Christians who hear about all the mysteries concerning life [baptism], the resurrection, and the sacrifice. They can participate in these because they have received the seal of baptism. Canon 30. Catechumens aa 2319 Catechumens are to hear the word concerning faith and doctrine only. This is what John decided, “No one knows it except those who receive it.”31 2320 On Sunday during the liturgy the bishop, if he is able, is to distribute Communion to all the people from his own hand. 2321 Should a presbyter be sick, a deacon brings the mysteries to him; the presbyter is to take them himself. Canon 31. The bishop and the presbyter—when they order the deacon to give Communion to the people, he is to do so 2322 The deacon is to give Communion to the people when the bishop or the presbyter permits him to do so. Canon 32. Virgins and widows fasting for the Church—the clergy fasting as they so wish—the bishop not required to fast except with the clergy—a meal or supper arranged for the poor bb 2323 Virgins and widows are to fast frequently and pray for the Church. The clergy are to fast as they so desire and as they are able. The bishop is not required to fast unless the clergy join him in doing so. 2324 If someone desires to offer something and no presbyter is present in the church, the deacon is to replace the presbyter in every respect except for offering the great sacrifice and for prayer. 2325 If someone presents a gift that is to be used as an alms, it is to be distributed before sunset to the poor. But if more is needed, then something aa. See ApT 22 (WEC 1:690). bb. See ApT 23–25 (WEC 1:691–98). 29. See Exod 28:35.  30. See Exod 12:7.  31. Rev 2:17.

85. Canons of Hippolytus  385 should be given on the next day; if anything remains, then on the third day. Nothing is to be credited to the person who distributes but only to the initial donor. The distributor receives no credit since the bread for the poor remained in that person’s house due to negligence. Should someone provide a meal or a supper for the poor—it is a supper 2326 of the Lord32——the bishop should be present when the lamp is lighted. The deacon is to do this, and the bishop is to pray over those present and over the person who invited them. For the poor there is to be a thanksgiving at the beginning of the liturgy. They are to be dismissed so that they can leave before dark, some psalms being prayed before they do so. Canon 33. The “analempsis”cc performed for the deceased not occurring on a Sunday dd If there is an “analempsis” on behalf of the deceased, the people are first to receive the mysteries before sitting down. This is not to take place on a Sunday. After the [eucharistic?] offering they are given the bread of exorcism before they are seated. No catechumen is to join them in sitting down for the supper of the Lord. They should eat and drink as required, not to the point of drunkenness, but peacefully, giving glory to God. Canon 34. No one is to be garrulous or loud-voiced—the entry of the holy ones into the dwellings of the faithful ee Do not be garrulous and loud-voiced lest someone laugh at you, lest you scandalize the people, and lest your host be insulted because of your unruly conduct. But may your host as well as your host’s household be allowed to participate. May they notice and see our restraint and receive a great favor by reason of the example they see in us. May they desire that the holy ones enter their homes because our Savior said, “You are the salt of the earth.”33 When the bishop, being seated, speaks, the holy ones as well as their host are to benefit from this. If the bishop is not present and the presbyter is, those present should listen to the presbyter because in God’s eyes he is higher than they are. They are to honor him with the honor due to a bishop and should not dare oppose him. The presbyter is to give them the bread of exorcism before they sit down so that God may preserve their meal from the disorder of the enemy and so they may rise up from the meal in good health and in peace. Canon 35. A deacon present at a meal when a presbyter is absent—the deacon replacing the presbyter for the prayer and the breaking of the cc. The “analempsis” appears to have been some type of religious rite honoring the dead. dd. See ApT 26–28 (WEC 1:699–702). ee. See ApT 28 (WEC 1:702). 32. See 1 Cor 11:20.  33. Matt 5:13.

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386  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East bread, for the blessing and not for the body—the dismissal of the widows before evening ff 2330 A deacon present at a meal when a presbyter is absent is to take the presbyter’s place for the prayer over the bread, which he is to break and distribute to the guests. As to the laity, they are not to sign [bless?] the bread but only break it if no cleric is present. 2331 Having given thanks in the name of the Lord, each is to eat whatever he or she brings so that the Gentiles may see what you are about and thus envy you. 2332 Whoever wishes to feed the widows is to do so, sending them home before sunset. If their number is many, they are to be given enough to eat and drink lest they become upset and be unable to leave before evening; they are to depart before nightfall. Canon 36. The first fruits of the earth, the first of their threshing floors and their presses, oil, honey, milk, wool, and the rest of what is brought to the bishop for his blessing gg 2333 Those having the first fruits of the earth are to bring them to the church, the first of their threshing floors and the first of their presses, oil, honey, milk, wool, and the first of their handwork, all this they are to bring to the bishop, as well as the first of their trees. The presbyter receiving the first fruits is to thank God for them, with the person who brought them standing outside the veil. The priest says, 2334 “We give thanks to you, Lord, almighty God, because you have made us worthy to see the fruits that the earth has produced this year. Lord, bless the crown of the year of your bounty,34 and may these gifts satisfy the poor among your people. Bless your servant N., who in awe of you has brought these things which are yours. Bless him and his household from your holy heaven. Pour your holy mercy upon him so that he may know your will in all things, and have him inherit the things of heaven, through our Lord Jesus Christ, your beloved Son, and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.” 2335 Every vegetable, all the fruits of the trees, and all the fruits of the cucumber fields are to be blessed; also those who bring them. Canon 37. The fact that every time the bishop offers the mysteries, he is to be joined by the deacons and the presbyters, who are clothed in white garments, more magnificent than the garments of all the people—likewise the readers 2336 Each time the bishop offers the mysteries, he is to be joined by the deacons and the presbyters, who are clothed in white garments, more ff. See ApT 28–30 (WEC 1:702–7). gg. See ApT 31–32 (WEC 1:708–10). 34. See Ps 65:11.

86. Pachomius  387 magnificent than the garments of all the people; they are to be made more radiant by their good deeds rather than by their clothing. The readers also are to be magnificent like these. They are to stand at the ambo [the place for the readings] and are to follow one another [in singing the psalms] till all the people have assembled; then the bishop is to pray and celebrate the liturgy. Canon 38. The night when our Lord was raised—no one is to sleep during this night nor is anyone to bathe beforehand—those who sin after baptism and its explanation—the prohibition of what should not be done—the practice of what should be done As for the night of the Lord’s resurrection, great care is to be taken that absolutely no one sleeps till morning. They are to wash their bodies with water before celebrating the Pasch, and all the people are to be illuminated because at this hour the Savior freed all creation and subdued heaven and earth and all that is in them; for he rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, and will come in the glory of his Father and of his angels; he will reward each according to one’s deed;35 those who have done good will receive the resurrection of life, whereas those who have done evil will receive the resurrection of condemnation,36 as is written. For this reason we must be watchful at all times and not allow our eyes to sleep nor our eyelids to slumber till we find a place for the Lord.37 hh 8 6 . Pa c h o m i u s

Born of a pagan family in southern Egypt ca. 290, Pachomius served as a military conscript. After his discharge he converted to Christianity at the age of twenty-two. Soon thereafter (ca. 320) at Tabennisi in the Thebaid on the right bank of the Nile he established a monastery whose monks observed a common life of poverty, prayer, and asceticism. Such a way of life, which came to be called “coenobitism,” was distinguished from the solitary and isolated life lived by hermits or anchorites. During his life Pachomius established eight other monasteries for men as well as two for women. He ruled over all these as a type of abbot-general till his death in 346. CPG 2: nos. 2353ff. * Altaner (1961) 302–3 * Altaner (1966) 262–63 * Bardenhewer (1908) 265–66 * Bardenhewer (1910) 219–21 * Bardenhewer (1913) 3:83–85 * Bautz 6:1413–19 * Hamell 99 * Quasten 3:154–59 * Steidle 97 * Tixeront 166 * CATH 10:374–75 * CE 11:381–82 * DCB 4:170–71 * DictSp 12.1:7–16 * DPAC 2:2561–62 * DTC 112:1723–25 * EC 9:511–14 * EEC 2:628 * EEChr 2:845–46 * LTK 7:1254–55 * NCE 10:853–54 * NCES 10:742–43 * ODCC 1207 * PEA (1894) 18.2:2070–71 * PEA (1991) 9:127 hh. The document then concludes with a treatise on the Christian life. 35. See Matt 16:27.  36. See John 5:29.  37. See Ps 132:4–5.

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388  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East A. Baumstark, Nocturna Laus: Typen frühchristlicher Vigilenfeier und ihr Fortleben vor allem in römischen und monastischen Ritus, LQF 32 (Münster, 1957) 105–23. * P. Rouillard, “Temps et rythmes de la prière dans le monachisme ancien,” LMD, no. 64 (1960) 32–52. * C. Gindele, “La lecture de l’Ecriture dans le monastère de s. Pachôme,” BVC 67 (1966) 43–52. * A. Veilleux, La liturgie dans la cénobitism pachômien (Rome, 1968). * A. de Vogüé, “Sur la terminologie de la pénitence dans la Règle de s. Pachôme,” SM 17 (1975) 7–12. * A. Verheul, “La prière monastique chorale avant Benoît: son influence sur le culte en Occident: la prière des heures avant la Règle et dans la Règle de s. Benoît,” QL 62 (1981) 227–42.

86-A. Rule of Saint Pachomius. Precepts† This collection of precepts for the monastic community appears to have developed over a period of time, rising out of practical solutions to problems encountered in living a community life. In time and in both East and West this Rule influenced the formation of similar documents, for example, Rules by Basil (WEC 2:67-B), John Cassian (WEC 3:118-A and 118-B), Benedict (WEC 4:155-A), and Caesarius (WEC 4:168-A). 2339

8. These are the precepts of life handed down to us by the elders. If it happens that during the psalmody or the prayer or in the midst of a reading anyone speaks or laughs, he shall unfasten his belt immediately and with neck bowed down and hands hanging down he shall stand before the altar and be rebuked by the superior of the monastery. [.  .  .] 2340 15. On Sunday or at the time of the Eucharist, none of the weekly servers shall be absent from his seat on the embrimium and [thus] not responding to the psalmist. They are all [to be] from the same house that does the greater weekly service performed in the individual houses by a smaller number. If a greater number is necessary, others from the same tribe shall be called by the housemaster doing the weekly service. Without his order no one shall come from another house of the same tribe to sing psalms. Likewise, it shall not be permitted anyone at all to serve in the weekly service of a house other than his own, unless it be [a house] of the same tribe. They call a tribe a group of three or four houses—according to the population of the monastery—which we could designate as families or peoples of a single race. 2341 16. On Sunday and in the synaxisa in which the Eucharist is to be offered, let no one be allowed to sing psalms apart from the housemaster and the clerics of the monastery, who are of some reputation. 2342 17. If anyone is missing when one of the elders is chanting, that is, reading the psalter, he shall at once undergo the order of penance and rebuke before the altar. † Translation from Pachomian Chronicles and Rules, vol. 2 of Pachomian Koinonia, trans. A. Veilleux, Cisterican Studies Series 46 (Kalamazoo, 1981) 146ff. a. Synaxis: namely, a “gathering” or “assembly.”

87. Paphnutius  389 18. Anyone who, without an order from the superior, leaves the synaxis in which the Eucharist is offered shall be rebuked at once. 51. When people come to the door of the monastery, they shall be received with greater honor if they are clerics or monks. [.  .  .] If they wish to join the assembly of the brothers at the time or prayer and synaxis, and they are of the same faith, the porter or the guestmaster shall inform the father of the monastery and they shall be brought to pray. 121. Those who arrive late for one of the Six Prayers at evening or does not recite or laughs or talks shall do penance in his house during the Six Prayers. 127. When one of the brethren dies, all the brothers shall accompany his body to the mountain. No one shall remain behind unordered, nor shall anyone sing psalms without being ordered. 128. Proceeding to the mountain, they shall not sing psalms two by two. [.  .  .] They shall not neglect to respond but shall maintain unison. 140. There shall be no one whatever dwelling in the monastery who has failed in learning to read and who does not memorize certain portions of the Scriptures. [A member of the monastery should learn by heart] at least the New Testament and the psalter. 141. No one shall find pretexts for himself for not going to the synaxis, the psalmody, and the prayer. 8 7 . Pa p h n u t i u s

Paphnutius was a common name in Egypt during the fourth and fifth centuries. The author of the following two treatises is, according to modern scholarship, probably Paphnutius Cephalas, a venerable monk who lived in a desert community at Scetis toward the end of the fourth century. CE 11:457 * DCB 4:185 * DPAC 2:2567 * EC 9:552–53 * EEC 2:646 * LTK 7:1325 * NCE 10:979 * NCES 10:860 * ODCC 1216 L. Regnault, La vie quotienne des pères du desert en Egypte au IVe siècle (Paris, 1992).

87-A. History of the Monks of the Egyptian Desert† This document, existing only in one Coptic manuscript (now in the British Library) and whose beginning has been lost, is a collection of stories, the result of the author’s journey among the monks of Upper Egypt during the later years of the fourth century. We are presented not only with historical tales but also with accounts of miracles and other spiritual experiences.

Translation from Paphnutius: Histories of the Monks of Upper Egypt and the Life of Onnophrius, rev. ed., trans. and ed. T. Vivian, Cistercian Studies Series 140 (Kalamazoo, 2000) 78ff. Headings are those supplied by Vivian. †

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Story of Anianus and Paul 12. And they said, “We are citizens of Aswan where we have lived since we were born. Moreover, we were friends: we would go to church together every day, morning and evening, and we would listen to the holy Scriptures being read and the reading from the Gospel.” [.  .  .]

Abbaa Aaron tells Isaac the story of Abba Macedonius 2351 29. Now Macedonius said, “[When] I became governor and took over the rule [of Aswan?], I came south and passed through the towns of this district and entered Philae. Because it was the Sabbath day, I looked for a place where I could participate in the Eucharist, because I am an orthodox Christian and the people there worshiped idols. [.  .  .] Therefore, I asked a man who was a Christian where I could find a church for the celebration of the Eucharist. And he said, ‘Ah, my lord governor, we who live in this town are badly mistreated by those who worship idols. In spite of this, certain clergy who live in the town of Aswan regularly come here and celebrate the Eucharist for us on the Sabbath and on the Lord’s Day.’” Macedonius tells the story of Mark and Isaiah 41. [.  .  .] They [Mark and Isaiah] came down the mountain together and went to the place where the holy bishop resided, and the three of them lived together. 2353 42. The bishop [said], “I will not eat with them because they have not been baptized.” So he rose and filled a basin with water, as was his custom. He prayed over them according to the canons and said to them, “What are your names?” The elder replied, “It is hard to say them in front of you because the names by which we are called are the names of gods,” and they told them to the bishop. He said, “You shall no longer be called by these names.” And he gave a name to the elder one when he baptized him; he called him Mark. And the younger one he called Isaiah. 2354 43. When he had baptized them, he gave the Eucharist to them. [.  .  .] 2352

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Abba Macedonius and the temple priest 49. Now it happened that when the priest saw his elder son, Mark, he went up to greet him, but Mark would not permit him, and said, “You are not yet worthy of holy baptism.” When his father heard this he was amazed and said to him, “Are you not [my] son?” And Mark said to him, “[Indeed] I am no son of yours. This very day I have a good father.” His father said, “Tell me how I should live.” His son Mark said to him, “Father, look, it is the bishop who will tell you how to live.” And the

a. Abba: From the Aramaic for “Father”; Abba was used in the East as a title of respect applied to monks, especially those who were considered more venerable by reason of lifestyle and sanctity.

87. Paphnutius  391 bishop began to speak to him from the holy Scripture and instructed him in the ordinance of baptism and the orthodox faith. [.  .  .] 50. [.  .  .] Now when the bishop had been instructing them a long time in the catechism, they said, “Do not [delay]. Perform the rite of baptism.” He consented, and added, “Bring [me] oil, and Mark brought it. The bishop took [it] and prayed over [the water] and the oil according to the canons of the holy fathers and the apostles, and he said to Mark the priest, “Proclaim in the church, ‘Whoever wishes the Lord, let him come to me.’” And they came to him as a body with joy and gladness and he baptized them. He did the priest first. He baptized him and called his name “Jacob.” 51. Afterwards, he baptized the entire population of the city, men and women and little children. There was not a single person present who was not baptized that day. [.  .  .] 52. [.  .  .] And when he had sat down, a multitude gathered around him. He instructed them in the faith by means of the words of God [and taught] them about the ordinance of holy baptism and to love one another in the love that knows no hypocrisy. [He saw Isaiah and called to] him. He told him to hide himself so that he would not be pursued on account of the priest. He ordained him deacon and then said to them, “Where are your eucharistic vessels?” They said to him, “They are hidden away.” And he ordered that they bring them quickly, and they rose and went immediately and quickly returned with them on their shoulders. And the bishop ordered them to set down the vessels in their midst. He said to Mark the priest, “Strike the boards together to gather the multitude to the church,” and he did as he was told, and the entire multitude gathered together. The bishop said to Jacob, “See that good wine and bread are provided so I can celebrate the Eucharist for [the multitude].” Mark returns south as bishop 72. [.  .  .] When the people heard about the bishop, they all flocked out and with psalms and hymns they sang before him until they brought him into the church and seated him upon the throne. [.  .  .] Abba Pseleusias goes to Alexandria The miracle of the baptismal font 83. Now it happened that after these things Abba Timothy went to his rest and Abba Theophilus sat on the episcopal throne. And all the bishops went to Alexandria to pay their respects to him. Now the holy man Abba Pseleusias also went. And when they arrived in the city they found the archbishop in the church with all the clergy and people gathered together around him. It was the seventh day of the week, the day on which they were accustomed to doing baptisms. Now when the font had been filled with water, the archbishop came in with the other bishops and prayed over “the Jordan.” But Abba Pseleusias stood off by the door of the

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392  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East baptistery, at a little distance away. He did not go inside because he considered himself unworthy. 2361 84. Now the archbishop was informed about him by the Spirit. He ordered him to be brought in, and he said to him, “Why did you not come [into the baptistery] and pray with us?” [And he] said to the archbishop, “Forgive me, my holy father, I am a humble man,” and he stretched out his hands and prayed together with them. Immediately the font began to boil like a bronze cauldron and became red-hot. When the archbishop and all the other bishops saw the miracle which had taken place, they glorified God and the holy bishop Abba Pseleusias because of his purity. And when the archbishop had finished the baptisms, he administered Communion to them and dismissed them. [.  .  .] Abba Aaron and the miracle of the fish [.  .  .] 2362 121. And they said to him, “We swear by your salvation, our holy father, it is because of our poverty that we have not had the leisure to go to church on the Sabbath and on the Lord’s Day.” He said to them, “Have I said to you, ‘You haven’t been going to God’s church’? If you ask him, he will have mercy on you, and he will not let you be in need of anything, for it is the duty of all Christians to go to the house of God first thing in the morning and pray to him to make ready the work of their hands.”

87-B. Life of Onnophrius† Onnophrius (Onuphrius) was a fourth-century Egyptian hermit. Venerated both within and outside Egypt, his life became the source of many legends. Paphnutius learns of the ascetic life of the four 32. I said to them [the four monks encountered by Paphnutius], “Where do you gather for the Eucharist?” They said to me, “We assemble right here for that purpose, and every Sabbath an angel of God comes and gives us Communion on the Sabbath and on the Lord’s Day.” I stayed with them and greatly rejoiced. [They said to me], “On the seventh day of the week an angel of the Lord will give Communion to us and to you together, and the person who receives Communion from the hand of that angel will be washed clean from all sin, and the adversary will in no way have power over him.” 2364 33. Now while we were talking together, I smelled a powerful fragrance whose like I have never smelled. As soon as the fragrance washed over us, we got up and stood and praised God. Afterwards the angel came and gave us Communion together by means of the Body and Blood of the 2363

Translation from Paphnutius: Histories of the Monks, 164. Heading is that supplied by Vivian. †

88. Serapion of Thmuis  393 Lord. [.  .  .] And we spent the whole night of the Lord’s Day standing and praying until morning. 88. Serapion of Thmuis

Formerly a monk and a disciple of Anthony of Egypt, Serapion became bishop of Thmuis in the Nile Delta ca. 339. He was a friend of Athanasius (WEC 2:90), from whom he received several letters on doctrinal matters. Serapion was one of Athanasius’s defenders at the Council of Sardica (343), during which several bishops tried to have Athanasius deposed. Removed from office by the Arians in 359, Serapion died after 360. Although his literary activity appears to have been great, only a few letters, a treatise on Manichaeism, and a collection of prayers have come down to us. CPG 2: nos. 2485ff. * Altaner (1961) 323–24 * Altaner (1966) 280 * Bardenhewer (1908) 269–70 * Bardenhewer (1910) 224–25 * Bardenhewer (1913) 3:98–102 * Bardy (1929) 100 * Bautz 9:1404–5 * Jurgens 2:131–34 * Quasten 3:80–85 * Steidle 97–98 * Tixeront 164–65 * CATH 13:1126–27 * CE 13:726 * DACL 11:606–11 * DCB 4:613 * DictSp 14:643–52 * DPAC 2:3150 * DTC 14.2:1908–12 * EC 11:376–77 * EEC 2:768 * EEChr 2:1050–51 * LTK 9:478–79 * NCE 13:105–6 * NCES 13:7 * ODCC 1485 * PEA (1991) 11:444–45 Text and Translations of Prayerbook J. Wordsworth, Bishop Serapion’s Prayer-book: An Egyptian Sacramentary dated probably about a.d. 350–356, translated from the edition of G. Wobbermin (London, 1892); 2nd rev. ed., 1923. * A. Dimitrijewsky, Ein Euchologium aus dem 4. Jahrhundert, verfasst von Serapion, Bischof von Thmuis (Kiev, 1894). * G. Wobbermin, Altchristliche liturgische Stücke aus der Kirche Aegyptens nebst einem dogmatischen Brief des Bischofs Serapion von Thmuis, TU 18, 3b (Leipzig, 1898). * F.E. Brightman, “The Sacramentary of Serapion of Thmuis,” JThSt 1 (1900) 88–113, 247–77. * F.X. Funk, Didascalia et Constitutiones Apostolorum, vol. 2 (Paderborn, 1905) 158–95 [with Latin translation].* R. Storf, BKV2 5 (1912) 135–57 [German]. * J. Quasten, Monumenta Eucharistica et Liturgica Vetustissima, Florilegium Patristicum 7 (Bonn, 1935) 48–67 [eucharistic prayer]. * R.J.S. Barrett-Lennard, The Sacramentary of Serapion of Thmuis: A Text for Students with Introduction, Translation, and Commentary, Liturgical Study 25 (Bramcote, Nottingham, 1993). Studies: Prayerbook in General P. Drews, “Ueber Wobbermins ‘Altchristliche liturgische Stücke aus der Kirche Aegyptens,’” ZKG 20 (1900) 291–328, 415–41. * M.E. Johnson, “A Fresh Look at the Prayers of Serapion of Thmuis,” StudLit 22 (1992) 163–83. * E.J. Yarnold, “The Euchologium of Serapion,” in StLit, 91. * M.E. Johnson, The Prayers of Serapion of Thmuis: A Literary, Liturgical, and Theological Analysis, OCA 249 (Rome, 1995). Studies: Eucharistic Prayer A. Baumstark, “Die Anaphora von Thmuis und ihre Ueberarbeitung durch den hl. Serapion,” RQ 18 (1904) 123–42. * T. Schermann, Aegyptische Abendmahlsliturgie in ihrer Ueberlieferung dargestellt, StGKA 6, 1–2 (Paderborn, 1912) 100–114. * H. Lietz­ mann, Messe und Herrenmahl (Bonn, 1926) 186–97. * B. Capelle, “L’Anaphore de

394  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East Sérapion. Essai d’exégèse,” Mus 59 (1946) 425–43, repr. in his Travaux Liturgiques 2 (1962) 344–58; also repr. in QL 80 (1999) 235–49. * Dix 162–72. * MRR-1, 33–35. * MRR-2, 22–24. * B. Botte, “L’Euchologe de Sérapion est-il authentique?” OC 48 (1964) 50–56. * K. Gamber, “Die Serapion-Anaphora ihrem ältesten Bestand nach untersucht,” OstkSt 16 (1967) 33–42. * L. Bouyer, Eucharist: Theology and Spirituality of the Eucharistic Prayer (Notre Dame, 1968) 203–9. * G.J. Cuming, “Thmuis Revisited: Another Look at the Prayers of Bishop Serapion,” TS 41 (1980) 568–75. * D. Dufrasne, “La présence du corps dans l’Euchologe dit de Sérapion,” ComL 63:6 (1981) 475–83. * E. Mazza, “L’Anafora di Serapione: una ipotesi di interpretazione,” EphL 95 (1981) 510–28. * A. Verheul, “La prière eucharistique dans l’Euchologe de Sérapion,” QL 62 (1981) 43–51; repr. QL 80 (1999) 374–83. * Jasper 74–79. * M.E. Johnson, “The Archaic Nature of the Sanctus, Institution Narrative, and Epiclesis of the Logos in the Anaphora Ascribed to Serapion of Thmuis,” in The Christian East, ed. R. Taft, OCA 251 (Rome, 1996) 671–702; repr. in Essays on the Early Eastern Eucharistic Prayers, ed. P. Bradshaw (Collegeville, 1997) 73–108. * B. Spinks, “The Integrity of the Anaphora of Serapion of Thmuis and Liturgical Methodology,” JThSt 49 (1998) 136–44. Other Topics P. Rodopoulos, “Doctrinal Teaching in the ‘Sacramentary’ of Serapion of Thmuis,” GOTR 9 (1963–64) 201–14. * E. Ferguson, “Ordination in the Ancient Church,” ResQ 5 (1961) 17–32, 67–82, 130–46. * B.D. Spinks, “Serapion of Thmuis and Baptismal Practice in Early Christian Egypt: The Need for a Judicious Reassessment,” Wor 72:3 (May 1998) 255–70. * K. Fitschen, “Serapion von Thmuis: echte und unechte Schriften sowie die Zeugnisse des Athanasius und anderer,” diss. (Berlin and New York, 1992).

88-A. Prayerbook† Often called the Prayerbook of Serapion, this collection of prayers was discovered in 1894 at Mount Athos by A. Dimitrijewsky in an eleventhcentury manuscript. The compilation is generally accepted as being the work of Bishop Serapion, and yet the nature of Serapion’s activity may well have been that of a compiler or editor. The collection contains thirty prayers: eighteen for the eucharistic assembly (including a eucharistic prayer), seven for the sacraments of initiation, three for ordination, one for the blessing of oils, and one for funerals. The date for the final redaction of what appear to be various preexisting subgroups is often given as the middle of the fourth century. Translated from F.X. Funk, Didascalia et Constitutiones Apostolorum, vol. 2 (Paderborn, 1895) 158–95. Many scholars believe that the sequence of the formulas given in the manuscript is not the original ordering. Brightman in his edition of the work reorganized the prayers; others have suggested alternative systems. Our translation follows the sequence given in the manuscript itself, with the numbers in parentheses indicating the sequence assigned by Brightman. Two excellent commentaries on the Prayerbook, together with translations, are R.J.S. Barrett-Lennard’s The Sacramentary of Serapion of Thmuis and especially M.E. Johnson’s The Prayers of Serapion of Thmuis, both listed in the initial bibliography. †

88. Serapion of Thmuis  395 i. (xiii) Prayer of offering of Bishop Serapion It is right and proper that we should praise, hymn, and glorify you, uncreated Father of the only-begotten Jesus Christ. We praise you, O God uncreated, unsearachable, ineffable, beyond every created being’s comprehension. We praise you because you are known by your only-begotten Son; through him you have been announced, interpreted, and made known to created nature. We praise you because you know the Son1 and reveal his glories to the holy ones; you are known by your only-begotten Word and are seen by your saints and are revealed to them. We praise you, invisible Father and giver of immortality. You are the fountain of life,2 of all grace,3 and of truth. You love all people, and you love the poor. You seek reconciliation with all, and you draw all to yourself4 through the coming of your beloved Son. We pray that you make us a living people. Give us the spirit of light so that “we may know you, the true God, and know Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”5 Give us the Holy Spirit so that we may be able to proclaim and explain your ineffable mysteries. May the Lord Jesus speak in us, and may the Holy Spirit praise you through us. You are “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come.”6 Beside you stand “thousands upon thousands and myriads upon myriads”7 of angels, archangels, “thrones, dominations, rulers, and powers.”8 Before you stand the two most eminent six-winged “Seraphim, with two wings covering the face, two covering the feet, and with two they fly,”9 and they cry out “Holy.” Also accept with these our own cry of “Holy” as we say, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts”; heaven and “earth are full of your glory.”10 Heaven and earth are “full of your majestic glory.”11 O “Lord of hosts.”12 Fill this sacrifice with your power and your participation, for we have offered to you this “living sacrifice,”13 this unbloody offering. To you we have offered this bread, the likeness of the Body of the Only-Begotten. This bread is the likeness of the holy Body, for the “Lord Jesus Christ on the night he was betrayed took bread, broke it, and gave it to his disciples saying, ‘Take and eat, this is my Body which is broken for you’”14 unto the remission of sins. And so we also, celebrating the likeness of the death,15 have offered the bread and prayed: O “God of truth,”16 “just as this bread was scattered over the mountains and was gathered together and became one, so gather your holy Church from every nation”a and from every country, from every city, village, and house, and make one, living, Catholic Church. We also offer the cup, the likeness of the blood, because a. See Didache ix (WEC 1:186). 1. See Luke 10:22.  2. See Jer 2:13.  3. See John 1:14.  4. See John 6:44.  5. John 17:3.  6. Eph 1:21.  7. Dan 7:10.  8. Col 1:16.  9. Isa 6:2.  10. Isa 6:3.  11. 2 Pet 1:17.  12. Ps 84:1.  13. Rom 12:1.  14. 1 Cor 11:23–24; Matt 16:26; Luke 22:19.  15. See Rom 6:5.  16. Ps 31:6.

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396  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East the “Lord Jesus Christ after supper took the cup and said” to his disciples, ‘Take, drink, this is the new covenant, which is my blood shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.’”17 Therefore we have also offered the cup, presenting a likeness of the blood. 2368 O “God of truth,”18 may your holy Word come upon this bread so that it may become the Body of the Word; may your Word come upon this cup so that it may become the Blood of the truth. Grant that all who receive Communion may receive the medicine of life for curing every sickness and for strengthening them in progress and virtue, not, O “God of truth,”19 unto condemnation, censure, and shame. For we have called upon you, the Uncreated, through the Only-Begotten in the Holy Spirit. May this people receive mercy and be found worthy of advancement. May angels be sent forth to be with the people for destroying the Evil One and for strengthening the Church. We also pray for all the deceased whose names we now commemorate. (After mentioning the names): Sanctify these souls, for you know them all. Sanctify all who have “fallen asleep in the Lord”;20 count them among your holy powers and grant them a “place and a mansion”21 in your kingdom. Also accept the thanksgiving of the people and bless those who have brought the offerings and oblations. Grant health, soundness, cheerfulness, and all bodily and spiritual progress to this people. Through your only-begotten Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit as it was and is and will be from generation to generation forever and ever. Amen. 2369

ii. (xiv) After the prayer, the fraction, and the prayer at the fraction O “God of truth,”22 make us worthy of this Communion. Grant that our bodies be chaste and that our souls contain knowledge and understanding. Make us wise, O God of mercies, by our reception of the Body and Blood. Through the Only-Begotten, glory and power be to you in the Holy Spirit now and forever. Amen.

iii. (xv) Blessing of the people after the broken bread is distributed to the people 2370 I extend my hand over this people, and I pray that your hand of truth may be extended and that a blessing be given to this people because of your loving kindness, O God of mercies, and because of the mysteries that are present. May the hand of prudence and power, of self-discipline and purity, of all holiness, bless this people and keep them so that they may advance and improve. Through your only-begotten Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit now and forever. Amen. 2371

iv. (xvi) Prayer after the distribution to the people Lord, we give you thanks for having called those who have strayed, for having taken to yourself those who have sinned, and for removing 17. Matt 26:27–28; 1 Cor 11:25.  18. Ps 31:6.  19. Ibid.  20. Rev 14:13.  21. John 14:2.  22. Ps 31:6.

88. Serapion of Thmuis  397 the threat that was facing us. By your loving kindness you revoked it; through our conversion you wiped it away; you rejected it by your own knowledge. We thank you for having allowed us to “share in the Body and Blood.”23 Bless us, bless this people. Allow us to share in the Body and Blood through your only-begotten Son. Through whom glory and power be to you in the Holy Spirit now and forever. Amen. v. (xvii) Prayer for the oils and the water that are offered 2372 Through the name of your only-begotten Jesus Christ we bless these creatures. Upon this water and upon this oil we invoke the name of him who suffered, who was crucified, who rose again, and who sits at the right hand of the Uncreated One. Grant these creatures the power of healing so that every fever, every evil spirit, and every illness may depart through the drinking and the anointing. May the use of these creatures be a healing remedy and a medicine of wholeness in the name of your only-begotten Jesus Christ through whom glory and power be to you in the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen. vi. (xviii) Imposition of the hand after blessing the water and the oil O “God of truth,”24 the lover of all people, may this people continue to “share in the Body and Blood.”25 May their bodies be living bodies, their souls be pure souls. Grant this blessing as a keeping of their Communion and as an assurance of the thanksgiving that has been celebrated. Bless all of them and count them among your elect. Through your only-begotten Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit now and forever. Amen.

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vii. (xix) Sanctification of the waters 2374 King and Lord of all things, Creator of the universe, you graciously granted salvation to all created nature through the coming of your ineffable Word. You redeemed your creation through the descent of your onlybegotten Jesus Christ. “Look down” now “from heaven and behold”26 these waters. Fill them with the Holy Spirit. May your ineffable Word be in them and transform their power. Being filled with your grace, may they be fruitful so that the mystery we now celebrate not be found to be useless for those being reborn, but may these waters fill with divine grace all who go down into them and are baptized. Loving benefactor, spare your own handiwork. Save the creature made by your right hand. Mold all who are reborn to your divine and ineffable form so that they, having been formed and reborn, might be saved and judged “worthy of your kingdom.”27 Just as your only-begotten Word, descending upon the waters of the Jordan, sanctified them, so may he now descend into these waters and render them holy and spiritual. In this way those being baptized may no longer be flesh and blood but a spiritual people capable of worshiping you, the

23. 1 Cor 10:16.  24. Ps 31:6.  25. 1 Cor 10:16.  26. Ps 80:15.  27. 2 Thess 1:5.

398  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East uncreated Father. Through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit through whom glory and power be to you now and forever. Amen. 2375

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viii. (xx) Prayer for those being baptized O “God of truth,”28 we pray to you for these your servants. We ask that you make them worthy of the divine mystery and of the ineffable rebirth. It is to you, loving God, that we now offer them; it is to you that we dedicate them. Grant that they may share in this rebirth so that they may no longer be led by those who are bad and evil but may serve you continually, keeping your commandments under the guidance of your only-begotten Word through whom glory and power in the Holy Spirit be to you now and forever. Amen. ix. (xxi) Prayer after the renunciation Almighty Lord, seal the assent given you by these your servants. Keep their character and way of life unchangeable so that henceforth they may no longer attend to what is evil but may worship the “God of truth”29 and serve you, the Creator of all things. In this way may they be made perfect30 through your only-begotten Jesus Christ. Through whom glory and power in the Holy Spirit be to you now and forever. Amen. x. (xxiii) Prayer after the reception Loving benefactor, Savior of all31 who have turned to you, look graciously upon these your servants. With your right hand lead them to rebirth. May your only-begotten Word bring them to the washing. May their rebirth be honored and not be devoid of grace. May your holy Word be at their side. May your Holy Spirit be with them to ward off and repel every temptation. Through your only-begotten Jesus Christ glory and power be to you now and forever and ever. Amen. xi. (xxiv) Prayer after the baptism and the ascent [from the pool] O God, the “God of truth,”32 the Creator of all, the Lord of all creation, bless these your servants with your blessing. Cleanse them by means of their rebirth. Have them share in your heavenly powers so that by participating in your divine and useful gift they may no longer be flesh but spirit.33 May they be sustained unto the end for you, the Creator of all things. Through your only-begotten Jesus Christ through whom glory and power in the Holy Spirit be to you now and forever and ever. Amen. xii. (xxvi) Imposition of hands for appointing deacons Father of the Only-Begotten, you have sent your Son34 and arranged things upon the earth. You have given your Church canons and rules for the profit and salvation of your sheep. You have chosen bishops, 28. Ps 31:6.  29. Ibid.  30. See Matt 5:48.  31. 1 Tim 4:10.  32. Ps 31:6.  33. See John 3:6.  34. See 1 John 4:10.

88. Serapion of Thmuis  399 presbyters, and deacons for the ministry of your Catholic Church. Through your Only-Begotten you chose seven deacons and graciously gave them the Holy Spirit.35 Appoint also this person to be a deacon in your Catholic Church and grant him the “spirit of wisdom and understanding”36 so that he, pure and blameless, may be able to serve your holy people through your only-begotten Jesus Christ. Through him glory and power be to you in the Holy Spirit now and forever and ever. Amen. xiii. (xxvii) Imposition of hands for appointing presbyters Lord, “God of the heavens,”37 Father of your Only-Begotten, we extend our hand upon this man and ask that the “Spirit of truth”38 may come down upon him. Grant him understanding, knowledge, and a “good heart.”39 May the divine Spirit be within him so that he may be capable of being a steward of your people, an ambassador40 of your divine words, and one who reconciles your people to you, the uncreated God. From the spirit of Moses you bestowed the Holy Spirit upon the chosen ones.41 Through the spirit of your Only-Begotten grant to this man also the Holy Spirit for the grace of “wisdom, knowledge, and right faith”42 so that he may be able to serve you with a “clear conscience”43 through your onlybegotten Jesus Christ. Through him glory and power be to you now and forever and ever. Amen. xiv. (xxviii) Imposition of hands for appointing a bishop You sent the Lord Jesus Christ44 for the benefit of the whole world. Through him you chose the apostles,45 and from one generation to the next you appoint holy bishops. O “God of truth,”46 make this man a true bishop, a holy bishop in the succession of the holy apostles. Give him grace and the divine Spirit which you have graciously granted to all your true servants, prophets, and patriarchs. Make him worthy to “watch over your flock,”47 and may he continue in the episcopate without blame and without offense, doing so through your only-begotten Jesus Christ. Through him glory and power be to you in the Holy Spirit now and forever and ever. Amen.

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Prayer of Serapion, bishop of Thmuis xv. (xxii) Prayer for the anointing of those being baptized Lord, lover of all people and “lover of souls,”48 “merciful and gracious”49 “God of truth,”50 we call upon you as we follow out and obey the promises of your Only-Begotten who said, “Whose sins you forgive

35. See Acts 6:3–5.  36. Isa 11:2; see also 1 Cor 12:18.  37. Neh 1:4.  38. John 15:26.  39. Luke 8:15.  40. See 2 Cor 5:20.  41. Num 11:17, 25.  42. 1 Cor 12:8–9.  43. 1 Tim 3:9; 2 Tim 1:3.  44. See John 17:3.  45. See Luke 6:13.  46. Ps 31:6.  47. Acts 20:28; 1 Pet 5:2.  48. Wis 11:26.  49. Ps 86:15.  50. Ps 31:6.

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400  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East are forgiven them.”51 With this oil we anoint those who present themselves for this divine rebirth. We ask that our Lord Jesus Christ may grant them the power that heals and strengthens. By this anointing may he manifest himself and remove from soul, body, and spirit every sign of sin, of evil, of the devil’s work. By his very grace may the Lord grant them forgiveness so that “freed from sin they might live for righteousness,”52 and, becoming a new creation through this anointing and being cleansed “by the washing and renewed by the Spirit,”53 may they henceforth overcome the forces of the enemy and the deceits of this life. May they be bound to and made one with the flock of “our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,”54 and as “coheirs share the promises”55 with the holy ones. Through him glory and power be to you in the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen. 2383

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xvi. (xxv) Prayer over the oil with which the baptized are anointed O “God of hosts,”56 helper of every soul that turns to you and comes “under the mighty hand”57 of your Only-Begotten, we call on you so that through the “divine” and heavenly “power of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,”58 you may bring about in this oil a divine and heavenly work. May those who have been baptized and anointed with it be stamped with the sign of the saving cross of the Only-Begotten, the cross by which Satan and every enemy power were defeated and conquered. May the anointed, being reborn and renewed “through the water of rebirth,”59 share in “the gift of the Holy Spirit.”60 Strengthened by this seal, may they remain “steadfast and immovable,”61 innocent and inviolate, free from ill treatment and intrigue. May they continue unto the end in the “knowledge of the truth,”62 awaiting the heavenly “hopes of life”63 and the eternal promises “of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”64 Through him glory and power be to you in the Holy Spirit now and forever and ever. Amen. xvii. (xxix) Prayer for the oil of the sick, or for the bread, or for the water “Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,”65 “you possess all authority” and power; you are the “Savior of all people.”66 We pray that you send down from heaven the healing power of the Only-Begotten upon this oil. May those who are anointed by or who receive these your creatures be freed from “every disease and every sickness.”67 May it be a remedy against every demon. May it expel every unclean spirit. May it cast out every wicked spirit. May it drive away every fever, trembling, and infirmity. May it bring about grace and the forgiveness of sins. May it be a medicine of life and of salvation for the health and wholeness of “soul,

51. John 20:23.  52. 1 Pet 2:24.  53. Titus 3:5; see Eph 5:26.  54. 2 Pet 3:18; Heb 6:12.  55. Heb 6:12; 11:9.  56. Ps 84:1.  57. 1 Pet 5:6.  58. 1 Pet 1:3.  59. Titus 3:5.  60. Acts 2:38.  61. 1 Cor 15:58.  62. 2 Thess 2:13; 1 Tim 2:4.  63. Titus 1:2; 3:7.  64. 2 Pet 3:18.  65. See 1 Tim 4:10; 2 Cor 1:3; 2 Pet 2:20; 3:18.  66. 1 Tim 4:10.  67. See Matt 4:23; 9:35; 10:1.

88. Serapion of Thmuis  401 body, and spirit,”68 bringing about perfect health. Lord, may every diabolical power, every demon, every snare of the adversary, every plague, every scourge, every pain, every labor or blow or shaking or shadow fear your name, which we now invoke, and the name of the Only-Begotten. May they depart, inwardly and outwardly, from these your servants so that “his name may be glorified,” he who for us was crucified and rose again, he who “took our infirmities and bore our diseases,”69 yes “Jesus Christ” who is coming to “judge the living and the dead.”70 Through him to you be glory and power in the Holy Spirit now and forever and ever. Amen. xviii. (xxx) Prayer for a dead person and for one whose body is being carried out for burial O God, “you have power over life and death.”71 O “God of the spirits” and master “of all flesh,”72 O God, “you bring death and life; you lead down to the gates of the lower world and bring back again.”73 You create the human spirit within us, and you receive the souls of the just and grant them rest. You change, transform, and transfigure your creatures as is right and just. You “alone are incorruptible,”74 immutable, and eternal. We pray to you for the repose and the rest of this man [or woman], your servant. Refresh his [or her] soul and spirit in “green pastures,”75 in places of rest with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all your holy ones. Raise his [or her] body on the day you have appointed according to your unfailing promise so that you might grant him [or her] a fitting inheritance in your holy pastures. Remember not transgressions and sins, and make his [or her] going forth peaceful and blessed. Through the consoling Spirit heal the sorrows of those who live on, and grant all of us a good end through your only-begotten Jesus Christ. Through him glory and power be to you in the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen. xix. (i) First prayer for the Lord’s Day Father of the Only-Begotten, Lord of all things, Creator of what has been created, Maker of all that has been made, we pray to you. To you, Lord, we lift up our pure hands and open our minds. We ask that you be merciful, that you spare us, that you be kind to us, that you improve us, that you increase our goodness, our faith, and our knowledge. “Look upon us,”76 Lord; to you we bring our weakness. Be kind and merciful to all of us who have gathered here. Have pity on us your people and be good to us. Make us chaste and clean. Send the angelic powers so that all of us, your people, may be holy and pure. We ask that you send the Holy Spirit into our minds. Grant that we may learn the divine Scriptures from the Holy Spirit and interpret them clearly and worthily so that all present may profit from them. Through your only-begotten Jesus Christ in the 68. 1 Thess 5:23.  69. Matt 8:17.  70. 2 Tim 4:1.  71. Wis 16:13.  72. Num 16:22.  73. 1 Tim 1:17.  74. 1 Sam 2:6.  75. Ps 23:2.  76. Ps 106:4.

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402  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East Holy Spirit, through whom glory and power be to you now and forever and ever. Amen. 2387

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xx. (ii) Prayer after rising after the homily O “God and Savior,”77 God and Creator of all things, Father of the OnlyBegotten who is the living and true image78 born of you. You sent him to help the human race. Through him you have called and acquired a people for yourself. For them we pray. Send the Holy Spirit; may the Lord Jesus Christ visit them; may he speak in the minds of all and predispose their hearts for faith. Merciful God, may the Lord lead their souls to you so that he might gain people even in this city and create a true flock. Through your only-begotten Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit, through whom glory and power be to you now and forever and ever. Amen. xxi. (iii) Prayer for the catechumens Helper and Lord of all, deliverer of those who have been freed, protector of the rescued, hope of those who have come under your “mighty hand,”79 you have destroyed lawlessness. Through your Only-Begotten you have “destroyed Satan,”80 “destroyed his works,”81 and freed those whom he held captive.82 We thank you for the catechumens; you have called them through your Only-Begotten and have graciously led them to know you. And so we pray. May they be strengthened in this knowledge so that “they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”83 May they be protected by what they have learned and by unadulterated wisdom. May they progress to become worthy of the “washing of rebirth”84 and of the holy mysteries. Through your only-begotten Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit through whom glory and power be to you now and forever and ever. Amen. xxii. (vii) Prayer for the sick We pray to you, the ruler, the lord and maker of the body, the creator of the soul. You fashion humanity; you are the steward, governor, and savior of the whole human race. You are reconciled and calmed by your own love for us. Be kind, Lord. Assist and heal all who are ill; rebuke sickness85 and raise up those confined to their beds; “give glory to your holy name”86 through your only-begotten Jesus Christ. Through whom glory and power be to you in the Holy Spirit now and forever. Amen. xxiii. (ix) Prayer for fruitfulness Creator of heaven and earth, you have crowned heaven with the choir of the stars and illuminated it by the luminaries. You have adorned the earth with fruits for human use. You have freely given to the human race, which you created from above, to enjoy the radiance and light of the 77. Ps 27:9.  78. See Heb 1:3.  79. 1 Pet 5:6.  80. See Heb 2:14.  81. 1 John 3:8.  82. See Luke 13:16.  83. John 17:3.  84. Titus 3:5.  85. See Luke 4:39.  86. Ps 115:1.

88. Serapion of Thmuis  403 luminaries on high and to be nourished by the fruits of the earth below. We ask that you grant us the most abundant and nourishing rains. Cause the earth to be fruitful and to produce abundantly because of your “goodness and loving kindness.”87 Be mindful of those who call upon you. Confer honor on your holy and only Catholic Church. Hear our petitions and prayers. Bless the whole earth through your only-begotten Jesus Christ. Through whom glory and power be to you in the Holy Spirit now and forever. Amen. xxiv. (x) Prayer for the Church “Lord, God of the ages,”88 God of “reasoning spirits, God of pure souls”89 and of all who in simplicity and purity call upon you. In heaven you manifest and make yourself known to the pure spirits; on earth you are praised in song, and you dwell in the Catholic Church. The holy angels and pure souls minister to you. You also made a living choir from heaven to the glory and praise of truth. Grant that this Church may be a living and pure Church, that it might have divine powers and pure angels to help it so that it may praise you with purity. We make our petition for all the members of this Church. To all grant reconciliation, forgiveness, and the remission of sins. Grant that they may sin no longer. Become a wall on their behalf and destroy every temptation. Be merciful to men, women, and children. Show yourself to all of them, and may the knowledge of yourself be “written on their hearts”90 through your only-begotten Jesus Christ. Through whom glory and power be to you in the Holy Spirit now and forever. Amen. xxv. (xi) Prayer for the bishop and the Church We pray to you, Savior and Lord, the “God of all flesh,”91 the Lord of every spirit, the blessed one, and the giver of every blessing. Make holy this bishop; keep him far removed from all temptation; give him wisdom and knowledge; grant that he may grow in knowledge of you. We also pray for our fellow presbyters. Make them holy; give them wisdom, knowledge, and correct teaching; grant that they may rightly and without reproach dispense your holy teachings. Also sanctify the deacons so that they be “one in heart”92 and in body, and “with a clear conscience”93 be able to stand by the holy Body and Blood. We also pray for the subdeacons, readers, and interpreters;b refresh all the ministers of the Church; grant pity, compassion, and spiritual growth to all. We pray for those who live as monks and virgins; “may they finish the race”94 without blame, and may their lives be without incident so that they can pass all their days in

b. Interpreters: those who translated texts proclaimed in a language other than the vernacular. 87. Titus 3:4.  88. Sir 36:17.  89. Num 16:22.  90. Heb 8:10.  91. Num 16:22.  92. Matt 5:8.  93. 1 Tim 3:9; 2 Tim 1:3.  94. 2 Tim 4:7.

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404  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East purity and holiness. We pray for all who are married, for men, women, and children. Grant to all a blessing that they may progress and improve, becoming a living and chosen people through your only-begotten Jesus Christ. Through whom glory and power be to you in the Holy Spirit now and forever. Amen. 2393

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xxvi. (xii) Prayer at the genuflection Father of the Only-Begotten, you are good, “merciful, gracious,”95 a lover of humanity and a “lover of souls,”96 the benefactor of all who turn to you. Receive this prayer; grant us knowledge, faith, devotion, and holiness. From your people abolish all passion, all lust, every sin; cleanse them all; pardon their sins. It is before you, uncreated Father, that we, through the Only-Begotten, kneel. Grant us a holy mind and perfect help; grant that we might look for and love you; help us to seek your divine words; give us your hand, Lord, and raise us up. Merciful God, lift us up, make us gaze up toward you; open our eyes and give us courage so that we may not blush to be ashamed, to reproach ourselves. Blot out the “record that stands against us.”97 “Write our names in the book of life”;98 count us among your “holy apostles and prophets”99 through whom glory and power be to you in the Holy Spirit now and forever. Amen. xxvii. (v) Prayer for the people O God, you love all people. We thank you and cast our weakness before you so that strength be given us. Forgive our past sins; pardon our former faults; make us a “new people.”100 Make us your true and pure servants. We consecrate ourselves to you, O “God of truth.”101 Receive this people; grant that it may be completely yours; allow it to walk in innocence and purity. May its members be numbered among the heavenly spirits, counted with the angels, and be fully chosen and holy. We pray to you for those who have believed and who acknowledge our Lord Jesus Christ; may they be “strengthened in faith,”102 in knowledge, and in learning. We pray for this people; be reconciled to all; make yourself known;103 reveal your splendor; may all know you, the uncreated Father, and your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ. We pray for all rulers: may they have a peaceful life; we also pray for the tranquility of the Church. Merciful God, we pray for those who are free and for those in servitude, men and women, the elderly and children, the poor and the wealthy; to all these show your goodness and extend your kindness. Have mercy on all and grant that all may turn to you. We pray for travelers: grant them an angel of peace as a companion on the road; may no harm befall them so that with great tranquility they may complete their journey and travels. We pray for the afflicted, for captives, for the poor; grant relief to each of them, free them from their bonds, deliver them from 95. Ps 86:15.  96. Wis 11:26.  97. Col 2:14.  98. Phil 4:3; Rev 13:8.  99. Eph 3:5.  100. Eph 4:24.  101. Ps 31:6.  102. Col 2:7.  103. See John 17:3.

89. Didascalia of the 318 Fathers (Fides Nicaena)  405 poverty, console them all, for you are the comforter and the consoler. We pray for the sick: grant them health, raise them up from illness, and grant that they may possess perfect health of mind and body. You are the savior and benefactor; you are the lord and king of all. We have prayed to you for all through your only-begotten Jesus Christ through whom glory and power be to you in the Holy Spirit now and forever. Amen. xxviii. (iv) Imposition of hands on the catechumens 2395 Lord, we extend our hand and pray that your divine and living hand be extended in blessing upon this people. To you, uncreated Father, they have bowed their heads through your only-begotten Son. Bless this people with the blessing of knowledge and of piety, with the blessing of your holy mysteries. Through your only-begotten Jesus Christ, through whom glory and power be to you in the Holy Spirit now and forever. Amen. xxix. (vi) Imposition of hands on the laity May the pure and living hand, the hand of the Only-Begotten, the hand that has washed away all evil, the hand that stays and supports all that is good, be extended over this people. May they be blessed with the blessing of the Spirit, with that of heaven, and with that of the prophets and the apostles. May their bodies be blessed unto chastity and purity. May their souls be blessed unto learning, knowledge, and the mysteries. May all of them together be blessed through your only-begotten Jesus Christ. Through whom glory and power be to you in the Holy Spirit now and forever. Amen. xxx. (viii) Blessing of the sick Lord, God of mercies, extend your hand and graciously grant that all the sick may be healed; grant that they be made worthy of health. Deliver them from the illness now afflicting them. In the name of your Only-Begotten may they be cured. May his holy name be a medicine unto health and soundness. For through him glory and power be to you in the Holy Spirit now and forever. Amen. 8 9 . D i d a s c a l i a o f t h e 3 1 8 Fat h e r s ( F i d e s N i c a e n a ) †

Also known as the Fides Nicaena, the Didascalia of the 318 Fathers was once, though incorrectly, attributed to Athanasius of Alexandria (WEC 2:90). Nonetheless, the document is most probably of Egyptian origin, perhaps dating from the fourth century. The first part of the text contains the Nicene Creed with a dogmatic commentary, this followed by a series of regulations. † Translation from J. Quasten, Music & Worship in Pagan & Christian Antiquity, trans. B. Ramsey, NPM Studies in Church Music and Liturgy (Washington, D.C., 1983) 81.

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406  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East CPG 2: no. 2298 * Bardenhewer (1913) 3:60 * CATH 3:751 * DPAC 1:1356 * EEC 1:323 2398

[.  .  .] Women are ordered not to speak in church, not even softly; nor may they sing along and take part in the responses, but they should only be silent and pray to God. [.  .  .] 9 0 . At h a n a s i u s

Athanasius was born in 296, probably in Alexandria, where he studied the classics. Said to have been a convert to Christianity, he became secretary for the bishop, Alexander of Alexandria (d. 328), whom he as a deacon accompanied to the First Council of Nicaea (WEC 2:71-C). Upon Alexander’s death Athanasius became bishop of Alexandria. Athanasius’s years as bishop were very turbulent, mostly due to his staunch opposition to Arianism. In fact, out of his forty-five years as bishop he had to spend over fifteen years in exile, either residing with the monks in the Egyptian desert or at Rome, where he received great support. The last seven years of his life, from 366 to 373, were a time of peace that afforded him an opportunity for, among other things, literary activity. His writings include many forms, e.g., biography, scriptural commentaries, treatises, apologies, and especially letters, with the vast majority of his literary output refuting the opponents of the Nicene faith. Although organization of material was not one of Athanasius’s gifts, nonetheless, he is generally considered the most important fourth-century theologian of the Church in the East. CPG 2: nos. 2090ff. * Altaner (1961) 312–23 *Altaner (1966) 271–79 * Bardenhewer (1908) 253–64 * Bardenhewer (1910) 210–19 * Bardenhewer (1913) 3:44–79 * Bardy (1929) 94–100 * Bautz 1:259–65 * Campbell 50–53 * Hamell 95–98 * Jurgens 1:320–46 * Leigh-Bennett 143–60 * Quasten 3:20–79 * Steidle 84–88 * Tixeront 152–58 * Wright (1932) 331–33 * CATH 1:974–80 * CE 2:35–40 * CHECL 275–80 * DCB 1:179–203 * DHGE 4:1313–40 * DictSp 1:1047–52 * DPAC 1:423–32 * DTC 1.2:2143–78 * EC 2:254–62 * EEC 1:93–95 * EEChr 1:137–40 * LTK 1:1126–30 * NCE 1:996–99 * NCES 1:817–20 * ODCC 119–20 * PEA (1894) 2.2:1935–38 * PEA (1991) 2:157–58 * RACh 1:860–66 * TRE 4:333–49 J. Ernst, Der Keutzertaufstreit in der altchristlichen Kirch nach Cyprian: Mit besonderer Berücksichtigung der Konzilien von Arles und Nicaea (Mainz, 1901). * J. Ernst, “Die Ketzertaufangelegenheit auf den Konzilien von Arles und Nicaea,” ZkTh 27 (1903) 759–67. * W. Sattler, Die Stellung der griechischen Kirche zur Ketzertaufe bis ca. 500 (1911). * H. Emonds, “Das neue ‘Lexicon Athanasium’ und seine Beziehungen zur Liturgiewissenschaft,” ALW 2 (1952) 110–14. * G. Garitte, “Un opuscule grec traduit de l’arménien sur l’addition d’eau au vin eucharistique,” Mus 73 (1960) 297–310. * J. Mateos, “Office de minuit et office de matin chez s. Athanase,” OCP 29 (1962) 173–80. * P. Merendino, Paschale Sacramentum: eine Untersuchung über die Oesterkateche des hl. Athanasius von Alexandrien in ihrer Beziehung zu den frühchristlichen exegetische-theologischen Ueberlieferung, LQF 42 (1965). * P. Merendino,

90. Athanasius  407 “Zu ‘Paschale Sacramentum,’” ALW 10 (1967–68) 154–56. * C. Kannengiesser, “Le mystère pascal du Christ selon Athanase d’Alexandrie,” RSR 63 (1975) 407–42. * S.P. Brock, “A Baptismal Address Attributed to Athanasius,” OC 61 (1977) 92–102. * J. Quasten, Music & Worship in Pagan & Christian Antiquity, trans. B. Ramsey (Washington, D.C., 1983) 69ff., 93ff., 98ff. * D. Dufrasne, “Un théologien du Saint-Esprit: Athanase d’Alexandrie,” ComL 66:2 (1984) 177–84. * R. Lorenz, Der zehnte Osterfestbrief des Athanasius von Alexandrien: Text, Uebersetzung, Erläuterungen, Beiheft zur Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft und die Kunde der älteren Kirche 48 (Berlin and New York, 1986). * A. Camplani, La lettere festali di Atanasio di Alessandria: studio storico-critico (Rome, 1989). * A.L. Petterson, “Christ’s Death—a Liturgical Event for Athanasius of Alexandria,” DR 102, no. 346, 22–31. * B. JeggleMerz, Erneuerung der Kirche aus dem Geist der Liturgie: der Pastoralliturgiker Athanasius, LQF 84 (Münster, 1998).

90-A. Discourse 2 against the Arians† Although some manuscript traditions attribute to Athanasius four discourses against the Arians, it is generally believed that the last piece in the series is spurious. The other three treatises, seemingly written between 358 and 362, are considered to be Athanasius’s principal dogmatic works. xlii. [.  .  .] Whereas we were baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son, the Arians do not profess the Father because they deny that the Son is of the same nature as the Father. They name another of their own making as created out of nothing. And so is not the baptism conferred by them completely useless and empty? Is it not a pretense of religion, unable to contribute anything to true religion? For the Arians do not baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son but in the name of the Creator and the creature, in the name of the Maker of all that has been made. Therefore just as a creature is other than the Son, so baptism, presumably given by them, is not true baptism even if they appear to say the names of the Father and the Son as Scripture requires. For it is not whoever says “Lord”1 when baptizing but whoever possesses true faith with the name. For this reason the Savior not only gave the command to baptize but first said, “Teach,” and then “baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”2 Correct faith is the result of being instructed, and it is with faith that baptism is effective. xliii. Many other heresies use the words only, as I said, but not with a correct understanding; they lack correct faith; useless is the water they use, simply lacking godliness. And so anyone sprinkled by them is defiled rather than saved. Even the gentiles, although they speak of God, stand convicted of not worshiping God because they do not acknowledge him who truly is God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. And so the Translated from PG 26:235–38. 1. See Matt 7:21.  2. Matt 28:19. †

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408  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East Manicheans,a the Phrygians,b and the followers of Samosata,c although using the formula, nonetheless are heretics. [.  .  .]

90-B. Apology against the Arians† Written ca. 357, this treatise includes a series of earlier documents among which is an Encyclical Letter of the Council of Egypt (end of 338) and from which the following selection is taken. 2401

xi. [.  .  .] We should not expose the holy mysteries to the catechumens nor, and even worse, to the pagans. As written, it is fitting “to hide the secret of the king.”1 And as the Lord has commanded, “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; do not throw pearls before the swine.”2 It is not allowed to explain the mysteries to those who have not been initiated lest the pagans, being ignorant, ridicule them, lest the catechumens, being curious, are scandalized. [.  .  .] 2402 If the cup used during the mysteries is intentionally broken, then the person breaking it is an impious individual. The cup belongs only to the Church’s legitimate presiders. Only they and no others can use the cup. You rightfully present it to the people; you received it by reason of the ecclesiastical canon; it belongs only to those who preside over the Catholic Church. Only you are to present the Blood of Christ; no other is to do so. But just as a person breaking the cup is godless, so all the more impious are those who insult the Blood of Christ as is done by those who act contrary to ecclesiastical law. [.  .  .]

90-C. Apology to the Emperor Constantius†† Upon Constantine’s death in 337, the empire was divided among (1) Constantine II (d. 340), his eldest son who received Gaul, Spain, and Britain; (2) Constantius II (d. 361), who was given the East and who favored Arianism; (3) Constans I (d. 350), who received Italy and Africa. Athanasius here replies to the accusation that he played a part in turning Constans I against Constantius II. 2403

xiv. I have been attacked in regard to the great church. The charge was that a gathering took place there before its construction was completed. a. Manicheans: members of a heretical sect based on a supposed conflict between light and darkness. b. Phrygians: followers of Montanus, who initiated a religious movement characterized by a belief in the imminent coming of the Holy Spirit at the end of time. c. Paul of Samosata: a third-century heretical bishop of Antioch. † Translated from PG 25:267–68. 1. Tob 12:7.  2. Matt 7:6. †† Translated from Deux Apologies. Athanase d’Alexandrie, trans. and ed. J.M. Szymusiak, SChr 56 bis (Paris, 1987) 114–21.

90. Athanasius  409 Indeed! Here again I will defend myself before Your Majesty, being forced to do so by the hatred of those who press upon me. The fact is true, I admit. I have not lied in my first statements. I will not deny what took place. But, again this time, there is a complete difference between what actually happened and what they said happened. Allow me, most godly Augustus, to tell you that what we did there was not the celebration of a dedication; it would have been unlawful to do so before having received your agreement. Furthermore, we did not act as if from premeditation since no bishop, no other cleric, had been invited. There was still work to be done on the building. I add that no notice was given in advance of this gathering, a notice that could have given them a pretext for accusing us. Everyone knows what happened. Listen to me now with your customary indulgence and patience. It was the feast of the Pasch. Considerably large was the crowd that gathered. It was as large as any Christian king could hope to see in his own cities. But churches were few in number and small. So the crowd put up a commotion, the people demanding that they be allowed to gather in the large church and that all be able to come there in order to pray, to pray also for your safety. This is what happened. As for me, I urged them to wait and to find a way of crowding into other churches in order to celebrate; they did not listen to me and were about to leave the city and head out into the desert, into the open air, believing it better to endure the fatigue of the journey rather than celebrate the feast in such unhappy circumstances. xv. Believe me, my King, and, here again, receive the testimony of Truth. During the Lenten gatherings—and considering the smallness of places and the large crowd of people—many children, some young women, many of the elderly, and a number of young people were suffocating; they had to be taken home. Thanks to God, no one died, but all were murmuring and demanding to use the large church. And if the pressure was so great on the day before the feast, what would it have been on the feast itself? Surely things would have been much worse. Yet it was not advisable to turn the people’s joy into sadness, to replace their happiness with gloom, to replace feasting with tears, especially since I well knew the example of the elders. The lamented Alexander,a because the churches were small, constructed a church that he then believed to be rather large, its name being the church of Theonas.b This was the place where, due to the crowd of people, he held his assemblies. Work continued while this was happening. I saw the same at Treveri and at Aquilea. In both places the people, because of their numbers, assembled on feasts while the building was under construction. There was no reason to come up with accusations. Even more, at Aquilea a. Alexander: the immediate predecessor of Athanasius as bishop of Alexandria. b. Theonas: bishop of Alexandria during the second half of the third century.

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your lamented brother took part in a gathering held under like circumstances. So did I. There was no dedication, just a service of prayer. In short, I know that in your love for God you will both approve the zeal of the people as well as forgive me for not having impeded the prayer of such a large multitude. xvi. I again wish to address my accuser on this matter and ask him where it is right for the people to pray: in the desert or in a place of prayer that is still under construction? Where is it right to have the people respond “Amen”? In the desert or in a place already called the Lord’s? And you, O most religious king, where do you want your people to stretch forth their hands and pray for you? At a place where the pagans who are passing by might stop to listen? Or in a place that bears your name, a place everyone—since its foundations were laid—has long called a place “of the Lord”? I well know that you favor your own building, for I see you smiling and this indicates your approval. “But,” says my accuser, “this should have taken place in churches.” Yet these are all too small, too confining, as I said, to contain so many people. Again, what was the better way to arrange their prayer? To separate and divide the people with the risk of having them jostle one another? Or to gather in an already existing place that is capable of holding everyone so that there be only one and the same voice, with all the people harmoniously participating? The latter was the best solution, showing as it did the unity of the people. In this way God quickly hears our prayers. If the Savior himself promised, “When two agree on anything for which to pray, it will be given them,”1 then how will it be when so many people with one voice say “Amen” to God? Was there anyone who did not admire all this? Anyone who did not bless your [the emperor’s] name when seeing such a large gathering of people in one place? What a joy it was for all the people to see one another, whereas formerly they gathered in separate places! Such a happening gave joy to all and bothered only my calumniator.

90-D. Apology for His Flight† Writing in 357 while among the monks in the desert, Athanasius here refutes his critics who blamed him for leaving his diocese. 2412

xxiv. [.  .  .] It was night, and some of the faithful were keeping watch while awaiting the [morning] gathering. Suddenly General Syrianus with more than five thousand soldiers arrived. They were armed, swords in the hand, with bows, spears, clubs, as I mentioned above. He had them surround the church, stationing the soldiers so that no one could leave the building and escape. I believed it would be unworthy of me to abandon 1. Matt 18:19. † Translated from SChr 56 bis, 234–35.

90. Athanasius  411 my people at such a critical moment rather than defending them. I sat upon my throne and told the deacon to read a psalm. The people participated by responding, “Eternal is his mercy.”1 Then all departed and went home.

90-E. History of Arian Impiety† Only a fragment, covering the years 335 to 357, remains of this work, which was written at the request of the monks with whom Athanasius had taken refuge in the desert. lvi. [.  .  .] The soldiers seized the seats, the throne, the wooden table, the curtains of the church and whatever else they were able to remove. Taking them out, they burned them before the door in the great street, throwing incense upon the fire. [.  .  .]

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90-F. Festal Letters It was customary for the bishop of Alexandria to send out, shortly after the Epiphany, a letter to his suffragan bishops announcing the date of Easter, the date for beginning the pre-Easter fast, the date of Pentecost; sundry other ecclesiastical matters were also discussed. Athanasius followed such a custom from 329 to 373, although letters for some years do not exist. Soon after his death these letters were gathered together. Although the original Greek collection has been lost, a number of Athanasius’s letters and fragments of other letters have come down to us in Syriac and Coptic translation. Of special interest is Letter 39, issued in 367 and reconstructed from the Greek, Syriac, and Coptic. It gives a canon, listing books of the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures.

90-f-1. festal letter 1†† 10. We begin the holy fast on the fifth day of Pharmuthia (31 March) and add to it according to the number of those six holy and great days which symbolize the creation of this world; let us rest and cease [from fasting] on the tenth day of the same Pharmuthi (5 April), on the holy Sabbath of the week. And when the first day of the holy week dawns and rises upon us, on the eleventh day of the same month (6 April), from which again we count all the seven weeks one by one, let us observe a feast on the holy day of Pentecost—a day which at one time was to the

1. Ps 136:1–26. † Translated from PG 25:793–94. †† Translation with adaptations from LNPF 4:329. This letter was written for the year 329. a. Pharmuthi: the eighth month in the Egyptian calendar.

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412  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East Jews a type of the feast of weeks when forgiveness and the settlement of debts were granted; indeed that day was one of deliverance in every respect. Let us observe a feast on the first day of the great week, as a symbol of the world to come, in which we here receive a pledge of our future everlasting life. Then having passed from here, we shall keep a perfect feast with Christ while we, like the holy ones, cry out and say, “I will go to the place of the wondrous tabernacle, to the house of God, with the voice of gladness and thanksgiving, the shouting of those who feast.”1 It is from here that pain, sorrow, and sighing have fled; it is from there that gladness and joy shall come to us! May we be judged worthy to share in these things.

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vii. [.  .  .] Let us not forget what Paul preached to the Corinthians, namely, Christ’s resurrection whereby “he destroyed the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil”;1 he raised us up together with him, having loosed the bonds of death and having granted a blessing instead of a curse, joy instead of grief, feasting instead of mourning; this holy joy of Easter is continually in our hearts, and we always rejoice, as Paul commanded; “We pray without ceasing; in everything we give thanks.”2 So we are not remiss in giving notice of its seasons as we have received them from the fathers. Again following apostolic traditions, we remind each other that when we come together for prayer, when we keep the feast in common, then with one mouth we truly give thanks to the Lord. By giving thanks to him and by being followers of the saints “we shall praise the Lord all day long”3 as the psalmist says. So when we rightly keep the feast, we shall be counted worthy of the joy that is in heaven. 2416 viii. We begin the fast of forty days on the thirteenth of the month Phamenotha (9 March). After we have given ourselves to fasting in continued succession, let us begin the holy Pasch on the eighteenth of the month Pharmuthib (13 April). Then ceasing on the twenty-third of the same month Pharmuthi (18 April), and keeping the feast afterwards on the first of the week, namely, on the twenty-fourth (19 April), we are to add the seven weeks of the great Pentecost, during this time wholly rejoicing and exulting in Christ Jesus our Lord through whom, in the Holy Spirit, glory and dominion are to be given the Father for ever and ever. Amen. 1. Ps 42:4. † Translation with adaptations from LNPF 4:512. This letter was written for the year 330. a. Phamenoth: the seventh month in the Egyptian calendar. b. Pharmuthi: the eighth month in the Egyptian calendar. 1. Heb 2:14.  2. 1 Thess 5:17–18.  3. Ps 35:28.

90. Athanasius  413

90-f-3. festal letter 3† 2417 vi. We begin the fast of forty days on the fifth of Phamenoth (1 March). When, as I said, we have been purified and prepared by these days, we begin the holy week of the great Pasch on the tenth of Pharmuthi (5 April); during this time, my beloved brethren, we should engage in more prolonged prayers, fasting, and keeping vigil so that we may be enabled to anoint our lintels with precious blood and to escape the destroyer.1 And so let us rest on the fifteenth of the month Pharmuthi (10 April), for on that Saturday evening we hear the message of the angels, “Why do you seek the living one among the dead? He is risen.”2 Immediately afterwards we come to that great Sunday, namely, the sixteenth of the same month Pharmuthi (11 April) when our Lord, having risen, gave us peace in regard to our neighbors. After keeping this feast as he desired, we are to add the seven weeks of Pentecost beginning from that first day in the holy week. And just as we receive the grace of the Spirit at Pentecost, so let us at all times give thanks to the Lord through whom, in the Holy Spirit, glory and dominion are to be given the Father for ever and ever. Amen.

90-f-4. festal letter 5†† 5. [.  .  .] As the apostle exhorts us, “Remember Jesus Christ who rose from the dead.”1 No particular time for remembering was appointed since we are always to remember him. Due to the laziness of many, day after day we delay doing so. Let us thus begin in these days. The purpose for doing so is to show forth to the holy ones the reward of their calling and to exhort the careless while reproving them. Therefore during the days that remain let us persevere in virtuous conduct, repenting as is our duty of all that we have neglected, whatever it may be; for no one is free from defilement even though a person may have lived only one hour upon the earth as Job, that man of surpassing fortitude, testifies.2 But, “stretching forth to those things that are ahead,”3 let us pray that we may not eat the paschal meal unworthily so as not to be exposed to dangers. To those who keep the feast in purity, the paschal meal is heavenly food; but to those who observe it profanely and contemptuously, it is a danger and reproach since it is written, “Whosoever shall eat and drink unworthily is guilty of the death of our Lord.”4 And so may we not merely perform the festal rites; we should prepare ourselves to draw near to the divine Lamb and to touch heavenly food. Let us cleanse our hands. Let us purify the body. Let

Translation with adaptations from LNPF 4:515. This letter was written for the year 331. 1. See Exod 12:23.  2. Luke 24:5. †† Translation with adaptations from LNPF 4:519. This letter was written for the year 333. 1. 2 Tim 2:8.  2. See Job 14:5, LXX.  3. Phil 3:13.  4. 1 Cor 11:27. †

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414  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East us keep ourselves free from deceit, not giving way to excess and to lusts, but may we occupy ourselves entirely with our Lord. [.  .  .]

90-f-5. festal letter 39† 2419

iv. There are, then, twenty-two books in the Old Testament. This, I have heard, is the number of the written characters among the Hebrews. The order and names of these books are as follows: first is Genesis, then Exodus, next Leviticus, after this Numbers, and then Deuteronomy. Following these is Joshua, the son of Nun, then Judges, and then Ruth. And again, after these there are four books of Kings, the first and second being reckoned as one book, and likewise the third and fourth as one book. And again, the first and second Chronicles are counted as one book. Then Ezra, the first and second [Ezra and Nehemiah], are similarly one book. After these there is the book of Psalms, then Proverbs, next Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs. Job follows, then the Prophets, the twelve being reckoned as one book. Then Isaiah, one book, then Jeremiah together with Baruch, Lamentations, and the Letter [Baruch 6], one book; afterwards, Ezekiel and Daniel, each one book. All these constitute the Old Testament. 2420 v. Again it is not tedious to speak of the [books of the] New [Testament]. These are the four Gospels, according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Afterwards, the Acts of the Apostles and Epistles (called Catholic), seven, namely, one of James, two of Peter, three of John; after these one of Jude. In addition, there are fourteen Epistles of Paul, written in this order. The first is to the Romans; then two to the Corinthians; after these, to the Galatians; next, to the Ephesians; then to the Philippians; then to the Colossians; after these, two to the Thessalonians and one to the Hebrews; then two to Timothy; one to Titus; and lastly, one to Philemon. Also, the Revelation of John. 2421 vi. These are the fountains of salvation. With their living words they satisfy all who are thirsty. These alone proclaim the doctrine of godliness. Let no one add or take away from them. In this regard the Lord put to shame the Sadducees, and said, “You err because you do not know the Scriptures.” He reproved the Jews, saying, “Search the Scriptures, for these bear witness to me.”1 2422 vii. For the sake of greater exactness I must add that there are other books not included in the canon; they have been designated by the fathers to be read by those who have recently joined us and who desire instruction on the word of godliness: the Wisdom of Solomon, the Wisdom of Sirach; also Esther, Judith, Tobit, and what is called the Teaching of the Apostlesa and the Shepherd.b The former, my brethren, are included in the canon, the latter Translation with adaptations from LNPF 4:552. This letter was written for the year 367. a. See WEC 1:7. b. See WEC 1:10-A. 1. John 5:39. †

91. Canons of Father Athanasius  415 being [merely] read; nor is there any place where mention is made of the apocryphal writings. These are an invention of heretics, who write them as they choose, bestowing upon them their approbation, and assigning them a date so that, using them as ancient writings, they may lead astray the simple.

90-G. Letter to Serapion† Serapion (WEC 2:88), a close friend of Athanasius, was the bishop of Thmuis in the Nile Delta. This letter was written about April 340, a time when Athanasius was an exile in Rome. I have deemed it very necessary and urgent to make known to you—for I have written this to each one—that you should proclaim the forty-day fast to the brethren and persuade them to fast to its end so that, whereas the whole world is fasting, we who live in Egypt will not become a laughing-stock for being the only people who do not fast but take our pleasure during these days. Now if we do not fast, because the letter is [only] then read, it is right that we should take away this pretext also, and that it be read before the forty-day fast so that they may not make an excuse for neglecting the fast. But, dearly beloved, whether in this way or another, exhort and teach them to fast forty days. It is a disgrace that, when all the world is fasting, those in Egypt find pleasure rather than fast.

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90-H. Sermon to the Newly Baptized†† This short passage is quoted in a sermon of St. Eutyches of Constantinople (d. 582). You will see the levites [deacons] bringing in the bread and the cup of wine. Until the prayers and invocations have been said, the bread and the cup remain what they are. But once the great and wonderful prayers are said, the bread becomes the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ and the cup becomes his Blood. Let us approach the celebration of the mysteries. Before the prayers and invocations this bread and this cup retain their own nature. However, once the great prayers and the holy invocations are said, the Word descends into the bread and cup, and his Body is confected. 9 1 . Ca n o n s o f Fat h e r At h a n a s i u s † † †

Originally composed in Greek yet coming down to us in an Arabic translation (sections in Coptic also exist), the so-called Canons of Father Athanasius Translation with adaptations from The Festal Letters of St. Athanasius, ed. L.Th. Lefort (Oxford, 1854) 100. †† Translated from PG 26:1325–26. ††† Translation based on that (from the Arabic) found in W. Riedel and W.E. Crum, The Canons of Athanasius of Alexandria, Text and Translation Society, vol. 9, reprint of the 1904 London Edition (Amsterdam, 1973) 14ff. †

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416  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East are the work of a cleric who was a bishop and perhaps a metropolitan. The provenance of the document is Egypt and likely Alexandria. Thus some, and not rashly, suggest Athanasius (WEC 2:90) as the author of these 107 canons. CPG 2: nos. 2302ff. * Tixeront 157 2425

Canon 7. [.  .  .] Because the Lord stands over the altar,1 so the altar’s vessels are spiritual, being neither silver nor gold, neither stone nor wood, just as the bread and wine, before being raised over the altar, are bread and wine. Yet after they are raised over the altar, they are no longer bread and wine but are the life-giving and divine Body and Blood so that those receiving them do not die but live for ever. The same is no less true of the altar, whether it be of wood, stone, gold, or silver. It is not mortal as its former substance, but being spiritual it lives for ever. [.  .  .]

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Canon 10. [.  .  .] Wisdom has rested her house2 upon seven pillars, and seven are the perfect spirits3 of God in the Church. These are the bishops and presbyters, the deacons and subdeacons, the readers and singers, and also the doorkeepers; Zechariah calls them the seven eyes of God,4 whereof God said, “He touches them as one who touches the pupils of his eyes.”5 The seven orders we have named are the seven eyes of the Church. But what is the Church’s head other than Christ?6 They are the seven pillars upon which the Church is founded, of which the wise Solomon said, “Wisdom has built herself a house and established it upon seven pillars.”7 He then immediately speaks to us of the bread and the cup, showing us that he thereby has in mind the Church, showing us how he calls to the people who dwell in idolatrous ignorance when he says, “Come, eat of my bread” [namely, Christ’s Body] and “drink of the wine that I have mixed”8 [namely, Christ’s Blood]. Know, O bishop, that the Church is established not upon you alone but also upon the other six orders in the Church. Neither reject nor despise these; rather, honor them since they are your fellows, and they minister with you.9 For the head may not say to the feet, “I do not need you” because the head lacking a foot would itself be all foot.10 Likewise if a bishop despises the doorkeeper or the deacon or the singer, then the bishop cannot direct their activities. How can he celebrate the mysteries and [at the same time] attend to the doors? Or how can he sing and [at the same time] receive from the mysteries? Just as there is need of the head, so also necessity requires the feet. [.  .  .]

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Canon 11. [.  .  .] The reader shall read nothing except from the Catholic Scriptures lest the people mock the lying words that have been chosen, words not being of God but of worldly inspiration. 1. See Amos 9:1.  2. See Prov 9:1.  3. See Rev 1:4; 4:59; 5:6; Isa 11:2.  4. See Zech 3:9; 4:10.  5. Zech 1:12.  6. See Col 1:18; Eph 1:22; 5:23.  7. Prov 9:1.  8. Prov 9:5.  9. See Col 1:7.  10. See 1 Cor 12:17.

91. Canons of Father Athanasius  417 Canon 12. Singers shall not sing what has been written by Melitiusa and by the ignorant, for these sing without wisdom;11 unlike David, they do not sing in the Holy Spirit; their voices, singing as do the heathens, should be muted.12 If singers fail to sing in the Holy Spirit, then they must not sing at all. It is written, “You shall not add thereto nor take from it.”13

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Canon 13. Each day the doorkeepers shall stand at the portals of the sanctuary. Watching the doors at the place of entry, they shall also pay attention to the doors of the sanctuary. They are the ones who are blessed when the Word bestows the blessing: “Blessed are they who guard the entry and those who watch the sanctuary at night because of the enemies of the sanctuary; they who desire that God’s house [.  .  .] should flourish, they who give heed to the ordering of the sanctuary and do not allow the lamp to go out during the night.”b Likewise it is said concerning the laws of the tabernacle that the lamp in the sanctuary shall always shine from evening till morning.14 [.  .  .]

2429

Canon 14. [.  .  .] Unless he is sick, no bishop shall on any day neglect the sacrament. If he does so, he will die in sorrow. [.  .  .]

2430

2431 Canon 16. On Sundays the bishop shall not fail to bestow alms. The poor and the orphan he shall know as a father, and he shall gather them together at the great festival of the Lord [Easter], vowing and distributing many alms, giving each what is needed. On Pentecost the bishop shall refresh15 the people because on that day the Holy Spirit descended upon the Church. On the feast of our Lord’s Epiphany, which falls during the month of Tûbahc and is the feast of baptism, they shall rejoice together. The bishop shall gather all the widows and orphans and rejoice with them, doing so with prayers and hymns. He shall provide for each person’s needs since it is a day of blessing. On this day the Lord was baptized by John. The poor shall rejoice with you, O bishop, on all the Lord’s feasts, and they shall celebrate these three seasons with you. Each year the paschal feast shall be observed unto the Lord our God; also a feast at the end of the fifty days; also the new year’s feast, a time when the harvest and the fruits are collected. The last of all the fruits is the olive, which is gathered on that day; thus the Egyptians call this feast the beginning of the year. As with the Hebrews the feast of the beginning of the year is the Pasch, which

a. Melitius: bishop of Lycopolis; he espoused a rigorist position regarding the readmission of Christians who relented during times of persecution. b. Source unknown, but see Ps 84:5; 134:1. c. Tûbah: in the ancient Egyptian calendar the month extending from December 27 till January 25. 11. See Eph 5:19; Col 3:16.  12. See Ps 63:11; Rom 3:19.  13. Deut 12:32; 4:2.  14. See Exod 27:20.  15. See Phlm 20; 2 Cor 7:13.

418  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East is the first of Baramûdah.d So again in the month of Tûbah did our Savior appear as God when by a wonderful miracle he turned the water into wine. [.  .  .] 2432

Canon 18. The bishop shall see to it that the readers and singers do not read just any books but only those that are common and catholic. [.  .  .]

2433

Canon 25. [.  .  .] Let no presbyter in celebrating the sacrament associate with wizards, conjurers, or soothsayers. Rather, when any enter without reverence, they are to be placed apart with the catechumens. In short, the doorkeepers are not to overlook them, leave them unattended. If they enter out of ignorance, then shall the deacons in charge of this matter set them apart. Yet should one of these enter, then the deacons are guilty of sin since they have not paid careful attention to the door of the holy place. The doorkeepers shall look after the outer door so that those who have already entered the church may have no dealings with the Church’s enemies. [.  .  .]

2434

Canon 27. As to the deacons who strike one another at the altar [.  .  .], they must stand outside [the church] for a month and fast for a week. [.  .  .]

2435

Canon 28. The garments worn by the priests when celebrating shall be white and washed. They shall be placed in the storeroom of the church. When the priests proceed to the altar, these garments shall be laid out in the church, [like] in the storeroom, in charge of the person who guards the vessels, as the prophet Ezekiel has ordained.16

2436

Canon 30. During the days of the Pasche no priest may drink any wine nor eat anything from which blood has flowed forth. Whatever wine is not used at the altar on the Pasch shall be given to the sick and the poor.

2437

Canon 31. During holy Quadragesima no priest shall go to a bath nor shall he do so on the two fast days, namely, on Wednesday and Friday. Those found to have done this other than for reasons of sickness or necessity shall be expelled.

2438

Canon 32. No priest shall speak in the Tafîr, which is the place of the offering, nor in any way sit there. Neither shall they divide anything there.f

d. Baramûdah: in the ancient Egyptian calendar the month extending from March 27 till April 25. e. Days of the Pasch: the concluding days of what came to be known as Holy Week? f. This apparently refers to dividing the eulogia, probably in this case referring to the unconsecrated bread brought to the sick. For the many uses of this term see EEC 1:297. 16. See Ezek 44:19.

91. Canons of Father Athanasius  419 Canon 33. Priests shall have a place apart from the people where the bread is divided. The youngest priest shall do this; no priest may divide it when a younger priest is present. [.  .  .]

2439

Canon 35. Readers are not to serve the subdeacons but shall devote themselves to their books. The reader is to be honored because the holy word flows forth from his mouth.

2440

Canon 36. No priest is to carry the mysteries through the streets except in the case of a sick person for whom the end and death’s hour of need draw near. When the priests carry the mysteries outside the church, they shall take them only to the sick who will receive them. [.  .  .]

2441

Canon 37. No deacon shall speak while holding the cup. No one at all shall speak when the cup is there present.

2442

Canon 39. The deacon shall not approach the altar when an older deacon is present there. Deacons shall hold fans in their hands while the Body is being divided, continuing in their prayer. When the dividing has ended, one deacon shall always stand behind and fan with the epomísg he is wearing, from the beginning to the end of the offering.

2443

Canon 40. May a priest be troubled if any would have him celebrate before the people have assembled and before the Alleluia is heard. For it is written, “The glory of the king is in a great assembly.”17 [.  .  .]

2444

Canon 49. As for the priests’ occupations, they shall not follow any trade that involves stealing or does not leave time for the sacrament. If a priest’s occupation hinders him at the time of the sacrament and does not allow him to enter the church on Saturday and on Sunday or if he arrives after the psalm has been read, he shall not receive the divided portions of the bread. Nor shall he join those who are already standing in the sanctuary prior to their going to the place of eating. Likewise shall it be on the two fast days of Wednesday and Friday. Priests residing in town must come every day to the church.

2445

Canon 50. But if a priest arrives and is seen before the lesson and then departs to work until the time of the offering, he shall not be given a portion of the sacrament; yet he shall be present at the eating. [.  .  .]

2446

Canon 57. During the week of the holy Pasch all the priests shall sleep in the church. On Friday they shall gather at the third hour, the hour when our Savior was crucified. Those who are not present shall suffer reproof. If the priest works in the fields, he shall not delay beyond the sixth hour.

2447

g. Epomís: literally a “shoulder strap.” 17. Prov 14:28.

420  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East The deacons shall split into two groups among the people, helping one another, bringing to silence the people at the door. They shall reject weeping children, people who chatter, those who are not instructed, and those who act in an unseemly fashion. The doorkeepers shall keep watch at the outer doors and forbid entrance to scoffers or those whom they have put forth till it is time for them to enter. The deacons stand at the second door. If there is a large crowd at the outer door, the deacons shall assist the doorkeepers; but if the deacons have need of the doorkeepers to help them keep order among the people, then the doorkeepers shall assist them. They do all this so that God’s word may be glorified, and so that the people in the church may in quiet and silence be able to hear until the word of God with the blessing has been completed. But if any of the people should talk loudly, the presbyter is to blame the deacons for this since the latter have not trained the people. During the Pasch priests shall fast for two days. Readers, however, may eat every day. [.  .  .] 2448

Canon 58. Readers shall understand what they proclaim and ungrudgingly18 instruct and teach those who are willing to learn, being even more glad since what they ask for is good.

2449

Canon 59. The singers shall sing nothing other than from the Psalter. They shall gladly teach others to sing so that God may dwell in all the people, from the head to the feet.

2450

Canon 60. No priest shall tarry behind from the eighth hour of the day onward, and they shall be gathered together until the stars appear in the heavens. They shall read before they allow the people to depart, praying and listening to the lessonsh so that with joy and gladness they may be worthy of the Pasch. As for what they do at the Pasch, they shall eat and drink in wisdom without drunkenness.

2451

Canon 62. All the stewards shall be appointed for the church at the Pasch. The lesser steward is commanded to have in his possession all the consecrated vessels, and he shall see to it that their reckoning takes place in the great church. All the consecrated vessels that have been set aside shall be given to him, whether they be of gold or silver or bronze; at the paschal feast he shall inform the bishop concerning them so that he may catalog them.

2452

Canon 64. An offering left over from the previous day they shall not offer nor that which has been divided into portions in any church. Only bread that is warm, fresh, and whole.

2453

Canon 66. The bishop shall often eat with the priests in the church so that he may view their behavior, whether they eat quietly and with the fear h. The instruction here appears to refer to the Friday of the Pasch. 18. See Wis 7:13.

91. Canons of Father Athanasius  421 of God. He shall stand there and serve them. If they are weak, he shall wash their feet with his own hands. If the bishop is unable to do this, he shall see to it that the archpriest or whoever follows him washes their feet. [.  .  .] The bishop shall not fail to do this three times a year: on the paschal feast, on the feast of Pentecost, and on the feast of baptism which is the eleventh day of the month of Tûbah. Neither an unbelieving priest nor a stranger from another people shall share in their gathering—only priests. 2454 Canon 78. Concerning the holy mysteries, namely, the Body and Blood of Christ, they shall not let anything thereof remain from evening to morning but shall do with it whatsoever they will. The holy altar having been prepared and as long as the holy mysteries are upon it before he has raised them up, the readers shall not be silent before it but shall sing the word of God or shall repeat the psalms, for it is written: “I have set watchers upon the walls of Jerusalem, day and night, who are not silent at any time from reminding the Lord.”19 And because it is the Body and Blood of Christ, so they do not leave while uttering praise; they delay their departure till the time when the place is being cleansed.

Canon 91. The feasts of the martyrs also shall be observed with much care and in great order. There are to be assemblies, the whole night being spent in singing of the psalms, in prayers, and in holy readings.

2455

2456 Canon 92. As for the monks, no monk or nun shall enter any of the martyria, that is, the places of the martyrs, or any place of ease, there to relax. But in every monastery of virgins its nuns on the nights of the martyrs shall remain in their monastery, as if gathered at the place of the martyrs, praying; when it is the hour of the offering, they, being exhorted, shall enter the church before the reading of the psalms. Upon leaving, they shall walk two-by-two with their mother [superior] before them. [.  .  .] On the first day of the week, after they have received Christ’s Body and Blood, they shall break their fast. And they shall never eat their fill on Saturday and on the first day till evening comes. [.  .  .]

Canon 93. [.  .  .] No priest, no Christian should neglect the sacraments on the Sabbath and on Sunday. [.  .  .]

2457

Canon 95. [.  .  .] First, all Christian children shall give thanks to their parents because their parents have begotten them a second time in the baptism of the faith and because it is from their parents that they have learned how to worship God. [.  .  .]

2458

Canon 99. As for the monasteries of virgins, [.  .  .] no virgin shall remain in the church during the night; she is to stay in the monastery. [.  .  .]

2459

19. Isa 62:6.

422  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East 2460

Canon 100. When someone dies, there shall be no lamentation for this person as is found among the foreign, accursed nations. This is especially true in the case of those who have not kept their mouths pure from the names of idols. Now if the deceased is highly loved or is an only child, the people shall not despair, being filled with inner grief; but the priests shall chant and read to the people till the time when the body of the deceased is brought forth, while at each hour the priests pray that the people’s deep sorrow be alleviated so that they do not die. If the deceased are poor, the Church shall tend to them; and if there are no relatives, the Church shall be the deceased person’s heir. On the seventh day of mourning the priests go to the deceased person’s friends who are in the church and visit them.

2461

Canon 106. At every offering of incense that occurs in the holy place, morning and evening, and especially at the divine anaphora, and before the reading of the Gospel, the archdeacon shall take in his hand a censer, fill it with coals, and stand before the altar, opposite the gospel book. Incense shall be placed into the censer, and he shall see to it that it rises up till the Gospel is read. Then he shall go with the censer before the Gospel [book?] into the inner part of the holy place. It is not that the Lord has need of incense. No, but we shall remember the incense of the ages of light20 where there is no hateful odor before the Lord, the God of the living, where there are hymns of praise.21 92. Timothy I of Alexandria

In 381 Timothy succeeded his brother, Peter II, as metropolitan of Alexandria and was present (but arrived late) at the Council of Constantinople (WEC 2:71-D), where he opposed the election of Gregory of Nazianzus (WEC 2:68) as metropolitan of Constantinople. Little is known of Timothy’s very brief term as bishop. He died in 385. CPG 2: nos. 2520ff. * Altaner (1966) 238 * Bardenhewer (1913) 3:104 * Bautz 12:145–47 * Steidle 89 * DCB 4:1029–30 * DPAC 2:3452 * EEC 2:840 * PEA (1894) 6.2 (n.s.) 1354

92-A. Canonical Responses† These questions and answers eventually became part of the legal code of the Eastern churches. 2462

1. Question. If a catechumen—for example, a seven-year-old boy or even an adult—is present at the sacrifice and through ignorance partakes of it, what is to be done?

20. See Isa 6:4.  21. See Isa 6:3. † Translated from Iuris Ecclesiastici Graecorum Historia et Monumenta, vol. 1, ed. I.B. Pitra (Rome, 1864) 630–33.

92. Timothy I of Alexandria  423 Reply. He is to be baptized, for he has been called by God. 2. Question. If a catechumen has been possessed by a devil and desires to receive holy baptism, should he or she be baptized or not, especially if death is imminent? Reply. A person possessed by a devil and not yet cleansed from this impure spirit is not able to receive holy baptism but is baptized at the time of his or her departure from this life. 3. Question. May or may not a believer possessed by the devil share in the holy mysteries? Reply. Provided such a person does not divulge the mysteries nor has blasphemed in any other way, he or she may share in the mysteries but not every day. It suffices if this takes place only on Sunday. 4. Question. When a catechumen, being sick and mentally disturbed, is unable to personally confess the faith, and when friends urge that this person be baptized while still alive, may he or she be baptized or not? Reply. Baptism may be given provided this person is not possessed by the impure spirit. 5. Question. If married people have intercourse during the night, may they receive Communion or not? Reply. They may not since the apostle says, “Do not defraud one another except by consent for a time so that you have time for prayer; come back together again so that the devil may not tempt you for your incontinency.”1 6. Question. If a female catechumen presents her name for baptism and on the day of baptism is menstruating, is the baptism to take place on that day or is it to be postponed and, if so, for how long? Reply. It is to be postponed till she has been cleansed. 7. Question. If a woman notices that she is menstruating, may she approach the holy mysteries or not? Reply. She may not till she has been cleansed. 8. Question. If a pregnant woman is confined to bed, should she observe the paschal fast and refrain from wine? Or is she excused from the fast and permitted to drink wine, in that she is preparing to give birth? Reply. The fast is observed so as to weaken the body. If therefore the body becomes weak and lacks strength, she can take food and drink to the extent that she desires or is able. 9. Question. When Arians or other heretics are present, is a cleric allowed to offer prayers? Will he suffer harm if he says the prayer of offering? Reply. During the offering the deacon says before the peace, “Those who will not receive Communion are to leave.” And so these are not to be present unless they make it known that they are ready to do penance and reject their heresy.

1. 1 Cor 7:5.

2463

2464

2465

2466

2467

2468

2469

2470

424  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East 10. Question. As to the sick and those greatly weakened by illness, when they come to the paschal fast should they observe the whole fast or may a cleric excuse them so that they may take whatever they can, even oil and wine? Reply. The sick should be excused from the fast so that they can take food and drink to the extent possible. The very weak can rightfully take oil. 2472 11. Question. If someone summons a cleric to be present at a marriage and the cleric hears that it would be an illicit marriage because the person to be married is the spouse of one’s aunt or the sister of a deceased spouse, should the cleric attend and do the offering? Reply. In a word, if a cleric has learned that the marriage is illicit and contrary to law, the cleric is not to attend since he is not to participate in the sins of others. 2473 12. Question. What about a layman who has a nocturnal emission and asks a cleric whether he may or may not receive Communion? Reply. If the emission is caused by a desire for a woman, he should not receive. However, if Satan is tempting him so that he not be fed by participating in the divine mysteries, he ought to receive because the tempter will not cease to assault him at the time he receives. 2474 13. Question. On what days are the married to refrain from intercourse and on what days is intercourse permitted? Reply. Let me repeat what I said previously. “Do not defraud one another except by consent for a time that you may have time for prayer; come back together again so that the devil may not tempt you for your incontinency.”2 They must refrain from doing so on Saturday and on Sunday because on these days the spiritual sacrifices are offered. 2471

93. Didymus the Blind

Blind at the age of four or five, Didymus (ca. 313–ca. 398), a married layman, was head of the catechetical school at Alexandria, where his pupils included such notables as Jerome (WEC 3:145) and Rufinus (WEC 3:105). Though not considered an original thinker, Didymus is noted for his remarkable memory, his kindness toward heretics, and his encyclopedic knowledge. Influenced by Origen (WEC 1:43) regarding the preexistence of souls and the doctrine that all mortal creatures will ultimately be saved, Didymus was among those condemned by the Council of Constantinople in 553. Although Didymus was a prolific and influential author, much of his writing perished as a result of this condemnation. CPG 2: nos. 2544ff. * Altaner (1961) 324–25 * Altaner (1966) 280–81 * Bardenhewer (1908) 307–10 * Bardenhewer (1910) 225–28 * Bardenhewer (1913) 3:104–15 * Bardy (1929) 101–3 * Bautz 1:1283–84 * Hamell 108–9 * Jurgens 2:60–64 * Quasten 3:85–100

2. Ibid.

94. Pseudo-Athanasius  425 * Steidle 89–90 * Tixeront 158–60 * CATH 3:759–60 * CE 4:784 * CHECL 280–81 * DCB 1:827–29 * DHGE 14:416–27 * DictSp 3:868–71 * DPAC 1:950–52 * DTC 4.1:748–55 * EC 4:1567–68 * EEC 1:235–36 * EEChr 1:329–30 * LTK 3:212–13 * NCE 4:861 * NCES 4:738–39 * ODCC 480 * PEA (1894) 5.1:474–75 * PEA (1991) 3:554 * TRE 8:741–46

93-A. On the Trinity† Written between 381 and 392 and in three books, this is one of Didymus’s most important works, a treatise not marred by traces of Origenism. Some doubts have been raised in modern times as to its authenticity since in style and substance it differs from other works by Didymus. Common opinion, however, ascribes the work to him. [.  .  .] Let us return to the divine Holy Spirit, who is the gracious bestower of great gifts. It is the Spirit who, with the Father and the Son, leads us back from a deformed state to our former beauty. The grace of the Spirit so fills us that no longer are we able to possess anything that we are not to long for. The Spirit liberates us from sin and death. Freeing us from the things of this world, namely, from “dust and ashes,”1 the Spirit makes us spiritual, makes us sharers in divine glory, children and heirs of our God and Father, conforming us to the image of the Son, making us coheirs and brothers [and sisters], who are to be glorified with him and are to reign with him. The Spirit bestows heaven in place of the earth and graciously grants paradise, making us already more honorable than the angels. And in the divine waters of the pool the Spirit quenches the inextinguishable fires of hell. [.  .  .] [.  .  .] When we are plunged into the pool, it is by the goodness of God the Father and through the grace of God’s Spirit that our sins are removed. We cast aside the old self. We are born again and sealed by God’s royal power. When we come up out of the pool, we put on Christ our Savior as an incorruptible garment, worthy of the same honor as the Holy Spirit who brought us forth anew and signed us. Scripture says, “As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”2 Through the divine insufflation we received God’s image and likeness, which are spoken of by the Scriptures3 and which we lost through sin. [.  .  .] [.  .  .] Those who were not baptized but suffered martyrdom were washed in their own blood and so were given life by God’s Holy Spirit. [.  .  .] 9 4 . P s e u d o - At h a n a s i u s

A number of treatises on virginity have been ascribed to Athanasius (WEC 2:90), and yet their authenticities have often been debated. The work from Translated from PG 39:667–70, 679–82. 1. Gen 18:27.  2. Gal 3:27.  3. See Gen 1:26. †

2475

2476

2477

426  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East which the following selections are taken is today generally accepted to be the product of an anonymous author, who, as some suggest, wrote in Egypt during the early fourth century. CPG 2: no. 2248 * Tixeront 157

94-A. On Virginity† 2478

xii. Day and night God’s word is not to be absent from your mouth. May meditation on the divine Scriptures be your activity at all times. Own a Psalter. Learn the psalms. At the third hour hold your assemblies [of prayer] because at that very hour the wooden cross was fashioned. Also, at the sixth hour complete your prayers with psalms, weeping, and entreating because at this very hour the Son of God was hanging on a cross. At the ninth hour confess your sins by means of hymns and praises, doing so with tears, because at this very hour the Lord, hanging on the cross, breathed his last. 2479 And after the synaxes of the ninth hour eat your bread, giving thanks to God at your table and using these words: “Blessed be God who has mercy on us and feeds us from our youth, God who gives bread to all.”1 Fill our hearts with joy and happiness so that having enough in all things, we may be rich in every good work in Jesus Christ our Lord.2 [.  .  .] 2480 xiii. Later on when you are sitting at table and when you have begun to break bread, sign yourself three times with the sign of the cross and give thanks as follows: “Our Father, we thank you for the holy resurrection you have made known to us through your Son Jesus; and just as the bread which is here upon the table, once scattered and then gathered together is made one, so may your Church be gathered from the ends of the earth into your kingdom because yours is the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.”a You should say this prayer when the bread is broken before you eat. However, when you place the bread on the table and before sitting down recite the whole prayer, namely, the “Our Father.” We recite the “Blessed be God” as given above when we stand after the meal. 2481 If two or three virgins are with you, let them give thanks over the bread and, as one, pray with you. But if a [female] catechumen is at the table, she is not to pray with the faithful nor are you to sit with her when taking a meal. Nor will you sit down to take a meal with negligent and frivolous women without necessity. You are holy before the Lord your God, and your food and drink are sanctified by means of prayers and holy words. [.  .  .] Translated from PG 28:265–68, 269–72, 275–76. a. See Didache ix.4 (WEC 1:186). 1. See Ps 136:25.  2. See 2 Cor 9:8. †

95. Dêr Balyzeh Papyrus  427 xvi. Therefore, handmaids of God, whether standing or sitting, whether working or eating, whether sleeping in bed or arising from bed, may a hymn to God never fail to be on your lips. Blessed be the ears that welcome these words. If you observe the twelfth hour, your gathering with the other virgins is to be greater and longer. But if no such companions are present, observe the gathering by yourself, God being present and listening. To weep before God is good. Remember that our Lord descended into the depths at the twelfth hour. [.  .  .] xx. At midnight arise and praise the Lord your God with hymns, for this was the hour when our Lord rose from among the dead and praised his Father with hymns. Upon rising, first say this verse, “At midnight I rise to praise you because of your just commands.”3 Pray and begin by reciting Psalm 50 to its conclusion. This is what has been appointed for you to do each day. Recite as many psalms as you can while standing. Following each psalm there is to be a prayer and a genuflection so that with tears you may confess your sins to the Lord and request forgiveness. After three psalms say the Alleluia. But if [other] virgins are present with you, they also are to pray the psalms and recite the prayers one by one. In the morning there is the following psalm: “God, my God, I keep watch before you. My soul thirsts for you.”4 At dawn: “All works of the Lord, bless the Lord.”5 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those of good will.6 We praise you, we bless you, we adore you.” [.  .  .] 9 5 . D ê r Ba ly z e h Pap y r u s †

In 1907 at Dêr Balyzeh (Dair Balaizah), south of Assiout in Upper Egypt, W. Flinders Petrie and W. Crum discovered in the ruins of a Coptic monastery three incomplete leaves of a papyrus codex as well as numerous fragments. The codex, now known as the Dêr Balyzeh Papyrus and preserved at Oxford in the Bodleian Library, contains a series of liturgical prayers, primarily for use at the Eucharist. The papyrus dates from the sixth or seventh century. Most scholars date the prayers as originating in the third or fourth century; some, however, place them as late as the sixth century. The liturgical prayers reflect an ancient anaphora and include intercessions, a pre-Sanctus, the Sanctus, a consecratory epiclesis, an institution narrative that quotes the Didache, and an anamnesis. After a gap of fifteen or so lines, the text continues with what some believe to be the conclusion of the anaphora; according to others it is a prayer after Communion. Toward the end is a simple form of the creed, perhaps the remnant of a baptismal liturgy. 3. Ps 118:62.  4. Ps 63:1.  5. Dan 3:57.  6. Luke 12:14. † Eucharistic texts translated from Hänggi 124–27. Translation of the creed from Quasten 3:144.

2482

2483

428  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East Altaner (1961) 61 * Altaner (1966) 258 * Quasten 3:143–45 * DACL 2:1881–95, 11:624–26 * EEChr 1:327 * ODCC 471 Text and Studies P. de Puniet, “Le nouveau papyrus liturgique d’Oxford,” RB 26 (1909) 34–51 [Greek]. * S. Salaville, “Le nouveau fragment d’anaphore égyptienne de DêrBalyzeh,” EO 12 (1909) 3. * P. de Puniet, “A propos de la nouvelle anaphore égyptienne,” EO 13 (1910) 72–76. * S. Salaville, “La double épiclèse des anaphores égyptiennes,” EO 13 (1910) 133–34. * T. Schermann, Der liturgische Papyrus von Dêr-Balyzeh: eine Abendmahlsliturgie des Ostermorgens, TU 36.1b (Leipzig, 1910). * F. Cabrol and H. Leclercq, Reliquiae Liturgicae Vetustissimae, Monumenta Ecclesiae Liturgica, vol. 1.1 (1913) clxiv–clxxv. * J.A. Jungmann, “Zwei Textergänzungen im liturgischen Papyrus von Dêr-Balyzeh,” ZkTh 48 (1924) 465–71. * C. Wessely, Les plus anciens monumenta du christianisme écrits sur papyrus, vol. 2, PO 18 (1924) 425–29. * H. Lietzmann, Messe und Herrenmahl (Bonn, 1926) 37–39, 74–80, 154. * P. Batiffol, L’Eucharistie: la présence réelle et la transubstantiation, Etudes d’histoire et de théologie positive 2, 9th ed. (Paris, 1930) 327–34. * C. del Grande, Liturgiae, Preces, Hymni Christianorum e Papyris Collecti, 2nd ed. (Naples, 1934) 1–5. * J. Quasten, Monumenta Eucharistica et Liturgica Vetustissima, Florilegium Patristicum 7 (Bonn, 1935) 37–44. * L.A. Winterswyly, Gebete der Urkirche (Freiburg i. B., 1940) 13–15 [German].* P. Nautin, Je crois à l’Esprit-Saint dans la Sainte Eglise pour la résurrection de la chair: étude sur l’histoire et la théologie du symbole (Brussels and Paris, 1947). * C.H. Roberts and B. Capelle, An Early Euchologium: The Dêr-Balyzeh Papyrus Enlarged and Reedited, Bibliothèque du Muséon 23 (Louvain, 1949) [Greek]. * J.N.D. Kelly, Early Christian Creeds (London, 1950) 88–89, 121–22. * A. Bugnini, “L’Eucologio di Dêr-Balizeh,” EphL 65 (1951) 157–70 [Latin]. * P.E. Kahle, Jr., ed., Bala’izah: Coptic texts from Deir Bala’izah in Upper Egypt, 2 vols. (Oxford, 1954). * K. Gamber, “Das Eucharistiegebet im Papyrus von Dêr-Balizeh und die Samstagabend-Agapen in Aegypten,” OstkSt 7 (1958) 48–65. * Deiss 243–48 [English]. * L. Bouyer, Eucharist: Theology and Spirituality of the Eucharistic Prayer (Notre Dame, 1968) 200ff. * A. Hänggi and I. Pahl, Prex Eucharistica: Textus e Variis Liturgicis Antiquioribus Selecti (Fribourg i. S., 1968) 124–27 [Greek, Latin]. * K. Gamber, “Der liturgische Papyrus von Deir El-Bala’izah in Oberägypten (6/7 Jh.): fragments liturgiques de,” Mus 82 (1969) 61–83. * J. van Haelst, “Une nouvelle reconstitution du Papyrus liturgique de Dêr-Balizeh,” ETL 45 (1969) 444–55. * P.F. Palmer, Sources of Christian Theology, vol. 1, Sacraments and Worship (Westminster, MD, 1955) 46–47 [English]. * Jasper 79–81 [English]. 2484

[.  .  .] who hated you. Bless your people who do your will; raise up the fallen; bring back the erring; console the weak. 2485 For you are above every principality, power, strength, and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this world but in the world to come. A thousand holy angels and innumerable archangels stand around you; near you stand the cherubim with many eyes; around you stand the seraphim, one with six wings and the other with six wings; with two wings they cover their faces, with two their feet, and with two they fly. And all constantly proclaim you holy. Hear our acclamation as we, together with all who proclaim you holy, say:

96. Strasbourg Papyrus  429 Holy, holy, holy, heaven and earth are filled with your glory. Fill us also with your glory and deign to send your Holy Spirit upon these creatures; make the bread indeed the Body of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and the cup the Blood of the new covenant of our Lord, God, and Savior, Jesus Christ. And just as this bread was scattered upon the mountains, the hills, and the valleys, and was brought together into one body .  .  . and just as this wine, coming from the vine of David, and water from the spotless lamb, where mixed together the two become one mystery, so gather the Catholic Church of Jesus Christ.a For our Lord Jesus Christ on the night he was betrayed, taking bread, blessed it, and offering thanks gave it to his disciples and apostles, saying, “Take and all of you eat of this. This is my Body which is given for you for the remission of sins.”1 Likewise, after supper, taking the cup, he blessed and drank and gave it to them saying, “This is my Blood which is shed for you for the remission of sins.”2 “As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you announce my death and proclaim my resurrection.”3 Your death we announce and your resurrection we confess, and we beseech you .  .  .

2486 2487

2488

2489

2490

[fifteen or so lines are missing] .  .  . and give to us your servants the power of the Holy Spirit to strengthen and increase our faith, unto the hope of eternal life to come. Through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom glory be to you, the Father, with the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.

2491 2492

* * * * *

I believe in God the Father almighty and in his only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Spirit, and in the resurrection of the flesh and in the holy Catholic Church. 9 6 . S t r a s b o u r g Pap y r u s †

Located in the Strasbourg Library (no. gr. 254), this fourth- or fifth-century papyrus contains early remnants of the Alexandrian Anaphora of Saint Mark. a. Cf. Didache ix.4 (WEC 1:186). 1. Matt 26:26, 28; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19; 1 Cor 11:24.  2. Matt 26:28; Mark 14:23; Luke 22:20; 1 Cor 11:25.  3. 1 Cor 11:26. † Translation, slightly altered, from Jasper 53–54. Words in brackets are supplied from the final form of the Anaphora of Saint Mark; ellipses indicate gaps in the manuscript.

2493

430  Chapter VIII. Fourth Century. East M. Andrieu and P. Collomp, “Fragments sur papyrus de l’anaphore de s. Marc,” RevSR 8 (1928) 489–515. * S.R. Mercatim, “L’anafora di san Marco riconosciuta in un frammento membranaceo del Museo Britannico,” Aegyptus 30 (1950) 1–7. * K. Gamber, “Das Papyrusfragment zur Markusliturgie und das Eucharistiegebet im Clemensbrief,” OstkSt 8 (1959) 31–45. * Deiss 209–12. * H.A.J. Wegman, “Une anaphore incomplête?” in Studies in Gnosticism and Hellenistic Religions, ed. R. van den Broek and M.J. Vermaseren (Leiden, 1981) 432–50. * B.D. Spinks, “A Complete Anaphora? A Note on Strasbourg Gr. 254,” The Heythrop Journal 25:1 (January 1984) 5–54. * E. Mazza, “Una Anaphora incompleta?” EphL 99 (1985) 425–36. * Jasper 52–54. * W.D. Ray, “The Strasburg Papyrus,” in Essays on Early Eastern Eucharistic Prayers, ed. P.F. Bradshaw (Collegeville, 1997) 39–56. [ P r e fa c e ] 2494 2495

.  .  . to bless [you] .  .  . [night] and day .  .  . [you who made] heaven [and] all that is in [it, the earth and what is on earth,] seas and rivers and [all that is] in [them]; [you] who made us [according to your] own image and likeness. You made everything through your wisdom, the light [of?] your true Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, giving thanks through him to you with him and the Holy Spirit, we offer the reasonable sacrifice and this bloodless service, which all the nations offer you. From sunrise to sunset, from south to north, [for] your “name is great among all the nations, and in every place incense is offered to your holy name and a pure sacrifice.”1 [Intercessions]

2496

Over this sacrifice and offering we pray and beseech you, remember your holy and only Catholic Church, all your peoples and all your flocks. Provide the peace which is from heaven in all our hearts, and grant us also peace during this life. The .  .  . of the land powerful things toward us, and towards your [holy] name, the prefect of the province, the army, the princes, councils .  .  . 2497 [for seedtime and] harvest .  .  . preserve, for the poor of [your] people, for all of us who call upon [your] name, for all who hope in you. Grant rest to the souls of those who have fallen asleep; remember those of whom we make mention today, both those whose names we say [and] those whose names we do not recite .  .  . [Remember] our orthodox fathers and bishops everywhere; and grant us to have a part and a lot with .  .  . your holy prophets, apostles, and martyrs. Receive (?) [through] their entreaties [these prayers]; grant them through our Lord, through whom be glory to you to the ages of ages.

1. Mal 1:11.

Index to Volume Two Numbers in bold and within parentheses are subhead numbers, which indicate particular authors/documents in this volume. All other numbers refer to marginal paragraph numbers. Abitina, Acts of the Martyrs of. See Acts of the Martyrs of Abitina account of institution. See Eucharistic Prayer/anaphora: institution account acolyte(s), 1198 Acts of Pilate, 1920 Acts of the Martyrs of Abitina, 862–67 (48) Addai and Mari, Anaphora of. See Anaphora of Addai and Mari Aetheria. See Egeria/Aetheria agape, 1954, 1979 Alexandria, 1349, 1458, 2031–32, 2360 Alleluia, no celebration till heard, 2444 alms, praying for those who give, 1723 almsgiving cleanses one’s hands, 1537 role of deacons in, 2248 working with hands and, 1355 See also poor: care for altar(s), 873, 2454 incensing, 907 linen cloth covering, 873 only clerics allowed to approach, 1971 setting up a separate, 1949 spiritual and living forever, 2425 symbol of Christ, 1103 as table, 1396, 1500, 2413 women not allowed to approach, 1990 See also Eucharist: as sacrifice ambo. See pulpit/ambo Ambrose of Milan (d. 397), 901–1184 (53) Ambrosian Baptistery, Epigraph in the, 1213 (57-B)

“analempsis.” See deceased: “analempsis” for anamnesis. See Eucharistic Prayer/ anaphora: anamnesis (memorial) Ananias, 1855 anaphora. See Eucharistic Prayer/ anaphora Anaphora of Addai and Mari, 1936–46 (79) Anastasis (Jerusalem), 2164–2219 passim Ancyra, Synod of (314). See councils/ synods: Ancyra (314) “And with your spirit,” 1500, 1536, 1596–97 angel(s) baptism, present at, 951, 1010, 1072, 1553 baptism not in the name of, 900 “bread” of, 1343 Communion, distributing, 2363 descending into the pool, 916, 1031–32 dying, assisting the, 1597 prayer and, 1533 sacrifice, assisting at, 907, 1523, 1596–97 worshiped, not to be, 1985 Anicetus, Pope (ca. 154–ca. 166), 2025, 2027 anointed ones, 2123 anointing, 1324 Holy Spirit and. See Holy Spirit: anointing and of Jesus Christ, 871 postbaptismal. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: anointing(s), postbaptismal

431

432  Index to Volume Two prebaptismal. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: anointing(s), prebaptismal reconciliation of heretics and, 1460, 1960 See also chrism/myron; oil: blessing of anonymous Roman deacon (4th century), 1202–10 (56) Antioch, Synod of (341). See councils/ synods: Antioch (341) antiphonal psalmody. See psalms/ psalmody: singing, methods of antiphons, 2164–2218 Apelleites, 1246 Aphraates (early 4th century), 1599– 1600 (75) apostles, feasts of baptism on, 1193 servants not working on, 1820 Apostolic Canons. See Apostolic Constitutions Apostolic Constitutions, 1608–1911 (77) aputactitae, 2187, 2205, 2208, 2213, 2220 Aquarians, 1185. See also water: replacing wine Aquilea, 2407 Arabians, 1356 architecture, church. See church(es): architecture of Arian(s), 1136, 1171, 1173, 1460, 2399, 2470 Arimium, Council of. See councils/ synods: Arimium (359) Arles I, Synod of (314). See councils/ synods: Arles I (314) Ascension, feast of, 1187–88, 1288, 1643 as observed in Jerusalem, 2209 servants not working on, 1820 assembly, 1611, 1613, 1657 absenting oneself from, 1274, 1289, 1299, 1619, 2349, 2362 applauding during, 1525 as Body of Christ, 1483, 1487, 1619 celebration, needed for, 2444 Christ present within, 1476 church, held outside a, 1953, 2363 church, within a, 1952 church space, overflowing, 1395

on Easter, 1933 energumens as members of, 2464 as a feast, 1476 forbidden by government, 862 on Friday, 1932 hearers and not bodies required, 1477 improper behavior in, 1341, 1495–96, 1506, 1527 Lent, during, 1933 nonbaptized and infidels excluded from, 1616 place for song, 1471, 1496 place of joy, 1472 power of, 1500 praise for, 1526 on Saturday, 1644, 1935 on Sunday, 1644, 1932 town, held outside the, 2076 unity in. See unity: faithful, of the visitors, 1617–18 on Wednesday, 1932 Athanasius (ca. 296–373), 2399–2424 (90) Athanasius, Canons of Father. See Canons of Father Athanasius Athanasius, Pseudo-. See PseudoAthanasius baptism/initiation, 1227–34 (60-A), 1350–53 (67-E-3),1374–83 (68-A-5) Arians and, 2399 bathing in water before, 2283 of catechumens, possessed, 2463 of catechumens unable to confess the faith, 2465 of children. See children/infants: baptism of Christ and, 1303–4, 1545, 1561, 1599, 2120–28 Church and, 1301–2, 1304 circumcision and, 1935 converting from heresy, of those, 1961, 2037–40 of converts to the Church, 1350 danger, of those in, 1194 day(s) for celebrating, 905, 1189, 1193, 1300, 1342, 1573–76, 2360. See also Pasch/Easter: baptism during

Index to Volume Two  433 deaconesses, role in, 1625 deceased, not conferred upon the, 883 devil and, 1046–47. See also baptism/initiation, liturgy of: the devil, renunciation of of the dying, 1646, 1815, 2463 of energumens, 2463 faith and, 1323, 1498, 1543–44, 1551–77 fasting before. See fasting/fasts: baptism, before fish and, 1055 harassed by unclean spirits, of those, 1284 of heathens, 1286 heretics conferring, 1193, 1882 by John the Baptist. See baptism (of Jesus) by John Manichaeans and, 2400 martyrdom and, 1166, 1269, 1373, 1542, 2102, 2281, 2477 menstruating women and, 2283, 2467 minister(s) of, 872, 951, 1294, 1378, 1488, 1559, 1577, 1593, 1595, 1620–22 names for, 1375, 1570, 2353, 2356 necessity of, 1065 new name given, 2353, 2356 New Testament and, 1064 Old Testament types, 945, 955–63, 1016–18, 1024, 1026–27, 1029, 1036, 1039–41, 1170, 1265–68, 1343, 1373, 1599 only one, 1030, 1500 outside the Church, by those, 1350 Phrygians and, 2400 pool of Siloah and, 967, 1031–35 postponing, 1377, 1400–2 (69-C-4), 1567 repeated, not, 874–75, 1193, 1221, 1883, 2045, 2092 repeated thrice, 1919 Samosata, followers of, 2400 of the sick, 889, 1286–87, 1993 sponsors/godparents, 1549–50, 2214, 2286 See also Holy Spirit: baptism and; water, baptismal

baptism/initiation, effects of, 966, 1264, 1343, 1561, 2096 adoption as children, 915, 1559, 2096, 2121, 2123 death/life, 1051, 1394, 1498, 1545, 1558, 1599, 1627, 1647, 2121–22 as enlightenment/illumination, 914, 1302, 1342, 1374–75, 1438, 1570, 1608, 1704 forgiveness of (washing away/ cleansing) sin, 896, 919, 937, 956, 1041, 1047, 1050, 1066, 1102, 1170, 1213, 1344, 1396, 1401–2, 1542, 1558–59, 1571, 1913, 2096, 2101, 2104, 2121, 2476. See also sin, forgiveness of rebirth, 894–98, 1004, 1016, 1045, 1052–55, 1233, 1252–53, 1264, 1404, 1570, 1595, 1609, 2096, 2119, 2286, 2458, 2475 as seal, 913–14, 986–87, 1060, 1132–34, 1344, 1461, 1601, 1608, 1627, 1646, 1943, 2081, 2096, 2101, 2141, 2318, 2476 unity, 894, 898 baptism/initiation, liturgy of adhesion to Christ, 1554, 1583–84, 1646, 1661, 2114 anointing, 1600, 1605–6, 1608, 2085 anointing(s), postbaptismal (e.g., confirmation/chrismation), 974–75, 1052–53, 1060–62, 1249, 1294, 1394, 1577, 1626, 1646, 1668–69, 1994, 2124, 2290–92. See also chrism/myron; Holy Spirit: baptism and anointing(s), prebaptismal, 1008, 1555, 1557, 1577, 1626, 2118–33, 2288, 2382 catechesis immediately after, 2106. See also mystagogical catechesis Christ, putting on, 2476 clothing, removal of, 1569, 1586, 1598, 2117, 2286 cross, signing with, 1556, 1584–85, 1913, 2284. See also signing with the cross the devil, renunciation of, 950, 952, 1009, 1234, 1324, 1552–53,

434  Index to Volume Two 1579–82, 1628, 1661–63, 2108–15, 2288, 2376 “ephphetha,” 1006–7, 1063–66 Eucharist and, 905, 1072–75, 1563, 2293, 2361 exorcisms, 1194, 1379, 1460, 1546, 2093, 2099, 2284, 2288. See also oil: blessing of exsufflation/insufflation, 1460, 2093, 2476 facing east, 2284. See also orientation for prayer facing west, 2288. See also orientation for prayer formulas, 874, 900, 910, 965, 973, 1038, 1042, 1048, 1050, 1131, 1221, 1323, 1350, 1398, 1404, 1559, 1578, 1626, 1646, 1661, 1885, 1887–89, 2289, 2399–2400 immersion/going down into/coming out of water, 1324, 1498, 1559, 1627, 1886, 1890, 2119 inscription of names, 1064, 1194, 1400, 1543, 1991, 2090, 2214, 2467 instruction of candidates, 2215. See also mystagogical catecheses kiss of peace, 1560, 1587–88, 2292. See also kiss of peace milk and honey, 886, 901, 2293 mystagogical catecheses. See mysta­ gogical catechesis the Our Father, receiving/reciting back, 1628 prayer after, 1672–73, 2378 prayer after reception, 2377 profession/handing over of the creed/profession of faith, 1153–54 (53-N), 1172, 1498, 1664, 1992–93, 2115, 2119, 2216–17 white garment/linen cloth, 897, 979–82, 1110, 1377, 1545, 1558, 2082, 2142 See also baptismal font/pool/shell; bishop(s)/hierarch(s): baptism and; catechumenate, length of; catechumens; feet, washing of; hand(s), imposition/laying on of; hands, washing of; Holy Spirit: baptism and; oil: blessing of; sign-

ing with the cross; water, baptismal baptism (of Jesus) by John, 871, 924, 1021, 1216, 1263–64, 1373, 1599, 2121 baptismal font/pool/shell, 895, 897, 1053, 1213, 1291, 1500, 2361 baptismal oil. See chrism/myron; oil baptistery, 950 baptized, newly, prayer for, 1724, 2375 Basil the Great (ca. 330–79), 1322–65 (67), 1384–85 basilica, architecture of. See church(es): architecture of bema, 1383–84, 1515, 1596, 1740 Bethlehem, 2173–74, 2176, 2205, 2209 bishop(s)/hierarch(s) almsgiving and, 2431 baptism and, 1006–7, 1014, 1249, 1285, 1294, 1622 care for the poor, 2431 Church’s goods and, 1880 Communion, receiving, 1786 Communion to the dying and, 1453 continence and, 1156 Daily Office, role at, 2164–2220 passim deaconesses and, 1625 deacons and. See deacon(s): bishop(s) and dismissals from liturgy and, 1697 divorce and, 1860 escorted into church, 2359 eunuchs ordained as, 1870 examining those to be ordained, 884 failing to minister after ordination, 1877 fasting and, 2323 first fruits and, 1812, 1859 giving the peace, 1532, 2241 holding assemblies twice a year, 1878 Holy Spirit and, 1536 leaving his diocese, 1299 length of penance, determining, 888 ministry of, 953, 1006–7, 1014, 1249, 1279, 1293, 1609, 1615, 1810–11, 1893, 1927, 2320, 2430 ordaining within his own district, 1876

Index to Volume Two  435 ordination of, 1223, 1630, 1679–1793, 1809, 1856, 1908, 2239–40 permission required by presbyters and deacons, 1879 prayer(s) for, 1540, 1717, 2392 praying for Christian people, 1734–36 presbyter, differing from a, 1927–28 relative, not to ordain a, 1904 reverence toward, 1608, 1658 selection of, 1658, 1681, 1905–6, 2239 seven orders in the Church, one of, 2426 steps before ordination of, 1198–99 time between baptism and ordination, determining, 1448 use of the word, 1503 visiting from another church, 1617 widows and, 1624 See also chorbishop(s); chrism/ myron: preparation by bishop; clerics; hand(s), imposition/laying on of bishop’s chair/cathedra, 868, 1532, 1536, 1611, 2201–2, 2245–46, 2359, 2360, 2412, 2413 books with impious titles, 1894 bread blessing of, 2384 breaking of. See Communion rite: fraction/breaking of bread warm and fresh, 2452 burial of Macrina, 1390–93 procession, 1385, 1513, 1645, 2385 psalmody during, 1390–91, 1541, 1645, 2347 candles, 1281, 2080 canonical readings. See Word, Liturgy of: canonical readings Canons of Father Athanasius, 2425–61 (91) Canons of Hippolytus, 2237–2338 (85) cantor(s)/singer(s), 1341, 1356 baptize, not to, 1622 books, using only catholic, 2432 Communion, receiving, 1786 function of, 1810

greeting to, 1421 Holy Spirit and, 2428 marry, permitted to, 1872 orarion, not to wear, 1975 praying for, 1721 readers as, 1967 seven orders in the Church, one of, 2426 singing alone, 1496 singing during Communion rite, 2158 singing only from Psalter, 2449 taverns, not to frequent, 1976 teaching others, 2449 Cappadocia, 1920 Cappadocians, 1403 Carthage, 863, 880 Carthage, Synod of (345–48). See councils/synods: Carthage (345–48) Carthage II, Synod of (390). See councils/synods: Carthage II (390) Cassius, 2030 Cataphrygians, 1246, 1255 catechumenate, length of, 1287, 1817, 1991, 2274 catechumens almsgiving on behalf of, 1504 Anastasis, not to enter the, 2218 baptism, desiring when in danger of death, 2463 baptism of, 1289 baptism of those unable to confess the faith, 2465 baptized by a member of the faithful, 1285 bread sent to, 2298 Communion and, 2462 dismissal of, 1614, 1690–98, 1742, 1823, 1831 faithful, numbered among the, 2263 forbidden jobs and professions, 1815–16, 2265–71 gathering in church, 2100 hands, not to lift up the, 1537 hearers, 1352, 1437 imposing hands upon, 1660, 2395. See also hand(s), imposition/laying on of midwives not to pray with, 2276

436  Index to Volume Two mysteries, present at, 1918 new mothers praying with, 2279 Pasch (Eucharist), not to celebrate the, 1531 Pasch, only salt given to during, 882 pray with believers, not to, 1821, 2275, 2481 prayer by, 1540 prayer for, 1499, 1971, 2388 preparation of, 1659, 1814–17, 2091, 2099–2100, 2105, 2215, 2263, 2282, 2319, 2355–56 slavery and, 1816 See also elect (competentes); secret, discipline of; signing with the cross Cathars, 1350, 1449, 1460 cathedra. See bishop’s chair/cathedra Catholic, 1246–47 cemeteries, 1645 of heretics, 1962 offering Eucharist in, 1962 women keeping night vigils in, 1282 See also burial chalice. See cup chant. See singing children/infants assembly and, 1341, 1481, 1613 baptism of, 939, 1194, 1376, 1380, 1438, 1562, 2286, 2357, 2458 bema, standing near, 1740 night vigils and, 1487 Palm Sunday, carrying branches on, 2192 praying for, 1729 singing hymns, 2198 singing Kyrie eleison, 2166 singing psalms, 1158 See also Communion: to children chorbishop(s) and diocesan bishop, 1950 limitations of, 1431, 1950 chrism/myron, 1608 blessing of, 1653–54. See also oil: blessing of preparation by bishop, 876, 891 symbolism of, 1646 See also baptism/initiation, liturgy of: anointing(s), postbaptismal

Christ. See Jesus Christ Christian, name of, 867, 1246–47, 2085 Christian prayer. See Office, Daily (cathedral)—east; Office, Daily (cathedral)—west; Office, Daily (monastic)—east; Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of) Christians, 2129 persecution of to cease, 2054, 2073 Christmas. See Nativity of the Lord Chrysologus, Peter. See Peter Chrysologus Chrysostom, John. See John Chrysostom church(es) architecture of, 1611 building of stimulated, 2054–58 construction of, 1485–86 decoration within, 2174 dedication/consecration of, 2055–58, 2219–20, 2404 despoliation of, 2413 many in world, 1403 panagyric on construction of, 2058–71 pictures on walls, 1283 place for sacrifice, 943 place of assembly, 1952 restrictions on use of, 1979 therapeutes and, 2004 women dancing in, 1340 See also prayer(s): places for Church, members of Christ’s body. See assembly: as Body of Christ Clement of Rome (d. 101), 1854, 1910 clerics not allowed to become, those, 1895 altar, allowed to approach, 1971 fasting and, 2323 heretics, role forbidden to, 1881 marry, forbidden to, 1872 penance, admitted/not admitted to, 1200 taverns, not to frequent, 1976 wives, refraining from, 1280 collection for poor. See almsgiving Communion, 1349 (67-E-2) to apostates, 1224 to children, 1786, 2293

Index to Volume Two  437 not consuming what is received, 1296 as “daily bread,” 1120–22 deceased, not given to the, 883 dismissal of those not receiving, 2470 to the dying/Viaticum, 1197, 1212, 1224, 1284, 1290, 1435, 1597, 2032–36, 2441 fasting before, 2295, 2312 fruits of, 1003, 1157, 1510 the “holy may approach.” See Communion rite: invitation to receive layman having a nocturnal emission, 2473 married persons and, 2466. See also married couple, refraining from intercourse prayer after, 1650, 1789–90 preparation for receiving, 1587, 1614, 2145, 2150, 2418 receive, those not to, 1270–74, 1281, 1352, 1650 received by a catechumen, 2462 receiving in the hand, 2045, 2159 reverence toward. See Eucharist: reverence toward union with Christ, 1484 worthy/unworthy, reception of, 1236, 1241, 1501, 1518–20 See also Eucharist: frequency of reception/celebration Communion rite blessing of the people, 2370–71 bread sent to catechumens, 2298 cantor singing during, 2158 clerics failing to receive, 1863–64 cup, receiving from, 1493, 1563, 1589, 1604, 2088, 2160, 2293, 2402. See also wine, at Eucharist cup of blessing, 1489 disposal of what remains, 2454 formulas, 999, 1092, 1521, 1784–85, 1787–88, 2157 fraction/breaking of bread, 2369, 2439 invitation to receive, 1652 minister of, 1279, 1455, 1514, 1593, 2320, 2363–64, 2402 order of receiving, 1786

Our Father during, 2155–56 See also eulogia; kiss of peace concluding rites. See Mass/Divine Liturgy: rites, concluding confessors, ordained/not ordained, 1805, 2251 Confirmation. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: anointing(s), postbaptismal Constantine, 1923–25, 1947, 2072, 2075, 2077–82, 2172, 2174–75 letter of, 1313–21 Constantinople I, Council of (381). See councils/synods: Constantinople I (381) councils/synods Ancyra (314), 1422–36 (71-A) Antioch (341), 1947–50 (80-A) Ariminum (359), 1193 Arles I (314), 1220–24 (59-A) Carthage (345–48), 874–75 (50-A) Carthage II (390), 876–78 (50-B) Constantinople I (381), 1460 (71-D) Elvira (ca. 300), 1270–94 (62-A) Gangra (ca. 345), 1951–55 (80-B) Hippo (393), 879–93 (50-C) Laodicea (between 343 and 381), 1956–2003 (80-C) Neo-Caesarea (ca. 320), 1437–47 (71-B) Nicaea I (325), 1448–57 (71-C), 1458–59 (71-C-2), 1925–26, 1947 Nîmes (394), 1226 (59-C) Saragossa (ca. 380), 1295–98 (62-B) Sardica (Serdica) (ca. 343), 1299 (63) Valence (374), 1225 (59-B) creed/profession of faith explanation of, 1153–54 (53-N) handing over. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: profession/handing over of the creed/profession of faith cross relic of true, 2201 signing with. See signing with the cross veneration of, 2201 cup deacon holding, 2442

438  Index to Volume Two receiving Communion from. See Communion rite: cup, receiving from Cyprian of Carthage (b. between 200 and 210; d. 258), 1246, 1256, 1262, 1350 Cyril of Jerusalem (ca. 315–87), 2090– 2162 (82) Damasus I, Pope (ca. 366–84), 900 (52) dancing, 1506 spiritual, 930–31 deaconess(es) appointment of, 1799–1800, 1931 Communion, receiving, 1786 greeting to, 1421 imposition of hands, not to receive the, 1456 ministry of, 1613, 1625, 1629, 1810, 1930–31 deacon(s) not baptizing by, 1854 bishop(s) and, 1455, 1629–30, 1879, 1928, 1949, 2304, 2336 bless, not to, 1854 Communion, receiving, 1455, 1786 continence and, 1156 correcting others, 1850 divorce and, 1860 first fruits and, 1812, 1859 greeting to, 1421 guilty of serious sin, 1361 holding cup, 2442 liturgical fans and, 2443. See also fan(s), liturgical minister after ordination, who fail to, 1877 ministry of, 1810, 2322 number of, 1447 offer, not to, 1222, 1854 older deacons being present, 2443 ordain, not to, 1630 ordination of, 1431, 1630, 1797–98, 1856, 1950, 2247, 2249–50, 2379 poor and, 1629, 2248 praying for, 1720, 2392 presbyter, replacing, 2324 presbyters and, 1630 presbyters, not to give Communion to, 1455, 2321

presbyters, not to sit in presence of, 1972 presbyters, not to sit with, 1455, 1972 presence at Morning Prayer, 2164 psalmody and, 2412 reverence toward, 1658 role, 1613, 1629, 2248 role at baptism/initiation, 953, 1008, 1010, 1014, 1294, 1622, 1814 role at Mass/Divine Liturgy, 1279, 1499, 1524, 1526, 1533, 1540, 1610–15, 1617–18, 1689–1743, 1788, 1791, 1793, 2145–46, 2424, 2433, 2470 role at Morning Prayer, 1831–32, 1835, 1838 role at ordinations, 1682 role during prayer for the deceased, 1841–42, 1845 role during the lucernarium, 1822–24, 1827, 1830, 2326 role in Jerusalem, 2163–2211 passim role on Good Friday, 2447 sacred vessels, not to touch, 1973 who sacrificed during persecutions, 1423 selection of, 1658 seven orders in Church, one of, 2426 sick and, 1629, 2304 who sin, 1442 striking one another at altar, 2434 taverns, not to frequent, 1976 visiting from another church, 1617 See also clerics; diaconate deceased almsgiving on behalf of, 1504 “analempsis” for, 2327 baptized, not to be, 883 bodies of, those who care for, 1931 burial of. See burial commemorating, 1848–49 community and relatives of, 2460 Eucharist, not to be given, 883 Eucharist offered for, 1607 praying for, 1169, 1504, 1631, 1645, 1841–47, 1929, 1934, 2153–54, 2385 Dêr Balyzeh Papyrus, 2484–93 (95)

Index to Volume Two  439 devil, renunciation of the. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: the devil, renunciation of diaconate step toward presbyterate, 1198–99 women elevated to, 1226 Didascalia of the 318 Fathers (Fides Nicaena), 2398 (89) Didymus the Blind (ca. 313–98), 2475–77 (93) Dionysius the Great of Alexandria (d. ca. 264), 1350, 2032, 2037–46 direct psalmody. See psalms/psalmody: singing, methods of dismissals of those not receiving Communion, 2470 See also Word, Liturgy of: dismissals from; catechumens: dismissal of; energumens: dismissal of; penitent(s): dismissal of Dokimeion, marble slab from, 1461 (72-A) Donatist(s), 893 doorkeeper(s), 1613 baptize, not to, 1622 function of, 2429, 2433 greeting to, 1421 role on Good Friday, 2447 seven orders in Church, one of, 2426 taverns, not to frequent, 1976 Doxology, Great, 1675. See also Eucharistic Prayer/anaphora: conclusion of dying, 1567 assisted by angels, 1597 See also Communion: to the dying/ Viaticum east, facing at baptism, 952, 2115 during prayer. See orientation for prayer Easter. See Pasch/Easter Easter, octave of, 1643 Easter season. See paschal season Easter vigil. See Pasch/Easter: vigil Easter week as observed in Jerusalem, 2205, 2218

servants and, 1820 Ebionites, 2009 Ecclesiastical Canons of the Apostles. See Apostolic Constitutions Egeria/Aetheria, 2163–2220 (83) Egypt, 1349, 1458 Egyptians, 1356 elderly, sitting in church, 1613 elect (competentes) dismissal of, 1704–7, 1831 enrolling names of, 1194 Eleona, 2175–2220 passim Elvira, Synod of (ca. 300). See councils/ synods: Elvira (ca. 300) emergency baptism. See baptism/initiation: of the sick Encratites, 1350–51 energumens, 1278, 1481, 1524, 1526 catechumens who are, 2463–64 clerics, not to become, 1907 dismissal of, 1823, 1831 present on Sunday, 2464 eortae, 2178 Ephesus, 908 Ephraem the Syrian (ca. 306–73), 1601–7 (76) epiclesis. See Eucharistic Prayer/ anaphora: epiclesis/invocation of the Holy Spirit Epigraph of Saint Tarcisius. See Tarcisius, Epigraph of Saint Epiphanius of Salamis (ca. 315–403), 1912–35 (78) Epiphany, 1186–87, 1368–73, 1463 attending church each day for three weeks before, 1297 baptism and, 1194 Basil and, 1384 bishop washing priests’ feet on, 2453 Communion, receiving on, 1501 no fasting or kneeling on, 1932 Jerusalem and Bethlehem, as celebrated in, 2173–77 observing, day and month for, 1631 octave of, 2175–77 rejoicing, day of, 2431 servants not to work on, 1820

440  Index to Volume Two episcopal ordination. See bishop(s)/ hierarch(s), ordination of Eucharist bread, unleavened, 1917, 1987 “broken bread scattered/gathered,” 1650, 2367, 2488 celebrated by Christians, 866–67 celebrated for a particular person, 1167, 1607 forgiveness of sins and, 1095, 1150 frequency of reception/celebration, 1121–22, 1150, 1157, 1349, 1486, 1508–9, 1516–21, 2084 “many grains,” 1490, 1650 as meal/banquet, 901, 1109, 1394, 1480, 1493, 1535–36, 2085, 2140, 2413 minister(s) of, 1514, 1535, 1620–21, 1652, 1655, 1951, 2026 miracles associated with, 1366 offered by heretics, not to be, 1882 offered for the deceased, 1607 offered in private homes, 2001 Old Testament types, 902, 992–96, 1077–79 Real Presence, 904, 943, 995–99, 1081–92, 1097–99, 1108, 1120, 1127, 1129–30, 1217, 1388, 1396, 1490, 1492, 1598, 1602–5, 1912, 2113, 2127, 2134–43, 2158, 2424–25 reservation of, 1349, 1366, 1491, 2032–36, 2441 reverence toward, 1382, 1492, 2159, 2313–15, 2402 as sacrifice, 907, 1152, 1155, 1173, 1478, 1490, 1516, 1529, 1535–37, 1589, 1607, 1616, 1657, 1971, 2085, 2204, 2210, 2367 as thanksgiving, 1478, 1650–52, 1748, 1940–41, 1946, 2365 unity and, 1490 See also Communion Eucharist, Liturgy of bringing/presenting/distributing/ praying over gifts, 1277, 1723, 1743, 1858–59, 2242, 2324–25, 2424 Last Supper, relationship to, 1602–3 mixed cup. See wine, at Eucharist: mixed with water

preparation for. See Communion: preparation for receiving See also Communion rite; Eucharist; Eucharistic Prayer/anaphora; hands, washing of Eucharistic Prayer/anaphora, 904, 1602, 1744–73, 2365–68 anamnesis (memorial), 1094, 1749–54, 1756–58, 2490 conclusion of, 1772, 1946, 2045, 2244, 2368, 2492. See also Doxology, Great epiclesis/invocation of the Holy Spirit, 873, 918, 1324, 1590, 1595, 1761, 1945, 2113, 2151, 2368, 2487 initial dialogue, 1745–47, 1936, 2147–49, 2242 institution account, 1088–93, 1535, 1759, 2134, 2367, 2489 intercessions/supplications/reading of names/commemorations, 1762–71, 2152–54, 2367, 2484 offering, 1094, 1760, 1942, 2367 people’s participation, 1500, 1948, 2045 preface, 1748, 1937–38, 1940–41, 2150, 2366, 2485 See also Holy, holy, holy/Trisagion eulogia, 1810, 1813, 1966, 1982 Eunomians, 1460 eunuchs, ordination and, 1870–71 Eusebius Pamphilus of Caesarea (ca. 260–ca. 340), 2004–89 (81) evening hymns, 1218 Evening Prayer. See Office, Daily (cathedral)—east: Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers); Office, Daily (cathedral)—west: Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers); Office, Daily (monastic)—east: Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers); Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of): Evening Prayer (lucernarium) exomologesis. See penance/reconciliation: exomologesis exorcisms. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: exorcisms exorcist(s), 1546, 1931 appointment as, 1950

Index to Volume Two  441 bishop’s permission required by, 1978 greeting to, 1421 not ordained, 1950 step toward ordination, 1214 taverns, not to frequent, 1976 exsufflation. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: exsufflation/insufflation faith, profession of. See creed/profession of faith faithful forbidden to associate with the excommunicated, 1948 good order among, 1851–55 meaning of, 1577 prayers for, 1971 Roman use of word, 1005 unity of. See unity: faithful, of the See also laity fan(s), liturgical, 1743, 2443 fasting/fasts at Ascension, 1190 baptism, before, 1647, 2215. See also baptism/initiation: fasting before bishop and. See bishop(s)/ hierarch(s): fasting and Christmas, immediately before or after, 1190 clergy and, 2323 Communion, before. See Communion: fasting before Easter (Pentecost) season, during/ not during the, 908, 1644, 1932, 2208 Epiphany, not on, 1932 feasts, not on, 1644, 1892 for five whole days, 1648 four seasons, during the, 1192 on Friday, 1644, 1648, 1899, 1932, 2236, 2297, 2437 on Holy Saturday, 1648, 2089, 2178 Holy Week, during, 1637, 1639, 2417 Jews, not with the, 1900 on Monday(s), 1648 Pasch, before the (i.e., during Lent), 905, 1190, 1381, 1530, 1631, 1899, 1932, 1996, 2178, 2186–87, 2297, 2416–17, 2423

Pasch, during the, 905, 1631, 1639, 1933, 2023, 2302–3, 2447, 2469 penance, as sign of, 2221–22 on Pentecost, 1190–91 Pentecost, after, 1644, 2213 Pentecost, not during, 1932 poor, to benefit, 1530, 1644. See also poor: care for Saturdays, on/not on, 905, 1637, 1896, 1918, 2213, 2456 Sundays, on/not on, 905, 908, 1295, 1644, 1896, 1955, 2213, 2236 superpositiones, 1275–76 Thursdays, on/not on, 1648 virgins and, 2323 Wednesdays, on/not on, 1644, 1648, 1899, 1932, 2236, 2297, 2437 widows and, 2323 See also Communion: fasting before Fausta, basilica of, 1176 feast(s), yearly, 2431 feet, washing of, 976–78, 1056–59, 1291, 1599, 2453 Fides Nicaena. See Didascalia of the 318 Fathers Filaster of Brescia (d. 397), 1185–92 (54) first fruits, 886, 1656, 1812 blessing of, 1839–40, 2243, 2333–35 prayer for those who give, 1723 Flavius Latinus, Epigraph of, 1214 (57-C) font/pool, baptismal. See baptismal font/pool/shell fraction (breaking of bread). See Communion rite: fraction/breaking of bread frequency of Communion. See Eucharist: frequency of reception/ celebration Fridays assembly on, 1932 Communion, receiving on, 1349 fasting on. See fasting/fasts: on Friday funeral meals. See meal(s): funeral funerals. See burial Galerius, Decree of, 1307–12 Galerius, Letter of, 1313–21

442  Index to Volume Two Gangra, Synod of (ca. 345). See councils/synods: Gangra (ca. 345) general intercessions. See Word, Liturgy of: petitions genuflecting. See kneeling/ prostrating/genuflecting gifts, bringing/presenting of. See Eucharist, Liturgy of: bringing/presenting/distributing/praying over gifts godparents. See baptism/initiation: sponsors/godparents Good Friday baptismal candidates and, 1579 as observed in Jerusalem, 2198–2203 priests gathering at third hour, 2447 gospel book, 2169, 2194–95, 2255 grave diggers, greeting to, 1421 “Great Week,” 2191–2203, 2217, 2414. See also Holy Week greeting, reader not to extend, 881 Gregory of Elvira (d. after 392), 1263–69 (61) Gregory of Nazianzus (ca. 329–89), 1366–87 (68) Gregory of Nyssa (ca. 330–95), 1388– 1420 (69) hand(s), imposition/laying on of, 1503, 1544, 1810 baptism, after, 1285, 1608, 2373 baptism, before, 1626, 2284 catechumens, upon, 1660, 2278, 2395. See also catechumens: imposing hands upon diaconal ordinations, during, 2249, 2379 episcopal ordinations, during, 2381 laity, not upon, 1621 lucernarium, during the, 1827–29 Morning Prayer, during, 1835–37 offerings, upon, 2242 presbyteral ordination, during, 1441, 1450, 1795, 2380 presbyters, not given by, 1622 readers, not upon, 2255 reconciliation, during, 870, 888 reconciliation of heretics, during, 1193

sick, upon, 922 hands, upraised, 1144–45, 1167, 1474–75, 1511, 1537, 1580 hands, washing of, 1740, 2145 Hannah, 1644 hearers. See catechumens: hearers heathens. See pagans hebdomadarii, 2186 heretics baptism by, 900 Eucharist, when present at, 2470 eulogiae of, 1982 excluded from house of God, 1959 forgiveness of sins by, 921 reconciliation of, 1193, 1221, 1353, 1456, 1460, 1960–61, 2037–40 See also baptism/initiation: of heretics Hilary of Poitiers (ca. 315–67), 1216–19 (58) Hippo, Synod of (393). See councils/ synods: Hippo (393) Hippolytus, Canons of. See Canons of Hippolytus Holy, holy, holy/Trisagion, 1471, 1502, 1755, 1939, 2366, 2486 Holy Saturday. See Pasch/Easter: vigil Holy Spirit anointing and, 2123. See also baptism/initiation, liturgy of: anointing(s), postbaptismal baptism and, 897, 911–19, 956, 964–65, 970–71, 973, 1004, 1019, 1021, 1042–43, 1132, 1135–36, 1216, 1233, 1252–53, 1322–23, 1396, 1398, 1544, 1558, 1588, 1601, 1608, 1627, 1646, 2101, 2123–30, 2291–92, 2475, 2477. See also baptism/initiation, liturgy of: anointing(s), postbaptismal bishop, present in, 1536 bishop and, 2254 cantor(s) and, 2428 forgiveness of sin and, 1683 orders and, 1589, 1683 prayer and, 1330, 2254 reconciliation of heretics and, 1193 role in Christian life, 2475 sending of, 1643

Index to Volume Two  443 Holy Thursday fasting on, 887 as observed in Jerusalem, 2196–97 Holy Week as observed in Jerusalem, 2191–2203 priests remaining in church, 2447 sadness, a time of, 2301 servants and, 1820 See also “Great Week” Hours. See Office, Daily (cathedral)— east; Office, Daily (cathedral)—west; Office, Daily (monastic)—east; Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of) Hydroparastatae, 1350 hymn, evening, 1676–77 hymns Ambrosian, 1181–84 (53-T) at evening, 1934 God, accepted by, 1464 God, sent up to, 1465 in Jerusalem, 2164–2218 passim monastic use of, 1505 morning, 944, 2086, 2164 morning and evening, 1218, 2086 singing in imitation of angels, 1471 singing of, 863, 906, 943, 1171, 1347, 1511–12 sung at funerals, 1513, 1541 sung continually, 1355, 2482 therapeutes and, 2005, 2007 virgins and, 2482 Ignatius, Pseudo-. See Pseudo-Ignatius Imbomon, 2192–2212 passim imposition of hands. See hand(s), imposition/laying on of incensation of altar, 907 Anastasis, in grotto of the, 2169 liturgy, during, 2461 incense altar of, 1071 bringing in as gift, 1858 infants, baptism of. See children/infants: baptism of institution account. See Eucharistic Prayer/anaphora: institution account intercessions. See Eucharistic Prayer/anaphora: intercessions/

supplications/reading of names/ commemorations introductory rites. See Mass/Divine Liturgy: rites, introductory invocation of Holy Spirit. See Eucharistic Prayer/anaphora: epiclesis/ invocation of the Holy Spirit Irenaeus of Lyons (ca. 130–ca. 200), 2024–31 Jerusalem, 1930, 2012, 2163–2220 (83) Jesus Christ adhesion to, 1554, 1583–84, 1646, 1661, 2114 altar as symbol of, 1103 anointing of, 871 baptism and, 1303–4, 1545, 1561, 1599, 2120–28 baptism by John, 871, 924, 1021, 1216, 1263–64, 1373, 1599, 2121 Communion effecting union with, 1484 prayer and, 885 present within assembly, 1476 putting on, 2476 Jews baptism by, 900, 1030 Christian sacraments and, 1015–16, 1027, 1077 feast with or accept gifts from, not to, 1900, 1986 the Pasch, not to celebrate with, 1947 penance, refusing to do, 931 pray with, not to, 1897 slaying Stephen, 1211 unleavened bread, not to accept from, 1987 John the Baptist, 924, 931, 969, 1011, 1019, 1021, 1046, 1056, 1114, 1264, 1402 John Chrysostom (ca. 347–407), 1464– 1598 (74) Jordan River, 2124 kiss of peace, 1971 at baptism. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: kiss of peace at episcopal ordination, 1738–39, 2241

444  Index to Volume Two eucharistic liturgy, during, 1614, 1774, 2146 women not to give to men, 2277 See also bishop(s)/hierarch(s): giving the peace kneelers. See penitent(s): kneelers kneeling/prostrating/genuflecting baptismal candidates and, 1580 forbidden during Pentecost, 1932 Kyrie eleison, 1695, 1708 sung by children, 2166 labor, forbidden on Sunday. See Sunday/Lord’s Day: no/less labor on Lactantius (ca. 250–ca. 325), 1305–21 (66) laity functions forbidden to, 1621 hands imposed upon, 2396 ordinations and, 884 sharing in decisions, 1500 See also faithful lamps, 1386, 2166, 2429 lighting of, 1284. See also Office, Daily (cathedral)—east: Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers); Office, Daily (cathedral)—west: Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers); Office, Daily (monastic)— east: Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers); Office, Daily (private/ early beginnings of): Evening Prayer (lucernarium) Laodicea, Synod of (between 343 and 381). See councils/synods: Laodicea (between 343 and 381) lapsed catechumens as, 1454 Cathars and, 1449 penance/reconciliation and, 1225, 1422–29, 1451, 2221–24, 2228, 2231, 2232 Last Supper. See Eucharist, Liturgy of: Last Supper, relationship to laying on of hands. See hand(s), imposition/laying on of lectionary. See gospel book lectors. See reader(s)/lector(s) Lent (Quadragesima) assemblies during, 1933

celebrated once a year, 1529 church, those absent from during, 1295 Communion, receiving during, 1501 Eucharist offered only on Saturdays and Sundays during, 1995 fasting during. See fasting/fasts: Pasch, before the marriages not celebrated during, 1998 as observed in Jerusalem, 2182, 2185, 2187 observed in Jerusalem, eight weeks, 2178–88 priest not to go to a bath during, 2437 See also “Great Week” “Let us pray,” 1499 levite(s). See deacon(s) Liberius, Pope, 1193 Licinius, 2072, 2075 Liturgy of the Eucharist. See Eucharist, Liturgy of Liturgy of the Hours. See Office, Daily (cathedral)—east; Office, Daily (cathedral)—west; Office, Daily (monastic)—east; Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of) Liturgy of the Word. See Word, Liturgy of Lord’s Prayer. See Our Father lucernarium, lighting of lamps, 2307, 2326. See also Office, Daily (cathedral)—east: Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers); Office, Daily (cathedral)—west: Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers); Office, Daily (monastic)—east: Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers); Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of): Evening Prayer (lucernarium) Macedonians, 1460 Macrina, 1389–93 (69-B) Manichaeans, 1350, 2400 manna, 993, 1068, 1076, 1091 marriage/wedding bishop and, 1387 Christians attending celebrations of, 1999

Index to Volume Two  445 cleric attending an illicit, 2472 father crowning couple, 1387 heretic, not to a, 1963, 1981 Lent, not during, 1998 to a person engaged to another, 1196 presbyter and, 1439 vows accepted, 1201 married couple, refraining from intercourse, 2474. See also Communion: married persons and martyrdom, baptism and. See baptism/ initiation: martyrdom and martyrion, 1405–19 (69-D-3), 2170– 2220 passim, 2456 martyrs acts of, 879, 892 baptism and. See baptism/initiation: martyrdom and baptism on feast of, 1194 catechumens as, 2281 commemoration of during Lent, 1997 commemoration of, hymns and psalms at, 2083 Eucharist offered in memory of, 2083 false, 1984 feasts of, 2455 nuns and, 2456 poor, meals to assist the, 2083 praying/not praying for, 1645 shrines to, 1175–78 tombs of, gathering at, 1564 veneration of, 1175–78, 1347 vigils in honor of, 2455 See also saints Mary Holy Spirit descending upon, 958 Jesus born of, 998, 1004, 1079, 1084, 1233 Mass/Divine Liturgy dismissal from, 1533. See also catechumens: dismissal of; penitent(s): dismissal of monks leaving early, 2343 people joining monks for, 2344 place of celebration, 2405–11 rites, concluding, 1791–93, 2162 rites, introductory, 1611

Sunday celebration of in Jerusalem, 2170 time of celebration, 943 See also assembly; Word, Liturgy of; Eucharist, Liturgy of Matins. See Office, Daily (cathedral)— east: Morning Prayer (Matins); Office, Daily (cathedral)—west: Morning Prayer (Matins); Office, Daily (monastic)—east: Morning Prayer (Matins); Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of): Morning Prayer meal(s) funeral, 1850 prayer at, 903, 1348, 1678, 2328–32, 2479–81 meal/banquet, Eucharist as. See Eucharist: as meal/banquet Melchizedek, 1097–98, 1659, 1683, 1855 Melitius, 2428 memorial, prayer of. See Eucharistic Prayer/anaphora: anamnesis (memorial) Methodius of Philippi (d. ca. 311), 1301–4 (65) midnight, prayer at. See Office, Daily (cathedral)—east: nocturnal prayer (vigils); Office, Daily (cathedral)— west: nocturnal prayer (vigils); Office, Daily (monastic)—east: nocturnal prayer (vigils); Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of): nocturnal prayer (vigils) midwives number of, 2280 purification of, 2276 Milan, 1314 milk and honey. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: milk and honey mixed cup. See wine, at Eucharist: mixed with water monasticism/monks/nuns hours and, 1327–38 (67-B) omitting work to pray, 1327–28, 1331 See also Office, Daily (monastic)— east monasticism, meal prayers after meals, 1339 before meals, 1339

446  Index to Volume Two monazontes, 2164 Mondays, fasting on, 1648 Montanus, 1246, 1350, 1460 Morning Prayer. See Office, Daily (cathedral)—east: Morning Prayer (Matins); Office, Daily (cathedral)— west: Morning Prayer (Matins); Office, Daily (monastic)—east: Morning Prayer (Matins); Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of): Morning Prayer Mount of Olives, 2175–2220 passim musical instruments, 1470, 1512 myron. See chrism/myron mystagogical catechesis, 946–1004 (53-L), 1005–1152 (53-M), 1543–88 (74-V), 2098–2106 (82-B), 2107–62 (82-C) Naaman the Syrian, 926, 961–63, 1013, 1017–18, 1036 names. See Word, Liturgy of: petitions; Eucharistic Prayer/anaphora: intercessions/supplications/reading of names/commemorations Nativity of the Lord, 1187–88 baptism on, 1194 date of observance, 1631 servants not working on, 1820 Nazoraeans, 1914, 1916 Neo-Caesarea, Synod of (ca. 320). See councils/synods: Neo-Caesarea (ca. 320) Nicaea I, Council of (325). See councils/synods: Nicaea I (325) night, prayer during. See Office, Daily (cathedral)—east: nocturnal prayer (vigils); Office, Daily (cathedral)— west: nocturnal prayer (vigils); Office, Daily (monastic)—east: nocturnal prayer (vigils); Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of): nocturnal prayer (vigils) Nîmes, Synod of (394). See councils/ synods: Nîmes (394) noncanonical readings. See Word, Liturgy of: noncanonical readings None. See Office, Daily (cathedral)— east: prayer at ninth hour (None);

Office, Daily (monastic)—east: prayer at ninth hour (None); Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of): prayer at ninth hour Novatian (d. 257/258), 920, 1193, 1246, 1253, 1255–56 Novatianism, 1960 Novatians, 920, 1246, 1261, 1460 Office, Daily (cathedral)—east, 2308 Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers), 1565–66, 1821, 1934, 2086, 2166, 2171, 2350 Morning Prayer (Matins), 1356, 1467, 1509, 1565, 1818, 1821, 1934–35, 2086, 2164, 2350 nocturnal prayer (vigils), 1219, 1471, 1473, 1487, 1566, 2173, 2412 prayer at cockcrow, 1512, 2164, 2167–69, 2299, 2309 prayer at ninth hour (None), 1821, 1970, 2165 prayer at sixth hour (Sext), 2165 prayer at third hour (Terce), 1821 times for prayer, 1474, 1565–66, 1821 Office, Daily (cathedral)—west Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers), 903, 943 Morning Prayer (Matins), 906, 944, 1218 nocturnal prayer (vigils), 1176, 1347 prayer at sixth hour (Sext), 943 times for prayer, 903 Office, Daily (monastic)—east Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers), 1334–35, 1505, 1512, 2174 Morning Prayer (Matins), 1329, 1337, 1339, 1505, 1512, 2483 nocturnal prayer (vigils), 1335–36, 1339, 1356, 1511, 2364, 2483 prayer at cockcrow, 1512 prayer at ninth hour (None), 1333, 1339, 1505, 1512, 2478 prayer at sixth hour (Sext), 1332, 1339, 1505, 1512, 2478 prayer at third hour (Terce), 1330, 1339, 1505, 1512, 2478 times for prayer, 1327–38, 1339, 1505, 1511–12

Index to Volume Two  447 Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of) Evening Prayer (lucernarium), 903, 1619, 1821–30 Morning Prayer, 903, 1619, 1821, 1831–38 nocturnal prayer (vigils), 903 prayer at cockcrow, 1821 prayer at ninth hour, 1821 prayer at sixth hour, 1821 prayer at third hour, 1821 times for prayer, 903, 936, 1137, 1619, 1821 oil blessing of, 1324, 1396, 2118, 2127, 2243, 2287, 2356, 2372, 2383–84 bringing as a gift, 1858 drinking of, 2471 offering at a pagan sanctuary or a Jewish temple, 1901 stealing, 1902 symbolism/meaning of, 1627, 1811, 2118 See also chrism/myron Optatus of Milevis (d. ca. 400), 868–73 (49) orarion, 1974–75 orders distinctions among, 1853–55 imposition of hands. See hand(s), imposition/laying on of seven in Church, 2426 stages of, 1198–99, 1214, 1421 ordinations an adulterous wife, of a man with, 1440 age of candidates, 2257 approval by bishop, 1179 confessors and, 1805, 2251 delay required for the recently baptized, 1957 examination, after an, 884 gift of healing, of those with, 2259 hearers, not to be present at, 1958 impediments to, 1867–69, 1922, 1931 obtained by money, 1874 prayers of the people, requesting, 1500

who sinned before baptism, of those, 1430 slaves and, 2253 study of Scriptures before, 881 twice, not conferred, 1898 See also bishop(s)/hierarch(s): ordination of; deacon(s): ordination of; presbyter(s)/priest(s): ordination of orientation for prayer, 1324, 1326, 1614, 1671. See also baptism/initiation, liturgy of: facing east; baptism/initiation, liturgy of: facing west ostiarius(ii). See doorkeeper(s) Our Father, 870, 1114–25, 1502, 1649, 1671 alternating with psalms, 903 before meals, 2480 See also Communion rite: Our Father during; baptism/initiation, liturgy of: the Our Father, receiving/reciting back Pachomius (ca. 290–346), 2339–49 (86) Pacian of Barcelona (d. before 392), 1227–62 (60) pagans, 1036, 1988 Palestinians, 1356 Palm Sunday in Jerusalem, 2192 Palmas, 2012 Paphnutius (d. ca. 360), 2350–64 (87) Paraclete. See Holy Spirit parthene, 2164 Pasch/Easter, 1187 baptism during, 1194, 1300, 1342. See also baptism/initiation: day(s) for celebrating catechumens and, 882 Constantine and, 2080 date of (e.g., Quartodeciman controversy), 880, 1459, 1600, 1638, 1862, 1920, 1923, 1925, 1947, 1960, 2010–31, 2048–53, 2416 as greatest feast, 1386 happiness and, 1530, 2415 meaning of word, 902 observance of, 2205–6 Sunday after, 1643, 2207 each Sunday as, 1529

448  Index to Volume Two vigil, 894, 1367, 1598, 1641, 1933, 2204, 2338, 2450 washing priests’ feet on, 2453 week after. See Easter week paschal lamb. See Passover: lamb paschal mystery, 1121, 1508, 1529, 1944, 2415 paschal season, 1644, 1966. See also Pentecost/Easter season paschal week. See Easter week passions of the martyrs. See martyrs: acts of Passover Christian. See Pasch/Easter Jewish, 1599 lamb, 902 Paulianists, 1456 peace greeting of, 1936 kiss/sign of. See kiss of peace prayer for, 1494, 1532 penance/reconciliation, 920–35 (53-G), 1246–50 (60-C-1) adulterers and, 1359 allowed once, 935 baptism, after, 1251, 1253, 1257–58, 1921 Christ, those who have denied, 1362 clergy and, 2230 clerics, forbidden/not forbidden to, 1200 community support, 925, 934, 1209–10, 1242, 1262, 1357, 1364, 1481 exomologesis, 1245 fornicators and, 1360 homilies on, 1202–9 (56-A), 1210 (56-B) incest, those guilty of, 1364 length of, 888, 1363, 1365, 1423, 1434, 1436, 1452, 1956 murderers and, 1357–58 persecution, those escaping, 2225–27, 2232 persecution, those provoking, 2229–30 persecution, those who fled, 2233 practices of, 925

robbers and, 1420 role of bishop, 1279 sacrifice, those forced to, 1424 soldiers and, 1452 steps, 1357–60, 1362, 1364, 1424–29, 1432–34 ways of doing, 1537 See also lapsed: penance/reconciliation and; reconciliation penitent(s), 1235–45 (60-B) clerics, not to become, 1200 dismissal of, 1357, 1364, 1500, 1614, 1708–11, 1742, 1823, 1831, 1971. See also Word, Liturgy of: dismissals from hearers, 1357–60, 1364, 1424–29, 1451–52, 1454 kneelers, 1357–60, 1364, 1424–29, 1451–52 mourners, 1357–60, 1362, 1364 relapse, those who, 1197, 1272 standers, 1357–60, 1364, 1424–26, 1428–29, 1432, 1451–54 Pentecost, 1043 fasting afterwards, 1644 a festival, 1457, 1643, 2414, 2416 observance of, 1288 as observed in Jerusalem, 2210–12 role of bishop on, 2431 servants not working on, 1820 Sion, people gathering at, 2172 washing of priests’ feet on, 2453 Pentecost/Easter season celebrating, 908, 1326, 2417 no fasting during, 908, 1644, 1932, 2208 standing during, 1457, 1932 Pepuzites, 1350 Peter of Alexandria (d. probably 311), 2221–36 (84) Photinianism, 1960 Phrygians, 1246, 1460, 1961, 2400 Pius I, Pope, 2025 Polycarp of Smyrna (ca. 69–ca. 155), 1926, 2027 poor care for, 1479–80, 1812 Eucharist, present at, 1618 Eucharist and, 1493

Index to Volume Two  449 goods of the deceased given to, 1848–49 meals to assist, 2083, 2326 served by deacons, 1629, 2248 wine given to, 2436 Postumius Eutenion, Epigraph of, 1215 (57-D) praesidentes, 1964 prayer(s) “at the genuflection,” 2393 authorized forms of, 885 catechumens, heretics, or the unbaptized, not with, 1821 Christ and, 885 Christians and, 899 Church, for the, 2391–92 communal, 1539–40 Constantine and, 2080 deceased, for the. See deceased: praying for deposed cleric, not with a, 1866 energumens, not with, 1907 excommunicated, not with the, 1865 Father and, 885 for fruitfulness, 2390 heretics, not with, 1881, 1897, 1983 at home, 903, 936, 1475, 1511, 1539, 1821, 2307, 2309–10 improvised by bishop, 2254 Jewish times for, 1915 Jews, not with, 1897 at meals. See meal(s): prayer at for others, 1929 people, for the, 2394 places for, 1137–43, 1821 priest and, 1596 in public, 1475 for rulers, 1509, 1537, 1615 schismatics, not with, 1983 in synagogue, 1915 three times a day, 1649 unity in, 1539–40 without ceasing, 2415 women and, 1147 See also orientation for prayer preaching. See Word, Liturgy of: preaching preface. See Eucharistic Prayer/ anaphora: preface

presbyterae, 1964 presbyter(s)/priest(s) arriving after the psalm, 2445 assisting at deaconal ordinations, 1797 attending a second marriage, 1439 baptism and, 1622 baptism, who fail to minister after, 1877 bishop(s)/hierarch(s) and, 878, 891, 1180, 1879, 1949, 2336, 2453 bishops, differing from, 1927–28 chrism and, 891 continence and, 1156 correcting others, 1850 country, in the, 1445 deacons and. See deacon(s): presbyters and departing liturgy early, 2446 deposition, reasons for, 1875 divorce and, 1860 enter a church before the bishop, not to, 2000 episcopal ordination, required before, 1198–99 Eucharist, receiving, 1786 Eucharist, receiving from deacons, 1455 first fruits and, 1812, 1859 greeting to, 1421 impose hands, not to, 1622 interval between baptism and ordination, 1448 involved in an illicit marriage, 1354 living in a foreign place, 2261 location in church, 1611, 2438 marriage and, 1951, 2260 as minister of the Eucharist. See Eucharist: minister(s) of ministry of, 876, 1279, 1445, 1612, 1810, 1893 occupations, prohibited, 2445 ordain, not to, 1630, 1854, 2246 those ordained without suitable inquiry, 1450 ordination, age required before, 1443 ordination of, 1431, 1443–44, 1630, 1795–96, 1856, 1950, 2245, 2380

450  Index to Volume Two prayer for, 1719, 2392 present at Morning Prayer, 2164 present in church on Saturday and Sunday, 2445 reordination of, 1456 respect for, 1397 role at baptism, 1008 role at Daily Offices, 2164–2214 passim who sacrificed during persecutions, 1422 selection of, 1180, 1658, 1965 serious sin, guilty of, 1361, 1441 seven orders, one of, 2426 taverns, not to frequent, 1976 town, residing in, 2445 virgins, not to bless, 891 visiting from another church, 1617 See also clerics processions, burial. See burial: procession profession of faith. See creed/profession of faith prostration. See kneeling/prostrating/ genuflecting The numeration of the following psalms is that of the LXX. Psalm 7, God accepting our hymns, 1464 Psalm 49, melody giving wings to the soul, 1465 Psalm 50, sung at midnight, 2483 Psalm 62, sung in the morning, 1467 Psalm 90, sung at nightfall, 1335 Psalm 140, sung in the evening, 1466, 1619 Psalm 144, continuously sung by all the faithful, 1468 psalmists. See cantor(s)/singer(s) psalms/psalmody, 1158–60, 1356, 1383–85, 1399, 1600 appropriate and well-chosen, 2172 at beginning of the day, 2164 Communion, after, 2315 at dedication of churches, 2056 at end and beginning of each day, 940 at funerals, 1541 at home, 1346

in Jerusalem, 2164–2205 passim learning, 2478 lesson read between, 1969 liturgy, during, 1612. See also Word, Liturgy of: psalmody during the Lord’s Prayer, alternating with, 903 monastic practice, 1505, 2339–42 privately composed, 2002 reader singing, 2337 singing, 863, 906, 1345, 1494 singing, methods of (e.g., antiphonal, responsorial, direct), 1356, 2164– 2218 sung everywhere, 2087 unity and, 1469, 1494 Pseudo-Athanasius (early 4th century?), 2478–83 (94) Pseudo-Ignatius (ca. 400?), 1421 (70) pulpit/ambo, 2337. See also bema Quadragesima. See Lent (Quadragesima) Quartodeciman controversy. See Pasch/ Easter: date of reader(s)/lector(s), 1515 appointment of, 1803–4, 1950 baptize, not to, 1622 Communion, receiving, 1786 destined for orders, 1198–99 gospel book given to, 2255 greeting, not to extend, 881 greeting to, 1421 hands not laid upon, 2255 honor to be given to, 2440 instructing others, 2448 marry, permitted to, 1872 orarion, not to wear, 1975 praying for, 1721, 2392 reading Catholic scriptures only, 2427, 2432 role of, 1612, 1810, 2258 selected from all ranks, 1931 seven orders in Church, one of, 2426 singing in church, 1967, 2337, 2454 speaking alone, 1496 subdeacons, not to serve, 2440 taverns, not to frequent, 1976 understanding what one reads, 2448

Index to Volume Two  451 virtues of a deacon required by, 2255 readings, 1612 reconciliation of actors, 890 Communion at end of penance always possible, 1436 of heretics. See heretics: reconciliation of kiss of peace and, 2146 liturgy, during, 1610 role of Christ, 1258 role of priest/bishop, 877, 888, 1256, 1591–92, 1594–95 See also hand(s), imposition/laying on of: reconciliation, during; penance/reconciliation; penitent(s); sin, forgiveness of Red Sea, 945, 2108 redditio symboli. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: profession/handing over of the creed/profession of faith responsorial singing/psalmody. See psalms/psalmody: singing, methods of Roman deacon, anonymous. See anonymous Roman deacon Rome, 868, 892, 1057–58, 1459, 2012, 2020, 2027 rulers, prayer for. See prayer(s): for rulers Sabbath, Christian, 1619 Sabbath, Jewish observed by Ebionites, 2009 replaced by Lord’s Day, 1935 Sabbatians, 1460 Sabellians, 1460 sacraments ministers of, 909, 1514 older than those of the synagogue, 989–92, 1015, 1077 preparing for, 1568, 1587 how wonderful, 1483 sacrifice, Eucharist as. See Eucharist: as sacrifice Sadducees, 1645 saints praying for us, 1385 veneration of, 1399

Salona, Epitaph at, 1300 (64) Samosata, followers of, 2400 Samuel, 1644, 1683, 1853 Saragossa, Synod of (ca. 380). See councils/synods: Saragossa (ca. 380) Sardica (Serdica), Synod of (343). See councils/synods: Sardica (Serdica) (ca. 343) Saturday assembly on, 2362 celebration of martyrs on during Lent, 1997 Eucharist celebrated on, 1995, 2351, 2457 fasting/no fasting on, 905, 2178, 2213 feast, day of, 1648 intercourse, refraining from, 2474 rest, not a day of, 1980 servants and, 1820 superpositio observed on, 1276 Saturninus, lector, 862, 864, 867 Satyrus, 1162 (53-R-1) Scriptures education in before ordination, 881 listening to, 1460, 1512, 1515 meditating on, 2478 monks learning by heart, 2348 pagan rulers, sought out by, 862 reading of in private, 936, 1482, 2309 See also gospel book; Word, Liturgy of: canonical readings seal, baptism as. See baptism/initiation, effects of: as seal secret, discipline of, 1325, 1497, 1500, 2094, 2103, 2217–18, 2318, 2401 Serapion of Thmuis, bishop (d. after 360), 2365–97 (88) servants church attendance on Saturday and Sunday, 1820 labor forbidden on certain feasts, 1820 to be treated kindly, 1819 See also slaves Sext. See Office, Daily (cathedral)—east: prayer at sixth hour (Sext); Office, Daily (cathedral)—west: prayer at sixth hour (Sext); Office, Daily (monastic)—east: prayer at sixth hour

452  Index to Volume Two (Sext); Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of): prayer at sixth hour sick/dying care of, 2304, 2306 Communion to. See Communion: to the dying/Viaticum entering God’s house, 2305 fasting by, 2297, 2471 healing of, 1513, 1595, 2300 imposing hands on, 922, 1220 praying for, 1725, 2304, 2389, 2397 wine given to, 2436 See also baptism/initiation: of the sick; oil signing with the cross, 965, 1133, 1324, 1400, 1460, 1744, 2317, 2480. See also baptism/initiation, liturgy of: cross, signing with silence, 1614 sin, circumcision from, 937 sin, confession of, 933, 1522, 1528 sin, forgiveness of, 870, 920, 922–35, 1123–24, 1163, 1279 Church, by the, 921, 1262 Communion, by receiving, 1150 the Lord and, 924 various means of, 1530 See also baptism/initiation, effects of: forgiveness of (washing away/ cleansing) sin; Eucharist, forgiveness of sins and; reconciliation sin, types of, 1236–39 birth, existing from, 937 daily, 941 deadly, 927, 1227–28 greater and lesser, 935 singers. See cantor(s)/singer(s) singing, 1345–46, 1355, 1512 benefits of, 1465 unity, sign of. See unity: singing as sign of women and, 2398 See also psalms/psalmody Siricius, Pope (384–99), 1193–1201 (55) sitting by elderly in church, 1613 slaves baptism of, 2264 believer having a concubine slave, 1816

circumcision of, 937–38 ordination of, 2264 See also servants soldiers Christians not to voluntarily become, 2269 Christians serving as, 1565 never to kill, 2268 Soter, Pope, 2025 Spirit, Holy. See Holy Spirit sponsors/godparents. See baptism/initiation: sponsors/godparents standers. See penitent(s): standers standing baptism, after, 1383 Eucharistic Prayer, during the, 1742 gospel, during the, 1612 for prayer, 1352, 1671, 1824, 2480 psalmody, during, 2483 on Sundays, 1326 on Sundays and Pentecost, 1457 See also kneeling/prostrating/genuflecting Stephen, servants not working on feast of, 1820 Stephen I, Pope (d. 257), 2037 stole. See orarion Strasbourg Papyrus, 2494–97 (96) subdeacons appointment of, 1801–2, 1950, 2256 Communion, receiving, 1786 doors, not to leave unattended, 1974, 1989 functions of, 1740, 1810, 1977, 2258 greeting to, 1421 orarion, not to wear, 1974 praying for, 2392 seven orders in Church, one of, 2426 taverns, not to frequent, 1976 Sunday/Lord’s Day those absent from assembly on, 1299 assembly on, 862, 1485, 1619, 1657 as celebrated by the Ebionites, 2009 Christ’s resurrection, day of, 937 Communion, receiving on, 1349, 2089 Constantine and, 2078–79 energumens present on, 2464 Eucharist celebrated on, 2351, 2457

Index to Volume Two  453 fasting/not fasting on, 908, 1295, 1644, 1955, 2178, 2213 feast, day of, 1648 first prayer for, 2386 intercourse, refraining from on, 2474 no kneeling/genuflecting on, 2236 no/less labor on, 1980, 2078 during Lent celebration of martyrs on, 1997 during Lent Eucharist offered only on Saturday and, 1995 names for, 937 observance of, 2362 as observed in Jerusalem, 2167–72 as the Pasch, 1529, 2088 readings on, 1968 role of bishop on, 2431 servants observing, 1820 standing on, 1326, 1457 symbolum. See creed/profession of faith synaxis. See assembly table one, 1500 See altar(s): as table tapers. See candles Tarcisius, Epigraph of Saint, 1211–12 (57-A) Tecla, Saint, inscription in baptistery of, 1213 Telesphorus, Pope, 2025 Terce. See Office, Daily (cathedral)— east: prayer at third hour (Terce); Office, Daily (monastic)—east: prayer at third hour (Terce); Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of): prayer at third hour Tertullian (155–220?), 1262 theater, foolishness of, 929 theophany. See Epiphany theraputes, 2004–7 Thomas, 1801, 2206 Thursday, fasting on. See fasting/fasts: Thursdays, on/not on Timothy I of Alexandria (d. 385), 2462–74 (92) tithes, 1656

traditio symboli. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: profession/handing over of the creed/profession of faith tradition(s), 1324–25 translator(s), 1931, 2218, 2392 Triduum. See Pasch/Easter Trisagion. See Holy, holy, holy/Trisagion unity baptism, as effect of, 894, 898 chair of Peter as basis for, 868 Eucharist and, 1490 faithful, of the, 1483, 1500, 2410 priests sharing in, 1246 singing as sign of, 1158, 1346, 1356 universal prayer. See Word, Liturgy of: petitions Valence, Synod of (374). See councils/ synods: Valence (374) Vespers (Evening Prayer). See Office, Daily (cathedral)—east: Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers); Office, Daily (cathedral)—west: Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers); Office, Daily (monastic)—east: Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers); Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of): Evening Prayer (lucernarium) vessels, liturgical, 1479–80 appropriate as one’s own, not to, 1903 deacons not to touch, 1973 on Epiphany in Jerusalem, 2174 former penitents, not to be held by, 1200 guards, person who, 2435 lesser steward and, 2451 spiritual character of, 2424 See also cup vestments, 1744 appropriate as one’s own, not to, 1903 white and washed, 2435 See also orarion Viaticum. See Communion: to the dying/Viaticum Victor, Pope, 1926, 2012, 2014, 2020, 2022

454  Index to Volume Two vigil(s). See Office, Daily (cathedral)— east: nocturnal prayer (vigils); Office, Daily (cathedral)—west: nocturnal prayer (vigils); Office, Daily (monastic)—east: nocturnal prayer (vigils); Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of): nocturnal prayer (vigils) virgins appointment/blessing/consecration of, 876, 891, 1298 Communion, receiving, 1786 convent, staying within at night, 2459 fasting by, 2323 favored status, 1201 greeting to, 1421 location in church, 1613 not ordained, 1806 praying for, 1721, 2392 reconciliation of, 1273 singing hymns, 2482–83 tithes and, 1812 washing of feet. See feet, washing of washing of hands. See hands, washing of water blessing of, 2372, 2384 replacing wine, 1917–18. See also Aquarians symbolism of, 1100 See also wine, at Eucharist: mixed with water water, baptismal, 1396 blessing of, 916, 1022, 1042, 1324, 1534, 1544, 1666–67, 1811, 2285, 2356, 2374 Old Testament types, 955 symbolism of, 1267–69, 1627, 1646 Wednesday assembly on, 1932 Communion, receiving on, 1349 fasting on. See fasting/fasts: Wednesdays, on/not on west, turning toward, 2110, 2115. See also orientation for prayer widow(s) bishop and, 1624

Communion, receiving, 1786 deacons and, 2248 exhortation to, 1623 fasting and, 2323 feeding of, 2332 greeting to, 1421 location in church, 1613 not ordained, 1807, 2262 prayer on behalf of, 1624, 1721 tithes and, 1812 wine, at Eucharist mixed with water, 886, 1098–1100 symbolism of, 1104, 1111–13, 1394 See also water: replacing wine women altar, not to approach, 1990 baptism of, 1438, 1625, 2283, 2467 baptize, not to, 1620 behavior of, unruly, 1341 Communion, receiving, 1197, 1617, 2468 covering head, 1616, 2278 dancing, 1340 deportment of, 2273 the diaconate, elevated to, 1226 Eucharist, not to preside/serve at, 1620, 1930 fasting and, 2469 keeping night vigils in cemeteries, 1282 lighting candles in cemeteries, 1281 location in church, 1613, 2095, 2277 men, not to give peace to, 2277 men in church, not to gather with, 2076 menstruating, 2467–68 midwives, purification of, 2276 new mothers entering the church, 2279 praesidentes, 1964 prayer and, 1147 praying with catechumens, 2279 presbyterae, 1964 singing psalms, 1158, 1391–93 speak in church, not to, 1930, 2095, 2273, 2398 teachers of other women, 2076 visiting from another church, 1617

Index to Volume Two  455 See also deaconess(es); midwives; virgins; widow(s) Word, Liturgy of canonical readings, 879, 892, 1482, 1612, 1686, 1910, 1968, 2002–3, 2202, 2419–20, 2427, 2432 dismissals from, 1614, 1689–1711, 1742, 1971 incensations, 2461 leaving immediately after, 1948 noncanonical readings, 879, 892, 2002, 2422 petitions, 1278, 1615, 1713–36, 1775–82

prayer after homily, 2387 preaching, 1612, 1617, 2170 psalmody during, 1612 See also Alleluia, no celebration till heard; kiss of peace Word of God listening to. See Scriptures: listening to living by, 942 words, efficacy of, 1670 Zeno of Verona (d. ca. 375/380), 894–99 (51)

Worship in the Early Church

An Anthology of Historical Sources Volume Three

Lawrence J. Johnson

A PUE BLO BOOK Liturgical Press  Collegeville, Minnesota www.litpress.org

A Pueblo Book published by Liturgical Press Cover design by David Manahan, osb Excerpt (117), Inscription. Lateran Baptistery: from the article “The Fountain of Life in Manuscripts of the Gospels,” by P.A. Underwood in Dumbarton Oaks Papers 5 (Cambridge, MA), 55. Reprinted courtesy of Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, Trustees for Harvard University. Excerpt (140-A), Hymn for the Dedication of a New Church: from Eucharist and Eschatology, by G. Wainwright (London: Oxford University Press), p. 47. Copyright © 1971. Reprinted by permission of SCM Press. Excerpts (143-A), The Seventy-Three Canons: from The Canons Ascribed to Mår¥tå of Maipherqat and Related Sources, vol. 2, Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium 440, ed. A. Vööbus (Leuven: Peeter’s Publishers), pp. 94–95. Copyright © 1982. Reprinted by permission of the publisher. © 2009 by Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, microfilm, microfiche, mechanical recording, photocopying, translation, or by any other means, known or yet unknown, for any purpose except brief quotations in reviews, without the previous written permission of Liturgical Press, Saint John’s Abbey, PO Box 7500, Collegeville, Minnesota 56321-7500. Printed in the United States of America. The Library of Congress has cataloged the printed edition as follows: Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Johnson, Lawrence J., 1933–    Worship in the early church : an anthology of historical sources / Lawrence J.   Johnson.      p.   cm.    “A Pueblo book.”   Includes index.   ISBN 978-0-8146-6197-0 (v. 1) — ISBN 978-0-8146-6198-7 (v. 2) —  ISBN 978-0-8146-6199-4 (v. 3) — ISBN 978-0-8146-6226-7 (v. 4)    1. Worship—History—Early church, ca. 30–600.  2. Church history—Primitive   and early church, ca. 30–600. I. Title.   BV6.J64  2009   264.00937—dc22 2009035344

Contents Abbreviations  xi Introduction  xxiii Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West  1 Africa  1 97. Alypius of Thegaste. Ordo Monasterii  1 98. Augustine of Hippo  1 98-A. On the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount  7 98-B. Eighty-Three Diverse Questions  8 98-C. Against Faustus the Manichaean  9 98-D. Questions on the Gospels  10 98-E. Confessions  11 98-F. On Baptism: Against the Donatists  14 98-G. Rudimentary Catechesis  15 98-H. Against the Letters of Petilian the Donatist  16 98-I. On the Forgiveness and the Just Deserts of Sins, and the Baptism of Infants  16 98-J. Homily Three on the First Letter of John  23 98-K. On the Trinity  24 98-L. Homilies on the Gospel of John  25 98-M. Answer to Julian the Pelagian  27 98-N. Enchiridion of Faith, Hope, and Love  28 98-O. Exposition of the Psalms  29 98-P. On the Care to be Taken of the Dead  32 98-Q. The City of God  32 98-R. On Christian Doctrine  35 98-S. On Heresies  36 98-T. To the Catechumens regarding the Creed  36 98-U. Corrections  37 98-V. Rule of Saint Augustine  38 98-W. Letters. 22; 23; 29; 36; 41; 54; 55; 64; 71; 82; 98; 149; 153; 158; 185; 211; 228; 258; 265; 28 (To Novatus)  38 98-X. Sermons. 17; 49; 51; 56; 57; 58; 67; 94 A; 125; 132; 142 A; 159; 162 C; 172; 176; 198; 213; 214; 216; 218; 219; 220; 221; 223; 224; 227; 228; 230; 231; 232; 243; 252; 254; 255; 256; 260 A; 262; 272; 284; 293 A; 294; 301 A; 302; 303; 304; 305 A; 311; 315; 324; 325; 326; 336; 342; 352; 374, 392  57 v

vi  Contents 99. Possidius  82 99-A. Life of Augustine  83 100. Arnobius “the Younger”  83 100-A. Commentaries on the Psalms. Psalms 110; 148  84 101. Victor of Vita  84 101-A. History of the Vandal Persecution in Africa  85 102. Synods  86 102-A. Synod of Carthage V (401)  86 102-B. Synod of Carthage VI (407)  87 102-C. Synod of Milevis (416)  87 103. Inscription. Epitaph from Hippo  88 Italy  88 104. Chromatius of Aquileia  88 104-A. Sermons on Matthew’s Gospel. 14; 16; 17  89 105. Rufinus of Aquileia  93 105-A. Commentary on the Apostles’ Creed  93 106. Paulinus of Milan  94 106-A. Life of Saint Ambrose  94 107. Gaudentius of Brescia  95 107-A. Sermons  96 107-A-1. Sermon 2. On Exodus  96 108. Innocent I, Pope  97 108-A. Letters. 2; 6; 17; 25; 30  98 109. Zosimus, Pope  103 109-A. Letter 9  103 110. Paulinus of Nola  104 110-A. Letters. 18; 32  104 110-B. Poems. 23; 25; 27  108 111. Celestine I, Pope  110 111-A. Letters. 4; 21; 23  110 112. Peter Chrysologus  111 112-A. Sermons. 11; 43; 67; 117; 166  112 113. Leo I, Pope  114 113-A. Letters. 4; 6; 9; 10; 16; 59; 80; 88; 108; 119; 127; 131; 138; 159; 166; 167; 168  117 113-B. Sermons. 6; 12; 13; 16; 18; 19; 20; 22; 25; 26; 27; 41; 43; 44; 47; 48; 49; 50; 63; 64; 70; 75; 78; 91  129 114. Maximus of Turin  140 114-A. Sermons. 13; 13a; 22a; 35; 36; 44; 50; 54; 55; 63; 67; 73  141 115. Gelasius, Pope  151 115-A. Letters. 14; 37; Fragment 7; Letter against the Lupercalia  152

Contents  vii 115-B. Tract on the Two Natures in Christ  154 115-C. The “Deprecatio Gelasii”  154 115-D. Tract “Ne Forte” on the Bond of the Anathema  156 116. Synods  157 116-A. Synod of Rome (ca. 400?)  157 116-B. Synod of Rome (488)  158 117. Inscription. Lateran Baptistery  158 Gaul  159 118. John Cassian  159 118-A. Conferences  160 118-B. The Institutes  163 119. De septem ordinibus ecclesiae  175 120. Prosper of Aquitaine  178 120-A. Capitula Caelestini  179 120-B. The Call of All Nations  179 121. Salvian of Marseilles  180 121-A. De gubernatione Dei  180 122. Sidonius Apollinaris  181 122-A. Letters. Book IV, Letter 11; Book V, Letter 17  181 123. Faustus of Riez  182 123-A. On the Grace of God  183 123-B. On the Holy Spirit  183 123-C. Sermons. 3; 17; 28  183 124. Gennadius of Marseilles  185 124-A. On Ecclesiastical Dogmas  185 124-B. On Illustrious Men  187 125. Statuta ecclesiae antiqua  188 126. Synods  193 126-A. Synod of Riez (439)  193 126-B. Synod of Orange I (441)  194 126-C. Synod of Vaison (442)  196 126-D. Synod of Arles II (between 442 and 506)  197 126-E. Synod of Angers (453)  199 126-F. Synod of Tours I (461)  199 126-G. Synod of Vannes (between 461 and 491)  200 Iberia  201 127. Uranius  201 127-A. Letter. On the Death of Paulinus of Nola  201 128. Synods  202 128-A. Synod of Toledo I (400?)  202

viii  Contents British Isles  203 129. Synods  203 129-A. Irish Synod I (between 450 and 456)  203 129-B. Irish Synod II (after 456)  204 Serbia  205 130. Nicetas of Remesiana  205 130-A. On the Vigils of the Servants of God  206 130-B. On the Usefulness of Psalmody  206 Chapter X. Fifth Century. East  213 Asia Minor  213 131. Palladius of Helenopolis  213 131-A. The Lausiac History of the Friends of God  213 131-B. Dialogue on the Life of Saint John Chrysostom  214 132. Philostorgius  215 132-A. Epitome of the Church History of Philostorgius  215 133. Socrates  215 133-A. Church History  216 134. Theodosius II  226 134-A. Theodosian Code  226 135. Pseudo-Hippolytus. Homily. On the Pasch  228 136. Callicinius. Life of Hypatius  244 137. Council of Chalcedon (451)  245 Syria  246 138. Theodore of Mopsuestia  246 138-A. Catechetical Homilies. 12; 13; 14; 15; 16  247 139. Theodoret of Cyr  275 139-A. On the Interpretation of the Psalms  276 139-B. On the Interpretation of the Song of Songs  277 139-C. Interpretation of the Fourteen Letters of Saint Paul  277 139-D. Religious History  277 139-E. Church History  278 139-F. Eranistes or Polymorph  285 139-G. History of Heresies  286 139-H. Letter 146. To the Monks of Constantinople  287 140. Balai  287 140-A. Hymn for the Dedication of a New Church  288 141. Narsai of Nisibis  288 141-A. Homilies. 17; 22; 21  289 142. Testament of Our Lord Jesus Christ  305

Contents  ix Persia  336 143. Mår¥tå of Maipherqat  336 143-A. The Seventy-Three Canons  337 Palestine  338 144. Sozomen  338 144-A. Church History  338 145. Jerome  349 145-A. Dialogue between a Luciferian and an Orthodox Christian  350 145-B. Life of Hilary  352 145-C. Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians  352 145-D. Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew  353 145-E. Preface to the Rule of Pachomius  353 145-F. Against Vigilantius  354 145-G. Dialogue against the Pelagians  355 145-H. Homilies  355 145-H-1. On Psalm 91 (92)  355 145-H-2. On Psalm 149  356 145-H-3. On Mark 11:15–17  356 145-H-4. On Mark 13:32–33; 14:3–6  357 145-H-5. On the Nativity of the Lord  357 145-H-6. On Psalm 41 (42). To the Neophytes  357 145-H-7. On Easter Sunday  358 145-I. Letters. 14; 22; 41; 46; 48; 51; 52; 60; 71; 77; 82; 98; 107; 108; 109; 113; 120; 130; 146  358 146. Mark the Deacon  368 146-A. Life of Porphyry, Bishop of Gaza  368 Egypt  370 147. Apophthegmata Patrum  370 148. Cyril of Alexandria  372 148-A. Dialogue on the Trinity  373 148-B. Adoration and Worship of God in Spirit and in Truth  373 148-C. Glaphyra  373 148-D. Commentary on the Gospel of John  374 148-E. Apology to the Emperor  375 148-F. Letter 9. To Posidonius  375 149. Isidore of Pelusium  376 149-A. Letters  376 Index to Volume Three  377

Abbreviations Sc r i p t u r e

Acts Acts of the Apostles

Joel

Joel

Amos Amos

John

John

Bar

Baruch

1 John  1 John

Cant

Canticle of Canticles

2 John 2 John

1 Chr

1 Chronicles

3 John 3 John

2 Chr

2 Chronicles

Jonah Jonah

Col

Colossians

Josh

Joshua

1 Cor

1 Corinthians

Jude

Jude

2 Cor

2 Corinthians

Judg

Judges

Dan

Daniel

1 Kgs

1 Kings

Deut

Deuteronomy

2 Kgs

2 Kings

Eccl Ecclesiastes

Lam Lamentations

Eph Ephesians

Lev Leviticus

Esth Esther

Luke Luke

Exod Exodus

1 Macc 1 Maccabees

Ezek Ezekiel

2 Macc 2 Maccabees

Ezra Ezra

Mal

Malachi

Gal

Galatians

Mark

Mark

Gen

Genesis

Matt

Matthew

Hab Habakkuk

Mic

Micah

Hag Haggai

Nah Nahum

Heb Hebrews

Neh Nehemiah

Hos Hosea

Num Numbers

Isa Isaiah

Obad Obadiah

Jas

James

1 Pet

1 Peter

Jdt

Judith

2 Pet

2 Peter

Jer

Jeremiah

Phil Philippians

Job

Job

Phlm Philemon xi

xii  Abbreviations Prov Proverbs

2 Thess  2 Thessalonians

Ps/Pss Psalms

1 Tim

1 Timothy

Rev Revelation

2 Tim

2 Timothy

Rom Romans

Titus Titus

Ruth Ruth

Tob Tobit

1 Sam

1 Samuel

Wis

Wisdom

2 Sam

2 Samuel

Zech

Zechariah

Zeph

Zephaniah

Sir Sirach 1 Thess 1 Thessalonians

P e r i o d i c a l s a n d B o o k s M o s t F r e q u e n t ly C i t e d

AB ABR AC AER

Analecta Bollandiana (Brussels, 1882ff.). American Benedictine Review (Atchison, KS, 1950ff.). Antike und Christentum (Münster, 1929–50). American Ecclesiastical Review (Washington, D.C., 1889–1975). Altaner B. Altaner, Patrology, trans. H.C. Graef, 2nd ed. (New (1961) York, 1961). Altaner B. Altaner, Patrologie. Leben, Schriften und Lehre der (1966) Kirchenväter, 6th ed., rev. A. Stüber (Freiburg/Basel/ Vienna, 1966). Altaner B. Altaner, Patrologie. Leben, Schriften und Lehre der (1978) Kirchenväter, 8th ed., rev. A. Stüber (Freiburg/Basel/ Vienna, 1978). ALW Archiv für Liturgiewissenschaft (Regensburg, 1950ff.). Amb Ambrosius (Milan, 1925–60). ANF A. Roberts and J. Donaldson, eds., The Ante-Nicene Fathers: Translations of the Writings of the Fathers down to a.d. 325 (New York, 1885, 1926). Ant Antonianum (Rome, 1926ff.). APB Acta Patristica et Byzantina (Praetoria, 1990ff.). ApT Apostolic Tradition. Assem Assembly (Notre Dame, 1974ff.). AThR Anglican Theological Review (New York, 1918ff.). Aug Augustinianum (Rome, 1961ff.). AugMag Augustus Magister, Congrès international augustinien (Paris, Sept. 21–24, 1954). Vols. I and II: Communications; vol. III: Acts. BALAC

Bulletin d’ancienne litérature et d’archéologie chrétienne (Paris, 1911–14).

Abbreviations  xiii Bardenhewer O. Bardenhewer, Patrology: The Lives and Works of the (1908) Fathers of the Church, trans. T.J. Shahan (Freiburg i. B./ St. Louis, 1908). Bardenhewer O. Bardenhewer, Patrologie (Freiburg i. B., 1910). (1910) Bardenhewer O. Bardenhewer, Geschichte der altkirchlichen Literatur, (1913) 5 vols. (Freiburg i. B./St. Louis, 1913–32). Bardy (1929) G. Bardy, The Greek Literature of the Early Christian Church, trans. Mother Mary Reginald, Catholic Library of Religious Knowledge 2 (St. Louis, 1929). Bardy (1930) G. Bardy, The Christian Latin Literature of the First Six Centuries, trans. Mother Mary Reginald, Catholic Library of Religious Knowledge 12 (St. Louis, 1930). Bautz F.W. Bautz, ed., Biographisch-bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (Hamm Westf., 1970ff.). BCE Bulletin du comité des études (Paris, 1953–70). Bib Biblica (Rome, 1920ff.). BLE Bulletin de littérature ecclésiastique (Toulouse, 1899ff.). Bouyer L. Bouyer, Eucharist: Theology and Spirituality of the Eucharistic Prayer (Notre Dame, 1968). BT The Bible Today (Collegeville, 1962ff.). BVC Bible et vie chrétienne (Brussels/Paris, 1953–68). CA Campbell

Cahiers archéologiques (Paris, 1945ff.). J.M. Campbell, The Greek Fathers, Our Debt to Greece and Rome series (New York, 1929). CATH G. Jacquemet, ed., Catholicisme, 9 vols. (Paris, 1947ff.). CB Collationes Brugenses (Bruges, 1896–1954). CC La Civiltà Cattolica (Rome, 1850ff.). CCL Corpus Christianorum, Series Latina (Turnhout, 1954ff.). CE Catholic Encyclopedia, 13 vols. + index (New York, 1907–14). CH Church History (Chicago and Tallahassee, 1932ff.). CHECL F. Young, L. Ayres, and A. Louth, eds., The Cambridge History of Early Christian Literature (Cambridge, 2004). ChQ Church Quarterly Review (London, 1875–1968). Chr Christus (Paris, 1954ff.). CollMech Collectanea Mechliniensia (Mechlin, 1927–70). ComL Communautés et liturgies (Ottignies, 1975ff.). Con Concilium (Glen Rock, NJ, etc., 1965ff.). Courtonne Y. Courtonne, ed., Saint Basile: Lettres, 3 vols. (Paris, 1957, 1961, 1966). CPG M. Geerard and F. Glorie, eds., Clavis Patrum Graecorum, 5 vols. (Turnhout, 1974–87).

xiv  Abbreviations CPGS

M. Geerard and others, eds., Clavis Patrum Graecorum Supplementum (Turnhout, 1998). Cph Classical Philology (Chicago, 1906ff.). CPL E. Dekkers and A. Gaar, eds., Clavis Patrum Latinorum, 3rd ed. (Turnhout/Steebrugge, 1995). CR The Clergy Review (London, 1931–87). CRI Comptes-rendus de l’Académie des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres (Paris, 1857ff.). Cross F.L. Cross, The Early Christian Fathers (London, 1960). CS Chicago Studies (Mundelein, IL, 1962ff.). CSEL Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum (Vienna, 1866ff.). CV G.M. Diez, Concilios visigóticos e hispano-romanos (Barcelona/ Madrid, 1963). DACL

F. Cabrol and H. Leclercq, eds., Dictionnaire d’archéologie chrétienne et de liturgie, 15 vols. (Paris, 1913–53). DCA W. Smith, ed., A Dictionary of Christian Antiquities, 2 vols. (London, 1876–80). DCB W. Smith and H. Wace, eds., A Dictionary of Christian Biography, Literature, Sects and Doctrines, 4 vols. (London, 1877–87). DDC R. Naz and others, eds., Dictionnaire de droit canonique, 7 vols. (Paris, 1935–65). DDCon P. Palazzini, ed., Dizionario dei Concili, 6 vols. (Rome, 1963–67). DEC N.P. Tanner, ed., Decrees of the Ecumenical Councils (London/ Washington, D.C., 1990). Deiss L. Deiss, Springtime of the Liturgy: Liturgical Texts of the First Four Centuries (Collegeville, 1979). DGA P.-P. Joannou, ed., Disciplina Generale Antique (Rome, 1962). DHGE A. Baudrillart, ed., Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie ecclésiastiques (Paris, 1912ff.). DictSp M. Viller and others, eds., Dictionnaire de spiritualité ascétique et mystique (Paris, 1937ff.). Did Didache. Didas Didascalia Apostolorum. Di Sante C. di Sante, Jewish Prayer: The Origins of the Christian Liturgy, trans. M.J. O’Connell (New York, 1991). Div Divinitas (Vatican City, 1957ff.). Dix G. Dix, The Shape of the Liturgy, 4th ed. (Westminster, 1949). DLW J.G. Davies, ed., A Dictionary of Liturgy and Worship (New York, 1972). Dolbeau F. Dolbeau, ed., Vingt-six sermons au peuple d’Afrique / Augustin d’Hippone; retrouvés à Mayence, Collection des études augustiniennes, Série Antiquité 147 (Paris, 1996).

Abbreviations  xv DPAC A. di Berardino, ed., Dizionario Patristico e di Antichità Cristiane, 3 vols. (Marietti, 1983–88). DR Downside Review (Bath, England, 1880ff.). DT Divus Thomas (Fribourg i. S., 1871–1953). DTC A. Vacant, E. Mangenot, and E. Amann, eds., Dictionnaire de théologie catholique, 15 vols. (Paris, 1903–50). DV Dieu vivant (Paris, 1945–55). EC P. Paschini and others, eds., Enciclopedia Cattolica, 12 vols. (Vatican City, 1949–54). ED Euntes Docete (Rome, 1948ff.). EEC A. di Berardino, ed., Encyclopedia of the Early Church, trans. A. Walford, with a foreword and bibliographic amendments by W.H.C. Frend, 2 vols. (New York, 1992). EEChr E. Ferguson, ed., Encyclopedia of Early Christianity, 2 vols., 2nd ed. (New York, 1997). EgT Eglise et théologie (Ottawa, 1970–99). Elbogen I. Elbogen, Der jüdische Gottesdienst in seiner geschichtlichen (1962) Entwicklung, 4th ed. (Hildesheim, 1962). Elbogen I. Elbogen, Jewish Liturgy: A Comprehensive History, trans. (1993) R.P. Scheindlin (Philadelphia/New York, 1993). EO Echos d’Orient (Paris, 1897–1942). EOr Ecclesia Orans (Rome, 1984ff.). EphL Ephemerides Liturgicae (Rome, 1887ff.). ERP Etudes religieuses, philosophiques, historiques, et litteraires (Paris, 1888–1940). EstAg Estudio Teologico Augustiniano (Valladolid, Spain, 1973ff.). Et Etudes (Paris, 1897ff.). ETL Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses (Louvain, 1924ff.). ETR Etudes théologiques et religieuses (Montpellier, 1926ff.). ExpT The Expository Times (Edinburgh, 1889ff.). FF FLDG Folia FThSt FZPT

GCS

France franciscaine (Lille, 1912–29). Forschungen zur christliche Literatur- und Dogmengeschichte (Mainz/Paderborn, 1910–38). Folia. Studies in the Christian Perpetuation of the Classics (Worcester, MA, 1959–79). Freiburger theologische Studien (Freiburg i. B., 1910ff.). Freiburger Zeitschrift für Philosophie und Theologie (Fribourg i. S., 1954ff.).

Die griechischen christlichen Schriftsteller der ersten (drei) Jahrhunderte (Berlin, 1897ff.). Goodspeed E. J. Goodspeed, A History of Early Christian Literature, rev. and enl. R. Grant (Chicago, 1966).

xvi  Abbreviations GOTR Greg

Greek Orthodox Theological Review (Brookline, MA, 1954ff.). Gregorianum (Rome, 1920ff.).

Hamell P.J. Hamell, Handbook of Patrology (New York, 1968). Hänggi A. Hänggi and I. Pahl, Prex Eucharistica: Textus e Variis Liturgicis Antiquioribus Selecti (Fribourg i. S., 1968). Harp Harp: A Review of Syriac and Oriental Studies (Kerala, India, 1987–2000). Hefele C.J. Hefele, Histoire des conciles d’après les documents originaux, (1905) trans. H. Leclercq, 11 vols. (Paris, 1905–52). Hefele C.J. Hefele, A History of the Councils of the Church: From the (1871) Original Documents, trans. W.R. Clark and H.N. Oxenham, 5 vols. (Edinburgh, 1871–96). HS Hispania sacra (Madrid, 1948ff.). HThR Harvard Theological Review (New York, 1908–9; Cambridge, MA, 1910ff.). Idelsohn A.Z. Idelsohn, Jewish Liturgy and Its Development (New York, 1967). IER Irish Ecclesiastical Record (Dublin, 1864–1968). Imp Impacts: Revue de l’Université catholique de l’Ouest (Angers, 1967ff.). Ire Irénikon (Amay, 1926ff.). Ist Istina (Paris, 1954ff.). ITQ Irish Theological Quarterly (Dublin, 1906–22; Maynooth, 1951ff.). Jasper R.C.D. Jasper and G.J. Cuming, Prayers of the Eucharist: Early and Reformed, 3rd rev. ed. (Collegeville, 1992). JBL Journal of Biblical Literature (Boston/New Haven, 1890ff.). JECS Journal of Early Christian Studies (Baltimore, 1993ff.). JEH The Journal of Ecclesiastical History (London, 1950ff.). Jeremias J. Jeremias, Die Abendmahlsworte Jesu, 3rd. ed. (Göttingen, (1960) 1960). Jeremias J. Jeremias, The Eucharistic Words of Jesus, trans. N. Perrin (1966) (London, 1966). JL Jahrbuch für Liturgiewissenschaft (Münster, 1921–41). JLH Jahrbuch für Liturgie und Hymnologie (Kassel, 1955ff.). JQR The Jewish Quarterly Review (London, 1889–94; New York, 1896–1908). JR The Journal of Religion (Chicago, 1921ff.). JThSt The Journal of Theological Studies (London, 1900–1905; Oxford, 1906–49; n.s. 1950ff.). JucL Jucunda Laudatio (Milan, 1963ff.). Jurgens W.A. Jurgens, The Faith of the Early Fathers, 3 vols. (Collegeville, 1970–79).

Abbreviations  xvii Kat

Katholik: Zeitschrift für katholische Wissenschaft und kirchliches Leben (Mainz, 1821–89).

Labriolle P.C. de Labriolle, Histoire de la littérature latine chrétienne, (1947) 3rd rev. ed. (Paris, 1947). Labriolle P.C. de Labriolle, History and Literature of Christianity from (1968) Tertullian to Boethius, trans. H. Wilson, History of Civilization (New York, 1968). LAC L’Ami du clergé (Langres, France, 1888–1968). Latomus Latomus. Revue d’études latines (Brussels, 1937ff.). Lau Laurentianum (Rome, 1960ff.). Leigh- E. Leigh-Bennett, Handbook of the Early Christian Fathers Bennett (London, 1920). LJ Liturgisches Jahrbuch (Münster, 1951ff.). LMD La Maison-Dieu (Paris, 1945ff.). LMF Le messager des fidèles (Mardesous, 1884–89). LNPF P. Schaff and H. Wace, eds., A Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church (repr. Grand Rapids, 1951ff.). LO Lex Orandi (Paris, 1944–71). LQF Liturgiegeschichtliche Quellen und Forschungen (Münster i. W., 1918–39). LThPh Laval théologique et philosophique (Quebec, 1970–82). LTK W. Kasper and others, eds., Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, 11 vols., 3rd ed. (Freiburg i. B., 1993–2001). LV Lumière et vie (Bruges, 1951–60). LWP Liturgical Week Proceedings, North American. LwQF Liturgiewissenschaftliche Quellen und Forschungen (Münster i. W., 1919–2005). LXX Septuagint. Mansi

J.D. Mansi, ed., Sacrorum Conciliorum Nova et Amplissima Collectio, 31 vols. (Florence, 1759–98). Mel Melto. Melta. Recherches orientales (Kaslik, Liban, 1965–69). Millgram A.E. Millgram, Jewish Worship (Philadelphia, 1971). MilS Milltown Studies (Dublin, 1978ff.). Mnem Mnemosyne: Bibliotheca classica Batava (Leyden, 1852ff.). MRR-1 J. Jungmann, The Mass of the Roman Rite: Its Origins and Development (Missarum Sollemnia), trans. F.A. Brunner, 2 vols. (New York, 1951). MRR-2 J. Jungmann, The Mass of the Roman Rite: Its Origins and Development (Missarum Sollemnia), trans. F.A. Brunner, rev. C.K. Riepe (New York, 1959). MS Mediaeval Studies (Toronto, 1939ff.). MSR Mélanges de science religieuse (Lille, 1944ff.). Mus Le Muséon (Louvain, 1882–1916, 1921ff.).

xviii  Abbreviations NCE

New Catholic Encyclopedia, 14 vols. + index (New York, 1967) + 3 supplementary vols. 16–18 (1974–89). NCES New Catholic Encyclopedia, Second Edition, 15 vols. (Detroit/ Washington, D.C., 2003). NDSW P.E. Fink, ed., The New Dictionary of Sacramental Worship (Collegeville, 1990). Not Notitiae (Rome, 1965ff.). NRTh Nouvelle revue théologique (Tournai, 1869–1913, 1920–39, 1945ff.). NTes Novum Testamentum (Leiden, 1956ff.). NTS New Testament Studies (London, 1954ff.). NWDLW J.G. Davies, ed., The New Westminster Dictionary of Liturgy and Worship (Philadelphia, 1986). OC Oriens Christianus (Wiesbaden, 1931–39, 1953ff.). OCA Orientalia Christiana Analecta (Rome, 1935ff.). OCP Orientalia Christiana Periodica (Rome, 1935ff.). ODCC F.L. Cross, The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, 3rd ed., ed. E.A. Livingstone (New York, 1997). Oesterley W.O.E. Oesterley, The Religion and Worship of the Synagogue, (1911) 2nd ed. (London, 1911). Oesterley W.O.E. Oesterley, The Jewish Background of the Christian (1925) Liturgy (Oxford, 1925). OLZ Orientalische Literaturzeitung (Berlin, 1909ff.). OrSyr L’Orient syrien (Paris, 1956ff.). OstkSt Ostkirchliche Studien (Würzburg, 1952ff.). ParL Paroisse et liturgie (Bruges, 1946–74). PB Pastor Bonus (Trier, 1889–1943). PEA (1894) A.F. von Pauly, Paulys Real-encyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft (Stuttgart, 1894–1919). PEA (1991) H. Cancik and H. Schneider, eds., Der neue Pauly. Enzyklopädie der Antike (Stuttgart, 1991ff.). PG J.P. Migne, Patrologia Graeca, 162 vols. (Paris, 1857–66). PhW Philologische Wockenschrift (Leipzig, 1881–1940). PL J.P. Migne, Patrologia Latina, 221 vols. (Paris, 1844–64). PLS J.P. Migne, Patrologiae Cursus Completus. Series Latina Supplementum, ed. A. Hamman (Paris, 1958ff.). PO Parole de l’Orient. Melto dmadnho (Kaslik, Lebanon, 1970ff.). PP Parole et pain (Paris, 1964–73). PrO Présence orthodox (Paris, 1967–81). PrOChr Proche-orient chrétien (Jerusalem, 1951ff.). QL QLP

Questions liturgiques (Louvain, 1970ff.). Questions liturgiques et paroissiales (Louvain, 1919–69).

Abbreviations  xix Quasten

J. Quasten, Patrology, 4 vols. (Westminster, MD, 1962ff.). (Vol. 4, 1986, is a translation of vol. 3 of Patrologia, ed. A. di Berardino.)

RAC RACh

Rivista di Archeologia Cristiana (Rome, 1924ff.). Reallexikon für Antike und Christentum, ed. T. Klauser (Leipzig, 1950ff.). Revue d’ascétique et de mystique (Toulouse, 1920–71). Revue pratique d’apologétique (Paris, 1905–21). Recherches augustiniennes (Paris, 1958ff.). Revue bénédictine (Maredsous, 1890ff.). Revue biblique internationale (Paris, 1891ff.; n.s. 1904ff.). Revue belge de philologie et d’histoire (Brussels, 1922ff.). Revue du clergé francais (Paris, 1894–1920). Revista catalana de teología (Barcelona, 1976–88, 1990ff.). Revue de droit canonique (Strasbourg, 1951ff.). Revue des études augustiniennes (Paris, 1955ff.). Revue d’histoire de l’Eglise de France (Paris, 1910ff.). Revue des études grecques (Paris, 1888ff.). Revue des études juives (Paris, 1880ff.). Revue ecclésiastique de Liège (Liège, 1905–67). Revue des études latines (Paris, 1923ff.). Résurrection (Paris, 1956–63). Restoration Quarterly (Abilene, TX, 1957ff.). Revista española de teología (Madrid, 1940ff.). Revista augustiniana de Espiritualidad (Calahorra, Spain, 1960–79). Revue augustinienne (Louvain, 1901–10). Revue des sciences religieuses (Strasbourg, 1921ff.). Revue d’histoire ecclésiastique (Louvain, 1900ff.). Revue d’histoire et de littérature religieuse (Paris, 1896–1922). Revue d’histoire et de philosophie religieuses (Strasbourg, 1921ff.). Revue internationale de théologie (Berne, 1893–1910). Rivista di Ascetica et Mistica (Florence, 1956ff.). Rivista Liturgica (Turin, 1914ff.). Rocznik theologico-kanoninczne (Lublin, Poland, 1949–90). Revue de philologie, de littérature et d’histoire anciennes (Paris, 1845–47; n.s. 1877–1926; 3. s. 1927ff.). Römische Quartelschrift für christliche Altertumskunde (Freiburg i. B., 1887ff.). Revue des questions historiques (Paris, 1866–1939). Revue réformé (Saint-Germaine-en-Laye, France, 1950ff.). Review for Religious (St. Louis, 1942ff.).

RAM RAp RAug RB RBibl RBPh RCF RCT RDC REAug REF REG REJ REL RELA Res ResQ RET RevAgusEsp RevAug RevSR RHE RHL RHPR RIT RivAM RL Rocz RPLH RQ RQH RR RRel

xx  Abbreviations RSPT RSR RT RTAM RTL RTP RUO

Revue des sciences philosophiques et théologiques (Paris, 1907ff.). Recherches de science religieuse (Paris, 1910ff.). Revue thomiste (Paris, 1924–65). Recherches de théologie ancienne et médiévale (Louvain, 1969ff.). Revue théologique de Louvain (Louvain, 1970ff.). Revue de théologie et de philosophie (Lausanne, 1921ff.). La revue de l’Université d’Ottawa (Ottawa, 1931–87).

Sal Salesianum (Turin, 1939ff.). SC Scuola Cattolica (Milan, 1902ff.). SCA Studies in Christian Antiquity (Washington, D.C., 1941–85). ScE Science et esprit (Montreal, 1928ff.). SChr Sources chrétiennes (Paris, 1941ff.). SCJ Second Century: Journal of Early Christian Studies (Abilene, TX, 1981–92). Scr Scripture (London, 1969–75). SE Sacris Erudiri (Bruges, 1948ff.). SJT Scottish Journal of Theology (Edinburgh, etc., 1948ff.). SM Studia Monastica (Barcelona, 1959ff.). SP Studia Patristica: Acts of the International Conventions of Oxford (TU) (Berlin, 1957ff.). SPMed Studia Patristica Mediolanensia (Milan, 1974ff.). ST Studi e Testi (Rome, 1900ff.). StC Studia Catholica (Nijmegen, 1924–60). Steidle B. Steidle, Patrologia: seu Historia Antiquae Litteraturae Ecclesiasticae, Scholarum Usui Accommodata (Freiburg i. B., 1937). StGKA Studien zur Geschichte und Kultur des Altertums (Paderborn, 1907ff.). STh Studia Theologica (Lund, 1947ff.). StLit C. Jones and others, eds., The Study of Liturgy, rev. ed. (New York, 1992). StP Studia Patavina (Padua, 1954ff.). Strack H.L. Strack and P. Billerbeck, Kommentar zum Neuen Testament aus Talmud und Midrasch, vol. iv/i, 2nd ed. (Munich, 1956). StudEnc Study Encounter (Geneva, 1965–76). StudLit Studia Liturgica (Rotterdam, 1962ff.). TD Theol ThGl ThQ ThStKr Tixeront

Theology Digest (St. Louis, 1953ff.). Theology (Norwich, England, 1976ff.). Theologie und Glaube (Paderborn, 1909ff.). Theologische Quartalschrift (Stuttgart/Tübingen, 1831–1928; various places, 1929ff.). Theologische Studien und Kritiken (Gotha, 1828–42). J. Tixeront, A Handbook of Patrology, trans. S.A. Raemers (London/St. Louis, 1947).

Abbreviations  xxi Tra

Traditio: Studies in Ancient and Medieval History, Thought, and Religion (New York, 1943ff.). TRE G. Krause and G. Müller, eds., Theologische Realenzyklopädie (Berlin, 1976ff.). TS Theological Studies (Baltimore/Woodstock, 1940ff.). TU Texte und Untersuchungen zur Geschichte de altchristlichen Literatur (Berlin, 1882ff.). TV Theologia Viatorum: Jahrbuch der kirchlichen Hochschule Berlin (Berlin, 1948/49–1979/80). TZ Theologische Zeitschrift (Basel, 1945ff.). VC VerC VetChr VS

Vigiliae Christianae (Amsterdam, 1947ff.). Verbum Caro (Taizé, France, 1947–69). Vetera Christianorum (Bari, 1964ff.). La Vie Spirituelle (Paris, 1919ff.).

WEC L. Johnson, ed., Worship in the Early Church: An Anthology of Historical Sources, 4 vols. (Collegeville, 2009). Werner E. Werner, The Sacred Bridge: The Interdependence of Liturgy and Music in Synagogue and Church during the First Millennium (London/New York, 1959). Wor Worship (Collegeville, 1952ff.; formerly Orate Fratres, 1926–51). Wright F.A. Wright, ed., Fathers of the Church: Tertullian, Cyprian, (1928) Arnobius, Lactanius, Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine: A Selection from the Writings of the Latin Fathers (London, 1928). Wright F.A. Wright, A History of Later Greek Literature from the Death of (1932) Alexander in 323 b.c. to the Death of Justinian in 545 a.d. (London, 1932). WSt Wiener Studien: Zeitschrift für klassische Philologie (Vienna, 1879ff.). ZAW ZKG ZkTh ZNeW ZNW ZTK

Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft (Berlin/New York, 1881ff.). Zeitschrift für Kirchengeschichte (Gotha, 1877–1930; Stuttgart, 1931ff.). Zeitschrift für katholische Theologie (Innsbruck, 1877–1940; Vienna, 1947ff.). Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft und die Kunde der älteren Kirche (Giessen/Berlin/New York, 1900ff.). Zeitschrift für Missionswissenschaft (Münster, 1911–37). Zeitschrift für Theologie und Kirche (Tübingen, 1891ff.).

/ = “or,” e.g., 543/554 [ ] Textual material supplied by translator of the original source or by the present editor/translator

Introduction Recent decades have witnessed numerous Christian denominations reforming and renewing their communal worship structures. Well before such a venture occurred, there took place, mainly though not exclusively in Europe, a scientific study of the early development of the Church’s common prayer, a study that continues today. Both professional and amateur historians have applied and are applying their expertise to this important task, for understanding the past is not merely an intellectual exercise but offers one of the all-important keys for understanding the present. Yet many students of worship have but little direct contact with the great literary heritage that witnesses the way Christians lived their liturgical life during the early ages of Christianity. Often a person’s acquaintance with the primitive Church’s written documentation is only by way of citations in end- or footnotes. Frequently access to the excellent English language collections of early source material is limited, since these are for the most part found only in the libraries of theological schools and major universities. The same is true of texts related to particular subjects, e.g., initiation. Furthermore, a large amount of pertinent material has simply not appeared in English. Texts in Latin, Greek, and other languages— apart from their inherent problems for many students of the liturgy—are no less difficult to obtain. The four volumes of the present series aim to present a selection or thesaurus (representative, to be sure) of a wide selection of source material illustrating the growth of the Church’s common prayer, in both East and West, from its Jewish roots down to the end of the sixth century. Included are texts from homilies, dogmatic and spiritual treatises, letters, monastic rules, church orders, prayer formulas, conciliar and synodal legislation, inscriptions, and the like. The subject matter is not only sacramental celebration but also the liturgical year, the times of the day for personal or group prayer, music and song, the physical arrangement of the church building, times for fasting (considered to be so closely allied with prayer), veneration of the martyrs, liturgical roles, decorum within and without the church, etc. The user of these volumes fortunate enough to have access to a major theological library may well profit from the references to patristic and other manuals, as well as from the bibliography of pertinent periodical articles and treatises. In a few cases the most recent edition of a text was, for various reasons, unavailable to me. Also, several texts initially intended to appear in xxiii

xxiv  Introduction this work are in fact not included since a particular volume could not be obtained. It should be noted that, unless otherwise indicated, the enumeration of the psalms follows the Hebrew. All cited texts have been translated by the present editor from the source indicated (“Translated from .  .  .”) or are taken from a preexisting translation (“Translation from .  .  .”). A note on format Each subhead (author, anonymous document, synods, etc.) is assigned an identification number, which is usually followed by a letter indicating a particular work of an author or a particular synod. The internal enumeration of paragraphs usually corresponds to that of the edition from which the text was translated. Marginal numbers, running sequentially, are assigned to paragraphs of the text. Cross-references are indicated by the abbreviation for Worship in the Early Church, i.e., WEC, followed by the volume number and then either the subhead number in bold text (e.g., WEC 3:102 or WEC 3:115-C) or else the marginal paragraph number (e.g., WEC 3:2749). There are three types of footnotes: daggers, letters, and numbers. Daggered notes indicate the sources from which translations have been made, lettered notes contain explanations for words and phrases used in the text, and numbered notes indicate scriptural references. *** No work of this kind can reach completion without the encouragement and assistance of many people. And thus I must express my gratitude to Mr. Peter Kearney for sharing his expertise in Latin and Hebrew. To the Rev. James Challancin, a priest of the diocese of Marquette, Michigan, and a former professor of liturgy, for his many words of encouragement. To the staff (especially Jessica) of the Escanaba, Michigan, Public Library for such gracious assistance in procuring by means of interlibrary loans ever so many volumes from libraries throughout the country. To the whole publishing team at Liturgical Press and especially to Stephanie Lancour, my copy editor, whose careful reading of the text has saved me from any number of embarrassing moments. And especially to my wife, Marlene Winter-Johnson, not only for her patience throughout this endeavor but especially for the numerous hours in researching materials found in the library of The Catholic University of America and in that of the University of Notre Dame, as well as for helping to prepare the work’s manuscript for publication.

Chapter IX Fifth Century. West Af r i c a 9 7 . A ly p i u s o f T h e g a s t e . O r d o M o n a s t e r i i †

The Ordo Monasterii, which greatly influenced later monastic rules, is generally attributed to Alypius (d. ca. 430?), bishop of Thegaste in North Africa and a long-standing and good friend of Augustine (WEC 3:98). CPL no. 1839c * Bautz 1:136 * CATH 1:386 * CE 1:374 * DHGE 2:902–4 * DPAC 1:139–40 * EC 1:888–89 * EEC 1:27 * NCE 1:317–18

2. We describe how we should pray or render the psalms: namely, at Matins three psalms are said: Psalms 62, 5, and 89. At Terce first there is a responsorial psalm, then two antiphons,a a reading, and a conclusion; the same is true for Sext and None; at the lucernarium there is one responsorial psalm, four antiphons, again a responsorial psalm, a reading, and a conclusion. At a fitting time after the lucernarium, when all are seated, the lessons are read; afterwards there are the customary prayers before sleep. Regarding the prayers during the night: during November, December, January, and February there are twelve antiphons, six psalms, and three readings; during March, April, September, and October there are ten antiphons, five psalms, three readings; during May, June, July, and August there are eight antiphons, four psalms, and two readings. 98. Augustine of Hippo

Born on November 13, 354, in Thagaste in Numidia (modern-day Annaba in Algeria), Augustine was the son of Patricius, a town official, and Monica. Patricius, a pagan for most of his life, was baptized on his deathbed in 371. On the other hand, Monica, the daughter of a Christian family, was a devout and pious believer who enrolled her son as a catechumen when he was still an infant. † Translated from L. Verheijen, La Règle de s. Augustin, Etudes Augustiniennes, vol. 1 (Paris, 1967) 148–49. The psalm numbers are those of the LXX. a. The Latin antiphonae here and throughout probably means “antiphonal psalmody.” See R. Taft, The Liturgy of the Hours in East and West (Collegeville, 1986) 94–95.

1

2498 2499

2500

2  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West Although considered African by race and birth, Augustine was Roman in culture, language, and spirit. He studied rhetoric, the Latin language, and Latin literature; additionally he had a fair acquaintance with Greek. As a teen he fell away from the faith, became a follower (though not totally convinced) of Manichaeism, and eventually became a skeptic. At the age of seventeen (in 371) when he went to Carthage to continue his education, Augustine took a concubine (concubinage, although recognized by the State, was not permitted by the Church), with whom he lived for fifteen years till 386. A son, Adeodatus, was born in 372 and in 389/390 he preceded his father in death. Finishing his studies, Augustine pursued a career as a teacher of rhetoric at Carthage, Rome, and Milan. While teaching in Milan Augustine came into contact with Ambrose, the bishop of that city (WEC 2:53). Initially it was the style of Ambrose’s homilies rather than their content that attracted Augustine. In July 386, in a garden in Milan, Augustine appears to have undergone a conversion experience. From October 386 to March 387 he resided at a villa in Cassiciacum near Milan; here he and his companions devoted themselves to meditation, prayer, and study. Together with Adeodatus, Augustine was instructed by Ambrose and then baptized by him during the Easter Vigil in 387. Shortly thereafter Monica, accompanying her son back to Africa, died suddenly at Ostia, where her remains rested till 1430 when they were transferred to the Church of Saint Augustine in Rome. After a short stay in Rome, where he became interested in following the monastic life, in late 388 Augustine returned to Africa and settled in Thagaste, leading an ascetic life in common with several of his friends on one of his estates. Three years later, in 391, and during a visit to Hippo Regius, Augustine reluctantly agreed to be ordained a presbyter, doing so at the urging of the elderly bishop Valerius and the pleading of the people. In 395 he was ordained Valerius’s cobishop, shortly afterwards succeeding him as the sole bishop of Hippo. Augustine himself died on August 28, 430, a time when the Vandals were besieging the city. In the eighth century his relics were transferred to the Church of Saint Peter in Pavia, a town south of Milan. Augustine, like many bishops of his day, participated in numerous church meetings, for example, the Synod of Hippo in 393 (WEC 2:50-C), presided over certain lawsuits, preached several times a week, visited the sick, and took great interest in caring for the poor. He continued his style of monastic living and encouraged other men and women to do likewise. He lived, we are told, a life of the utmost poverty and simplicity. Yet it is Augustine’s literary works that have earned him the reputation as being, if not the greatest, certainly one of the greatest theological thinkers and scholars of the Church, both in terms of the depth of his reflection as well as in the vast number of his writings. Augustine himself informs us that up to 427 he had written 93 literary works and 232 individual books, this not including his numerous homilies and letters. The corpus of his writing includes treatises on the nature of God, spirituality, ecclesiology,

98. Augustine of Hippo  3 mysticism, Scripture, morality, philosophy, psychology, music, and autobiography. He wrote not only against Christianity’s pagan critics but also against the various heresies and heretical movements of the time, e.g., against the Donatists in regard to the validity of the sacraments, in particular, baptism; and against the Pelagians, who denied the existence of original sin and consequently the absolute necessity of infant baptism. Ranked among the Doctors of the Church, Augustine is more specifically known as the Doctor Communis, being considered as the most commonly followed teacher in the Western Church. CPL nos. 250ff. * Altaner (1961) 487–534 * Altaner (1966) 412–49 * Bardenhewer (1908) 473–508 * Bardenhewer (1910) 410–38 * Bardenhewer (1913) 4:434–522 * Bardy (1930) 130–45 * Bautz 1:272–300 * Hamell 145–58 * Jurgens 3:1–178 * Labriolle (1947) 2:577–641 * Labriolle (1968) 391–422 * Leigh-Bennett 304–35 * Quasten 4:342– 462 * Steidle 167–83 * Tixeront 259–69 * Wright (1928) 269–347 * CATH 1:1027–35 * CE 2:84–104; 2:79 (Rule) * CHECL 328–41 * DCB 1:216–28 * DDC 1:1412–16 * DHGE 5:440–73 * DictSp 1:1101–30 * DPAC 1:91–104 * DTC 1:2268–2472 * EC 1:519–67 * EEC 1:97–101 * EEChr 1:148–54 * LTK 1:1240–45 * NCE 1:1041–58 * NCES 1:850–68 * ODCC 128–31 * PEA (1894) 2.2:2363–67 * PEA (1991) 2:293–301 * RACh 1:981–93 * TRE 4:645–99 General Studies W. Rötzer, Des heiligen Augustinus Schriften als liturgie-geschichtliche Quelle (Munich, 1930). Sacraments in General J. Hymmen, “Die Sakramentslehre Augustins, in Zusammenhang dargestellt und beurteilt,” diss. (Bonn, 1905). * G. Pierse, “The Origin of the Doctrine of the Sacramental Character,” ITQ 6 (1911) 196–211. * E. Hocedez, “La conception augustinienne du sacrement dans le ‘Tractatus 80 in Joannem,’” RSR 9 (1919) 1–29. * P. Foulquié, “Un texte de s. Augustin sur la matière et la forme des sacrements,” RSR 17 (1927) 146. * E. Nevent, “La théologie sacramentaire de s. Augustin,” DT 34 (1931) 3–27. * F. van der Meer, “‘Sacramentum’ chez s. Augustin,” LMD, no. 13 (1948) 50–64. * G. Touton, “La méthode catéchétique de s. Cyrille de Jérusalem comparée à celles de s. Augustin et de Théodore de Mopsuestia,” PrOChr 1 (1951) 265–85. * P.V. Kormyljak, S. Augustinus de efficacitate sacramentorum doctrina contra Donatistas (Rome, 1953). * M.N. Häring, “The Augustinian Axiom: Nulli sacramento iniuria facienda est,” MS 16 (1954) 87–117. * P.Th. Camelot, “‘Sacramentum’: notes de théologie sacramentaire Augustinienne,” RT 57 (1957) 429–49. * J. Gaillard, “S. Augustin et les sacrements de la foi,” RT 59 (1959) 664–703. * M.-F. Berrouard, “‘Similitudo’ et la définition du réalisme sacramentel d’après l’Epître xcviii, 9–10, de s. Augustin,” REAug 7 (1961) 321–37. * A. Vaneste, “La sainteté et la foi du ministre et du sujet des sacrements,” ETL 39 (1963) 5–29. * P. Crespin, Ministère et saintée (Paris, 1965). * J. Morán, “La concepción de sacramento en s. Augustín,” EstAg 4 (1969) 321–64. * B. Bobrinskon, “L’Esprit du Christ dans les sacrements chez Jean Chrysostome et Augustin,” in Jean Chrysostom et Augustin (Paris, 1975) 247–49. * B. Studer, ”’Sacramentum’ et ‘Exemplum’ chez s. Augustin,” RAug 10 (1975) 87–141. * T. Marsh, “The History of the Sacramental Concept,” MilS 3 (1979) 21–56.

4  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West Initiation J.-B. Bord, “L’autorité de s. Cyprien dans la controverse baptismale, jugée d’après s. Augustin,” RHE 18 (1922) 445–68. * B. Busch, “De Modo quo s. Augustinus Descripserit Initiationem Christianam,” EphL 52 (1938) 385–483. * B. Busch, De Initiatione Christiana secundum Doctrinam s. Augustini, Biblioteca Ephemerides Liturgicae Sectio Historica 6 (Rome, 1939). * P.Th. Camelot, ”’Sacramentum fidei,’” AugMag, vol. 2, 891–96. * E.R. Fairweather, “St. Augustine’s Interpretation of Infant Baptism,” AugMag, vol. 2, 897–903. * L.D. Folkemer, “A Study of the Catechumenate,” CH 15 (1946) 286–307. * J. Hamer, “Le baptême et la foi,” Ire 23 (1950) 387–405. * G. Touton, “La méthode catéchétique de s. Cyrille de Jérusalem comparée à celles de s. Augustin and de Théodore de Mopsueste,” PrOChr 1 (1951) 265–85. * J. Hamer, “Le baptême et l’église: à propos des ‘Vestigia Ecclesiae,’” Ire 25 (1952) 142–64, 263–75. * B. Leeming, “Is Their Baptism Really Necessary?” CR 39 (1954) 66–85, 193–212, 321–40. * J.-C. Didier, “S. Augustin et le baptême des enfants,” REAug 2 (1956) 109–29. * J. Quasten, “Ein Taufexorcismus bei Augustinus,” REAug 2 (1956) 101–8. * J.-C. Didier, Le baptême des infants dans la tradition de l’église (Tournai, 1959) [texts]. * J.M. Hansens, “‘Sacramentum Conversionis,’” Greg 42 (1961) 113–16. * E. Lamirande, “L’idée d’onction dans l’écclésiologie de s. Augustin,” RUO 35 (1965) 103–26. * J.-C. Didier, “Le baptême des enfants: considérations théologiques. III. - la tradition de l’église du Ier siècle à la mort de s. Augustin (430),” LAC 76 (1966) 326–33. * “Lettre de s. Augustin à Boniface, évêque de Cataque, sur le baptême des petits enfants,” LMD, no. 89 (1967) 9–20. * J.-C. Didier, Faut-il baptiser les enfants? La reponse de la Tradition (Paris, 1967) [texts]. * J. Lécuyer, “L’enfant est baptisé dans la foi de l’église,” LMD, no. 89 (1967) 21–37. * S. Lyonnet, “Augustin et ‘R.’ 5, 12 avant la controverse pélagienne: à propos d’un texte de s. Augustin sur le baptême des enfants,” NRTh 89 (1967) 842–49. * L. Villette, “Le baptême des enfants: dossier et interprétation,” LMD, no. 89 (1967) 38–65. * V. Grossi, “Il battesimo e la polemica pelagiana negli anni 411–413 (De peccatorum meritis et remissione – Ep. 98),” Aug 9 (1969) 30–61. * E. Sauser, “Baptismus—Baptismus Cotidianus—und Sündenvergebund in der Theologie des hl. Augustinus,” in Zeichen des Glaubens (Freiburg i. B., 1972) 83–94. * R. Tura, “Il battesimo dei bambini: Revisione in vista? Simposio su una prassi pastorale millenaria,” StP 21 (1974) 511–85. * R. de Latte, “S. Augustin et le baptême: étude liturgico-historique du rituel baptismal des adults chez s. Augustin,” QLP 56 (1975) 177–223; 57 (1976) 41–55. * J. Fernández Gonzáles, “Antropología y sacramentos en s. Agustin: Bases para la renovación del orden sacramental,” RevAgusEsp 17 (1976) 193–216. * T. Finan, “Catechesis Now and Then,” The Furrow 29 (1978) 28–37. * A. Houssiau, “L’engagement baptismal,” RTL 9 (1978) 138–65. * P. Verbraken, “Le sermon lviii de s. Augustin pour la tradition du ‘Pater,’” EOr 1:1 (1984) 113–32. * S. Poque, “Au sujet d’une singularité romaine de la ‘redditio symboli’ (‘Confessions’ 8, 2, 5),” Aug 25 (1985) 133–43. * M.-F. Berrouard, “Le ‘Tractatus 80, 3, in Iohannis Evangelium’ de s. Augustin: la parole, le sacrement et la foi,” REAug 33 (1987) 235–54. * S. Poque, “Un souci pastoral d’Augustine: la persévérance des chrétiens baptisés dans leur enfance,” BLE 88 (1987) 273–86. * V. Grossi, La catechesi battesimale agli inizi del V secolo: le fonti agostiniane, Studia Ephemeridis Augustinianum 39 (Rome, 1983). * W.R. Rusch, “Baptism of Desire in Ambrose and Augustine,” SP 15 (1984) 374–78. * A.K.-Y. Chan, “Il rito della consegna del Padre nostro (Mt 6, 9–13) nei Sermoni LVI–LIX di sant’ Agostino di Ippona,” EOr 10 (1993) 287–312. * W. Harmless, Augustine and the Catechumenate (Collegeville, 1995). * M. Labrousse, “Le baptême des hérétiques d’après Cyprien, Optat et Augustin: influences et divergences,” REAug 42 (1996) 223–42.

98. Augustine of Hippo  5 Eucharist L. Tarchier, Le sacrement de l’eucharistie d’après s. Augustin (Lyons, 1904). * M. Blein, Le sacrifice de l’eucharistie chez s. Augustin (Lyons, 1906). * O. Blank, Die Lehre des hl. Augustinus v. Sakramente der Eucharistie, Dogmengeschichtliche Studien (Paderborn, 1907). * K. Adam, Die Eucharistielehre des hl. Augustin (Paderborn, 1908). * W.C. Bishop, “The African Rite,” JThSt 13 (1911–12) 250–77. * P. Battifol, “Un texte peu remarqué de s. Augustine sur le canon de la messe,” JThSt 19 (1915) 538–41. * R. Lawson, “L’eucharistie dans s. Augustin,” RHL, n.s., 6 (1920) 99–152, 472–525. * H. Rongy, “L’abus des Corinthiens dans la célébration de l’eucharistie: I Cor. xi, 20–34,” REL 20 (1928–29) 277–93. * J. Vetter, Der hl. Augustinus und das Geheimnis des Leibes Christi (Mainz, 1929). * G. Lecordier, La doctrine de l’eucharistie chez s. Augustin (Paris, 1930). * J. Rivière, “Saint Augustin et l’eucharistie,” Revue apologétique 51 (1930) 513–31. * G. Philips, “Le sacrifice eucharistique dans la tradition africaine,” REL 22 (1930–31) 15–29, 137–54. * A. Pons, “La communion d’après les deux grands docteurs Cyprien et Augustin et d’après la pratique de l’ancienne église d’Afrique,” in XXXe Congrès Eucharistique International (Carthage, 1930; Tunis, 1931) 149–70. * G. Destefani, “Il sacros sacrificio e s. Augustino,” Liturgia 5 (1937) 108ff. * L. Brigué, “Les dispositions à la communion chez s. Augustin,” RSR 29 (1939) 385– 428. * P.Th. Camelot, “L’eucharistie: mystère d’unité: les fruits de la communion eucharistique d’après s. Augustin,” VS 72 (1945) 301–13. * P.Th. Camelot, “Réalisme et symbolisme dans la doctrine eucharistique de s. Augustin,” RSPT 31 (1947) 394–410. * A. Krueger, Synthesis of Sacrifice according to Saint Augustine: A Study of the Sacramentality of Sacrifice (Mundelein, 1950). * A.F. Donegan, “Saint Augustine and the Real Presence,” diss., Studies in Sacred Theology, 2nd series, 72a (Washington, D.C., 1952). * A. Sage, “Saint Augustin et la prière du canon ‘Supplices te rogamus,’” Revue des études byzantines 9 (1953) 252–65. * C. Boyer, “L’Eucaristia e i Padri africani,” in L’Eucharistia, ed. A. Piolanti (Rome, 1957) 165–71. * H. Lang, “Eucharistic Teachings of St. Augustine,” in Pro Mundi Vita: Festschrift zum Eucharistischen Weltkongress 1960 (Munich, 1960) 44–48. * J. Pintard, “Présence du corps mystique dans l’eucharistie,” LAC 70 (1960) 89–92. * M. Huftier, “Corpus Christi Amen,” VS 111 (1964) 477–501. * L.J. van der Loof, “Eucharistie et présence réelle selon s. Augustin,” REAug 10 (1964) 295–304. * W. Gesel, Eucharistische Gemeinschaft bein Augustinus (Würzburg, 1966). * G. Casati, “La liturgia della Messa al tempo di S. Agostino,” Aug 9 (1969) 484–514. * A. Sage, “L’eucharistie dans la pensée de s. Augustin,” REAug 15 (1969) 209–40. * R. Bergeron, “La doctrine eucharistique de l’Enarrationes in Ps. xxxiii d’Augustin,” REAug 19 (1973) 101–20. * M.-F. Berrouard, “L’être sacramentel de l’eucharistie selon s. Augustin: commentaire de Jean vi, 60–63 dans le ‘Tractatus xxvii, 1–6 et 11–12 in Iohannis Evangelium,’” NRTh 99 (1977) 702–21. * J. Pintard, “Expérience et enseignement de l’eucharistie chez s. Augustin,” Esprit et vie 88 (1978) 177–87. * A. Marini, “La partecipazione dei fedeli alla Messa negli scritti di s. Agostino,” EphL 93 (1979) 3–37. * J. Dyer, “Augustine and the ‘hymni ante oblatum’: The Earliest Offertory Chants?” REAug 27 (1981) 85–99. * D. Dufrasne, “Saint Augustin: mystagogue de la présence réelle,” ComL 66:3 (1984) 291–98. * G. di Nola, La dottrina eucaristica di Sant’Agostino: Introduzione, note e versione italiana, Bibliotheaa patristica eucharistica (Vatican City, 1987). * O. Pasquato, “Eucaristia e Chiesa in Agostino,” EphL 102 (1988) 46–63. * A. Marini, La celebrazione eucaristica presieduta da Sant’Agostino: la partecipazione dei fedeli alla Liturgia della Parola e al Sacrificio Eucaristico (Brescia, 1989). * A. Verheul, “Le psaume responsorial dans la liturgie eucharistique,” QL 73 (1992) 232–52. * M. Giustozzo,

6  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West “Il nesso tra il culto e la grazia eucaristica nella recente lettura teologica del pensiero agostiniano,” diss., Tesi gregoriana, Serie teologia 62 (Rome, 2000). * G. Folliet, “Une définition augustinienne du sacrament de l’eucharistie. O sacramentum pietatis! O signum unitatis! O vinculum caritatis! (Tractatus in Iohannis Evangelium 26:13),” EOr 21 (2004) 331–63. Sin, Penance, Reconciliation F. Hünermann, Die Busslehre des heiligen Augustinus (Paderborn, 1913). * K. Adam, Die kirchliche. Sündenvergebung nach dem heiligen Augustinus (Paderborn, 1917). * K. Adam, Die geheime Kirchenbusse nach dem heiligen Augustinus (Paderborn, 1921). * P. Galtier, “Saint Augustinus a-t-il confessé?” RAp 32 (1921) 221–24, 257–69. * A. Lagarde, “La doctrine pénitentielle de s. Augustin,” RHL, n.s., 7 (1921) 251–57. * B. Poschmann, Kirchenbusse und correptio secreta bei Augustinus (Braunsberg, 1925). * P. Batifol, Etudes d’histoire et de théologie positive: les origines de la pénitence (Paris, 1926). * P. Galtier, “Comment on écarte la pénitence privée,” Greg 21 (1940) 183–202. * S.J. Grabowski, “Sinners and the Mystical Body of Christ according to St. Augustine,” TS 8 (1947) 614–67; 9 (1948) 47–84. * M.-F. Berrouard, “Pénitence de tous les jours selon s. Augustin,” LV 13, no. 70 (1964) 51–74. * J. Vermeylen, “Le cheminement de la pénitence selon s. Augustin,” CollMech 51 (1966) 514–46. * A.M. La Bonnardière, “Pénitence et réconciliation des pénitents d’après s. Augustin,” REAug 13 (1967) 31–53, 249–83; 14 (1968) 181–204. Orders, Priesthood J. Pintard, Le sacerdoce selon s. Augustin: la prête dans la cité de Dieu. Lumine in fidei (Paris, 1960). * J. Pintard, “Le sacrement de l’ordre selon s. Augustin,” BCE, nos. 38–39 (1962) 357–74. * R. Crespin, Ministère et sainteté: pastorale du clergé et solution de la crise donatiste dans la vie et la doctrine de s. Augustin (Paris, 1965). * J. Moingt, “Caractère et ministère sacerdotal,” RSR 56 (1968) 563–89. * M. Pellegrino, The True Priest: The Priesthood as Preached and Practiced by St. Augustine (New York, 1968). * H.E.I. Cowdrey, “The Dissemination of St. Augustine’s Doctrine of Holy Orders during the Later Patristic Age,” JThSt, n.s., 20 (1969) 448–81. * H.R. Drobner, “Für euch bin ich Bischof”: die Predigten Augustins über das Bischofsamt; (Sermons 335 K, 339, 340, 340 A, 383 und 396): Einleitung und Uebersetzung, Augustinus-Heute 7 (Würzburg, 1983). * L.F. Bacchi, “The Theology of Ordained Ministry in the Letters of Augustine of Hippo,” diss. (San Francisco, 1998). Prayer, Psalms C. Lambot, “Un ‘ordo officii’ du Ve siècle,” RB 42 (1930) 77–80. * Ch. Morel, La vie de la prière de s. Augustin d’après sa correspondance (Paris, 1954). * T.A. Hand, St. Augustine on Prayer (Westminster, MD, 1963). * P.Y. Emery, Habiter en frères tous ensemble: les psaumes et l’unité de l’Eglise selon s. Augustin (Taizé, 1965). * M. Vincent, Saint Augustin, maître de prière, d’après les Enarrationes in Psalmos, Théologie historique 84 (Paris, 1990). * A. Verheul, “Le psaume responsorial dans la liturgie eucharistique,” QL 73 (1992) 232–52. * G. Antoni, La prière chez s. Augustin: d’une philosophie du langage à la théologie du Verbe (Paris, 1997). * M. Fiedrowicz, “Psalmus vox totius Christi: Studien zu Augustins ‘Enarrationes in Psalmos,’” diss. (Freiburg i. B., 1997). * J.L. Vesco, “Psaumes en prière,” RT 99 (1999) 331–68. Liturgical Year L. Beaudin, “Les fêtes de Pâques à Hippone,” QL 1 (1910–11) 253–60. * L. Beauduin, “La Pentecôte,” QL 3 (1912–13) 241–53. * P. de Puniet, “Saint Augustin et l’Alleluia

98. Augustine of Hippo  7 pascal,” QLP 15 (1930) 85–95. * C. Lambot, “Un ‘ieiunium quinquagesimae’ en Afrique au IVe siècle et date de quelques sermons de s. Augustin,” RB 47 (1935) 114–24. * C. Lambot, “Les sermons de s. Augustin pour les fêtes de Pâques: liturgie et archéologie,” RevSR 30 (1956) 230–40. * C. Lambot, “Les sermons de s. Augustin pour les fêtes de Paques: Tradition manuscrite,” in Mélanges en l’honneur de monseigneur Michael Andrieu (Strasbourg, 1956) 263–78. * “Sermon de s. Augustin sur la nuit sainte,” LMD, no. 49 (1957) 5–9. * J. Baus, “Ostern in der Verkundigung des hl. Augustinus,” in Paschalis Sollemnia, ed. B. Fisher and J. Wagner (Freiburg i. B., 1959) 57–67. * I. Delamare, “Saint Augustin prêche la quinzaine pascale,” VS 100 (1959) 284–97. * G. Hudon, “Le mystère de Noël dans le temps de l’église, d’après s. Augustin,” LMD, no. 59 (1959) 60–84. * P.-P. Verbraken, “Une ‘laus cerei’ africaine,” RB 70 (1960) 301–12. * O. Rousseau, “La typologie Augustinienne de l’Hexameron et la théologie du temps,” LMD, no. 65 (1961) 80–95. * S. Poque, “Les lectures liturgiques de l’octave pascale à Hippone d’après les traités de s. Augustin sur la Première Epitre de s. Jean,” RB 74 (1964) 217–41. * H. Frank, “Die Paschalvigil als Ende der Quadragesima und ihr Festinhalt bei Augustinus,” ALW 9:1 (1965) 1–27. Music, Singing H.J. Rose, “St. Augustine as a Forerunner of Medieval Hymnology,” JThSt 28 (1926–27) 383–92. * A. Verheul, “La spiritualité du chant liturgique chez s. Paul et s. Augustin,” QLP 64 (1983) 165–78. * G. Beyron, “Musique ou silence?” LMD, no. 176 (1988) 143–48. * M.-H. Julien, “Le chant des hymnes dans l’antiquité chrétienne,” Res, n.s., no. 44 (1983) 20–26. * R.L. LaCroix, Augustine on Music (Lewiston, NY, 1988). * J. Lédion, “Quand Augustin s’explique sur la musique,” Res, n.s., no. 44 (1993) 28–35. Other Topics J. Zellinger, Augustin und die Volksfrommigkeit (Munich, 1933). * C. Mohrmann, “Saint Augustin praedicateur,” LMD, no. 39 (1954) 83–96. * C. Eichenseer, Das Symbolum Apostolicum bei hl. Augustinus, Kirchengeschichtliche Quellen und Studien 4 (St. Ottilien, 1960). * K. Smits, “Augustine and Liturgical Pluriformity,” Wor 44 (1970) 386–98. * V. Saxer, “Mort et culte des morts à partir de l’archéologie et de la liturgie d’Afrique dans l’oeuvre de s. Augustin,” Aug 18 (1978) 219–28. * V. Saxer, Morts, martyrs, reli­ ques en Afrique aux premiers siècles: les témoignages de Tertullien, Cyprien et Augustin à la lumière de l’archéologie africaine, Théologie historique 55 (Paris, 1980). * J.-A. Vinel, “L’argument liturgique opposé par s. Augustin aux pélagiens,” QL 68 (1987) 209–41. * A. Gerhards, “Benedicere/benedictio in Theologie und Liturgie nach den Schriften des hl. Augustinus,” EOr 5:1 (1988) 53–75. * M. Klockener, “Augustinus Kritteren zu Einheit und Vielfalt in der Liturgie nach Briefen 54 und 55,” LJ 41 (1991) 24–39. * H. Kotila, “Memoria mortuorum: Commemoration of the Departed in Augustine,” diss., Studia Ephemeridis “Augustinianum” (Rome, 1992). * S. Kim, “Il vero culto secondo il sermone 374 di Sant’ Agostino,” EOr 21 (2004) 33–65.

98-A. On the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount† This work, written in two books, dates from early in Augustine’s life as a priest. It treats not only the Beatitudes and the Lord’s Prayer but also other sayings of Jesus. Translated from De sermone Domini in monte, ed. A. Mutzenbecher, CCL 35 (Turnhout, 1967) 108, 115–16. †

8  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West II.v.18. [.  .  .] When we stand for prayer, we turn toward the east from which heaven rises. It is not as if God, having deserted other regions of the world, dwells there, for God is present everywhere, not physically but in the power of the divine majesty. We turn toward the east so that the soul may be reminded to turn toward a more excellent nature, namely, to God. [.  .  .] 2502 II.vii.26. [.  .  .] Although this bread is called daily bread, there are many in various parts of the East who do not share each day in the Lord’s Supper. They are silent, not defending their way of thinking about this matter, not even by ecclesiastical authority. There is no scandal here. They are not forbidden from acting in this way by those governing the churches, nor are they condemned as being disobedient. And so it is proven that in those areas the sacramental bread is not understood as “daily bread.” Otherwise, those who do not receive [the Eucharist] daily would be censured with a serious sin. But, as was said, may we not discuss the matter from such a case. Rather, we should certainly consider this: from the Lord we have received the law of prayer, and it is not right to transgress this law either by adding or by omitting anything. Therefore would anyone dare to maintain that we should pray the Lord’s Prayer only once? Or who would hold that even if we say the prayer two or three times before the hour when we receive the Lord’s Body, we should not pray it through the remainder of the day? For we will no longer be able to say “give us this day” in regard to what we have already received. Or will we be forced to celebrate that sacrament also at the last hour of the day? 2503 II.vii.27. It remains that “daily bread” is to be understood as “spiritual bread.” [.  .  .] If anyone desires to understand these words [“Give us this day our daily bread”] as also referring to the food that is necessary for the human body or as referring to the sacrament of the Lord’s Body, then all three meanings should be received conjointly: namely, that we petition for the daily bread that nourishes the body; we also petition for the visible consecrated Bread as well as for the invisible bread of God’s word. 2501

98-B. Eighty-Three Diverse Questions† Between 388 and 396 Augustine responded to various questions, philosophical as well as dogmatic and exegetical, that were put to him by his friends. After becoming a bishop, he had these numbered and compiled into this tract. 2504

lxxxi.2. [.  .  .] At present we groan and lament, looking forward to the redemption of our body1 which is celebrated during Quadragesima.a † Translated from De diversis quaestionibus octoginta tribus. De octo Dulcitii quaestionibus, ed. A. Mutzenbecher, CCL 44 A (Turnhout, 1975) 241–42. a. The traditional designation (“the fortieth day”) for the season of Lent. 1. See Rom 8:23.

98. Augustine of Hippo  9 However, “we know that when it is revealed, we will be like him since we will see him as he is,”2 when ten is added to forty so that we might merit not only to believe what pertains to faith but also to understand the clarity of truth. Such a Church, in which there will be no mourning, no mixing in of those who are evil, no iniquity, but gladness and peace and joy, is prefigured by the celebration of Quinquagesima.b Therefore after our Lord rose from the dead and spent forty days with his disciples—this number introducing the plan of salvation in a time that pertains to faith—he ascended into heaven3 and after ten days sent the Holy Spirit.4 Ten is added to forty so that we might not look upon human and temporal realities but upon those that are divine and eternal, doing so by a certain breathing forth [spiramento] and glow of love and affection. Therefore the whole, that is, the fifty days, is marked by the celebration of joy.

98-C. Against Faustus the Manichaean† Containing thirty-three books and written about 400 or somewhat earlier, this work refutes Faustus of Milevis, one of the great Manichaean teachers of Augustine’s time. The bishop of Hippo defends not only Christianity but also Judaism against the attacks of Faustus. XX.xxi. [.  .  .] It is by means of a religious solemnity that Christians honor the memory of the martyrs, doing so that we may be inspired to imitate them as well as to be assisted by their merits and prayers. It is not to any of the martyrs that we build altars but to the God of the martyrs. For no one presiding in places where the bodies of the saints are located, no one standing at the altar has ever said, “Peter, Paul, or Cyprian, we offer to you.” Rather, the offering is made to God who crowned the martyrs. From the instructions given in these shrines arises a greater feeling for love, love for those whom we can imitate, and love for him who can help us do so. Therefore we cherish the martyrs with the same loving affinity with which we cherish God’s holy ones in this life, those whose hearts we know are ready to endure the same suffering for the sake of the Gospel. Yet we love the martyrs even more since we know that their struggle has ended; it is with greater assurance that we praise those who are victorious as compared to our praise of those who are still struggling here below. To God alone do we give that service which is called by the Greeks latria and has no one word in Latin. One God alone do we worship: this is what we practice and teach. The offering of sacrifice is part of divine worship. Consequently the word idolatry is applied to those who offer b. The traditional designation (“the fiftieth day”) for the season of Pentecost. 2. 1 John 3:2.  3. See Acts 1:1–9.  4. See Acts 2:1–4. † Translated from Sancti Aureli Augustini De utilitate credendi .  .  . Contra Faustum, ed. J. Zycha, CSEL 25.1 (Vienna, 1891) 562–64.

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10  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West to idols. In no way do we offer or command that offerings be made to any martyr, to any holy soul, or to any angel. Those who fall into such an error are rebuked by sound teaching, being either corrected or warned. Those who are holy, whether they be humans or angels, do not wish to be honored by what they acknowledge belongs to God alone. We see this when the citizens of Lycaonia, on account of the miracles performed by Paul and Barnabas, wanted to sacrifice to them as if they were gods. Renting their garments, Paul and Barnabas directed the people not to do this as they told and persuaded them that they were not divine.1 We also find the same among the angels when we read in the Book of Revelation that the angel would not allow himself to be adored, saying to the one who would worship him, “I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brothers.”2 The devil and his angels, claiming this adoration, clearly are proud spirits, as can be seen in all the temples and sacred things of the Gentiles. Certain proud people are similar to them, as some Babylonian kings were said to be. Thus holy David endured accusations and persecution when the king decreed that nothing was to be sought from any god—but only from the king himself. Daniel was seen adoring and petitioning his God, namely, the one true God.3 As to those who drink to excess at the memorials of the martyrs, how can we approve this practice since sound doctrine condemns it even if they do this in their homes? [.  .  .] To sacrifice to the martyrs, even if we be fasting, is worse than returning home drunk after their feasts. I said “to sacrifice to the martyrs” and not “to sacrifice to God in memory of the martyrs,” which we do most frequently, at least in the manner commanded since the revelation of the New Testament, for this pertains to the worship or latria due to God alone. [.  .  .] Previous to Christ’s coming the flesh and blood of this sacrifice were prefigured in the animals slain; in Christ’s passion the figure is made true; after Christ’s ascension we make memory of Christ in the sacrament. [.  .  .]

98-D. Questions on the Gospels† Containing two books, this tract explains certain passages from the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. 2507

II.xl.3. Hardly any of the faithful doubt that what is prefigured here [the Jewish priesthood] is the future royal priesthood which is in the Church; it is to this that all who form the body of Christ, who is truly the greatest high priest, are consecrated. At the present time all are anointed; at that time only kings and prophets were anointed. This is what Peter had in mind when he wrote to the Christian people that they were “a royal 1. See Acts 14:13–18.  2. See Rev 19:10; 22:8ff.  3. See Dan 6. † Translated from Quaestiones evangeliorum, ed. A. Mutzenbecher, CCL 44 B (Turnhout, 1980) 98–99.

98. Augustine of Hippo  11 priesthood.”1 He declared that this designation befits the people to whom the anointing belongs. [.  .  .]

98-E. Confessions† Long acknowledged as one of Christianity’s outstanding classics, the Confessions was written ca. 397–400. The work, addressed to God, is not only autobiography but also, more important, prayer, especially prayer of praise. 2508 I.xi.17. While still a boy I heard about the eternal life promised us through the humility of the Lord our God who descended on account of our pride. I was already marked with the sign of the cross and seasoned with his salt from my mother’s womb, my mother who greatly trusted in you. You saw me, O Lord, when as a boy I was one day suddenly afflicted with stomach pains and felt that I would soon die. O God, because you already were my protector, you saw with what emotion and faith I entreated from my pious mother and from your Church, which is the mother of us all, the baptism of your Christ, my Lord and my God. My bodily mother was distraught, for with a heart pure in your faith she placed more value in giving birth to my eternal salvation. She was already concerned about speeding up the time for the life-giving sacraments when I would be initiated and washed, confessing you, Lord Jesus, for the remission of sins. However, I immediately recovered. And so my cleansing was postponed as if—continuing to live—I would necessarily continue to sin since after that washing the filth of sin would surely be greater and more dangerous. At that time I together with my mother and the whole household were believers, but not my father who did not overcome in me the influence of my mother’s piety so that I would follow him in not believing in Christ. My mother took every care that you, my God, would be a Father to me rather than he. In this you helped her prevail over her husband to whom, although she was the better of the two, she was obedient. By so doing she obeyed you who commanded this. 2509 I.xi.18. My God, I ask you, I wish to know, if you so desire, why my baptism was at that time delayed? Was it for my benefit that the reins were, shall we say, given slack so that I could sin? Or were they not given slack? If not, why do we hear on all sides, “Let him be; let him do what he wants, for he is not yet baptized”? Yet in regard to bodily health we do not say, “Allow him to be wounded still more since he has not yet recovered.” Therefore, how better it would be if I had been cured immediately and if it had been done by my own attentiveness and by that of my friends so that the restored health of my soul would be safe under your protection. [.  .  .]

1. 1 Pet 2:9. † Translated from Sancti Aureli Augustini Confessionum Libri Tredecim, ed. P. Knoll, CSEL 33 (Vienna, 1896) 15ff.

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V.ix.17. [.  .  .] Most merciful God, could you despise the contrite and humble heart1 of [Monica], that pure and prudent widow who frequently bestowed alms, who was so obedient and attentive to your saints, who let no day pass without bringing an offering to your altar, who twice each day—morning and evening—always went to church, not for vain chattering or for listening to old wives’ tales but to hear your sermons and so that you might hear her prayers? [.  .  .] IX.vii.15. Not long ago the church at Milan began to observe this type of consolation and encouragement, with its members singing together with great zeal in voice and heart. Truly it was a year ago—not much longer— when Justina, the mother of Valentinian the boy emperor, persecuted your servant Ambrosea to benefit the heresy into which she had been seduced by the Arians. The devoted people kept vigil in the church where they were prepared to die with their bishop, your servant. It was there, in church, that my mother, your servant, leading the way with such care and keeping vigil, lived in prayer. But we, still unaffected by the warmth of your Spirit, were nonetheless moved by the terrified and disturbed city. At that time began the practice of singing hymns and psalms according to the custom of eastern lands so that the people, wearied with grief, might not faint away. This practice has been retained up to the present in many, in almost all, of your churches throughout the rest of the world. IX.vii.16. Then through a vision you revealed to your renowned bishop the resting place of the bodies of your martyrs Protasius and Gervasius.b For many years you kept them incorrupt in your secret storehouse, at the appropriate time producing them to hold in check the royal lady’s [Justina’s] fury. For when these bodies were discovered and exhumed, they were with honor transferred to the Ambrosian basilica. [.  .  .] IX.xii.29. I closed her [Monica’s] eyes and a great sadness overtook my heart. It resulted in tears, which we suppressed, my eyes made dry through a strong inner discipline. Sorrow struggled within me. As soon as she breathed her last, the boy Adeodatusc began to wail. [.  .  .] IX.xii.31. Once the boy was restrained from weeping, Evodiusd picked up the Psalter and began to sing a psalm; the whole household responded “I will sing of mercy and justice to you, O Lord.”2 [.  .  .] IX.xii.32. When her body was taken out, we both left and afterwards returned without tears. I did not weep during the prayers that we poured forth to you when the sacrifice of our redemption was offered for her— her body being placed next to the grave before being placed therein as is a. WEC 2:53. b. Gervasius and Protasius: the proto-martyrs of Milan, who, according to later tradition, were martyred in the latter half of the second century. c. Augustine’s son. d. Evodius: a close friend of Augustine and later bishop of Uzalis. 1. See Ps 51:19.  2. Ps 101:1.

98. Augustine of Hippo  13 the custom there—during these prayers I did not weep. Yet throughout the whole day I was secretly in great sorrow, and with a troubled mind I asked you, as I was able, to heal my sorrow. Yet you did not do this. [.  .  .] As I lay alone upon my bed, I recalled the prophetic words of Ambrose: for you are the “God who all things did create [.  .  .].”e X.xxxiii.49. The delights of the ear had more firmly entangled and over- 2516 come me, but you untangled and freed me. I must confess that I do find a certain amount of comfort in those melodies given life by your words provided they are sung by a sweet and skillful voice; not that I hang on to them, yet being able to disengage myself from them when I so desire. However, these melodies touch me through the words which are their life and which seek in my heart a place of proper dignity; yet hardly do I provide them a fitting one. At times I seem to honor the melodies more than is becoming when I see that our minds are more religiously and fervently moved by the holy words themselves when these words are sung rather than when they are not sung; when I see that all the diverse emotions of our spirit have their own proper measures in voice and song to which they are roused by some secret relationship of which I know nothing. Such delights of my flesh—to which a weakened soul should never be surrendered—often deceive me, whereas bodily feeling does not wait for reason in order to patiently follow it; but once having gained entry this feeling tries to run on before reason and so to lead it. And so in these matters I sin unknowingly; it is only afterwards that I realize I am sinning in this way. 2517 X.xxxiii.50. There are times when I most carefully guard against this very deception. I err out of excessive severity. At times I even wish that the melodies of the sweet-sounding songs often used by David’s Psalter be banished from my ears and from those of the Church. What, as I recall, was often related to me about Athanasius,f the bishop of Alexandria, seems better, for he had the reader of the psalm slightly inflect the voice so that the reader was more speaking than singing the text. 2518 Nonetheless, when I recall the tears I shed at the songs of the Church during the early days of my recovered faith, and how I am even now moved not by the singing but by what is sung—when it is rendered with a clear and skillfully modulated voice—then I acknowledge the great usefulness of this practice. So it is that I waver between dangerous pleasure and the experience of wholesomeness; and although I do not wish to utter any irrevocable opinion on this matter, I am inclined to approve the custom of singing in church so that through the delights of the ear weaker minds may rise up to a feeling of devotion. Yet when it happens that I am moved more by the singing than by what is sung, I confess that I sin like a lawbreaker, and then I would rather not hear the singing. Look at my condition! Cry with me, cry for me. [.  .  .] e. See WEC 2:53-T-2. f. Athanasius: anti-Arian bishop 328–73 of Alexandria (WEC 2:90).

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98-F. On Baptism: Against the Donatists† This work, containing seven books, was written about 400. In it Augustine shows that all baptisms are valid, even those performed by heretics; nonetheless such rites when celebrated by those outside the Catholic Church are not effective unto salvation. The Donatists, however, who appealed to the authority of Cyprian (WEC 1:27), rebaptized Catholics entering their ranks. I.i.1. In the book we wrote against Parmenian’sa letter to Tichonius,b we promised to treat the question of baptism in more detail. But even if such a promise had not been made, we recall and acknowledge that this is something we owe to the requests of our brethren. And so in this treatise we undertake, with God’s help, not only to disprove the objection customarily made by the Donatists against us on this subject but also, as the Lord will allow us, to promote the authority of the most blessed martyr Cyprian. This authority they try to use as a support so that their perversity may not fall under the attacks of truth. We do so in order that those whose judgment has not been blinded by a sectarian spirit may understand that they are not aided by Cyprian’s authority. Rather, through it they are convicted and refuted. I.i.2. In the above-mentioned work we stated that baptism can be given 2520 outside the Catholic communion just as it can be withheld there. No Donatist denies that even apostates have baptism; certainly when apostates return and are converted through penance, they are not baptized a second time; the judgment has been made that they did not forfeit baptism. The same is true for those who through the sacrilege of schism have departed from the communion of the Church; certainly they retain the baptism they accepted previous to their departure. Should they return, they are not again baptized; so it is shown that what they received when they were united to the Church, they do not lose when separated from it. If baptism can be retained without, why can it not also be given without? Should you say that “it is not efficaciously given without,” we respond, “Just as it is not rightly retained without, and yet is somehow retained, so it is not legitimately given without, but is somehow given.” When a person is reconciled to unity, then what was possessed to no profit outside unity begins to be possessed to profit within unity; and by the same reconciliation what was unprofitably given outside unity is profitably given within unity. Yet it cannot be said that what was not given was indeed given, or that anyone should be reproached for not having given this while confessing that he gave what he himself has received. Whoever is baptized has the sacrament of baptism; whoever is ordained can sacramentally confer baptism. Just as 2519

† Translated from Sancti Aureli Augustini Scripta contra Donatistas, vol. 1, ed. M. Petschenig, CSEL 51 (Vienna, 1908) 145ff. a. Parmenian: Donatist bishop 362–91/92 of Carthage. b. Tichonius: ca. 330–ca. 390, lay exegete in Carthage.

98. Augustine of Hippo  15 a baptized person, upon leaving the unity of the Church, does not lose the sacrament of baptism, so also the ordained, upon leaving the unity of the Church, does not lose the sacrament of conferring baptism. Harm is to be done to neither sacrament. If one sacrament is ineffective among those who are evil, then both are; if one sacrament remains operative among those who are evil, then both are. Therefore, if we accept the baptism which a person who has left the unity of the Church cannot lose, so also must we accept the baptism conferred by a person who did not lose the sacrament of giving it when he or she departed from the Church. For just as those returning who were baptized prior to their departure from the Church are not again baptized, so those returning who were ordained before they left are certainly not ordained again. Either they minister as they formerly did if the needs of the Church require this, or if they do not minister, they bear the sacrament of their ordination and thus when the hand is imposed [for reconciliation], they are not considered as ranked among the laity. For when Felicianc together with Maximiand disassociated themselves from them [the Donatists], they lost neither the sacrament of baptism nor the sacrament of conferring baptism. For now they consider Felician as one of themselves together with those he baptized when he was outside the Church in the schism of Maximian. And so others could receive from them, while they still had not yet joined our society, what they had not lost by departing from our society. Clearly they act wickedly who try to rebaptize those who are in Catholic unity. So we act rightly in not daring to reject God’s sacraments even when conferred by schismatics. [.  .  .]

98-G. Rudimentary Catechesis† Written about 400, this tract is a guide for instructing the catechumens. ix.13. [.  .  .] You should also understand that the only voice heard by God is the devotion of the soul. And so one will not engage in mockery upon hearing the Church’s ministers praying to God in a language replete with barbarisms and grammatical blunders or when these ministers, lacking any proper understanding of what they are reading, pause in the wrong places. I do not mean, of course, that such deficiencies should be committed so that the people may not be able to utter “Amen” to what they should clearly understand. [.  .  .] As to the sacrament they are about to receive, it is sufficient that the more educated simply hear what the thing signifies. The less educated should receive a more explicit explanation, one using comparisons. This will prevent them from showing disrespect toward what they see. c. Felician: Donatist bishop of Musti in northern Africa. d. Maximian: Donatist bishop 393–? † Translated from De fide rerum invisibilium .  .  . De catechizandis rudibus .  .  ., ed. M.P.J. van den Hout, CCL 46 (Turnhout, 1969) 135–36, 158–59, 173.

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xx.34. The people, therefore, were led down into Egypt where they were slaves of the most cruel king.1 Their burdensome labor led them to seek God as their liberator. Sent to the people was one of their own, namely, Moses, God’s holy servant.2 Assisted by divine power Moses by means of wonderful miracles struck fear into the impious Egyptians and led God’s people through the Red Sea.3 The waters parted and offered a path for those who were passing through. When the waters returned to normal, those pursuing were overwhelmed and perished. Just as the earth when flooded was cleansed of the evil of the sinners who at that time were destroyed in the flood, and just as the righteous escaped by means of wood, so God’s people, coming out of Egypt, found a way through the waters that destroyed their enemies. Nor was the sacrament of the wood lacking there, for Moses struck with his rod in order to produce a miracle. Both [the flood and the passage through the Sea] are signs of holy baptism through which the faithful pass to new life, their sins being washed away and destroyed like enemies. More clearly is Christ’s passion prefigured in that people when they were commanded to slay and eat the lamb, to mark the doorpost with its blood, and to celebrate this every year and call it the Lord’s Pasch.4 Surely prophecy is most clear when it says, “He was led like a lamb to slaughter.”5 Today you, like the doorposts, are marked on the forehead with the sign of his passion and cross, as all Christians are thus marked.

98-H. Against the Letters of Petilian the Donatist† About 400 Petilian, a Donatist bishop in Cirta, circulated a letter attacking Catholic doctrine. Soon after, Augustine wrote three letters in reply. 2523

II.xxxv.82. [.  .  .] When you clearly see that neither the person who baptized nor the person who was baptized had a clear conscience, is it your judgment that baptism should be repeated? Surely you neither say nor do any such thing. Therefore the purity of baptism is completely distinct from the purity or innocence of the one baptizing or the one being baptized. [.  .  .]

98-I. On the Forgiveness and the Just Deserts of Sins, and the Baptism of Infants†† Written sometime after 411, the three books composing this work were directed against Pelagianism, which denied the existence of original sin and consequently the necessity of infant baptism. 1. See Exod 1:8ff.  2. See Exod 7:1ff.  3. See Exod 14:18ff.  4. See Exod 12:3ff.  5. Isa 53:7. † Translated from Sancti Aureli Augustini Scripta contra Donatistas, vol. 2, ed. M. Petschenig, CSEL 52 (Berlin, 1909) 68. †† Translated from Sancti Aureli Augustini De peccatorum meritis et remissione et de baptismo parvulorum .  .  ., ed. C.F. Urba and J. Zycha, CSEL 60 (Vienna, 1913) 20ff.

98. Augustine of Hippo  17 I.xvi.21. Correctly it is said that unbaptized infants who die will receive the mildest of condemnations. Greatly deceived and deceiving others is anyone who states that these infants will not be condemned since, as the apostle says, “Judgment begins with one sin and brings condemnation,”1 and shortly thereafter, “Through the sin of one all were condemned.”2 So when Adam sinned by disobeying God, his body, even though living and mortal, lost the grace by which it was completely obedient to its soul; then that animal feeling appeared whereby humans, now ashamed, began to blush at their nakedness;3 also at that time was contracted a disease from a sudden and deadly corruption. Consequently they lost the stability of the life in which they were created, and because of the changes experienced during life, death was to be their fate. No matter how many years they lived after this, they began to die on the very day on which they received the law of death, advancing as they were toward old age. Life continues to go on, ending not in perfection but in destruction. And so fulfilled are God’s words, “On the day you eat, on that day you will die.”4 The consequence of this bodily disobedience, of this rule of sin and death, is that those who are born physically need to be reborn spiritually, not only that they might attain God’s kingdom but also that they indeed may be freed from sin’s condemnation. Likewise, just as those physically born are subject to the sin and death of the first human being, so in baptism they are reborn, joined to the justice and eternal life of the second. Thus in Ecclesiasticus we read, “Sin began by a woman and through her all of us die.”5 Whether it says “by the woman” or “by Adam,” both refer to the first human being since, as we know, the woman came from the man, and they are one in the flesh, as is written, “The two will become one flesh,” says the Lord, “no longer two but one flesh.”6 I.xvii.22. There are those who say that infants are baptized so that they may be freed from the sins they brought upon themselves in this life, not from what they have received from Adam. These are easily refuted. Let them, free from any contentious spirit, truly reflect on how absurd their position is, on how it is unworthy of any discussion. Then they will immediately change their minds. But if they are unwilling to do so, we will not so despair of human sense as to fear that they can persuade others to adopt their position. Unless I am mistaken, they themselves hold this opinion because they are biased on behalf of some previous position. They must acknowledge that sins are forgiven the baptized, and yet they refuse to admit that there is a sin that comes from Adam, a sin that is forgiven to infants. [.  .  .] I.xviii.23. On the other hand, these people propose something that appears worthy of consideration and discussion. They say that the newborn are not baptized so that their sins be forgiven. Since their human birth is 1. Rom 5:16.  2. Rom 5:18.  3. See Gen 3:10.  4. Gen 2:17.  5. Sir 25:23.  6. Matt 19:5–6.

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18  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West not spiritual, the newborn are baptized so that they might have a spiritual rebirth, be created in Christ, and thereby be made sharers in the kingdom of heaven, and in the same way become children and “heirs of God, coheirs with Christ.”7 When asked whether the nonbaptized, those who are not coheirs with Christ and sharers of the kingdom of heaven,8 will have at least the benefit of eternal salvation in the resurrection of the dead, they are greatly distressed and stymied. Will any Christian maintain that people can attain eternal salvation without being reborn in Christ? When he was about to institute a sacrament for those requiring rebirth unto the hope of eternal salvation, Christ desired that this rebirth take place through baptism. As the apostle says, “Not through any deeds of righteousness of our own but because of his mercy he saved us through the bath of rebirth.”9 This salvation, he says, is found in hope while we live here. “For in hope we were saved. Hope that is seen is not hope. Who hopes for what one sees? If we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance.”10 Therefore will anyone dare affirm that infants lacking this rebirth can be saved for eternity, as if Christ did not die for them? Christ died for sinners. Obviously these infants did nothing sinful while alive. So if they are not held by any bond of sinfulness deriving from their origin, how could Christ, who died for sinners, have died for them?11 If they suffer no sickness of original sin, why do those who care for them hasten out of a godly fear to carry them to the Christ who heals so that they might receive the sacrament of eternal salvation? Why does not the Church rather say to them, “Don’t bring these innocent ones here; ‘the healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick’?”12 Is it that Christ came not to “call the righteous but to call sinners”?13 Such an argument has never been proposed, is not being proposed, and will never be proposed in the Church of Christ. 2527 I.xix.25. Some will ask how infants are called to penance. “How can these little ones repent of anything?” The answer is that if they are not to be called penitents because they do not yet have a mind that can understand penance, then neither are they to be called believers because in like manner they do not understand what it means to believe. If, however, they are rightly called believers because in some way they profess their faith through their parents, why is it that previously they were not considered to be penitents since by the words of the same parents they renounce the devil and this world? All this takes place in hope by the strength of the sacrament of divine grace given by the Lord to the Church. Furthermore, who does not know that a baptized infant upon reaching the age of reason simply does not benefit from what was received when it was young if it does not believe or if it does not refrain from unlawful desires? Should infants depart this world after baptism, then the guilt that originally 7. Rom 8:17.  8. See John 3:5.  9. Titus 3:5.  10. Rom 8:24–25.  11. See Rom 5:6. 12. See Luke 5:31.  13. Matt 9:12; Luke 5:32.

98. Augustine of Hippo  19 burdened them has been removed, and they will be perfected in that light of truth, a light which remains forever unchangeable, a light which by the presence of the Creator enlightens the righteous. Sins alone separate us from God,14 and sins are removed by Christ’s grace through whose mediation we are reconciled15 when he justifies the sinner.16 I.xxiv.34. The Punic Christians [those of Carthage] rightly speak of bap- 2528 tism as “salvation.” They refer to Christ’s Body as “life.” Now what is the origin of this if not from an ancient and, I presume, apostolic tradition by which the churches of Christ hold it as a principle that without being baptized and sharing at the Lord’s table17 no one can enter God’s kingdom or attain salvation and eternal life? As we stated above, Scripture testifies to this. Does designating baptism by the word “salvation” differ from Scripture’s “He saved us through the bath of rebirth”18 and Peter’s statement, “This prefigured baptism which saves you”?19 When the sacrament of the Lord’s table is called “life,” is this not what the Scriptures say, “I am the living bread that descended from heaven and which I will give you; my flesh is for the life of the world, and if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood you will not have life within you.”20 If, therefore, as so many and such divine testimonies agree, we can expect neither salvation nor eternal life without baptism and the Lord’s Body and Blood, then it is futile to promise salvation and eternal life to infants without these. Furthermore, if only sins separate21 one from salvation and eternal life, then what these sacraments forgive in infants is nothing other than the guilt of sin from which, as we read, no one is clean, not even if a person lives only one day.22 And so we read in the Psalms, “I was conceived in iniquity, and in sins my mother conceived me.”23 This was said about people generally or, if David said this about himself, he was certainly born not from fornication but from a legitimate marriage. And so we should not doubt that Christ’s blood was also shed for infants yet to be baptized. This blood, before being shed, was given and commended to us in the sacrament when the Lord said, “This is my Blood which will be shed for many unto the forgiveness of sins.”24 Those unwilling to admit that people are under the bond of sin deny there is any liberation. Then from what are people set free if they are not under the slavery of sin? 2529 I.xxiv.35. “I have come,” he says, “as light to the world so that all who believe in me will not remain in the darkness.”25 What does this show except that those who do not believe in him remain in the darkness, and that those who believe in him escape the darkness of sin? What is this darkness unless it is sin? Whatever else darkness may mean, those who do not believe in Christ will remain in it. Surely it is a punishment; darkness is not required for the refreshment of the living. 14. See Isa 59:2.  15. See Rom 5:10; 1 Tim 2:5.  16. See Rom 4:5.  17. See Mark 16:16; John 3:5; 1 Cor 10:16.  18. Titus 3:5.  19. 1 Pet 3:21.  20. John 6:51, 53.  21. See Isa 59:2.  22. See Job 14:4–5.  23. Ps 51:5.  24. Matt 26:28.  25. John 12:46.

20  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West I.xxv. So it is that infants, unless they are to be numbered among believers through the sacrament that has been divinely instituted for this purpose, will surely remain in the darkness. 2531 I.xxv.36. Some, however, believe that infants are enlightened as soon as they are born. This is how they understand “he was the true light enlightening all who come into this world.”26 Now if this is true, then we can wonder why infants, enlightened by the only Son who in the beginning was the Word with God and was God,27 are not permitted to enter the kingdom of God, nor are they heirs of God28 and coheirs with Christ. Even those holding this opinion acknowledge that such an inheritance is granted to infants only through baptism. And so if infants—although already enlightened—are not yet fit to enter God’s kingdom, they should be happy to receive at least the baptism that makes them suitable for this; yet we see them reluctant to do so, objecting with many tears. So we disregard the ignorance of that young age in order to fully carry out the sacraments, which we know will benefit them, even though they are unwilling. Why then does the apostle say, “Be not children in understanding”29 if their minds have already been illumined by that true light30 which is the Word of God? 2532 I.xxv.38. [.  .  .] Remaining in the darkness are those who do not believe in him who said, “I am the light that came into the world so that all who believe in me might not remain in darkness.”31 Mother Church, not doubting that this happens in infants through the sacrament, provides them with a mother’s heart and lips so that they may be immersed in the sacred mysteries. She does so since the hearts of infants are not yet capable of believing unto righteousness and since their mouths cannot yet confess unto salvation. No member of the faithful would hesitate to call these children “believers”—a name taken from the act of believing—even though they do not do this themselves, for during the celebration of the sacraments others reply in their name. 2533 I.xxxiv.63. What shall I say as to the form of the sacrament? I wish that someone holding a different opinion would bring an infant for me to baptize. What effect does my exorcism have upon that child unless it is a member of the devil’s family? Whoever brought the infant to be baptized would certainly have to respond to me on its behalf since infants are unable to answer in their own name. Is it possible for infants to declare that they renounce the devil if the devil is not within them? Can we say that infants are converted to God if they have not previously rejected God? That infants believe, among other things, in the forgiveness of sins if they have no sins? As for my thinking, if I believed that the sponsors’ opinions were contrary to the faith, I would not allow them to bring infants to the sacraments. [.  .  .] 2530

26. John 1:9.  27. See John 1:1.  28. See Rom 8:17.  29. 1 Cor 14:20.  30. See John 1:9.  31. John 12:46.

98. Augustine of Hippo  21 2534 I.xxxiv.64. [.  .  .] There is an important difference between those who maintain that infants are completely pure and free from all sins—be it original sin or personal sin—and those who believe that infants, immediately from birth onwards, contract their own personal sins for which they require the cleansing of baptism. This latter group, by examining the Scriptures, by considering the authority of the whole Church and the form of the sacrament itself, clearly understands that through baptism infants are set free from sin; and yet this group is either unwilling or unable to admit that what infants have comes from their origin. The former group, however, clearly and easily understands that the very young, given their very nature, cannot possibly commit any personal sins. Yet to avoid admitting the existence of original sin, they maintain that infants have no sin whatsoever. [.  .  .] Now if the one side grants that sins are forgiven to baptized infants, and if the other side grants that infants—as nature itself loudly proclaims in the silence of the infants—have as yet contracted no personal sin, then let both sides agree that all that remains in infants is original sin, which can be remitted by baptism. 2535 II.xxvi.42. Sanctification is not of one kind. Catechumens are, I believe, in their own way sanctified through the sign of Christ and through the prayer with the imposition of the hand; and what they receive, although not Christ’s Body, is holy, more holy than the foods that nourish us because what they receive is a sacrament. Truly the food that we take for sustaining the necessities of life is, as the apostle said, sanctified by the word of God and by prayer,32 the prayer we make when we are about to feed our bodies. But just as this sanctification of food does not stop what the mouth receives from going down into the stomach and being discarded as waste33— partaking of the corruption to which all earthly things are subject, so the Lord exhorts us to labor for a different type of food, one that is incorruptible.34 Likewise, if catechumens are not baptized, their sanctification profits them nothing, whether for entering the kingdom of heaven or for the remission of sins. So it is that the sanctification said by the apostle to exist in the children of believers in no way pertains to baptism or to the question of the origin of sin and its forgiveness. In the same passage he says that unbelieving spouses can be sanctified by believing spouses: “For an unbelieving husband is made holy through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy through her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean whereas now they are holy.”35 There is no one, I believe, who is so mistaken, no matter how these words are understood, as to believe that a non-Christian husband, because his wife is Christian, has no need for baptism, that he can obtain the forgiveness of sins and can enter the kingdom of heaven, simply because he is said to be sanctified in his wife. 2536 II.xxvii.43. Whoever still has questions as to why children born of baptized parents are baptized should briefly consider this. Just as the birth of sinful flesh through the one Adam brings condemnation to all born in that

32. See 1 Tim 4:5.  33. See Matt 15:17.  34. See John 6:27.  35. 1 Cor 7:14.

22  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West way,36 so rebirth by the Spirit of grace through the one Jesus Christ leads all—predestined in this way—who are generated to the justification of eternal life. The sacrament of baptism is indeed the sacrament of rebirth.37 And so just as someone who has not lived is unable to die, and just as a person who has not died is unable to rise, so a person who was never born cannot be reborn. For this reason we conclude that one who has never been born cannot be reborn in his or her parent. All who have been born are to be reborn because “unless one is born again he or she cannot see the kingdom of God.”38 Therefore, even infants are to be immersed in the sacrament of rebirth so that they may not be so unfortunate as to depart this life without baptism. This is done only for the forgiveness of sins,39 as Christ showed in the passage when, asked how all this could happen, he recalled what Moses did while lifting up the serpent.40 Since infants are conformed to Christ’s death through the sacrament of baptism, we must admit that they are freed from the serpent’s bite if we do not wish to stray from the rule of Christian faith. Children, however, did not receive this bite during their own lives but in him upon whom the bite was originally inflicted. 2537 III.iv.8. And if the words of the apostle are unclear when he says, “Through one person sin entered the world and through sin death and so death came to all,”41 and if these words can be interpreted differently, is there anything ambiguous in the following: “No one can enter the kingdom of God without being born again through water and the Spirit”?42 Or is this ambiguous, “You will call his name Jesus; for he will save his people from their sins”?43 Or this: “Not the healthy but the sick need a physician”?44 Namely, that Jesus is not needed by those who have no sin but by those who are to be saved from sin? Or this: “Unless we eat his flesh, that is, partake of his Body, we will not have life”?45 These testimonies as well as others that I now pass over are most clear by the divine light and most certainly by divine authority. Does not the truth unambiguously proclaim in them that unbaptized infants are not only unable to enter the kingdom of God but are also unable to possess eternal life apart from the Body of Christ. In order to be incorporated into this Body, they are washed through the sacrament of baptism. Does not the truth surely testify that the only reason these infants are carried in the pious arms of their parents to Jesus, namely, to Christ who is their Savior and physician, is so they can be healed from the plague of sin through the medicine of the sacraments? Why, then, do we hesitate to understand the apostle’s words, about which we perhaps had some doubts, so that these words might agree with testimonies that we cannot doubt. 2538 III.v.10. And so blessed Cypriana has rightly shown how the Church from its very beginning held this as something to be believed and to be a. WEC 1:27. 36. See Rom 5:18.  37. See Titus 3:5.  38. John 3:3.  39. See Mark 1:4; Acts 2:38.  40. See John 3:14.  41. Rom 5:12.  42. John 3:5.  43. Matt 1:21.  44. Matt 9:12.  45. See John 6:54.

98. Augustine of Hippo  23 understood. When questioned as to whether baptism might be conferred before the eighth day, he asserted that those most recently born from their mother’s womb are fittingly baptized. As best he could, he attempted to prove that these infants were ready so that no one might believe that they still had to be made ready since infants were formerly circumcised on the eighth day. But after giving them the great protection of his defense, he acknowledged that they were not immune from original sin. Had he denied this, he would have removed the very reason for their receiving baptism, something he was defending. Should you desire, you can read this letter of the notable martyr; it is entitled De baptizandis parvulis and a copy ought to be found in Carthage. I have decided to incorporate some of its passages into this treatise insofar as they seem pertinent to the question under consideration. Wisely take note. “You say that infants should not be baptized within the second or third day of birth and that the ancient law of circumcision should be considered. In your opinion the newly born should not be baptized and sanctified till the eighth day. Our council thought altogether differently. No one agreed with your thinking in this matter, but all of us decided that God’s mercy and grace should not be denied to any human being. As the Lord said in his Gospel, ‘The Son of Man did not come to destroy the lives of human beings but to save them.’46 As far as possible, no soul is to be lost.”b Notice what he says. Is it not destructive and deadly, not only to the infant’s flesh but also to his or her soul, to depart this life without that saving sacrament? Therefore if he said nothing more, we would correctly understand that a soul without sin cannot perish. But notice what he clearly acknowledges concerning them when somewhat later he defends the innocence of infants: “If anything could hinder us from obtaining grace, then sins that are more grave can more impede those who are adults and elderly and older. Since sins are forgiven even to the most serious sinners, once these sinners have come to believe—no matter how greatly they formerly sinned against God—and since baptism and grace are forbidden to no one, all the more they should not be forbidden to an infant who as a newborn has not sinned other than, having been bodily born after Adam, has contracted by its first birth the contagion of the ancient death. That it is not one’s own sins but those of another that are forgiven makes it easier to receive the forgiveness of sins.”c

98-J. Homily Three on the First Letter of John† Augustine’s homilies, ten in all, on the First Letter of John were given in 416.

b. Letter 64. ii. (WEC 1:566). c. Letter 64. v. (WEC 1:568). 46. Luke 9:56. † Translated from Commentaire de la premier Epître de s. Jean, ed. P. Aagaësse, SChr 75 (Paris, 1961) 192–95.

24  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West 2539

v. “They went out from us,” but .  .  . be not sad, “they were not of our number.” How do you prove this? “If they had been of our number, they would have remained with us.”1 By this, dearly beloved, you see that many who are not with us nonetheless receive the sacraments with us, receive baptism with us, receive with us that which the faithful know they are receiving: the blessing, the Eucharist, and whatever is in the holy mysteries; they receive Communion from the very altar with us and yet they are not of us. [.  .  .] “And you have an anointing from the Holy One so that you may be manifest to yourselves.”2 The spiritual anointing is the Spirit itself whose sacramental sign is in the visible anointing. John says that all who have this anointing of Christ recognize those who are good and those who are bad. There is no need that they be taught this since the anointing itself instructs them.

98-K. On the Trinity† This treatise was published in two parts, the first twelve books between 399 and 412, the remaining books and the work’s final edition about 420. III.iv.10. By means of signs the apostle Paul [.  .  .] was able to proclaim the Lord Jesus Christ,1 either through his speech, through a letter, or through the sacraments of the Lord’s Body and Blood; when we speak of Christ’s Body and Blood we certainly do not refer to Paul’s speech, or to the parchment and ink, or to the expressive sounds made by his tongue, or to the sign of the letters imprinted on skins. Only what is taken from the fruits of the earth and consecrated by a mystical prayer do we rightly receive to benefit our spiritual health, doing so in memory of what the Lord endured for us.2 Although human hands make this visible, it is only through the invisible action of God’s Spirit that it is sanctified to become so great a sacrament. [.  .  .] 2541 XV.xxvi.46. [.  .  .] What is written in the Acts of the Apostles is more evident in regard to him. “Because God anointed him with the Holy Spirit.”3 Certainly this was not with visible oil but by the gift of grace which is signified by the visible oil used by the Church to anoint the baptized. To be sure, Christ was not at that time anointed by the Holy Spirit when the Spirit, at Christ’s baptism, came down upon him like a dove.4 For at that time Christ deigned to prefigure his Body, namely, his Church, within which especially the baptized receive the Holy Spirit. [.  .  .] 2540

1. 1 John 2:19.  2. 1 John 2:20. † Translated from De trinitate libri XV, vol. 1, ed. W.J. Mountain, CCL 50 (Turnhout, 1968) 136; vol. 2, CCL 50 A (Turnhout, 1968) 526. 1. See 1 Cor 1:23.  2. See Luke 22:19; 1 Cor 11:24–25.  3. Acts 10:38.  4. See Luke 3:22.

98. Augustine of Hippo  25

98-L. Homilies on the Gospel of John† This collection of 124 homilies or sermons dates from about 413–18. There is disagreement as to whether all these pieces were actually delivered by Augustine or whether some of them, dictated by him, were preached by another cleric to the people. vi.8. [.  .  .] Should a person be baptized, for example, by a recognized holy person, and should another be baptized by an individual who has less merit with God—someone lower in rank, having less self-control, and of lesser circumstances—how is it that what they have received is one and the same unless it is because “This is he who baptizes”?1 Therefore when baptism is conferred by a good person and by a better person, one individual does not receive what is good, and another does not receive what is better. Although the ministers were good and better, they receive what is one and equal, not better in one and less in the other. So when a bad person baptizes out of some type of ignorance or with the toleration of the Church (for evil people are not known as such or are tolerated, just as chaff is tolerated till the threshing-floor is at last cleansed), what is given is one; it is not unequal because of unequal ministers. Both are equal since “This is he who baptizes.” ix.2. [.  .  .] The Lord, having been invited, went to the wedding feast in order to confirm conjugal chastity and to proclaim that marriage is a sacrament. [.  .  .] xi.3. [.  .  .] All the catechumens are like him [Nicodemus]. Already they believe in the name of Christ, and yet Jesus does not entrust himself to them. Listen, beloved, and understand this. If we ask the catechumens, “Do you believe in Christ?” they will answer, “I do believe” and will sign themselves, for they already bear Christ’s cross on the forehead and are not ashamed of this cross. See, they believe in the Lord’s name. Let us ask them, “Do you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood?” They do not understand what we are asking because Jesus has not entrusted himself to them. xv.4. [.  .  .] What is the baptism of Christ? The washing with water in the word. Remove the water, and it is not baptism; remove the word, and it is not baptism. xvii.4. [.  .  .] The number forty is committed to us as sacred since it is, as it were, a perfect number. This, I believe, is known to you, my beloved, for the holy Scriptures most often testify to this. You are also well aware that fasting is consecrated by this number: Moses fasted for forty days;2 Elijah for an equal number of days;3 and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ observed this same number.4 The Law is represented by Moses; the † Translated from In Iohannis evangelium tractatus CXXIV, ed. R. Willems, CCL 36 (Turnhout, 1954) 57ff. 1. See Matt 28:19.  2. See Exod 34:28.  3. See 1 Kgs 19:8.  4. See Matt 4:2.

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prophets are represented by Elijah; the Gospel by our Lord. [.  .  .] In its broad and general sense fasting means to abstain from the iniquities and illicit pleasures of the world, and perfect fasting means “rejecting impiety and worldly desires, so that we may live temperately and devoutly in this world.”5 What reward does the apostle join to this fast? As he then says, “awaiting that blessed hope and appearance of the glory of the blessed God and of our Savior Jesus Christ.”6 In that hope, when its object comes to pass, we will receive our reward, namely, a denarius. For, according to the Gospel, this reward was given to those working in the vineyard,7 something I believe you remember, for I need not mention everything as if I were speaking to the very ignorant and inexperienced. A denarius, which takes its name from the number ten, is given; this number joined to forty equals fifty. So it is that with toil we observe the forty days that precede the Pasch; however, it is with joy, as if having received a reward, that we celebrate the fifty days after the Pasch. The denarius of rest and happiness is added to the salutary labor of good work so that the number fifty is formed. xxvi.15. [.  .  .] The sacrament of this thing, namely, of the Body and Blood of Christ, is in some places prepared on the Lord’s table each day; in other places after a certain number of days. It is received from the Lord’s table by some unto life, by others unto death. The reality itself, of which it is the sacrament, is unto life for every person participating in it, for no one unto death. xliv.2. [.  .  .] Ask someone, “Are you a Christian?” If he or she is a pagan or is Jewish, the response will be, “I am not.” But if the answer is positive, then ask, “Are you a catechumen or one of the faithful?” If the response is, “I am a catechumen,” then he or she has been anointed but not yet washed. [.  .  .] lxxx.3. “You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.”8 Why does he not say, “You are cleansed because of the baptism by which you are cleansed,” but rather, “Because of the word that I spoke to you,” unless it is through the water that the word cleanses? Remove the word, and what is the water except water? The word is joined to the element [of water], and the sacrament results, being, as it were, the visible word. [.  .  .] This word of faith is so active in God’s Church through the one who believes, offers, blesses, and moistens with it, that it cleanses even the infant. [.  .  .] lxxxiv.1. [.  .  .] In the Proverbs of Solomon we read, “When you sit down to eat with a ruler, wisely consider what is set out before you, and so apply your hand, that it is appropriate for you to prepare such” [meals].9 For what is the table of the ruler unless it is the place from which you receive the Body and Blood of him who died for you? And what is it to sit there unless it is to approach [the table] with humility? And what is 5. Titus 2:12.  6. Titus 2:13.  7. See Matt 20:9–10.  8. John 15:3.  9. Prov 23:1–2.

98. Augustine of Hippo  27 it to reflect upon and to understand what has been set out for you unless it is to think appropriately about such a great kindness? And what is it to apply your hand so that you might understand that you are to prepare such feasts unless, as I have already said, that just as Christ died for us, so we should lay down our lives for one another. The apostle Peter also says, “Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example so that we might follow in his footsteps.”10 This is what “to prepare such” means. This is what the martyrs, burning with love, did. If we celebrate their memories not in vain, and if we approach the Lord’s table for the banquet by which they were filled, we like them must make similar preparations. And so it is not in the same manner that we commemorate them at table as we do the others who rest in peace, as if we should pray for the martyrs; rather, they should pray for us. [.  .  .] xcvi.3. [.  .  .] Although the sacraments of the faithful are not shown to the catechumens, it is not that the catechumens cannot bear to look upon them; the reason is that they may all the more ardently desire these sacraments. cxviii.5. [.  .  .] As all know, the sign of Christ is nothing other than the cross of Christ. For unless that sign is applied, whether it be to the foreheads of believers, or to the water from which they are reborn, or to the oil by which they are anointed with chrism, or to the sacrifice by which they are nourished, then none of these is properly carried out. [.  .  .]

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98-M. Answer to Julian the Pelagian† This treatise, dating from about 421, is Augustine’s response to four books written by Julian against Augustine’s teaching on marriage. III.v.11. You are in error when you believe that “there is no sin in children 2553 since children do not possess a will, and without a will there can be no sin.” This is true when it refers to personal sin and not to the original contagion. But if there were no such sin, then infants, truly bound by no evil, would suffer no evil—whether in the body or in the soul—under so great a power of the just God. Yes, evil has its origins in the evil will of the first humans, and so sin has no other origin than an evil will. If you would understand all this, you would simply and truly confess Christ’s favor on behalf of children. Furthermore, you would not be constrained to utter impious and ungodly assertions, namely: that children need not be baptized, something you perhaps might say next; or that so great a sacrament is frivolous in children. You hold that although baptized in the Savior, they are not saved; or that they are redeemed by the Liberator but are not set free; or that they are washed with the bath of rebirth but are not cleansed; or that they receive the exorcism and exsufflation but are not delivered from the 10. 1 Pet 2:21. † Translated from PL 44:707–8.

28  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West power of darkness; or that their price is [Christ’s] blood which was shed for the forgiveness of sins, but from no sin are they cleansed. [.  .  .]

98-N. Enchiridion of Faith, Hope, and Love† Dating from 421, this manual or handbook treats the three theological virtues by explaining the creed (faith), the Our Father (hope), and the moral precepts (love). xvii.64. Even now the angels are in harmony with us when our sins are remitted. This is why the creed, after mentioning the Church, speaks of the forgiveness of sins. It is through this forgiveness that the Church is established, that what was lost and found does not again perish.1 Apart from the gift of baptism, which is given to combat original sin and which by rebirth removes what was brought on by birth—this grace removing also actual sins, whether they be sins of thought, of word, or of deed; apart from such a great kindness which begins our renewal and in which all guilt, both inherited and added, is washed away, the remainder of our life, beginning with the age of reason and no matter how we advance in righteousness, is not lived without the forgiveness of sins because God’s children are in conflict with death for as long as they live on earth. Since it is correctly said of them, “As many as are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God,”2 it is true that they are led by the Spirit of God and, being children of God, move toward God; nonetheless, they are led by their own spirit, burdened as it is by a corruptible body.3 Being children of man and due to certain human feelings they fail in regard to themselves and therefore they sin. Indeed there is a difference as to how far they fail since even though every crime is a sin, not every sin is a crime. And so we say that the lives of the holy ones, while living in this mortal life, may be devoid of any crime. Yet as the apostle says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”4 2555 xvii.65. Crimes, no matter how great, may be forgiven in the holy Church. Those who do penance according to the type of each sin do not despair of God’s mercy. In the act of penance for a crime that separates the sinner from the body of Christ, it is not the amount of time but rather the depth of sorrow that should be kept in mind, for God does not reject a contrite and humble heart.5 Because the sorrow of one person’s heart is generally hidden from another person and is not revealed to others by means of words or other signs, when it is evident to him of whom it is said, “My sorrow is not hidden from you,”6 rightly have the Church’s authorities established times of penance in order to benefit the Church 2554

† Translated from De fide rerum invisibilium; Enchiridion ad Laurentium de fide et spe et caritate, ed. M.P.J. van den Hout, CCL 46 (Turnhout, 1969) 83–84, 108–9. 1. See Luke 15:32.  2. Rom 8:14.  3. See Wis 9:15.  4. 1 John 1:8.  5. See Ps 51:17.  6. Ps 38:9.

98. Augustine of Hippo  29 in which sins are forgiven. Certainly sins are not remitted outside the Church, for the Church alone has received the pledge of the Holy Spirit,7 without which sins are not forgiven—a forgiveness that brings its recipients to eternal life. 2556 xxix.110. It cannot be denied that the souls of the deceased benefit from the piety of the living when the sacrifice of the Mediator is offered for them or when alms are given in church. But such actions only benefit those who while living here on earth lived in such a way as to be assisted by them. [.  .  .] Therefore, when sacrifices, be they of the altar or of almsgiving, are offered for all the baptized who have died, these are a thanksgiving for those who were very good, a propitiation for those who were not very good; as to the very bad, even though unable to help the deceased, these sacrifices are, as it were, a consolation for the living. Where they are useful, however, they profit by obtaining full pardon or certainly by making the condemnation itself more bearable.

98-O. Exposition of the Psalms† This very large collection of sermons, some actually preached and others designed to be read, appeared at periodic intervals between 392 and 418. iv.1. [.  .  .] One can ask whether every song is a psalm or whether every psalm is a song. Or are there certain songs that cannot be called psalms and certain psalms that cannot be called songs? We must pay attention to the Scriptures if by chance a song does not proclaim happiness. A song is called a psalm if it is sung to the psaltery which, as history records, the prophet David used in a great mystery. This is not the place for discussing this matter because it requires a long inquiry and much discussion. [.  .  .] liv.16. [.  .  .] We are brethren, we invoke one God, we believe in one Christ, we hear one Gospel, we sing one psalm, we respond one Amen, we resound one Alleluia, we celebrate one Pasch. [.  .  .] lxxii.1. [.  .  .] Hymns are praises of God that are sung. They are songs that praise God. If there is praise but not praise of God, then there is no hymn. If there is praise and praise of God and if it is not sung, then it is no hymn. To be a hymn, there must be praise, praise of God, and singing. [.  .  .] Whoever sings praise, not only praises but does so with gladness; whoever sings praise, not only sings but also loves the person about whom one sings.a In praise the one confessing speaks out; in singing there is the ardor of the one who loves. [.  .  .] 7. See 2 Cor 1:22. † Translated from Enarrationes in Psalmos I–l, ed. E. Dekkers, CCL 38 (Turnhout, 1956) 144; Enarrationes in Psalmos LI–C, CCL 39 (Turnhout, 1956) 668ff.; Enarrationes in Psalmos CI –CL, CCL 40 (Turnhout, 1956) 1451ff. a. This seems to be the origin of the saying attributed to Augustine, “Whoever sings, prays twice.”

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xci.2. [.  .  .] Behold, today is the Sabbath. At present the Jews observe it by a type of bodily repose, uncertain and extravagant. They take time off to engage in trifles. And although God prescribed the Sabbath, they observe this day by doing things forbidden by God. We refrain from evil things; they, however, refrain from good things. It is better to plough than to dance. The Jews abstain from doing what is good; they do not refrain from what is frivolous. God indicated the Sabbath to us. But what kind of Sabbath is it? First, notice where it is. Our Sabbath is within; it is in the heart. [.  .  .] xcix.12. [.  .  .] To speak in general terms, God’s Church is praised: Christians and only Christians are called great; the Catholic Church is called great; all love one another and try to do what they can for each other. Throughout the whole world Christians praise God by their prayers, fasts, and hymns—doing so with peaceful unanimity. [.  .  .] Likewise in the common life that is observed by the brethren who dwell in monasteries: these are great and holy men characterized by their daily hymns, prayers, and praises of God; they are occupied with reading; they engage in manual labor whereby they support themselves. [.  .  .] cii.2. [.  .  .] May the sound of our voices alternate with silence; may the sound of our hearts always continue on. When you gather in church to sing a hymn, may your voice sound the praises of God: you have sung what you are able; you depart the church; now your soul sounds the praises of God. When you are at work, may your soul sound God’s praises. [.  .  .] cvi.1. [.  .  .] It is customary for us to sing [Alleluia] at a certain time in our solemnities, this being an ancient tradition of the Church. It is not without deep meaning that we sing it on selected days. We indeed sing Alleluia on certain days, but we think it every day. Since the word means praise of God, even if it is not upon our physical mouth, it is certainly on the mouth of the heart. [.  .  .] cx.1. The days have arrived during which we sing Alleluia. [.  .  .] Just as these days with joyful cheerfulness solemnly follow the time of Lent—a time before the Lord’s resurrection when this life’s sorrow is signified—so with perpetual happiness there follows that day which after the resurrection is given to the Lord’s full body, namely, to the holy Church, a day when all the hard labors and sorrows of this life are set aside. The present life demands self-control from us so that we, groaning and burdened with toil and exertion, may refrain from worldly delights. This is signified by the number forty, which was the length of time that Moses, Elijah, and the Lord himself fasted. [.  .  .] The number fifty after the Lord’s resurrection, during which time we sing the Alleluia, does not signify the end and passing away of a certain time but stands for the blessed eternity. [.  .  .] cxxxvii.2. [.  .  .] I remind you that in Scripture the word “confess,” as when we confess to God, has two meanings: either referring to sins or to praise. All are acquainted with confessing sins; few pay attention to the confession of praise. [.  .  .]

98. Augustine of Hippo  31 cxlvi.2. A psalm is indeed a song, not any type of song but one sung to the psaltery, which is a type of musical instrument like the lyre, harp, and similar instruments invented for [accompanying] singing. Therefore whoever sings a psalm does not sing only with the voice but also taking up the instrument which is called the psaltery, adds hands to the voice. Do you wish to sing a psalm? May not only your voice sound the praise of God, but may your works agree with your voice. Therefore when you sing with your voice, you may at times be silent. But may your life sing in such a way that you will never be silent. [.  .  .] cxlviii.1. [.  .  .] There are two times, the one existing in this life’s trials and tribulations, the other, yet to come, being a time of everlasting security and joy. For this reason we have been given two seasons, one before the Pasch and the other after the Pasch. The season before the Pasch stands for the tribulation we are presently experiencing. The present season stands for the happiness we will afterwards experience. Therefore what we celebrate before the Pasch is what we now have; what we celebrate after the Pasch stands for what we do not yet have. During the former season we attend to prayers and fastings. During this season fasting is over, and we engage in prayer. It is the Alleluia that we sing. As you know, in Latin “Alleluia” means “Praise the Lord.” Therefore the season for fasting is before the Lord’s resurrection; this is the season after the Lord’s resurrection, a time standing for the future life we do not yet possess. What we signify after the Lord’s resurrection we will obtain after our own resurrection. [.  .  .] cxlviii.2. And so, brethren, we exhort you to praise God; this is what it means when we address you with the “Alleluia”; it means “Praise the Lord.” When all exhort one another to do this, then all are actually doing what they are exhorting one another to do. Give praise with all your being, namely, do not praise God only with your mouth and voice but also with your minds, your lives, and by all you do. Now as we gather in church, we give praise; but when we return to our affairs, it seems that we stop doing so. May you continue to live well and thereby always praise God. [.  .  .] And so, brethren, attend not only to the sound. When praising God, praise with all your being. May your voice sing, your life sing; may all that you do sing. [.  .  .] cxlviii.17. [.  .  .] Do you know what a hymn is? It is a song that praises God. Now if you praise God but do not sing, you are not uttering a hymn. And if you sing but do not praise God, you are not uttering a hymn. If you praise something that does not pertain to the praise of God, and even if you sing while praising, you are not uttering a hymn. A hymn has three elements: song, praise, and God. And so we have a hymn when God is praised in song. [.  .  .] cxlix.7. [.  .  .] “Let them praise his name in chorus” [verse 3]. What is the meaning of “chorus”? Many know what a chorus is. And because we speak in a city, almost all know that a “chorus” is an agreement of those

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32  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West who are singing. If we sing in a chorus, we sing in agreement. Now if someone’s voice in the chorus of singers is out of tune, then the ear is offended and the chorus is thrown into confusion. If the voice of the one singing out of tune disturbs the harmony of those singing, how greatly does the discord of heresy disturb the harmony of those giving praise? Christ’s chorus is the whole world. It resounds from east to west. [.  .  .] 2571 cxlix.8. [.  .  .] When you take up the timbrel and psaltery, your hands harmonize with your voice. So it is that when you sing Alleluia you are to offer food to the hungry, you are to clothe the naked, you are to take in the stranger, so that it is not only your voice that speaks, but your hand sounds in agreement because what you do accords with what you say. [.  .  .] 2572 cl.1. [.  .  .] Saturday is the seventh day; the Lord’s Day comes after the seventh day, and so is it not the eighth day as well as the first day? It is called the first day of the week,1 and so from it are counted the second, third, fourth, etc., day up to the seventh day, which is the Sabbath. [.  .  .]

98-P. On the Care to be Taken of the Dead† Written in 421, this treatise is Augustine’s answer to a question asked by Paulinus of Nola (WEC 3:110) regarding care for the deceased and the benefit of being buried near the tombs of the martyrs. i.3. [.  .  .] In the Book of Maccabees we read that sacrifice was offered for the deceased.1 Yet even if it were found nowhere else in the ancient Scriptures, the authority of the whole Church, which is not insignificant, is clear regarding this custom. The commendation of the deceased has its place in the prayers of the priest that are poured out to the Lord God at his altar. 2574 xii.15. [.  .  .] The Pasch was approaching. He [Curma] gave his name as did many others unknown to us [to be enrolled] among the competentes. [.  .  .] He was baptized, and at the end of the holy days returned home. [.  .  .] 2573

98-Q. The City of God†† Occasioned by Alaric’s sack of Rome in 410, this lengthy work was written at various intervals between 413 and 426. Christianity, according to its pagan critics, was responsible for the dissolution of the Roman Empire. In Books I–X Augustine shows the weakness of the pagan religion; in Books XI–XXII he outlines the conflict existing between the heavenly city, 1. See Mark 16:2. † Translated from Sancti Aureli Augustini De fide et symbolo .  .  . De cura pro mortuis gerenda .  .  ., ed. J. Zycha, CSEL 41 (Vienna, 1900) 623–24, 646. 1. See 2 Macc 12:43. †† Translated from De civitate Dei, vol. 1, ed. B. Dombart, CCL 47 (Turnhout, 1955) 276ff.; vol. 2, CCL 48 (Turnhout, 1955) 717ff.

98. Augustine of Hippo  33 namely, the city of God or the city of belief, and the earthly city, namely, that of self-love and disbelief. X.v. [.  .  .] The fact that the ancients offered animal sacrifices—something God’s people read about yet do not imitate—is to be understood in this way only: they signify what we do in order to draw near to God and in order to persuade our neighbor to do likewise. Therefore the visible sacrifice is the sacrament of the invisible sacrifice, namely, it is a sacred sign. [.  .  .] X.vi. [.  .  .] “For as we have many members in one body, and all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. We have gifts that are diverse according to the grace given to us.”1 This is the sacrifice of Christians: “many being one body in Christ.” This is the sacrifice celebrated by the Church in the sacrament of the altar, a sacrament known to the faithful, and where it is explained that the Church itself is offered in the offering the Church itself makes. X.xx. [.  .  .] Christ is both the priest who offers as well as the victim that is offered. He desired that the sacramental sign of this should be the daily sacrifice of the Church. Since the Church is Christ’s body and he is its head, the Church learns to offer itself through him. [.  .  .] XX.ix.2. [.  .  .] The souls of the piously deceased are not separated from the Church, which even now forms the kingdom of Christ. Otherwise they would not be commemorated at God’s altar. [.  .  .] XXI.xxvii. The daily prayer, taught by Jesus himself and consequently called the Lord’s Prayer, certainly removes daily sins when we say each day, “Forgive us our sins.”2 XXII.viii. [.  .  .] Even at present there are miracles performed in the name of Christ, whether by his sacraments, by prayer, or by the relics of his saints. [.  .  .] In the city of Carthage resided Innocentia, a very pious lady who was a member of the highest social rank. There was a cancer in one of her breasts, a cancer her doctors said was incurable. [.  .  .] Just before the Pasch she had a dream during which she was told to wait for the first woman who after being baptized would emerge from the baptistery, asking her to make the sign of the cross on her wound. Innocentia did this, and she was immediately cured. [.  .  .] [In Victoriana] is a shrine to the Milanese martyrs, Protasius and Gervasius.a [.  .  .] The lady of the manor, with her maids and pious attendants, entered the place for evening prayer and praise, and they began to sing hymns. [.  .  .] a. Protasius and Gervasius: proto-martyrs of Milan whose bodies were discovered by Ambrose in 386; later tradition places their martyrdom in the latter half of the second century. 1. Rom 12:4–6.  2. Matt 6:12.

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34  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West I know that a young woman from Hippo was freed from a devil upon anointing herself with oil together with the supplications of the presbyter who was petitioning on her behalf. [.  .  .] 2584 There were seven brothers and three sisters, not of humble birth, from Caesarea in Cappadocia.b Their mother, a recent widow, cursed them because of some wrong she greatly resented. So great was the punishment inflicted by God that all their limbs were shaking in a horrible manner. Unable to bear the stares of their fellow citizens occasioned by their most dreadful appearance, they wandered throughout almost the whole Roman world. Two of them arrived among us, a brother named Paulus and his sister Palladia. They were already known since news of their misery had spread far and wide. 2585 Arriving about fifteen days before the Pasch, they went to church where each day they observed the memory of the most glorious Stephen, praying that God now be pleased with them and restore them to health. There and wherever they went they attracted the town’s attention. Some who had seen them elsewhere and were aware of the cause of their trembling told this to others as they were able. 2586 The Pasch arrived and on the Lord’s Day, in the morning when a huge crowd was present, the young man was clinging to the grating of the holy place where the relics were placed; he was praying. All of a sudden he fell down and was lying flat as if asleep; he was not shaking as always occurred when he was sleeping. Those present were amazed; some were frightened, others were filled with pity. Some tried to bring him to his feet, others wanted to wait and see how everything would end. Behold, he got up. He was cured. He was not shaking. He was standing safe and sound, looking at those who were gazing at him. Could anyone not praise God? The whole church was filled with the voices of those shouting out and congratulating him. Then the crowd ran to me where I was sitting getting ready to enter the church. One after another they came rushing in, the last person entering telling me what was said by the first to enter. While I was rejoicing and thanking God, the young man entered along with some others. Falling down before me, he was lifted up so as to receive my kiss. We went in to the people, the church being full and resounding with the voices of those rejoicing: “Thank God! Praise God!” Without exception the people were shouting out on all sides. I greeted them, and again they shouted out all the more. Finally there was silence, and the Holy Scriptures were solemnly read. When it was time to speak, I said a few words as required by such a joyful occasion, for I desired that the people not hear me but reflect on God’s eloquence in this divine work. The young man shared a meal with us and carefully informed us of the whole story of his family’s and his mother’s misfortune. 2583

b. Cappadocia: a district in eastern Asia Minor.

98. Augustine of Hippo  35 2587 The next day, after my sermon, I promised to read his account to the people. Doing so—on the third day after Easter Sunday—I had both brother and sister stand on the steps of the elevated place from which I was speaking. Their account was read. All the people, both men and women, saw the one person standing without any unsightly movement and the other trembling in all her members. And those who did not see in the young man what God’s kindness had removed saw it in his sister. In him they saw a reason for congratulations; in her a reason for prayer. Once their account had been read, I had them withdraw from the sight of the people. 2588 I was beginning to consider the matter more thoroughly when, while doing so, other voices shouting new congratulations were heard coming forth from the place where the relics were placed. Those listening to me turned around and began to run there. The young woman, descending from the steps on which she was standing, proceeded to the holy relics in order to pray. As soon as she touched the grate, she likewise collapsed as if asleep, and then rose up cured. While we were trying to discover what had taken place and what occasioned this joyful noise, the people returned, leading her from the place of the martyrs into the basilica where we were. Then indeed so great did the clamor of wonder arise from both men and women that the exclamations and tears seemed as if they would never end. She was taken to that location where earlier she stood trembling. The people were rejoicing that she was now like her brother— formerly they felt sorrow that she was unlike him. And even though they had not poured forth their petitions for her, they understood that their earlier intention for doing so was already heard. Without words they raised their voices in praise of God, making such a noise that our ears could hardly bear it. What was there in the hearts of these joyful people other than the faith of Christ for which Stephen had shed his blood?

98-R. On Christian Doctrine† This treatise, consisting of four books, was partially written in 396/397 and completed in 426/427 when the work as a whole was issued. It is a guide to learning the truths of the Scriptures and a manual of the methodology to be followed in imparting these truths. III.ix.13. [.  .  .] The Lord himself and the teaching of the apostles have given us just a few signs rather than many. These are most easy to carry out, most venerable in meaning, and most holy in observance. Examples are the sacrament of baptism and the celebration of the Lord’s Body and Blood. Those who, after instruction, receive these sacraments know to what they refer and consequently venerate them not in carnal servitude but rather in spiritual freedom. [.  .  .] †

Translated from De doctrina christiana, ed. K.-D. Daur, CCL 32 (Turnhout, 1962) 86.

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98-S. On Heresies† Composed ca. 428 and remaining incomplete due to Augustine’s death, this work lists eighty-eight heresies; it was written at the request of Quodvultdeus, a deacon in Carthage. lxxxviii.4. They [the Pelagiansa] destroy the prayers offered by the Church, whether for the conversion to God of nonbelievers and of those resisting God’s teaching or for the faithful that they may grow and persevere in their faith. [.  .  .] lxxxviii.6. They also deny that children born carnally according to 2591 Adam contract at their first birth the infection of the ancient death. They assert that these children are born without any bond of original sin. Consequently there is nothing in them that should be removed by a second birth. They believe that infants are baptized so that, adopted at rebirth, these infants may be admitted to God’s kingdom, being transported from what is good to what is better, not that such a rebirth delivers them from any evil afflicting them from of old. Even if infants are not baptized, they promise them some type of eternal and blessed life outside the kingdom of God. 2590

98-T. To the Catechumens regarding the Creed†† Of uncertain date, this sermon was preached to the catechumens and most probably during the time of immediate preparation for their baptism during the Easter Vigil. 2592

i.1. Receive the rule of faith which is known as the symbol [the creed]. Once having received it, write it on your heart. Daily recite it to yourselves. Before you go to sleep, before you go forth, arm yourselves with the symbol. No one writes down a symbol in order that it may be read. But may your memory be for you an account-book so that what has been carefully handed down may not be lost. What you are about to hear, that you will believe; and what you believe, that you will give back with the tongue. As the apostle says, “With the heart one believes unto righteousness, with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”1 For this is the symbol, this is what you will study and give back. The words you will hear are scattered throughout the divine Scriptures; gathered from there, they are brought together so that the memory of the more simple need † Translated from De fide rerum invisibilium; .  .  . De haeresibus, ed. C. Beukers, CCL 46 (Turnhout, 1969) 341. a. Pelagians: adherents of a heresy initiated by Pelagius and holding that a person can be saved by that person’s merits alone. †† Translated from De fide rerum invisibilium; .  .  . Sermo ad catechumenos de symbolo, ed. R. Vander–Plaetse, CCL 46 (Turnhout, 1969) 185–86, 198–99. 1. Rom 10:10.

98. Augustine of Hippo  37 not exert itself, so that every individual can say and hold fast to what is believed. [.  .  .] 2593 i.2. [.  .  .] We were brought low, made mortal. We were filled with fear and error; and this because of sin; all are born with sin’s effects and guilt. This is why, as you have seen today and as you know, even little children receive the exsufflation and the exorcism so that the devil’s unfriendly power might be banished from them, a power which deceived one man so that it might possess all humankind. It is not the creature of God in infants that receives the exorcism or exsufflation; it is he under whose power are all who are born with sin. [.  .  .] vii.15. [.  .  .] Once you will have been baptized, continue to lead a good 2594 life, obeying God’s commandments so that you keep sight of your baptism till the end. I do not say that your life here on earth will be without sin; there are venial sins without which there is no life. Baptism exists because of all sins; prayer exists because of the light sins without which we cannot exist. What does prayer involve? Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.2 Only once are we washed by baptism; daily are we washed by prayer. Do not commit sins that separate you from Christ’s body—may these be far from you. Those whom you see doing penance have committed serious sins, whether it be adultery or some horrible deed. This is why they are doing penance. For if their sins were light, then daily prayer would suffice to blot them out. 2595 vii.16. There are three ways through which sins are forgiven in the Church: by baptism, by prayer, by the greater humility of penance. Yet God remits the sins of only the baptized. The very sins God forgives first are only forgiven to those who have been baptized. And when? At the time of their baptism. The sins later on remitted through prayer and penance are forgiven to the baptized. For how can those who are not yet born say, “Our Father”? The catechumens, as long as they remain catechumens, retain all their sins. Now if this is true for the catechumens, then how much more is it true for pagans? And also how much more for heretics? Yet we do not repeat a baptism given by heretics. Why not? Because heretics possess baptism just as a deserter retains the mark of a soldier. So it is that heretics have baptism; yet thereby they are condemned and not crowned. But if the deserter himself, being corrected, returns to his military service, is there anyone who dares change his mark as a soldier?

98-U. Corrections† Writing between 426 and 428 Augustine lists in two books his ninety-four major works and indicates the various details (including any revisions) of each work. 2. Matt 6:12. † Translated from Retractiones libri II, ed. A. Mutzenbecher, CCL 57 (Turnhout, 1999) 98.

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II.xi. One Book against Hilary Meanwhile a certain Hilary, a Christian layman who held the rank of tribune, was, as customarily happened, angry at God’s ministers. The reason was the practice then beginning in Carthage whereby hymns from the Book of the Prophets were being sung [dicerentur] at the altar either before the offering or when what was offered was being distributed to the people. Using abusive and condemnatory language he attacked this practice wherever he could, claiming that such a custom should not be followed. At the urging of my brethren, I responded, and the book is called Against Hilary.a It begins: “Those who mention the Old Testament.”

98-V. Rule of Saint Augustine† Written toward the very end of the fifth century, this Rule was probably meant for the religious women whose communities were under Augustine’s direction. ii.1. “Be steadfast in prayer”1 at the appointed hours and times. ii.2. No one is to do anything in the oratory other than what is to be done there, and from this it receives the name “oratory”; and so if there are some who wish to pray there, outside the appointed time and when they are free to do so, they should not be hindered from so doing by those who believe that they themselves have something to do there. 2599 ii.3. When you pray to God using psalms and hymns, may what you utter aloud resound in your hearts. 2600 ii.4. Only sing what you read is to be sung; do not sing what you read is not to be sung. 2597 2598

98-W. Letters Some 308 letters belong to the Augustinian corpus, including a number addressed by others to Augustine. Treating a wide variety of subjects, they offer a precious insight into the numerous theological, pastoral, and other questions discussed and debated in the Church of his time.

98-w-1. letter 22. to aurelius††a 2601

iii. [.  .  .] Philandering and lewdness are considered to be such great crimes that those who have thereby disgraced themselves are not only a. Unfortunately this book has been lost. † Translated from La Règle de s. Augustin, ed. L. Verheijen, Etudes augustiniennes 1 (Paris, 1967) 420–21. 1. Col 4:2. †† Translated from S. Aureli Augustini Hipponiensis Episcopi Epistulae, vol. 1, ed. A. Goldbacher, CSEL 34.1 (Vienna, 1895) 56–57. a. Aurelius: bishop of Carthage 391–ca. 430. This letter was written ca. 392.

98. Augustine of Hippo  39 unworthy of holding a church office but are also unworthy to share in the sacraments. And rightly so. Yet why only these sins? Because carousing and intoxication are considered permitted and tolerated to the extent that they are openly engaged in every day and not only on solemn days during celebrations in honor of the most holy martyrs. This is deplored by all who observe these things with spiritual eyes. [.  .  .] Can anyone dare to forbid in private what occurs in the holy places under the guise of honoring the martyrs?

98-w-2. letter 23. to maximinus†a ii. [.  .  .] To rebaptize a heretic, who has received the signs of holiness that Christian practice has given us, is surely a sin; however, to rebaptize a Catholic is a most serious sin. [.  .  .]

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98-w-3. letter 29. to alypius††a xi. During the afternoon more people assembled than in the morning. And up to the time when I left with the bishop,b there was reading alternating with psalmody. After we departed there were two psalms. Then the old man [Valerius] expressly commanded that I speak—something I preferred not to do since I was looking forward to the end of such a stressful day. I gave a brief address in which I thanked God. [.  .  .] When I finished saying what the Lord suggested for such an occasion, the daily evening service was celebrated; while the bishop and I were leaving, the brethren who were present sang a hymn; no small number of men and women remained, singing psalms till nightfall.

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98-w-4. letter 36. to casulanus†††a 2604 i.2. As to the question you asked me, namely, whether it is permissible to fast on Saturday, I answer: if fasting is in no way permitted, then neither Moses1 nor Elijah2 nor even the Lord himself3 would have fasted forty days. Indeed by the same reasoning we can also conclude that fasting on the Lord’s Day is not unlawful. Nonetheless, should anyone think that this day ought to be set aside as a day of fast, similar to the fast on Saturday,

Translated from CSEL 34.1:65. a. Maximinus: a Donatist bishop in Numidia (northern Africa). This letter was written between 391 and 395. †† Translated from CSEL 34.1:121–22. a. Alypius: bishop of Thagaste, now Souk-Ahras in Algeria. This letter was written in 395. b. Namely, Valerius, Augustine’s predecessor as bishop of Hippo. ††† Translated from S. Aureli Augustini Hipponiensis Episcopi Epistulae, vol. 2, ed. A. Goldbacher, CSEL 34.2 (Vienna, 1898) 32ff. a. Casulanus: a priest, perhaps in Africa. This letter was written after April 397. 1. See Exod 34:28.  2. See 1 Kgs 19:8.  3. See Matt 4:2; Luke 4:2. †

40  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West this person should, and rightly so, be considered as bringing no little harm to the Church. As to those things concerning which the holy Scriptures have decreed nothing as being certain, the custom of God’s people or the teaching of the ancients is to be followed as being the law. [.  .  .] 2605 xii.27. [.  .  .] It is a great offense to fast on the Lord’s Day, especially now after the Manichaeanb heresy has become popular, a heresy which is quite clearly contrary to the Catholic faith and the holy Scriptures. The heretics prescribe that their adherents are to fast on this day. Accordingly, it is considered more horrible to fast on Sunday, except for those wanting to continue fasting beyond a week in order to approach as far as possible a full forty days of fast, as we know some do. [.  .  .] 2606 xii.31. The Sabbath followed, the day when Christ’s body rested in the tomb just as God, when fashioning the world, on that day refrained from all activity.4 This was the origin of variety in the clothing of the queen [the Church] so that some, especially those in the East, prefer to break the fast on Saturday as a sign of rest; others, like the Roman and various other churches of the West, fast on that day to mark the humiliation of the Lord’s death. But once a year, however, at the Pasch Christians everywhere fast on Saturday, doing so to recall the sorrow experienced by the disciples at the death of the Lord. This practice is observed with the greatest devotion by those who take food on other Saturdays during the year. In this way the sorrow of the disciples is signified on the anniversary day, and the blessing of rest is signified on other Saturdays. Certainly there are two things that motivate us to hope for the happiness of the just and the end of all misery, namely, death and resurrection from the dead. In death we find the repose spoken of by the prophet, “Come, my people, and enter into your chambers and close your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a short while till the Lord’s wrath has passed by.”5 In the resurrection happiness is made perfect in the human body and spirit. This is why it was thought that death and resurrection should not be signified by fasting but rather by the joy of taking food, the only exception being the one paschal Saturday on which, as we have said, the sorrow of the disciples was to be signified by a more protracted fast observed in memory of what had taken place. 2607 xiv.32. As I mentioned above, we do not find in the Gospels or in the apostolic letters, which specifically pertain to the revelation of the New Testament, any command that certain days are to be days of fast. Since this is one of the many things in the robe of the king’s daughter—namely, the Church—concerning which it is difficult to be specific, I will relate to you what most blessed Ambrose,c the bishop of Milan by whom I was b. Manichaeism: a dualistic doctrine based on an ancient conflict between light and darkness, between good and evil, preached by Mani (ca. 216–76); his followers were found, for example, in Egypt, Rome, and Africa. c. WEC 2:53. 4. See Gen 2:2–3.  5. Isa 26:20.

98. Augustine of Hippo  41 baptized, replied when I asked him about this matter. I was with my mother Monica in that city. Still a catechumen, I had little interest in this question. But for her it was of great concern whether she should follow the custom of her own city and fast on Saturday or follow that of Milan, which permitted the taking of food on this day. To relieve her anxiety, I put the question to the man of God. He said, “What more can I tell her other than what I do?” When I understood this to mean nothing other than a command to partake of food on Saturday since this was his practice, he continued and said, “When I am here, I do not fast on Saturday; when I am in Rome, I do fast. And when you arrive at any church whatever, follow its practice if you do not wish to scandalize or be scandalized.” I passed on this response to my mother, who was satisfied with it. Nor did she hesitate to follow it, something I also do. But since it happens, and especially in Africa, that in one church or in the churches of a region there are some who eat on Saturdays and others who fast, it seems to me that the custom to be followed is that of those in charge of the congregation. Now if you are willing to accept my advice, especially because in this matter, in answer to your question and because of your insistence I have spoken more boldly than was called for, in this regard do not resist your bishop, and without any misgiving or debate follow what he does.

98-w-5. letter 41. to aurelius†a i. “Our mouth was filled with joy and our tongue with rejoicing”1 when 2608 your letter informed us that you put into effect, with the help of God’s inspiration, your holy intention concerning all our ordained brethren, and especially concerning the preaching of the presbyters to the people in your presence. [.  .  .]

98-w-6. letter 54. to januarius††a i.1. [.  .  .] Our Lord Jesus Christ, as he said in the Gospel, has subjected us to an easy yoke and to a light burden.1 Therefore by the sacraments, which are few in number, most easy to obey, and outstanding in meaning, he has joined together the society of his new people; for example: baptism, celebrated in the name of the Trinity; the sharing of his Body and Blood; and whatever else is enjoined in the canonical Scriptures except for what burdened the people of old in accord with their hearts and the times of the prophets—these being found in the five books of Moses. However, the Translated from CSEL 34.2:81–82. a. This letter was written ca. 391. 1. Ps 126:2. †† Translated from CSEL 34.2:159ff. a. Januarius: a layman most probably living in Africa. This letter was written about 400. 1. See Matt 11:30. †

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42  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West things we observe that have been handed down even though not written and being observed throughout the whole world, these we understand to have been established and approved either by the apostles themselves or by plenary councils whose authority in the Church is most beneficial. Examples would be celebrating each year the Lord’s passion and resurrection, his ascension into heaven, the Holy Spirit’s descent from heaven, and whatever else is observed by the universal Church wherever it has spread. 2610 ii.2. Other practices differ according to places and countries. For example, some fast on Saturdays whereas others do not; some receive in Communion the Lord’s Body and Blood each day whereas others do so only on certain days; in some places no day passes without it [the Sacrifice] being offered; elsewhere it is only on Saturday and the Lord’s Day, and still elsewhere only on the Lord’s Day. As to these and other variable practices, nothing is better for thoughtful and prudent Christians than to do what they see being done by the church where they find themselves. For what is not proven to be contrary to faith or good morals is considered indifferent and is to be followed for the sake of good relations with those among whom you live. 2611 ii.3. I believe you once heard this, but I will now relate it again. My mother Monica, having followed me to Milan, learned that the Milanese church did not observe the Saturday fast. She was disturbed and had doubts in regard to what she should do. Although at the time this was of no concern to me, it was on her behalf that I consulted about the matter with Ambrose of most blessed memory. He answered that all he could teach me was what he himself did because if he knew anything better he would abide by it himself. And when I presumed that he, by reason of his own authority alone, wanted to advise me not to fast on Saturday, he immediately said to me, “When I am in Rome, I fast on Saturday; when I am here, I do not. Now when you arrive at a church, follow its custom if you do not want to scandalize or be scandalized by another.” When I related this to my mother, she gladly accepted it. As for me, I have frequently reflected on this opinion, which I received as if from a heavenly oracle. 2612 iii.4. Suppose someone says that the Eucharist should not be received daily. You will ask, “Why is this?” “Because,” one says, “we are to select those days on which we live more purely and with greater self-restraint in order to approach worthily so great a sacrament, for ‘those who receive unworthily eat and drink judgment unto themselves.’”2 Another answers just the opposite, “Surely if the wound of death and the onset of sickness are such that these remedies should be postponed, then by the bishop’s authority one should be removed from the altar in order to do penance and by the same authority to be reconciled. For this is what it means to partake unworthily, namely, if a person were to receive [the Eucharist] at the time when he or she should be doing penance. It is not a matter of 2. 1 Cor 11:29.

98. Augustine of Hippo  43 one’s own choosing to abstain from or to return to Communion as one so desires. But if one’s sins are not so great as to require excommunication, then such persons should not separate themselves from the daily medicine of the Lord’s Body.” Perhaps someone else will settle this matter more correctly, reminding them that more than anything else they are to remain in the peace of Christ and that each should do what one believes to be his or her duty. Neither of them cherishes less the Lord’s Body and Blood, but each eagerly strives to outdo the other in honoring the Lord’s Body and Blood. [.  .  .] Some dare not to receive it each day, whereas others dare to do so each day, both acting out of respect. [.  .  .] 2613 iii.5. Suppose someone on a journey is in a place where the people, observing Quadragesima, customarily refrain from bathing on Thursday and do not continue to fast. “No,” this person says, “I will not fast today.” When asked the reason, the person replies, “Because this is not done in my country.” Now what is this other than attempting to prefer one’s own custom to that of another? For nothing can be read to me from God’s book on this matter; nor can the case be argued by appealing to the full voice of the universal Church; neither can it be shown that others are acting contrary to the faith and that this person is acting in accord with it. Nor that what others are doing violates the best morality and that this individual is observing it. Clearly they violate their own peace and quiet by quarrelling over an unnecessary question. My advice in such matters is that whenever traveling in a foreign country do not refuse to do what is being done there. Or if you are visiting a foreign country where God’s people are greater in number and gather more frequently and more fervently, and, for example, you see the sacrifice offered twice, both morning and evening, on Thursday of the last week in Quadragesima, then upon returning to your own country where it is customarily offered at the end of the day, do not argue that this is wrong and unlawful because you saw something different elsewhere. This is a childish feeling, one to be guarded against in ourselves, to be resisted and corrected among our own. 2614 v.6. [.  .  .] You ask, “What should be done on Thursday during the last week of Quadragesima? Is the sacrifice to take place in the morning and again after the meal since it is written, ‘Likewise after supper’?3 Or are we to fast and then offer the sacrifice after supper? Or are we to fast and then eat after the sacrifice, something we ordinarily do?” My answer is that if the authority of the holy Scriptures has determined which of these three practices is to be followed, there would be no doubt that we should follow what has been written. In this case our discussion would not concern what we are to do but on how the mystery is to be understood. Likewise, if the universal Church would practice one of the three, there would be no room for discussion since it would be utterly foolish to discuss what we should

3. Luke 22:20.

44  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West do. But since the answer is found neither in the former nor in the latter, namely, neither in Scripture nor in universal practice, it is in the third category where the practice varies according to places and regions. Therefore let each one do what is being done in the church that is visited, for no such practice is contrary to faith or morals or is better than the other. Now if either faith or morals were in question, then we would have to change what is being done wrongly or we would have to initiate what was not being done at all. But to change a custom, even though this be advantageous, disturbs some by its novelty, and so what is not advantageous disturbs unnecessarily and consequently is harmful. 2615 v.7. It would be erroneous to believe that the custom arose in many places of offering the sacrifice on Holy Thursday after eating because of the words, “And likewise he took the cup after supper”;4 for Scripture could have designated as “supper” the meal when they had already received the Lord’s Body, and that it was next when they received the cup, for as the apostle says elsewhere, “When you gather in one place is it not to eat the Lord’s Body?”5— here the reception of the Eucharist itself not being called the Lord’s Supper. As to whether we should on that day eat before either offering or receiving the Eucharist, this is what the Gospel says, “When they were eating, Jesus took bread and blessed it.”6 Earlier we read, “When evening came, he reclined with the Twelve and ate with them and said, ‘One of you will betray me.’”7 Afterwards he instituted the sacrament. And so it is clear that the disciples were not fasting when they received the Lord’s Body and Blood for the first time. 2616 vi.8. Are we to criticize the universal Church since the Eucharist is always received while a person is fasting? From that time it pleased the Holy Spirit that the Lord’s Body should enter the mouth of the Christian before any other food; accordingly, this custom is observed throughout the world. The Lord gave his Body and Blood after the meal, and yet this does not indicate that the brethren should gather to receive the sacrament after they have dined or eaten, or that they should follow the example of those who, confusing the two meals, were blamed or corrected by the apostles. For the Savior, in order to more fully commend the depth of this mystery, so desired to impress it upon the hearts and memory of the disciples that he made it his last action before leaving them to begin his passion. Therefore he did not command the sequence in which it was to be taken, this being left to the apostles through whom he would arrange everything pertaining to the churches. For had he directed that the Eucharist was to be received after other food, I believe that no one would have altered this practice. [.  .  .] 2617 vii.9. But for some, and their reasoning is plausible, on one day of the year, namely, the day on which the Lord instituted his Supper, it is permitted to offer and to receive the Lord’s Body and Blood after they have 4. Luke 22:20; 1 Cor 11:25.  5. 1 Cor 11:20.  6. Matt 26:26.  7. Matt 26:20–21.

98. Augustine of Hippo  45 eaten so that commemoration be more recognizable. However, I think it would be more proper if the sacrifice would take place at such an hour so that those fasting may arrive for the offering after they have eaten, this being at the ninth hour. Wherefore, we do not compel anyone to eat before the Lord’s Supper, nor do we dare censure those who do so. However, I believe this was instituted because many people—in numerous places almost all of them—are accustomed to bathe on this day. Because some continue to fast, the offering takes place in the morning since they cannot endure both fasting and the use of the bath; it is in the evening for the sake of those who are fasting. 2618 vii.10. Now if you ask me about the origin of the custom of bathing on this day, when I think about it, nothing occurs to me as more likely except that the bodies of those to be baptized, unwashed and dirty throughout Lent, would offend the senses when they approached the font unless they washed themselves previously, on a day chosen because it celebrated the anniversary of the Lord’s Supper. When this was granted to those who were about to be baptized, many others desired to join them by washing themselves and by breaking the fast. [.  .  .]

98-w-7. letter 55. to januarius†a 2619 i.2. You ask why the anniversary day on which the Lord’s passion is celebrated does not fall on the same day each year as, according to tradition, is true for the day of his birth. You then add, “If it has to do with the Sabbath and the moon, then what significance do these have in this regard?” First, you should remember that the day of the Lord’s birth is not celebrated as a mystery; it is only recalled in memory. And so it was not necessary that the return of the day on which Christ’s birth occurred should be marked by an annual festival. A celebration is sacramental only when what is recalled is so carried out that we understand that something else is signified, something that is to be reverently received. In this way we observe the Pasch, recalling not only what took place, namely, that Christ died for our sins and rose, but also to find a place for the other things that pertain to the Pasch and bear witness to the meaning of the mystery. Since, as the apostle says, “He died because of our sins and rose for our justification,”1 a certain passing over from death to life is consecrated in the Lord’s passion and resurrection. The word pascha is not Greek as is commonly believed; those acquainted 2620 with both languages say it is Hebrew, not derived from the Greek word paschein meaning “to suffer” but from “to pass over” from death to life according to the meaning of the Hebrew word, as those familiar with these

Translated from CSEL 34.2:170ff. a. This letter continues Augustine’s reply to Januarius, which began in Letter 54 (WEC 3:98-W-6). 1. Rom 4:25. †

46  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West things can attest. The Lord wished to imply this when he said, “Whoever believes in me will pass from death to life.”2 The same evangelist surely wanted to stress this when he—speaking of the Lord who was about to celebrate the Pasch with his disciples and who gave them the sacramental meal—says, “When Jesus saw that the hour had come for him to pass from this world to the Father.”3 Consequently to pass from this mortal life to another life, one that is immortal, is designated in the Lord’s passion and resurrection. 2621 ix.16. Let us now see why when we celebrate the Pasch we take care that it includes Saturday. This is unique to the Christian religion. The Jews take into consideration only the first month, the new moon from the fourteenth to the twenty-first. Yet at the Passover when the Lord suffered, one day—namely, the Jewish Sabbath—intervened between his death and resurrection. Our ancestors believed that this day should be added so that our festivity might be distinguished from that of the Jews. [.  .  .] 2622 xv.27. By the authority of the Holy Scriptures and by the agreement of the universal Church these things, as you know, are celebrated each year at Easter in such a great mystery. Certainly there is no Old Testament commandment as to the precise time for observing the Pasch, only that it be celebrated between the fourteenth and the twenty-first of the first month. From the Gospel, however, it is clear on which days the Lord was crucified, was in the tomb, and arose. The observance of these days was linked together by the councils of the fathers, and so the whole Christian world has been persuaded that the Pasch is to be celebrated in this way. 2623 xv.28. The forty day fast receives its authority from the Old Testament, from the fast of Moses4 and Elijah,5 and from the Gospel in which we read that the Lord fasted the same number of days,6 thus showing that the Gospel does not differ from the Law and the prophets. The Law is represented in the person of Moses, the prophets in the person of Elias; between them our Lord appeared in glory on the mountain7 so that what the apostle said of him might be more evident, “he was testified to by the Law and the prophets.”8 Now in what part of the year would the observance of the forty days be better held unless near and adjacent to the Lord’s passion? The fast signifies this toilsome life for which self-control is needed so that we might abstain from friendship with the world, a friendship that never ceases to deceitfully flatter us. It is, to be sure, a friendship that scatters and spreads around us its beguiling pretenses. [.  .  .] We celebrate the season of the fifty days after the Lord’s resurrection as representing not labor but rest and happiness. For this reason the fast is halted. For this reason we pray while standing, a posture indicating the resurrection. So on all Sundays this usage is observed at the altar. Furthermore, the Alleluia is sung. This shows that our future activity will consist only in praising God, 2. John 5:24.  3. John 13:1.  4. See Exod 34:28.  5. See 1 Kgs 19:8.  6. See Matt 4:2.  7. See Matt 17:2–5.  8. Rom 3:21.

98. Augustine of Hippo  47 as is written, “Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they will praise you forever.”9 xvii.32. The observance of Easter and Pentecost is most firmly commended by the Scriptures. Observing the forty days before Easter is confirmed by the agreement of the Church; in like manner the eight days of the neophytes [the newly baptized] are distinct from the others, that is, so that the eighth day coincides with the first. The practice of singing the Alleluia only during the time of Pentecost is not universally observed; elsewhere the Alleluia is sung also on other days, but during Pentecost it is universally sung. On these days and on all Sundays we pray standing; yet I do not know whether this is done all over. However, what the Church follows in this, I have related to you as best I can, and, I believe, what I said is clear. xviii.33. As to the washing of the feet—as the Lord later explained, it is recommended as a sign of the humility he came to teach—the question is at what time is such a great lesson best taught by this action; recommended is this time [Lent] during which its teaching is more religiously suited. Many have not accepted this washing as a custom, for they do not want the washing to appear as belonging to the sacrament of baptism itself; others did not hesitate to revoke it as a custom; still others, in order to place it apart and distinguish it from the sacrament of baptism, chose to have it on the octave day or on the third day of the octave because of the special meaning the number three has in many of the mysteries. xviii.34. Your request that I write something about the different things observed in various places somewhat surprises me since it is not necessary that you know all this. There is also a useful rule to be followed here. It concerns practices not contrary to faith or good morals and having something to contribute to a better life, wherever we see them established or know that they have been established. Not only do we not disapprove of these but eagerly follow them by praising and imitating them unless, due to the weakness of others, we fear that by doing so we cause more harm than good. We should not, however, be deterred from doing this unless a greater good results from our agreeing with those who favor such a practice, but then we run the risk of displeasing those who are against it. This is especially true in regard to what can be defended on the basis of the Scriptures, for example, the singing of hymns and psalms; here we have the example and command of the Lord and the apostles. In regard to this practice, which is useful for piously rousing the mind and igniting the power of God’s love, custom varies. In Africa the members of the Church somewhat lack enthusiasm in this regard; consequently the Donatistsb b. Donatists: a schismatic Christian group in Africa whose members emphasized the Church as being one holy body, and who rejected sacraments celebrated by those outside Donatism. 9. Ps 84:4.

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48  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West reproach us because it is with restraint that we sing in church the divine canticles of the prophets; they, on the other hand, incite their intoxications by singing humanly composed pieces as if to the stirring blast of trumpets. But once the people are gathered in the church, is any time more fitting for the singing of holy songs except while someone is reading or teaching or while the presider is praying aloud or while the deacon is calling for common prayer? 2627 xviii.35. At other times and when nothing else is happening, I do not see what could be a better, more useful, and holy activity for the Christian assembly. [.  .  .]

98-w-8. letter 64. to quintianus†a 2628

iii. [.  .  .] Do not harm the Church by reading in the assembly of the people those Scriptures not accepted by the ecclesiastical canon. Using such readings, the heretics, and especially the Manichaeansb—whom, as I hear, are openly harbored in your area—are accustomed to lead astray those who are not learned. [.  .  .] I am astonished that someone can be appointed as a reader who has read only once in public, and who has read the noncanonical Scriptures. If because of this he is considered to be an ecclesiastical reader, then what has been read is considered to be ecclesiastical; if, however, these writings are not ecclesiastical, no matter who reads them in church, then such a person is not an ecclesiastical reader. [.  .  .]

98-w-9. letter 71. to jerome††a 2629

iii.5. There was a bishop, one of our brethren, who introduced into his church the reading of your translation of the Scriptures. Reading from the prophet Jonah he chanced upon a passage that you translated quite differently from what was long embedded in the senses and memories of all who were present, different from what was chanted by so many generations. There was such a great uproar in the congregation, especially among the Greeks who were complaining and accusing the translation as being false. And so the bishop—it was in the town of Oeab—had to ask the Jews for their opinion. These, whether from ignorance or malice, responded that what was found in the Hebrew books was correct in the Translated from CSEL 34.2:230. a. Quintianus: a priest of Carthage. This letter was written soon after Christmas 401. b. Manichaeans: those espousing a dualistic doctrine based on an ancient conflict between light and darkness, between good and evil, preached by Mani (ca. 216–76); his followers are found, for example, in Egypt, Rome, and Africa. †† Translated from CSEL 34.2:252. a. Jerome: the great biblical scholar and teacher (WEC 3:145). This letter was perhaps written in 403. b. Oea: today the city of Tripoli in Lybia. †

98. Augustine of Hippo  49 Greek and in the Latin taken from it. What more can I say? The man was forced to correct your presumably mistranslated word, wishing not to remain without a congregation, something he narrowly avoided. And so it seems to us that in some cases you also could have been mistaken. [.  .  .]

98-w-10. letter 82. to jerome†a 2630 xiv. [.  .  .] I would like You to instruct me as to whether a holy person coming from the east would be guilty of pretense if, upon arriving in Rome, he or she fasted on each Saturday except on the day when the Easter Vigil is held. Now if we say that this fasting is wrong, we will condemn not only the Roman church but also many other churches, both those close by and those somewhat far off where this same custom is followed and continues. If, however, we should judge it wrong not to fast on Saturday, then how rashly do we reproach so many churches in the East and those in a large part of the Christian world! [.  .  .]

98-w-11. letter 98. to boniface††a ii. An infant brought to be made holy through baptism can be reborn by 2631 the action of another’s will; this is done through the one Spirit by whom the infant is reborn. It is not written, “Unless one is reborn from the will of the parents or by the faith of the sponsors or of those doing the baptism,” but, “Unless one is reborn of water and the Spirit.”1 Water is an outward sign of grace; the Spirit, working internally and giving the benefit of grace, breaks the bond of sin, restores natural goodness, and brings about rebirth in the one Christ to the person born from the one Adam. Consequently, the regenerating Spirit is common both to the parents who present the infant and to the infant who has been presented and is reborn. [.  .  .] Thus a child, born from the flesh of its parents, can be reborn by the Spirit of God so that the bond of sin contracted from them is cancelled. But a child, having once received the grace of Christ, can lose it only by its own sinfulness if later on in life it turns bad. For then the child will have its own sins, sins not removed by being reborn but needing to be cured through other means. v. [.  .  .] Children are presented for receiving spiritual grace not so much 2632 from those whose hands carry them—although from these if they are good and faithful—as from the whole community of the holy and faithful. It is correctly understood that the children are brought by all who agree to the children being presented and through whose holy and personal love they Translated from CSEL 34.2:364. a. This letter was written in 404/405. †† Translated from CSEL 34.2:521ff. a. Boniface: bishop of Catapua in Numidia (northern Africa); this letter was written sometime between 408 and 413. 1. John 3:5. †

50  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West are assisted in receiving the Holy Spirit. The whole Church, our mother, which exists in the holy ones, presents them because the whole Church gives birth to each of its members. [.  .  .] 2633 vi. [.  .  .] You notice that many children are not presented for baptism by their parents but by various others just as the children of slaves are sometimes brought by their masters. And every now and again when the parents have died, their children are brought to be baptized by those who by doing so are able to show compassion toward them. Also, there are the children who have been cruelly abandoned so that they might be raised by others, at times by holy virgins who present them for baptism, virgins who neither have had nor contemplate having children of their own. [.  .  .] 2634 vii. [.  .  .] When parents present their children for baptism, do they not act as sponsors [fidedictores] and respond on their behalf? Do they not state that the children will do something which at present they are incapable of even understanding, or, even if they can believe that their thoughts in this regard are hidden? For we interrogate those who present the children and ask, “Does this one believe in God?” Now even though the child at such an age does not know whether God exists, the parents reply, “He or she believes.” In like manner answers are given to each of the other questions. [.  .  .] 2635 ix. When the Pasch is drawing near, we often say in ordinary speech that we will celebrate the Lord’s passion tomorrow or on the day after. We do this even though the Lord suffered many years ago, doing so only once. Certainly on the Lord’s Day we say, “Today the Lord has risen” even though any number of years have passed since he did so. Is anyone so foolish as to accuse us of lying when we speak in this fashion because we name these days according to their resemblance to the days on which the events themselves actually occurred? Even though it is not the very same day when something happened, it is like this day in regard to the passage of time; we say that the event itself occurred on such a day because of the celebration of the mystery, even though the event itself took place much earlier. Was Christ not immolated only once in his person and yet is sacrificed in the mystery for the people not only during all the paschal solemnities but every day? Does a person, upon being questioned, lie when responding that Christ is being sacrificed? For if the sacraments do not bear a certain likeness to the events of which they are the sacraments, certainly they would not be sacraments. It is from this likeness that they generally receive their names. Therefore just as in a certain way the sacrament of Christ’s Body is the body of Christ, and the sacrament of Christ’s Blood is the blood of Christ, so the sacrament of faith is faith. To believe is nothing other than to have faith. This is why when on behalf of a child not yet possessing the disposition of faith the answer is given that the child believes; this means that he or she believes because of the sacrament of faith, and that the child is converted to God because of the sacrament of conversion; the very response here also pertains to the celebration of the

98. Augustine of Hippo  51 sacrament, as the apostle wrote in regard to baptism, “We are buried with Christ through baptism unto death.”2 The apostle does not say, “We have signified being buried,” but “We are buried with.” Therefore in naming a sacrament of such a great reality, he used a word that describes the reality itself.

98-w-12. letter 149. to paulinus†a 2636 ii.12. It is clearly most difficult to make distinctions in Paul’s writing to Timothy where Paul says, “First of all I desire that there be entreaties, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings.”1 In Greek these words can be distinguished one from another, and there are few translators among us who are careful enough to render them correctly and wisely. Here is how you quoted Paul: “I beg [obsecro] that entreaties [obsecrationes] be made.” Yet the apostle, writing in Greek, did not use the same word, for instead of the Latin obsecro [I beg] he used the Greek parakalo [I urge]. And where our Latin has obsecrationes [entreaties], the apostle used de∑sis [petitions]. Other manuscripts, including our own, have deprecationes [petitions] rather than obsecrationes [entreaties]. Most Latin manuscripts have the following three words: orationes [prayers], interpellationes [intercessions], and gratiarum actiones [thanksgivings]. 2637 ii.13. Should we try to discern these specific meanings according to the idioms of the Latin language, we will insist on what we know, such as it is. Yet I will be surprised if we hold strictly to the meaning and usage of the Greek way of speaking. Many among us believe that precatio [prayer] and deprecatio [petition] have the same meaning, and that this is generally true in common usage. Those who speak Latin with more precision use the word precatio [prayer] when requesting good things; they use the word deprecatio [petition] when asking that evil be averted. They say that precari [to pray] means to request good things by praying and that imprecari [to imprecate], which in common speech means maledicere [to curse], signifies warding off evil through prayer. But may we rather follow present-day usage. Whether we have precationes [prayers] or deprecationes [petitions], which the Greeks call de∑seis, let us not believe we have to make a correction. Truly it is very difficult to distinguish what we call orationes [orations], known by the Greeks as proseuchas, from preces [prayers] or precationes [petitions]. That some manuscripts do not have orationes [orations] but adorationes [adorations] because the Greek does not have euchas but proseuchas should, I believe, be considered a weak translation since it

2. Rom 6:4. † Translated from S. Aureli Augustini Hipponiensis Episcopi Epistulae, vol. 3, ed. A. Goldbacher, CSEL 44 (Vienna, 1904) 359–63. a. Paulinus (WEC 3:110): the bishop of Nola, a town located east of Naples. This letter was written toward the end of 416. 1. 1 Tim 2:1.

52  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West is generally known that proseuchas is the Greek for orationes [orations]. Certainly to pray is different from to adore. And so in Greek we do not find this verb but another where we read, You will adore the Lord your God,2 and I will adore at your holy temple,3 and the like. 2638 ii.14. Where our manuscripts have the word interpellationes [intercessions], your manuscripts have, I believe, postulationes [petitions]. What in Greek is one word, namely, enteureis [intercessions], has been translated in one of two ways: by some as postulationes [petitions] and by others as interpellationes [intercessions]. As you certainly know, interpellare [to intercede] is different from postulare [to petition]. For we do not usually say, “They intercede to petition,” but “They petition to intercede.” Yet when we use a word with a closely allied meaning, one that aids understanding, we should not find fault with this. Scripture says that our Lord Jesus Christ intercedes for us.4 Can he really intercede for us and not also petition on our behalf? Surely the word “intercession” was used because he petitions. This is clearly stated of him elsewhere, “If anyone sin, we have an advocate with the Father, the just Jesus Christ; he intercedes for us on behalf of our sins.”5 Perhaps your manuscripts in that section concerning the Lord Jesus do not have “intercedes for us” but rather “petitions for us.” Yet the Greek word here translated as “intercessions” and which you have quoted as “petitions” is the same word found elsewhere where Scripture says, “He intercedes for us.” 2639 ii.15. Since the person who petitions prays, and since the person who prays also petitions, and since the person who intercedes with God does so in order to pray and petition, what does the apostle mean when he employs these terms in such a way that we cannot overlook a difference of meaning? Now if you exclude a word’s general meaning and follow the usual manner of speaking, one and the same thing is understood whether you use the word precatio or oratio, whether interpellatio or postulatio. If you want to look for a special meaning for each of these actions, you will find it difficult to do so with any precision. Much can be said here concerning which there can be no objection. 2640 ii.16. For me, I prefer to understand these words as does the whole Church, or almost the whole Church: precationes being the prayers we offer in celebrating the mysteries before what is on the Lord’s table is blessed; orationes are the prayers said when the offerings are blessed, sanctified, and broken to be shared; and almost every church concludes this whole petition with the Lord’s Prayer. The origin of the Greek word helps us understand this: Scripture rarely employs the word euch∑ to mean “prayer”; but usually and much more often a “vow” is called euch∑, and prosauch∑, the word used in the section we are considering, is always called “prayer.” As mentioned earlier, some of the less learned, looking at proseuch∑, insist on translating it not as oratio [prayer] but as adoratio 2. Matt 4:10.  3. Ps 5:7.  4. Rom 8:34.  5. 1 John 2:1–2.

98. Augustine of Hippo  53 [adoration] which in Greek is more often proskun∑sis. But since oratio [prayer] is sometimes called euch∑ in Greek, proseuch∑ was considered to be “adoration.” Yet, as I said, if Scripture usually employs the word euch∑ to designate a votum [vow], and if we understand oratio in its general meaning as “prayer,” then what is said when we offer what is vowed is more aptly called “prayer,” namely, prossuch∑. All that is offered to God is offered as a vow, especially the sacrifice of the holy altar since this sacrament shows forth our greatest vow by which we pledge to remain in Christ, to remain within the Body of Christ. The outward sign here is that we, being many, are one bread, one body.6 Therefore at the sanctification and at the preparation for distribution, the apostle has properly desired that proseucha, that is, orationes [prayers], be offered or, as some of the less learned have translated it, adorationes [adorations]. This means “as a vow,” which Scripture more customarily calls euch∑. Interpellationes [intercessions], however, or postulationes [petitions] according to your manuscripts—occur when the people are blessed. For then the bishops, as advocates and by the imposition of the hand, offer those under their protection to the most merciful Power. When these things have been completed and when all have shared in such a great sacrament, the “thanksgiving” concludes everything, “thanksgiving” being the word the apostle recommended to us last.

98-w-13. letter 153. to macedonius†a iii.6. As to those whose sins are public, once they have been freed from your severe sentence, we remove them from the fellowship of the altar so that by doing penance and by punishing themselves they might be able to placate him whom they have despised by their sins. Those who truly repent do nothing other than not allowing the evil they have done go unpunished. [.  .  .] iii.7. Evil, however, at times makes such advances among people that even after they have done penance and after they have been readmitted to the altar, they commit either similar sins or more serious ones. Yet God sees to it that the sun rises upon them,1 giving them no less than previously the most lavish gifts of life and health. Although that same opportunity of penance is not again granted in the Church, God, however, has not forgotten to be patient with them. [.  .  .] It may be a very careful and wholesome provision that an opportunity for humble penance is given only once in the Church so that this medicine, becoming common, be less profitable for those who are weak; now it is more effective in that it is held in greater respect. [.  .  .] 6. See 1 Cor 10:17. † Translated from CSEL 44:401–3. a. Macedonius: a civil official in Africa; this letter was written in 413/414. 1. See Matt 5:45.

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54  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West

98-w-14. letter 158. evodius to augustine†a 2643

ii. He [the son of Armenus of Melonita] desired to “depart and to be with Christ,”1 something that was granted to him. For sixteen days he was sick at his parents’ house. [.  .  .] When death was approaching, he began to sign himself on the forehead and then while he was lowering his hand to do the same on his mouth, his soul, which had truly been daily renewed, left the house of clay.2 [.  .  .] We provided funeral rites that were sufficiently respectful and fitting for such a great soul; for three days we joined together in praising the Lord through hymns, and on the third day we offered the sacraments of Redemption.

98-w-15. letter 185. to boniface††a 2644

x.45. Although the Church determined that no one, after doing penance for a serious sin, should be received among the clergy or should return to or remain in the clerical state, this was not done out of any despair of being forgiven but for strict disciplinary reasons. Otherwise, there will be an argument against the keys given to the Church, the keys concerning which we read, “Whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”1 Yet it could happen that after sins are detected, a heart puffed up by hope for ecclesiastical advancement might undergo penance in a spirit of pride. Thus it was decided that a person who did penance for serious sin could not become a member of the clergy so that, all hope of ecclesiastical honor being removed, the remedy of humility might be greater and more true. Nonetheless, holy David did penance for his serious sins and continued to retain his honorable rank.2 And blessed Peter, having wept bitterly and repenting for having denied the Lord, continued to remain an apostle.3 But we should not think that the care taken in later times was unprofitable. Salvation not being diminished, something was added to humility. [.  .  .]

98-w-16. letter 211. to a convent of consecrated virgins This letter contains the text of what is called the Rule of Saint Augustine. See WEC 3:98-V.

Translated from CSEL 44:489–90. a. Evodius (d. after 424): the bishop of Usalis in Africa; this letter was written in 414/415. 1. Phil 1:23.  2. See Job 4:19. †† Translated from S. Aureli Augustini Hipponiensis Episcopi Epistulae, vol. 4, ed. A. Goldbacher, CSEL 57 (Vienna, 1911) 39. a. Boniface: a Roman presbyter who was to become the bishop of Rome 418–22; this letter was written in 417. 1. Matt 16:19; 18:18.  2. See 2 Sam 12:1–20; 24:17.  3. See Matt 26:69–75; Mark 14:66–72; Luke 22:55–62. †

98. Augustine of Hippo  55

98-w-17. letter 228. to honoratus†a viii. Do we not recall [.  .  .] how such a great assembly of people, both 2645 male and female and of all ages, is accustomed to gather in the church, with some earnestly requesting baptism, others reconciliation, and still others asking to do penance, all seeking consolation and strength through the celebration of the sacraments? Now if ministers are not present, how great is the ruin that attends those who leave this life being neither reborn nor freed from their sins? Furthermore, how great is the sorrow of the other faithful who will not share eternal life with them! [.  .  .] Yet if ministers are present, assistance is given to all by virtue of the power of the Lord: some are baptized, some are reconciled; none are deprived of sharing the Lord’s Body; all are consoled, edified, and urged to petition God. [.  .  .]

98-w-18. letter 258. to marcianus††a v. That this may be so, I urge your Gravity and Prudence to receive the sacraments of the faithful; this is proper for someone your age and is, I believe, fitting for the way you are living. Recall what you said to me when I was about to depart. You quoted a line from a comedy by Terence which is most useful and fitting: “This day, beginning another life, requires a new way of acting.”b Now if you were truthful in saying this, and I have no reason to doubt otherwise, you are already leading a life that renders you worthy to receive the forgiveness of sins by means of saving baptism. [.  .  .] I desire to learn that you have enrolled or are soon to enroll among the competentes. [.  .  .]

2646

98-w-19. letter 265. to seleuciana†††a ii. When it is said that Peter did penance, we must take care not to 2647 confuse Peter’s penance with what is done by those who are properly called penitents today. Who could endure our believing that the first of the apostles is counted among such penitents? [.  .  .] iv. [.  .  .] When we read that some members of Christ’s body, which is 2648 the Church,1 belong to the kingdom of heaven, we should understand

Translated from CSEL 57:490–91. a. Honoratus: a friend of Augustine whom Augustine tried to convert from Mani­ chaeism; this letter was written in 429. †† Translated from S. Aureli Augustini Hipponiensis Episcopi Epistuale, vol. 5, ed. A. Goldbacher, CSEL 58 (Vienna, 1923) 609. a. Marcianus: known only as an early friend of Augustine. b. Terence, Andria, 189. ††† Translated from CSEL 58:639ff. a. Seleuciana: perhaps a widow or some type of consecrated virgin. 1. See Col 1:24. †

56  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West this as applying only to those who have been baptized, except perhaps also to those who, afflicted by great suffering and not desiring to deny Christ, were killed before being baptized. Here suffering substitutes for baptism. [.  .  .] 2649 vi. What you wrote in your letter, namely, that he [Novatianb] believes that the apostles gave penance rather than baptism, is not clearly expressed. For if by “rather than baptism” he means that sins are remitted through penance, then he is somewhat correct in what he says. Such penance can be useful if one has sinned after being baptized. Yet he denies that penance can take place after baptism since he says, as you have written, that penance can only occur before baptism. And so when we understand him as saying that the apostles gave penance “rather than baptism,” he intends to say that they gave it before baptism, and that those to whom it was given were not afterwards baptized because for them penance took the place of baptism, something I have never heard any Novatian say. [.  .  .] 2650 vii. People do penance before baptism for their past sins so that they may also be baptized, as is written in the Acts of the Apostles when Peter told the Jews, “Do penance and may each of you be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and your sins will be forgiven you.”2 People also do penance if after baptism they sin so as to merit excommunication and afterwards reconciliation, as they do in all the churches; these are properly known as penitents. [.  .  .] 2651 viii. There is also the penance performed almost daily by the good and humble members of the faithful; here we strike the breast while saying, “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.”3 We do not wish to be forgiven for what we certainly know was forgiven in baptism; and yet we desire forgiveness for those sins which, although small, frequently crawl their way into our human weakness and which, if gathered together against us, would so weigh us down and oppress us as one great sin would do. What difference does it make to a shipwrecked person whether the ship is submerged and destroyed by one large wave, or whether the water gradually creeps into the hold and through negligence is disregarded and thought little about so that the water fills up and sinks the ship? This is why we stand guard by means of fasting, almsgiving, and prayer. When we pray, “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us,”4 we show that we have sins to be forgiven, and by these words we humble our souls and do not cease to do what can be called daily penance. [.  .  .]

b. Novatian (d. 257/258): a Roman presbyter who was disappointed by the election in 251 of Cornelius as bishop of Rome; he joined a highly rigorist faction and became a rival of Cornelius. 2. Acts 2:38.  3. Matt 6:12; Luke 11:4.  4. Ibid.

98. Augustine of Hippo  57

98-w-20. letter 28. to novatus†a ii. [.  .  .] Unless I am mistaken, I recall once writing that these minutes 2652 [of the Council of Carthage in 411] were to be solemnly read annually during Lent when those fasting would have time to listen. This is zealously done by the church at Carthage, by our church, and by other churches. Would that this custom be followed throughout all Africa. We have also written a book concerning these minutes. Once the minutes are read, my book is read and the people listen with the greatest pleasure. If you do not yet have a copy of my book, you really should obtain it. iii. Among us these readings are not read from the step [gradus] used by 2653 the reader for the canonical Scriptures which are rightly read from such a place; the readers read the minutes and my book without taking off their albs [casulae] and sitting when they wish, doing so where those desiring to sit can easily hear them as if this were all taking place privately at home. Yet it occurs in church where many people of both sexes can listen till the hour when the divine readings are heard and the mysteries are customarily celebrated.

98-X. Sermons Augustine was not only a gifted but also a prolific speaker, regularly preaching at least twice a week and at times even more than once a day. A number of his sermons are actually books in themselves; others have been grouped together under special titles, for example, his Exposition of the Psalms. Still others appear under the simple heading “Sermons.” It is the latter that are quoted here. Although one may surmise that most of Augustine’s “sermons” are no longer extant, it has been estimated that well over a thousand compositions attributed to him have been published, many unfortunately being unauthentic or doubtful. One of the earliest collections of these pieces is that of the French Benedictines of St. Maur, whose edition contains 363 sermons. Subsequently other sermons and collections of sermons have been published.a Scholars believe that some of the texts that have come down to us are the result of various scribes or notarii transcribing Augustine’s preaching.b † Translated from Epistolae ex Duobus Codicibus Nuper in Lucem Prolatae, ed. J. Divjak, CSEL 88 (Vienna, 1981) 134–35. The enumeration “28” is also according to this volume. a. Novatus: the bishop of Sitifis, which is now Sétif in Algeria. This letter was written ca. 418. a. Awaited is a critical edition of all Augustine’s sermons, a work that began with CCL 41. b. The enumeration followed below and the date of each sermon’s delivery are generally those found either in Augustine through the Ages: An Encyclopedia, ed. A. Fitzgerald (Grand Rapids, 1999) or in The Works of Saint Augustine: A Translation for the 21st Century, Part 3: Sermons, vols. 1–11, ed. J.E. Rotelle (New York, 1990–2005).

58  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West

98-x-1. sermon 17. on psalm 49:5†a 2654

v. [.  .  .] We have sinned; let us reform. Life has not yet ended; the day has not yet come to a close; death has not yet occurred. Do not despair— this would be even worse—because for these human and bearable sins, being as frequent as they are less serious, God has established in the Church times for requesting mercy, for daily medicine, when we say, “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us.”1 With faces washed by these words, let us approach the altar so that with clean faces we might share in the Body and Blood of Christ.

98-x-2. sermon 49. on micah 6:6–8††a 2655

viii. The catechumens were dismissed after the sermon. The faithful remained. [.  .  .]

98-x-3. sermon 51. on the agreement of matthew and luke regarding the lord’s genealogy†††a 2656

i. [.  .  .] Beloved, you remember how in the morning of the Lord’s birth I postponed solving the question that I proposed. I did so because many people had joined us for the obligatory celebration of that day even though the word of God usually bores them. But now, as I believe, only those who desire to hear this word have gathered. Consequently we speak not to inattentive hearts, not to disdainful souls. For me your anticipation is a prayer. There is more. The day of the public games has scattered many from here. [.  .  .]

98-x-4. sermon 56. on matthew 6:7–13††††a 2657

vii.11. [.  .  .] We have been baptized, and yet we are debtors. Not because we still possess what was forgiven in baptism but because, as we continue to live, we contract what is to be daily forgiven. Those who are baptized and die ascend from the font without debt, leave without debt. Those who are baptized and remain here on earth contract by reason of their human weakness something whereby, even if one is not shipwrecked, there is need to pump out the water; if this does not happen, † Translated from Sermones de Vetere Testamento .  .  ., ed. C. Lambot, CCL 41 (Turnhout, 1961) 241. a. Enumeration according to the Greek. 1. Matt 6:12. †† Translated from CCL 41:620. a. This sermon was given at Carthage in 418 on a Sunday and at the site of Cyprian’s execution. ††† Translated from PL 38:333. a. This sermon was preached in 418. †††† Translated from PL 38:382. a. This sermon was given a week before Easter, sometime between 410 and 412.

98. Augustine of Hippo  59 then little by little the water enters and sinks the ship. To pump out the water is to pray this prayer. However, we should not only pray but also bestow alms: when we pump out the water we work with our hands together with our voices. We utilize our voices when we say, “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.”1 We use our hands when we do this: “Break your bread for the hungry and take into your home the homeless person.”2 “Shut up alms in the heart of those who are poor, and they will pray for you to the Lord.”3

98-x-5. sermon 57. on matthew 6:9, 13†a vii. [.  .  .] The faithful are well aware that there is also a spiritual food, which you also will know and will receive from God’s altar. It will be the daily bread so necessary for this life. Will we receive the Eucharist when we come to Christ and begin to rule with him forever? Therefore the Eucharist is our daily bread; but let us receive it so that not only our stomach but also our soul is refreshed, for the power we find there is unity: gathered together into his Body, we are made his members; we are what we receive. Then it indeed becomes our daily bread. And what I am handing over to you is daily bread; and the readings you hear each day in church are daily bread; also the hymns that you hear and sing. These are necessary as we journey on. [.  .  .]

2658

98-x-6. sermon 58. on matthew 6:9–15††a i. You have already recited back the creed [symbolum] which summarizes all that we believe. [.  .  .] So also imprint this prayer [the Lord’s Prayer] upon your minds since you will recite it back within a week. As to those of you who failed to do well when reciting back the creed, you still have time to learn it by heart because on Saturday, in the presence of all who will be listening, you will recite it back, namely, on the Saturday when you will be baptized. A week from today you will give back the prayer [the Lord’s Prayer] which you have received today. xii. [.  .  .] After you have been baptized, you are to say this prayer [the Lord’s Prayer] every day. It is said daily at God’s altar and the faithful listen to it. And so I have no fear that you will not remember it word for word because whoever among you cannot do this perfectly will eventually do so by hearing it each day. xiii. On Saturday when by God’s goodness we will keep vigil, you will repeat back the creed, not the Lord’s Prayer. For unless you know the 1. Matt 6:12.  2. Isa 58:7.  3. Sir 29:15, Vulgate. † Translated from PL 38:389. a. This sermon was given a week before Easter, sometime between 410 and 412. †† Translated from PL 38:393, 399. a. This sermon was given between 412 and 416 and sometime before the Easter Vigil.

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2660

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60  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West creed well, you do not hear it said every day by the people in church. So once you have learned it, say it each day so that you do not forget it; say it when you rise, when you prepare for sleep; return the creed, return it to the Lord. [.  .  .]

98-x-7. sermon 67. on the words of matthew’s gospel 11:25†a 2662

i. As the Gospel was being read, we heard the Lord Jesus, rejoicing in the Spirit, say, “Father, Lord of heaven and earth, I confess to you, for you have hidden these things from the wise and the prudent and have revealed them to the childlike.”1 Let us now piously consider these words of the Lord, doing so as is proper and with diligence. When we hear the word “confession” in the Scriptures, we should not necessarily understand this to be the confession of a sinner. There is a special reason for reminding you of this since as soon as the words “I confess” were said by the reader, there followed the sound of you striking your breast upon hearing the Lord saying, “Father, I confess to you.” You beat your breast at the word “confess.” Now what does it mean to “beat the breast” other than to show what lies hidden in the heart and to reprove hidden sin by a visible gesture? Now why did you do this except that you heard, “Father, I confess to you”? You heard “I confess” but did not consider who it is that confesses. So now pay attention. If Christ said I confess—Christ who is sinless—then confession is not a word used only by the sinner but also at times by the one who offers praise. Therefore when we say “We confess,” we are either praising God or accusing our very selves. Religious is each confession, either when you blame yourself, you who are not sinless, or when you praise him who cannot sin.

98-x-8. sermon 94 a. on the text “the times are fulfilled and .  .  .”††a iii. [.  .  .] I presume that every person in this assembly who is listening to me believes in the Gospel. There are also many listeners who have not as yet become members of the faithful through baptism; they remain catechumens, not yet born but already conceived. And yet when or how would they have been conceived in mother Church’s womb unless they had been signed with some sacrament of faith? [.  .  .] 2664 iv. [.  .  .] If you desire to become a member of the faithful, repent! Those approaching baptism come by way of penance, for unless they reprove their old way of life through repentance, they will be unable to arrive at a new life by being enrolled among the competentes. [.  .  .] As you have 2663

Translated from PL 38:433. a. This sermon was given after 400, perhaps in 412. 1. Matt 11:25. †† Translated from PLS 2:424–27. a. This sermon was given in the summer of 397. †

98. Augustine of Hippo  61 heard, [the people on Pentecost], being not yet baptized, were instructed to come to baptism by means of repentance. So it is that I say the same to the catechumens. [.  .  .]

98-x-9. sermon 125. on john, chapter 5†a ix. [.  .  .] And so we fast forty days before the Pasch. This is a sign of our burdensome life where in labor, hardship, and self-restraint we fulfill the Law. After the Pasch, however, we celebrate the days of the Lord’s resurrection, a season signifying our own resurrection. Fifty days are celebrated because a denarius is added as a reward to the forty, this equalling fifty. Why a denarius as a reward? Have you not read that those who were brought into the vineyard, whether at the first hour, the sixth hour, or at the last hour, could receive only a denarius?1 We arrive at the number fifty when a reward is added to what we deserve. For then we will be able to do nothing other than to praise God. We will sing Alleluia throughout these days, for Alleluia means praise of God. In this our mortal weakness, during this time of forty days, as if before the resurrection, may we lament with prayers so that in the future we may give praise. Now is the time of longing; then will be the time to embrace and enjoy. May we not become weak during the time of forty days so that we may rejoice during the season of fifty days.

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98-x-10. sermon 132. on the words of john’s gospel††a i. [.  .  .] Those who already eat the Lord’s Body and drink his Blood should reflect on what they eat and on what they drink so that, as the apostle says, they do not eat and drink judgment unto themselves.1 Let those who do not yet eat and drink hasten, as invited guests, to the banquet. During these days the teachers feed you, Christ feeds you every day, his table is set before you. Why, O hearers, do you see the table and not come to the banquet? Perhaps just now, when the Gospel was read, did you say in your hearts, “We thought about what he said, ‘Truly my flesh is food, and my blood is true drink.’”2 How is the Lord’s body eaten and the Lord’s blood drunk? Now what does he mean? Who has closed the door so that you do not know this? It is covered with a veil but if you wish, it will be revealed. Hasten on to your profession of faith and you will resolve the matter. For the faithful already know what the Lord Jesus meant. You, however, being called a catechumen and a hearer, are deaf. For the eyes of your body are open because you hear the words that are spoken; Translated from PL 38:696. a. This sermon was given during Lent in 416/417. 1. See Matt 20:1–10. †† Translated from PL 38:734–35. a. This sermon was given shortly before Easter. 1. See 1 Cor 11:29.  2. John 6:55. †

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62  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West but the eyes of your heart remain closed because you do not understand what is said. I just speak the truth, I do not give arguments. Behold, the Pasch is near. Enroll your names for baptism.

98-x-11. sermon 142 a. on the words of the apostle†a 2667

i. [.  .  .] According to church custom and regulations the bodies of deceased catechumens are not to be buried with those of the faithful. No exceptions are allowed. [.  .  .] The merits of the deceased, you see, depend not on those with whom their bodies lie buried but on the state of their souls. [.  .  .]

98-x-12. sermon 159. on the words of the apostle††a 2668

i. [.  .  .] Heaven will not allow petition, only praise. Why not petition? Because nothing is lacking there. What we have to believe here below, there we will see. What we here hope for, there we will possess. What we here seek, there we will obtain. In this life there is no perfection, something the holy martyrs have obtained. And so there exists an ecclesiastical rule, one known by the faithful, that when the names of the martyrs are read at God’s altar, we do not pray for them. We do, however, petition for the other deceased who are remembered there. It is wrong to pray for a martyr to whose prayer we should commend ourselves.

98-x-13. sermon 162 c. on the words of the apostle to the galatians where paul rebukes peter†††a 2669

ii. “A bishop, therefore, is to be irreprehensible.”1 Now if a bishop is to be irreprehensible, is it right that a Christian be reprehensible? The word “bishop” comes from the Greek episkopos, in common speech translated as “superintendent” or “overseer.” I am a bishop, and yet with you I am a Christian. Our particular name comes from overseeing; our common name, the name we all share, comes from the anointing. [.  .  .]

98-x-14. sermon 172. on the words of the apostle††††a 2670

ii. [.  .  .] There can be no doubt that the deceased are assisted by the prayers of holy Church, by the salutary sacrifice, and by almsgiving; Translated from Dolbeau, no. 7, p. 142. a. This sermon is, as it were, a “postscript” to Sermon 142, perhaps dating from 406. †† Translated from PL 38:868. a. This sermon was given in 417/418. ††† Translated from Dolbeau, no. 10, pp. 167–68. a. This sermon was preached in 397. 1. 1 Tim 3:2. †††† Translated from PL 38:936–37. a. Preached on an occasion similar to All Souls Day. †

98. Augustine of Hippo  63 these are expended on behalf of their souls so that the Lord will treat the deceased with more mercy than their sins deserve. This is the tradition received from the fathers. This is what the whole Church does for those who have died in the communion of the Body and Blood of Christ, when they are named at the proper place in the sacrifice, and when the sacrifice itself is also offered for them. [.  .  .]

98-x-15. sermon 176. on the three readings of the apostle†a ii. [.  .  .] What about small children who are ill with the sin of Adam? These are carried to the church, and if they cannot run to the church with their own feet, they do so with the feet of others in order to be cured. Mother Church lends them the feet of others so that they come by the feet of others, so that they believe with the hearts of others, so that they confess with the tongues of others. [.  .  .]

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98-x-16. sermon 198. on the calends of january††a i. Brethren, since, as we see, you have gathered today as for a solemn feast, doing so in larger numbers than usual, I urge you to remember what you have just sung so that your voices may not resound strongly while your hearts remain silent. May you eagerly shout out to God what you have sung for each other’s ears. This is what you sang, “Lord, our God, save us, gather us from among the nations that we may praise your holy name.”1 And if the pagan feast that is today observed by worldly and carnal joy, by the sound of foolish and most evil songs, by wicked festivities and dances, if the things the pagans do today displease you, then you will be gathered from among the pagans. ii. [.  .  .] In order to follow your Redeemer who purchased you with his blood, do not mix with the pagans by imitating their practices and deeds. They give new year’s gifts; you should bestow alms. They are summoned by impure songs; you should be summoned by the words of the Scriptures. They hurry off to the theater; you should hasten to church. They become drunk; you should fast. If you are unable to fast today, then at least eat with moderation. If you do this, you will truly sing “Lord our God, save us from among the pagans.”2 xi. My dear brothers and sisters, omit everything that can cause the pagans to jeer at us. Enter the church in such a fashion as not to give the pagans an excuse for staying away. Our purpose in coming to church is, you see, so that we may gather as brothers and sisters since the temple for Translated from PL 38:950. a. This sermon was preached in 414. †† Translated from PL 38:1024–25. a. This sermon, preached on New Year’s Day in 404 (perhaps 420/435), is also found in Dolbeau, where it is no. 26. 1. Ps 106:47.  2. Ibid. †

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64  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West prayer is found within you. Clean the place where you pray, and you will be heard. Surely if we keep clean the visible place where we pray—doing so not to please God’s eyes since God sees all things just as he created all things—but so that your eyes not be offended and your attention be distracted, how much more should you keep clean your hearts where and with which you pray to God? [.  .  .] Imagine that a heavy weight is to be moved and what is known as a chantey is being sung. Now wouldn’t the just voices of all the men singing and pulling together in order to sustain the movement and rhythm of their shared endeavor not arouse even your own weak power so that you also desire to take hold of the rope and enjoy participating in this work? [.  .  .] 2675 il. [.  .  .] Christ is the one true mediator [.  .  .] to whom our prayers are directed although in the Church’s worship our prayers are addressed to the Father. [.  .  .] 2676 l. Formerly it was customary that only one priest was anointed; now all Christians are anointed. 2677 li. [.  .  .] The name of Christ comes from the chrism, from the anointing. But Christ’s body is the Church. For this reason all Christians are anointed. This takes place in a sacrament which is known to the faithful but concealed from the rest.

98-x-17. sermon 213. on handing over the creed†a 2678

viii. “I believe in the forgiveness of sins.” If this forgiveness were not found in the Church, there would be no hope. If it were not in the Church, there would be no hope for a future life and eternal freedom. We thank God for having given this gift to the Church. Behold, you are about to approach the holy font where you will be renewed by the baptismal water, by the salutary bath of rebirth; ascending from that bath, you will be without sin. All past sins are there washed away. Your sins were like the Egyptians who pursued the Israelites but only as far as the Red Sea.1 And why only this far? As far as Christ’s font, which is consecrated by his cross and blood. That which is red, makes red. Do you not see how the part [blood] of Christ becomes red? Ask the eyes of faith. If you see a cross, also look at the blood. If you look at what hangs there, also look at what flows down from there? The side of Christ was pierced by a lance,2 and the price of our redemption flowed down. Thus baptism is signed with the sign of the cross, that is, the water in which you were made wet and which, as it were, you passed through in the Red Sea. Your sins are now your enemies. They follow you, but only as far as the Red Sea. Upon entering the water, you escape; they will be destroyed just as the Israelites escaped over dry land while the waters submerged the Egyptians. What does Scripture say? Translated from PL 38:1064–65. a. Given two weeks before Easter, sometime before 410. 1. See Exod 14.  2. See John 19:34. †

98. Augustine of Hippo  65 “Not one of them remains.”3 Whether your sins be many or few, whether they be great or small, not the least of them has remained. But since we are to live in this world where no one is sinless, so the forgiveness of sins is found not only in the washing of holy baptism but also in the Lord’s Prayer which is said each day and which you will receive in a week’s time. In this prayer you will find, as it were, your daily baptism. So you are to thank God who has given this gift to his Church. It is this we profess in the creed when we add “the forgiveness of sins” to “the Holy Church.”

98-x-18. sermon 214. on handing over the creed†a i. [.  .  .] The creed strengthens you in what you should believe and in what you should confess so that you may be saved. Surely what you will receive in a brief form, things to be committed to memory and professed by your mouth, are neither new nor unfamiliar, for you are accustomed to hear them variously proposed in the holy Scriptures and in sermons given in church. But gathered together and summarized in a certain order so that your faith may be built up, these truths are handed on to you so as to help you prepare yourselves for your profession and so that your memory may not be burdened. It is what you are to faithfully retain and recite back from memory. (After this introduction the whole creed is to be said without any words of explanation: “I believe in God the Father almighty” and all that follows. You are aware that the creed is not customarily written down [.  .  .].) b

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98-x-19. sermon 216. to the competentes††a 2680 i. [.  .  .] May all of us, according to our calling by the Lord, run after him and follow in his footsteps; may no one look back. The truth, which can neither deceive nor be deceived, openly declares, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of heaven.”1 Truly the name you bear, competentes, shows that you desire this kingdom, that you are approaching it with all that is in you. For what else does competentes mean unless it is those who are asking together? Consider the words condocentes, concurrentes, considentes: do they not mean anything else other than those “teaching together,” “running together,” “sitting together”? And so the word competentes was formed to show that these persons are together seeking one and the same thing. [.  .  .]

3. Ps 106:11. † Translated from PL 38:1065–66. a. This sermon was preached two weeks before Easter in 391. b. Added by a copyist. †† Translated from PL 38:1077. a. This sermon was given at the beginning of Lent, perhaps in 397, for those enrolled to be baptized. 1. Luke 9:62.

66  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West

98-x-20. sermon 218. concerning the lord’s passion on the day of preparation†a i. The Passion of him whose blood has washed away our sins is solemnly read and solemnly celebrated. By this annual observance our memories are more joyfully renewed, and by this large gathering of people our faith is more clearly illuminated. And so the solemnity itself requires that we preach to you about the Lord’s passion. [.  .  .] xiv. His side, pierced by a lance, issued forth blood and water upon the 2682 ground. Surely these are the sacraments that formed the Church. [.  .  .] 2681

98-x-21. sermon 219. during the paschal vigil††a 2683

The blessed apostle Paul, urging us to imitate him, also mentions— among numerous other manifestations of his power—”many sleepless nights.”1 How much more eagerly should we keep watch during this vigil which is, as it were, the mother of all holy vigils, a vigil during which the whole world is awake. [.  .  .] Let us watch and pray so that we may celebrate this vigil both internally and externally. May God speak to us in his readings. May we speak to God in our prayers. If we obediently listen to God’s words, he whom we petition will dwell among us.

98-x-22. sermon 220. during the paschal vigil†††a 2684

Brethren, we know and most firmly continue to believe that Christ died but once for us. [.  .  .] As the apostle says, “He was handed over for our sins, and he arose for our justification.”1 As you know so well, this took place only once. And yet as the years pass, the solemnity is repeated even though so many voices from Scripture truly declare it has happened only once. Nonetheless, truth and solemnity are not opposed to each other so that one is telling lies whereas the other is speaking the truth. For what truth says actually took place only once, the solemnity renews what is often celebrated by pious hearts. Truth reveals what happened as it happened; the solemnity, however, does not permit what once happened to pass away, not by repeating it but by celebrating it. And so “Christ our Pasch has been sacrificed.”2 Surely he died but once; yet he dies no more since death will have no further dominion over him.3 Therefore according to the voice of literal truth, we say that the Pasch occurred but once and will happen no more; according to the language of solemnity, however, Translated from PL 38:1084, 1087. a. This sermon was given on Good Friday before 420. †† Translated from PL 38:1087–88. a. This sermon was perhaps given before 396. 1. 2 Cor 11:27. ††† Translated from PL 38:1089. a. This sermon was probably given before 396. 1. Rom 4:25.  2. 1 Cor 5:7.  3. See Rom 6:9. †

98. Augustine of Hippo  67 we say that the Pasch will be celebrated each year. It is in this way that we, I believe, should understand the psalm, “Our inner thoughts will give you thanks, and the memorial of our inward thoughts will keep a feast to you.”4 Unless thought committed to memory what is said to have taken place in time, afterwards it would find no traces once time had passed. Therefore human thought, seeing what really takes place, praises the Lord. But traces of thought, which are found in the memory, do not cease to celebrate the anniversaries of the feasts lest thought be considered ungrateful. It is to this understanding that the solemnity of this night pertains, where by keeping vigil we, as it were, re-enact in thought the Lord’s resurrection, which we acknowledge occurred historically only once. The proclamation of historical truth has instructed us well. Therefore may we not neglect this solemnity and become irreligious. This celebration has rightly made the present night famous throughout the world. It shows who Christians are; it confounds the darkness of the Jewish people; it overthrows the idols of the pagans.

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98-x-23. sermon 221. during the paschal vigil†a [.  .  .] My brothers and sisters, we should, therefore, keep vigil since Christ remained in the tomb till this very night. He did this so it would be during this night that the resurrection of his body would take place, a body once marked on the cross and now worshiped in heaven and upon earth. We consider this night as being part of the following day, namely, the Lord’s Day. It is clear that the Lord had to rise during the night since his resurrection gave light to our darkness; nor was it insignificant that just a little time ago we sang, “You, Lord, my God will light my lamp, you will give light to my darkness.”1 [.  .  .] [.  .  .] Why, then, do Christians keep vigil on this yearly feast? This is the greatest time for us to keep vigil. [.  .  .] This night’s vigil is such that it alone, among all the others, can use the common name “vigil” as its own proper name, being simply called “the vigil.” [.  .  .]

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98-x-24. sermon 223. during the paschal vigil††a i. [.  .  .] By the brightness of their garments these infantes,b whom you see wearing white robes externally and who have been cleansed internally, show forth the splendor of their minds when in darkness they were weighed down by the night of their sins. [.  .  .] 4. Ps 76:10, LXX. † Translated from PL 38:1068. a. This sermon was given during the year 400. 1. Ps 18:28. †† Translated from PL 38:1092. a. This sermon was given between 400 and 405 or after 412. b. A term designating all the newly baptized regardless of age.

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ii. Do not be surprised at the large number of bad Christians who fill the church, who share at the altar, who loudly praise the bishop or presbyter when he preaches about good morals. [.  .  .]

98-x-25. sermon 224. on the pasch†a 2690

iv. O baptized ones, listen to me. All who have been reborn through Christ’s blood, hear me. I beseech you through the name that was invoked over you, through the altar you approached, through the sacraments you received, through the future judgment of the living and of the dead. I ask you, I obligate you by the name of Christ that you do not imitate those whom you know to be as I described [those refusing to reform], but may his sacrament remain in you, the sacrament of him who did not wish to descend from the cross but desired to rise from the dead.

98-x-26. sermon 227. on the pasch††a 2691

I remember my promise—for I promised you who have been baptized—a sermon that would explain the table of the Lord’s sacrament, which you can now see and at which you shared last night. You should know something about what you received, what you will receive, and what you ought to receive each day. The bread that you see upon the altar, the bread when consecrated by the word of God, is the Body of Christ. The cup, or rather what the cup contains, when sanctified through the word of God, is the Blood of Christ. Through these Christ the Lord desired to entrust us with his Body and with his Blood, which he shed for the forgiveness of sins. If you receive them in a fitting manner, then you are what you have received, for the apostle says, “We though many are one bread, one body.”1 This is how he explained the sacrament of the Lord’s table: “We though many are one bread, one body.”b The bread tells you how much you should love unity. Was the bread made from one grain? Were there not many grains of wheat? But before they came together to form the loaf of bread, they were separate grains; they were united by means of water after being somewhat crushed. For unless wheat is ground and moistened with water, it will hardly attain the form of bread. So you also were ground, as it were, by the humility of fasting and the sacrament of exorcism. Then baptism by water took place, and you were moistened so that you could become bread. But bread cannot exist without fire. And what does fire represent? It is chrism. For the sacrament of the Holy Spirit is the oil that feeds our fire. [.  .  .] Translated from PL 38:1095. a. This sermon was given on Easter or during its octave and between 412 and 416. †† Translated from PL 38:1099–1101. a. This sermon was given at Easter, sometime between 412 and 417. b. Cf. Didache ix.4 (WEC 1:186). 1. 1 Cor 10:17. †

98. Augustine of Hippo  69 When you gather at church, put aside silly tales and attend to the Scriptures. We are your books. Therefore listen and see how on Pentecost the Holy Spirit will come, showing itself in tongues of fire. The Spirit will inspire the love by which we are to long for God, to show disdain for the world, to burn our straw, and to purify our hearts like gold. Therefore the Spirit, the fire, comes after the water, and you are made into the bread [which is the Body of Christ]. In a certain way unity is consequently signified. You now have the sacraments [the parts of the Eucharist] in the order [of their celebration]. First, after the prayer, you are admonished to lift up your hearts, as is fitting for the members of Christ, for if you have been made Christ’s members, where then is your head? Members have a head. If the head had not gone before, the members would not follow. Where has our head gone? What did you recite back in the creed? “On the third day he rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father.” And so our head is in heaven. This is why when “Lift up your hearts” is said, you respond, “We have [lifted them up] to the Lord.” And since this lifting up is a gift of God and so that you do not attribute it to your own strength, merits, and labors, the bishop or the presbyter who is offering goes on to say—after the people have replied, “We have lifted them up to the Lord”—”Let us give thanks to the Lord our God” because we have indeed lifted up our hearts. Let us give thanks because if God did not make it possible for us to do this, then our hearts would remain here on earth. This is what you affirm when you say, “It is right and just that we give thanks to him who caused us to lift up our hearts to our head.” Then after the sanctification of God’s sacrifice, because God desired that we ourselves be his sacrifice—something made clear when the sacrifice was first instituted—and because the sacrifice is to be a sign of what we are, then when the sanctification is completed, we say the Lord’s Prayer, which you have received and recited back. Immediately afterwards occur the “Peace be with you” and the holy kiss that Christians share with one another. This is a sign of peace; what the lips indicate should take place within, namely, as your lips draw near to those of your brothers or sisters, so may your heart not be far from theirs. These mysteries, therefore, are great, very great. Do you want to know the manner in which they are commended? The apostle says, “Whoever eats the Body of Christ or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will be guilty of the Lord’s Body and Blood.”2 Now what does it mean to receive unworthily? It is to do so with derision, with contempt. Just because you can see something does not mean that it is of little value. What you can see will pass away. Yet the invisible that is signified will not pass away but remain. Behold it is received, eaten, consumed. Is Christ’s Body ever consumed? Is Christ’s Church ever consumed? Are Christ’s members ever consumed? By no 2. 1 Cor 11:27.

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70  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West means! Here they are washed, there they will be crowned. Therefore what is signified will remain forever, even though it seems to pass on. Consequently receive in such a way that you might ponder, that you might have unity in your hearts, that you might always lift up your hearts. May your hope not be upon earth but in heaven; may your faith be strong in God; may it be acceptable to God. Because here on earth you believe what you do not presently see, you will see it there where you will ever rejoice.

98-x-27. sermon 228. on the pasch†a 2694

i. After all that took place last night, I will not long detain you since even though the spirit is willing, the flesh remains weak. Nonetheless, I should say a few words. These days, days after the passion of our Lord God and days on which we sing the Alleluia, we celebrate as joyful feasts till Pentecost when the Holy Spirit, as promised, was sent from heaven. Of these days the seven or eight that now concern us are devoted to explaining to the infantes the sacraments they received. Those who just a short time ago were called competentes are now called infantes. They were called competentes because they were beating against their mother’s womb seeking to be born; they are now called infantes because those who were previously born to the world are now born to Christ. [.  .  .]

98-x-28. sermon 230. during the days of easter††a 2695

[.  .  .] Let us put into practice what we have sung to the Lord. [.  .  .] If you live well, then you are what you sing. [.  .  .]

98-x-29. sermon 231. during the days of easter†††a 2696

i.1. During these days we customarily read about the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, doing so from all the books of the holy Gospel. [.  .  .]

98-x-30. sermon 232. during the days of easter††††a 2697

vii.7. Yesterday I warned you and today I am again warning you that Christ’s resurrection exists within us only if we live well, only if our former evil life has died and our new life increases each day. Many penitents are present here; when hands are laid upon them the line is very long. “Pray, O penitents,” and they leave in order to pray. I examine the Translated from PL 38:1101. a. This sermon was given on Easter, perhaps ca. 420. †† Translated from PL 38:1104. a. This sermon was given at Easter or during the Easter octave. ††† Translated from PL 38:1104. a. This sermon was given on Monday or Wednesday of Easter week in 412/413. †††† Translated from PL 38:1111. a. This sermon was given during Easter week, perhaps on Easter Tuesday 412/413. †

98. Augustine of Hippo  71 penitents and I find them living badly. In what way are they repenting of what they are continuing to do? If they are repenting, they should not act in such fashion. And if they do so act, then their name is a misnomer, then their sin remains. Some have on their own sought to be penitents. Some, excommunicated by me, have returned to the penitential state from which they do not want to emerge. It is as if they themselves have chosen this state. And so what should be a place of humility becomes one of iniquity. I am talking to you who are called penitents and yet are not. I am talking to you. “What should I say to you? Can I praise you? No, in this I do not praise you.”1 I only lament and bewail.

98-x-31. sermon 243. during the days of easter†a 2698 ix.8. [.  .  .] These holy days, celebrated after the Lord’s resurrection, stand for our future life after our own resurrection. Just as the forty days before the Pasch signify our toilsome life in this mortal time of hard labor, so these joyful days represent the future life where we will reign with the Lord. We already have the life signified by the forty days before the Pasch. We do not have the life signified by the fifty days after the Lord’s resurrection, but we hope for it and by hoping we love it; and in that love God, who promised all this, is praised. These praises are the Alleluia. For what is the Alleluia? The word is Hebrew, Alleluia, Praise God. Allelumeans “praise”; Ia means “God.” And so with the Alleluia we sound our praise of God, and we urge each other to do likewise. With harmonious hearts we praise God better than with the strings of the cithara; we sing Alleluia. [.  .  .]

98-x-32. sermon 252. during the days of easter††a iv. [.  .  .] Is it not true that those who fill the theaters also fill the churches? And what they seek in church by their unruly conduct, is it not what they seek in the theater? [.  .  .] My brothers and sisters, do you not recall what we experienced in this very city, what I so clearly recall, what risks we encountered when God expelled rowdy celebrations from this basilica? [.  .  .] ix. Can it be just an accident that the days we are now celebrating are fifty in number? It is not without reason, my brothers and sisters, that the Church, following an ancient traditional custom, sings the Alleluia throughout these fifty days. Alleluia means “Praise God.” Therefore to us who are toiling it signifies that we have attained rest. Once we arrive at 1. 1 Cor 11:22. † Translated from PL 38:1147. a. This sermon was given during Easter week, perhaps on Easter Thursday, after 409. †† Translated from PL 38:1174, 1176–77. a. This sermon was perhaps preached on April 18, 396.

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72  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West that rest after this period of labor, our only task will be to praise God. The Alleluia will be all we have to do. Now what is the meaning of Alleluia? It means “Praise God.” Who can unceasingly praise God other than the angels? They do not suffer hunger, thirst, sickness, or death. We also have sung the Alleluia. It was sung here early this morning; and when we were present, we also did so. We are reached by the aroma of divine praise and that rest, and yet for the most part our mortality presses us down. We are worn out from speaking, and so we wish to rest our body; and if the Alleluia would be sung for a long period of time, then the praise of God would become a burden for us due to the very weight of our bodies. Yet after the toil of this world the Alleluia will be repeated continuously. And now what, my brothers and sisters? May we sing it as vigorously as we can so that we might sing it forever. Then the Alleluia, that is, the praise of God, will be our food, the Alleluia will be our drink, the Alleluia will be our repast, the Alleluia will be our total joy. [.  .  .] 2701 x. Why are fifty days celebrated in this mystery? As the Acts of the Apostles testifies, the Lord spent fifty days with his disciples after the resurrection. When forty days had passed, he ascended into heaven, and ten days later sent the Holy Spirit. When the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit and once “they all had come together, they spoke in tongues.”1 While proclaiming God’s word with great courage, they did those wonderful works which we, reading about and believing, cherish. He spent forty days on earth with his disciples.2 It is only the Lord, Moses, and Elijah whom we find fasting for forty days.3 The Lord as the Gospel, Moses as the Law, and Elijah as the prophet: because the Law and the prophets bear witness to the Gospel.4 Therefore when our Lord desired to show his glory upon the mountain, he stood between Moses and Elijah.5 Being in the middle, he was ablaze with honor; on each side giving testimony were the Law and the prophets. The number forty represents the present age in which we forever toil. [.  .  .]

98-x-33. sermon 254. during the days of easter†a 2702

iv.5. The forty days before the Pasch represent the age of human sorrow and lament. The fifty days signify the days that will come, days of joy, rest, happiness, eternal life, the eternal kingdom, all that is not yet. On these days God is praised. We are being shown the two ages: one before the Lord’s resurrection, the other after his resurrection, one in which we presently live, the other in which we hope to live. We observe and possess the time of sorrow signified by the forty days. Through the Alleluia we observe the time of joy, of rest, and of the kingdom, the age which these 1. Acts 2:1–3.  2. See Matt 4:2.  3. See Exod 34:28; 1 Kgs 19:8.  4. See Rom 3:21.  5. See Matt 17:23. † Translated from PL 38:1184. a. This sermon was given sometime between 412 and 416, perhaps within Easter week.

98. Augustine of Hippo  73 days represent, and yet we do not possess the praises. But now we sigh for the Alleluia. What does Alleluia mean? It means “Praise God.” But we do not yet possess the praises. During these days after the resurrection God’s praises are celebrated in the church because after our resurrection we will be perpetually giving praise. The Lord’s passion stands for the present time in which we now weep. [.  .  .]

98-x-34. sermon 255. during the days of easter†a i. Because the Lord desired that we visit you during this time during which the Alleluia is sung, we should say something about it. May I not bore you by saying what you already know, namely, that we sing the Alleluia every day and that we delight in doing so. You are aware that the word “Alleluia” means in Latin Laudate Deum, and by this word, with voices resounding together and hearts in agreement, we urge one another to praise God. Only those who do not displease God praise God without fear of any kind. And certainly during this time of journey we sing Alleluia so that we may be comforted on the way; at present the Alleluia is the song of a person on a journey; nonetheless, we are traveling down a toilsome path toward that peaceful country where, once we have put aside all our cares, nothing will remain except the Alleluia.

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98-x-35. sermon 256. during the days of easter††a i. It has pleased our Lord God that we, being physically present here, joined you in singing to him the Alleluia, which in Latin is Laudate Dominum. And so, my brothers and sisters, let us praise the Lord with our lives and tongues, hearts and mouths, voices and actions. It is in this way that God wishes the Alleluia to be sung to him so that there be no discord among those giving praise. And so may our tongue be in harmony with our life, our mouth with our conscience. May our voices, I say, agree with what we do so that our good voices may not give testimony as to evil deeds. O happy is the Alleluia in heaven where the angels are God’s temple. For the highest agreement exists among those who praise where there is peaceful rejoicing among those who are singing; where there is “no law among the members opposing the law of the mind”;1 where there is no strife of human desire to threaten the victory of love. Even though we are still beset with cares, let us sing the Alleluia so that being free from all worries we may sing it in heaven. [.  .  .] iii. [.  .  .] O happy Alleluia there [in heaven]! O peaceful Alleluia! O Alleluia without an adversary! Where there will be no enemy! Where no Translated from PL 38:1186. a. This sermon was given at Carthage in 418, perhaps on May 5 or 6. †† Translated from PL 38:1190, 1193. a. This sermon was given on Sunday, May 5, 418. 1. Rom 7:23. †

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74  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West friend is lost! In that place God will be praised. Here God is praised but by those who have worries; there by the untroubled. Here by those who will die; there by those who will live forever. Here in hope; there in actuality. Here on a journey; there in one’s own country. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, let us sing not for the pleasure of rest but for relief of toil. Just as travelers are accustomed to sing, so you are to sing, but keep on moving. Lighten the burden by singing. Do not love laziness. Sing and make progress, advance in goodness. [.  .  .]

98-x-36. sermon 260 a. on the sunday after easter†a i. I speak to you as if to “newborn infants,”1 as “children of Christ,”2 as new offspring of the Church. You are the grace of the Father, proof of the mother’s fecundity. All of you who stand in the Lord are a holy offering, a new colony of bees, the flower of our honor, the fruit of our labor, “our joy and our crown, all you who stand fast in the Lord.”3 I speak to you using the words of the apostle: “Behold, the night has advanced, the day approaches. Throw off the works of darkness, and put on the arms of light. Walk properly as in the day, not in orgies or drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in contention and rivalry, but put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and provide not for the desires of the flesh”4 so that your actions be clothed with him whom you have put on in the sacrament. “For you who have been baptized in Christ have put on Christ. There is no Jew or Greek. There is neither slave nor free man, neither male nor female, for all are one in Christ Jesus.”5 2707 Such is the power of the sacrament, for it is a sacrament of new life, a life that now begins with the forgiveness of all past sins and will be perfected in the resurrection of the dead. “For you are buried with Christ unto death so that just as Christ rose from the dead so might you be able to walk in newness of life.”6 Now you walk by faith, still in the mortal body7 and estranged from the Lord, but he is for you a sure way,8 he to whom you are going, Jesus Christ who deigned to become human for our sake. He has laid up much sweetness for those who fear him;9 this he will make known to all who hope in him, perfecting it so that what we now possess in faith we will actually receive. [.  .  .] 2708 ii. “Having these promises, my brothers and sisters, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”10 “I ask that you walk in a way worthy of the vocation by which you have been called, with all humility of soul and meekness, supporting one another in love, carefully observing unity of spirit in the 2706

Translated from PL 46:858–61, where it is Sermon 8. a. This sermon was given on one of the first Sundays after Easter between 393 and 405. 1. 1 Pet 2:2.  2. 1 Cor 3:1.  3. Phil 4:1.  4. Rom 13:12–14.  5. Gal 3:27–28.  6. Rom 6:4.  7. See 2 Cor 5:6–7.  8. See John 14:6.  9. See Ps 31:19.  10. 2 Cor 7:1. †

98. Augustine of Hippo  75 bond of peace.”11 From where have we received this pledge? There are those who have put on Christ only in the sacrament and remain naked in terms of what they believe and do. Many heretics possess the sacrament of baptism but not the fruit of salvation nor the bond of peace. As the apostle said, “They have the appearance of religion but reject its power.”12 Either enrolled by deserters or being deserters themselves, they bear the mark of the good king in a flesh that has been condemned and say to us, “If we are not believers, then why don’t you baptize us? If we are already members of the faithful, then why do you inquire about us?” It is as if they had not read about Simon Magnus, who was baptized and to whom Peter, nevertheless, said, “You have no share or lot in this faith.”13 So it can happen that a person receives the baptism of Christ and still does not possess faith or the love of Christ; one can have received the sacrament of holiness and yet not be counted among the holy ones.14 Nor in regard to the sacrament itself does it matter if a person has received the baptism of Christ in a place where Christ’s unity is nonexistent. If some who are baptized in the Church desert the Church, they will lack holiness of life but not the sign [signaculum] of the sacrament. Since the sacrament is not given to those who return to the Church, it cannot be shown that it was lost when these people departed the Church. Even though a deserter is no longer a member of the army, he still remains marked as a soldier of the king. If he then signs another with the same sign, he does not make this person a comrade-in-arms but a companion-in-punishment. If, however, he should return to the army and the other person joins him, then, the royal severity being placated, the former would be forgiven and the latter would be accepted. For both of them the fault is corrected, the penalty is remitted, peace is given; for neither of them is the sign repeated. iii. They [the heretics] should not say to us, “What can you give us since 2709 we have already been baptized?” They do not know what they are saying since they do not even wish to read what the holy Scripture testifies, namely, that within the Church, that is, within the communion of Christ’s members, many of those baptized in Samaria were merely baptized, not having received the Holy Spirit till the apostles came to them from Jerusalem;15 on the other hand, Cornelius and those with him merited to receive the Holy Spirit before receiving the sacrament of baptism.16 In this way God taught that the sign of salvation is one thing, salvation itself is another; the form of godliness is one thing, the power of godliness is another. “What,” they say, “can you give us if we have already been baptized?” O sacrilegious vanity to think nothing of Christ’s Church, to which they do not belong, so that they believe they receive nothing when united in communion with it. May Amos the prophet say to them, “Woe to those who regard Sion as nothing.”17 “What will I receive,” he says, “if I have 11. Eph 4:1–3.  12. 2 Tim 3:5.  13. Acts 8:21.  14. See Col 1:12.  15. See Acts 8:5–17.  16. See Acts 10:44.  17. Amos 6:1, LXX.

76  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West already been baptized?” You will receive the Church of which you are not a member. You will receive unity, which you do not have. You will receive peace, which you do not have. [.  .  .] 2710 iv. Devout children, Catholic members, you have received not a different baptism but a baptism for a different end, not unto punishment but unto life, not unto destruction but unto salvation, not unto damnation but unto honor, for you have also received “the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”18 My desire and hope—my exhortation and prayer—is that the unity you have received may be integrally preserved and that by moving forward you may attain greater things. Today is the octave day of your new birth. Today the sign [signaculum] of faith is completed in you. [.  .  .] By his resurrection Christ consecrated the Lord’s Day, which is the third day after the day of his passion; it is both the eighth day and the first day of the week. You have received the pledge of the Holy Spirit, if not in fact then surely in hope because you have received the sacrament of what has been pledged. “If you have risen with Christ, seek the things that are above where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of the Father. Seek the things that are above, not those upon the earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, will appear, then you also will appear with him in glory.”19

98-x-37. sermon 262. on the lord’s ascension†a 2711

iii. On this day, namely, the fortieth day after his resurrection, the Lord ascended into heaven. [.  .  .] Behold, this day is celebrated throughout the whole world.

98-x-38. sermon 272. on the last day of pentecost††a 2712

[.  .  .] What do you see? It is bread and a cup. This is what your eyes tell you. Yet what your faith demands is that you believe the bread to be Christ’s Body and the cup to be his Blood. Surely this is a summary which perhaps suffices for faith, but faith desires instruction. The prophet says, “Unless you have believed, you will not understand.”1 For you can tell me, “You have known in advance that we believe. Now explain so that we may understand.” [.  .  .] He [the Lord Jesus] is sitting at the right hand of the Father. How, then, is this bread his Body? And the cup—or its contents—how can this be his Blood? These, my brothers and sisters, are called mysteries [sacramenta] because in them one thing is seen, another is understood. What is seen has a material appearance; what is understood 18. Eph 4:3.  19. Col 3:1–4. † Translated from PL 38:1208. a. This sermon was given on May 4, 411. †† Translated from PL 38:1246–48. a. This sermon was given either on Easter or on Pentecost between 405 and 411. 1. Isa 7:9, LXX.

98. Augustine of Hippo  77 brings forth spiritual fruit. Therefore, if you desire to understand the Body of Christ, listen to the apostle who tells the faithful, “Now you are the Body of Christ and its members.”2 If, therefore, you are the Body and the members of Christ, your mystery is placed on the Lord’s table; you receive your own mystery. Respond “Amen” to what you are, and by responding you give your assent. You hear “The Body of Christ” and you respond “Amen.” Be a member of Christ’s Body so that your Amen may be true. Why in bread? So that we may bring nothing of our own here, let us listen to the same apostle who says about this sacrament, “We though many are one bread, one body.”3 Understand and rejoice: unity, truth, godliness, love. “One bread.” Who is this one bread? “Many are one body.” Further reflect on the fact that the bread is made from many grains, not from one grain. When you were exorcised, you were, so to speak, ground in a mill. When you were baptized, you were, so to speak, mixed together like dough. When you received the fire of the Holy Spirit, you were, so to speak, baked. Be what you can see, and receive what you are. [.  .  .]

98-x-39. sermon 284. on the feast of the martyrs marianus and james†a v. My brothers and sisters, are we to be surprised that you know where the names of the martyrs are recited? The Church does not pray for them. Rightly does the Church pray for the other deceased who are asleep; it does not pray for the martyrs but rather commends itself to their prayers. [.  .  .]

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98-x-40. sermon 293 a. on the nativity of saint john the baptist††a xvi. [.  .  .] A drunkard now baptizes; it is a mystery. A heretic has baptized—it is a mystery. The gift of baptism is given by almighty God. Clearly if someone baptized in the name of Donatus, this baptism would have to be repeated. Yet if I find there the baptism of Christ, if I recognize the words of the Gospel, if I see there the image and mark of my king, then even if you deserted [.  .  .], you can be forgiven, yet your mark cannot be changed.

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98-x-41. sermon 294. on the feast of the martyr guddens†††a i.2. They [the Donatists] concede that babies are to be baptized. So the question dividing us from them is not whether babies should be baptized 2. 1 Cor 12:27.  3. 1 Cor 10:17. † Translated from PL 38:1291. a. This sermon was given on May 6, the feast of these saints. The year would have been 397/418. †† Translated from Dolbeau, no. 3, pp. 494–95. a. This sermon was given on June 24, the nativity of John the Baptist. ††† Translated from PL 38:1335–36, 1343. a. This sermon was preached on June 27, 413, the feast of the Martyr Guddens.

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78  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West but why babies should be baptized. As to what they concede, we indeed agree with them: there should be no doubt that babies are to be baptized. 2716 ii. [.  .  .] We hold that the only way for babies to be saved and to obtain eternal life is baptism in Christ. They, however, hold that babies are to be baptized for the sake of the kingdom of heaven and not for the sake of salvation or eternal life. [.  .  .] 2717 xiii.14. [.  .  .] What place do you give to baptized babies? Surely they rank among believers. This is why baptized babies are called the “faithful” according to the ancient, canonical, and well-founded practice of the Church. It is in such a way that we inquire about them: “Is this baby a Christian?” “Yes, a Christian” is the response. “Are you a catechumen or a member of the faithful?” “One of the faithful.” [.  .  .]

98-x-42. sermon 301 a. on the solemnity of the holy maccabees†a 2718

viii. [.  .  .] “I am,” someone says, “a catechumen.” You’re a catechumen? A catechumen. Now do you have one forehead that has received the sign of Christ, and another that you carry to the theater? So you want to go there? Well, change your forehead and go. Since you cannot change your forehead, then don’t destroy it. The name of God is invoked over you, Christ is called over you, God is invoked over you, the sign of the cross is traced and formed upon your forehead. [.  .  .]

98-x-43. sermon 302. on the solemnity of the martyr lawrence††a 2719

i. Today we observe the feast of the blessed martyr Lawrence. We listened to the readings suitable for this holy solemnity. We heard them, and we sang them, and with the greatest attention we listened to the reading of the Gospel. [.  .  .]

98-x-44. sermon 303. on the feast of the martyr lawrence†††a 2720

i. Today is the martyrdom of blessed Lawrence. It is a well-known feast in Rome but not here. I see before me only a small group of people. Just as the glory of Rome cannot be concealed, so the crown of Lawrence cannot be hidden. Yet I just don’t understand how it can escape the attention of this great city. And so you, few in number, will hear only a short sermon since we cannot preach at length due to the heat and due to my bodily fatigue. [.  .  .] Translated from PL 46:880, where it is Sermon 17. a. This sermon was perhaps given in 399. †† Translated from PL 38:1385. a. This was preached on August 10, the feast of Lawrence. The year was about 400. ††† Translated from PL 38:1393. a. This sermon was given on the feast of Lawrence, August 10, between 423 and 430. †

98. Augustine of Hippo  79

98-x-45. sermon 304. on the solemnity of the martyr lawrence†a i. [.  .  .] In that church [at Rome] Lawrence carried out the diaconal office. There he ministered the most holy Blood of Christ; there he poured out his own blood for the name of Christ. [.  .  .]

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98-x-46. sermon 305 a. on the solemnity of the martyr lawrence††a i. [.  .  .] A most solemn day shines forth in Rome where it is celebrated 2722 by a large crowd of people. Although physically apart from them, we join them as we are present in spirit with our brothers and sisters in one body and under one head. A martyr’s memory is observed not only where the martyr’s body rests. Devotion to the martyr is fitting all over. The body is located in one place, but the martyr’s soul lives triumphant with the one who is everywhere. [.  .  .] This type of festival of all the glorious martyrs was established in the Church so that we, who have not actually witnessed their suffering, might by observing the feast be brought near to them through faith. Perhaps if the anniversary were not repeated, their memory would disappear from human hearts. There cannot be fervent solemnities of all the martyrs in all places since no day would lack such a solemnity. Throughout the year hardly a day can be found on which martyrs have not been crowned in various places. But if more fervent solemnities of this kind were continuously observed, then boredom would set in; an interval between solemnities results in a certain eagerness. May we not only listen to what has been prescribed, but may we also look ahead to what has been promised. When the solemnity of a martyr is observed, may we so prepare our hearts that we may not fail to follow that martyr’s example. iv. Now let us reflect on the children of those who have been slain and 2723 on the children of those who have done the slaying. You see many hastening to the tombs of the martyrs where they bless their cups and then return saturated. Looking closely, you will find them to be among the persecutors of the martyrs. On their account we have confusion, quarrels, dancing, all types of excesses hated by God. Now that the martyrs have already achieved victory, their persecutors cannot assault them with stones, and yet they do so with their [drinking] cups. Who were they, and whose children were they, whose dancing was forbidden near the tomb of the holy martyr Cyprian? Surely they were dancing there; they were making merry there. [.  .  .] The children of the martyrs offer praise; the persecutors dance. The children of the martyrs sing hymns; the persecutors engage in feasting. [.  .  .]

Translated from PL 38:1395. a. This sermon was preached on the feast of Lawrence, August 10, in 417. †† Translated from PL 46:855–58, where it is Sermon XIII. a. This sermon was given in Carthage on the feast of Lawrence, August 10, in 401. †

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98-x-47. sermon 311. on the feast of the martyr cyprian†a 2724

ii.5. In the Gospel the Lord says, “We have sung for you, and you have not danced.”1 [.  .  .] In this of all places is anyone allowed to dance while the psalms are being sung? There was a time, and not that many years ago, when the bold rowdiness of dancers invaded even this holy place wherein lies the body of such a blessed martyr. To repeat, it was here, as many among you who are old enough may recall, that dancers engaged in their deadly lawlessness. All during the night there was the singing of godless songs with people dancing to the singing. [.  .  .]

98-x-48. sermon 315. on the solemnity of the martyr stephen††a 2725

i. The first reading told you how blessed Stephen along with six others—Stephen being the seventh—was made a deacon and gained his heavenly crown. [.  .  .] It is indeed difficult to obtain the stories of the other martyrs in order to read them on their feastdays. Stephen’s passion, however, is found in a canonical book since the Acts of the Apostles is part of the scriptural canon. According to the Church’s custom we read this book beginning with Easter Sunday. [.  .  .]

98-x-49. sermon 324†††a 2726

[.  .  .] A certain woman lost her sick son who, still an infant at the breast, was a catechumen. [.  .  .] Full of confidence, she picked up the dead child and hurried off to the shrine of the blessed martyr Stephen and began to plead for her son [.  .  .] who came back to life. [.  .  .] She immediately took him to the presbyters. He was baptized, sanctified, anointed, hands were laid upon him, and when all the mysteries [sacramenta] were completed, he was taken to heaven. [.  .  .]

98-x-50. sermon 325. on the feast of the twenty martyrs††††a 2727

i. [.  .  .] You should especially remember that by reason of these solemnities we do not confer any new honor upon the martyrs. They do not need our festivities since they are now in heaven where they rejoice with Translated from PL 38:1415. a. This sermon was preached on September 14, the feast of Saint Cyprian (WEC 1:27), in 405. 1. Matt 11:17. †† Translated from PL 38:1426. a. This sermon was preached on December 26, the feast of Stephen, in 416/417. ††† Translated from PL 38:1447. a. There is no date for this sermon, which itself continues a sermon given on the previous day about a miracle; it has been suggested, however, that this sermon was preached on Easter Wednesday in 426. †††† Translated from PL 38:1447. a. This sermon was preached on November 15, possibly in 408. †

98. Augustine of Hippo  81 the angels. And yet they also rejoice with us if we imitate them, not honor them. If we honor them but do not imitate them, then we do nothing other than somewhat flatter them. So the reason the feasts of the martyrs have been established in Christ’s Church is that the assembly of Christ’s members may be encouraged to imitate his martyrs. This and this alone is the only value in having such festivities. [.  .  .]

98-x-51. sermon 326. on the feast of the martyrs†a i. The solemnity of the most holy martyrs causes us to rejoice even more than customary. We do so because the martyrs passed from this land of toil to the place of rest. They did so not by dancing but by prayer; not by drinking but by fasting; not by brawling but by suffering. [.  .  .]

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98-x-52. sermon 336. on the dedication of a church††a 2729 i. This great assembly of people has gathered for the dedication of this house of prayer. This being a house of prayer, we ourselves are the house of God. Now if we are the house of God, we are now being built up so that at the end of the world we may be consecrated. To construct a building involves hard work; to dedicate it involves rejoicing. [.  .  .] “Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.”1 Where the psalm says “new song,” the Lord said “new commandment.” What is a new song unless it is a new love? Singing is what a lover does. The voice is that of the singer; the devotion is that of a holy love.

98-x-53. sermon 342†††a 1. [.  .  .] We have to preach about the evening offering where we sang as we prayed “May my prayer be like incense in your sight; may the lifting up of my hands be an evening sacrifice.”1 When we pray, we see the man; when we extend our hands we acknowledge the cross, which is the sign we bear on our foreheads, the sign by which we are saved. [.  .  .]

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98-x-54. sermon 352††††a iii.8. I still have to say a few words about the third type of penance so that with the Lord’s assistance I may fulfill my promise and carry out Translated from PL 38:1149. a. This sermon was given on the feast of some martyrs. The year is uncertain. †† Translated from PL 38:1471–72. a. This sermon was preached sometime between 420 and 425. 1. Ps 96:1. ††† Translated from PL 38:1501. a. Perhaps preached about 400. 1. Ps 141:2. †††† Translated from PL 39:1558–59. a. This sermon was preached at the beginning of Lent 402. †

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82  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West what I proposed. Being a grave and more serious type of penance, it is for those who are properly called penitents in the Church; these are not allowed to share in the sacrament of the altar lest by receiving unworthily they eat and drink judgment unto themselves.1 This penance is serious, for the wound is serious: perhaps adultery has been committed; perhaps murder; perhaps some sacrilege. The matter is grave; the wound is grave, lethal, deadly. But the healer is all-powerful. [.  .  .] 2732 iii.9. The pagans are accustomed to reproach Christians, doing so because of the Church’s institution of penance; and it is against several heresies that the Catholic Church holds on to the truth of doing penance. There have been those who said that penance was not to be granted for certain kinds of sins; these people were excluded from the Church and ended up as heretics. Holy Mother Church does not lose heart over certain sins committed by its members. And so the pagans are, as it were, insulting us, not knowing what they are talking about since they have not as yet come to the word of God which makes “eloquent the tongues of infants.”2 “You,” they say, “make people sin when you promise them pardon upon their doing penance. This is laxism, not education.” [.  .  .] They say that we grant people permission to sin because we offer penance. But if admittance to penance were closed, then would not sinners all the more pile up sin upon sin since they all the more despair of being pardoned? [.  .  .]

98-x-55. sermon 374†a 2733

xxiii. [.  .  .] The one who altered the route taken by the Magi now also changes the lives of sinners. It is his manifestation in the flesh—called “Epiphany” in Greek—that all those who have been “justified in the Spirit”1 are today celebrating in common this solemnity. [.  .  .]

98-x-56. sermon 392††a 2734

v.5. [.  .  .] Those who know that I am aware of their sins should refrain from Communion so that they not be rejected from the sanctuary. As to those whose sins I have no knowledge of, I summon them to God’s judgment. They also are to do penance. [.  .  .] 99. Possidius

A friend and fellow community member of Augustine (WEC 3:98) in Hippo, Possidius (ca. 370–ca. 440) became, after 397, bishop of Calama in

1. See 1 Cor 11:29.  2. Wis 10:21. † Translated from Dolbeau , no. 23, p. 615. a. This sermon was preached on January 6, the feast of the Epiphany, in 409. 1. 1 Tim 3:16. †† Translated from PL 39:1712. a. This sermon was preached during Lent.

100. Arnobius “The Younger”  83 Numidia. His biography of Augustine, to which he attached a listing (incomplete) of Augustine’s writings, was based on his personal memories as well as the resources found in the library at Hippo. According to some this informative and reliable life was written between 432 and 437; others believe the date of composition should be placed between 431 and 439. CPL no. 358 * Bardenhewer (1913) 4:428, 441, 443, 445 * Bautz 7:862–63 * Quasten 4:345, 356 * CATH 11:669 * CE 12:318 * DCB 4:445–46 * DictSp 12.2:1997–2008 * DPAC 1:890–96 * DTC 12.2:2657 * EC 9:1838 * EEC 2:705 * EEChr 2:936 * LTK 8:453 * NCE 11:630–31 * NCES 11:553–54 * ODCC 1312 * PEA (1894) 22.1:860–61 * PEA (1991) 10:217

99-A. Life of Augustine† xxxi. To be sure, that holy man [Augustine] enjoyed a long God-given life during which for seventy years—nearly forty of them as a priest and bishop—he served the interests and well-being of the holy Catholic Church. In his conversations with us he used to say that praiseworthy Christians and priests ought not depart the body without doing a worthy and fitting penance even after receiving baptism. This he performed during his last illness when he commanded that the few penitential psalms of David should be written out. While on his sickbed he looked at the pages placed on the opposite wall and read them, doing so with constant and copious tears. So that no one divert him from what he wanted to do, about ten days before he died he requested that we not allow anyone to visit him except at the hours when the doctors came to examine him or when food was brought to him. We carried out his request, and so there was time for prayer. Up to his final illness he incessantly preached God’s word in church, doing so eagerly, forcefully, with soundness of mind and good judgment. All the members of his body being unimpaired, his sight and hearing remaining strong, and while we were present and looking on, he, as is written, “slept with the fathers, well-nourished in a good old age.” The Sacrifice was offered to God, and he was buried in our presence as we prayed for the repose of his body. [.  .  .] 100. Arnobius “the Younger”

Perhaps born in Africa, Arnobius “the Younger” (to distinguish him from Arnobius of Sicca who flourished in the third–fourth century) was a monk living in Rome during the fifth century. Few biographical details are known. CPL nos. 239ff. * Altaner (1961) 546 * Altaner (1966) 459 * Bardenhewer (1908) 604 * Bardenhewer (1910) 456 * Bardenhewer (1913) 4:603–6 * Bardy (1930) 55–58 * Bautz †

Translated from PL 32:63–64.

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84  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West 1:231 * Labriolle (1947) 2:658–60 * Labriolle (1968) 427–28 * Quasten 4:567–69 * Steidle 159 * Tixeront 279–80 * CATH 1:853 * CHECL 259–61 * DCB 1:167–69 * DHGE 4:547–49 * DPAC 1:379–80 * DTC 1.2:1986–87 * EC 1:2010–11 * EEC 1:82 * EEChr 1:120 * LTK 1:1020–21 * NCE 1:844 * NCES 1:718 * ODCC 109 * PEA (1894) 2.1:1207 * PEA (1991) 2:22 G. Morin, “L’anamnèse de la messe romaine dans la première moitié du Ve siècle,” RB 24 (1907) 404–7. * G. Morin, “Etude d’ensemble sur Arnobe le Jeune,” RB 28 (1911) 543–90. * B. Amat, “Testimonianze di Arnobo Afro sulle assemblee liturgiche agli inizi del sec. IV,” EphL 98 (1984) 513–25.

100-A. Commentaries on the Psalms† This work, in which everything is interpreted as referring to Christ and the Church, is dedicated to Leontius (ordained to the episcopacy ca. 454), the bishop of Arles, and to Rusticus (d. ca. 461), the bishop of Narbonne.

100-a-1. on psalm 110 2736

[.  .  .] In the assemblies of the holy ones Psalm 110 praises the Lord’s wondrous deeds, namely, his nativity, passion, resurrection, and ascension into heaven. [.  .  .]

100-a-2. on psalm 148 2737

[.  .  .] By the sound of this psalm we throughout the whole world daily call upon all that is in heaven and on earth to praise and bless God, doing so as soon as dawn begins to break. [.  .  .] 1 0 1 . V i c t o r o f V i ta

Victor was born ca. 429/430 in the town of Vita in the northern African province of Byzacenea. The second half of the fifth century was a period of trial for the Catholics of northern Africa since the Arian Vandals were overrunning not only Italy (Rome was sacked in 455) but also Africa. It was a time of political, cultural, and social upheaval as well as one of religious persecution brought on by the heretic invaders: the Catholic clergy were exiled, churches and other buildings were confiscated, orthodox worship was forbidden. Victor, a priest living in Carthage, has left us, despite his partisan perspectives and often misunderstandings, a most informative description of the trials endured by orthodox Christians during these terrible years. The date of his death is unknown; some conjecture ca. 486 or later.

Translated from Arnobii Iunioris Commentarii in Psalmos, ed. K.-D. Daur, CCL 25 (Turnhout, 1990) 176, 254. †

101. Victor of Vita  85 CPL nos. 798ff. * Altaner (1961) 587 * Altaner (1966) 488–89 * Bardenhewer (1908) 614–15 * Bardenhewer (1910) 530–31 * Bardenhewer (1913) 4:550–52 * Bautz 12:1351–55 * Jurgens 3:281–82 * Labriolle (1947) 2:691–93 * Labriolle (1968) 443–44 * Steidle 184 * Tixeront 350–51 * CATH 15:1020–21 * CE 15:415 * DCB 4:1122–23 * DictSp 16:547–52 * DPAC 2:3609–12 * DTC 15.2:2881 * EEC 2:868–69 * EEChr 2:1159 * LTK 10:770–71 * NCE 14:649 * NCES 14:482–83 * ODCC 1693 * PEA (1894) 8.2 (n.s.) 2069–71

101-A. History of the Vandal Persecution in Africa† The History of the Vandal Persecution in Africa (Historia Persecutionis Africanae Provinciae Temporum Geiserici et Hunerici Regis Vandalorum) was written before 484 and thus before Huneric’s death but only published in 488/489. Formerly divided into five books, today the work is divided into three books. Book I deals with the reign of Geiseric (428–77) and thus based on previous documentation; Books II and III, being eyewitness accounts, treat the reign of Huneric (477–84), who, though initially favorable to orthodox Christians, eventually applied to them the various edicts issued against heretics. I.xvi. (I. 5). [.  .  .] Geiseric ordered that the bodies of our deceased be carried for burial in silence, without the solemnity of hymns. [.  .  .] I.xviii. (I. 5). They [the orthodox bishops], filled with sorrow and sadness, departed [from Geiseric]. Deprived of their churches, they began to investigate in what manner and in what place they might celebrate the divine mysteries. [.  .  .] I.xli. (I. 13). The time came for celebrating the paschal feast. In a place called Regia and for the purpose of honoring the paschal day they reopened a church that had been closed. The Arians discovered this. Immediately Anduit, one of the [Arian] priests, assembled a group of armed men, urging them to attack the crowd of innocent people. Sword in hand, some entered the building; others climbed up on the roof and shot arrows into the church through its windows. Meanwhile, God’s people were listening and singing as a reader, standing on a platform, was rendering the Alleluia melody. At that very moment an arrow struck him in the throat. The book tumbled from his hands, and he fell over, dead. [.  .  .] I.xlii. (I. 14). We know that many others were killed by arrows and javelins immediately in front of the altar. Almost all those not slain by the sword were later on treated severely at the king’s command, especially the elderly. Elsewhere, as at Tunzuda, Gales, Vicus Ammoniae, and other places, when the divine sacraments were being distributed to God’s people, the Arians, raging, entered the building and, scattering Christ’s Body and Blood upon the floor, with defiled feet trampled upon it. Translated from Victoris Episcopi Vitensis Historia Persecutionis Africanae Provinciae, ed. M. Petschenig, CSEL 7 (Vienna, 1881) 8ff. †

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86  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West II.xxxiv. (II. 11). The size of the multitude of people from various regions and towns who hastened to meet God’s martyrsa is attested by the roads and footpaths which in no way were large enough to hold so many people who crossed the mountain peaks and traversed its pastures. Countless were the people who came down. Carrying candles in their hands and positioning their children before the martyrs, the people cried out, “To whom are you leaving us, we who are so pitiable, while you continue on to your crowns [of martyrdom]? Who will baptize these little ones with water from the eternal font? Who will grant us the favor of penance and free those bound by the fetters of sin, doing so by the forgiveness of reconciliation? We have been told that ‘Whatever you loose upon earth will be loosed in heaven.’1 Who will bury the dead with solemn prayers? Who will offer the accustomed rites of the divine sacrifice?” [.  .  .] 2743 II.xlvii. (II. 17). In Carthage lived a blind man, a noted citizen of that city. His name was Felix. When the feast of the Epiphany was at hand, he was at night visited by the Lord, who in a vision said to him, “Rise up! Go to my servant Eugenius the bishop. Tell him that I sent you. And at the hour when he blesses the font so that those coming to the faith may be baptized, he is to touch your eyes so that they may be opened and so that you may see light.” 2744 II.il. (II. 17). The bishop, hearing [that Felix had something to tell him], ordered the man to enter since the celebration of the [Epiphany] feast was already taking place, and the night hymns sung by the people were loudly resounding throughout the whole church. 2745 II.li. (II. 17). As was the custom, the man who had been blind accompanied Eugenius to the altar. He presented the bishop with an offering of thanksgiving for his cure. The bishop, receiving it, placed it on the altar. The people’s joyful excitement could not be suppressed. [.  .  .] 2742

102. Synods

102-A. Synod of Carthage V (401)† This synod, which enacted seventy-eight canons touching upon both dogmatic as well as disciplinary issues, was held on September 13. Hefele (1905) 2:126–28 * Hefele (1871) 2:423–26 * EEC 1:147 2746

Canon 72. So that they be not deprived of the cleansing of the sacraments, infants, who cannot speak for themselves in this matter and for whom there are no witnesses to testify, are to be baptized without any hesitation.a [.  .  .] a. Namely, the orthodox Christians being exiled by the emperor Huneric. 1. Matt 18:18. † Canons translated from Concilia Africae de 345 à 525, ed. C. Munier, CCL 149:201–2. a. See Milevis (416) can. 2 (WEC 3:2749); Gerunda (517) can. 5 (WEC 4:4721).

102. Synods  87 Canon 73. The venerable day of Easter will be made known to all in a formal decree.b [.  .  .]

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102-B. Synod of Carthage VI (407)† At this synod on June 13, the African bishops decided to hold future meetings only when required by a matter of grave concern to all. Hefele (1905) 2.1:156–59 * Hefele (1871) 2:441–44 * DDCon 1:259 * EEC 1:147 2748 Canon 103. To be used by all are the prayers that were approved by the council, whether prefaces, commendations, impositions of the hand.a In no way to be used are those contrary to the faith. To be said are only what has been gathered together by the more learned.

102-C. Synod of Milevis (416)†† Meeting under the presidency of the bishop Silvanus, about fifty-nine or sixty bishops (among them Augustine of Hippo) gathered during the summer of 416 at Milevis in Numidia. Hefele (1905) 2.1:184–85 * Hefele (1871) 2:455–56 * Cath 9:150 * CE 10:304 * DCA 2:1181 * DDCon 3:127–28 * DTC 10.2:1752–58

Canon 2. Anathema be anyone who denies that recently born children are 2749 to be baptized or says that if they are to be baptized for the forgiveness of sins but holds that in them there is nothing of the original sin inherited from Adam which is to be washed away in the baptismal bath so that the baptismal formula “for the forgiveness of sins” is not to be understood literally but figuratively. There is only one way that we can understand what was said by the apostle, “Through one man sin entered the world and through sin death, and so death came to all since all have sinned,”1 and this is how the Catholic Church, which has spread everywhere, has understood it. Because of this rule of faith young children, who themselves are unable to sin, are baptized for the forgiveness of sins so that what they have inherited through birth may be cleansed in them through rebirth.a b. See Orleans IV (541) can. 1 (WEC 4:4615); Auxerre (late 6th or early 7th c.) can. 2 (WEC 4:4630); Braga II (572) can. 9 (WEC 4:4761). † Canon translated from CCL 149:218. a. See Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 21-b (WEC 2:885); Milevis (416) can. 12 (WEC 3:2750). †† Canons translated from CCL 149:361–65. a. See Carthage V (401) can. 72 (WEC 3:2746); Gerunda (517) can. 5 (WEC 4:4721). This same canon is also ascribed to the Synod of Carthage in 418; see CCL 149:69–70. 1. Rom 5:12.

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Canon 12. The prayers, orations, and formulas [missae] that were approved by the council, both prefaces and commendations and impositions of the hand, are to be used by all.b To be said in church are only what the more learned have gathered together c and what has been approved by the synod so that nothing be composed contrary to faith or through ignorance or by individual effort. 1 0 3 . I n s c r i p t i o n . E p i ta p h f r o m H i p p o †

This inscription dates from the fourth or fifth century. 2751

Here lies the body of a child to be named. O blessed child, for a few days the earth held you and then gave you up to the heavenly kingdom. Therefore you were born so that, being reborn, you might gain such great things.

I ta ly 1 0 4 . C h r o m at i u s o f A q u i l e i a

Becoming bishop of Aquileia ca. 388, Chromatius seems to have been one of the most prominent bishops of northern Italy. He was a lover of the poor, a staunch opponent of Arianism, a defender of John Chrysostom (WEC 2:74), a mediator (unsuccessfully so) between Rufinus (WEC 3:105) and Jerome (WEC 3:145), and a provider of financial resources to assist Jerome in his literary work. Chromatius died in 407. CPL nos. 217ff. * Altaner (1966) 457–58 * Bardenhewer (1913) 3:548–49 * Quasten 4:572–74 * Steidle 152 * Tixeront 240 * CATH 2:1097 * CE 3:730 * DCB 1:503–4 * DictSp 2.1:878–79 * DPAC 1:867 * EC 4:1001 * EEC 1:166 * EEChr 1:252 * LTK 2:1184 * NCE 3:665 * NCES 3:564 * ODCC 339 * PEA (1894) 3.2:2452–53 P. de Puniet, “Les trois homélies catéchétiques du ‘Sacramentaire Gélasien’ pour la tradition des Evangiles, du Symbole et de l’Oraison dominicale,” RHE 6 (1905) 15–32, 304–18. * M.L. Palazzi, “Aspetti liturgici nelle omelie di Cromazio di Aquileia,” EphL 90 (1976) 29–42. * G. Trettel, “Mysterium e sacramentum” in san Cromazio (Trieste, 1979). * D. Corgnali, “Il mistero pasquale in Cromazio d’Aquileia,” diss. (Udine, 1979). * V. Cian, L’anno liturgico nella opere de S. Cromazio di Aquileia (Trieste, 1996). * M.A. Mascari, “Zeno, Gaudentius, and Chromatius: The Dynamics of Preaching in Northern Italy, 360–420,” diss. (Washington, D.C., 1996).

b. See Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 21-b (WEC 2:885); Carthage VI (407) can. 103 (WEC 3:2748). c. See Carthage VI ( 407) can. 103 (WEC 3:2748). † Translated from J. Gag, “Use epitaph craton d’Afrique,” RHPR 9 (1929) 377.

104. Chromatius of Aquileia  89

104-A. Sermons on Matthew’s Gospel It has only been within the last hundred years that the many sermons and tracts by Chromatius on Matthew’s Gospel have been discovered and published. The preacher’s approach is literal, not allegorical. His intent is moral exhortation, not doctrinal instruction.

104-a-1. sermon 14. “on the healing of the paralytic and on baptism”† i. Beloved, as you just heard in today’s reading, when our Lord and Savior came to Jerusalem, he found there a pool with five porticoes; in Hebrew this pool is called Bethesda.1 This pool was the perfect image of future baptism. But just as the image differs from reality, so the grace of this pool differs from the grace of salutary baptism. The water of this pool became agitated only once a year whereas the water of the Church’s baptism is always ready to be moved. The water of the pool was moved in one place only whereas that of baptism is moved throughout the whole world. There an angel came down; here it is the Holy Spirit. There it was the grace of an angel; here it is the mystery of the Trinity. There the water cured only one person each year; here people are saved every day. The water of the pool healed only the body; that of baptism heals both body and soul. The former heals only sickness; the latter also heals sin. The former delivers the body only from sickness; the latter delivers body and soul from sin. Being in the water of the pool healed a multitude of illnesses because healing occurred only once a year; no one remains at the water of baptism other than those wishing to come so that they might be cured; the water is always ready to cure from the moment someone comes to be cured. In fact, the pagans came to this water and were cured; the Jews, unwilling to come, forever remained in their illness. iv. Now we must consider what the Lord in today’s reading said to the man who was cured after thirty-eight years. “Behold, you are henceforth cured. Sin no more lest something worse befall you.”2 All your sins are forgiven you; you are healed from every sickness of sin, from spiritual weariness, from bodily weakness, from the affliction of illicit desire; as a new person you have risen from the bath of new birth. Take care that you do not return to your former sins, putting yourselves in danger of death, for the grace of baptism is given only once. If it is lost through negligence, or rather through unfaithfulness, one is personally guilty of his or her own death since there was no desire to conserve so great a grace. This is why before coming for baptism you were asked whether you renounced the world, its pomps, and its works. You answered that you did so, and † Translated from Sermons [de] Chromace d’Aquilée, vol. 1, ed. H. Tardif and J. Lemarié, SChr 154 (Paris, 1969) 238–40, 242–47. 1. See John 5:2.  2. John 5:14.

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90  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West accordingly you received the grace of eternal baptism. Your words remain with God; your response is inscribed in the heavens. To God you promised your faith; you promised in the presence of the angels because the angels are present when faith is requested from us. Consider what you are doing. If a promise made to another person strongly binds us, then what about a promise made to God? “By your words,” as it is written, “you will be either justified or condemned.”3 You will be justified if you carry out what you have promised to Christ; you will be condemned if you do not desire to preserve the faith you have sworn. Listen to the words of Solomon, “You are snared with the words of your own mouth.”4 2754 Dealing with the strong [God], we should keep the faith we have sworn and conserve the grace that we have received, thus avoiding being totally disordered on the day of judgment when we will hear, “Friend, how do you gain entrance here without having a wedding robe?”5 and, seized by the hands and feet, being thrown into the darkness outside. This is why Solomon says to you, “May your garments always be white, and may oil not depart from your head.”6 If we keep intact the grace of our baptism, then we always have white garments. If we keep the salutary chrism that we have received, then we always have oil on the head. In this way we will not be thrown into disorder on the day of judgment but will merit to rejoice with all the saints and God’s elect in the eternal kingdom.

104-a-2. sermon 16. “sermon 1 on the great night”† i. All the vigils that are celebrated in the Lord’s honor are certainly pleasing to God and accepted by him. But this vigil is above all others; this night in particular bears the name of the “vigil of the Lord.” In fact, we read, “This is the vigil of the Lord which all the children of Israel are to observe.”1 This night is rightly called the “vigil of the Lord” because he kept watch for this during his lifetime so that we might henceforth not be asleep in death. He has, in fact, accepted the sleep of death through the mystery of his passion; but this death of the Lord has become the vigil of the whole world because Christ’s death has removed from us the sleep of eternal death. He himself said so through the prophet, “After I have slept and kept vigil my sleep was pleasing to me.”2 Certainly this sleep of Christ, which has called us from the bitterness of death to the sweetness of life, can only be pleasing. 2756 This night, then, bears the name of the “vigil of the Lord” because he was keeping watch, even in the sleep of his suffering, as he himself shows through Solomon who said, “I sleep,” he says, “but my heart is awake.”3 By this he shows the mystery of his divinity and flesh. He has slept according to the flesh, but his divinity was keeping watch since divinity 2755

3. Matt 12:37.  4. Prov 6:2.  5. Matt 22:12.  6. Eccl 9:8. † Translated from SChr 154:258–67. 1. Exod 12:42.  2. Ps 3:5; Jer 31:26.  3. Cant 5:2.

104. Chromatius of Aquileia  91 cannot sleep. We read, in effect, the following in regard to Christ’s divinity, “He who guards Israel will neither sleep nor slumber.”4 By saying, “I sleep but my heart is awake,” he means the same thing since in the sleep of his suffering he has slept in the flesh but his divinity went to the nether world for the purpose of leading out from there those being held captive. Our Lord and Savior, in fact, desired to bring light everywhere so that he might show mercy to all. He descended from heaven to earth in order to visit the world; and again descended from the earth to the nether world in order to bring light to those being held captive there, as the prophet said, “You who are seated in the darkness and in the shadow of death, the light has risen upon you.”5 And so it is fitting to call this night the “vigil of the Lord” since this is when he not only illuminated this world but also shed light upon those in the nether world. ii. Consequently the angels in heaven, the people on the earth, and the souls of the faithful in the nether world, all celebrate this “vigil of the Lord.” The angels do so in heaven because Christ, by means of his death, destroyed death, trampled on what is below, saved the world, and freed all people. Rightly do they celebrate, for the salvation of the world causes them to rejoice. Now when one sinner repents, as we read in the Gospel, there is reason for the angels to rejoice in heaven;6 and so how much more reason is there to rejoice at the redemption of the whole world. People on earth celebrate because it is for the salvation of the human race that Christ died, doing so to conquer death by means of death. Also the souls of the faithful in the nether world celebrate the vigil because Christ descended there so that he might end the reign of death over them. Is it astonishing that the angels in heaven, the people on earth, and the souls in the nether world celebrate this vigil of the Lord since he who deigned to die for us is the creator of heaven, of earth, and of the nether world? Yet even more can be said: yes, this “vigil of the Lord” the Father himself celebrates with the Son and with the Holy Spirit because it accords with the will of the Father that the Son underwent death in order to give us life by this death. This vigil, then, is not only a feast for people and angels, but also for the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit since the salvation of this world is joy for the Trinity. This is why we should celebrate with all devotion the vigil of this magnificent night: during it death was destroyed, the world was redeemed, and the people were given freedom. iii. Rightly, then, is this night called the “vigil of the Lord” since the whole world celebrates it in honor of his name. There are as many prayers of each as there are desires; there are as many lights as there are vows and requests. The darkness of the night is overcome by the light of devotion. The angels in heaven rejoice at the solemnity of this vigil; people on earth rejoice. Even the powers of the nether world rejoice because the great solemnity of this night has reached them. Even though the Jews and 4. Ps 121:4.  5. Isa 9:2.  6. See Luke 15:7, 10.

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92  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West the pagans still seem strangers to this solemnity, they are not, however, without their own rejoicing because at work in them is a certain hidden grace as well as the power of Christ’s name which rules over all. Yes, a number of pagans and Jews celebrate the solemnity of this vigil—which is ours—as if it were their own, observing it by means of inward joy if not by religious rites.

104-a-3. sermon 17. “sermon 2 on the great night”† i. Throughout the whole world the paschal vigil is celebrated during this night, thus witnessing the grandeur of tonight’s solemnity. This is as it should be, for during this night death was conquered, Life lives, and Christ rose from among the dead. [.  .  .] 2762 iii. This is the paschal time. In ages past Moses spoke of it to the people, saying, “This month will be for you the first month of the year.”1 And so Moses has called the present solemnity the first solemnity and the beginning of the year. Consequently we should reckon the beginning of the year from this time when we have been saved from death. Consequently the pagans, holding as they do that January is the first month, are greatly mistaken. How can January be the first month of the year when it is a month when the whole world, in some way, finds itself without beauty and dried up? For at that time there is neither foliage upon the earth, nor flowers on the trees, nor buds on the vines. The first month of the year, then, is not January during which all is dead, but the time of the Pasch when everything returns to life. It is now that the meadow-grass, as it were, assumes new life; now there are flowers on the trees, and the vines are budding; now the air itself is, as it were, happy with the beginning of a new year; now the helmsman can in all security set off to sea. This time of the Pasch is thus the first month, the new season when even the elements of the world are given new life. Certainly there is nothing astonishing in the fact that at this time the world is renewed since on this day the human race is renewed. Throughout the whole world on this day the water of baptism raises up innumerable people with new life, now being freed from their former sins. At this time, in fact, the sheep themselves also lie down, feeling secure because no longer must they fear winter’s cold. At this time the Church of God, like a spiritual sheep, brings forth for Christ the flocks of the faithful as if they were lambs; it nourishes them with the milk of life and the drink of salvation. [.  .  .] 2763 iv. And so the pagans, who believe that the first month, the new year, is the month of January, are greatly mistaken; but we should not be surprised that they are mistaken about the season when they are also mistaken in matters of religion. As for us who believe that the time of the Pasch is truly the new year, we should celebrate this holy day with all 2761

Translated from SChr 154:268–75. 1. See Exod 12:2. †

105. Rufinus of Aquileia  93 cheerfulness, exultation, and spiritual joy so that in all truth we can repeat this refrain from the psalm we have just sung, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice in it.”2 We can say this with all confidence if we completely obey his commandments so as to arrive at life eternal and the everlasting joy of the kingdom of heaven. 105. Rufinus of Aquileia

Born ca. 345 in the northern Italian village of Concordia, located near Aquileia, Rufinus (Tiranius Rufinus) studied in Rome, where Jerome (WEC 3:145) urged him to become a monk. He traveled to Egypt to live in the desert, doing so for eight years, and then to Jerusalem, where he was ordained a presbyter. First a good friend of Jerome, then a detested adversary due to Jerome’s bitter unhappiness with Rufinus’s translation of the works of Origen (WEC 1:43), nonetheless, Rufinus is best known for his skill at translating. If it were not due to his translations of Greek theological literature, many valuable treatises from Christian antiquity would simply have been lost to us. Rufinus died in 410 on the island of Sicily. CPL nos. 195ff. * Altaner (1961) 459–62 * Altaner (1966) 392–94 * Bardenhewer (1908) 453–55 * Bardenhewer (1910) 393–95 * Bardenhewer (1913) 3:549–61 * Bardy (1930) 110–13 * Bautz 8:959–72 * Cross 127–28 * Hamell 138–39 * Jurgens 2:179–82 * Quasten 4:247–54 * Steidle 157–59 * Tixeront 241–43 * CATH 13:205–7 * CE 13:222 * CHECL 322–26 * DCB 4:555–61 * DictSp 13:1107–17 * DPAC 2:3034–35 * DTC 14.1:153–60 * EC 10:1436–38 * EEC 2:746 * EEChr 2:1002–3 * LTK 8:1350 * NCE 12:702–4 * NCES 12:404–6 * ODCC 1423 * PEA (1894) 1.1. (2.s. R-Z) 1193–96 * PEA (1991) 10:1154 * TRE 29:460–64

105-A. Commentary on the Apostles’ Creed† One of the relatively few original works by Rufinus, this commentary, written 401–4 while Rufinus was in Italy, gives us the earliest continuous Latin text of the fourth-century creed. Partially based on the catechetical method Rufinus knew in Jerusalem, the treatise testifies to the creed’s textual variations among the various local churches. iii. Before beginning to discuss the meaning of the words, I believe it is not inopportune to mention that in different churches various additions are made to this article.a This is not true, however, in the church found in the city of Rome. The reason for this, I think, is that on the one hand, no heresy has ever originated there; on the other hand, Rome retains the ancient practice whereby those who will receive the gift of baptism repeat the creed in public, namely, so that all the people can hear what each one 2. Ps 118:24. † Translated from Opera, ed. M. Simonetti, CCL 20 (Turnhout, 1961) 135–36. a. Namely, the first article of the creed, “I believe in God the almighty Father.”

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94  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West is saying. As a result the ears of those who already believe will not permit a single word to be added. But in other places, as I understand, additions appear to have been made because of certain heretics so that, as was believed, doctrinal innovation might be excluded. We, however, follow the order we received when we received the gift of baptism in the church of Aquileia. [.  .  .] 1 0 6 . Pa u l i n u s o f M i l a n

A deacon in Milan, Paulinus became Ambrose’s (WEC 2:53) secretary and, sometime after the bishop’s death, was sent to Africa to oversee certain properties located there that belonged to the church of Milan. It was in Africa and quite likely in 422 that he wrote, at the suggestion of Augustine, a biography of Ambrose. The work, although appealing to the religious imagination of the time with its inclusion of “wonderful” events and happenings, is generally considered quite reliable.

106-A. Life of Saint Ambrose† 2765

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x. About the same time when he [Ambrose] was invited to offer the Sacrifice in the home of a most illustrious lady living across the Tiber, a certain woman, who was in charge of a bath [.  .  .] there touched his garment while he was praying and imposing hands on her. [.  .  .] xiii. [.  .  .] The Arians attempted to break into the Portian Basilica, incited as they were by even greater fury; an armed force was ordered to guard the church’s doors so that no one would dare enter this building belonging to the Catholics. But the Lord, who customarily allows his Church to overcome its enemies, changed the hearts of the soldiers so that they would protect his church; turning their shields, they watched over the church’s doors, not allowing the people within to depart nor forbidding the Catholics without to enter into the building. Furthermore, the soldiers appointed for the task were not satisfied doing only this. They joined the people in proclaiming the Catholic faith. At this time antiphons, hymns, and vigils began to be celebrated in the Milanese church, and reverence for this custom has continued down to the present day, not only in that church but throughout almost all the provinces of the West. xlvii. [.  .  .] Not many days later he [Ambrose] was taken from our midst. On the very day when he departed for the Lord, from about the eleventh hour up to the hour of his death, he was praying, with his hands extended in cross-like fashion; we saw his lips moving but did not hear his voice. Honoratus, a priest of the church of Vercelli who was resting in one of the house’s upper chambers, heard someone calling him for the third †

Translated from Vita di S. Ambrogio, ed. M. Pellegrino (Rome, 1961) 118–22.

107. Gaudentius of Brescia  95 time, “Get up, hurry, because he is about to die.” So he came down and presented the Lord’s Body to the holy man [Ambrose] who, accepting and swallowing it, immediately died, carrying with him the good viaticum [Viaticum] so that his soul, strengthened and refreshed by this food, now rejoices in the company of the angels. [.  .  .] xlviii. Then after his death, which occurred an hour before dawn, his body was carried to the greater church and remained there throughout the night during which we observed the Paschal Vigil. Many infants who had been baptized, when coming from the font, saw him. Some said he was seated upon the platform, whereas others used their fingers to indicate to their parents that he was walking. But these parents were unable to see him, their eyes not being clean. Many related that they saw a star above his body. At dawn on the Lord’s Day and after the holy sacraments had been celebrated, when his body was being held on high so that it could be carried from the church to the Ambrosian Basilica, a company of demons who were present there cried out that they were being tormented by him. [.  .  .] [.  .  .] A very large crowd joined in the funeral procession, men and women of every class and age, not only Christians but also Jews and pagans. Because of their greater grace, those who were [recently?] baptized led the procession. 107. Gaudentius of Brescia

Few details are known as to the life of Gaudentius. A friend of Ambrose (WEC 2:53), Gaudentius became bishop of Brescia in northern Italy sometime before 397 upon the death of Filaster (WEC 2:54). In 404–5 he with two other Italian bishops went to Constantinople, where they unsuccessfully pleaded the case of John Chrysostom (WEC 2:74) before the emperor Arcadius. Gaudentius was even imprisoned for a time. It seems that he developed a reputation as a preacher, a number of his homilies having come down to us. We do not know the date of his death. CPL no. 215 * Altaner (1961) 432–33 * Altaner (1966) 369 * Bardenhewer (1913) 3:485–86 * Bautz 2:185–86 * DPAC 2:1435–36 * Quasten 4:133–35 * Steidle 152 * CE 6:393–94 * DHGE 20:28 * DictSp 6:139–43 * DTC 6.1:1166 * EC 5:1962 * EEC 1:337 * EEChr 1:452 * LTK 4:5302 * NCE 6:302 * NCES 6:110 * ODCC 656 * PEA (1894) 7.1:859–61 * PEA (1991) 4:811 A. L’Huillier, “Che cosa sappiamo noi della liturgia di Brescia al tempo di s. Gaudenzio,” Brixia sacra 2 (1911) 291–94. * H.A. Birch, A Comparison of the Styles of Gaudentius of Brescia, the “De sacramentis” (ascribed to St. Ambrose) and the “Didascalia Apostolorum” or “Fragmenta Veronensia,” (Risca [Monmouth], 1924). * L. Boehrer, “Gaudentius of Brescia: Sermons and Letters,” diss. (Washington, D.C., 1965). * C. Truzzi, Zeno, Gaudenzio e Cromazio: testi e contenuti della predicazione cristiana per le chiese di Verona, Brescia e Aquileia (360–410 ca.), Testie ricerche di scienze religiose

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96  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West [Istituto per le scienze religiose di Bologna] 22 (Brescia, 1985). * M.A. Mascari, “Zeno, Gaudentius, and Chromatius: The Dynamics of Preaching in Northern Italy, 360–420,” diss. (Washington, D.C., 1996). * G. Bruni, Pasqua, primavera della storia: teologia del tempo nei testi omiletici di Gaudenzio di Brescia, Scripta Pontificiae Facultatis Theologicae “Marianum” 55 (Rome, 2000).

107-A. Sermons Benevolus, a court official, requested that Gaudentius send him a copy of some of the bishop’s homilies since Benevolus was unable to be present when these sermons were given. Gaudentius complied and sent Benevolus ten sermons given during Easter Week; included were an additional five homilies. To this original corpus of fifteen sermons, modern scholars, on the basis of internal evidence, have added another six. And so today we have twenty-one sermons, all characterized by typological interpretation.

107-a-1. sermon 2. on exodus† [.  .  .] Let us learn what motivated Christ to institute the heavenly sacrifice. Truly we have inherited this sacrifice as a gift from the New Testament. It is a gift given us on the very night when he was handed over to be crucified; a gift presented to us as a pledge of his presence. It is the provision [viaticum] for our journey by which we are fed and nourished along the way of life till, leaving this world, we go on to him. And so this same Lord said, “Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you will not have life within you.”1 He desired that his blessings remain with us, that souls redeemed by his precious blood be ever sanctified through the image [per imaginem] of his own passion. Consequently he commanded his faithful disciples, whom he made the first priests of his Church, to carry out these mysteries of eternal life. All priests must celebrate these mysteries in all the world’s churches till Christ’s return from heaven so that each day priests and all the faithful may have before their eyes the representation of Christ’s passion. This we hold in our hands; this we receive in our mouths and in our hearts. May we hold fast to the indelible memory of our redemption, and may we obtain the sweet medicine of everlasting protection against the devil’s potion, for as the Holy Spirit exhorts, “Taste and see how good is the Lord.”2 2775 There are two reasons why he appointed the sacraments of his Body and Blood to be offered under the appearance [in specie] of bread and wine. First, so that the spotless Lamb of God might present an unblemished offering to a pure people, an offering celebrated without fire, without blood, without animal liquid, an offering readily available and easy 2774

† Translated from S. Gaudentii Episcopi Brixiensis Tractatus, ed. A. Glveck, CSEL 68 (Vienna, 1936) 30–32. 1. John 6:53.  2. Ps 34:8.

108. Innocent I, Pope  97 for all to offer. Because bread is made from many grains of floura mixed with water and is brought about by fire, it is a figure of Christ’s body which, as we know, has been made into one from the many members of the human race and has been perfected through the fire of the Holy Spirit. [.  .  .] The same is true for the wine of his blood, made from the numerous grapes of the vineyard planted by him; it is extracted from the wine-press of the cross, and when we receive it with faithful hearts, like an enormous wineskin it ferments by its own power. [.  .  .] 108. Innocent I, Pope

Certainly one of the most influential individuals in the development of the papacy, Innocent I (pope from 401/402) was a strong advocate for the authority of the bishop of Rome, not only in doctrinal affairs but also in liturgical and various disciplinary matters. Disputes as to orthodoxy and practice were to be resolved by the Apostolic See. His papacy was marked by Alaric’s sack of Rome in 410 (Innocent was in Ravenna at the time); by a strong papal condemnation of Pelagianism at the request of certain African bishops; and by an increasing Christianization of society: e.g., games were forbidden on Sunday (409), ecclesiastical property was not to be taxed (411), pagan buildings were to be handed over to the Church (415). Furthermore, Innocent did not hesitate to involve himself in certain affairs of the Eastern Churches, e.g., his unsuccessful attempt to have an ecumenical synod that would deal with John Chrysostom’s (WEC 2:74) deposition at the Synod of the Oak (403). Innocent I died on March 12, 417. CPL nos. 1641ff. * Altaner (1961) 416 * Altaner (1966) 356 * Bardenhewer (1913) 4:613–17 * Bautz 2:1280 * Jurgens 3:179–83 * Leigh-Bennett 9–17 * Quasten 4:582–85 * Steidle 146 * Tixeront 276 * CATH 5:1645–47 * CE 8:11–12 * DCB 3:243–49 * DHGE 25:1256–57 * DPAC 2:1784–85 * DTC 7.2:1940–50 * EC 7:6–7 * EEC 1:409–10 * EEChr 1:573–74 * LTK 5:514–15 * NCE 7:519–20 * NCES 7:467–69 * ODCC 833–34 * PEA (1991) 5:1007–8 E.H. Connolly, “Pope Innocent I de nominibus recitandis,” JThSt 20 (1918) 215–36. * G. Malchiodi, La lettera di S. Innocenzo I a Decenzio vescovo di Gubbio (Rome, 1921). * G. Ellard, “How Fifth Century Rome Administered Sacraments: St. Innocent I Advises an Umbrian Bishop,” TS 9 (1948) 3–19. * O. Vighetti, “I sacramenti della penitenza e dell’ordine nell dottrina giuridica di S. Innocenzo I,” Miscellanea Franciscana 51 (1951) 39–61; 54 (1952) 92–112. * J. MacDonald, “Imposition of Hands in the Letters of Innocent I,” SP 2, 49–53, TU 64 (Berlin, 1957). * E. Griffe, “Trois textes importants pour l’histoire du canon de la Messe,” BLE 59 (1958) 65–72. * B. Capelle, “Innocent Ier et le canon de la Messe,” RTAM 19 (1952) 5–16; repr. in Travaux liturgiques, vol. 2 (Louvain, 1962) 236–47. * V. Monachino, “La lettera decretale di Innocenzo I a Decenzio vescovo di Gubbio,” in Ricercha sull’Umbria tardo-antica

a. See Didache ix.4 (WEC 1:186).

98  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West e preromanica (Perugia, 1965) 211–34. * C. Vogel, “Vulneratum Caput: position d’Innocent Ier (402–417) sur la validité de la chirontonie presbytérial conferée par un évêque hérétique,” RAC 49 (1973) 375–84. * R. Cabié, La Lettre du Pape Innocent Ier à Decentius de Gubbio (19 Mars 416): texte critique, traduction et commentaire (Louvain, 1973). * M.F. Connell, Church and Worship in Fifth-Century Rome: The Letter of Innocent I to Decentius of Gubbio (Cambridge, 2002).

108-A. Letters The only known writings of Innocent I that have come down to us are his thirty-six letters. He wrote to the bishops of Spain, Africa, Italy, Gaul, among others—often varying his approach to suit the recipient(s) of his message. His most famous letter, at least liturgically, is that to Decentius of Gubbio (Letter 25).

108-a-1. letter 2. to victricius, bishop of rouen†a viii.11. Those coming from Novatianismb or Montanismc are to be received only through the imposition of the hand because people converting from heresy have already been baptized in the name of the Lord. Those who left the Church, who were rebaptized by heretics, who have acknowledged their downfall, and who now choose to return are to be received after undergoing a long period of penance. 2777 xiii.15. Those who are spiritually wedded to Christ and have merited to receive the veil from a priest, if afterwards they openly marry or allow themselves to be secretly corrupted, are only to be admitted to penance when the person he or she married has departed this world. [.  .  .] 2778 xiv.16. Those who promised virginity but have not yet received the veil and have perhaps married are to do penance for a period of time. [.  .  .] 2776

108-a-2. letter 6. to exsuperius, bishop of toulouse††a ii.5. The question is what should be done regarding the baptized who at the time of death request both penance and the reconciliation of Communion even though they have habitually engaged in impure delights. 2780 ii.6. Past practice was more harsh; present practice is more lenient. Formerly penance was granted but Communion was denied. Cruel 2779

Translated from PL 20:475, 478–80. a. Written on February 15, 404. b. Novatianism: a schism in the Western Church whose adherents stressed the immanence of the parousia. c. Montanism: A movement, begun by a certain Montanus during the years 155–60 in Phrygia, that also stressed the immanence of the parousia. Fasting, almsgiving, and in general a strong ethical rigorism were practiced as a preparation for the end. †† Translated from PL 20:498–99. a. Written on February 20, 405. †

108. Innocent I, Pope  99 persecutions were taking place at that time. As a result Communion was not granted, and rightly so. Readiness to grant Communion might not deter from apostasy those assured of reconciliation. On the other hand, penance was granted so that sinners not be denied everything. Because of the times, forgiveness was more difficult to obtain. But after the Lord restored peace to his Church and there was no longer any reason to be fearful, it was decided that Communion be given to the dying. It was given as Viaticum for those embarking on a journey, the reason being the Lord’s mercy and so that we not seem to follow the heretic Novatianb in harshness and severity by denying penance. Therefore Communion together with penance will be given at the end so that those in their last moments may, our Savior permitting, be freed from eternal damnation.

108-a-3. letter 17. to rufus and the other bishops of macedonia†a v.10. [.  .  .] Reason makes evident what is different in the two heresies: the Paulianistsb by no means baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit; the Novatiansc baptize using these same awesome and venerable names; they have never questioned the unity of the divine power, namely, that of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. [.  .  .]

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108-a-4. letter 25. to decentius, bishop of gubbio††a If the Lord’s priests [sacerdotesb] desired to keep in their entirety the Church’s institutions as these were handed down from the blessed apostles, there would in fact be no divergences, no variety in liturgical rites and prayers. But as soon as it is no longer tradition but each person’s own will that is observed, it follows that differences will appear in various places and churches relating to matters of discipline and liturgy. This causes scandal among the people. Not realizing that the ancient traditions were corrupted

b. Novatian: the Roman priest who was the founder of a rigorist movement that bears his name. † Translated from PL 20:533. a. Written on December 13, 414. b. Paulianists: followers of Paul of Samasota, a third-century heretical bishop of Antioch. c. Novatians: members of a rigorist religious movement in the latter half of the third century in Rome. †† Translated from La lettre du Pape Innocent Ier à Decentius de Gubbio, ed. R. Cabié, (Rome, 1972) 19–33. Excellent notes together with a translation are given in M.F. Connell, Church and Worship in Fifth-Century Rome, as listed in the introductory bibliography. a. Written on March 19, 416. b. Here as elsewhere Innocent uses the term sacerdos to designate the bishop, a priest, or both.

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100  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West by human presumption, the people believe that the churches do not agree or even that contradictory practices were introduced, practices contrary to those coming from the apostles or their very disciples. 2783 Who does not know or fails to notice what has been transmitted to the Roman church by Peter, the first of the apostles, and has been maintained up to the present? This is what all of us are to follow so that nothing is added or introduced that lacks this authority or pretends to have received its model elsewhere. It is clear that in all Italy, Gaul, Spain, Africa, Sicily and the islands scattered among these countries no one has established a church except those to whom the venerable apostle Peter or his successors made priests [sacerdotes]. Those doubting this should investigate to determine if in these areas is found another apostle or any witness of his teaching. If they do not find this in any document—for in no place does it appear—then they should follow the tradition of the Roman church from which they surely have their origin lest listening to outlandish claims they seem to neglect the very source of their institutions. I know that you have frequently come to Rome and gathered with us in church. For this reason you are aware of the customs observed here in consecrating the mysteries and in the other secret rites. May this suffice in the formation or re-formation of your church, especially in cases where your predecessors weakened certain of these observances or followed others concerning which you have consulted us. And so we respond to these questions, not that we believe you are ignorant about them but so that you might have more authority when instructing your people or—should some of them have abandoned the practices of the Roman church—in reproving them and so that you might immediately inform us as to those who are introducing novelties or believe that the tradition of a church other than that of Rome is to be followed. 2784 1. As to the peace, you say that some among you announce it to the people before the celebration of the mysteriesc or that the priests [sacerdotes] share it among themselves. Yet the peace must be given after all the things concerning which I ought not to speak.d It is, in fact, clear that by it the people consent to all that has taken place in the mysteries and to what is celebrated in the Church; it shows that the peace concludes these things. 2785 2. As to the recitation of the names before the priest [sacerdos] says the canon and in his prayer commends the offerings of those whose names are recited, it is useless—in your wisdom you can understand this—not to mention the names of the persons presenting the gifts till you offer the sacrifice to God. The reason is that nothing is hidden from God. It is necessary first to commend the offerings and then to mention the names of those presenting them so that these persons be named within the holy mysteries and not during what precedes them; by the mysteries themselves we open the way to the prayers that follow. c. The eucharistic prayer? d. Perhaps a reference to the “discipline of the secret.”

108. Innocent I, Pope  101 2786 3. As to the signing of the infants,e it is clear that this is not to be done by anyone other than the bishop. Although sharing in the priesthood, presbyters do not have the highest rank of the pontificate. The bishop alone ministers the consignation or the giving of the Spirit Paraclete. Proof for this comes not only from the practice of the Church but also from the Acts of the Apostles which says that Peter and John were sent to confer the Holy Spirit upon those who were already baptized.1 In fact, when presbyters baptize, whether the bishop is present or not, presbyters may anoint the baptized with chrism provided it has been consecrated by the bishop; yet they are not to sign the forehead with this oil since it is only bishops who confer the Spirit Paraclete. As to the words, I cannot cite them lest I appear to betrayf more than is required to reply to your question. 2787 4. It is most evident that a fast is to be observed on Saturday. If in fact we celebrate the Lord’s Day because of our Lord Jesus Christ’s resurrection—doing so not only at Easter but each week renewing the image of this feast—and if we fast on Friday because of the Lord’s suffering, then we should not omit Saturday which appears to be enclosed between a time of sorrow and a time of joy. In fact, it is evident that during these two days the apostles were in sorrow and hid themselves, doing so because of their fear of the Jews. In any case, there can be no doubt that their fasting during these two days has been remembered to such an extent that, according to the Church’s tradition, the sacraments are not celebrated during these two days. This practice is to be observed each week so that the commemoration of this day be always observed. If one believes that it is necessary to fast only once and on this one Saturday only, then the celebration of Sunday and Friday would occur only at Easter. If, on the other hand, the memory of Sunday and Friday is to be renewed each week, it is stupid to observe the customs of the two days while omitting Saturday since these two days have a similar purpose. On Friday the Lord suffered his passion and went to the nether world in order to rise on the third day, thereby restoring joy after the sadness of the preceding two days. We do not deny that fasting on Friday is necessary, but we add that it is necessary to fast on also Saturday since these two days brought sorrow to the apostles and to those who followed Christ. These, who rejoiced on the Lord’s Day, desired not only that this day be very festive, but they also believed that it should be repeated each week. 2788 5. As to the fermentumg which we send on Sunday to the various titular churches, there is no reason for you to consult us on this matter. Here, in

e. Liturgically the term infans refers to one who has just been baptized, whether an infant or an adult. f. See note d above. g. Fermentum: the name given to the fragments of the consecrated bread sent by the pope to the presbyters in the titular (Roman city) churches. 1. See Acts 8:14–17.

102  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West fact, all the churches are located within the city. Because of the people entrusted to their care the presbyters of these churches cannot celebrate with us, and so by means of the acolytes they receive the fermentum prepared by us so that on Sunday they do not feel separated from communion with us. But this should not, I believe, be done in rural areas of the diocese because the sacraments are not to be carried great distances. We ourselves do not send the fermentum to presbyters located in the various cemetery churches since these can rightfully and lawfully consecrate it themselves. 2789 6. Regarding those who after baptism are possessed by a demon and fall into some vice or sin, you ask me whether a presbyter or a deacon can or should give them the “consignation” [consignari].h This is allowed only if the bishop has granted permission to do so. In fact, the hand is never to be imposed on them unless the bishop has authorized this. For this to happen, the bishop has only to order that the hand be laid upon them by a presbyter or by other clerics. In fact, how can one easily bring to the bishop a possessed person who lives far off should an incident occur on the road and the person cannot readily be taken to the bishop nor returned home? 2790 7. As to those doing penance either for grave sins or for less important ones, the practice of the Roman church is to be followed unless some sickness intervenes. Reconcile them on the Thursday before the Pasch. As to judging the gravity of their sins, this task falls upon the priest [sacerdos] who is to take into account the confession of the penitent as well as his or her weeping and tears of repentance; he is also to grant reconciliation upon determining that fitting expiation has been made. Should someone fall sick and should that person’s last moments arrive, forgiveness is to be granted before the season of the Pasch so that the sick person not leave this world deprived of Communion. 2791 8. Since you desired to consult us regarding this problem, as with the others, my son the deacon Celestine has included in his own letter your question concerning what is written in the letter of the blessed Apostle James: “Should anyone among you be sick, have the presbyters come and pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; the prayer of faith will save him who suffers, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sin, it will be forgiven him.”2 This text—and no one can doubt it—must be understood of the faithful who are sick, for these can be anointed with the holy oil of chrism prepared by the bishop. This oil is to be used not only by priests [sacerdotes] but by all Christians who can anoint themselves or their families when sickness strikes. It is superfluous to ask whether the bishop can do what is surely allowed to the presbyters. In fact, if the text speaks of presbyters, it is because bishops engaged as they are in other affairs cannot visit all the sick. But if a bishop can do so or if he judges it good that someone be visited by him, without hesitation h. See M.F. Connell, Church and Worship, 41–42. 2. Jas 5:14–15.

109. Zosimus, Pope  103 he, whose task it is to prepare the oil, can both bless and anoint with it. This oil cannot be given to penitents since it is a type of sacrament. Can anyone believe that something of this kind may be given to those who are refused the other sacraments? My dear brother, we have done our best to reply to all your requests for explanations so that your church may be able to observe and retain the practice of the Roman church from which it has its origin. As to the other topics, which we cannot take up in writing, when you come to Rome we can discuss them if you so request this. [.  .  .]

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108-a-5. letter 30. to the second synod of milevis†a 5. Totally foolish is what you say the Pelagiansb preach, namely, that without the gift of baptism infants can be rewarded with eternal life. Unless they eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, they will not have life in them.1 It seems to us that those desiring this for infants who have not yet been reborn wish to have baptism itself rendered useless since they preach that infants possess what is—as we believe—given only through baptism. [.  .  .]

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109. Zosimus, Pope

Of Greek origin, Zosimus became bishop of Rome in 417. His short reign, namely, till 418, is noted for his misadventures regarding ecclesiastical government in Gaul, his response to Pelagianism, and his understanding of church law. CPL nos. 1644ff. * Altaner (1961) 417 * Altaner (1966) 356 * Bardenhewer (1913) 4:614, 616 * Bautz 14:589–93 * Labriolle (1947) 2:687 * Quasten 4:585–86 * Steidle 146 * Tixeront 276 * CATH 15:1551–52 * CE 15:764–65 * DACL 13.1:1203 * DCB 4:1221–25 * DictSp 16:1651–58 * DPAC 2:3628–29 * DTC 15.2:3708–16 * EC 12:1823–24 * EEC 2:885 * EEChr 2:1189–90 * LTK 10:1492 * NCE 14:1135–36 * NCES 14:935–36 * ODCC 1783 * PEA (1894) 10.1 (n.s.) 841–44

109-A. Letter 9. To Hesychius of Salona††a [.  .  .] To be observed for the individual grades are the following periods of time. If someone as an infant was enrolled among the ministers of the Church, he should remain a reader till he reaches the age of twenty. If an adult desires to enter divine service, he is to remain five years either Translated from PL 20:592. a. Written on June 27, 417. b. Followers of a heresy that a person can be saved by that person’s merits alone. 1. See John 6:54. †† Translated from PL 56:572–73. a. Salona: a port city in Dalmatia, on the Adriatic Sea. †

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104  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West among the readers or among the exorcists. Then he is to spend four years as either an acolyte or a subdeacon, and if worthy he will proceed on to the blessing of the diaconate. He should remain five years in this order if he conducts himself blamelessly. And after that, if he has observed the correct number of years and gone through so many grades, he, having given proof of this, may be considered as deserving of the presbyterate. [.  .  .] 1 1 0 . Pa u l i n u s o f N o l a

Born of a noble family (ca. 355) in Bordeaux, Paulinus (Meropius Pontius Anicius Paulinus) eventually left home and went to Rome (ca. 375), where he became a member of the senate. Leaving government, he returned to Bordeaux and was baptized (ca. 389/390), and then went to Spain, where he married. He and his wife, Therasia, eventually withdrew from the world, giving away all their possessions. Ordained a priest against his will in Barcelona (393/394), in the spring of 395 Paulinus with his wife took up residence near Nola in southern Italy to be close to the tomb of Saint Felix, for whom Paulinus had a special devotion. Paulinus was created bishop of Nola in 409/410, and he died in 431. CPL nos. 202ff. * Altaner (1961) 482–83 * Altaner (1966) 409–10 * Bardenhewer (1908) 447–51 * Bardenhewer (1910) 388–90 * Bardenhewer (1913) 3:569–82 * Bardy (1930) 122–25 * Bautz 7:28–34 * Hamell 137 * Labriolle (1947) 2:481–94 * Labriolle (1968) 323–32 * Quasten 4:296–306 * Steidle 258 * Tixeront 250–52 * CATH 10:947–49 * CE 11:585–86 * DACL 12:1422–65 * DCB 4:234–45 * DictSp 12.1:592–602 * DPAC 2:2609–12 * DTC 12.1:68–71 * EC 9:701–3 * EEC 2:660–61 * EEChr 2:886 * LTK 7:1490–91 * NCE 11:28–29 * NCES 11:38–39 * ODCC 1244 * PEA (1894) 18.2:2331–51 * PEA (1991) 9:426–28 * TRE 26:129–33 R.C. Goldschmidt, ed., Paulinus’ Churches at Nola: Texts, Translations and Commentary (Amsterdam, 1940).

110-A. Letters Paulinus engaged in a widespread correspondence with many church leaders, for example, Augustine (WEC 3:98), Jerome (WEC 3:145), and Sulpicius Severus. Some fifty letters written by Paulinus have come down to us. Although not highly theological, they impart much information as to the religious life of the people of his time.

110-a-1. letter 18. to victricius†a 2795

v. I hear that Rouen, which in times past was hardly known in neighboring regions, is now honored even in distant provinces. It is worthy † Translated from S. Ponti Meropii Paulini Nolani Opera, vol. 1, ed. G. de Hartel, CSEL 29 (Vienna, 1894) 132. a. Victricius: bishop of Rouen (d. ca. 410). This letter is dated 403/404.

110. Paulinus of Nola  105 of divine praise and is included among cities noted for their holy places. [.  .  .] The apostles have found among you a most suitable refuge. [.  .  .] In Rouen they together with the angels are day and night comforted by continuous praise of Christ the Lord. [.  .  .] In Rouen they take great delight in the most pure hearts and voices of your sheep and in the daily unity of those who sing with true understanding1 in the town’s populous churches and more secluded monasteries. [.  .  .]

110-a-2. letter 32. to severus†a vii. Through your faith the Lord has fulfilled your heartfelt desire by increasing the splendor and holiness of your buildings, doing so by obtaining the holy relics of the illustrious apostles and martyrs. I know that it was in anticipation of this gift that you constructed a second basilica, one larger than the first, at Primuliacum. I believe that you should also venerate the fragment of the cross that I sent to you and which lies consecrated in the church together with the relics of the saints. To do so is worthy of your life of faith and of the dedication of your faithfully constructed building, a building surely visited by many. It is also fitting for the relics of the saints. Should it please you, the following verses will make known your decision.

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The holy altar conceals a divine union. Martyrs together with the holy cross are placed here. The whole martyrdom of Christ the Savior is gathered here, The cross, the body, the blood, the martyr, Divinity itself. God always preserves the divine gifts for you. Where Christ is, there the Spirit and the Father are. Thus where the cross is, so too is the martyr because The martyr’s cross is the holy reason for the saint’s martyrdom. Where the cross has given us the food of life, it has given a crown Whereby his servants share in the Lord. The flesh that I eat is nailed to the cross. His blood, by which I drink life and wash my heart, flows from the cross. [.  .  .] viii. Perhaps you prefer that this blessing from the cross be readily available for your daily protection and healing. Once the cross is placed within the altar, it is not always available when needed. In such a case it is sufficient for the consecration of the basilica if we entrust the building only to the apostles and the martyrs. If their venerable relics but not the cross are placed under the altar, the following lines will make this known. 1. See Ps 46:7, LXX. † Translated from CSEL 29:282ff. a. Sulpicius Severus (ca. 360–ca. 430): a Gallican historian and hagiographer.

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106  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West The glory of the divine table conceals the Holy relics of the saints taken from the bodies of the apostles. The Spirit of the Lord stands by with healing powers, And teaches that these relics are holy. So two graces breathe upon our pious prayers, One from the martyrs here below, the other from the holy things above. The precious death of the saints, through a small amount of their relics, Assists the prayers of the priest and benefits the living. 2798

x. [.  .  .] I have been motivated to link my basilicas with yours, not only because both were constructed simultaneously and by the manner of their dedication but also by my describing both in this letter. [.  .  .] And so the basilica, already dedicated in the name of Christ our Lord and God to our common defender and master of our household, is frequented as being an addition to his four basilicas. It is venerable not only because of the honor given blessed Felixb but because of the holy relics of the apostles and martyrs preserved beneath the altar within the apse with its three recesses. The apse, having a floor and marble walls, is illuminated by a vault decorated with mosaics, whose painting contains the following verses. The Trinity glows in its full mystery. Christ is pictured as a lamb; the Father’s voice resounds from heaven. The Holy Spirit flows down in the form of a dove. The cross is surrounded by a wreath, by a bright circle, Around which the apostles form a wreath, Whose image is represented by a choir of doves. The holy unity of the Trinity meets in Christ, With the Trinity having its proper symbols. The Father’s voice and the Spirit reveal God. The cross and the lamb confess the holy victim. The purple and the palm point to the kingdom and to triumph. Christ, the Rock of the Church, stands upon a rock. From this rock flow four bubbling springs, The evangelists, the living streams of Christ.

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xi. On the girdle below [.  .  .] the following inscription reveals the holy of holies deposited beneath the altar. Here is reverence, here faith that nurtures, here the glory of Christ. Here the cross is joined to its witnesses. For a wooden splinter of the cross is a great pledge. The whole power of the cross is found in a small fragment. b. Felix: a martyr buried near Nola.

110. Paulinus of Nola  107 Holy Melaniac brought it to Nola as a gift. It is the greatest good coming from Jerusalem. The holy altar covers a double honor to God, Bringing together the relics of the martyrs and the cross So that those slain for the cross may find rest upon the cross. xii. The space outside the basilica’s apse extends under a high paneled ceiling. On each side there are double colonnades. Four rooms within each colonnade are located within the basilica’s side walls. These rooms are for the benefit of those desiring to pray privately or to meditate on the Lord’s law. They also serve as places where the clergy and their associates may obtain eternal rest. Each room is marked by verses, which I will not reproduce in this letter. I have, however, written down the verses that appear over the basilica’s entrances because, if you desire to use them, they may be appropriate for the doors of your basilicas. Such would be the following.

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Peace to all of you who are entering the house of God, pure and with peaceful hearts. Or the following which describes the holy picture of the Lord above the entrance. Look upon the wreathed cross of Christ the Lord that is located above the narthex. It promises great rewards for hard labor. Take up your cross if you wish to carry away the wreath. In the second basilica the following verses appear over the more private door which one passes through when entering in a private way from the little garden or orchard. O worshipers of Christ, through pleasant greenery enter the way toward heaven. It is most fitting to approach from this joyful garden. From here holy paradise is granted to those who merit it. The same door is marked with other verses within. You leave the Lord’s house after completing your prayers, Return in body but remain in heart. xiii. Contrary to custom, the basilica faces not the east but toward the basilica of my blessed Lord Felix, namely, toward his tomb. The apse curves its way around with side apses on both the right and the left in the c. Melania: a Roman matron who visited the Holy Land. She died in Jerusalem ca. 410.

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108  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West open space. One of these apses can be used by the bishop when offering the sacrifice of joy; the other in a large curve holds the numerous people at prayer behind the priest. The whole area faces the basilica of our venerated confessor, giving joy to one’s sight, with three equal arches and with the light shining through the grating connecting the roofs and walkways of each basilica. Because the intervening wall of the apse of a tomb would separate the old church from the new church, the wall on the side of blessed Felix’s church contains as many doors as are at the side of the new church’s front entrance. Through the wall one can look into the other church. And so these verses appear at the entrances of the new church. This loving house lies open to those who enter through the triple arch. This three-fold door is a witness to their devout faith. 2802

xiv. Likewise on the right and left of this, next to crosses painted red, are these lines. The cross is enriched with a laurel of flowers. It is red with the blood shed by our Lord. The doves sitting above this divine symbol Show that God’s kingdom lies open to the simple. [And another.] By means of this cross remove us from the world and the world from us. Give life to our souls by destroying our sins. If your peace flourishes in our pure hearts, You will make us also your favored doves.

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xvi. In the two sacristies which, as I said, are on both sides of the apse, the following verses indicate the function of each. To the right of the apse. The holy food is kept in this place. From here the nourishing meal of the holy liturgy is brought forth. To the left of the apse. Whoever desires to meditate on the holy law Can sit here while contemplating the Holy Scriptures.

110-B. Poems Considered among the most prominent poets of the patristic era, Paulinus did not hesitate to use profane literary forms in the twenty-nine authentic

110. Paulinus of Nola  109 poems that have come down to us from his pen. Initially he wrote on a variety of secular topics, but after baptism he based his writings solely on religious themes. Among these compositions are the fourteen poems he wrote in honor of Saint Felix (the carmina natalicia).

110-b-1. poem 23†a 111. You are aware of the custom whereby we fast prior to the feastday, and how late in the evening each person, having consumed the holy things, returns home. So once the gathering in the Lord’s temple has concluded and after our bodies have been refreshed by eating, we begin to praise God with hymns and spend the night singing psalms.

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110-b-2. poem 25††a 199. May your father, the bishop, bless you. May he with the hymnsinging choir lead the holy song. Dear Memor,b lead your children before the altar and pray over them with your sanctifying hand. 225. Not forgetful of his obligations, Memor, following established practice, entrusts his dear ones to Aemilius,c who joins them together in marriage as he extends his right hand over them while he sanctifies them by a prayer.

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110-b-3. poem 27†††a 546. All know that a large number of people gather here to praise holy Felix. But often enough the crowd is uneducated, certainly not deficient in belief but nonetheless lacking in reading ability. Long have these people been accustomed to serving profane gods, gods of the belly. Now they have been converted to Christ due to the evident works of the saints in Christ. [.  .  .] See how they spend the whole night in joy, warding off sleep with happiness, warding off darkness with their torches. Would that they turn this happiness into sound prayer and not bring drinking cups into the holy precincts. To be sure, a sober congregation shows greater reverence as it sings holy hymns with pure voices and soberly offers sung praise to the Lord. † Translated from S. Ponti Meropii Paulini Nolani Opera, vol. 2, ed. G. de Hartel, CSEL 30 (Vienna, 1894) 198. a. This poem, one of those in honor of Saint Felix, was composed for the saint’s feast (January 14) in 401. †† Translated from CSEL 30:244–45. a. This poem, a wedding song written between 401 and 404, was occasioned by the marriage of Julian of Eclanum and Titia. b. Memor: Julian’s father. c. Aemilius: probably the bishop of Benevento in southern Italy. ††† Translated from CSEL 30:286. a. Written in January 403, this is the ninth poem in honor of Saint Felix.

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110  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West 111 . C e l e s t i n e I , P o p e

The pontificate of Celestine I (422–32) was one of much activity, not only regarding the restoration/construction of church buildings, but also in opposing the heresies of Pelagianism, the doctrine that a person can be saved only by one’s personal merits, and Nestorianism, the doctrine holding that there are two separate persons in Christ. Celestine is especially noted for his efforts toward evangelizing Ireland and for his vigorous affirmation of the authority of the bishop of Rome. CPL nos. 1650ff. * Altaner (1961) 417 * Altaner (1966) 356–57 * Bardenhewer (1913) 4:614–17 * Jurgens 3:183–84 * Quasten 4:587–89 * Steidle 146 * Tixeront 276 * CATH 1:748–49 * CE 3:477–78 * DACL 2.2:2794–2802, 13.1:1203–14 * DCB 1:584–88 * DHGE 12:56–58 * DPAC 1:638–39 * DTC 2.2:2051–61 * EC 3:1255–56 * EEC 1:154 * EEChr 1:228 * LTK 2:1246 * NCE 3:363–64 * NCES 3:316–18 * ODCC 309 P. Jeffery, “The Introduction of Psalmody into the Roman Mass by Pope Celestine I (422–432): Reinterpreting a Passage in the ‘Liber pontificalis,’” ALW 26 (1984) 147–65.

111-A. Letters Of the twenty-seven letters ascribed to Celestine, sixteen are today judged authentic, most being devoted to combating Nestorianism.

111-a-1. letter 4. to all the bishops in the provinces of vienne and narbonne† i.2. We have learned that some of the Lord’s priests serve the interests of superstitious worship rather than purity of mind or of belief. It is no surprise that they act contrary to ecclesiastical custom since they were not born in the Church. Coming from other religious customs, they bring with them into the Church what they formerly practiced, wearing a cincture [lumbus] and a mantle [pallium], they believe they are faithful to the Scriptures. [.  .  .] However, we are to be distinguished from the people by our teaching, not our clothing; by the way we live, not by the fashion of our dress; by purity of mind, not by bodily adornment. [.  .  .] 2809 ii.3. We have learned that those about to die are refused penance. What they wish for is not granted. At the time of death they desire that their souls be assisted by this remedy. I confess that I am horrified at the godlessness of those who dare doubt God’s goodness. It is as if God cannot help all sinners who turn to him, no matter at what moment. It is as if God were not capable of delivering a person staggering under the weight of sin from the burden one seeks to have removed. I ask you, what does this mean unless it is to bring a new death to someone who is about to die, and to kill that person’s soul so that it can no longer be purified? God, 2808

†

Translated from PL 50:430–32.

112. Peter Chrysologus  111 however, is always disposed to pardon. God calls for penance and says, “Whatever be the day on which sinners convert, their sins will not be remembered against them.”1 And, “I do not desire the death of sinners but only that they convert and live.”2 Whoever refuses penance at the moment of death to anyone desiring it deprives that person of salvation. [.  .  .] The sincerity of a dying person’s conversion should be judged more by the individual’s internal dispositions than by the time when this conversion occurs. [.  .  .]

111-a-2. letter 21. to the bishops of gaul† xii.13. It is not useless to note that in regard to those to be baptized, the Church throughout the world acts in a uniform manner. Whether it concerns the little ones or the youth, they approach the sacrament of rebirth only after the impure spirit has been banished from them by means of the exorcisms and exsufflations performed by the clergy. [.  .  .]

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111-a-3. letter 23. to theodosius††a i. [.  .  .] Now there is time for prayer in the Lord’s houses, and throughout all the churches your authority is commemorated in the sacrifices offered to our God. [.  .  .] 1 1 2 . P e t e r C h ry s o l o g u s

Peter Chrysologus (ca. 380–448/449) was archbishop or metropolitan of Ravenna in northern Italy, a city that at the time was the residence of the Western emperor. Little is known of Peter’s life, since there is only a legendary, and thus unreliable, biography written in the ninth century. Noted as a pastoral bishop and an effective preacher, Peter was eventually called “Chrysologus” (in Greek “golden-worded”), seemingly to make him the Western counterpart of John Chrysostom (in Greek “golden-mouthed”). In 1729 Peter was declared a Doctor of the Church. Other than an extensive corpus of sermons, most of his writings have been lost. The Rotulus of Ravenna, a collection of prayer texts probably dating from the second half of the eighth century or somewhat earlier, was once and incorrectly ascribed to Peter. CPL nos. 227ff. * Altaner (1961) 544–45 * Altaner (1966) 458 * Altaner (1978) 458, 648 * Bardenhewer (1908) 526–27 * Bardenhewer (1910) 454–55 * Bardenhewer (1913) 4:606–10 * Bautz 1:1017–18 * Hamell 127 * Jurgens 3:266–68 * Quasten 4:575–77 * Steidle 160 * Tixeront 278–79 * CATH 11:353–54 * CE 11:762 * DCB 1:517–18 * DictSp

1. See Ezek 33:16.  2. Ezek 18:23. † Translated from PL 50:536. †† Translated from PL 50:544. a. Theodosius II: Roman emperor of the East 408–50.

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112  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West 12.2:1541–46 * DPAC 1:2792–93 * DTC 12.2:1916–18 * EC 9:1433–35 * EEC 2:678 * EEChr 2:906 * LTK 8:118 * NCE 11:214 * NCES 11:184–85 * ODCC 341–42 F. Cabrol, “Autour de la liturgie de Ravenne: s. Pierre Chrysologue et le ‘Rotulus,’ RB 23 (1906) 489–500. * K. Gamber, “Eine alt-ravennatische Epistel-Liste aus der Zeit des hl. Petrus Chrysologus,” LJ 8 (1958) 73–96. * K. Gamber, “Die Orationen des Rotulus von Ravenna: eine Feier des Advents schon zur Zeit des heiligen Petrus Chrysologus,” ALW 5 (1958) 354–61. * A. Olivar, “San Piedro Crisologo autor de la Expositio Symboli de Cividale,” SE 12 (1961) 294–312. * A. Olivar, Los sermones de san Pedro Crisólogo de Ravena (Montserrat, 1962). * A. Olivar, “La duración de la prédicación antigua,” Liturgica 3 (Montserrat, 1966) 143–84. * R. Ladino, “La iniciación cristiana en san Pedre Crisológo de Ravena,” diss. (Rome, 1969). * F. Sottocornola, L’anno liturgico nei sermoni di Pietro Crisologo, Studia Ravannatensia 1 (Cesena, 1973). * W.B. Palardy, “The Church and the Synagogue in the Sermons of Saint Peter Chrysologus,” diss. (Washington, D.C., 1992). * K. Stevenson, “The Six Homilies on the Lord’s Prayer of Peter Chrysologus,” in Studia Liturgica Diversa: Essays in Honor of Paul F. Bradshaw, ed. M.E. Johnson and L.E. Phillips (Portland, 2004) 65–70.

112-A. Sermons The sermons of Peter—and 182 of them appear to be authentic—give us a good idea of the liturgical readings during the Church Year in the northern Italian seaport of Ravenna. His preaching, primarily on gospel passages, was short, simple, and direct. Many scholars agree that a high degree of eloquence was not a hallmark of this man who, nonetheless, came to be known as the Golden-Worded.

112-a-1. sermon 11. on lent† 2812

iv. [.  .  .] You see, my brothers and sisters, that our fasting during Lent is not a human invention but comes from divine authority; it is mystical, not of one’s own doing; its origin is hidden, not coming from the earth but from the secrets of heaven. [.  .  .]

112-a-2. sermon 43. on prayer, fasting, and almsgiving†† 2813

ii. My brothers and sisters, it is through three things that faith stands firm, that piety exists, and that virtue remains, namely, prayer, fasting, and mercy. What prayer requests through unrelenting petition, fasting obtains, and mercy accepts. Prayer, mercy, fasting: these three are one; these three invigorate one another. Fasting is the soul of prayer; mercy gives life to fasting. May no one divide these three; they are not to be separated. A person who has only one of them or does not have all three of them together has none of them. And so the person who prays is to fast. Whoever fasts is to show mercy. [.  .  .] †

Translated from Collectio Sermonum, ed. A. Olivar, CCL 24 A (Turnhout, 1975) 74. Translated from CCL 24 A:242, 244.

††

112. Peter Chrysologus  113 iv. [.  .  .] In the morning we arise to face the vicissitudes of the day; we spend the day amidst various trials; we experience changes brought about by the passing of the hours; there is the failure of words and danger in the things we do. Why is it that we do not want to go to church in the morning? Why do we have no desire to request protection for the whole day by means of our morning prayer? Why is it that we joyfully pass the whole day with other people and yet take no pleasure in being with God? [.  .  .]

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112-a-3. sermon 67† 7. [.  .  .] As children of heaven we are encouraged by our heavenly Father to request heavenly bread. He said, “I am the bread that has come down from heaven.”1 He is the bread sown in the Virgin, leavened in the flesh, made ready in his passion, baked in the furnace of the sepulcher, placed in the churches, set upon the altars; he is the bread that daily provides nourishment to the faithful.

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112-a-4. sermon 117. on bad seed (matt 13:24)†† iv. [.  .  .] So it is, my brothers and sisters, that the heavenly Spirit, by the secret mixture of its power, makes fruitfula the stainless womb of the font in order that those upon earth, whose miserable condition comes from their muddy roots, may be brought forth as if from heaven and thus are led to the likeness of their Creator. Therefore, may we, who are already reborn and again molded into the image of our Creator, carry out what the apostle has enjoined.

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112-a-5. sermon 166. on fasting††† ii. Consider the Lenten fast which the whole Church begins tomorrow with solemn piety. Many believe that this fast has been passed down to us or that the Lord observed it only for the purpose of restraint, failing to understand that it contains a mystery of higher meaning. It exists not merely for punishing the body, for removing vices, for putting a rein on our feelings. Furthermore, from antiquity the number “forty” is considered sacred; it is so mystical that by virtue of some invisible law it is written as a number that effects divine things. In order that this may be totally clear, allow me to present a number of examples. iii. [.  .  .] For forty days and nights rain poured down from heaven to cleanse the earth.1 This took place so that the world—a creature on the † Translated from Collectio Sermonum, vol. 2, ed. A. Olivar, CCL 24 B (Turnhout, 1982) 404–5. 1. John 6:51. †† Translated from CCL 24 B:711. a. “By the secret .  .  . fruitful” is a quote from the ancient Roman prayer for the blessing of the water during the Paschal Vigil. ††† Translated from CCL 24 B:1019–24. 1. See Gen 7:1–24.

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114  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West

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very verge of perishing—might rejoice that it was reborn by such a baptism; that the world might understand that its existence is due not to nature but to the gift of its Creator; that the earth from which our bodies take their origin might taste beforehand the very form of our baptism; and finally that the earth, which previously brought forth men and women unto death, now leads them reborn unto life. iv. Listen carefully, my brothers and sisters, as to the importance of the number “forty.” In times past this number opened up the heavens for the cleansing of the earth; now through the font of baptism it allows all the people of the world to be renewed. Rightly do we fast throughout the forty days so that we might arrive at the saving font of baptism. [.  .  .] vi. And since we should not omit anything, Moses himself was cleansed and freed from his body by a fast of forty days.2 [.  .  .] vii. A fast brought Elijah up to heaven. [.  .  .] So that this could happen, Elijah first ran the mystical course of the number “forty.”3 [.  .  .] ix. If, therefore, the Lord through such important testimonies has taught us a simple, pure, and unvarying fast of forty days and has handed it down to us under the number of so great a symbol, then why such variety, why such novelty? How does it happen that some weeks are observed in a relaxed manner whereas others are strictly observed, in some cases the fast being lenient and in others severe? [.  .  .] May the fast be properly apportioned and, as tradition requires of us, may we observe it for the discipline of body and soul. Those unable to fast should not presume to initiate something new but ought to admit that it is due to personal weakness that they relax the fast. May their almsgiving compensate for their failure to fast. [.  .  .] 11 3 . L e o I , P o p e

Little is known of the personal life of Leo I (Leo the Great). Some suggest he was born in Rome, where he eventually became an influential archdeacon. Ordained bishop of that city on September 29, 440, Leo held office at a time when the western part of the empire was under attack from the north. He did not hesitate to involve himself in political affairs as, for example, when meeting Attila the Hun at Mantua in 452, Leo persuaded him to spare Rome and withdraw beyond the Danube (it is disputed whether episcopal eloquence or simple bribery brought this about). In 455 he influenced the Vandals led by Geiserich not to engage in torture, murder, and destruction by fire during their sack of Rome. As pastor Leo promoted unity in Christian belief and practice, orthodox doctrine in the face of heresy and schism, church discipline (e.g., the practical requirements imposed on those ordained to the presbyterate), and the primacy of the Roman church over other churches. Leo’s thought, which 2. See Exod 24:18.  3. See 1 Kgs 19:5–8; 2 Kgs 2:1, 11.

113. Leo I, Pope  115 has come down to us through his letters and sermons, is clear and simple, although neither original nor profound. The so-called Leonine Sacramentary or, as it is called today, the Sacramentarium Veronense (actually a private collection of liturgical texts) was once and erroneously ascribed to Leo, although there is at times similarity of wording between that found in some of Leo’s sermons and that found in some texts of the Veronense. Leo died in 461; in 1754 he was named a Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict XIV. Only two popes are traditionally called “Great,” one being Gregory I (WEC 4:165) and the other Leo I. CPL 1656ff. * Altaner (1961) 417–22 * Altaner (1966) 357–60 * Bardenhewer (1908) 522–26 * Bardenhewer (1910) 451–54 * Bardenhewer (1913) 4:617–23 * Bardy (1930) 166–68 * Bautz 4:1425–35 * Hamell 159–60 * Jurgens 3:268–81 * Labriolle (1947) 2:688–90 * Labriolle (1968) 442–43 * Quasten 4:589–612 * Steidle 147–48 * Tixeront 276–78 * CATH 7:312–17 * CE 9:154–57 * DACL 8.2:2532–38 * DCB 3:652–73 * DictSp 9:597–611 * DPAC 2:1922–25 * DTC 9.1:218–301 * EC 7:1139–44 * EEC 1:479 * EEChr 2:674–76 * LTK 6:820–22 * NCE 8:637–39 * NCES 8:474–78 * ODCC 966–67 * PEA (1894) 12.2:1962–73 * PEA (1991) 7:47–48 * TRE 20:737–41 General Studies E. Dekkers, “Autour de l’oeuvre liturgique de s. Léon le Grand,” SE 10 (1958) 363–98. * P. Jounel, “Au lendemain du XVe centenaire de s. Léon le Grand,” LMD, no. 69 (1962) 190–94. Eucharist P. Borella, “S. Leone Magno e il ‘Communicantes,’” EphL 60 (1946) 93–101. * C. Callewaert, “S. Léon et le Communicantes et le Nobis quoque peccatoribus,” SE 1 (1948) 123–64. * F.C. Cross, “Pre-Leonine Elements in the Proper of the Roman Mass,” JThSt 50 (1949) 191–97. * L. Eizenhofer, “Das Opfer der Gläubigen in den Sermonen Leos des Grossen,” in Die Messe in der Glaubensverkündigung, ed. F.X. Arnold and B. Fisher, (Freiburg, 1950) 79–107. * D.R. Holton, “The Sacramental Language of St. Leo the Great: A Study of the Words Munus and Oblata,” EphL 92 (1978) 115–65. * C. Folsom, “Mysterium fidei and St. Leo the Great (440–461),” EOr 15 (1998) 289–302. Penance A. Lagarde, “La pénitence dans les églises d’Italie au cours des IVe et Ve siècles,” RHE 92 (1925) 108–47. * E. Luveley, “The Doctrine of St. Leo the Great on the Ecclesiastical Forgiveness of Sin,” diss. (West Baden, 1954). * P. Jounel, “La pénitence quadragésimale dans le missel romain,” LMD, no. 56 (1958) 30–49. * E. Koep, “Die Sünde nach Leo dem Grossen,” diss. (Cologne, 1962). * F. Mayr, “Die kanonische Busse des 5. Jahrhunderts im Wandel,” diss. (Innsbruck, 1972). * P.R. Cooney, “Penance in the Writings of Leo the Great,” diss. (Notre Dame, 1973). * P.J. Riga, “Penance in St. Leo the Great,” EgT 5 (1974) 5–32. Liturgical Texts P. de Puniet, “Les trois homélies catéchétiques du ‘Sacramentaire Gélasien’ pour la tradition des Evangiles, du Symbole et de l’Oraison dominicale,” RHE 5 (1904) 505–21, 755–86. * B. Capelle, “Messes du pape s. Gélase dans le sacramentaire

116  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West léonien,” RB 56 (1945–46) 12–41. * C. Callewaert, “Saint Léon le Grand et les textes du léonien,” SE 1 (1948) 35–123; also repr. separately (Bruges, 1948). * O. Harrison, “The Formula Ad virgines sacras: A Study of the Sources,” EphL 66 (1952) 252–73, 352–66. * H. Schmidt, “De lectionibus variantibus in formulis identicis Sacramentariorum Leoniani, Gelasiani et Gregoriani,” SE 4 (1952) 103–73. * B. Capelle, “Une messe de s. Léon pour l’Ascension,” EphL 57 (1953) 201–9. * I. Carton, “A propos des oraisons de carême: note sur l’emploi du mot ‘observantia’ dans les homélies de s. Léon,” VC 8 (1954) 104–14. * C. Coebergh, “Saint Léon le Grand auteur de la grande formule ‘Ad virgines sacras’ du sacramentaire Léoniene,” SE 6 (1954) 282–326. * B. Capelle, “Une messe de s. Léon pour l’Ascension,” EphL (1953) 200–209; repr. in Travaux liturgiques, vol. 2 (Louvain, 1956) 71–78. * A.P. Lang, “Leo der Grosse und die Dreifaltigkeitspräfation,” SE 9 (1957) 116–62. * A.P. Lang, Leo der Grosse und die Texte des Altgelasianums, mit Berüchsichtigung des Sacramentarium Leonianum und des Sacramentarium Gregorianum (Steyl-Kaldenkirchen, 1957). * J. Magne, “La prière de consécration des vierges ‘Deus castorum corporum’: étude du texte,” EphL 72 (1958) 245–67. * A.P. Lang, “Leo der Grosse und die liturgischen Texte des Oktavtages von Epiphanie,” SE 11 (1960) 12–135. * C. Coebergh, “La messe de s. Grégoire dans le sacramentaire d’Hadrien: essai d’explication d’une anomalie notoire, suivie de remarques sur la Mémoire des Défunts et le développement du culte des saints confesseurs à Rome du Ve au VIIIe siècle,” SE 12 (1961) 372–404. * A.P. Lang, “Anklange an Orationem der Ostervigil in Sermonen Leos d. Gr.,” SE 13 (1962) 281–325; 14 (1963) 1–22. * A.P. Lang, “Leo der Grosse und die liturgischen Gebetstexte des Epiphanifestes,” SE 14, Supplement (1963) 3–22. * E. Alberich, “El misterio salvífico de la encarnación en el primer formulario navideño del sacramentario leoniano,” RET 25 (1965) 277–317. * C. Coebergh, “Problèmes de l’évolution historique et de la structure littéraire de la ‘Benedictio Fontis’ du rite romain,” SE 16 (1965) 260–319. Homilies A. Basquin, “Les homélies de s. Léon le Grand (Noël),” QL 1 (1910–11) 72–76. * L. Beauduin, “La Pentecôte,” QL 3 (1912–13) 241–53. * J. Kreps, “Les leçons de s. Léon aux dimanches de l’Avent,” QLP 9 (1924) 233–38. * K. Esser, “Das Kirchenjahr nach den Sermones Leos d. Grossen,” diss. (Innsbruck, 1934). * B. de Graiffier, “Le prétendu sermon de s. Léon sur s. Vincent mentionnée dans le martyrologie romain,” in Miscellanea Liturgica in Honorem L. Cunniberti Mohlberg, vol. 2 (Rome, 1949) 313–16. * I. Carton, “Note sur l’emploi du mot ‘observantia’ dans les homélies de s. Léon,” VC 8 (1954) 104–14. * R. Dolle, “Un docteur de l’aumône, s. Léon le Grand,” VS 96 (1957) 266–87. * P. Jounel, “La pénitence quadragésimale dans le missel romain,” LMD, no. 56 (1958) 30–49. * A.P. Lang, “Anklärung an liturgische Texte in Epiphanie-Sermonen Leos des Grossen,” SE 10 (1958) 43–126. * F. Hofmann, “Die Osterbotschaft in den Predigten Papst Leos des Grossen,” in Paschalis Sollemnia (Freiburg, 1959) 76–86. * V. De Rosa, “Il digiuno liturgico nei sermoni di s. Leone Magno,” Annali Pontifical Istitute Super. di Scienze e Lettere “S. Chiara” 11 (1961) 19–91. * E.J. Ahern, “The Epiphany Sermons of St. Leo the Great,” IER 99 (1963) 24–27. * P. Mikat, “Die Lehre vom Almosen in den Kollektenpredigten Papst Leos d. Gr.,” in Festschrit T. Michels (Münster, 1963) 46–64. * A.P. Lang, “Anklänge an Orationen der Ostervigil in Sermonen Leos des Grosses,” SE 18 (1967–68) 5–119. * A. Chavasse, “Le sermon III de s. Léon et la date de la célébration des QuatreTemps de septembre,” RevSR 44 (1970) 77–84. * A. Chavasse, “Dans sa prédication

113. Leo I, Pope  117 s. Léon le Grand a-t-il utilisé des sources liturgiques?” in Mélanges B. Botte (Louvain, 1973) 71–74. * A. Chavasse, “Le sermon prononcé par Léon le Grand pour l’anniversaire d’une dédicace,” RB 91 (1981) 46–104. * A.P. Lang, “Anklänge an Orationen der Ostervigil in Sermonen Leos des Grossen,” SE 28 (1985) 155–381. Liturgical Year B. Capelle, “Valeur spirituelle du Carême d’après s. Léon,” QLP 35 (1954) 104–14. * A. Guillaume, Jeûne et charité dans l’Eglise latine des origines au XIIe siècle en particulier chez s. Léon le Grand (Paris, 1954). * J. Gaillard, “Noël, memoria ou mystère,” LMD, no. 59 (1959) 37–59. * A. Chavasse, “Les féries de Carême célébrées aux temps de s. Léon le Grand (440–461),” in Miscellanea Liturgica in Onore di sua Eminenza il Cardinale G. Lercaro (Rome, 1966) 551–57. * J. Pinelli i Pons, “Ad Celebrandum Paschale Sacramentum. Il complesso eucologico per singulas lectiones della Vigilia pasquale secondo la tradizione gelasiana opera di San Leone Magno,” EOr 15 (1998) 163–91. Other Topics J. Rivière, “‘In partem sollicitudinis .  .  .’: évolution d’une formule pontificale,” RevSR 5 (1925) 210–31. * M.B. de Soos, Le mystère liturgique d’après s. Léon le Grand, LQF 34 (Münster, 1958). * M.B. de Soos, “Présence du mystère du salut dans la liturgie d’après s. Léon,” EphL 73 (1959) 116–35. * C. Vogel, “Rata Sacerdotia: position de Léon (440–45) sur les ordinations conferées irrégulieremnt,” RDC 25 (1975) 19–27. * J. Waldram, “Sacramentorum baptismi et confirmationis disciplina ac ritus secundum opera s. Leonis Magni,” diss. (Rome, 1963). * J.A. Pascual, “El misterio pascual según san. León Magno,” RET 24 (1964) 299–314. * C. Compagna, “Il giorno del conferimento del battesimo in relazione al mistero celebrato nella teologia dei Padri,” Asprenas 18 (1971) 370–432. * B. Studer, “‘Sacramentum et exemplum’ chez s. Augustin,” RAug 10 (1975) 87–141. * G. Hudon, “Les présupposés ‘sacramentels’ de s. Léon le Grand,” EgT 10 (1979) 323–41. * J. Pinell i Pons, “Teologia del ministero della praedicazione in san Leone Magno,” EOr 10 (1993) 125–62.

113-A. Letters The corpus of Leo’s letters contains 173 pieces, 143 attributed to Leo himself (although some might be spurious) and 30 addressed by various individuals to the pope. Produced by his chancery, Leo’s letters provide valuable information on both dogma and discipline. A critical edition of these informative documents is awaited.

113-a-1. letter 4. to the bishops presiding in campania, picenum, etruria,a and all the provinces†b i. Slaves are not to be ordained. In some places men who have not been approved, whether in terms of dignity of birth or personal conduct, are admitted to holy orders. There are also some, not obtaining freedom from their masters, who are raised to the dignity of the priesthood as if the low Translated from PL 54:611–12. a. Ecclesiastical provinces near Rome. b. Written on October 10, 443. †

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118  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West estate of a slave might assume this honor; it is believed that a person can be approved by God even though he was not yet able to prove himself to his master. And so the charge here is twofold: the holy ministry is defiled by the humble condition of those sharing in it; and the rights of the master are violated. [.  .  .] 2824 ii. Once each man’s respectability as to birth and conduct has been ascertained, then the teaching of the apostle1 informs us as to the type of person that is to be associated with the ministry of the holy altar; we also learn from the divine precepts2 and from the rules of the canons. These have been ignored and thoroughly disregarded by many of the brethren. Everyone knows that the husbands of widows have been ordained as well as those who have been married several times; in some places those who led a completely dissolute life were allowed to be ordained without any hindrance, all this being contrary to what the apostle forcefully says in this regard, be “the husband of only one wife”3 and contrary to the precept of the old law which warns, “The priest will marry a virgin, not a widow or one who has been divorced.”4 By the authority of the Apostolic See we command that all these be deposed from ecclesiastical office and be deprived of the title of the priesthood. [.  .  .]

113-a-2. letter 6. leo to his beloved brother anastasius, archbishop of thessalonica†a 2825

iii. [.  .  .] Throughout the provinces entrusted to you, only such priests may be ordained who are recommended by their life and clerical rank. Pay no attention to personal favor, to campaigning, to purchased votes. Let those to be ordained be more diligently investigated; may they throughout a long period of time be trained in the discipline of the Church. If, however, all that is required by the fathers is found in them and if they have carried out all that the holy apostle Paul has enjoined on them, namely, that a man be married only once, and that his wife was a virgin when they married as the authority of the divine law warns, [then proceed to ordain them]. What we greatly desire—so that there can be no excuses—is that no one believe he can obtain the priesthood who has married before having obtained Christ’s grace or who, upon his wife’s death, has married another after being baptized. The previous wife cannot be ignored nor can the former marriage be done away with; he is the father of those children whom he conceived by that wife before baptism as he is of those whom he is known to have begotten by the second wife after baptism. For just as what is sinful or what is known to be unlawful is removed through the bath of baptism, so what is lawful or licit is not removed by baptism. 1. See 1 Tim 3:2; Titus 1:6.  2. See Lev 21:14.  3. 1 Tim 3:2.  4. Lev 21:14. † Translated from PL 54:618, 620. a. Written on January 12, 444.

113. Leo I, Pope  119 vi. [.  .  .] We indeed know—and we cannot pass over this in silence— that some of the brethren ordain only bishops on Sundays. Yet presbyters and deacons, whose consecration should be equal, in some places receive the dignity of the priestly office on any day whatsoever. This practice, and it is one that should be corrected, is contrary to the canons as well as to the tradition of our elders, a tradition that all who have received it must follow exactly in regard to all the holy orders; after a protracted period of time the candidate for the priesthood or the diaconate is to be advanced through all the steps of the clerical office. [.  .  .]

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113-a-3. letter 9. to dioscorus, bishop of alexandria†a 2827 i. We desire that you observe what we know was more carefully observed by our fathers, namely, that priestly and diaconal ordinations not take place on just any day whatsoever. They are to be held after Saturday, namely, during the night that precedes the dawn of the first day of the week. At this time both those conferring and those receiving the holy blessing are to be fasting. This prescription is also observed if the ordination is celebrated early Sunday morning, yet without breaking Saturday’s fast since the beginning of the previous night surely belongs to the day of the resurrection as is also evident in regard to Easter. In addition to the authority of custom, which we know derives from the teaching of the apostles, there is Sacred Scripture which also makes this clear since when the apostles, under the command of the Holy Spirit, sent Paul and Barnabas to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles, they laid hands upon them while fasting.1 This was done so that we might know with what devotion both givers and receivers must take care to show so that the sacrament of such great blessing might not seem to be carelessly bestowed. Therefore you devoutly and laudably follow the custom of the apostles if you yourselves also follow this manner of ordaining priests throughout the churches over which, as the Lord desired, you preside: so that those to be consecrated only receive the blessing on the day of the Lord’s resurrection which begins, as all agree, on Saturday evening. [.  .  .] 2828 ii. Again that our practices may completely agree, we desire that when a more solemn feast brings together a larger number of people and when the size of the crowd does not allow the people to fit into the church at one and the same time, surely the offering of the sacrifice may be repeated; if only those arriving first were allowed in for the service, then it would appear that those coming later are rejected since both piety and reason would say that the sacrifice should be offered as often as the church in which it takes place is filled by a new group of people. If the custom of only one Mass [missa] is observed and if only those who gather early in

Translated from PL 54:625–27. a. Written on June 21, 445. 1. See Acts 13. †

120  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West the day can offer the sacrifice, then a certain segment of the people are necessarily deprived of their devotion. [.  .  .]

113-a-4. letter 10. to the bishops of the province of vienne; concerning hilary, bishop of arles†a 2829

vi. [.  .  .] Those to be ordained priests are to be examined in tranquility and peace. May the endorsement of the clergy, the testimony of those held in honor, and the consent of both the laity and those in orders be insisted on. Whoever is to be in charge of all is to be selected by all. [.  .  .] The ordination should not take place on any day whatsoever but on the appointed day; whoever has not been ordained on the Saturday evening before Sunday’s dawn or has not been ordained on Sunday itself cannot be certain of his status. Our fathers determined that Sunday alone was worthy of the honor of being the day when those to be made priests are especially given to God.

113-a-5. letter 16. to all the bishops of sicily††a i. Baptism is to be celebrated at Easter, not on Epiphany. So when I heard on trustworthy testimony—I already was experiencing a fraternal and loving concern, my brothers, about what you were doing—that in regard to one of the Church’s primary sacraments you were departing from what the apostles determined, namely, that you were celebrating the sacrament of baptism for larger numbers of people on Epiphany rather than at Easter, it surprised me that you or your predecessors could have introduced such an unreasonable innovation. Doing so confuses the mysteries of the two feasts and presumes that no difference exists between the day when Christ was adored by the Magi and the day of his resurrection from the dead. Never would you have erred in this way if you had based all your observances on the source of your consecration to the episcopate. [.  .  .] 2831 iii. [.  .  .] In the celebration of baptism death occurs through the slaying of sins; the threefold immersion imitates the three-day stay in the tomb; the coming up out of the water is like him who rose from the tomb. The very nature of what is done teaches us that Easter is the accepted day for the general reception of grace. [.  .  .] We must add that the solemn season of Pentecost, made holy by the descent of the Holy Spirit, is also allowed, for this day follows and completes the paschal feast. Although other feasts are celebrated on other days of the week, Pentecost always occurs on the day characterized by the Lord’s resurrection, extending, as it were, the hand of assisting grace and inviting those whom serious illness or lengthy travel or hardships at sea separated from the paschal feast. [.  .  .] 2830

Translated from PL 54:634. a. Written in July 445. †† Translated from PL 54:696, 698–701. a. Written on October 21, 447. †

113. Leo I, Pope  121 2832 v. [.  .  .] Obviously the two seasons we have mentioned are the proper ones for baptizing the elect in the Church. Consequently, my brothers, we exhort you not to add other times of the year. [.  .  .] Although we delay the [baptismal] vows of those who are not afflicted with serious sickness [.  .  .], at no time do we refuse baptism, which is the only safeguard of true salvation, for any person who is at the point of death, who is under siege, who is afflicted with persecution, or who suffers the terrors of shipwreck.

113-a-6. letter 59. to the people and clergy of constantinople†a ii. May the holy members of Christ’s Body reject such people [those denying that Christ is truly man]. May Catholic liberty not bear that the yoke of the unfaithful be laid upon it. Those who deny that Christ took upon himself our human nature are to be considered as outside the gift of divine grace and outside the sacrament of our salvation. They contradict the Gospel and resist the creed. [.  .  .] Not even the tongues of infants remain silent regarding the truth of the Body and Blood of Christ in the sacrament of Communion. [.  .  .]

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113-a-7. letter 80. to anatolus, bishop of constantinople††a iii. As to reading aloud the names of Dioscorus, Juvenal, and Eustathius at the holy altar [.  .  .], it is very wrong that the names of those who persecuted innocent Catholics have their names indiscriminately mixed with those of the holy ones. [.  .  .]

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113-a-8. letter 88. to paschasinus, bishop of lilybaeum†††ab iv. Furthermore, we believe that you must also concern yourself with this. Make more diligent inquiries there where you are certain as to the computation of the paschal feast, concerning which we find in the table of years by Theophilus,c something that bothers us; study carefully with those who are knowledgeable about these calculations as to when the day of the Lord’s resurrection will be celebrated four years hence. By God’s grace the next Easter will be celebrated on 23 March; the following year on 12 April; and the subsequent year on 4 April. In the year 455 the date, according to Theophilus, is 24 April. We find this date to be totally foreign to the practice of the Church. As you know so well, according to our paschal cycle, it is written that Easter will occur that year on 17 April. Therefore, so there be no ambiguity whatsoever among us, diligently study this Translated from PL 54:868. a. Written on December 25, 449. †† Translated from PL 54:914–15. a. Written on April 13, 451. ††† Translated from PL 54:929. a. Written on June 24, 451. b. Lilybaeum: located in Sicily. c. Theophilus: patriarch of Alexandria 385–412. †

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122  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West question with the experts in order that in the future we may guard against any error of this kind. [.  .  .]

113-a-9. letter 108. to theodore, bishop of forum julii†ab ii. God’s abundant mercy assists those of us who have fallen so that not only through the grace of baptism but also through the medicine of penance is the hope of eternal life restored. In this way those who have violated the gifts of rebirth, condemning themselves by their own judgment, attain the forgiveness of sins. The help of divine grace has been so determined that God’s forgiveness can be obtained only through the supplication of the priests. For the man Jesus Christ, being the mediator between God and us, has handed over this power to those in charge of the Church so that they might grant the process of penance to those who confess, and once they have been cleansed by salutary satisfaction they may be admitted to sacramental Communion through the gate of penance. The Savior himself always plays a part here. He is never absent from what he has committed to his minister when he said, “Behold, I am always with you to the very end of the world.”1 And so we do not doubt that what through our service is accomplished in good order and with satisfactory results has been granted through the Holy Spirit. 2837 iii. If, however, some of those for whom we petition the Lord should encounter an obstacle and fall away from what is required for present forgiveness, and before they obtain the appointed remedies and end their natural lives upon earth, then they, no longer in the flesh, will be unable to receive what they did not obtain when they were still alive. We need not discuss the merits and actions of those who died in this way since the Lord our God, whose judgments are beyond our understanding, has reserved to himself what the priestly ministry was unable to bring about. [.  .  .] It is very useful, yes even necessary, that those guilty of sin be freed through the prayer of the priest before the last day of the sinner’s life. 2838 v. It is fitting that Christians judge their individual consciences so that they do not day after day postpone turning to God, that they do not look to the end of life as the time for satisfaction. In light of human weakness and ignorance it is dangerous for anyone to rely upon just a few hours, concerning which there is no guarantee; and rather than obtaining forgiveness by a more complete satisfaction, one chooses the narrow limits of that time during which there is hardly any opportunity for either the confession of the penitent or the reconciliation conferred by the priest. Truly, as I have said, such people are to be assisted so that neither the act of penance nor the grace of Communion be denied them when, even though unable 2836

Translated from PL 54:1011–13. a. Forum Julii: modern Fréjus, a port town in southern France. b. Written on June 11, 452. 1. Matt 28:20. †

113. Leo I, Pope  123 to speak, they request it by signs indicating that they clearly understand. But if their sickness is such that they are unable to indicate in the presence of a priest what they just a little awhile ago were requesting, the testimony of the faithful standing nearby is to avail them so that they might obtain the benefit of both penance and reconciliation. Nonetheless, to be observed are the rules of the canons of the fathers concerning those who have sinned against God by forsaking the faith.

113-a-10. letter 119. to maximus, bishop of antioch†a vi. My dear brother, you should take care that no person other than a priest of the Lord dare assume the right to teach or preach, whether this individual be a monk or a lay person claiming to be knowledgeable. Although all the Church’s children are to understand what is right and sound, nonetheless, it is not permitted that a person who has not been ordained a priest assume to himself the office of preaching since in God’s Church it is fitting that all things be orderly so that in the one Body of Christ both the more preeminent members may fill their office and those lower in rank may not oppose those who are higher. [.  .  .]

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113-a-11. letter 127. to bishop julian††ab ii. We can entertain no doubt concerning [the date] of Easter during the present year. However, we have inquired regarding [its date] in the year ahead [in 454]. According to Theophilus, Bishop of Alexandria, it will be celebrated on 24 April, a day never observed as such since the time of the Lord’s resurrection. Consequently it was appropriate that the matter be more closely investigated so that all opportunity for error be avoided. According to our annals the day clearly appointed and celebrated by our fathers is 17 April. So as to avoid division among us and among those in the East in this regard, I request that you, my dear brother, deign to act more urgently with the most Christian emperor, doing so in our name, even though this most merciful emperor has in his letter deigned to advise us that he has given those in Egypt the task of most carefully inquiring into this.

2840

113-a-12. letter 131. to bishop julian†††ab ii. As to the approaching Easter, as I have already and often written, be solicitous and on my behalf inform, as the occasion warrants, the most Translated from PL 54:45–46. a. Written on July 11, 453. †† Translated from PL 54:1072. a. Written on January 9, 454. b. Julian of Cos: Leo’s representative at the imperial court. ††† Translated from PL 54:1082. a. Written on January 9, 454. b. For Julian of Cos; see above (113-A-11, note b). †

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124  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West merciful emperor that he should inform me as to the reply he received— the days are quickly approaching—so that we might know what day we should inscribe on our calendar, and so that the mistrust of all in this matter be more clearly removed. [.  .  .]

113-a-13. letter 138. to the catholic bishops of gaul and spain†a 2842

Since it is fitting that bishops act uniformly in observing the prescribed rules, we must take special care that, whether through ignorance or obstinacy, there be no failing by choosing different dates on which to celebrate the paschal feast. Because the season for the most holy solemnity has certain boundaries so that the salutary sacrament can at times be appropriately celebrated earlier and at times later, the solicitude of the Apostolic See does not cease to take care that the Church’s piety not be disturbed by any uncertainty. Some writings of the fathers say that the next celebration of the Pasch will occur on 17 April, others say on 24 April. This diversity persuaded me to disclose my concern in this affair to Marcian, the most merciful emperor, so that, at his command, those in his area who are adept at computation might make an inquiry as to the day on which this venerable solemnity is to be more correctly celebrated. He replied that 24 April was the day that was decided. So for the sake of unity and peace I have decided to go along with what was determined in the East rather than to be at variance regarding the observance of so great a feast. Consequently you should be well aware that all should celebrate the Lord’s resurrection on 24 April. You are to make your brothers familiar with this, for just as one faith binds us together, so we may celebrate with one feast. [.  .  .]

113-a-14. letter 159. to nicaetus, bishop of aquileia††a Upon his return our son Adeodatus, a deacon of our See, notified us of your request, my dear brother, that from us you receive the authority of the Apostolic See concerning some matters that seem very difficult to decide. [.  .  .] 2844 vi. As to those, concerning whom you also thought we should be consulted, namely, those compelled by fear or who in error repeated their baptism and are now aware that they acted against the discipline of the Catholic faith, moderation is to be observed; only through the remedy of penance and the imposition of the bishop’s hand are they to be received back into the unity of being in communion with us; the length of the penance depends on your judgment, moderation being observed and depending on what you see to be the disposition of the penitents. In this respect 2843

Translated from PL 54:1101–2. a. Written on July 28, 454. †† Translated from PL 54:1136, 1138–39. a. Written on March 21, 458. †

113. Leo I, Pope  125 you must be attentive to old age, sickness, and other perils. If a penitent’s life is in extreme danger, then through the priest’s loving care it is fitting that they be assisted by the grace of Communion. vii. Those who were baptized by heretics and were not previously baptized are to be confirmed by the invocation of the Holy Spirit through the imposition of hands because they have received only the form of baptism, not the strength of its power. As you know, we instruct that this rule be observed in all the churches so that the font, once having been entered, may not be violated by repetition. As the apostle says, “There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism.”1 The washing is not to be dishonored by repeating it but, as we said, only the sanctification of the Holy Spirit is invoked so that what cannot be received from heretics is received from Catholic priests. [.  .  .]

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113-a-15. letter 166. to neo, bishop of ravenna†a i. [.  .  .] We certainly know that an unpardonable outrage has taken place whenever in accord with the practice of the heretics—a practice condemned by the fathers—a person is forced to enter the font twice, a font that is available only once to those who are to be born anew. This is contrary to the teaching of the apostle, which tells us that in the Trinity there is one God, one confession of faith, one mystery of baptism.1 [.  .  .] ii. If it is found that someone was baptized by heretics, then the sacrament of rebirth is in no way to be repeated; only what was lacking is to be given so that through the episcopal imposition of the hand the power of the Holy Spirit is obtained. [.  .  .]

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113-a-16. letter 167. to rusticus, bishop of narbonne††a Question 1. The presbyter or deacon who lies, saying that he is a bishop, and those whom he ordains. Reply. For no reason are any considered to be bishops unless they have been elected by the clergy, desired by the people, and consecrated by the bishops of the province with the approbation of the metropolitan. [.  .  .] If any clerics have been ordained by false bishops in churches having their own bishops and if they were ordained with the consent and approval of their own bishop, the ordination can be considered valid on condition they continue on in their churches. If not, the ordination is considered invalid, being neither linked to a place nor based on any authority. 1. Eph 4:5. † Translated from PL 54:1193–94. a. Written on October 24, 458. 1. See Eph 4:5. †† Translated from PL 54:1203–9. a. Written ca. 458/459.

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126  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West 2849

Question 2. The presbyter or deacon who, when his crime is known, requests public penance. Should it be granted him through the imposition of the hand? Reply. It is foreign to the Church’s tradition that those who have been elevated to the honor of the presbyterate or to the rank of deacon should, for any crime they have committed, be admitted to the remedy of penance through the imposition of the hand. Surely this refusal accords with apostolic tradition, for it is written, “If a priest shall sin, who will pray for him?”1 And so for sinners of this type to obtain God’s mercy, withdrawal to a private place is desirable where their atonement, if fitting, may also be fruitful.

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Question 3. Those who minister at the altar and are married. May they lawfully cohabit with their wives? Reply. The law of continence is the same for ministers at the altar as it is for bishops and presbyters who when they were laymen or readers could lawfully marry and beget children. But having attained these ranks, then what was formerly lawful is no longer permitted. So that their marriage might be spiritual rather than carnal, they are not to put away their wives but rather have them as if they did not have them;2 by so doing they retain the love of their wives while marital relations cease.

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Question 7. The sick who agree to do penance and, once they recover, refuse to do so. Reply. The failure of these is blameworthy, but they are not to be completely abandoned as hopeless. By numerous exhortations they should be urged to carry out faithfully what under necessity they requested. We should not despair of anyone who is still alive since what at times is postponed through the diffidence of youth is accomplished by a more mature judgment.

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Question 8. Concerning those who on the point of death consent to penance and die before being admitted into communion. Reply. Their case is reserved to the judgment of God who was responsible that the death of these be delayed till the remedy of communion. We are unable to be in communion with the dead with whom we were not in communion when they were still alive.

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Question 9. Those who request penance when afflicted with great pain, and when the presbyter comes to give them what they requested, and now that only a little pain remains, they make excuses, saying they do not want to receive what is offered. Reply. This dissimulation cannot derive from any contempt of the remedy but from a fear of subsequently sinning more grievously. Therefore a 1. See Lev 5.  2. See 1 Cor 7:29.

113. Leo I, Pope  127 penance that is postponed so that it may be more zealously sought may not be denied so that the wounded soul may in one way or another attain the medicine of forgiveness. Question 10. Those who promise to do penance and begin to have recourse to the law in the forum. Reply. [.  .  .] If a penitent has a case which perhaps should not be neglected, it is better to appeal to the judgment of the Church rather than to that of the forum.

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Question 11. Those who engage in business while doing or after doing penance. Reply. The nature of what is gained either pardons or condemns those who engage in business since some profits are honest, others are sordid. Indeed it is more profitable for a penitent to suffer a loss than to be involved in the dangers connected with doing business because it is difficult for sin to be absent from dealings between those who sell and those who buy.

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Question 12. Those who return to the military after doing penance. Reply. It is completely contrary to the rules of the Church to return to military service after doing penance since the apostle says, “A soldier” of God “does not involve himself in affairs of the world.”3 Consequently, those who involve themselves in military service are not free from the devil’s snares.

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Question 13. Those who after penance marry or take on concubines. Reply. If a young man, under fear of death or captivity, has done penance and afterwards, fearing that he will succumb to youthful incontinence, chooses to marry in order to avoid committing the serious sin of fornication, he appears to have done something that is less serious provided he has known no woman except his wife. We are establishing no rule here, but something we believe to be more tolerable. For according to a true understanding, nothing is more fitting for one who has done penance than continuing in chastity of both mind and body.

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Question 16. Those who have been abandoned by Christian parents, and whether they are to be baptized if it cannot be determined that they have already been so. Reply. If there is no proof on the part of relatives or family members, clergy or neighbors, that those who are the object of the inquiry were indeed baptized, proceed to have them reborn so that they will not certainly perish: we cannot repeat what is not shown to have been done.

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Question 17. Those who as children were taken captive and have no knowledge of being baptized but know that at times they accompanied

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3. 2 Tim 2:4.

128  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West their parents to church: can or should these be baptized upon their return to Roman territory? Reply. Those capable of remembering that they went to church with their parents can recall whether they received what was given to their parents. But if they cannot remember, then it seems that they should receive what is not known to have been given them since there can be no rash presumption where there is the most observant carefulness. 2860

Question 18. Those who come from Africa or Mauretania and do not know the religious group into which they were baptized. What should be done in regard to these? Reply. These are not ignorant of the fact of their baptism but do not know the faith professed by those who baptized them. Therefore since in one way or another they received the form of baptism, they are not to be baptized, but they become Catholics through the imposition of the hand and through the invocation of the power of the Holy Spirit—something they were unable to obtain from heretics.

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Question 19. Those baptized as infants, taken captive by the pagans, and living with them as pagans. What is to be done when as young people they return to Roman territory and request Communion? Reply. If they only lived among the pagans and ate foods offered to the idols, they can be cleansed by fasting and the imposition of the hand so that henceforth abstaining from idolatry, they may share in the sacraments of Christ. But if they adored idols or were polluted by committing murder or fornication, it is not fitting that they be admitted to Communion without having done public penance.

113-a-17. letter 168. to the bishops throughout campania, samnium, and picenum†ab 2862

i. I am greatly annoyed and deeply saddened that some of you are forgetful of apostolic tradition and are intent upon their own error. They claim the right to baptize not only at Easter and on Pentecost, which is akin to the former, but also on the anniversaries of the martyrs. They celebrate the mysteries of rebirth not because someone is seriously ill but because of their unrestrained license. The deaths of the martyrs are to be honored differently than the Lord’s passion. Without any previous spiritual instruction or preparation they give the sacrament to the ignorant and unlearned in such a way that church doctrine is not imparted; there is no imposition of the hand; there is no fasting through which the old self is destroyed. In regard to such a great mystery of human salvation Translated from PL 54:1209–11. a. Campania, Samnium, and Picenum: ecclesiastical provinces near Rome. b. Written on March 6, 459. †

113. Leo I, Pope  129 there is to be no exception as to the day on which the gift of rebirth takes place. Therefore we warn and publicly testify that those who act in this way do so not without danger to their state. This presumptuous manner of acting is to cease. You are to confer this highest and most powerful gift of God only at Easter and at Pentecost to those who believe and desire it. The only exception is when there exists a grave necessity or a danger that requires assistance; may our human infirmity, intensified by our mortal condition, not be deprived of its necessary release. As we said above, we are to observe only the two feasts, and yet care is to be taken that because of many dangers no priest is to refuse the sacrament of rebirth to those who are very seriously ill, who are under attack by the enemy, or in fear of shipwreck. If after this prohibition anyone is discovered continuing to act in this way, he is to be punished for his obstinacy since he shows himself to be pursuing evil gain rather than the things of religion. ii. [.  .  .] As to penance, what is requested of the faithful is not that the type of sin be written down in a book and proclaimed in public since it suffices that by a secret confession one’s guilty conscience is indicated to priests alone. For even though the fullness of faith may seem to be praiseworthy, which due to fear of God is not afraid to blush before others, yet not all sins are of such a kind that penitents might fear making them public. Therefore this unapproved practice must cease lest many be prevented from the remedies of penance due to shame or fear that what they have done may be disclosed to their enemies who might harm them by the provisions of the law. Sufficient is the confession which is first offered to God and then also to the priest whose task is to pray on account of the sins of the penitents. Only in this way will many be moved to seek penance when the conscience of the one confessing is not made public to the ears of the people. [.  .  .]

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113-B. Sermons Ninety-six of Leo’s sermons, most preached early in his pontificate, are extant and form one of the earliest collections of papal sermons that have come down to us. Divided according to various feasts, seasons, and special occurrences during the year, they are brief, simple, and direct. At an early date they were gathered into collections for liturgical and canonical use.

113-b-1. sermon 6. sermon 1 on the collections†a In many ways the holy Scriptures tell us how great is the merit of almsgiving and how powerful is its efficacy. † Translated from Sermons. Léon le Grand, vol. 2, ed. J. Leclercq and R. Dolle, SChr 49 bis (Paris, 1969) 28–31. a. Sermon given in November 440.

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130  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West 2865

Next Sunday there will be a collection. I exhort and advise you in your holiness that you remember both the poor and yourselves. To the extent of your resources, recognize Christ in the poor; Christ so recommended the poor to us that it is he whom we clothe, support, and feed in them. [.  .  .]

113-b-2. sermon 12. sermon 1 on the fast of december†a iv. In a very special way the practice of religion includes prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. To be sure, it is good to engage in these practices at all times, but they are to be more zealously carried out during this season which we have received from the apostles. December returns to us this ancient custom whereby we might more carefully practice the three works I have just mentioned. Through prayer we seek God’s mercy; through fasting the lust of the flesh is extinguished; through almsgiving sins are redeemed.1 At the same time through all of them God’s image in us is renewed if we are always ready to praise him, if we are constantly attentive to our purification, and if we are always ready to come to the aid of our neighbor. This threefold observance, my brothers and sisters, encloses within it all the fruits of the virtues. Through it we arrive at the image and likeness of God.2 It inseparably joins us to the Holy Spirit. In prayer is maintained true faith; in fasting, innocent life; in almsgiving, goodness of soul. 2867 We will fast, then, on Wednesday and Friday; on Saturday we will keep vigil with the most holy apostle Peter who by his prayers will graciously aid our prayers, our faith, and our almsgiving. [.  .  .] 2866

113-b-3. sermon 13. sermon 2 on the fast of december††a 2868

Since our souls are not saved by fasting alone, may we complete our fast by extending mercy to the poor. May we spend on virtue what we withdraw from pleasure. May the abstinence of the person who fasts be the meal of the person who is poor. [.  .  .]

113-b-4. sermon 16. sermon 5 on the fast of december†††a 2869

ii. My sisters and brothers, although fasting is fitting for all seasons, the present time is especially so. Inspired by God, our holy fathers instituted the December fast. It was their desire that, once all the earth’s fruits had been harvested, a reasonable fast should be consecrated to God and that each person might remember to use the abundance in such a way as to † Translated from Sermons. Léon le Grand, vol. 4, ed. J. Leclercq and R. Dolle, SChr 200 (Paris, 1973) 158–61. a. Sermon given on December 17, 340. 1. See Sir 3:33, LXX; Dan 4:24.  2. See Gen 1:26. †† Translated from SChr 200:158–61. a. Sermon given on December 15, 440. ††† Translated from SChr 200:176–79. a. Sermon given on December 12, 443.

113. Leo I, Pope  131 show more restraint as well as more liberality toward the poor. Prayer for sins is, in fact, most efficacious when it is accompanied by almsgiving and fasting; and prayer upheld by these ascends more quickly to God since it is written, “The merciful do good for themselves,”1 and nothing belongs more to anyone than what is expended for one’s neighbor. Whatever part of a person’s material goods serves the needy is transformed into eternal riches, and from such liberality are born riches that are not diminished by their use, riches no corruption can endanger. “Blessed are the merciful, for God will show mercy to them.”2 And he who is the model of his own command will be their highest reward.3

113-b-5. sermon 18. sermon 7 on the fast of december†a ii. [.  .  .] My brothers and sisters, through the providence of God’s grace are added the holy fasts which on certain days require that they be observed with devotion by the whole Church. If, in fact, it is noble and praiseworthy that each individual member of Christ’s Body be adorned with the accomplishment of personal obligations, it is more noble and holy when the hearts of a people devoted to God come together for a common purpose; and so he [the devil] for whom our salvation is a punishment will be conquered not only by some but also by all in solidarity. This, my brothers and sisters, is why the month of December is being proposed to us; in a certain manner it recalls by reason of the season characterizing it that we are not to allow ourselves to be numbed by the coldness of unfaithfulness but should rather gain strength through the spirit of charity. [.  .  .] iii. [.  .  .] The December fast, occurring in winter, summons us to a mystical farming, which cultivates with spiritual zeal the riches of the harvest, of the vineyards, and of the orchards, by which human weakness is supported; and so the Lord’s field is enriched by what is expended on its behalf, and what he never intended to be without fruit might be even more fertile in its own abundance. Certainly you understand that this refers to the progress of the whole Church, a progress whose germ is found in faith, whose growth is found in hope, and whose maturation is found in charity; for bodily mortification and attentiveness to prayer become truly pure when they are supported by the sanctification of almsgiving. As the Lord says, “Give alms and behold everything will be clean for you.”1

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113-b-6. sermon 19. sermon 8 on the fast of december††a ii. My brothers and sisters, the usefulness of this observance is the major object of the Church’s fasts, which according to the teaching of the 1. Prov 11:17.  2. Matt 5:7.  3. See Luke 6:36. † Translated from SChr 200:204–7. a. Sermon given on December 16, 451. 1. Luke 11:41. †† Translated from SChr 200:210–11. a. Sermon given on December 14, 452.

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132  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West Holy Spirit have been so distributed throughout the year that the law of abstinence is found in each of its seasons. During Lent we celebrate a fast of springtime, at Pentecost a fast of summer, in September a fast of autumn, and during this month, December, a fast of winter; doing so we understand that nothing is free from the divine precepts and that all the elements serve the word of God for our instruction. [.  .  .]

113-b-7. sermon 20. sermon 9 on the december fast†a 2873

iii. [.  .  .] May the privations of the faithful nourish the poor; may whatever we deny ourselves profit the needy. Even though frugality is a remedy that greatly benefits soul and body, the fasts themselves perhaps have little effect if they are not sanctified by performing works of mercy. In almsgiving is found a baptismal quality, for “just as water extinguishes fire, this is what almsgiving does for sin.”1 Likewise does the same Spirit say, “Wash, be pure.”2 Also, “Give alms and everything will be clean for you.”3 This is said in order that there be no doubt that the purity of rebirth can be recovered after many sins if we strive to purify ourselves by means of almsgiving.

113-b-8. sermon 22. sermon 2 on christmas††a iii. My brothers and sisters, let us give thanks to God our Father, through his Son, and in the Holy Spirit. Let us give thanks to him who in his great mercy loved us and took pity on us, who “even when we were dead in our sins made us alive with Christ,”1 doing so that we might become a new being, a new creation in him. May we then “put off the old self with its practices.”2 And being sharers in the divine nature, let us renounce the doings of the flesh. Christian, remember your dignity. Since you share in the divine nature, do not fall back into your former sordid lifestyle. Remember your head and to whose Body you belong. Recall that you have been taken from the power of darkness and placed in the light and kingdom of God. Through baptism you have been made a temple of the Holy Spirit. 2875 vi. [.  .  .] May the same tempter not seduce you anew by any of his ruses, and may he not spoil the joys proper to this feast by his clever lies, for he plays games with simple souls with the deadly belief held by some that today’s solemnity appears to obtain its dignity not so much from Christ’s birth but rather—as they say—from the rising of the “new sun.” 2874

Translated from SChr 200:224–25. a. Sermon given in 445 or later. 1. Sir 3:30, LXX.  2. Isa 1:16.  3. Luke 11:41. †† Translated from Sermons. Léon le Grand, vol. 2, ed. J. Leclercq and R. Dolle, SChr 22 bis (Paris, 1964) 80–81, 90–94. a. Sermon given on December 25, 441. 1. Eph 2:5.  2. Col 3:9. †

113. Leo I, Pope  133 Their hearts being covered with a vast darkness, these people remain strangers to all progress of the true light3 since they are still being led by the most stupid errors of paganism. Unable to lift the eyes of their spirit above what they see with their bodily eyes, they worship as divine the luminaries which were created to serve the world. [.  .  .]

113-b-9. sermon 25. sermon 5 on christmas†a v. [.  .  .] This is why the Lord Jesus—alone among the children of men— was born innocent, the only person conceived without the stain of bodily concupiscence. He became one of us so that we might be able to share in the divine nature.1 In the font of baptism he placed the source of the life he assumed in the womb of the Virgin; he gave the water what he had given to his mother, namely, the power of the Most High and the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit2 whereby Mary brought a Savior into the world, whereby water gives new life to the believer. [.  .  .]

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113-b-10. sermon 26. sermon 6 on christmas††a ii. [.  .  .] Today’s feast renews for us the holy origins of Jesus, who was born of the Virgin Mary. As we adore the birth of our Savior, we find ourselves at the same time celebrating our own origins. The birth of Christ is the beginning of the Christian people, and the anniversary of the birth of the Head is the anniversary of the birth of his Body. Even though each person is in turn called and even though all the Church’s children differ one from the other down through the ages, nevertheless, just as all the faithful born from the baptismal font have been crucified with Christ in his passion, have risen in his resurrection, and have been placed at the right hand of the Father through his ascension, so in this nativity we are also born with him. Every believer, no matter where in the world, who has been reborn in Christ and who breaks with the old way of life, is changed by being reborn as a new person.1 [.  .  .]

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113-b-11. sermon 27. sermon 7 on christmas†††a iv. [.  .  .] When the sun rises at the very beginning of daybreak, some people are so foolish as to adore the sun from the peaks of the highest places. The same is true of Christians who believe they are acting 3. See Eph 4:18. † Translated from SChr 22 bis:132–33. a. Sermon given in 444. 1. See 2 Pet 1:4.  2. See Luke 1:35. †† Translated from SChr 22 bis:138–39. a. Sermon given on December 25, 450. 1. See Col 3:10; 2 Cor 5:17. ††† Translated from SChr 22 bis:156–59. a. Sermon given on December 25, 451.

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134  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West religiously by following this practice, so that before entering the basilica of the blessed apostle Peter, which is dedicated to the one living and true God, and after having ascended the steps leading to the upper court, they turn to face the rising sun, lowering their heads and bowing toward the radiant circle. 2879 This manner of acting, partly due to ignorance and partly resulting from the spirit of paganism, greatly disturbs and bothers us. Even though it happens that some people honor the Creator of this light more than the light itself, a light that is created, nonetheless it is necessary to refrain from even giving the appearance of bestowing such honor; if those coming from the cult of the gods see us doing this, then will they not return to this part of their former practice, believing it to be acceptable since they see this being common to both Christians and the godless? 2880 v. May the faithful reject this damnable perversity and take care not to mix the honor due to God alone with the rites of those who are slaves to created things. [.  .  .]

113-b-12. sermon 41. sermon 3 on lent†a 2881

i. My sisters and brothers, indeed at all times we are to live in a wise and holy manner. We are to direct our desires and actions to what we know pleases divine justice. However, as the days approach which the sacraments of our salvation have made brighter for us, we should take greater care to purify our hearts and to exercise more zealously the discipline of virtue. Since these mysteries are greater than any one of them individually, so our devotion should in some way surpass what we have customarily been doing; the greater the feast, the more adorned should be those celebrating it. In fact, if it appears reasonable and somewhat religious to appear on feastdays wearing more attractive clothing and demonstrating the joy of the spirit by adorning the body, and if we also take greater care, as far as we are able, to decorate the very house of prayer with more attentive care and fuller ritual, is it not fitting for the Christian soul, which is God’s true and living temple, to prepare its appearance prudently, and when it is to celebrate the mystery of its redemption, to jealously take care that no stain of injustice cloud the soul, that no wrinkle of duplicity defile it? [.  .  .]

113-b-13. sermon 43. sermon 5 on lent††a 2882

iii. Beloved, when should we more fittingly hasten to the divine remedies than when the divine mysteries are brought to us by the very return Translated from Sermons. Léon le Grand, vol. 2, ed. J. Leclercq and R. Dolle, SChr 49 bis (Paris, 1969) 90–93. a. Sermon given on February 21, 443. †† Translated from SChr 49 bis:122–23. a. Sermon given on February 25, 445. †

113. Leo I, Pope  135 of the seasons? So that we may celebrate them more worthily, it will be highly beneficial for us to prepare ourselves by a fast of forty days. The help given by such a holy practice is not only useful and necessary for those who by means of the rebirth of baptism will pass to new life through the mystery of Christ’s death and resurrection; it is also advantageous for all who have already been reborn. The former have need of it so that they might receive what they do not yet possess; the latter to conserve what they have already received. [.  .  .]

113-b-14. sermon 44. sermon 6 on lent†a 2883 i. [.  .  .] The return of the days that are especially marked by the mystery of human restoration, days that immediately precede the paschal feast, commands us to prepare ourselves more carefully by a religious purification. Surely at any period of time numerous people lead innocent lives; indeed there are many who by their customary good deeds please God. Yet we should not so trust the integrity of our conscience so as to believe that human frailty, in the midst of the scandals and temptations surrounding it, can encounter nothing harmful. [.  .  .] The purpose of the paschal feast is that the whole Church may enjoy the forgiveness of sins, a forgiveness occurring not only in those who were reborn through holy baptism but also in those who are long numbered among God’s adopted children. Although it is principally the washing of rebirth that makes us new,1 yet all of us must daily renew ourselves, doing so in order to remedy the flaws inherent in our human condition. In addition, there are none who cannot always make progress on the road of perfection. Also, all are to strive so that on the day of redemption none will find themselves in their former sins. 2884 ii. Beloved, what each Christian is to do at all times we should now carry out with even greater faith and devotion; and so may we fulfill this apostolic obligation by fasting for forty days, not only reducing the amount we eat but especially abstaining from sin. In fact, since this mortification is intended to remove the kindling of bodily desires, no kind of abstinence is more to be practiced than that abstinence by which we will always be free from unlawful desires and be fasting from dishonorable actions. Such devotion does not exclude the sick nor leave out the weak, for even in a feeble and useless body the integrity of the soul may be found. [.  .  .] To these reasonable and holy fasts nothing is more usefully added than 2885 the works of almsgiving. Under the one name of mercy are found many praiseworthy acts of goodness thanks to which, despite unequal means, the souls of the faithful can all be equal. [.  .  .]

Translated from SChr 49 bis:128–33. a. Sermon given on February 25, 451. 1. See Eph 4:24; Col 3:10. †

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113-b-15. sermon 47. sermon 9 on lent†a 2886

i. My brothers and sisters, we know that among all the Christian solemnities the paschal sacrament is the major one. That we may observe it worthily and fittingly is why we arrange the institutions of the whole year. Yet the present days demand, and most greatly so, our devotion since we know that they are very close to this infinitely divine sacrament of divine mercy. Taking place during these days are the major fasts that have rightly been enjoined by the holy apostles through the teaching of the Holy Spirit so that through a common sharing in the cross of Christ we might also share in what he did for us, for as the apostle says, “If we suffer with him, we will also be glorified with him.”1

113-b-16. sermon 48. sermon 10 on lent††a i. Among all the days of the year honored in various ways by Christian piety there is nothing, my brothers and sisters, that surpasses in excellence the paschal feast which consecrates the dignity of all the solemnities of the Church of God. Yes, even the Lord’s birth from a mother was pointed toward this sacrament; God’s Son had no other reason for being born other than to be nailed to a cross. In the Virgin’s womb our mortal flesh was assumed; in this mortal flesh took place the economy of the passion; and thus the ineffable design of God’s mercy brought it about that he became for us the sacrifice of redemption, the abolition of sin, and the beginning of rising unto eternal life. If we recall what the whole world received through the Lord’s cross, 2888 we will acknowledge that it is right to prepare ourselves for celebrating the Pasch by a fast of forty days so that we may participate worthily in the divine mysteries. It is not only the highest bishops or the priests of the second order or only the ministers of the sacraments but the whole body of the Church, all the faithful, who should purify themselves of every stain so that God’s temple, whose foundation is its very founder, might be made magnificent in all its stones and radiant in all its parts. [.  .  .] iv. And so, my dear brothers and sisters, whereas all times are good 2889 for practicing the works of charity, yet the present days invite us to do so in a special way: if we desire to celebrate the Lord’s Pasch with a sanctified body and soul, let us strive above all to acquire this grace which contains all virtues and covers a multitude of sins.1 Since we are about to observe the greatest of all mysteries by which Christ’s blood has 2887

Translated from SChr 49 bis:160–63. a. Sermon given on February 21, 454. 1. Rom 8:17. †† Translated from SChr 49 bis:170–71, 176–79. a. Sermon given on March 13, 455. 1. See 1 Pet 4:8. †

113. Leo I, Pope  137 destroyed our sins, let us first of all prepare sacrifices of mercy.2 What we have already received from God’s goodness may we in turn grant to those who have sinned against us. May injuries be forgotten, may faults not be punished, and may the offenses of our subordinates not fear punishment. May no one be imprisoned, and may the accused cease to groan in their dark cells. If any should hold others guilty of some crime, may they not forget that they themselves are sinners. If they desire to receive mercy, then they should rejoice that they have found those to whom they might show mercy. When we say, as the Lord taught us, “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us,”3 we do not doubt that we have received divine mercy according to the measure formulated by our prayer. 2890 v. Our generosity must now be more generously extended toward the poor and toward those afflicted by various disabilities; in this way thanks is returned to God by the voices of many,4 and the nourishment of the poor supports our fasts. No act of devotion done by the faithful is more pleasing to the Lord than what is showered on the poor; where God finds merciful care, there God recognizes the image of divine goodness.5 [.  .  .]

113-b-17. sermon 49. sermon 11 on lent†a vi. [.  .  .] May Christians as they distribute alms and care for the poor grow fat while fasting; what each of us takes from our own delights should be expended on behalf of the weak and needy. May this be done so that all praise God with one voice. Those who give should know that they are ministers of the divine mercy, the mercy that has placed the fate of the poor in the hands of the one who gives. The sins that are cleansed by the waters of baptism or by the tears of penance are also wiped away by almsgiving, for Scripture says, “Just as water quenches fire, so almsgiving extinguishes sin.”1 [.  .  .]

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113-b-18. sermon 50. sermon 12 on lent††a i. My dear brothers and sisters, the paschal solemnity is approaching. At hand is the customary fast that precedes it, the fast we are to observe throughout forty days for the sanctification of our bodies and souls. This feast is, in fact, the greatest of all the feasts we will observe. Consequently we should prepare ourselves by this fast so that we might die with him in his passion so as to rise with him in his resurrection. [.  .  .] 2. See Heb 13:16.  3. Matt 6:12.  4. See 2 Cor 9:12.  5. See Luke 6:36. † Translated from SChr 49 bis:190–93. a. Sermon given on February 17, 457. 1. Sir 3:29. †† Translated from SChr 49 bis:192–95. a. Sermon given on March 9, 458.

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113-b-19. sermon 63. sermon 12 on the passion†a vi. All that the Son of God did and taught1 for the reconciliation of the world we know not only by an historical account of what he once did, but we also experience its effect in the power of what he is now doing. It is he, born of the Virgin Mary through the Holy Spirit, who makes fecund his pure Church by the same Spirit. In this way the birth of baptism brings forth an untold multitude of God’s children. [.  .  .] When we renounce the devil and believe in God, when we pass from old life to new life,2 when we put off the image of an earthly creature to take on the form of a heavenly person,3 a type of death and a certain likeness of the resurrection occur: those who are received by Christ and those who receive Christ are no longer after the bath what they were before baptism; the body of the person who has been reborn becomes the flesh of the Crucified. vii. [.  .  .] Once the leaven of the old evil has been thrown out, the new 2894 creature is inebriated and nourished from the Lord. Sharing in the Lord’s Body and Blood does nothing else but that we become what we receive, and we carry everywhere, in body and in spirit, him in whom and with whom we have died, have been buried, and have risen. [.  .  .] 2893

113-b-20. sermon 64. sermon 13 on the passion of the lord††a 2895

i. My dear brothers and sisters, certainly at all times the mystery of the Lord’s passion and resurrection occupies the thoughts of Christians. No observance in our religion fails to celebrate the reconciliation of the world as well as the elevation of human nature in Christ. But the whole Church should now work hard, doing so with a greater understanding, and should be inflamed with more glowing hope when these great realities are manifested by the return of these most holy days and in the pages of the Gospel of truth. In this way the Lord’s Pasch is not only remembered as a past event but is honored as something present.

113-b-21. sermon 70. sermon 19 on the passion of the lord†††a 2896

iv. My dear brothers and sisters, for us to be inseparably joined to this mystery, we must make the greatest effort of soul and body since, if it would be very sinful to neglect the paschal feast, it would be even more perilous to be a member of the Church’s assembly and yet not share in the Lord’s passion. As the Lord said, “Whoever does not take up his cross and † Translated from Sermons. Léon le Grand, vol. 3, ed. J. Leclercq and R. Dolle, SChr 74 (Paris, 1961) 158–63. a. Sermon given on March 19 (Wednesday of Holy Week) in 452. 1. See Acts 1:1.  2. See Rom 7:6.  3. See 1 Cor 15:49. †† Translated from SChr 74:162–65. a. Sermon given on April 5 (Palm Sunday) in 453. ††† Translated from SChr 74:234–37. a. Sermon given on April 2 (Good Friday) in 443.

113. Leo I, Pope  139 follow me is not worthy of me.”1 And as the apostle says, “If you suffer with me you will reign with me.”2 Now who honors the Christ who suffered, died, and rose except those who have suffered, died, and risen with him? And for all the children of the Church this begins with the very mystery of rebirth where death to sin is life for those who have been reborn, and where the triple immersion is the image of the three days the Lord was dead; and once the rock in front of the tomb was in some way removed, the waters of baptism brought forth as new those whom the font received into its womb as old. Nevertheless, what is celebrated in mystery must be completed through deeds. Those born of the Holy Spirit should not pass whatever time they have in the world without taking up the cross. [.  .  .]

113-b-22. sermon 75. sermon 1 on pentecost†a 2897 i. My dear brothers and sisters, the hearts of all Catholics know that today’s solemnity is to be honored as one of our principal feasts. No doubt exists as to the great reverence we should show to this day which the Holy Spirit has consecrated by the most wonderful miracle of the gift of the Spirit itself. Today is, in fact, the tenth day after the day on which our Lord ascended above the highest heavens to sit at the right hand of God his Father. Additionally, it is the fiftieth day after the resurrection of the same Lord who, for our benefit, enlightened us regarding him from whom light began. [.  .  .] 2898 v. [.  .  .] My dear brothers and sisters, together let us rouse ourselves to venerate Pentecost and to rejoice in honor of the Holy Spirit who sanctifies the whole Catholic Church and who fills every rational soul. The Holy Spirit is the inspirer of faith, the teacher of knowledge, the source of love, the seal of chastity, the source of all strength. May the hearts of the faithful rejoice that throughout the whole world one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is praised and confessed in all languages, and that the sign, which appeared under the form of fire, continues to exist in deed and as a gift. It is, in fact, this same Spirit of truth who has the dwelling place of its glory shine with the brightness of its light and who permits nothing that is dark or tepid to exist within its temple. The Spirit’s strength and teaching give the power of purification to our fasting and almsgiving. This venerable day will be followed by a most wholesome custom which all the holy ones have always experienced as being most useful. With the care of a shepherd we urge you to celebrate this diligently so that if in the course of the past days we have contracted any stain due to carelessness or negligence, the discipline of the fast will correct it, and pious devotion will erase it. Let us fast on Wednesday and Friday; on Saturday may we again gather here to keep vigil with our accustomed devotion. [.  .  .]

1. Matt 10:38.  2. Rom 8:17 and 2 Tim 2:12. † Translated from SChr 74:286, 294–97. a. Sermon given on May 23, 443.

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113-b-23. sermon 78. sermon 1 on the fast of pentecost†a 2899

i. My dear brothers and sisters, today’s feast, a feast consecrated by the descent of the Holy Spirit, is followed by a solemn fast. With the utmost of enthusiasm we are to observe this fast as a wholesome practice for healing both body and soul. The apostles were filled with the strength that was promised to them1 because the Spirit of truth had entered their hearts. We do not doubt that among all the mysteries of the heavenly teaching, the apostles from the very beginning took this discipline of spiritual abstinence from the teaching of the Paraclete so that souls sanctified by fasting might be rendered more fitting to receive the gifts that would be conferred on them. [.  .  .]

113-b-24. sermon 91. sermon 6 on the fast of september††a 2900

iii. My dear brothers and sisters, may this profession of faith spring from the bottom of your hearts; through it reject the impious arguments of the heretics so that your fasting and almsgiving may not be soiled by any contamination of error; in fact, our sacrificial offering is pure, and the generosity inspired by mercy is holy when those who perform works of mercy understand what they are doing. Since the Lord said, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and unless you drink his blood you will not have life in you,”1 so should you participate at the Holy Table, in no way doubting the reality [veritas] of Christ’s Body and Blood. In fact, what a person receives in the mouth is what is believed by faith. It is useless for those who dispute against what they receive to answer “Amen.” [.  .  .] 11 4 . M a x i m u s o f T u r i n

Almost nothing is known of the life of this bishop of Turin other than that he died during the reign of Honorius and Theodosius the Younger, thus sometime between 409 and 428. Formerly this Maximus was mistakenly identified with a later Maximus who attended the Synod of Milan (451) and that of Rome (465). CPL nos. 220–26b * Altaner (1961) 545–46 * Altaner (1966) 458–59 * Bardenhewer (1913) 4:610–13 * Bardenhewer (1910) 455–56 * Bardenhewer (1908) 527–28 * Labriolle (1947) 2:666–68 * Quasten 4:574–75 * Steidle 160 * Tixeront 279 * CATH 8:1006 * CE 10:81 * DCB 3:881–82 * DictSp 10:852–56 * DPAC 2:2176–79 * DTC 10.1:464–66 * EC 8:311–12 * EEC 1:548–49 * EEChr 2:743–44 * LTK 7:13 * NCE 9:516 * NCES 9:378–79 * ODCC 1061 * PEA (1991) 7:1080–81 * TRE 22:304–7 † Translated from Sermons. Léon le Grand, vol. 4, ed. J. Leclercq and R. Dolle, SChr 200 (Paris, 1973) 126–27. a. Sermon given on May 11, 441. 1. See Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8. †† Translated from SChr 200 (Paris, 1973) 126–27. a. Sermon given in September 453. 1. John 6:53.

114. Maximus of Turin  141 C. Callewaert, “Le carême à Turin au Ve siècle d’après s. Maxime,” RB 32 (1920) 132–44; repr. in Sacris erudiri: fragmenta .  .  ., (Steenbrugge, 1940) 516–28. * F.R. Montgomery, “The ‘Explanatio Symboli ad Initiandos’ Compared with Rufinus and Maximus of Turin,” JThSt 47 (1946) 58–69. * A. Mutzenbecher, “Der Festinhalt von Weihnachten und Epiphanie in den echten Sermones des Maximus Taurinensis,” SP 5, TU 80 (Berlin, 1962) 109–16. * I. Biffi, “Della predicazione pasquale di s. Massimo di Torino: testi e commenti,” Amb 40 (1964) 131–39. * I. Biffi, “La Cinquantina pasquale nella predicazione di s. Massimo: testi e commenti,” Amb 40 (1964) 324–33. * I. Biffi, “Teologia e spiritualità del ‘dies beatissimae epyfaniae’ in s. Massimo di Torino,” Amb 40 (1964) 517–44. * I. Biffi, “Tempo temi e spiritualità quaresimale nei sermoni autentici di s. Massimo di Torino,” Amb 41 (1965) 129–58. * M. Pellegrino, “La tipologia battesimale in s. Massimo di Torino: l’incontro con la Samaritana e le nozze di Cana,” Rivista de storia e letteratura religiosa 1 (1965) 260–68. * I. Biffi, “I temi della predicazione natalizia di s. Massimo di Torino,” Amb 42 (1966) 23–47. * P. Visentin, “‘Christus ipse est sacramentum’ in s. Massimo di Torino,” in Miscellanea G. Lercaro, vol. 2 (Rome, 1967) 27–51. * G. Rossetto, “La testimonianza liturgica di Massimo I, voscovo di Torino,” Ricerche storiche sulla Chiesa Ambrosiana, vol. 1 (Milan, 1970) 158–203. * A. Saenz, “La celebración de los misterios en los sermones de s. Maximo de Turin,” diss. (Buenos Aires, 1970). * A. Fitzgerald, “The Relationship of Maximus of Turin to Rome and Milan: A Study of Penance and Pardon,” Aug 27 (1987) 465–86. * M. Modemann, Die Taufe in den Predigten des hl. Maximus v. Turin, European University Studies, Series XXIII, Theology 537 (Frankfurt and New York, 1995). * R. Etaix, “Catéchèse inédite sur Ephpheta,” REAug 42 (1996) 65–70.

114-A. Sermons Of the numerous sermons attributed to Maximus, some one hundred are generally considered to be authentic. They are short (perhaps extracts from longer works), popular, pastorally oriented, and offer a good insight into the religious culture and liturgy of Turin during the late fourth and early fifth centuries.

114-a-1. sermon 13. on the grace of baptism† ii. And so, my brothers and sisters, we are to be washed in the same spring in which Christ was washed so that we might become what Christ was. With all due respect for the faith, allow me to say that even though both baptisms are the Lord’s, nonetheless I believe that the baptism by which we are washed is more pleasing than that by which the Savior was washed. Christ celebrates the former, John the latter; the Savior invites us in the former, in the latter the teacher makes excuses for himself; in the former the Trinity is perfect, in the latter righteousness is incomplete; in the former a sinner comes and then departs as a holy person, in the latter a holy person comes and a holy person departs; in the former sins are Translated from Collectionem Sermonum Antiquam Nonnullis Extravagantibus Adiectis Maximi Episcopi Tauriensis, ed. A. Mutzenbecher, CCL 23 (Turnhout, 1962) 51. †

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142  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West forgiven by a mystery, in the latter a blessing is given to the mysteries. My brothers and sisters, we should therefore be baptized in the same spring as was the Savior. But to be immersed in the same spring, we need not look toward the east or toward a river in Jewish lands. Christ is now everywhere, the Jordan is everywhere. The same consecration that sanctified the rivers of the East now sanctifies those of the West. And so even though a river is perhaps named differently here in our world, nonetheless, it contains the mystery of the Jordan.

114-a-2. sermon 13a. on the holy epiphany† 2902

iii. Today, therefore, Christ is baptized in the Jordan. Now what type of baptism is this where the one who is immersed is cleaner than the spring? Where the water that washes the person who enters it does not become dirty but is honored with blessings? What kind of baptism is that of the Savior, I ask, in which the waters are more purified than purifying? By a new type of sanctification the water does not so much wash Christ as the water itself is washed. When the Savior was immersed in water, by the mystery of baptism he consecrated the movement of all the streams and the channels of all the springs so that those wishing to be baptized in the name of the Lord are not made clean by the waters of the world but are purified by the waters of Christ. The Savior wished to be baptized not to be made clean but to cleanse the waters for us.

114-a-3. sermon 22a. on almsgiving†† 2903

iii. [.  .  .] In a marvelous way does the water of Christ at one and the same time give life and extinguish life. It gives life to souls and quenches sins; by the refreshment of its bath it renews souls; by the movement of the water it consumes sins. As to the higher grace of baptism, the mystery is celebrated in heaven above whereas gehenna is extinguished below; here waters flow, there fire cools; here a person is immersed in the spring, there one is set free from the regions below. Yet there is nothing wonderful in the fact that hell is opened in the sacrament of baptism since in baptism heaven also is opened.1 These places are opened so that freedom and grace might come together in the bath of Christ, in grace from heaven, in freedom from hell. Freedom is granted to those who will rise, grace to those who will reign; the former are torn away from punishment, the latter are raised unto glory; those who were slaves of sin become children of righteousness, those who were held by the difficulties of the world look upon the beauties of paradise. Therefore in the baptism of Christ both heaven and hell are opened; heaven so that the Holy Spirit might come, hell so

Translated from CCL 23:45–46. Translated from CCL 23:88–89. 1. See Matt 3:16. †

††

114. Maximus of Turin  143 that the mercy of the Savior might visit us. Life is brought down from heaven, death is destroyed in hell. Just as almsgiving extinguishes sins, so the waters of baptism quench the fires of hell. iv. Therefore almsgiving is in a certain way a bath of the soul so that if anyone should fail after baptism due to human weakness, he or she can again be made clean, in this case by almsgiving, for as the Lord says, “Give alms and behold all things are clean for you.”2 With all due respect for the faith, I might say that almsgiving is more forgiving than baptism. Baptism is conferred only once and promises forgiveness only once; almsgiving, however, as often as it occurs, so often does it promise forgiveness. These are the two springs of mercy that give life and forgive sin. Those who use each will be adorned with the honor of the heavenly kingdom; those who approach the streams of mercy after having soiled the living spring will themselves obtain mercy.

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114-a-4. sermon 35. on the fast: at the beginning of lent† iii. [.  .  .] This precept of his is first, namely, that during these forty days we direct our attention to fasting, prayer, and vigils. By fasting bodily licentiousness is punished, by prayer the devout soul is fed, by vigils the snares of the devil are repulsed. When during these days we obey such precepts, then the soul, purged and wearied by so many observances, comes to baptism and is refreshed by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Whatever the fever of various illnesses has dried up in the soul is steeped in the moisture of heavenly grace so that, laying aside the corruption of the old self, it acquires the character of new youth. In a wonderful way and in one and the same person holiness follows sin, righteousness follows iniquity, infancy follows old age; by a new type of birth the sinner is reborn. iv. By fasting continuously for a period of forty days and forty nights,1 Elijah merited to extinguish the prolonged and severe dryness2 of the whole world,3 doing so with a stream of rain and steeping the earth’s dryness with the bounty of water from heaven. We know that this was done as a figure of ourselves4 so that we, also fasting a total of forty days, might merit the spiritual rain of baptism. In this way and for the benefit of our brothers and sisters, a shower from heaven might pour down upon the dry earth of the whole world, and the abundant waters of the saving bath might saturate the lengthy drought of the Gentiles. Whoever is not washed by the grace of baptism suffers aridity and burning of the soul. By a fast of forty days and nights5 Moses merited to speak with God,6 to stand and remain with God, and to receive God’s commandments. For 2. Luke 11:41. † Translated from CCL 23:137–39. 1. See 1 Kgs 19:8.  2. See 1 Kgs 17:1.  3. See 1 Kgs 18:41–46.  4. See 1 Cor 10:6.  5. See Exod 24:18.  6. See Exod 31:18.

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144  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West although Moses’ human condition did not allow him to see God, the grace of fasting allowed him to be close to the Divinity. When we fast often, part of God’s power dwells in us since it is God himself who fasts. God is more friendly, intimate, and affable toward the person in whom God has seen more of his works, for as Scripture says, “And Moses spoke with God face to face like speaking to his friend.”7 The Lord Jesus Christ also, when he was about to possess the glory of the resurrection, consecrated his virtues by a fast of forty days and nights in order to show that not bread but the commandments give us life. And so by the fast of forty days God is reconciled, the heavens as well as the depths are opened. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, during this season let us fast continually and devoutly so that the Lord may be appeased by us, that the heavens may be opened to us, and that hell may not prevail.8

114-a-5. sermon 36. a sequel to “be not dissolute during the time of fasting”† ii. My brothers and sisters, do you believe that they are actually fasting, they who at daybreak fail to keep watch in church, who do not eagerly seek out the shrines of the holy martyrs, but who after rising gather their slaves, prepare their nets, bring out their dogs, and head for the forests and the woodlands? They drag along the slaves, who perhaps were on their way to church, and so they add the sins of others to their own delights, not realizing that they will be held guilty not only of their own offenses but also of the ruin of their slaves. They spend the whole day hunting, at one time emitting an unbridled cry, at another time quietly calling for silence; happy if they have captured something, irritated if they are deprived of what they could not have. With great eagerness they carry on as if the hunt were a public fast. My brothers and sisters, tell me what worship of God, what devotion of the soul, can there be in those who fast not to have time for God and for prayer but to pass the whole day, idle and lazy, in pursuing their own illicit desires! You, my brothers, however much you act in this way, you return home in the evening, take food at sunset, and so appear to have eaten rather late in the day. Yet you have not fasted for the sake of the Lord. You cannot think that the Lord’s will is done by following your own will, for he desires that we fast both from food and from sin. We value abstinence for the body so that the soul may more completely abstain from vices since a weakened body is a brake for a dissolute soul. Those who fast and sin appear to be accumulating food and not contributing to their own salvation; they seem to be replenishing their pantries with food, not to be nourishing their souls with the practice of virtues. 2908 iii. Some, however, are so forgetful of the divine precepts that they so rule it over their slaves and subjects that during these days they do not 2907

7. Exod 33:11.  8. See Matt 16:18. † Translated from CCL 23:141–43.

114. Maximus of Turin  145 hesitate to scourge, beat, and shackle them. Perhaps a server at table is somewhat late in arriving; immediately they wound him with their blows and satisfy themselves with his blood before enjoying the meal. Such is the fast of those who do so not to call down God’s mercy but send forth the cry of a household moaning in pain. All who want to be deserving of God’s mercy must be the first to show mercy. As is written, “For the measure with which you measure will be measured back to you.”1 What is even sadder, these days even a Christian master does not refrain from injuring a Christian slave, paying little attention to the fact that even though these people are slaves by reason of their condition of life, they are our brothers and sisters by reason of grace. They also have clothed themselves with Christ.2 They share the same sacraments. They have the same God and Father as you do. Then why are you not their brothers and sisters? There are many who, on returning from the hunt, take better care of their dogs than they do of their slaves. They have their hounds lie down or sleep beside them; they feed them each day, and yet care not whether their slaves die from hunger. And what is more serious, if food has not been diligently prepared for them, a slave is killed instead of a dog. In some households you see healthy and fat dogs running about, but the people you meet are pale and weak. Will those who show the least mercy toward their own households ever show mercy toward the poor? iv. My brothers and sisters, we should, therefore, know that the fast pleasing to God is the one whereby we not only punish our bodies through abstinence but also clothe our souls with humility. May we be kind to our slaves, be friendly to strangers, and be merciful to the poor. Rising at dawn, let us hasten to church, give thanks to God, request pardon for our offenses, seek forgiveness for past sins and protection against future ones. May our whole day be devoted to constant prayer or reading. Those who do not know how to read should seek out a holy man and find nourishment by conversing with him. May the things of the world not impede those of God. May no game of chance divert our minds. May taking pleasure in dogs not seduce our understanding of things. May turning a profit in business dealings not subvert our souls with avarice. Whenever you do something other than what God commands, even though you abstain, you are not fasting. The fast that saves is this: just as the body refrains from food, so the soul refrains from vices. My brothers and sisters, there is something I should also mention if our fast is to be perfect: we who during this time abstain and eat little are to give our food to the poor. It is true righteousness if when you are hungry, you fill another with your food, if you, while fasting, beseech the Lord because of your sins, and if the person whose hunger has been satisfied pleads on your behalf. Both profit you: your hunger and the replenishment of the poor. Those who fast in such a way that nothing is given to the poor from their own table give 1. Luke 6:38.  2. See Gal 3:27.

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146  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West the appearance of having themselves benefited from the fast; by economizing they have transacted a piece of business. [.  .  .]

114-a-6. sermon 44. on pentecost† i. My brothers and sisters, your holiness should know why we are observing this holy day of Pentecost, why there is a continuous and unbroken festival of fifty days, why throughout this entire season no fast is called for, and why we do not prostrate when imploring God but, as is customary on the Lord’s Day, stand when we festively celebrate the Lord’s resurrection. We consider Sunday to be venerable and solemn because on this day the Savior, like the rising sun that has dispersed the darkness below, shined forth with the light of his resurrection. For this reason people on earth call Sunday the “day of the sun” because the risen Christ, the sun of justice,1 illuminates it. Therefore the whole span of fifty days is celebrated like Sunday, and all these days are considered to be Sundays because the resurrection is Sunday. The Savior, rising on Sunday, returned to the people, remaining with them for a full fifty days after the resurrection. And thus where holiness is equal, so must festivity be equal. For the Lord arranged it that just as we grieve over his suffering with a fast of forty days, so we rejoice over his resurrection with a celebration of fifty days. 2911 ii. Thus we do not fast during Quinquagesima because on these days the Lord dwells among us. We do not fast, I say, when the Lord is present because he himself says, “Can you have the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is still with them?”2 Why is the body to refrain from food when the soul is filled with the presence of the Lord? Those who fast cannot be refreshed by the Savior’s grace; for the company of Christ is, as it were, a certain type of food for Christians. [.  .  .] 2912 iv. Let us therefore rejoice on this holy day just as we rejoiced at the Pasch. On each day the solemnity is one and the same. At the Pasch all the pagans are ordinarily baptized; on Pentecost the apostles were baptized, as the Lord said to his disciples shortly before ascending into heaven, “John baptized with water; you, however, will be baptized with the Holy Spirit whom you will receive within a few days.”3 [.  .  .] 2910

114-a-7. sermon 50. on the fast and on the holy quadragesima†† 2913

i. My brothers and sisters, some Christians believe that they obey the divine precepts by not observing Quadragesima, a season we begin today. Instead, they observe Quinquagesima and thereby deceive themselves since this is not commanded by the divine writings nor handed down by the authority of the ancients. They act in this way by an obstinacy of the spirit, and while they think they are behaving more religiously, they are Translated from CCL 23:178–80. 1. See Mal 3:20.  2. Luke 5:34.  3. Acts 1:5. †† Translated from CCL 23:197–99. †

114. Maximus of Turin  147 living more superstitiously. Those who are scarcely capable of observing Quadragesima say they are observing Quinquagesima. Certainly it is good to fast at all times, but it is better to fast with Christ during Quadragesima, which the Lord by his own fast consecrated for us.1 Notice that I said “fast” and not “fasts” since for the Lord there was only one fast because he took no food whatever during a continuous period of forty days and forty nights. Therefore Christians who do not fast during these hallowed forty days will be charged with incompetence and stubbornness since by eating they violate a law given by God for our salvation. Whoever does not follow the example of the Lord’s fast breaks the law. Now what kind of Christian are you when you eat while the Lord is fasting? What kind of a Christian are you when you feed yourself while Christ is going hungry? He suffered hunger for your salvation. And you fear fasting for your sins? Tell me—I am asking those of you who eat during Quadragesima—do you not have guilty consciences since when all the people are abstaining, you alone eat, doing so contrary to the Lord’s command? Are you not ashamed to appear in public where someone who is fasting may happen to meet you? Or when you go to church, do you not reflect on how you will extend the peace to the bishop lest the very odor of your kiss condemn you? Now if you do not think about these things, then perhaps you have erred very greatly. You should know that when during Quadragesima a person who has eaten encounters someone who is fasting, the one who is fasting does not kindly judge the other. And so I say this: I hear that many—worse yet, even some of faithful—abstain every other week during Quadragesima, thereby violating that sacred number of days by the intemperance of gluttony, that is, by eating on seven consecutive days and fasting for seven days. This is what I have to say to them. Why do you deceive yourselves by fasting throughout those seven days since such a fast avails nothing? For even if a person abstains on certain days, even though a person does not eat more delectable food, nonetheless, the fast of Quadragesima is not credited to those who do not observe a forty day fast. I blush to say that elderly men and women observe the Quadragesima fast, whereas the rich and the young do not. May we most carefully celebrate this holy time; may no day pass without our fasting; may not a single week pass without our keeping vigil. Quadragesima is kept by those who advance toward the Pasch by fasting and by keeping vigil. For just as fasting during the rest of the year merits a reward, so failure to fast during Quadragesima is a sin. The former fasts are voluntary, the latter are necessary; the former come from our free will, the latter from the law; we are invited to the former, we must observe the latter. ii. Let us now consider the origin of the most sacred number “forty.” First, we read in the Old Testament that at the time of Noah, when the whole human race was seized by impious wickedness, streams of water 1. See Matt 4:2.

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148  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West poured down for this number of days from the open floodgates of heaven.2 By a certain mystery of Quadragesima this downpour over the whole world does not so much refer to a flood as it does to baptism. Clearly it is through baptism that evil is taken away from sinners and that Noah’s righteousness is retained. Therefore the Lord has given us Quadragesima as the equivalent of that time so that, once we have kept this number of days, heaven will be opened and its rain of mercy might come down upon us; through baptism the water of the saving flood might enlighten us, and—as was done at that time—that the evil of sin might be extinguished in us by the flood of the water, and that the righteousness of virtues might be retained. What we understand as taking place at the time of Noah also occurs today. For a sinner baptism is the flood; for a believer it is a consecration. [.  .  .] 2915 iii. Let us also consider whether we can find this mystical number of forty elsewhere in the Scriptures. We read that blessed Moses for a period of forty years fed the children of Israel in the desert with heavenly manna. Therefore good is the number that always opens heaven. Good, I say, is the number through which Noah’s righteousness is retained and the children of Israel are fed. Thus we observe this number so that heaven will be opened for us, so that the rain of spiritual grace might wash us, and so that the manna of the spiritual sacraments might refresh us. Imitating our ancestors, we are justified and nourished by this observance of Quadragesima: we are justified by the washing, we are nourished by the sacraments. [.  .  .]

114-a-8. sermon 54. a sequel “on the holy pasch”† 2916

i. Beloved, God has given us a wonderful gift on this salutary paschal day, a day when the risen Lord offers resurrection to all. Ascending from the depths to the heights, in his body he raised us up from what is below to what is above. According to the apostle, as Christians we are all Christ’s Body and members.1 When Christ rose, all his members had to rise with him. When passing from what is below to what is above, Christ took care that we also would pass from death to life.2 The Hebrew word pascha means “passage” [transitus] or “progress” [profectus] since in this mystery there is a passage from what is worse to what is better. And so it is good to pass from sin to righteousness, from vice to virtue, from old age to infancy. [.  .  .]

114-a-9. sermon 55. a sequel “on the holy pasch”†† 2917

i. [.  .  .] It is a certain type of renewal to cease being what you were and to take upon yourself what you once had been. Renewal, I say, is why 2. See Gen 7:17–20. † Translated from CCL 23:218. 1. See 1 Cor 12:27.  2. See John 5:24. †† Translated from CCL 23:221.

114. Maximus of Turin  149 they are called neophytes since by a certain newness they have thrown away the sins of the past and have put on the grace of simplicity, for as the apostle says, “Stripping off the old self with its practices, clothe yourselves with the new self which is created according to God.”1 And also blessed David says, “May your youth be renewed like the eagle’s.”2 [.  .  .] Our recently baptized neophytes have put aside their former clothing as eagles [do their plumage] and have put on the clothing of holiness. [.  .  .]

114-a-10. sermon 63. on the calends of january† 2918 i. Beloved, I have no small grievance against you. I have in mind those who, after celebrating the Lord’s nativity with us, give themselves over to the feasts of the pagans; after sharing in the heavenly banquet they prepare for themselves a meal of superstition so that those who formerly were rejoicing with holiness are afterwards drunk with deceit, forgetting that those who wish to rule with Christ cannot rejoice with the world, forgetting that those who desire to attain righteousness must reject dissipation. The business of eternal life is one thing, the hopelessness of worldly licentiousness is another. We ascend to the former in virtue, we descend to the latter in destruction. And so those who desire to share in divine things are not to frequent the company of idols since the lot of idols is to intoxicate the mind through wine, to enlarge the stomach through food, to distort the limbs through dancing, and to be so taken up with evil actions that one is forced to neglect the very existence of God. Here is what the holy apostle, foreseeing all this, says: “What partnership is there between righteousness and iniquity? Or what fellowship exists between light and darkness? Or what partnership is there between a believer and an unbeliever? What agreement does God’s temple have with idols?”1 Therefore if we are God’s temple,2 then why is the festival of idols celebrated in God’s temple? Why do gluttony, drunkenness, and licentiousness inhabit the place where Christ dwells, a place of abstinence, temperance, and chastity? The Savior says, “No one can serve two masters, namely, God and mammon.”3 2919 ii. How, then, can you religiously observe the epiphany of the Lord when you have expended the greatest effort in most devoutly celebrating the calends of Janus? Janus was a human being, the founder of a city which is called Janiculum,a in whose honor the calends of January have been named. And so whoever celebrates the calends of January commits sin because divine worship is given to a dead man. This is why the apostle says, “You observe days and months and seasons and years; I fear that I have labored among you in vain.”4 Those who observe a day and a month

1. Col 3:9–10.  2. Ps 103:5. † Translated from CCL 23:266–67. a. See Virgil’s Aeneid 8:357ff. 1. 2 Cor 6:14–16.  2. See 2 Cor 6:16.  3. Matt 6:24.  4. Gal 4:10–11.

150  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West are those who on these days either have not fasted or did not go to church. Those who observed a day yesterday did not go to church but went to a field of recreation. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, may we most zealously reject the festivities and feasts of the pagans so that when they celebrate and make merry, we at that time might be sober and fasting, thus having them realize that their rejoicing is condemned by our abstinence.

114-a-11. sermon 67. a sequel “on quadragesima”† i. Last year we frequently explained the reason for the holy Quadragesima, which begins today; often did we give instruction as to why we fast for so many days. We said that the Lord Jesus Christ consecrated this same number of days by a fast; by not taking any food during this continuous period of days and nights,1 he established one period of fasting; although the pattern of the day was broken by night’s arrival, the pattern of the fast was not broken. Consequently with the Lord there were many moments of time but one day of abstinence. This shows us that we should fast for the full number of days in such a way that since we are unable to carry out the whole Quadragesima by an uninterrupted and single fast, we celebrate the season by an uninterrupted series of daily fasts. If someone should neglect to abstain on any one day, that person has violated Quadragesima as a whole and forfeits the fruit of great labor because food was eaten throughout a short length of time. 2921 ii. But someone says, “Often enough we have heard why we are to observe Quadragesima. Frequently we have been told that the Lord consecrated it. But we want to know why Quadragesima has forty-two days.”a In the Old Testament we read that when blessed Moses brought forth the children of Israel from under the yoke of the Egyptian captivity in order to lead them into the Promised Land, he arrived there in stages of forty-two days.2 He took possession of that land by the same number whereby we come to enjoy what the Savior has promised us. It was, I say, by the same number of stages that Moses obtained a place of rest, the same number by which we through our fasting hasten toward heaven. [.  .  .] 2922 iii. By a period of forty-two days the people of Israel came to the waters of the Jordan; by the same number the Christian people arrive at the waters of baptism. As the prophet says, “The Jordan turned back.”3 At that time when the Israelites entered the water of the river, the water evaded them; now for those who descend into the spring, the sins of their crimes are dispersed. There the river, which was wonderfully turned back, returns to its source; here those who have been called back are restored to the infancy of their origins. There the water seeks the source from which it 2920

Translated from CCL 23:280–81. a. At this time Quadragesima extended for a full six weeks, including Friday and Saturday of Holy Week as also being days of fast. 1. See Matt 4:2.  2. See Num 33:1–49.  3. Ps 114:3. †

115. Gelasius, Pope  151 came forth; here innocence recognizes the person from whom it departed. There the stream-bed is emptied of its waters; here hearts are emptied of their sins. There the muddy water does not wash the servants of God; here a soiled conscience does not defile the servants of God. The Jordan is, as it were, a bath through which pass those who leave their sins behind and enter the paradise that has been promised. And so in this number of fortytwo the people of Israel, leaving Egypt, pass through the waves of the Red Sea. In this number we also, departing the Egypt of this world, pass through the tepid waters of a burning gehenna. [.  .  .]

114-a-12. sermon 73. a sequel “on fearing spiritual rather than bodily enemies and on thanking god after meals”† 2923 iv. When evening brings day to a close, we should praise God through the Psalter. We should sing God’s praises in a well-modulated and pleasant voice so that, the struggle of our daily labor having ended, we as victors might merit rest, and the forgetfulness occasioned by sleep might be, as it were, the victory brought about by our toil. My brothers and sisters, not only by reason are we taught this, but we are also reminded by example. For when dawn produces the light of day, do we not notice that the smallest birds in the bedchambers of their nests sound forth with various sweet melodies since they cannot do so by speaking? Do we not notice how each bird, being unable to talk, makes an offering by means of a melody so that it believes it has more religiously given thanks the more sweetly it has expressed itself? And does it not do the same once day has ended? [.  .  .] v. Is there anyone who would not blush to close the day without praying 2924 the psalms since the birds themselves give pleasure by the sweetness of the Psalter? Is there anyone who would not, with the delight of its verses, glorify him whom the birds praise with their melodious song? Therefore, my brothers and sisters, imitate these tiny birds by giving thanks to the Creator both day and night; and if you are more pious, imitate the nightingale which is not content with singing praise only during the day but spends the whole night in watchful song. Therefore, mastering the day by your praises, add your nightly activity to your toil and ease the sleepless labor of the work you have undertaken with a series of psalms. [.  .  .]

11 5 . G e l a s i u s , P o p e

Generally considered among the foremost popes of the fifth century, Gelasius, bishop of Rome from 492 to 496 and perhaps of African descent, was a strong advocate of the Roman See, teaching, for example, that even episcopal synods were subject to papal authority. He wrote or took other action against numerous heresies, and formulated the doctrine that religious †

Translated from CCL 23:306–7.

152  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West and civil power were both divinely instituted, the former, however, being of higher rank. Many of this pope’s letters or decretals, either completely or in part, have survived in addition to several theological tracts. However, the Decretum Gelasianum de libris recipiendis et non recipiendis as well as the Gelasian Sacramentary, once attributed to Gelasius, are no longer considered his. CPL nos. 1667ff. * Altaner (1961) 551–52 * Altaner (1966) 462–63 * Bardenhewer (1908) 620–22 * Bardenhewer (1910) 535–36 * Bardenhewer (1913) 4:625–29 * Bautz 2:197–99 * Steidle 148–49 * CATH 4:1801–3 * CE 6:406 * DACL 13.1:1212 * DCB 2:617–20 * DDC 5:940–45 * DHGE 20:283–94 * DPAC 2:1440–41 * DTC 6.1:1179–80 * EC 5:1980–83 * EEC 1:339 * EEChr 1:455 * LTK 4:401–2 * NCE 6:315–16 * NCES 6:121–23 * ODCC 658 * PEA (1894) 7.1:966–68 B. Capelle, “Le ‘Kyrie’ de la messe et le pape Gélase,” RB 46 (1934) 126–44; repr. in Travaux liturgiques, vol. 2 (Louvain, 1962) 116–34. * B. Capelle, “Le Pape Gélase et la messe romaine,” RHE 35 (1939) 22–34; repr. in Travaux liturgiques, vol. 2 (Louvain, 1962) 135–45. * C. Callewaert, “Les étapes de l’histoire du ‘Kyrie’: S. Gélase, s. Benoît, s. Grégoire,” RHE 38 (1942) 20–45. * B. Capelle, “Messes du pape S. Gélase dans le sacramentaire léonien,” RB 56 (1945–46) 12–41; repr. in Travaux liturgiques, vol. 2 (Louvain, 1962) 19–115. * J. Brinktrine, “Der Vollzieher der Eucharistie nach dem Brief des Papstes Gelasius († 496) an den Bischof Elpidius von Volterra,” in Miscellanea Liturgica in Honorem L. Cuniberti Mohlberg, vol. 2 (Rome, 1949) 61–69. * B. Capelle, “L’oeuvre liturgique de S. Gélase,” JThSt 2 (1951) 129–44; repr. in Travaux liturgiques, vol. 2 (Louvain, 1962) 146–60. * B. Capelle, “Retouches Gélasiennes dans le sacramentaire léonien,” RB 61 (1951) 129–44; repr. in Travaux liturgiques, vol. 2 (Louvain, 1962) 146–60. * C. Coebergh, “Le Pape Saint Gélase Ier autour de plusiers messes et préfaces du soi-disant sacramentaire léonien,” SE 4 (1952) 46–102. * A.W.J. Holleman, Pope Gelasius I and the Lupercalia (Amsterdam, 1974). * P. De Clerck, La “Prière Universelles” dans les liturgies latines anciennes, LwQF 62 (1977) 166–87.

115-A. Letters At least forty-three letters and numerous fragments of letters written by Gelasius have come down to us, a surprising number considering the relative brevity of his pontificate. Most deal with either heretical doctrines or practical matters of church discipline.

115-a-1. letter 14. to all the bishops of lucania, brutius, and sicily† 4. New basilicas are not to be dedicated unless the Holy See has granted its permission. [.  .  .] 2926 6. Presbyters are forbidden to exceed their boundaries. They are not to assume to themselves what belongs to the episcopal rank. They are not to 2925

† Translated from Epistolae Romanorum Pontificum, ed. A. Thiel (Bamberg, 1868) 365ff.

115. Gelasius, Pope  153 confect the chrism; they are not to apply the signation given by the bishop. When a bishop is not present or unless enjoined to do so, they are not to presume permission to provide prayers or the sacred action. Nor when the bishop is present should the presbyter, unless otherwise instructed, presume to sit [before him?] or to carry out [tractare] the sacred mysteries. The presbyter is to remember that without the permission of the Holy See [summo pontifice] he has no authority to make deacons or acolytes. [.  .  .] 7. We also decree that deacons are to observe their proper limits. They are to do only what the ancient canons assign to them; their service is to include nothing that antiquity has properly assigned to the higher orders. Without the bishop or the priest they are not to baptize unless extreme necessity requires when the aforementioned ministers are far distant. Deacons may do what lay Christians commonly do. 8. Deacons are not to sit in the presbyterium at the time of the divine services or when church affairs are being discussed. They do not have the privilege of distributing the holy Body except when a bishop or presbyter is not present. [.  .  .] 10. The venerable sacrament of baptism is to be celebrated on the feast of the Pasch and on Pentecost. It is not to be transferred to any other day except at a time of serious illness, a time when there is a danger that the sick person may depart this life without this saving remedy. 11. Bishops are not to ordain presbyters and deacons except at certain seasons and on certain days: namely, during the feasts of the fourth, seventh, and tenth months; also at the beginning of Lent and on the middle Saturday [mediana die] of Lent, doing so after the Saturday fast and in the evening. [.  .  .] 12. As to virgins devoted to God, the holy veil is to be given on Epiphany, during Eastertide, or on the feasts of the apostles. As is true for baptism, the exception concerns those requesting it when afflicted by a serious illness. In this case the veil is not to be denied so that they not depart this world without this gift. 26. It has disturbed us to hear that disrespect for sacred things has reached such a point that even women are allowed to serve [ministrare] at the sacred altars and that an incompetent sex deals with all that has been entrusted to the service of men only.

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115-a-2. letter 37. to majorieus and john† ii. We have learned, however, that some in the same region, having taken only a portion of the sacred Body, abstain from the Blood contained in the holy cup. Since I do not know which superstitiona motivates them, they are either to receive the entire sacraments or are to refrain from them

Translated from Epistolae, ed. A. Thiel, 451–52. a. The Manichaeans? †

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154  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West altogether because it is not possible to divide one and the same mystery. Indeed to do so would make one guilty of a very great sacrilege. [.  .  .]

115-a-3. fragment 7. to bishop elpidius of voltera† 2934

ii. [.  .  .] For how [in the celebration of the divine mysteries] will the heavenly Spirit, who has been invoked, come to consecrate the divine mysteries if the priest, who prays that the Spirit be present, is in all respects guilty of sinful actions?

115-a-4. letter against the lupercalia††a 2935

ix. This is why after these blasphemies, professed openly and in public, you are to abstain completely from the sacred Body. In fact, you are not to participate at the table of the Lord and at the table of the demons. You are not to drink from the cup of the Lord and from the cup of demons.1 You cannot be God’s temple and that of the devil. Light and darkness cannot coexist in you. [.  .  .]

115-B. Tract on the Two Natures in Christ††† This treatise, written against Eutyches and Nestorius, argues that Christ’s human nature was not absorbed into his divine nature. 2936

xiv. To be sure, the sacraments we receive are the divine reality [res] because through them we share in the divine nature. However, the substance and nature of the bread and wine do not cease to be. Certainly the image and likeness of Christ’s Body and Blood are celebrated in the action of the mysteries.

115-C. The “Deprecatio Gelasii”††††a This litanic prayer, in the fifth century prayed toward the beginning of the Roman Mass, is generally attributed to Gelasius. Although different in construction, it supplicates for many of the same people mentioned in the Solemn Prayers found in the Roman Good Friday liturgy. Translated from Epistolae, ed. A. Thiel, 486. Translated from Lettre contra les lupercales .  .  ., ed. G. Pomarès, SChr 65 (Paris, 1959) 168–69. a. This letter, written to the Roman senator Andromachus, disapproves of the Lupercalia, a pagan feast still celebrated in fifth-century Christian Rome on February 25. 1. See 1 Cor 10:20. ††† Translated from PLS 3:773. †††† Translated from G.G. Willis, Essays in Early Roman Liturgy, Alcuin Club Collections 46 (London, 1964) 22–24. a. The text within + + would have been sung by a schola, the people responding with the Greek Kyrie eleison. †

††

115. Gelasius, Pope  155 a. Let all say: Lord, hear us and have mercy. b. For the faithful we call upon the Father of the Only-Begotten, and the Son of God who begets, and God the Holy Spirit. Kyrie eleison. 1. For the stainless Church of the living God, the Church established throughout the whole world + we request the riches of divine goodness. + Kyrie eleison. 2. For the holy priests of the powerful God, for those who serve at the sacred altar, and for all who worship the true God + we pray to Christ the Lord. + Kyrie eleison. 3. For all who rightly preach the word of truth + we especially request the diverse wisdom of God’s word. + Kyrie eleison. 4. For those who live chastely in mind and body for the kingdom of God and who engage in spiritual labor + we request abundant spiritual gifts. + Kyrie eleison. 5. For pious rulers and all their attendants, who love justice and right judgment + we implore the power of the Lord. + Kyrie eleison. 6. For agreeable weather, for suitable rain, for gentle and refreshing winds, and for a favorable change of the seasons + we entreat the Lord, the ruler of the world. + Kyrie eleison. 7. For those who have begun to learn what it means to bear the Christian name, those whom the desire for heavenly grace already inflames + we implore the mercy of the omnipotent God. + Kyrie eleison. 8. For those afflicted by the weakness of human infirmity and for those engulfed by a desire for spiritual evil or by the various errors of the world + we beseech the mercy of our Redeemer. + Kyrie eleison. 9. For those disquieted by the necessity of traveling and for those oppressed by the power of evil or hostility + we pray to our Lord and Savior. + Kyrie eleison. 10. For * * * Jewish deception or by heretical perversity, for those steeped in pagan superstition

* * * It seems that a word is missing here.

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+ we entreat the Lord of truth. + Kyrie eleison. 11. For those engaged in godly works and for all who by fraternal love assist those suffering hardships + we entreat the Lord of mercies. + Kyrie eleison. 12. For all who enter these halls of the Lord’s holy house, that they may assemble with pious hearts and suppliant devotion + we entreat the Lord of glory. + Kyrie eleison. 13. For the cleansing of our souls and bodies and for the forgiveness of all sins + we pray to the most loving Lord. + Kyrie eleison. 14. For the souls of the faithful departed, especially the souls of the Lord’s holy priests who here presided over the Catholic Church, that they may obtain rest + we entreat the Lord of spirits and the judge of all flesh. + Kyrie eleison. 15. A body that brings death to vices and a soul alive with faith + Grant us, O Lord, grant us. + 16. Chaste fear and true love + Grant us, O Lord, grant us. + 17. A pleasing way of life and a happy death + Grant us, O Lord, grant us. + 18. The angel of peace and the consolation of the saints + Grant us, O Lord, grant us. + Ourselves and all we have, all that through the Lord comes to be and matures— these we receive, for he is their source; these we hold fast since he is their guardian; these we commend to his merciful and provident judgment. Lord, have mercy.

115-D. Tract “Ne Forte” on the Bond of the Anathema† The Novatians, refusing to grant reconciliation to those guilty of serious sin, appealed to Matthew 12:32 to support their practice. In this theological treatise Gelasius refutes the Novatian position. 2956

[.  .  .] We must understand what the beloved apostle John said: “There is a sin unto death. I do not say that one should pray for this. And there is a sin not unto death. I do say that one should pray for this.”1 There is a sin Translated from PL 59:105. 1. 1 John 5:16, 17. †

116. Synods  157 unto death for those who remain in the same sin. There is a sin not unto death for those who leave behind this sin. Certainly there is no sin for which either the Church does not beg forgiveness or from which it cannot by the divine power given it loose those doing penance. To the Church it was said, “Whatsoever you loose upon earth will be loosed in heaven; and whatsoever you bind upon earth will be bound in heaven.”2 All sins are included in the “whatsoever,” no matter how numerous they may be, no matter how great they may be. Nonetheless, the statement remains true: those who continue to sin will not be loosed [from their sins]. [.  .  .] 11 6 . S y n o d s

116-A. Synod of Rome (ca. 400?)† A series of canons, drafted by a Roman synod in answer to questions posed by the Gallican bishops, has come down to us under the title of Canones ad Gallos Episcopos. The document’s date remains uncertain, being placed as late as the pontificate of Innocent I (401–17) and as early as that of Damasus (366–84). Hefele (1905) 2.1:136–37 * Hefele (1871) 2:428–30 * DPAC 2:3024 C.Chr. Babut, La plus ancienne décrétale (Paris, 1904).

Canon 10. At Easter time the presbyter and the deacon are accustomed to grant the forgiveness of sins throughout the parishes, even when a bishop is present. Serving him, they go down into the font but everything is done in his name. At other times when the demands of illness require each one to follow [a different procedure?], the presbyter especially is allowed to grant the remission of sins through the grace of the saving water because he can offer this benefit for the sake of cleansing. However, no permission to do this is given to the deacon; but what was once done—said to be excused by reason of necessity—is not to be repeated afterwards as if it were lawful. Canon 11. As to whether the exorcised oil should be conferred on just a few days or on many days,a this is of less concern than is the meaning of the oil. Who will be cleansed by the sufficiency of one’s own faith? Just as chrism poured upon the headb imparts its grace to the whole body, likewise whoever is scrutinized at the third scrutiny is touched with the oil only once, not often, and so God acts upon that person’s whole life. 2. Matt 18:18. † Canons translated from Mansi 3:1137. a. See Mâcon II (585) can. 3 (WEC 4:4653). b. See Elvira (ca. 300) can. 77 (WEC 2:1294); Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 48 (WEC 2:1994); Toledo I (400?) can. 20 (WEC 3:3172); Orange I (441) can. 2 (WEC 3:3124); Braga II (572) can. 4 (WEC 4:4757).

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116-B. Synod of Rome (488)† The Church in Africa was persecuted at the hands of the Arian Vandals under King Hunneric. When hostilities ceased in 484, the question arose of how to reconcile those who compromised the faith or were forcibly rebaptized by the heretics. A Roman synod in 488, consisting of thirty-eight bishops under the presidency of Pope Felix III (483–92), established a procedure for readmission. The regulations were subsequently published in a synodal letter, which is contained in a collection of this pontiff’s writings. Hefele (1905) 2.2:934–35 * Hefele (1871) 4:38–41 * DCA 2:1815 * DPAC 2:3024

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Letter 7 Canon 3. As to clerics and monks, God’s virgins and the laity, we decree that what the Synod of Nicaea determined should be followed regarding those who lapsed or were about to do so, those who without any necessity or fear or danger impiously handed themselves over to the heretics to be baptized. If they wholeheartedly repent, they are to spend three years among the hearers; for seven years they are to be among the penitents where they will receive the imposition of the priest’s hands; for two years they will not present any offerings, but they can join the laity in prayer only.a May those who had no fear of denying God have no problems with bending their necks before God. Since we are mortal and if the time of death should occur within the boundary of the present time, help is to be given to those requesting it; Viaticum is not to be denied to those asking for it, either by the bishop who imposed the penance, by someone who has proof that penance was imposed, or by a presbyter.b 1 1 7 . I n s c r i p t i o n . L at e r a n B a p t i s t e ry † †

In the fifth century the baptistery at the Lateran Basilica was renovated under Pope Sixtus III (432–40), a project containing the following inscription. Canon translated from PL 58:925–26. a. See Elvira (ca. 300) can. 1 (WEC 2:1270); Ancyra (314) cans. 1–12 (WEC 2:1422–30); Nicaea I (325) cans. 8, 11, 14 (WEC 2:1449, 1451, 1454); Valence (374) can. 3 (WEC 2:1225); Arles II (between 442 and 506) cans. 10–11 (WEC 3:3141–42); Epaon (517) can. 29 (WEC 4:4584). b. See Elvira (ca. 300) cans. 1, 6, 7, 37, 47 (WEC 2:1270–72, 1284, 1290); Ancyra (314) cans. 16, 22 (WEC 2:1432, 1435); Nicaea I (325) can. 13 (WEC 2:1453); Statuta (5th c.) cans. 20–21 (WEC 3:3077–78); Orange I (441) can. 3 (WEC 3:3125); Vaison (442) can. 2 (WEC 3:3137); Arles II (between 442 and 506) can. 28 (WEC 3:3149); Agde (506) can. 15 (WEC 4:4552); Epaon (517) can. 36 (WEC 4:4587); Orleans III (538) cans. 6, 28 (WEC 4:4605, 4609); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 82 (WEC 4:4699); Gerunda (517) can. 9 (WEC 4:4722); Barcelona I (ca. 540) can. 9 (WEC 4:4732). †† Translation from P.A. Underwood, “The Fountain of Life in Manuscripts of the Gospels,” in Dumbarton Oaks Papers 5 (Cambridge, MA, 1950) 55; as reprinted †

118. John Cassian  159 The city, a people to be consecrated, here springs into being from fruitful seed: which the Spirit brings forth from impregnated waters. Be dipped in the sacred stream, O sinner called to purity: whom the water will receive old, but bring forth new. There is no distinction among those born again, whom one font, one Spirit, one faith make one. From her virginal womb Mother Church gives birth in the stream to her children, whom she conceives through the breath of God. Wouldst thou be pure, cleanse thyself in this bath whether thou art oppressed by original sin or by thine own guilt. This is the fountain of life, which purges the whole world, taking its course from the wound of Christ. Hope for the Kingdom of Heaven, ye who are reborn in this font; the blessed life does not accept those who are born only once. Let not the number or the kind of his sins frighten anyone; born of this stream he will be holy.

Gaul 11 8 . J o h n C a s s i a n

John Cassian, certainly among the most notable writers of early fifthcentury Gaul, was born ca. 360 in the Roman province of Scythia Minor (modern Dobrudgia, on the Black Sea, in Romania). While still a youth he went to Bethlehem, where he became a member of a monastic community. With his good friend, Germanus, he then set off ca. 385 for Egypt to study that area’s monastic practices, visiting various religious centers, e.g., the monks at Scetis. We find him in Constantinople ca. 404, where he was ordained a deacon by John Chrysostom (WEC 2:74). He journeyed to Rome with a letter pleading for Pope Innocent I’s (WEC 3:108) intervention on behalf of Chrysostom, who was being persecuted at that time. Ordained a priest in Rome, Cassian became friends with the future Pope Leo I (WEC 3:113). Taking up residence in Marseilles ca. 415, he established two monasteries, one for men (Saint Victor), the other for women (Saint Salvator). Cassian, who died between 430 and 435, is venerated as a saint in the East as well as in the city of Marseilles. CPL nos. 512ff. * Altaner (1961) 537–40 * Altaner (1966) 452–54 * Bardenhewer (1908) 515–18 * Bardenhewer (1913) 4:558–65 * Bardy (1930) 162–63 * Bautz 1:951–53 * Hamell 158 * Jurgens 3:197–201 * Labriolle (1947) 2:645–49 * Labriolle (1968) in S.A. Stauffer, On Baptismal Fonts: Ancient and Modern, Alcuin/GROW Liturgical Study 29–30 (Bramcote, Nottingham, 1994) 20.

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160  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West 423–24 * Quasten 4:512–23 * Steidle 191–92 * Tixeront 272–74 * CATH 2:616–17 * CE 3:404–5 * CHECL 378–79 * DACL 2.2:2348–57 * DCB 1:414–16 * DHGE 11:1319–48, 26:1082–84 * DictSp 2:214–76 * DPAC 1:614–16 * DTC 2.2:1823–29 * EC 3:1001–4 * EEC 1:149 * EEChr 1:219 * LTK 5:1016–17 * NCE 3:181–83 * NCES 3:205–96 * ODCC 295 * PEA (1894) 3.2:1668–69 * PEA (1991) 2.1003–4 * TRE 7:650–57 O. Heiming, “Zum monastischen Offizium von Kassianus bis Kolumbanus,” ALW 7 (1961–62) 89–156. * J. Mateos, “L’office monastique à la fin du IVe siècle,” OC 47 (1963) 53–86. * O. Rousseau, “La prière des moines au temps de Jean Cassien,” in La prière des heures, ed. E. Cassien and B. Botte, LO 35 (Paris, 1963) 117–38. * M. Ruiz Jurando, “La penitencia en los Padres del desierto según Cassiano,” Manresa 35 (1963) 187–202. * M.J. Jennett, “A Descriptive Presentation on John Cassian and His Treatise on Prayer: The Relationship of Virtue and Prayer,” diss. (Rome, 1981). * R. Taft, The Liturgy of the Hours in East and West: The Origins of the Divine Office and Its Meaning for Today (Collegeville, 1986) 62–63, 76–77, 95–101, 193–204, 207–9.

118-A. Conferences† Shortly after 420 Cassian began a work containing a series of twenty-four conferences (the Collationes Patrum) or conversations drafted in question and answer form with certain distinguished solitaires and in a sequence following his own travels in Egypt. If his Institutes focus on external observance, the Conferences discuss the inner life of the monk. Conference XIII is noted for Cassian’s explanation, against Augustine, of the interaction between grace and free will, the former’s position later becoming known as Semipelagianism. X.ii. In Egypt we find an ancient tradition. After the Epiphany which, according to the priests there, is the anniversary both of the Lord’s baptism as well as of his birth in the flesh—this being why such a double mystery is not for them, as in the West, the object of two different solemnities but of only one and the same feast—the bishop of Alexandria sends letters to all the churches of the area, to the cities and monasteries, so that everyone will know the date when Lent begins and thus when Easter is celebrated. 2962 XX.viii. Other than the grace of baptism, other than the very precious gift of martyrdom which is obtained by the shedding of blood, there are still numerous fruits of penance that can obtain for us the remission of sins. In fact, eternal salvation is not only promised to those who do penance [in the canonical sense of the word] and of whom the blessed Apostle Paul speaks, “Do penance, convert so that your sins may be removed,”1 as well as John the Baptist and the Lord himself: “Do penance, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”2 2961

† Translated from Conferences, vol. 2, ed. E. Pichery, SChr 54 (Paris, 1958) 75ff.; vol. 3, SChr 64 (Paris, 1959) 167–68. 1. Acts 3:19.  2. Matt 3:2.

118. John Cassian  161 Charity also overcomes the weight of our sins: “Love covers a multitude of sins.”3 Likewise, almsgiving is a remedy for our sins since “just as water extinguishes fire, so almsgiving washes away sins.”4 Similarly, abundant tears obtain the purification of sins: “Each night I wash my bed, with my tears I water my couch.”5 Then the psalmist adds to show that he does not weep in vain: “Depart from me all you evildoers, for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.”6 Also, absolution is granted when sins are confessed: “I said that I will confess my sin, and you, Lord, will absolve the iniquity of my heart.”7 Also, “Declare your sin first so that you may be justified.”8 Affliction of the heart and body also obtains the remission of the sins we have committed, for it is written, “Look upon my lowliness and my labor, and forgive me all my sins.”9 Amending one’s life also obtains the remission of sins: “Remove your evil from my sight! Cease doing evil! Learn to do good; seek what is just; assist the oppressed; show justice to the orphan; defend the widow. Come, then, and discuss, says the Lord. Though your sins were as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they were as red as crimson, they will become as white as wool.”10 Sometimes our sins are forgiven through the intercession of the saints: “If you see a brother or sister committing a sin that is not unto death, you will ask and give such a one life.”11 Also, “Are any among you sick? Let them call the elders of the Church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up. If any have committed sins, they will be forgiven them.”12 At times it is by the gift of charity and faith that the stains of sin are washed away: “By mercy and faith sins are removed.”13 By converting our neighbor and by leading our neighbor to salvation through our warnings and exhortations, we also merit pardon: “Those who bring back sinners from their sins will save their own soul from death and will cover over a multitude of sins.”14 Last, it is by forgiving and forgetting the wrongs done to us that we will obtain the forgiveness of our sins: “Indeed, if you forgive others their trespasses, the heavenly Father will also pardon you.”15 And so you see, then, how great an access to the Lord’s compassion has been opened to us for forgiveness so that no sinner, desiring salvation, will give in to despair since so many remedies call us to life. XXI.xix. Germanus: Why do we relax the severity of our fast during the Fifty Days [namely, the Easter season] by taking our meal in the middle of 3. 1 Pet 4:8.  4. Sir 3:29.  5. Ps 6:7.  6. Ps 6:9.  7. Ps 32:5.  8. Isa 43:26.  9. Ps 25:18.  10. Isa 1:16–18.  11. 1 John 5:16.  12. Jas 5:14–15.  13. Prov 15:27, LXX.  14. Jas 5:20.  15. Matt 6:14.

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the day whereas the Lord, after his resurrection, only remained forty days with his disciples? XXI.xx. Your question is pertinent and deserves to be answered fully. After our Savior’s ascension, which occurred forty days after his resurrection, the apostles were returning from the Mount of Olives. It was here that they were allowed to see him ascending to his Father as the Book of Acts relates. Returning to Jerusalem, for ten days they awaited the coming of the Holy Spirit. Afterwards, namely on the fiftieth day, they received the Spirit with joy. And so the number made holy by the present feast was evidently completed. We see the same prefigured in the Old Testament. When seven weeks had gone by, the priests were to offer the bread of the first fruits to the Lord. But this bread of the first fruits was surely offered to God by the preaching of the apostles to the crowd on this day; this was the bread of the new doctrine that nourished and abundantly satisfied five thousand people and consecrated the Christian people to the Lord as the first fruits taken from among the Jews. For this reason these ten days should be united with the first forty and celebrated with the same solemnity and with equal joy. The tradition of this feast has been handed down to us by the Christians of the apostolic age. Our task is to remain faithful, changing nothing. And so we do not prostrate or kneel for prayer during these days, such postures being those of penance and sorrow. In this way it can also be seen that we accord the very same solemnity to Sunday, the day on which our elders instructed us neither to fast nor to kneel, thereby showing honor to the Lord’s resurrection. XXVIII.xxi. Although we acknowledge our sinfulness, still we should not refrain from receiving the Lord in Communion. With more and more eagerness we should hasten to Communion so as to heal our souls and purify our spirits, seeking rather a remedy for our wounds with humility of mind and faith, and yet considering ourselves unworthy to receive such a great grace. Otherwise, we cannot worthily receive Communion even once a year as do certain monks who so regard the dignity, holiness, and value of the heavenly sacraments as to think that only saints and sinless ones should venture to receive them. They do not believe that the sacraments make us holy and pure by our sharing in them. And so when they finally do receive the sacraments, they consider themselves to be worthy of them; thus their presumption and arrogance are greater than what they desire to avoid. It is much better to receive Communion every Sunday to heal our infirmities, doing so with that humility of heart whereby we believe and confess that we can never touch those holy mysteries worthily. It is better to receive every Sunday rather than be puffed up by a foolish persuasion of the heart and believe that only at year’s end are we worthy to receive the sacraments. [.  .  .]

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118-B. The Institutes† The De institutis coenobiorum et de octo principalium vitiorum remediis, written in Marseilles at the request of Castor, bishop of Apt, details various rules for living the monastic life and for overcoming various vices that might befall the monk. Relying on memory (not always perfect) and personal experience, Cassian explains in twelve books the ascetical and prayer practices of the Egyptian monks (Book II) as well as the day office celebrated in the various monasteries located in Bethlehem and Mesopotamia (Book III). He does so not as an intellectual exercise but to influence monasticism in Gaul. II.ii. Difference among the provinces in the number of psalms assigned to be sung 1. We have learned that many of the monks in other regions, possess2979 ing as the apostle says, “zeal for God but not enlightenment,”1 have on this point laid down for themselves various rules and regulations as they so desired. Some, in fact, believed that each night twenty or thirty psalms should be said,a and these are even to be prolonged by antiphonal singingb and by adding certain tropes. Others have even sought to exceed this, whereas still others have only eighteen psalms. We know that in this matter different places have different canons; we have seen adopted almost as many types of rules as the monasteries or cells we have visited. 2. Some have even deemed it proper that during the daily office of 2980 prayer—namely, Terce, Sext, and None—the number of psalms and prayers must correspond to the hours at which this praise is offered to God. Still others have applied the number “six” [psalms] to each gathering during the day. This is why I believe it is necessary to make known what has been 2981 established by the elders and what is still observed by God’s servants throughout Egypt so that this new monastery, still a novice in Christ, may in its infancy be led by the oldest institutions of the earliest fathers. II.iii. Observing one uniform rule throughout all Egypt [.  .  .] In all Egypt and Thebaidc where monasteries are ruled not by the fantasy of any person who renounces the world but rather continue on or are Translated from De institutis coenobiorum .  .  ., ed. J.-C. Guy, SChr 109 (Paris, 2001) 58ff. Subheadings based on those in LNPF 11, ser. 2, 295ff. a. Here and in other instances the words dicitur or psallitur do not necessarily mean “said” or “recited” in our sense of the terms. They can also mean “sung” or “chanted.” b. For the nature of antiphonal singing, see R. Taft, The Liturgy of the Hours in East and West: The Origins of the Divine Office and Its Meaning for Today (Collegeville, 1986) 151. c. The district around Thebes in Egypt. 1. Rom 10:2. †

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164  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West meant to do so up to the present through what has been handed down from the elders—in these we see a determined number of prayers during the evening gatherings and the night vigils. [.  .  .] II.iv. Why twelve psalms have been determined throughout Egypt and the Thebaid 2983 As we said, throughout Egypt and the Thebaid there are twelve psalms at both the evening and the night celebrations so that two lessons follow, one from the Old Testament, the other from the New Testament. This number, established of old, has lasted for so many centuries right up to the present time in all the monasteries of these provinces because it is said that the elders did not determine this number by any human device but that it was handed down from heaven to our elders through the ministry of an angel.

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II.v. How the number of twelve psalms was received from the teaching of an angel 1. In the early days of the faith only a few yet strongly tested individu­ als were known as monks. They received the rule of life from the evangelist Mark of happy memory, the first bishop of the city of Alexandria. [.  .  .] 3. [.  .  .] At that time when the perfection of the primitive Church remained inviolate among their successors, its memory still being fresh, and when the fervent faith of a few had not yet grown tepid by spreading into the multitude, the venerable fathers, carefully watching over their successors, came together in order to provide for daily worship throughout all the fraternity. Thus they intended to extend to those coming after them this heritage of piety and of peace, free from all internal dispute. Their fear, in fact, was that in the daily celebrations a dissonance or a variety among those professing the same worship would in the future bring forth the seed of error, of rivalry, or of schism. 4. But then each—according to his personal fervor and disregarding the weakness of others—believed it necessary to establish a number that he judged very easy according to his own faith and strength, with no consideration being given to what was possible as a general rule for all the brothers; among these many weaknesses were inevitably found. They vied with one another in determining a very large number of psalms, different according to each one’s spiritual strength: fifty psalms according to some, sixty psalms according to others. There were even those who were not happy with this number and wanted it increased. The holy diversity hindering them from establishing the rule of piety was such that while they were discussing this question, the time for the evening celebration arrived. Since they desired to celebrate this daily service of prayer, someone rose to stand in their midst in order to chant psalms to the Lord. 5. All remained seated—as is still customary in Egypt today—with their close attention focused on what the cantor was singing. When he finished

118. John Cassian  165 singing eleven psalms—the verses uninterruptibly and uniformly following one another and with a prayer after each psalm—he concluded the twelfth psalm with its Alleluia response and suddenly departed from the view of all, thus putting an end to this question concerning the ceremonies. II.vi. The custom of having twelve prayers And so, understanding that by means of the angel’s teaching the Lord wished to establish a general rule for the gatherings of the brothers, the venerable assembly of the fathers decided that this number would be observed during both the evening and the night offices. To these psalms they joined two lessons, one from the Old Testament and the other from the New Testament, adding them as their personal bequest and as something extra only for those who desired them and who applied themselves in assiduous meditation to retain the memory of the divine Scriptures. Yet on Saturday and Sunday the lessons are from the New Testament, the first from the Apostle or the Acts of the Apostles, the second from the Gospels. Throughout the whole season of Pentecost this is also the custom of all who are devoted to reading and memorizing the Scriptures. II.vii. Their method of praying 1. The above-mentioned prayers are begun and concluded as follows: when a psalm has been completed, they are in no hurry to kneel as some are in our region who, even before the psalm is concluded, hasten to prostrate themselves for prayer, striving to reach as quickly as possible the dismissal. Although we desire to surpass the number formerly determined by our predecessors, supplying the number of psalms that still remain, we move quickly to reach the end of the service, more desirous to refresh our tired bodies than to reap advantage and benefit from our prayer. 2. Among them this is not the case. Before kneeling, they pray for a little while and spend the greater part of the time standing and making supplication. Then very briefly prostrating themselves on the ground as if to adore only the divine goodness, they immediately rise, standing with outstretched hands in the same way that they first prayed standing, and they prolong their prayer. They say that whoever remains prostrate for a long period of time is more dangerously attacked, not only by thought but also by sleep. 3. [.  .  .] When he who is to conclude the prayer rises, all get up at the same time so that no one dares kneel before he has bowed down nor remains prostrate once the leader has risen lest the impression is given that one has concluded the prayer by himself rather than by following the leader. II.viii. The prayer that follows the psalm As to what occurs in this province—namely, one person chants, all rise for the conclusion of the psalm and together chant aloud, “Glory to the

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166  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit”—we have never seen this anywhere in the East. Rather, in the East, once the cantor has completed the psalm, the prayer follows in complete silence; only the antiphonal psalms are customarily concluded by giving glory to the Trinity in this way. II.x. The silence and conciseness whereby the Egyptians conclude the prayers 2993 When the monks gather to observe the above-mentioned celebrations— these are called “synaxes”—each keeps so great a silence that, despite the large number of brothers who have gathered, one would believe that absolutely no one was present other than he who stands up to chant the psalm in the midst of the others. This is even more true for the final prayer during which there is no spitting, no clearing of the throat, no coughing, no yawning, no open mouths, no gaping. There is no groaning or sighing to disturb those who are close by. The only voice heard is that of the priest concluding the prayer. [.  .  .] II.xi. The system used by the Egyptians in saying the psalms 1. As to the psalms they chant in their assemblies, they do not attempt to render these as a continuous whole; rather, according to the number of verses, they proceed straight through, dividing the psalm into two or three parts with prayers between each section. In fact, they care nothing about the number of verses, only about their spiritual meaning, and with all their strength they obey these words, “I will sing with the spirit, I will also sing with understanding.”2 2995 2. Therefore they judge it preferable to sing ten verses with careful understanding rather than to say a complete psalm with a confused understanding. At times this is caused by the haste of the cantor who, thinking about the length and number of psalms that remain to be sung, fails to make the psalm’s meaning clear to his listeners as he hastens to conclude the synaxis. 2996 Finally, should any of the young monks, whether through spiritual fervor or through lack of knowledge, begin to exceed the number of psalms that are to be sung, an older monk will intervene by striking his hand on the bench upon which he is sitting, thus signalling that all are to rise for prayer. Attentive care is to be taken that none of those assisting become weary due to the undue length of the psalmody. For not only the cantor thus loses for himself a fruitful understanding of the psalm but by going on so long he also harms others by causing them to tire of the synaxis. 2997 3. Great care is taken that no psalm is given an Alleluia response except those whose titles mention the Alleluia. 2994

II.xii. Why all sit when the cantor sings the psalms; the zeal with which all prolong the vigils in their cells 2. 1 Cor 14:15.

118. John Cassian  167 2998 1. This canonical number of twelve psalms is lightened by adopting a relaxed position of the body. Thus it is customary during these community celebrations that, except for he who stands and says the psalms in the midst of the assembly, all sit on very low benches and attentively follow the cantor’s voice. They are so exhausted by fasting and by working throughout the day and night that if they were not assisted in this way, they could not possibly endure till the end of the synaxis. 3. When the regular office is finished in its customary way, each returns 2999 to his own cell or to a cell he shares with another, either a co-worker or a colleague in formation or someone equal in virtue. There they again celebrate, and more attentively, the same office of prayers, doing so as one’s personal sacrifice; from then on all remain awake till dawn when the day’s activity succeeds the work and meditation of the night.

II.xvii. The monk who rouses for prayer is to call them at the accustomed time The monk who has been entrusted with the task of rousing the brothers for the daily vigils is not to do so at any time he so pleases, or because he himself happens to wake up in the middle of the night, or because he cannot fall asleep. But even if long-standing habit has him wake up at a fitting hour, yet by often and attentively determining—through the movement of the stars—the time appointed for the assembly, he is to summon the brothers to the daily vigils. Failing to do so, he is careless in one of two ways: either yielding to sleep, he allows the appointed hour of the night to slip by; or else he anticipates this hour in order to go back to bed earlier, thus attending to his own rest rather than serving the spiritual benefit and tranquility of others. II.xviii. Why kneeling is not permitted from Saturday evening to Sunday evening We should also know this: the Egyptians do not kneel from Saturday evening, namely, Sunday’s vigil, till the following evening; the same applies to the whole season of Pentecost when the rule of fasting is not observed. We will explain, the Lord willing, the reason for this in the Conferences of the Fathers.d For now, our intention is only to rapidly mention the subject. Otherwise, this volume would exceed a reasonable length, thereby burdening the reader with aversion and weariness. III.i. Services at the third, sixth, and ninth hours as observed in the regions of Syria I believe that the night offices of prayers and psalms as observed in Egypt have, with God’s help, been explained, at least as far as the weakness of our spirit has allowed. Now, as said in the Prologue, we must treat the celebrations of Terce, Sext, and None as observed by the monasteries d. See Conference XXI (WEC 3:2974–77).

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168  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West of Palestine and Mesopotamia whose rules temper the perfection as well as the rigorous and inimitable discipline of the Egyptians. III.ii. How the Egyptians pass the whole day in prayer and psalmody— adding work and yet not distinguishing the hours 3003 As to the offices that we are bound by the instruction of the provoker [angel?] to carry out for the Lord at separate hours and intervals, the Egyptians celebrate these continuously throughout the day with work being added to them. Each in his cell continuously works with his hands, yet never failing to meditate on the psalms and on the other Scriptures. At every moment they mingle prayers and orations with this meditation, thus spending the whole day in the offices we celebrate at particular times. This is why, except for the gathering in the evening and at night, they have no community celebration during the day except on Saturday and Sunday when they gather at the third hour to receive Holy Communion. In fact, what is offered without interruption has more value than what takes place at a set time, a voluntary gift being more pleasing than duties commanded by a rule. David rejoiced at this as something more glorious when he said, “Willingly I will offer sacrifice to you.”3 Also, “Voluntary blessings from my mouth praise you, O Lord.”4 III.iii. Why throughout the East the offices of Terce, Sext, and None each conclude with only three psalms and prayers; why these spiritual offices are especially assigned to these hours 3004 1. In the monasteries of Palestine, Mesopotamia, and in all the East, the celebration of the above-mentioned hours is each day limited to three psalms so that, by offering to God at fixed times a constant prayer, a correct balance whereby spiritual homage is given does not prevent necessary work from being done. We know, in fact, that at these three times Daniel the prophet, in his chamber and with its windows open, each day addressed prayers to God.5 It is not without reason that these moments are more especially consecrated to religious tasks since the perfection of the promise and the consummation of our salvation took place at this time. 3005 2. At the third hour the Holy Spirit, promised beforehand by the prophets, first descended upon the apostles gathered for prayer. In fact, when the unbelieving Jews were amazed at the gift the apostles had received through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit which allowed them to speak all languages, and mockingly said that they were full of wine, Peter stood up in their midst and said, “Men of Israel and all who live in Jerusalem, know this and hear what I have to say. These men are not drunk as you believe since it is only the third hour of the day; but this is what was spoken of by the prophet Joel: ‘And in these last days,’ says the Lord, ‘I will spread my Spirit over all flesh, and your sons and daughters will 3. Ps 54:6.  4. Ps 119:108.  5. See Dan 6:11.

118. John Cassian  169 utter prophecies, your youth will see visions, and your elders will dream dreams; and truly upon my male and female servants during these days I will pour out my Spirit and they will utter prophecies.’”6 3. We see that all this took place at the third hour, the very hour when the Holy Spirit, announced by the prophets, descended upon the apostles. At the sixth hour our Lord and Savior, the unblemished victim, offered himself to the Father; by ascending the cross for the salvation of the whole world he remitted the sins of the human race. “Despoiling the rulers and the authorities, he led them away openly.”7 He freed all of us, guilty and enslaved by the debt of a written record that could not be paid,8 suppressing this debt by nailing it on the trophy of his cross. 4. It was also at the same hour that to Peter, in a delight of the spirit, was revealed the calling of the nations which was signified in the Gospel by the “container” that came down from heaven; also by the purification of all the animals that were found therein, a divine voice telling him, “Peter, get up, kill, and eat. The sheet that was dropped down by its four corners”9 surely, as we know, stands for nothing other than the Gospel. [.  .  .] Penetrating hell at the ninth hour, by the brilliance of his splendor he destroyed the thick darkness of hell; he broke its bronze gates; he opened its iron locks; he had rise with him to the heavens the holy ones who were held captive in the darkness of this cruel hell; he suppressed the fiery sword and restored to Paradise its original inhabitants, thus witnessing his goodness. 7. At the same hour Cornelius, the centurion, with his prayers and accustomed devotion, learned from the angel’s mouth that the Lord was mindful of his prayers and almsgiving;10 and at the ninth hour the mystery of the calling of the nations was made known to him, something revealed to Peter in an ecstasy of the spirit at the sixth hour. In another passage of the Acts of the Apostles we read concerning the same hour, “Peter and John went up to the temple to pray at the ninth hour.”11 8. All this clearly proves that these hours, rightly consecrated to religious service by holy and apostolic men, should likewise be observed by us. Unless we are, as it were, compelled by some law to carry out these acts of piety at least at specified times, then, either due to forgetfulness or indifference, we would be so engrossed in our daily affairs that we would simply fail to pray at all. What are we to say about the evening sacrifices whose offering is constantly prescribed even in the Old Testament by the Mosaic Law? 9. In fact, that the morning holocausts and the evening sacrifices were, although as figurative offerings, offered each day in the temple can be proven by the words of David, “May my prayer rise before you like 6. Acts 2:14–18; Joel 2:28.  7. Col 2:15.  8. See Col 2:14.  9. Acts 10:13, 11.  10. Acts 10:3–4.  11. Acts 3:1.

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170  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West incense, may the lifting up of my hands be like an evening sacrifice.”12 We can understand this more spiritually, namely, as also referring to the true evening sacrifice, either as the sacrifice that the Lord and Savior in the evening taught to his apostles at the Supper when he instituted the most holy mysteries of the Church, or as the sacrifice he offered to the Father on the next day, the evening sacrifice, namely, a sacrifice at the end of the ages when he lifted up his hands for the salvation of the whole world. 3014 10. It is correct to call his gesture of extending his hands on the cross a “lifting up” since, as he promised, he raised to heaven all of us who were lying in hell: “When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all things to myself.”13 3015 As to the morning celebration, we are instructed concerning it since each day we customarily sing, “God, my God, at the break of day I look to you.”14 And, “I will meditate on you in the morning.”15 Also, “I prevented the dawning of the day and cried.”16 Also, “My eyes are awake before each watch of the night that I might meditate on your words.”17 3016 11. It was also at this hour that the householder in the Gospel enlisted workers for the vineyard. In fact, we read that he signed them up early in the morning—a time signifying our morning celebration—and then at the third, the sixth, the ninth, and finally at the eleventh hours, the latter hour being that for the lucernarium. III.iv. The morning office: not established by ancient tradition but begun at our own time for a definite reason 3017 1. You should know that Matins, which at present is especially observed in the West, was initially instituted as a canonical office during our own time and in our own monastery [in Bethlehem] where our Lord Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin, deigned to become an infant and where he confirmed by his grace our first beginnings in religion. Up to that time, in fact, we find that this morning celebration—which in the monasteries of Gaul was customarily celebrated shortly after completing the psalms and prayers of the night—was concluded [in Bethlehem] at the same time as the daily vigils, the remaining hours being left by our elders to bodily rest. 3018 2. But some, being more negligent and abusing this freedom, unduly prolonged their time for sleep since no gathering forced them to leave their cells or to get out of bed before the third hour. To the detriment of their work and due to an excess of sleep, they were still drowsy at the hour when it was necessary to apply themselves to certain offices, especially on days when keeping watch from evening to dawn resulted in greater weariness. Some of the brothers, fervent in spirit, found such negligence to be disturbing. The matter was referred to the elders who, after long discussion and upon requesting advice, decided that up to sunrise, when reading or 12. Ps 141:2.  13. John 12:32.  14. Ps 63:2, Vulgate.  15. Ps 63:7, Vulgate.  16. Ps 119:147.  17. Ps 119:148.

118. John Cassian  171 manual labor could be done without harm, time for rest should be granted to weary bodies. Then, summoned to this pious task, all would rise from bed and after the celebration of three psalms and prayers—similar to that formerly appointed for Terce and Sext, signifying praise to the Trinity— they would cease sleeping and together begin their labor. 3. Even though this system appears to have been invented because of circumstances and is a recent regulation for the reason we have just given, it most evidently makes up the number spoken of by blessed David— although it also has spiritual meaning: “Seven times a day have I proclaimed your praise because of your just judgments.”18 In fact, by adding this celebration and by having seven spiritual gatherings for prayer each day, we prove without any doubt that we praise the Lord seven times each day. Although this arrangement, coming from the East, spread with much fruit to this region,e yet in some of the oldest eastern monasteries, which have never tolerated breaking the most ancient regulations of the elders, it appears never to have been admitted. III.v. Not returning to bed after Matins 1. Not knowing why this celebration was determined or invented, some in this province return to sleep once the morning hymns have been completed, thus falling victim of the very evil our elders wanted to suppress by establishing this celebration. They hasten to complete it at this hour so that the more negligent or the less ardent may go back to sleep. But, as we explained more fully in the preceding book when describing the synaxis of the Egyptians,f it is not absolutely necessary that it be this way. [.  .  .] 2. So as not to risk this danger and since they were accustomed to arise on certain days even before cockcrow, the Egyptians, once their assembly has been regularly dismissed, then prolong the vigil to daylight. In this way the light of morning rising over them finds them established in the fervor of the spirit, keeping them full of ardor throughout the whole day; it receives them as being prepared for the struggle and strengthened by the exercise of the night vigils and of spiritual meditation for the day’s combat against the devil.

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III.vi. The elders made no change in the ancient system of psalmody when Matins was established 3023 We should also know that our elders, who believed they should add this celebration of Matins, did not change the ancient custom of psalmody; the dismissal of the assembly was done in the same way as previously in the night offices. In fact, still today do they sing at the end of the night vigils—which normally end after cockcrow and before dawn—the hymns which in this region have been designated for the morning celebration, e. Region: Bethlehem? Provence? f. See The Instructions II.xii.3 (WEC 3:2999). 18. Ps 119:164.

172  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West for example, Psalm 148 which begins, “Praise the Lord of heaven” and those that follow. But they selected Psalm 50, Psalm 62, and Psalm 89g for this new celebration. Finally, still today in Italy, once the morning hymns are completed, in all the churches Psalm 50 is sung, which I believe could have been borrowed from no other source. III.vii. Whoever arrives for daily prayer after the first psalm is not permitted to enter the oratory; at the nocturns a person who arrives late but before the end of the second psalm is permitted to enter 3024 1. Someone who arrives late for Terce, Sext, or None, namely, before the end of the first psalm, should not venture to enter the oratory or to join those who are singing the psalms but, standing near the door, is to await the dismissal of the assembly. As the brothers depart, he is to prostrate upon the ground as a penance and request pardon for his negligence and his tardiness, knowing that he has no other means of atoning for his laziness and that he can only be admitted to the celebration that follows these three hours if he has immediately made satisfaction with true humility for his present negligence. 3025 2. At the night assemblies the late-comer is given a delay till the second psalm provided he has quickly taken his place among the brothers before they bow for prayer at the conclusion of this psalm. Liable to the same reproach, he is then to submit to the penance we have mentioned if he arrives—ever so little—beyond the time granted for arriving late. III.viii. The vigil celebrated on Friday night: its length and manner of celebration 3026 1. As nights are longer during the winter, the length of the vigils celebrated each week in the monasteries on Friday night extends, according to our elders, till the fourth cock-crow. Thus, after a vigil lasting throughout the night, there remain two good hours during which the brothers can rest, and so no longer do they risk becoming drowsy throughout the day since they are content with this brief time for resting rather than doing so throughout the whole night. 3027 2. We must observe this with the greatest care: satisfied with the sleep permitted us from the end of the vigils till daybreak, namely, till the morning psalms, we should spend the whole day in working and in doing our necessary tasks so that we do not give the impression that we, so exhausted by the vigils, make recompense during the day for the sleep taken from the night and have changed our time for nocturnal relaxation rather than depriving the body of its rest. 3028 In fact, our weak body could not possibly be defrauded of an entire night’s rest and on the following day preserve intact its vigilance without spiritual drowsiness or torpor of the soul. It will be hindered rather than g. The enumeration here follows the LXX.

118. John Cassian  173 helped if after the vigil it has not experienced sleep, however brief this may be. 3029 4. It would be necessary to restore, adding in interest, these vigils if they had been prolonged thoughtlessly and unreasonably. This is why our elders divided them into three elements, thereby lessening fatigue and easing by a little rest weakness of the body. After having sung three psalms antiphonally while standing, they sit on the ground or on very low benches and respond to three psalms intoned in turn by different brothers. Then, continuing to sit in the same restful position, they add three lessons. And so, lessening physical fatigue, they observe their vigils with the greatest attention to the spirit. III.ix. Why there is a vigil at dawn on Saturday; why the East does not fast on Saturday 1. At the time of the apostolic teaching, a time when the Christian religion and faith were established, the whole East decided to celebrate a night vigil at dawn on Saturday. Our Lord and Savior was crucified on Friday. His disciples, afflicted by his suffering, kept watch throughout Friday night, refraining from sleep. And so since this time the whole East continues to celebrate a vigil during this night. 2. This is also why all the churches of the East rightly believe that breaking the fast on Saturday after the laborious vigils was also decided by the apostles. Furthermore, this agrees with what we read in Ecclesiastes: although having another mystical meaning, the passage also signifies that we are ordered to attribute the same solemnity to both days, namely, to the seventh day and to the eighth day, for we read, “Give a part to these seven and also to these eight.”19 3. Breaking the fast should not be considered as participating in the Jewish feast, especially by those who have nothing at all to do with Jewish superstition. They do so only as a respite which, as we have said, is fitting to a tired body; after fasting continuously for five days each week throughout the year, the body weakens and fails unless it is comforted by this period of two days.

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III.x. Why people in the city fast on Saturday 3033 1. In some cities of the West and especially in the city [of Rome] there are those who do not know the reason for this practice and believe that the fast is not to be broken on Saturday since, as they say, the Apostle Peter fasted on this very day when he stood in opposition to Simon.h Nonetheless, it is clear that Peter did this not because of an established custom but because of the struggle at hand since he seems to have indicated to his disciples a fast that was not habitual but special. Certainly he would not have h. See Acta Petri cum Simone 18. 19. Eccl 11:2, LXX.

174  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West acted in such a fashion had he known that this practice would turn into a regularly observed custom. Likewise, he undoubtedly would have been disposed to order a fast even on Sunday had the occasion for his struggle fallen on that day. However, it does not follow that such a fast had to be immediately issued as a canonical rule since no general observance led to it, with necessity requiring that it be done only once. 3034

III.xi. How the Sunday office differs from what is customary on other days 1. We should also know this. On Sunday, before dinner, only one office is celebrated during which, out of respect for the collectai and the Lord’s Communion, more solemnity and fervor are given to the psalms, prayers, and lessons; terce and sext are believed to be included in this office. And so nothing is removed from this office of prayer; in fact, lessons are added. Nonetheless, compared to other days, variety and relaxation are given to the brothers because of respect for the Lord’s resurrection. This seems to lighten the observance of the whole week, and thus the introduction of variety causes the brothers to look forward to the return of this same day as a more solemn day, like a feastday, an anticipation mitigating the fast of the week ahead. [.  .  .]

III.xii. Days on which, when supper is provided for the brothers, there is no psalm when they gather for the usual meal at dinner 3035 1. Finally, on these same days—namely, Saturday, Sunday and feasts— when both dinner and supper are customarily provided for the brothers, an evening psalm is no longer said, that is, neither when they go to the table nor when they leave it, as is customary at dinner on a feast and at the canonical collation that follows the fast where the customary psalms begin and conclude the meal. One proceeds to eat only after saying a simple prayer and, after getting up, the meal is concluded with prayer alone since this repast is special since not all are obliged to be present; it is for visitors, the sick, and those who have a personal desire to be there. IV.xix. How throughout Palestine and Mesopotamia the brothers perform a daily office 3036 1. So that we not seem to have omitted anything about the institutions of the communities, I think that I should quickly recall how the daily offices are celebrated in other regions. Throughout Mesopotamia, Palestine, Cappadocia, and the whole East, each week the brothers take turns with one another in performing these tasks, the number of ministers being proportionate to the size of the community. They are eager to perform these services with even more devotion and humility than a slave shows toward a harsh and all-powerful master. Not satisfied with the services imposed on them by the rule, they even rise during the night and diligently take upon themselves the tasks assigned to others; they seek to do beforehand and in secret what others are to do. i. Collecta: the liturgy itself?

119. De Septem Ordinibus Ecclesiae  175 2. Each monk carries out his assigned weekly duties up to supper on Sun- 3037 day. When the meal is finished, his service for the whole week is completed so that when the brothers gather for the psalms they customarily sing before going to bed, those who will be replaced wash the feet of all in turn. [.  .  .] 11 9 . D e s e p t e m o r d i n i b u s e c c l e s i a e †

Written as a letter to a new bishop or to someone who will soon become a bishop, this anonymous treatise on the Church’s seven offices—a work found among the works of Jerome (WEC 3:145)—is a type of directory describing, often in a rambling way, the tasks and obligations connected with both the higher as well as the lower ecclesiastical offices. Some scholars posit an early fifth-century date for the work and see its origins in southern Gaul. Others believe the letter originates in the Iberian Peninsula and was written during the early seventh century. CPL no. 764 G. Morin, “Hiérarchie et liturgie dans l’église gallicane au Ve siècle,” RB 8 (1891) 97–104. * G. Morin, “Portion inédite de apocryphe hiéronymien ‘De septem ordinibus ecclesiae,’” RB 40 (1928) 310–18. * A.W. Kalff, Hieronymi “De septem ordinibus ecclesiae” (Würzburg, 1938). * G. Morin, “Le destinataire de l’apocryphe hiéronymien ‘De septem ordinibus ecclesiae,’” RHE 34 (1938) 229–44. * E. Griffe, “L’apocryphe hiéronymien ‘De septem ordinibus ecclesiae,’” BLE 57, 6 ser. (1956) 215–24. * R.E. Reynolds, “The Pseudo-Hieronymian ‘De septem ordinibus ecclesiae,’” RB 80 (1970) 238–52. * R.E. Reynolds, “The ‘De officiis VII graduum’: Its Origins and Early Medieval Development,” MS 34 (1972) 113–51.

1. The first grade of the Church, that of grave diggers. The first clerical order is that of the grave diggers who, like holy Tobit, are admonished to bury the dead1 so that, while showing concern for what can be seen, they hasten to what cannot be seen. Believing that our bodies will rise in the Lord, they know that what they do, they do for God and not for the deceased. Therefore it is fitting for the Church to have grave diggers. The prophet Tobit, with his faith, holiness, wisdom, and goodness, was one of them. Do not consider this office to be of little value. [.  .  .] 2. The second grade of the Church, that of doorkeepers. The second place is that of the doorkeepers who hold the keys to the kingdom of heaven, which are given to the patriarchs [bishops] because they preside over the gates of Jerusalem [the Church]. They judge between good and evil; they open what no one is to close; and they close what no one is to open. [.  .  .] Without them you cannot enter the church. In turn they are appointed [ordinati] so that they may watch over what is within and without; perfect in all things, may they welcome the faithful and reject the unfaithful. Translated from PL 30:128ff.; PLS 2:269. 1. See Tob 1:17, 19. †

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176  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West 3. The third grade of the Church, that of readers. The third grade is that of the readers, a grade given by God, Christ, and the prophets. As is written, “A voice says, ‘Cry out’! All people are grass, and all human glory is like grass; grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”2 Again, when our Lord was reading in the temple, he took on the role of a reader. Readers sing the Canticle of Moses and that of the Lamb: “It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins; these follow the Lamb wherever he goes.”3 The reader is numbered among the angels. [.  .  .] 3041 4. The fourth grade of the Church, that of subdeacons. The fourth ecclesiastical order is that of the subdeacons who in Ezra are called Nathinites, serving the Lord in humility. [.  .  .] 3042 5. The fifth grade of the Church, that of the order of levites or deacons. The fifth order of the sacrament is that of the deacons. God is their duty. Day and night they are forbidden to leave the Lord’s temple. They are the pillar and foundation of truth. They support the churches of God. They are the altar of Christ, the altar on which the sacraments are made ready and on which the sacrifice is offered. As you know, what in God’s church can be more venerable than the altar? Who does not humble himself while approaching the table of the Lord? We read about deacons in the Apocalypse where there are seven angels of the churches.4 [.  .  .] Without the deacon, the priest has no name, has no beginning, has no office. The deacon is said to be God’s minister because it is written, “Who is greater, he who serves or he who is served?” Just as the priest is to consecrate, so this servant is to distribute the sacrament. The priest is commanded to pray, the deacon to sing psalms. The priest is to sanctify the offerings, the deacon to distribute what has been sanctified. Priests should not presumptuously take the cup from the Lord’s table unless it has been handed to them by a deacon. [.  .  .] Deacons place the offerings on the altar. They arrange the Lord’s table. Deacons assist the priest while the sacraments are blessed. Deacons pray before the priest prays. [.  .  .] The Lord granted us the diaconal order so that all might see that the priest is not the only minister who acts and performs in church. The priest needs the diaconal office just as the deacon needs the priestly office, much the same as there can be no rich person without a poor person, nor someone poor without someone rich. [.  .  .] The presbyter needs a chair, the deacon an altar, the subdeacon the sacristy, the reader a lectern, the doorkeeper a church, and the grave digger a cemetery. [.  .  .] 3043 6. The sixth grade of the Church, that of the order of priests. The sixth order of rank is given to the priests, called presbyters, who preside over God’s Church and who celebrate God’s sacraments. With the bishops they share in the blessing. As to consecrating the Body and Blood of Christ, there is no difference between priests and bishops. And bishops, if there is need, 3040

2. Isa 40:6, 7, 8.  3. Rev 14:4.  4. See Rev 1:4.

119. De septem ordinibus ecclesiae  177 should accept a Eucharist that has already been blessed by priests and should know that priests share in the fullness of Christ. For if anyone recalls an injury inflicted at the hands of a priest or believes that one should not accept a Eucharist blessed by a presbyter, that person is deceived, thinking that the Lord has two bodies, one larger, the other smaller, with the bishop consecrating the larger whereas the presbyter consecrates the smaller. This divides Christ, thereby wronging him. And so there can be no difference between one baptism and another baptism. No one can believe that a person baptized by a bishop is more holy than a person baptized by a deacon. In the Acts of the Apostles we read that a eunuch was baptized by the deacon Philip. “Here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?”5 And he said, “Nothing, if you believe.” Faith makes clean. It is not the faith of the giver but the faith of the receiver. So we are to believe that baptism is perfect in every soul and that Christ’s body is made perfect in every priest. Whoever does not receive the Eucharist consecrated by priests does not receive Christ. [.  .  .] I do not say that presbyters can celebrate the sacraments when bishops are presiding and standing at the altar. There is, perhaps, the case of necessity, namely, priests coming to the church when either the sacrifice has not yet been prepared or when it cannot be offered. In this case the bishop should not reject the Eucharist of the presbyter when it is placed on the altar. Because of Christ it is fitting to receive it for the presbyter is in the Body of Christ, as is written, “Now you are the Body of Christ and individually members of it.”6 “Love covers a multitude of sins.”7 “Faith, hope, and love abide, these three, and the greatest of these is love.”8 “Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude.”9 “It bears all things; it believes all things.”10 “Love never ends.”11 And it is written, “Let the elders who rule be considered worthy of a double honor, especially those who labor in preaching.”12 It is fitting that priests preach, bless, strengthen, and restore communion. They must visit the sick, pray for invalids, celebrate all God’s sacraments, especially since at the time of the apostles this was evidently the custom in Illyricum, in Italy, and throughout Africa. Because of his authority only the ordination of clerics and the consecration of virgins are reserved to the bishop; also the blessing of the basilica, the altar, and the chrism. [.  .  .] Since a presbyter consecrates Christ when he sanctifies the sacraments on God’s altar, are not the people to be blessed by someone who merited to consecrate Christ? Also God’s virgins even though the apostle says, “Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment of the Lord.”13 Following this reasoning, it is evident that when necessity requires, a virgin can be blessed by a presbyter because Mary, the mother of Christ the Lord, is a sister-virgin, the Eucharist is the Body of Christ, and Mary is less than the Lord. [.  .  .] 5. Acts 8:36.  6. 1 Cor 12:27.  7. 1 Pet 4:8.  8. 1 Cor 13:13.  9. 1 Cor 13:4.  10. 1 Cor 3:7.  11. 1 Cor 13:18.  12. 1 Tim 5:17.  13. 1 Cor 7:25.

178  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West 7. The seventh and highest grade of the Church, that of bishop or bishops. The seventh order is that of the bishop, [.  .  .] who ordains priests, deacons, subdeacons, readers, doorkeepers, and grave diggers. Holding a rod, he judges Jerusalem [the Church]. He oversees the works of God. He shows what each is to do; he condemns, binds, and loosens. He holds the keys of the kingdom of heaven. He grants or denies admittance to the throne of God. No one outranks him. [.  .  .] 3045 Do not forbid fasting on Saturday by those who desire to do so on this day. They are to be assisted in this since our Lord worshiped and saved on the Sabbath. [.  .  .] We are to eat on the Lord’s Day so that, being witnesses of his resurrection, we might proclaim the joy of the Lord to the pagans. The apostolic see obeys this rule although each bishop can change the custom of his own church should he so desire. But let me teach you from the holy books: Paul fasted a full forty days; also Moses; and Joshua rejected all food and drink for forty days. After the Pasch, however, namely, up to the feast of the Lord’s ascension, even though the tradition of the churches allows us to eat, nonetheless, those clerics and monks who desire to fast are not to be prohibited from doing so because the peace of God exists throughout the days, months, seasons and years, hours and moments. Also, we read that the wellknown monks Anthony and Paula in the desert abstained even on Easter. Subject to fasting and abstinence, they never ate very much except perhaps on Sunday. [.  .  .] 3046 Baptism takes place with water, water that flowed from the side of the suffering Christ. Nothing else in this world purifies all things. Nothing else is the drinking cup of all. Nothing else gives life to all. And so the spirit of life is in the water, and the union of waters has received the name “seas.” Whoever is baptized in the font is reborn in Christ. The font is the source of all graces. [.  .  .] 3044

1 2 0 . P r o s p e r o f A q u i ta i n e

Born ca. 403, Prosper was a monk in Marseilles. A strong defender of Augustine’s (WEC 3:98) teaching on grace and predestination, sometime after 430 he journeyed to Rome to obtain Pope Celestine’s (WEC 3:111) support against the Semipelagian opponents (especially among the monastic communities of Marseilles and Lérins) of Augustinianism. Prosper returned to Gaul with a somewhat less-than-hoped-for letter from the pope to the Gallican bishops—Celestine praised Augustine but disputed matters were left unresolved. With the election of Pope Leo I (WEC 3:113) in 440 Prosper returned to Rome and became, as it were, a theological assistant/ writer in the papal office. His later writings were less polemical than those a. Anthony of Egypt (ca. 251–356); Paul of Thebes, also known as Paul the Hermit (d. ca. 340).

120. Prosper of Aquitaine  179 produced formerly and even included theological poetry. Prosper’s death occurred sometime after 455. CPL nos. 516ff. * Altaner (1961) 535–37 * Altaner (1966) 450–52 * Bardenhewer (1908) 511–15 * Bardenhewer (1910) 441–44 * Bardenhewer (1913) 4:533–41 * Bardy (1930) 159–61 * Bautz 7:1002–4 * Jurgens 3:188–96 * Labriolle (1947) 2:662–66 * Labriolle (1968) 429–32 * Quasten 4:551–58 * Steidle 195–97 * Tixeront 270–72 * CATH 12:38–39 * CE 12:487–88 * DCB 4:492–97 * DictSp 12.2:2446–56 * DPAC 2:2928–29 * DTC 13:846–50 * EC 10:159–60 * EEC 2:717 * EEChr 2:954–55 * LTK 8:644–45 * NCE 11:878 * NCES 11:771–72 * ODCC 1338 * PEA (1894) 23.1:880–97 * PEA (1991) 10:448–49 * TRE 27:525–26 K. Federer, Liturgie und Glaube: “Legem credendi lex statuat supplicandi” (Tiro Prosper von Aquitanien): eine theologiegeschichtliche Untersuchung, Paradosis: Beiträge zur Geschichte der altchristlichen Literatur und Theologie 4 (Fribourg i. S., 1950). * P. de Clerck, “‘Lex orandi, lex credendi’: sens originel et avatars historiques d’un adage équivoque,” QL 59 (1978) 193–212.

120-A. Capitula Caelestini† Once considered an anonymous work but now widely attributed to Prosper, this treatise, composed between 435 and 442, is in terms of its manuscript tradition found as an appendix to Celestine’s letter to the bishops of Gaul. Cap. viii. [.  .  .] Let us also look at the mysteries of the priestly supplications which, handed down from the apostles, are uniformly celebrated throughout the whole world and in every Catholic church so that the law of prayer might establish the law of belief [ut legem credendi lex statuat supplicandi]. For when the leaders of the holy people carry out their commission, they represent the case of the human race before the merciful God, and together with the whole supplicating Church they request and pray that faith be given to unbelievers, that idolaters be freed from their godless errors, that the light of truth be seen by the Jews and that the veil be removed from their hearts, that heretics recover their senses by grasping the faith, that schismatics may receive the spirit of renewed love, that the remedies of penance may be given to those who have fallen, and finally that the court of heavenly mercy be open to the catechumens who have been led to the sacraments of rebirth. [.  .  .]

120-B. The Call of All Nations†† This treatise (De vocatione omnium gentium) on how the heathens can be saved is generally attributed to Prosper and is believed to have been written ca. 450. †

Translated from PL 51:209. Translated from PL 51:664.

††

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180  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West 3048

I.xii. [.  .  .] The Apostle—namely, the Lord who spoke through the Apostle—has commanded “that supplications, intercessions, and thanksgivings are to be made for all, for kings and for all who are in high places.”1 All priests and all the faithful are one as they follow this law of supplication so that there is no part of the world in which the Christian people do not pray in this way. Therefore the Church throughout the world makes petition to God, not only for the holy ones and those already reborn in Christ but also for all unbelievers and for those who are enemies of the cross of Christ, for all who practice idolatry, for all who persecute Christ in his members, for the Jews upon whose blindness the light of the Gospel does not shine, for heretics and schismatics who do not share in the unity of faith and love. [.  .  .] 1 2 1 . S a lv i a n o f M a r s e i l l e s

Relatively little biographical data is known regarding Salvian, who was born ca. 400 in the vicinity of Cologne or Trier. He married, and after the birth of a daughter he and his wife decided to live an ascetical life, observing continence and giving their earthly goods to the poor. Eventually Salvian left his family and went to the isle of Lérins and then to Marseilles, where he became a member of the monastery of Saint Victor. He was ordained a presbyter in 429, yet we know nothing of the years he spent in this ministry. Salvian died ca. 480. Salvian was a prolific writer, although much of his literary output has not survived. His classical Latin style has earned him the title of the Christian Cicero. CPL nos. 485ff. * Altaner (1966) 456–57 * Bardenhewer (1908) 605–6 * Bardenhewer (1910) 521–23 * Bardenhewer (1913) 4:573–79 * Bautz 8:1258–66 * Labriolle (1947) 2:681–86 * Labriolle (1968) 439–42 * Quasten 4:528–37 * Steidle 193–94 * Tixeront 335–37 * CATH 13:772–74 * CE 13:411 * DCB 4:580 * DictSp 14:290–97 * DPAC 2:3073–76 * DTC 14.1:1056–58 * EC 10:1726–27 * EEC 2:754 * EEChr 2:1025–26 * LTK 8:1499–1500 * NCE 12:1003 * NCES 12:632–33 * ODCC 1448–49 * PEA (1894) 1.2 (n.s.) 2017–18 * PEA (1991) 10:1271

121-A. De gubernatione Dei† Written after 440 and in eight books (the last being incomplete), this treatise is Salvian’s best-known work. In light of the political, social, and moral turmoil caused by the barbarian invasions, Salvian addresses Christians regarding the question of God’s providence. The misfortunes of the time, says the author, bear witness to God’s judgment and thus are a call to conversion. 1. 1 Tim 2:1. † Translated from PL 53:58.

122. Sidonius Apollinaris  181 III.ii. [.  .  .] Perhaps you inquire as to the good things assigned by God to those who are Christian. What are these other than all the good things through which we believe, namely, all the things by reason of which we are Christians? First, there is the Law; then the prophets; third, the Gospel; fourth, the apostolic writings; last, the gift of rebirth, the grace of holy baptism, the anointing with holy chrism. As was once true among the Hebrews, namely, God’s chosen and very own people, when the office of judges had passed over to the power of kings, through the anointing of kings God called the most recommended and most outstanding men to the kingdom so that all Christians after the anointing in the Church and after having obeyed all God’s commandments will be called to heaven where they will receive the reward of their labor. [.  .  .]

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122. Sidonius Apollinaris

Born of an aristocratic family ca. 430 in Lyons, Sidonius (Gaius Sollius Apollinaris Sidonius) received a good classical education and, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, entered public service. He married ca. 450 and became the father of several children. Against his will he was elected bishop of Clermont ca. 470/471. The invasion of the Arian Visi­ goths eventually resulted in Sidonius being banished from his diocese and imprisoned at Livia, a small town on the road to Narbonne. Freed in 476, he was allowed to return to Clermont, where he died ca. 486. Sidonius is best remembered as a poet—twenty-four of his poems [carmina] have survived—and as a letter writer whose missives give a good insight into the social and political life of his day. CPL nos. 986ff. * Altaner (1961) 598–99 * Altaner (1966) 498 * Bardenhewer (1908) 606–8 * Bardenhewer (1910) 523–24 * Bardenhewer (1913) 4:652–58 * Bardy (1930) 173–74 * Labriolle (1947) 2:736–42 * Labriolle (1968) 476–81 * Steidle 203–4 * Tixeront 341–43 * CATH 14:24–26 * CE 13:778 * DACL 15.1:1423–27 * DCB 4:649–61 * DHGE 3:986–92 * DPAC 2:3189–92 * DTC 14.2:2033–35 * EC 1:1641–42 * EEC 778–79 * EEChr 2:1057 * LTK 9:562 * NCE 13:197–98 * NCES 13:104 * ODCC 1498 * PEA (1894) 2.2 (n.s.) 2230–38 * PEA (1991) 11:522–23 * RACh 1:522–24

122-A. Letters Sidonius collected 147 of his letters and arranged them into nine books. Difficult to date since they are not arranged in chronological order, they have been called “artistic letters,” namely, letters meant to be published.

122-a-1. book iv. letter 11. to his friend petreius† I am greatly saddened by the loss my generation feels at the death of your 3050 uncle Claudianus. [.  .  .] The following is his epitaph: “Under this mound †

Translated from PL 58:516–17.

182  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West lie the remains of Claudianus. [.  .  .] He was an orator, a logician, a poet, a court official, a man skilled in geometry, and a musician, someone knowing how to solve difficult questions and how with the sword of the word to bring down all those [secare sectes] attacking the Catholic faith. A singer and a teacher of the psalms, he, to the delight of his brother, taught his trained pupils to sing before the altar. For the annual feasts he prepared readings appropriate to the season. He was a priest of the second order.” [.  .  .]

122-a-2. book v. letter 17. to eriphius† 3051

[.  .  .] We gathered at the tomb of Saint Justus,a but illness did not allow you to join us. It was his anniversary feast. A procession took place before dawn. There was a large crowd with people of both sexes, so large that the most expansive basilica with its surrounding porches could not hold them. After the vigil, during which the monks and the clergy celebrated together as they alternated the sweet psalmody, all left, going in various directions, but not far so that all could be present at the third hour for the Mass [res divina] celebrated by the priests. Due to the pressure of the crowd, the restrictions of space, and the [smoke of the] candles filling the church, we were gasping for breath. [.  .  .] 1 2 3 . Fa u s t u s o f R i e z

Of British or Breton origin, Faustus at an early age entered the famous monastery at Lérins, where in 433 he became abbot. Ordained bishop ca. 466, he opposed Euric, the Arian king of the Visigoths, and consequently was forced into exile. Returning to Riez in 485, he died ca. 490. Greatly admired during his lifetime, Faustus is revered as a saint in southern France. He has left us a handful of letters, several tracts, and a number of sermons, the latter still needing more scholarly examination as well as a critical edition. CPL nos. 961ff. * Altaner (1961) 566–67 * Altaner (1966) 473–74 * Bardenhewer (1908) 600–604 * Bardenhewer (1910) 518–21 * Bardenhewer (1913) 4:582–89 * Bautz 2:1–2 * Labriolle (1968) 426–27 * Steidle 194–95 * Tixeront 332–33 * CATH 4:1122–23 * CE 6:19 * DCB 2:467–70 * DHGE 16:731–34 * DictSp 5:113–18 * DPAC 1:1336–38 * DTC 5.2:2101–5 * EC 5:1064–66 * EEC 1:320–21 * EEChr 1:425 * LTK 3:1199–1200 * NCE 5:861 * NCES 5:651 * ODCC 601 * PEA (1991) 4:448 * TRE 11:63–67 G. Morin, “Hiérarchie et liturgie dans l’église gallicane au Ve siècle, d’après un écrit restitué à Fauste de Riez,” RB 8 (1891) 97–104. * L. de Witte, “Un traité ‘De Eucharistia’ au Ve siècle,” CollMech 23 (1934) 207–13. * M.-B. Carra de Vaux Saint Cyr, “Le sacrement de confirmation: notes historiques,” LV 10, no. 51 (1961) 16–58. * L.A. van Buchem, L’homélie pseudo-eusébienne de Pentecôte: l’origine de la confirmatio Translated from PL 58:547. a. Justus: a fourth-century bishop of Lyons whose remains were buried in that city; his feast was celebrated on September 2. †

123. Faustus of Riez  183 en Gaul méridionale et l’interprétation de ce rite par Fauste de Riez (Nijmegen, 1967). * P.-L. Carle, “L’homélie de Pâques ‘Magnitudo’ (in CCSL t. 101, p. 192–208) de s. Fauste de Riez (ou de Lérins) (fin du Ve siècle),” Div 27 (1983) 123–54. * P.-L. Carle, “Commentaire du sermon ‘Magnitudo’ de s. Fauste de Riez: l’enseignement eucharistique de ‘Magnitudo,’” Div 28 (1984) 203–41. * P.-L. Carle, “Bref commentaire du sermon eucharistique ‘Magnitudo’ du s. Fauste de Riez,” Div 28 (1985) 3–42. * P.-L. Carle, “L’enseignement eucharistique du sermon ‘Magnitudo’ de s. Fauste de Riez,” Div 29 (1985) 19–61. * D.J. Nodes, “‘De subitanea paenitentia’ in Letters of Faustus of Riez and Avitus of Vienne,” RTAM 55 (1988) 30–40.

123-A. On the Grace of God† Written in two books ca. 472, this treatise stresses the importance of free will and proposes an intermediate position between predestinationism and Pelagianism. In the early sixth century Faustus was accused of heresy and actually condemned as a heretic. In the sixteenth century the understanding of God’s grace and human response as espoused by Faustus and others of similar mind was labeled Semipelagianism. I.xiv. [.  .  .] Heretics who convert to the Christian faith are not to be rebaptized. They are to be judged as cleansed by the working of grace so that they are clothed only with the chrismal blessing. [.  .  .]

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123-B. On the Holy Spirit†† This treatise, written after 470, was for some unknown reason directed against the Macedonians, who in their attempt to safeguard the unity of God denied the divinity of the Holy Spirit. ii. In baptism sins are removed. Through the coming of the Holy Spirit the gifts of strength [virtutum munera] are given, and miracles are performed by those who have been strengthened [confirmatis]. [.  .  .]

3053

123-C. Sermons 123-c-1. sermon 3. to the monks. on penance††† [.  .  .] Public penance is not necessary for a person who has renounced the world. Having converted, such a person has shown sorrow and has entered into an everlasting agreement with God. From the day on which the monk promised God to henceforth live justly, the sins committed in the world are no longer remembered. Therefore from the day on which the monk promised to carry out most faithfully the obligations that were put in writing. Even though as a believer he sinned while in the world, yet † Translated from Fausti Reiensis praeter Sermones Pseudoeusebianos Opera .  .  ., ed. A. Engelbrecht, CSEL 21 (Vienna and Prague, 1891) 47. †† Translated from CSEL 21:143. ††† Translated from PL 58:875–76.

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184  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West after his second renunciation he should not hesitate to receive the Lord’s Body lest under the pretext of humility he be separated from the Body and Blood of him to whom he has united himself so that there be one body. For this reason whoever ceases to sin should not cease to receive [communicare] provided he henceforth does not sin. [.  .  .]

123-c-2. sermon 17. on the pasch 6†a ii. To be sure, there is only one perfect victim who is to be valued under the light of faith and not according to outward appearance, only one victim whose worth depends not on what is seen outwardly but on what is within. Therefore heavenly authority rightly asserts that “my flesh is truly food, and my blood is truly drink.”1 And so may all uncertainty of belief be absent because the giver of the gift also witnesses its truth. 3056 For the invisible priest by his word, by his special power, converts visible created things into the substance of his Body and Blood, saying, “Take and eat, this is my Body”; repeating the sanctification he says, “Take and drink, this is my Blood.”2 3057 viii. May no one doubt that the most excellent created things at the command of power, by the presence of majesty, can pass over into the nature of the Lord’s Body since we see mankind made into the Body of Christ by the artistry of heavenly goodness.3 3058 Just as when someone comes to the faith, before the words of baptism he or she is still bound by the old debt. Yet by recalling these things he or she is soon set free from all impurity of sin. So it is that created things, when placed on the holy altar to be blessed by the heavenly words, have the substance of bread and wine before the invocation of the divine name; yet after Christ’s words they are his Body and Blood. [.  .  .] 3055

123-c-3. sermon 28. on pentecost†† 3059

[.  .  .] During the confirmation of the neophytes the imposition of the hand gives to each of them what the descent of the Holy Spirit at that time gave to all the people. Now that I have said that the laying-on of the hand and that confirmation can confer something upon a person who has already been reborn in Christ, perhaps someone might ask, “What benefit can I gain from having someone confirm me after the mystery of baptism? Translated from Eusebius “Gallicanus” Collectio Homiliarum .  .  ., ed. J. Leroy and F. Glone, CCL 101 (Turnhout, 1970) 196–97, 207–8. a. This sermon, attributed by some to Faustus, is found in a collection that has been given the name Eusebius Gallicanus; it is a seventh-century compilation of seventy-six homilies taken from diverse sources. 1. John 6:55.  2. Matt 26:26; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19; 1 Cor 11:24.  3. See Rom 12:5; 1 Cor 10:17; 12:27. †† Translated from PLS 3:615–16. This piece is found among the sermons of Eusebius Gallicanus. †

124. Gennadius of Marseilles  185 As I see it, we have not received everything from the font if afterwards there is still something to be added, something we need.” This, beloved, is not so. Just listen. Military service requires that when an 3060 emperor receives a soldier into his army, the emperor should not only place a mark on the soldier but should also furnish him with arms appropriate for battle. So it is that the blessing [of confirmation] protects the one who has been baptized. You enlisted a soldier; now give him what is needed to fight. Nothing is gained if a parent grants much to a child and yet fails to supply a protector. So the Paraclete is the guardian, the consoler, and the protector of those who have been reborn in Christ. As the Scriptures say, “Unless the Lord builds the city, the builders keep watch in vain.”1 Therefore the Holy Spirit, who descends upon and in a salutary way flows into the baptismal waters, grants all innocence at the font. In confirmation the Spirit gives an increase of grace because in this world those who will conquer—no matter what their age—will walk among dangers and invisible enemies. In baptism we are reborn unto life; after baptism we are strengthened for battle. In baptism we are nourished; after baptism we are strengthened. And so the benefits of rebirth are sufficient for those who will immediately pass on [to heaven]. The help given by confirmation, however, is necessary for those who will be victorious. Regeneration in itself saves those who will soon be received into the peaceful abode of the holy ones; confirmation arms us and instructs us on how we are to keep ourselves safe from the struggles and battles of this world. [.  .  .] 124. Gennadius of Marseilles

Very little is known about the life of Gennadius. He was a presbyter in Marseilles, a church historian, and a staunch defender of orthodoxy, even though some consider him a Semipelagian. Most of his literary works are lost. Gennadius died ca. 492–505. CPL nos. 957ff. * Altaner (1961) 567–68 * Altaner (1966) 474 * Bardenhewer (1908) 608–9 * Bardenhewer (1910) 525–26 * Bardenhewer (1913) 4:595–99 * Bautz 2:205–6 * Labriolle (1947) 2:668–69 * Steidle 195 * CATH 4:1833 * CE 6:417–18 * DCB 2:631–32 * DHGE 20:477–79 * DictSp 6:205–8 * DPAC 2:1450–52 * DTC 6.1:1224–25 * EC 6:7–8 * EEC 1:342 * EEChr 1:458–59 * LTK 4:464–65 * NCE 6:334 * NCES 6:137–38 * ODCC 663 * PEA (1894) 7.1:1171–73 * PEA (1991) 4:918 * TRE 12:376–78

124-A. On Ecclesiastical Dogmas† Highly popular in the Middle Ages, this theological compendium explains various ecclesiastical practices and defends orthodox teaching against the heretics. 1. Ps 127:1. † Translated from PL 58:993–94, 997–98.

186  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West lii. There is only one baptism, and it is found in the Church where there is one faith and where baptism is conferred in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Therefore if those whom the heretics baptize by invoking the name of the Trinity come to us, they are certainly to be received as people who have been baptized so that the invocation and profession of the holy Trinity not be rendered useless. However, they are to be fully taught and instructed as to the Church’s understanding of the mystery of the Trinity. And if they believe or acknowledge this, they, already purified, may be strengthened in the fullness of their faith by the imposition of the hand. If such be children or be mentally impaired, incapable of grasping what is taught, then those bringing them may respond in their own names as is done at baptism; and so strengthened by the imposition of the hand and the chrism, they may be admitted to the eucharistic mysteries. However, we affirm that those coming to us, those baptized by heretics without an invocation of the holy Trinity, are to be baptized, not rebaptized. No one is to believe that those who were not washed in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, as the Lord required, have been baptized. [.  .  .] If any of these come to us, they are not to be questioned as to whether or not they have been baptized. What matters is this. If they believe what the Church believes, then they are to receive the Church’s baptism. 3062 liii. I neither praise nor blame those who receive the Eucharist each day. However, I recommend and encourage Communion on the Lord’s Day provided a person is not affected with sin. As I see it, the reception of the Eucharist by someone who still desires to sin burdens rather than purifies. Therefore even though a person is stung by sin, he or she may not continue to desire sinning. Before receiving Communion, satisfaction is to be made by means of tears, prayers, and trust in the mercy of the Lord, who was accustomed to forgive sins that were piously acknowledged. Then one can calmly and without worry approach the Eucharist. Here I am speaking about those who are not burdened by mortal and capital sins. As to those who have committed mortal sins after baptism, these I exhort to do penance first, and then by the priest’s judgment they are to be reconciled and united in communion if they desire to receive the Eucharist not unto judgment and condemnation. We do not deny that mortal sins may be forgiven by private satisfaction: first, having changed one’s secular garb and demonstrating zeal for the things of God through the correction of one’s life, a person may obtain pardon through the yoke of perpetual mourning and by means of God’s mercy. Doing the opposite of what they performed penance for, they, being suppliant and humble, may receive the Eucharist on Sundays throughout the rest of their lives. 3063 lxxiii. We believe that the bodies of the saints and especially the remains of the blessed martyrs are to be most highly honored as if they were Christ’s very own members; basilicas are to be named after them. [.  .  .] 3064 lxxiv. We believe that salvation may be attained only by those who have been baptized. We also believe that no catechumen, not even those 3061

124. Gennadius of Marseilles  187 who have led good lives, now enjoys eternal life. An exception would be the martyrs, for in these all the rites of baptism have taken place. Those to be baptized confess their faith before the priest and respond to various questions. Martyrs do the same before the persecutor. Confessing their faith, they are questioned and give a reply. Water is sprinkled [aspergitur, “poured”?] over the baptized, or they are plunged into the water. The martyrs, on the other hand, are sprinkled with their blood or are placed into the fire. Through the imposition of the bishop’s hand the baptized receive the Holy Spirit, thereby becoming the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit; it is not the baptized who speak but the Spirit of the Father who speaks in them. The baptized receive the Eucharist in memory of Christ’s death. The martyr, however, dies with Christ. The baptized profess that they will renounce the things of the world; the martyrs renounce life itself. All sins are removed from the baptized; as to the martyrs, their sins are abolished. lxxv. Water alone is not to be offered when celebrating the Eucharist; this pretense of sobriety simply leads some astray. No, wine mixed with water is offered. Wine was present in the mystery of our redemption, for he said, “I will not drink henceforth from the fruit of the vine.”1 Wine is mixed with water, not water offered after the meal but water that flowed from his side when it was pierced by a lance,2 wine and water expressing what came from the true vine of his body.

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124-B. On Illustrious Men† Here the author, continuing Jerome’s (WEC 3:145) opus on famous men, gives 101 notices, each devoted to a fifth-century Christian writer. This listing appears to have been compiled over a period of years, and some notices are generally acknowledged as having been added by others. Furthermore, not all agree that Gennadius was the original author of this book; nevertheless, most scholars believe that the work was composed about his time. xlviii. Paulinus,a bishop of Nola in Campana, [.  .  .] authored a sacramentary and a book containing hymns. [.  .  .] lxxviii. Vaconius, the bishop of Castellum in Mauretania, [.  .  .] wrote an excellent sacramentary. lxxix. Museus, a presbyter of the church at Marseilles, [.  .  .] at the request of Saint Venerius selected from the holy Scriptures readings suitable for the feasts of the whole year; also selections from the psalms that were appropriate for the seasons of the year and for the readings. This work, so necessary, is considered worthwhile by readers in the Church since it 1. Matt 16:29.  2. See John 19:50–51. † Translated from PL 58:1086–87, 1103–4, 1115–16. a. WEC 3:110.

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188  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West obviates anxiety, questioning, and delay; it also helps instruct the people and promotes the dignity of the service. For holy Eustachius, the successor of the aforesaid man of God, he composed an admirable sacramentary. Divided into sections according to offices and seasons, it is no small volume, containing as it does texts of the readings, a series of psalms to be sung, petitions to the Lord, and prayers of thanksgiving for God’s gifts. [.  .  .] 3069 xciv. Gelasius,b bishop of Rome, [.  .  .] also wrote hymns in the style of Bishop Ambrose.c [.  .  .] 1 2 5 . S tat u ta e c c l e s i a e a n t i q u a †

This collection of canons, originating in southern Gaul and composed during the late fourth century or during the fifth century, was long attributed to a spurious council supposedly held in Carthage in 398. Caesarius of Arles (WEC 4:168) and more recently Gennadius of Marseilles (WEC 3:124) have been suggested as the authors of these directives; the attribution to Caesarius, however, has generally been rejected. CPL no. 1776 * Hefele (1871) 2:409–18 * Altaner (1966) 474 * Hefele (1905) 2.1:102–20 * CE 3:283 * DPAC 2:3304–6 * DTC 2.2:1806–10 * EEC 2:793–94 * EEChr 2:1088 * LTK 9:935–36 * NCE 13:682 * NCES 13:501 * ODCC 1539 G. Morin, “Les ‘Statuta ecclesiae antiqua’ sont-ils de s. Césaire d’Arles?” RB 30 (1913) 334–42. * B. Botte, “Le rituel d’ordination des ‘Statuta ecclesiae antiqua,’” RTAM 11 (1939) 233–41. * R. Metz, “La consécration des vierges en Gaule, des origines à l’apparition des livres liturgiques,” RDC 6 (1956) 321–39. * C. Munier, “Une forme abrégée du rituel des ordinations des ‘Statuta ecclesiae antiqua,’” RevSR 32 (1958) 79–84. * C. Munier, “Nouvelles recherches sur les ‘Statuta ecclesiae antiqua,’” RDC 9 (1959) 170–80. * C. Munier, Les Statuta ecclesiae antiqua (Paris, 1960). * L.A. Van Buchem, L’homélie Pseudo-Eusebienne de Pentecôte: l’origine de la confirmation en Gaul méridionale et l’interprétation de ce rite par Fauste de Riez (Nijmegen, 1967) 223–34.

Canon 2. (xxxv) In church and in the council of presbyters the bishop shall have a higher seat; but at home he must conduct himself as a colleague of the presbyters. 3071 Canon 3. (xx) A bishop shall not be occupied with everyday cares but only with reading, prayer, and preaching the word of God. 3072 Canon 10. (xxii) A bishop shall not ordain clerics without the advice of his copresbyters and is to seek the agreement and witness of the people.a 3070

b. WEC 3:115. c. WEC 2:53. † Canons translated from Concilia Galliae à 314 à 506, ed. C. Munier, CCL 148 (Turnhout, 1963). a. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 13 (WEC 2:1965); Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 20 (WEC 2:884); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 1 (WEC 4:4675).

125. Statuta ecclesiae antiqua  189 Canon 12. (xxxiv) Whenever the bishop is seated, he shall allow no presbyter to remain standing.b Canon 16. (lxxxiv) The bishop shall hinder no one, whether a heathen, a heretic, or a Jew, from entering the church and hearing the word of God before the dismissal of the catechumens. Canon 18. (lxxiv) The presbyter shall place all those desiring to do penance under the penitential regulations. Canon 19. (lxxv) Careless penitents shall be received only after a certain period of time. Canon 20. (lxxvi) Should sick persons desire penance and yet when the priest arrives are no longer able to speak because of the sickness or because they have lost understanding, then those who heard their wish shall testify to it, and they shall receive penance. If it is believed that the sick are soon to die, they shall be reconciled through the imposition of hands, and the Eucharist will be given to them.c d If they live, the aforementioned witnesses shall assure them that their wish has been granted, and they must be placed under the penitential discipline for as long as the priest who granted them penance approves.e Canon 21. (lxxviii) Penitents who have received Viaticum, the holy Eucharist,f during a sickness should not, if they recover, think that they are absolved without the imposition of hands. Canon 22. (lxxix) If penitents who have carefully carried out the penitential regulations should die on a journey or at sea where no one can come to their assistance, they shall be remembered in prayer, and the sacrifice may be offered on their behalf. b. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 56 (WEC 2:2000). c. The Latin reads: “fundatur .  .  . eucharistia”—perhaps a reference to Communion by receiving the consecrated wine. d. See Elvira (ca. 300) cans. 1, 6, 7, 37, 47 (WEC 2:1270–72, 1284, 1290); Ancyra (314) cans. 16, 22 (WEC 2:1432, 1435); Nicaea I (325) can. 13 (WEC 2:1453); Rome (488) Letter 7, can. 3 (WEC 3:2959); Orange I (441) can. 3 (WEC 3:3125); Vaison (442) can. 2 (WEC 3:3137); Arles II (between 442 and 506) can. 28 (WEC 3:3149); Agde (506) can. 15 (WEC 4:4552); Epaon (517) can. 36 (WEC 4:4587); Orleans III (538) cans. 6, 28 (WEC 4:4605, 4609); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 82 (WEC 4:4699); Gerunda (517) can. 9 (WEC 4:4722); Barcelona I (ca. 540) can. 9 (WEC 4:4732). e. See Carthage II (390) cans. 3–4 (WEC 2:876–77); Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 30-b (WEC 2:888); Elvira (ca. 300) can. 32 (WEC 2:1279); Statuta (5th c.) can. 20 (WEC 3:3077); Agde (506) can. 15 (WEC 4:4552); Toledo III (589) ser. 2 cap. 11 (WEC 4:4766). f. See Ancyra (314) can. 22 (WEC 2:1435); Nicaea I (325) can. 13 (WEC 2:1453); Statuta (5th c.) can. 20 (WEC 3:3077); Arles II (between 442 and 506) can. 28 (WEC 3:3149); Orange I (441) can. 3 (WEC 3:3125); Rome (488) Letter 7, can. 3 (WEC 3:2959); Agde (506) can. 15 (WEC 4:4552); Epaon (517) can. 36 (WEC 4:4587); Gerunda (517) can. 9 (WEC 4:4722); Orleans III (538) cans. 6, 28 (WEC 4:4605, 4609); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 82 (WEC 4:4699).

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Canon 23. (lxxxv) Those who desire to be baptized must submit their names, and having been tested by abstinence from wine and meat and frequently having received the imposition of hands they shall be baptized. Canon 24. (lxxxvi) The newly baptized shall for a time refrain from luxurious feasts, from the theater, and from intercourse with their wives. Canon 33. (lxxxviii) Whoever does not attend the assembly in the church on feasts but goes instead to the theater shall be excommunicated. Canon 35. (xlix) A cleric in good health who absents himself from the night vigilsg shall be deprived of his stipend. Canon 37. (xcix) A woman, no matter how learned and holy, may not teach in an assembly of men. Canon 38. (xcviii) A layman may not teach in the presence of the clergy except with their approval. Canon 41. (c) A woman may not baptize.h Canon 49. (xciii) The offerings of those brethren who have ill will toward one another may not be received in the sacristy or in the gazophylacium.i j Canon 55. (lxvii) Those who are quarrelsome, usurers, or revengeful are never to be ordained clerics. Canon 56. (xxxiii) If a bishop or presbyter visits the church of another bishop, he must be received according to his rank and invited to preach as well as to offer the holy sacrifice. Canon 57. (xxxvii) A deacon must understand that he is the servant of the priest as well as that of the bishop.k Canon 58. (xxxviii) When necessity requires and a presbyter is present, the deacon will, when commanded, distribute the eucharistic Body of Christ to the people.l Canon 60. (xl) Only at the time of the offering and the reading shall the deacon wear the alb. Canon 61. (xl) If a deacon is asked to speak in the assembly of the presbyters, he shall do so. Canon 62. (xc) The exorcists shall lay their hands daily on the energumens.m n g. See Toledo I (400?) can. 5 (WEC 3:3169); Irish Synod I (between 450 and 456) can. 7 (WEC 3:3173); Vannes (between 461 and 491) can. 14 (WEC 3:3163); Tarragona (516) can. 7 (WEC 4:4714); Orleans II (533) can. 14 (WEC 4:4598); Orleans III (538) can. 15 (WEC 4:4606); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 63 (WEC 4:4693). h. Dvin (527) can. 10 (WEC 4:4840). i. Gazophylacium: a room in which the cathedral’s or church’s treasures were stored. j. See Elvira (ca. 300) can. 28 (WEC 2:1277); Lerida (546) can. 13 (WEC 4:4735). k. See Angers (453) can. 2 (WEC 3:3152). l. Arles II (between 442 and 506) can. 15 (WEC 3:3144). m. Energumens: people considered psychologically impaired or believed to be under the power of the devil. n. See Elvira (ca. 300) cans. 29, 37 (WEC 2:1278, 1284); Statuta (5th c.) can. 95 (WEC 3:3114); Orange I (441) cans. 13–15 (WEC 3:3129–31).

125. Statuta ecclesiae antiqua  191 Canon 63. (xci) The energumens shall sweep the church. Canon 64. (xcii) The energumens who remain in the house of God must have each day’s food given them at the appropriate time by the exorcists. Canon 65. (lxxx) During each time that the fast is imposed the penitents must receive the imposition of hands from the presbyters. Canon 66. (lxxxi) The penitents are to bring the dead to church and bury them. Canon 67. (lxxxii) Penitents are to kneel even on feastdays.o Canon 69. (xciv) The gifts of those who oppress the poor are to be refused by the priests.p Canon 76. (lxiii) A cleric who without urgent necessity breaks the fast shall be reduced to a lower rank. Canon 77. (lxiv) Those who persist in fasting on Sundayq are not considered to be Catholics. Canon 78. (lxv) Easter must be celebrated everywhere on the same day and at the same time.r Canon 81. (lxxi) The gathering places of the heretics shall not be called churches but conciliabula.s Canon 82. (lxxii) It is not permitted to pray or to sing psalms with heretics.t Canon 84. (lxviii) A penitent, even if he is a good man, may not be ordained a cleric.u Should this occur through the ignorance of the bishop, the person who was ordained must be deposed because at his ordination he concealed the fact. But if the bishop has knowingly ordained such a person, the bishop forfeits his right to ordain. Canon 85. (lxix) The same punishment is incurred by a bishop who knowingly ordains a man married to a widow or divorced person, or a man who has been married twice.v

o. See Nicaea I (325) can. 20 (WEC 2:1457). p. See Elvira (ca. 300) can. 28 (WEC 2:1277); Lerida (546) can. 13 (WEC 4:4735). q. See Saragossa (ca. 380) can. 2 (WEC 2:1295); Gangra (ca. 345) can. 18 (WEC 2:1955); Agde (506) can. 12 (WEC 4:4549); Orleans IV (541) can. 2 (WEC 4:4616); Braga I (561) can. 4 (WEC 4:4737); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 57 (WEC 4:4692). r. See Nicaea I (325) (WEC 2:1459); Antioch (341) can. 1 (WEC 2:1947); Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 1 can. 1 (WEC 2:880); Carthage V (401) can. 73 (WEC 3:2747); Orleans IV (541) can. 1 (WEC 4:4615). s. Conciliabula: namely, “meeting places.” t. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 33 (WEC 2:1983); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 70 (WEC 4:4698). u. See Toledo I (400?) can. 2 (WEC 3:3168); Agde (506) can. 43 (WEC 4:4560); Epaon (517) can. 3 (WEC 4:4575); Arles IV (524) can. 3 (WEC 4:4591); Orleans III (538) can. 6 (WEC 4:4605). v. See Arles IV (524) can. 3 (WEC 4:4591); Orleans III (538) can. 6 (WEC 4:4605).

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Canon 87. (xxxvi) The presbyters in charge of churches throughout the diocese shall not request the chrism before Easterw from any bishop whomsoever but from their own bishop, and not through any junior cleric but either in person or through the sacristan. Canon 90. (ii) When a bishop is consecrated, two bishops place and hold the Book of the Gospels over his neck, and while one bishop pronounces a blessing over him, all the other bishops who are present impose their hands on his head. Canon 91. (iii) When a presbyter is ordained, and the bishop in blessing him lays his hand upon his head, all the presbyters present also lay their hands on his head. Canon 92. (iv) When a deacon is ordained, only the bishop who blesses him lays his hand upon his head because he is made holy not for the priesthood but in order to minister. Canon 93. (v) When a subdeacon is ordained, he receives no imposition of the hands, but he receives from the bishop the empty paten and chalice, and the archdeacon gives him the urceolumx with water, the mantile,y and the manutergium.z Canon 94. (vi) When an acolyte is ordained, the bishop instructs him as to how he is to behave in his office. The archdeacon gives him the candlestick with the candle so that he might understand that he has the task of lighting the lamps in the church; he will accept an empty urceolum for providing the wine for the eucharistic Blood of Christ. Canon 95. (vii) When an exorcist is ordained, the bishop gives him the book in which the exorcisms are written; the bishop says, “Receive [these words] and commit them to memory, and have the power of laying hands upon the energumens whether they are baptized or catechumens.”aa Canon 96. (viii) When a reader is ordained, the bishop speaks to the people regarding him, his faith, and his life, and then presents him with the book from which he is to read, saying, “Receive and be a reader of God’s word. If you faithfully and profitably fulfill your office, you will share in the reward of those who have ministered the word of God.” Canon 97. (ix) When a doorkeeper is ordained, after the archdeacon has instructed him on how he should conduct himself in the house of God, the bishop—after receiving an answer from the archdeacon—gives him from the altar the keys of the church while saying, “Act in such a manner w. See Toledo I (400?) can. 20 (WEC 3:3172); Vaison (442) can. 3 (WEC 3:3138); Auxerre (late 6th or early 7th c.) can. 6 (WEC 4:4632); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 51 (WEC 4:4686); Braga II (572) can. 4 (WEC 4:4757); Barcelona II (599) can. 2 (WEC 4:4773). x. Urceolum: a “little pitcher.” y. Mantile: a cloth used for scrubbing the altar. z. Manutergium: a linen cloth. aa. See Statuta (5th c.) can. 62 (WEC 3:3094).

126. Synods  193 as to give an account to God of the things that are unlocked by these keys.” Canon 98. (x) A psalmist, namely, a cantor, may receive his office by the command of the presbyter alone, without the previous knowledge of the bishop. The presbyter thus addresses him, saying, “What you sing with your mouth, may you believe in your heart. What you believe in your heart, may you practice by your works.” Canon 99. (xi) If a virgin is to be presented to the bishop for consecration, she must wear the same clothing as she will wear afterwards in accordance with her sacred calling. Canon 100. (xii) Widows and virgins consecrated to God who are to assist at the baptism of women must be so instructed for this office that they can clearly and soundly teach the ignorant and rustic women at the time of their baptism as to how they should reply to the questions of the person performing the baptism and how they are to live after having been baptized. Canon 101. (xiii) A bride and bridegroom shall be presented to the priest by their parents or those representing them for a blessing. Out of respect for the blessing they have received, they shall spend the following night as virgins.

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126. Synods

126-A. Synod of Riez (439)† A certain Armentarius was uncanonically installed as the bishop of Embrun, which Hilary of Arles (d. 449) considered to be one of his suffragan diocese. As a consequence Hilary called a synod, held on November 29, 439, to resolve the matter. CPL no. 1779a * Hefele (1905) 2.1:423–30 * Hefele (1871) 3:157–59 * DCA 2:1792 * DPAC 2:2993 * EEC 1:737 * NCE 2:423–30 L.A. Van Buchem, L’Homélie Pseudo-Eusebienne de Pentecôte: l’origine de la confirmation en Gaul méridionale et l’interprétation de ce rite par Fauste de Riez (Nijmegen, 1967) 91–94, 136–37. 3121 Canon 3. [.  .  .] [Armentarius] is never to offer the sacrifice in town or when the bishop is absent. Nor is he to ordain even the lowest cleric.a He is not to carry out any episcopal function in any church that has mercifully been entrusted to him. [.  .  .] He can bless the people in the church he has received; he can confirmb [confirmare] the newly-baptized in villages and towns although not in the episcopal city.

Canons translated from Concilia Galliae à 314 à 506, ed. C. Munier, CCL 148:66–68. a. See Ancyra (314) can. 13 (WEC 2:1431). b. See Elvira (ca. 300) can. 77 (WEC 2:1294); Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 48 (WEC 2:1994); Rome (ca. 400?) can. 11 (WEC 3:2958); Toledo I (400?) can. 20 (WEC 3:3172); Orange I (441) can. 2 (WEC 3:3124); Braga II (572) can. 4 (WEC 4:4757). †

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Canon 4. [.  .  .] Only in his own church can he consecrate virginsc and confirm the newly-baptized. So that there be a witness to abundant mercy, his actions are to be inferior to those of the bishop, superior to those of the priest. [.  .  .]

126-B. Synod of Orange I (441)† This synod, held on November 8, 441, and presided over by Hilary of Arles, issued thirty canons. Hefele (1905) 2.1:430–54 * Hefele (1871) 3:159–64 * CE 11:266–67 * DCA 2:1462–63 * DDCon 3:237 * DPAC 2:2493 * EEC 1:615 * EEChr 2:831 * NCE 10:712 * NCES 10:620 * ODCC 1186 D. van den Eynde, “Le deuxième canon du Concile d’Orange de 441, sur chrismation,” RTAM 11 (1939) 97–109. * A. Chavasse, “La deuxième canon d’Orange de 441,” in Mélanges Podechard (Lyons, 1945) 103–20. * L.A. Van Buchem, L’Homélie Pseudo-Eusébienne de Pentecôte: l’origine de la confirmation en Gaul méridionale et l’interprétation de ce rite by Fauste de Riez (Nijmegen, 1967) 95–110, 137, 171. * G. Winkler, “Confirmation or Chrismation? A Study in Comparative Liturgy,” Wor 58 (1984) 9–10.

Canon 1. If heretics who are seriously ill desire to become Catholics, then in the bishop’s absence the presbyter may sign them with chrisma and [give] the blessing. 3124 Canon 2. No minister [deacon] who has been appointed to baptize should ever go without the chrism since among us it has been agreed that there is but a single chrismation.b As to the person who at the time of baptism has not for any serious reason received the chrismation, the bishop [sacerdos] will be made aware of this at the time of the confirmation. Also among all there is only one blessing of the chrism, not that this settles the question of repeating the chrismation whose repetition should not be considered necessary. 3123

c. See Carthage II (390) can. 3 (WEC 2:876); Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 1 (WEC 2:881); Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 1 (WEC 2:881); Agde (506) can. 19 (WEC 4:4555). † Canons translated from CCL 148:78–83. a. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 7 (WEC 2:1960); Constantinople I (381) can. 7 (WEC 2:1460); Arles II (between 442 and 506) cans. 17, 26 (WEC 3:3145, 3148); Epaon (517) can. 16 (WEC 4:4576). b. See Elvira (ca. 300) can. 77 (WEC 2:1294); Laodicea (between 343 and 381) cans. 7, 48 (WEC 2:1960, 1994); Rome (ca. 400?) can. 11 (WEC 3:2958); Toledo I (400?) can. 20 (WEC 3:3172); Arles II (between 442 and 506) cans. 17, 26 (WEC 3:3145, 3148); Epaon (517) can. 16 (WEC 4:4576); Braga II (572) can. 4 (WEC 4:4757); Mâcon II (585) can. 3 (WEC 4:4653).

126. Synods  195 Canon 3.When penitents fall ill, Communion, fittingly called Viaticum,c shall be given them without the reconciling imposition of the hand. According to the testimony of the elders, this alone suffices for the dying. Should they recover, they must resume their place among the penitents, and only after the performance of the proper works of penance may they receive regular Communion together with the reconciling laying on of the hand. Canon 4. Penance is not to be denied to clerics who request it.d Canon 11 (12). Those who suddenly lose the power of speech may be baptized or admitted to penance if they voluntarily requested this either in the past according to the testimony of others or at the present by means of signs. Canon 12 (13). To those who have become insane all possible benefits of religion are to be granted. Canon 13 (14). Possessed personse who have been baptized and have entrusted themselves to the care and guidance of the clergy may receive Communion so that by the power of the sacrament they may ward off the attacks of the evil spirits or show that they have been cleansed. Canon 14 (15). Possessed persons who are catechumens may be baptized when it is necessary or opportune. Canon 15 (16). Those who were once openly possessed by a demon shall not become clerics. Those who have already been ordained will forfeit their office. Canon 16 (17). The capsaf is to be brought in with the cup which is to be sanctified by mixing in the Eucharist. Canon 17 (18). In all our provinces the catechumens will be present when the gospel is read.g Canon 18 (19). The catechumens shall not [before their baptism] enter the baptistery. Canon 19 (20). At the blessing of the faithful, even during prayers at home, the faithful, as far as possible, are to be set apart for their blessing and signing. c. See Elvira (ca. 300) cans. 1, 6, 7, 37, 47 (WEC 2:1270–72, 1284, 1290); Ancyra (314) cans. 16, 22 (WEC 2:1432, 1435); Nicaea I (325) can. 13 (WEC 2:1453); Rome (488) Letter 7, can. 3 (WEC 3:2959); Statuta (5th c.) cans. 20–21 (WEC 3:3077–78); Vaison (442) can. 2 (WEC 3:3137); Arles II (between 442 and 506) can. 28 (WEC 3:3149); Agde (506) can. 15 (WEC 4:4552); Epaon (517) can. 36 (WEC 4:4587); Orleans III (538) cans. 6, 28 (WEC 4:4605, 4609); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 82 (WEC 4:4699); Gerunda (517) can. 9 (WEC 4:4722); Barcelona I (ca. 540) can. 9 (WEC 4:4732). d. See Arles II (between 442 and 506) can. 29 (WEC 4:3150). e. See Elvira (ca. 300) cans. 29, 37 (WEC 2:1278, 1284); Statuta (5th c.) cans. 62–63 (WEC 3:3094–95). f. Capsa: a small container holding some of the eucharistic bread consecrated at a previous liturgy. g. See Valence (ca. 524) can. 1 (WEC 4:4724).

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3126 3127

3128 3129

3130 3131

3132 3133 3134 3135

196  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West 3136

Canon 25 (26). Deaconesses will in no way be ordained;h those already deaconesses will receive the blessing along with the laity.

126-C. Synod of Vaison (442)† Ten canons are ascribed to this synod, which took place on November 13, 442, and at which Hilary of Arles (d. 449) was the most influential prelate. Hefele (1905) 2.1:454–60 * Hefele (1871) 3:164–67 * DACL 15.2:2885 * DCA 2:2010 * DPAC 2:3537 * EEC 2:858 * ODCC 1674

Canon 2. As to those who after undertaking and doing penance lead a good life and then without receiving Communion suddenly die while in the country or on a journey, oblations shall be accepted for them; they are to be accorded a funeral, and their memory is to be celebrated with ecclesiastical affection. It would be wrong not to commemorate these faithful ones at the saving sacrifice; with faith and confidence they prepared themselves for the holy mysteries; for a long period of time they behaved as guilty penitents; they judged themselves to be unworthy of the mysteries of salvation; they desired to be readmitted after having been completely purified of their sins, and yet they died without sacramental Viaticum.a To be sure, no priest [sacerdos] would have refused them final reconciliation [absolutissima reconciliatio] had they lived. 3138 Canon 3. Shortly before Easter the presbyters and deacons of a territory shall request the chrism,b seeking it not from some nearby bishop but from their own bishop. They shall obtain it themselves, not by just any 3137

h. See Nicaea I (325) can. 19 (WEC 2:1456); Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 11 (WEC 2:1964); Nîmes (394) can. 2 (WEC 2:1226); Statuta (5th c.) can. 100 (WEC 3:3119); Chalcedon (451) can. 15 (WEC 3:3379); Epaon (517) can. 21 (WEC 4:4577); Dvin (527) can. 17 (WEC 4:4844); Orleans II (533) can. 18 (WEC 4:4600). † Canons translated from CCL 148:96. a. See Elvira (ca. 300) cans. 1, 6, 7, 37, 47 (WEC 2:1270–72, 1284, 1290); Ancyra (314) cans. 16, 22 (WEC 2:1432, 1435); Nicaea I (325) can. 13 (WEC 2:1453); Rome (488) Letter 7, can. 3 (WEC 3:2959); Statuta (5th c.) cans. 20–21 (WEC 3:3077–78); Orange I (441) can. 3 (WEC 3:3125); Arles II (between 442 and 506) can. 28 (WEC 3:3149); Agde (506) can. 15 (WEC 4:4552); Epaon (517) can. 36 (WEC 4:4587); Orleans III (538) cans. 6, 28 (WEC 4:4605, 4609); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 82 (WEC 4:4699); Gerunda (517) can. 9 (WEC 4:4722); Barcelona I (ca. 540) can. 9 (WEC 4:4732). b. See Statuta (5th c.) can. 87 (WEC 3:3108); Toledo I (400?) can. 20 (WEC 3:3172); Auxerre (late 6th or early 7th c.) can. 6 (WEC 4:4632); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 51 (WEC 4:4686); Braga II (572) can. 4 (WEC 4:4757); Barcelona II (599) can. 2 (WEC 4:4773).

126. Synods  197 ecclesiastic whatever. But if there is a necessity or a ministerial duty, then it is to be obtained by a subdeacon because it is disrespectful to entrust what is highest to those who are lowest. What is received is best received by the person who will use it. Should this not be possible, at least the sacristan should receive what is holy.

126-D. Synod of Arles II (between 442 and 506)† Some believe that these canons (many of which repeat earlier local legislation) are merely a fifth-century private collection of regulations that were never passed by any synodal body. CPL nos. 111ff. * Hefele (1905) 2:460–76 * Hefele (1871) 3:167–71 * CE 1:727 * DCA 1:142 * DDCon 1:84 * EC 1:1950 * EEC 1:79 * NCES 4:299 * ODCC 105 L.A. Buchem, L’Homélie Pseudo-Eusebienne de Pentecôte: l’origine de la confirmation en Gaul méridionale et l’interprétation de ce rite par Fauste de Riez (Nijmegen, 1967) 110–11, 171–72.

Canon 1. A neophyte is not to be ordained a priest or a deacon. a Canon 2. A married man is not to be made a priest unless his conversionb has preceded. Canon 10. As to those who showed themselves weak during times of persecution, the decree of Nicaea determined that they spend five years among the catechumens and two years among those taking part in the prayer so that it is not among the penitents that they seek communion.c Let it be in the power and will of the bishop, if he sees that they have put aside error and done penance, to receive them to communion, doing so out of ecclesiastical kindness. Canon 11. Those forced to deny or to sacrifice because they were not given food or because they were persecuted will refrain from Communion. They will spend two years among the catechumens and three years among the penitents. Canon 12. Those who die during their time of penance shall not be sent forth without Communion. Their offering is to be received because they have observed the law of penance.

Canons translated from CCL 148:114–24. a. See Nicaea I (325) can. 2 (WEC 2:1448); Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 3 (WEC 2:1957); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 22 (WEC 4:4678). b. Conversion: undertaking a life of asceticism or celibacy? c. See Elvira (ca. 300) can. 1 (WEC 2:1270); Ancyra (314) cans. 1–12 (WEC 2:1422–30); Nicaea I (325) cans. 11, 14 (WEC 2:1451, 1454); Valence (374) can. 3 (WEC 2:1225); Arles II (between 442 and 506) can. 11 (WEC 3:3142); Epaon (517) can. 29 (WEC 4:4584). †

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3143

198  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West 3144

3145

3146

3147 3148

3149

3150 3151

Canon 15. A deacon is not to sit in the secretarium [sanctuary?] among the presbyters;d and if a presbyter is present, the deacon must not administer the Body of Christe under penalty of deposition from the diaconal office. Canon 17. The Bonosians,f who like the Arians baptize in the name of the Trinity, will be received into the Church only by chrismg and the imposition of the hand if when questioned they confess our faith with all their hearts. Canon 21. A female penitent who after her husband’s death marries or enters into suspicious or forbidden relations with another man shall be excommunicated along with him. The same applies to a man who is a penitent. Canon 22. A person who is married can be admitted to penance only with the permission of the other partner.h Canon 26. If heretics who are seriously ill desire to become Catholics, then in the bishop’s absence the presbyters may sign them with chrismi and the blessing. Canon 28 (27). Those in danger of death who have received penance are to be given Communion.j If they recover after having received Viaticum, they will take their place in the order of penitents. Once they have demonstrated the indispensable fruits of penance, they will rightfully receive the reconciling imposition of the hand. Canon 29 (28). Penance is not to be denied to clerics who request it.k Canon 50. Those who publicly show enmity toward one another must not be present at divine services till they are reconciled.

d. See Nicaea I (325) can. 18 (WEC 2:1455); Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 20 (WEC 2:1972); Barcelona I (ca. 540) can. 4 (WEC 4:4727). e. See Elvira (ca. 300) can. 32 (WEC 2:1279); Statuta (5th c.) can. 58 (WEC 3:3091). f. Bonosians: followers of Bonosius, a late fourth-century bishop of Sardica who, among other things, denied the perpetual virginity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. g. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 7 (WEC 2:1960); Constantinople I (381) can. 7 (WEC 2:1460); Orange I (441) can. 1 (WEC 3:3123); Arles II (between 442 and 506) can. 26 (WEC 3:3148); Epaon (517) can. 16 (WEC 4:4576). h. See Orleans III (538) can. 27 (WEC 4:4608). i. See note g above. j. See Elvira (ca. 300) cans. 1, 6, 7, 37, 47 (WEC 2:1270–72, 1284, 1290); Ancyra (314) cans. 16, 22 (WEC 2:1432, 1435); Nicaea I (325) can. 13 (WEC 2:1453); Rome (488) Letter 7, can. 3 (WEC 3:2959); Statuta (5th c.) cans. 20–21 (WEC 3:3077–78); Orange I (441) can. 3 (WEC 3:3125); Vaison (442) can. 2 (WEC 3:3137); Agde (506) can. 15 (WEC 4:4552); Epaon (517) can. 36 (WEC 4:4587); Orleans III (538) cans. 6, 28 (WEC 4:4605, 4609); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 82 (WEC 4:4699); Gerunda (517) can. 9 (WEC 4:4722); Barcelona I (ca. 540) can. 9 (WEC 4:4732). k. See Orange I (441) can. 4 (WEC 3:3126).

126. Synods  199

126-E. Synod of Angers (453)† Held on October 4, 453, upon the election of a new bishop for Angers, this synod of seven bishops issued twelve canons. CPL no. 1780 * Hefele (1905) 2.2:883–86 * Hefele (1871) 4:3–5 * DCA 1:90 * DDCon 1:37–38 * DPAC 1:203 * EC 1:1263 * EEC 1:40

Canon 2. With all submissiveness deacons are to honor the presbyters.a Canon 5. The same punishment [excommunication and isolation while eating] is to be imposed on those who desert the penitential state they have undertaken;b likewise on women who voluntarily forsake a state of virginity dedicated to God. Canon 9. Bishops are not permitted to confer higher orders upon clerics of other dioceses.c Canon 10. Laymen or clerics who have been ordained as ministers and refuse to carry out their office are to be punished. [.  .  .] Canon 11. Only a man who has been married once and to a virgin can be ordained a presbyter or deacon.d Canon 12. All who confess their sins can be admitted to penance and shall, according to the bishop’s judgment, be pardoned in proportion to the seriousness of their offenses.

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3154 3155 3156 3157

126-F. Synod of Tours I (461)†† Meeting on November 18, 461, the feast of Saint Martin, nine bishops under the presidency of Perpetuus of Tours passed thirteen canons, some—as was frequently the practice—merely renewing former legislation. CPL no. 1782 * Hefele (1905) 2.2:898–900 * Hefele (1871) 4:10–11 * DACL 15.2:2585 * DCA 2:1990 * DPAC 2:3486 * EEC 2:847

Canon 1. [.  .  .] If the laity are commanded to observe abstinence in order to be free for prayer and to be heard when beseeching God, so much the more is this true for presbyters and deacons [levitae]; at every moment they

Canons translated from CCL 148:137–38. a. See Statuta (5th c.) can. 57 (WEC 3:3090). b. See Tours I (461) can. 8 (WEC 3:3159); Vannes (between 461 and 491) can. 3 (WEC 3:3160); Orleans I (511) can. 11 (WEC 4:4564); Epaon (517) can. 23 (WEC 4:4579); Orleans III (538) can. 28 (WEC 4:4609); Toledo III (589) ser. 2 cap. 11 (WEC 4:4766). c. See Orleans III (538) can. 16 (WEC 4:4607). d. See Orleans III (538) can. 6 (WEC 4:4605); Arles IV (524) can. 3 (WEC 4:4591). †† Canons translated from CCL 148:143–46. †

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200  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West should be prepared for God, secure in all cleanliness and purity so that they are ready as necessity requires to offer the sacrifice and to baptize. 3159 Canon 8. Those who, like a dog returning to its vomit,1 abandon the penance they have professed will be separated from the communion of the Church and from dealings with the faithful.a In this way they may more readily experience sorrow, and others may be deterred by their example.

126-G. Synod of Vannes (between 461 and 491)† This synod at Vannes in Brittany issued sixteen canons. The meeting, at which six bishops were present, occurred between 461 and 491. Hefele (1905) 2.2:904–6 * Hefele (1871) 4:16–18 * CE 15:272 * DACL 15.2:2585 * DCA 2:2011 * DPAC 2:3553 * EEC 2:862

Canon 3. Penitents who have interrupted their public penance and have returned to their former erroneous and worldly way of life are not only to be excluded from the reception of the Lord’s sacraments but also from having dealings with the faithful.a 3161 Canon 4. Those who have professed virginity and have shown this through the imposition of the hand will if caught in adultery be separated from communion together with their partners. 3162 Canon 11. Presbyters, deacons, subdeacons, and all who are themselves forbidden to marry are not to attend the marriages of others nor frequent gatherings where love songs are sung and where wicked and indecent gestures are used during dances.b In this way those who are appointed for the holy mysteries may not be polluted by the infection of what they see and hear. 3163 Canon 14. A cleric living in this city who absents himself from the morning hymns [matutini hymni]c without sufficient excuse, for example, sickness, is to be excluded from Communion for seven days. At the very time 3160

a. See Angers (453) can. 5 (WEC 3:3153); Vannes (between 461 and 491) can. 3 (WEC 3:3160); Orleans I (511) can. 11 (WEC 4:4564); Epaon (517) can. 23 (WEC 4:4579); Orleans III (538) can. 28 (WEC 4:4609); Toledo III (589) ser. 2 cap. 11 (WEC 4:4766). 1. See 2 Pet 2:22. † Canons translated from CCL 148:152–55. a. See Angers (453) can. 5 (WEC 3:3153); Tours I (461) can. 8 (WEC 3:3159); Orleans I (511) can. 11 (WEC 4:4564); Epaon (517) can. 23 (WEC 4:4579); Orleans III (538) can. 28 (WEC 4:4609); Toledo III (589) ser. 2 cap. 11 (WEC 4:4766). b. See Neo-Caesarea (ca. 320) can. 7 (WEC 2:1439); Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 53 (WEC 2:1999); Agde (506) can. 39 (WEC 4:4559). c. See Statuta (5th c.) can. 35 (WEC 3:3083); Toledo I (400?) can. 5 (WEC 3:3169); Irish Synod I (between 450 and 456) can. 7 (WEC 3:3173); Tarragona (516) can. 7 (WEC 4:4714); Orleans II (533) can. 14 (WEC 4:4598); Orleans III (538) can. 15 (WEC 4:4606).

127. Uranius  201 when urgent necessity excuses him from carrying out the duties of his holy ministry, it is not lawful for him to slack off in his wholesome religious life. Canon 15. Within our province there is to be one order for celebrating the holy ritesd and one method for singing the psalms.e Just as we adhere to one faith confessing the Trinity, so also we are to follow one rule for the holy offices; in this way our devotion is not thought to differ because of a practice that differs.

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Ib e r i a 127. Uranius

Uranius was a priest and a student of Paulinus of Nola (WEC 3:110), and in 431 he wrote a letter to a certain Pacatus giving the details of Paulinus’s death. Bardenhewer (1913) 3:571 * DCB 4:1061 * DPAC 2:3532 * EEC 2:856

127-A. Letter. On the Death of Paulinus of Nola† ii. “[.  .  .] Three days before Paulinus was called from this world to the heavenly dwelling, all had already despaired of his health. Two bishops, eager to visit him, arrived, namely, holy Symmachusa and blessed Acindynus.b Paulinus was so invigorated and restored by their coming that, all bodily weakness being forgotten, he appeared to them as completely spiritual and angelic. As if about to proceed to the Lord, he ordered that the holy mysteries be offered for him at his bedside. [.  .  .] iv. “[.  .  .] At the break of dawn the holy man became aware of what was ordinarily done. All were summoned and he as customary celebrated Matins, doing so in the usual manner. When day arrived, he, following the Lord’s example,1 extended peace as an inheritance to the presbyters, deacons, and all the clergy. Then as if awaken from sleep, at the time of the evening devotion and with hands outstretched he softly said, ‘I have prepared a candle for my Christ. I have sung to the Lord.’ [.  .  .] xi. “[.  .  .] Roused from sleep on the same day, namely, Thursday, he rewarded all the clergy and the poor as was his custom; he was healthy enough to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. He freed himself for prayer on

d. See Epaon (517) can. 27 (WEC 4:4582); Gerunda (517) can. 1 (WEC 4:4717); Braga I (561) ser. 2 can. 4 (WEC 4:4742). e. See Agde (506) can. 30 (WEC 4:4557); Braga I (561) ser. 2 can. 1 (WEC 4:4739). † Translated from PL 53:860–62, 865–66. a. Symmachus: apparently the bishop of Capua. b. Acindynus: unknown see. 1. See John 14:27.

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3167

202  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West Friday. On Saturday, however, at the second hour of the day he joyfully went to the church; ascending the platform, he as customary exchanged greetings with the people; he said the prayer; and at the prayer’s conclusion [collecta oratione] he breathed forth his spirit. A vigil was observed that night in the church. On the following day, namely, the Pasch, tapers having been lit, a procession with a large number of neophytes followed by a multitude of people wound its way to his tomb where he was given a splendid and venerable burial.” 128. Synods

128-A. Synod of Toledo I (400?)† Primarily directed against Priscillianism, a heretical movement fostering spiritual renewal, this synod (not all agree as to its precise date) of nineteen bishops issued twenty canons. Hefele (1905) 2.1:122–25 * Hefele (1871) 3:175–77 * DCA 2:1966–67 * DPAC 2:3471–72 * DTC 15.1:1176–77 * EEC 2:844 * NCE 14:190 * NCES 14:99 S. González, “Tres maneras de penitencia: la disciplina penitencial de la Iglesia espánola desde el siglo V al sigli VIII,” RET 1 (1942) 985–1019.

Canon 2. A person who has done penance is not to be admitted among the clergy.a If necessity or need requires, he may be placed among the doorkeepers or the readers but in such a way that he does not read the Gospels or the writings of the apostles. If he was previously ordained a subdeacon, he is to remain among the subdeacons; the hand is not to be imposed on him nor is he to touch holy things. We are referring to those penitents who after baptism did public penance in sackcloth for their serious sins, for having committed murder or other various crimes, and were then reconciled at the holy altar. 3169 Canon 5. A presbyter, a deacon, a subdeacon, or any cleric assigned to a church—if he is within the city or is in a place where there is a church, or in a castle or village or country estate—who does not go to the daily sacrifice will not be ranked among the clergy if he, reproached, does not wish to show that by making amends he has merited pardon given by the bishop.b 3168

Canons translated from CV 20–25. a. See Statuta (5th c.) can. 84 (WEC 3:3106); Agde (506) can. 43 (WEC 4:4560); Epaon (517) can. 3 (WEC 4:4575); Arles IV (524) can. 3 (WEC 4:4591); Orleans III (538) can. 6 (WEC 4:4605); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 23 (WEC 4:4679). b. See Statuta (5th c.) can. 35 (WEC 3:3083); Irish Synod I (between 450 and 456) can. 7 (WEC 3:3173); Vannes (between 461 and 491) can. 14 (WEC 3:3163); Tarragona (516) can. 7 (WEC 4:4714); Orleans II (533) can. 14 (WEC 4:4598); Orleans III (538) can. 15 (WEC 4:4606); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 63 (WEC 4:4693). †

129. Synods  203 Canon 9. No consecrated virgin or widow in the absence of the bishop or a 3170 presbyter is to sing psalms [antiphonas faciat] in her home with a confessor or her servant. Vespers [lucernarium] is only to be celebrated in the church. But if it takes place on a country estate, a bishop or a presbyter or a deacon is to be present. Canon 14. Whoever does not consume the Eucharist received from a priest 3171 is to be expelled as one guilty of sacrilege. Canon 20. Although almost everywhere it is customary that only the bishop 3172 blesses the chrism, in some regions and provinces presbyters are said to do this. Henceforth no one other than the bishop is to bless the chrism.c He will send it throughout his diocese. Before Easter deacons or subdeacons are to be sent from every church to the bishopd so that the chrism blessed by him may be available for use at Easter.e Certainly the bishop can bless the chrism at any time. Nothing is to be done without the bishop’s knowledge. The deacon is not to use the chrism but the presbyter may do so when the bishop is absent. In the presence of the bishop the presbyter may only use the chrism if the bishop instructs him to do so. [.  .  .]

British Isles 129. Synods

Two synods are traditionally said to have occurred under Saint Patrick about the middle of the fifth century. Some of the canons enacted have come down to us, although in a corrupted version. CPL nos. 1102, 1791 * Hefele (1905) 2.2:888–98 * Hefele (1871) 4:7–10 * DCA 1:868 * DDCon 2:197–98 * DPAC 2:1820–21 * EEC 1:411

129-A. Irish Synod I (between 450 and 456)† Canon 7. Any cleric who due to negligence is absent from the morning or evening gatheringa will be held in disfavor unless perhaps he is prevented by the yoke of strict duty. c. See Carthage II (390) can. 3 (WEC 2:876); Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 34 (WEC 2:891); Braga I (561) ser. 2 can. 19 (WEC 4:4752). d. See Statuta (5th c.) can. 87 (WEC 3:3108); Vaison (442) can. 3 (WEC 3:3138); Toledo I (400?) can. 20 (WEC 3:3172); Auxerre (late 6th or early 7th c.) can. 6 (WEC 4:4632); Capitula Martini (after 541) can. 51 (WEC 4:4686); Braga II (572) can. 4 (WEC 4:4757); Barcelona II (599) can. 2 (WEC 4:4773). e. See Elvira (ca. 300) can. 77 (WEC 2:1294). † Canons translated from Mansi 6:516–18. a. See Statuta (5th c.) can. 35 (WEC 3:3083); Toledo I (400?) can. 5 (WEC 3:3169); Vannes (between 461 and 491) can. 14 (WEC 3:3163); Tarragona (516) can. 7 (WEC 4:4714); Orleans II (533) can. 14 (WEC 4:4598); Orleans III (538) can. 15 (WEC 4:4606); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 63 (WEC 4:4693).

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Canon 10. Whoever sings the psalms disjointedly or wears his hair long is to be excluded from the church unless he immediately changes his ways. Canon 14. A Christian who murders, commits fornication, or—like the pagans—visits soothsayers, will do a year’s penance for each sin. Having completed a year of penance, this person may come forward with witnesses and afterwards be released by a priest. Canon 15. Whoever steals must do penance for twenty days on bread [and water] and if possible must repay what has been stolen. [.  .  .] Canon 18. Till penance has been done, an excommunicated person must not enter the church on Easter night. Canon 23. If a presbyter has built a church, he must not offer in it till he has brought his bishop, as is fitting, to consecrate it.b Canon 28. A cleric who has been excommunicated is to pray alone and not in the same dwelling with his brethren;c nor is he to offer or to consecrate until he shows that he has corrected himself. Whoever fails to do this is to be punished twice.

129-B. Irish Synod II (after 456)† This synod apparently occurred later than the previous one, and yet its date is unknown, perhaps in the late fifth century. Canon 19. Catechumens are made so on Sunday [octava dies]; then they are baptized on the solemnities of the Lord, namely, at Easter,a Pentecost,b and Epiphany. 3181 Canon 22. [.  .  .] The Eucharist is especially to be received during the Easter Vigil.c Whoever does not receive Communion at this time is considered as not being a member of the faithful. [.  .  .] 3182 Canon 31. All sins are washed away by baptism. But whoever believes what Christians believe and is still not a member of the faithful and falls into sin is to be considered as a Christian who is a sinner. 3180

b. See Agde (506) can. 14 (WEC 4:4551); Epaon (517) can. 26 (WEC 4:4581); Orleans III (538) can. 16 (WEC 4:4607); Braga I (561) ser. 2 can. 19 (WEC 4:4752); Braga II (572) cans. 5–6 (WEC 4:4758–59). c. See Antioch (341) can. 2 (WEC 2:1948). † Canons translated from Mansi 6:525–27. a. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 45 (WEC 2:1991); Agde (506) can. 13 (WEC 4:4550); Auxerre (late 6th or early 7th c.) can. 18 (WEC 4:4641); Gerunda (517) can. 4 (WEC 4:4720); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 49 (WEC 4:4684); Mâcon II (585) can. 3 (WEC 4:4653). b. See Gerunda (517) can. 4 (WEC 4:4720). c. See Agde (506) can. 18 (WEC 4:4554).

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Serbia 1 3 0 . N i c e ta s o f R e m e s i a n a

Very little is known of the life of Nicetas. He became bishop of Remesiana (today Bela Palanka in Serbia) ca. 370. Twice he journeyed to Italy, in 398 and again in 402, visiting Paulinus of Nola (WEC 3:110) on the way. He died ca. 414. We are told that Nicetas composed numerous hymns; none of these, however, have survived. Among his literary works the most famous is the Instructio ad competentes, a manual for baptismal instruction. Not widely accepted is the opinion that Nicetas was the author of the Te Deum. CPL nos. 646ff. * Altaner (1961) 458–59 * Altaner (1966) 391 * Bardenhewer (1908) 440–42 * Bardenhewer (1910) 384–85 * Bardenhewer (1913) 3:598–605 * Labriolle (1947) 1:438–42 * Labriolle (1968) 302–4 * Quasten 4:190–94 * Steidle 201–2 * Tixeront 240–41 * CATH 9:1216 * CE 11:52 * DCB 4:37 * DictSp 11:214–19 * DPAC 2:2397–98 * DTC 11.1:477–79 * EC 8:1838–39 * EEC 2:595 * EEChr 2:813–14 * LTK 7:843 * NCE 10:440 * NCES 10:356–57 * ODCC 1147 * PEA (1894) 17.1:179–80 * PEA (1991) 8:887–88 * TRE 24:460–63 Author of the Te Deum? G. Morin, “L’auteur du Te Deum,” RB 7 (1890) 151–59. * G. Morin, “Nouvelles recherches sur l’auteur du Te Deum,” RB 11 (1894) 49–77, 337–39. * G. Morin, “Le ‘Te Deum,’ type anonyme d’anaphore latine préhistorique,” RB 24 (1907) 180–223. * P. Cagin, Te Deum ou Illatio? Scriptorium Solesmense 1.1 (Solesmes, 1906). * A.E. Burn, The Hymn Te Deum and Its Author (London, 1926). * J.A. Jungmann, “Quos pretiso sanguine redemisti,” ZkTh 61 (1937) 105–7. * A. Baumstark, “‘Te Deum’ und eine Gruppe griechischen Abendhymnen,” OC 34 (1937) 1–26. * J. Zeiller, “Un ancien évêque d’Illyricum, peut-être auteur du ‘Te Deum,’ s. Niceta de Remesiana,” CRI (1942) 356–69. * J. Brinktrine, “Eine aufallende Lesart in der mozarabischen Rezension des Te Deum,” EphL 64 (1950) 349–51. * M. Simonetti, “Studi sull’innologia popolare cristiana dei primi secoli,” in Atti Acc. Naz. Lincei, Memorie Ser. 8, 4 (1952) 478–81. * E. Kaehler, Studien zum Te Deum und zur Geschichte des 24. Psalm in der Alten Kirche (Göttingen, 1958). * K. Gamber, “Das ‘Te Deum’ und sein Autor,” RB 74 (1964) 318–21. Other Topics T. Barns, “The ‘Magnificat’ in Niceta of Remesiana and Cyril of Jerusalem,” JThSt 7 (1905–6) 449–53. * C.H. Turner, “Niceta of Remesiana ‘De Vigiliis’ and ‘De Psalmodiae Bono,’” JThSt 22 (1920–21) 305–20. * S.C. Alexe, “The Utility of Ecclesiastical Chant in the Community according to St. Nicetas of Remesiana” (in Romanian), Biserica Ortodoxa Romîna 75 (1957) 153–82. * K. Gamber, “Ist Niceta von Remesiana der Verfasser von De Sacramentis?” OstkSt 7 (1958) 153–72. * K. Gamber, Die Autorschaft von De sacramentis: Zugleich ein Beitrag zur Liturgiegeschichte der römischen Provinz Dacia mediterranea, Studia Patristica et Liturgica (Regensberg, 1967). * D.B. Saddington, “The Educational Effect of Catechetical Instruction in the Fourth Century a.d.,” Euphrosyne 5 (1972) 249–71.

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130-A. On the Vigils of the Servants of God† This treatise, using abundant examples from both the Old and the New Testaments, defends the practice of prayer during the night. 3183

iv. [.  .  .] As promised, I must say something about the usefulness of the psalms even though this is better taught by experience rather than by listening to words. By “tasting” “we see that the Lord is good.”1 And so only the person who has tasted understands and grasps how much filth is removed, how much dullness of mind is shaken off, how great a light shines upon the souls of those who keep watch and pray, and how grace and such a holy encounter give joy to all who keep watch. By means of the vigil all fear is banished; faith is born; the flesh is tormented; sins are washed away; chastity is strengthened; foolishness gives way; prudence appears; the mind is sharpened; error is weakened; the devil, being the source of sins, is wounded by the sword of the Spirit. What can be more useful, more necessary? What is more appropriate than such holy riches? What is more pleasing than this delight? What is more blessed than this happiness? As a witness there is the prophet who at the beginning of the Book of Psalms describes the blessed man and finds the utmost happiness in the verse that says, “Day and night they meditate on the law of the Lord.”2 Certainly meditation during the day is good; prayer during the day is also good. But meditation during the night is more pleasing, more efficacious. Various necessities interrupt the day; tasks divert the mind; a multitude of cares weakens judgment. The night, being quiet and suitable for those who pray, is set apart. Night is most appropriate for those who keep watch. Placing aside worldly preoccupations, the whole person stands before the Divine with undivided attention. [.  .  .]

130-B. On the Usefulness of Psalmody†† It is interesting that in this defense of singing Nicetas, following several biblical manuscripts, ascribes the singing of the Magnificat to Elizabeth and not to Mary. i. Whoever keeps a promise is released from a debt. I recall that when speaking on the attractiveness and usefulness of vigils, I promised to say something in a future sermon on the usefulness of hymns and songs of praise. It is precisely this that, God willing, I will now do. Clearly there can be no better time than the present, a time during 3185 which the children of the light believe the night to be day, a time during which night itself offers us silence and rest, a time during which we 3184

Translated from PL 68:369–70. 1. Ps 34:8.  2. Ps 1:2. †† Translated from PLS 3:191–98, where the Latin text is that given by C. Turner, JThSt 24 (1923) 233ff. †

130. Nicetas of Remesiana  207 celebrate what our words intend to describe. The appropriate occasion for exhorting a soldier is when he is girded for battle; as for sailors, a sea chant suits them when they are applying themselves to the oars and showing respect for the sea. So it is true for us. This is the best time to speak of the usefulness of hymns, now that the people have gathered for this purpose. 3186 ii. I know that some—both here among us as well as in the eastern regions—believe that the singing of psalms and hymns is superfluous and less fitting for divine services. They believe it suffices to say a psalm interiorly, holding it wanton to pray the psalm aloud. They base their opinion on what the apostle wrote to the Ephesians, namely, “Be filled with the Spirit as you say psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to God in your hearts.”1 They say, “the apostle says we are to sing in our hearts and not babble aloud as do actors on the stage because it is enough for God, ‘who searches the heart,’2 if we sing silently in our hearts.” To be sure, I do not reproach those who sing in their hearts (for it is always useful to meditate in the heart on the things of God). But in like manner I also praise those who aloud glorify God. Before I offer proof from the many books of Scripture, I must first appeal to the very words of the apostle himself to refute the foolishness of those who find there a prescription against singing. As you say, the apostle certainly said, “Be filled with the Spirit.”3 I also believe that he wanted us to open our mouths, loosen our tongues, move our lips since it is impossible for us to “speak” without using these organs; and just as heat is different than cold, so being silent is different than speaking. When he added “speaking in psalms and hymns and songs,” he certainly would not have mentioned “songs” if he wanted to say that someone singing was totally silent. No one can sing and at the same time remain completely silent. The apostle said, “in your hearts,” thus admonishing us that we are not to sing with the voice only but also with the attention of the “heart,” just as elsewhere he says, “Sing with the spirit, sing with the mind also,”4 namely, with both voice and understanding. [.  .  .] 3187 It is the heretics who raise objections to singing. Their ardor waning, they simply reject singing. They conceal their disdain for the prophecies concerning God the Creator. Under the guise of an honorable silence they strive to remove the sayings of the prophets and especially the heavenly songs of David. 3188 iii. But we, my beloved, we who know the teachings of the prophets, the evangelists, and the apostles, should constantly remember all that has been said and done by those to whom we owe all that we are. Let us rely upon those authors who from the beginning have shown how these “spiritual songs” please God.

1. Eph 5:18–19.  2. Rom 8:27.  3. Eph 5:19.  4. 1 Cor 14:15.

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If, however, we ask who was the first person to have introduced this type of singing, we first of all find Moses, who clearly sang a song to God when, after Egypt had been struck by ten plagues and after the Pharaoh had drowned, the people went out into the desert, rejoicing as they did so because they passed through the sea. They said, “Let us sing to the Lord, for he is greatly to be honored.”5 [.  .  .] And so Moses was the first, being the head of the tribes of Israel, to establish choirs of both men and women, he and his sister being their leaders. He instructed them to sing a triumphant song to God. Then in the Book of Judges we find Deborah, a woman of high birth, singing.6 Moses himself, when about to leave this world, repeated this awe-inspiring song as we find related in Deuteronomy.7 He left this song to be, as it were, a testament to the tribes of Israel so that they might learn what kind of funeral awaits those who reject the Lord. Wretched are they who, having heard such a clear threat, either do not wish to guard themselves against illicit superstitions or are unable to do so. iv. After this you will find many—not only men but also women, all filled with the divine Spirit—who sang the mysteries of God. They did so even prior to the time of David, who from his youth was especially appointed for this task by the Lord and who deserved to be the master singer and a treasure-trove of songs. While still a youth he, with his agreeable and strong song together with the cithara, overcame the evil spirit at work in Saul8—not that the cithara itself possessed any power; no, with its wooden frame and with its attached strings, it was a symbol of Christ’s cross. The Passion itself was being sung. Even at that time it was the Passion that overcame the spirit of the devil. v. Is there anything in the psalms of David that is not useful for the edification and consolation of the human race, no matter what be a person’s sex or age? In the psalms an infant receives milk; a child gives praise;9 an adolescent finds something to correct in his or her ways;10 young people have a path to follow; the elderly have something for which to pray. A woman learns modesty; orphans find a father; widows, a protector;11 the poor, someone to look out for them; strangers, a defender. Kings and judges hear what they are to fear. The psalms comfort the sad, restrain the happy, calm the angry, revive the poor, reproach the rich so that they might see themselves as they truly are. The psalms are a fitting medicine for all who receive them. The psalms do not look down upon the sinner but in a healthy way offer a remedy through tearful penance. The Holy Spirit clearly sees to it that even the most stubborn and impatient of hearts may joyfully and gradually receive these divine words. Human nature generally flees from all that is difficult, even when it is salutary. It rejects difficult things or at least accepts them only when they 5. Exod 15:1.  6. See Judg 5.  7. See Deut 32.  8. See 1 Kgs 16:14–23.  9. See Ps 113:1.  10. See Ps 119:9.  11. See Ps 68:5.

130. Nicetas of Remesiana  209 appear to be forbidden. Through David his servant the Lord prepared a medicine for us. It is pleasant to the taste because of its melody, and yet through its power it can heal wounds. When sung, the psalm pleases the ear. It reaches into the soul because it is pleasurable. It is easily remembered because it is frequently sung. What severe laws cannot extract from human hearts is uncovered through the sweetness of song. Like a sweet medicine these songs have within them whatever is commanded by the Law, the prophets, or the Gospels themselves. vi. God is revealed; idols are mocked. Faith is protected; falsehood is refuted. Justice is brought about; evil is forbidden. Mercy is praised; cruelty is rejected. Truthfulness is required; untruthfulness is condemned. Deceit is blamed; innocence is praised. Pride is cast aside; humility is uplifted. Patience is proclaimed; peace that will follow is sought. Protection against enemies is requested; freedom is promised; certain hope is nourished, and—what is greater than all these—the mysteries of Christ are sung. His birth is indicated; and, rejected by a godless people, he is called the inheritance of the nations.12 The powers of the Lord are sung; his venerable passion is depicted; his glorious resurrection is pointed out. His “being seated at the right hand”13 is not omitted. Also the fiery coming of the Lord14 is shown; his fear-inspiring judgment of the living and the dead is disclosed. And what else? The sending of the creating Spirit and the renewal of the earth15 are revealed, all being followed by the everlasting kingdom of the just in the Lord’s glory and the lasting torment of the wicked. vii. These are the songs sung by God’s Church as well as by this assembly. They do not weaken but rather make secure the singer. They do not give rise to dissipation but rather extinguish it. Can anyone doubt that these songs are pleasing to God since they totally focus on the glory of the Creator. Rightly does the psalmist say, “may every spirit praise the Lord,”16 for everyone and everything are urged to praise the God who rules over all. The psalmist also says, “I will praise the name of the Lord with song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving”17—thus promising that he himself will give praise. He adds, “This will please God more than an ox or a bull with horns and hoofs.”18 Behold what is more excellent! Behold the spiritual sacrifice, greater than all sacrificial victims! And rightly so. The blood of irrational animals was shed in such sacrifices. Here rational praise is offered from the soul and from an upright conscience. Rightly did the Lord say, “A sacrifice of praise will glorify me, and this is the way by which I will show him the salvation of God.”19 Praise the Lord while you are living. “Offer him a sacrifice of praise,”20 and so spiritually show in your soul how you will attain salvation. viii. Praise that flows from an “upright conscience”21 delights God. And so the same hymn writer exhorts us to “praise the Lord because a psalm is 12. See Ps 2:8.  13. Ps 110:1.  14. See Ps 50:3.  15. See Ps 104:30.  16. Ps 150:6.  17. Ps 69:30.  18. Ps 69:31.  19. Ps 50:23.  20. Ps 50:14.  21. 1 Tim 3:9.

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210  Chapter IX. Fifth Century. West good, and may joyful praise be given to our God.”22 The psalmist, knowing this and not forgetting that such pleases God, testifies, “Seven times a day I have praised you.”23 Even now he promises something more, for he says, “My tongue will meditate on your justice. The whole day long I will praise you.”24 He undoubtedly knew the benefit of such a work since he recalls, “praising I will call upon the Lord, and I will be safe from my enemies.”25 Armed with this protection, armed with such a shield, it was a boy who overcame the power of the giant Goliath and who often triumphed over the invaders. 3197 ix. Beloved, far be it that I speak to you about the history of the individual psalms. What I most especially want to do is to show, based on Old and New Testament evidence, that it is incorrect to believe that the practice of psalmody has now been abrogated just as many other practices of the Old Law have come to an end. Rejected are only things that pertain to the body, namely, circumcision, the Sabbath, sacrifices, dietary restrictions, the use of trumpets, citharas, cymbals, and drums. Replacing these is the musical sound of the human voice. What has clearly ceased and disappeared are the daily washings, lunar observances, burdensome examinations of lepers, and anything else that once was deemed necessary, as if these are something for children. Spiritual things are not diminished but increased as, for example, faith, godliness, prayer, fasting, patience, chastity, the offering of praise. 3198 Therefore in the Gospel you first find Zachary, John’s father, who long being silent prophesied by means of a hymn.26 Nor did Elizabeth, long sterile, cease to “magnify God”27 in her soul when the Son of promise was born. At the time Christ was born on earth the host of angels sang praise to “God on high” and announced “peace to those of good will on earth,”28 “The children in the temple area sang ‘Hosanna to the Son of David,’”29 this making the Pharisees grumble with spite. The Lord did not close the mouths of the innocent but rather opened them, saying, “Have you never read what is written, ‘Out of the mouths of infants and sucklings you have brought forth praise.’30 And ‘If these will remain silent, the stones will cry out’?”31 There is no need for me to go on and on. The Lord himself, a teacher and a master in what is both said and done, confirmed that hymnsinging is most pleasing when with his disciples “after singing a hymn, he went out to the Mount of Olives.”32 With such proof, who can doubt the godliness of psalms and hymns since Christ, who is adored and sung to by all the heavenly angels, himself sang a hymn with his disciples? 3199 x. The apostles are known to have done the same afterwards, even when they were in prison. So it was Paul who spoke to the elders of the Church, saying, “When you assemble, one has a psalm, one has a teaching, another a revelation; may everything be done unto edification.”33 Elsewhere he 22. Ps 147:1.  23. Ps 119:164.  24. Ps 35:28.  25. Ps 18:3.  26. See Luke 1:67–79.  27. Luke 1:46.  28. Luke 2:13–14.  29. Matt 21:15.  30. Matt 21:16.  31. Luke 19:40.  32. Matt 26:30.  33. 1 Cor 14:26.

130. Nicetas of Remesiana  211 says, “I will sing with the spirit; I will also sing with understanding.”34 And James in his letter writes, “Are any of you sad? Let them pray. Are any in good spirits? Let them sing a psalm.”35 In the Book of Revelation John writes that, when the Spirit revealed itself to him, he saw and heard the voice of the heavenly host “like the sound of many waters and of powerful thunder saying ‘Alleluia.’”36 Wherefore no one should doubt that the practice of singing, if celebrated with worthy faith and devotion, is joined to that of the angels who, not hindered by sleep or other occupations, continuously praise God in heaven and bless our Savior. xi. Therefore, beloved, may we confidently and faithfully engage in the 3200 singing of hymns, believing that we have been given a very wonderful grace by God, who has permitted us together with so many great saints, prophets, and even martyrs to sing the marvelous deeds of the eternal God. Henceforth with David “we confess” to the Lord “that he is good”;37 with Moses we loudly proclaim in these songs the power of the Lord; with Anna, who is a figure of the Church and who once was sterile but now is fruitful, we strengthen our hearts in praise of God; with Isaiah “we watch throughout the night”;38 with Habakkuk we sing; with Jonah and Jeremiah our most holy fathers we pray by means of song; with the three young men in the furnace we join all creation in praising the Creator of all; with Elizabeth our “soul magnifies the Lord.”39 3201 xii. Can anything be more useful or more pleasing? We delight in the psalms; we are nourished by the prayers; we are fed by the readings that come between them. And truly just as guests at a meal take delight in a variety of dishes, so our souls are fed by a great array of readings and hymns. 3202 xiii. Beloved, let us sing attentively and with a mind that is alert, for the psalm exhorts, “Because God is the ruler of the whole earth, sing wisely.”40 This means that a psalm is sung not only by the “spirit,” namely, the sound of the voice, but also “by the mind,”41 namely, we are to reflect on what we are singing. Nor are distractions to render our labor unfruitful as so often can happen. Also, the sound or the melody that we sing is to be appropriate to the worship of God; it is not to be overemotional but should manifest Christian simplicity. It should not reek of the theater but rather induce those listening to show sorrow for their sins. Our voices should not be discordant but harmonious. One person is not to rush while another drags. One person is not to sing low while another sings high. Rather, all should blend their voices with those of the other singers, not singing more loudly or more slowly than the others so as to show off. Everything is to be done as if in God’s sight and not in order to please others. As to the blending of voices, we have a model and example in the three most blessed young men spoken of by Daniel, “Then these three as with one voice praised and glorified God, doing so in the furnace and saying, 34. 1 Cor 14:15.  35. Jas 5:13.  36. Rev 19:6.  37. Ps 136:1.  38. Isa 26:9.  39. Luke 1:46.  40. Ps 47:7.  41. 1 Cor 14:15.

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‘Blessed are you, God of our fathers.’”42 It was for our instruction that the three together praised the Lord as if “with one voice” so that all of us may modulate our own voices in like manner. As to those who are unable to sing in harmony with others, it is better that they sing very softly rather than overwhelming all who are singing—in this way carrying out their service and not disrupting the assembly’s song—since not all possess an adaptable and musical voice. Also, blessed Cyprian invited Donatus, whom he knew to be a good singer, to undertake this task. “May we spend in joy whatever remains of this day so that the time for meals not be lacking in heavenly grace. May the temperate meal resound with the psalms. Since your memory is strong and your voice is melodious, may you undertake this task as you usually do. You will nourish your dear friends if you allow us to listen to something spiritual. Religious charm entices the ears.”a Those who sing well have a certain grace which incites the ears of those listening to the things of God. This is also true for our voices, provided they are not harsh and are in tune with the sound of “well-played cymbals.”43 Voices such as these will please us and will edify those listening, and our whole praise will be agreeable to God, who “in his house,” as we read, “makes all of one manner to dwell with him.”44 Therefore when there is singing, all are to sing. When there are prayers, all are to pray. When there is a reading, all are to be silent so that they may listen. No person is to pray so loudly as to disturb another who is at prayer. If you enter during the reading, adore the Lord and, having signed your forehead, listen carefully to what is being read. xiv. Obviously the time for prayer is when all are praying. It is also evident that the time for private prayer is whenever you wish to pray and as often as you so wish. But under the pretext of praying do not miss the reading because you can always easily pray but you cannot always have a reading to which you can listen. Do not believe that you gain little from a holy reading. Certainly prayer becomes sweeter to those who listen if the mind has recently been nourished by the readings, if it can meditate on the divine things that have just been heard. For Martha’s sister Mary, “sitting at the feet of Jesus” and paying no attention to her sister, more attentively heard what Jesus was saying and thus chose the “better part” as we are assured by the Lord.45 And so the deacon, like a herald, clearly warns all that they are to be one, whether they be praying or kneeling or singing or listening to the readings. The reason is that the Lord loves those who act together and, as was said earlier, “he has them dwell in his house.”46 The psalm proclaims that those who dwell in his house “are blessed because they will praise the Lord forever.”47 Amen. a. Letter to Donatus (WEC 1:506). 42. Dan 3:51–52.  43. Ps 150:5.  44. Ps 68:7.  45. Luke 10:39, 42.  46. Ps 84:4.  47. Ibid.

Chapter X Fifth Century. East Asia Minor 1 3 1 . Pa l l a d i u s o f H e l e n o p o l i s

Palladius, surely the most informative and noted historian of early Egyptian monasticism, was born ca. 363 or 364 in Galatia, a Roman province in Asia Minor. Traveling to Egypt, he passed several years visiting various types of monks and monastic establishments in both Upper and Lower Egypt. Eventually returning to Asia Minor ca. 400, he was made bishop of Helenopolis in Bithynia. As a disciple and close friend of John Chrysostom (WEC 2:74), Palladius was forced into exile, these years being spent at Syene on the Egyptian border. Allowed to return to his homeland, he apparently became bishop of the little town of Aspuna in Galatia. Palladius’s death occurred between 420 and 430. CPG 3: nos. 6036ff. * Altaner (1961) 254–55 * Altaner (1966) 238–40 * Bardenhewer (1913) 4:148–55 * Hamell 123 * Quasten 3:176–80 * Steidle 262–63 * Tixeront 181–82 * CATH 10:475–78 * CE 11:425–26 * DACL 13.1:912–30 * DCB 4:173–76 * DictSp 12.1:113–26 * DPAC 2:2589–90 * DTC 11.2:1823–30 * EC 9:641 * EEC 2:636–37 * EEChr 2:859 * LTK 7:1297–98 * NCE 10:927–28 * NCES 10:805–6 * ODCC 1210–11 * PEA (1894) 18.1:203–7 * PEA (1991) 9:193

131-A. The Lausiac History of the Friends of God† This history of the Egyptian monks (the “friends of God”), both male and female, was dedicated to a certain Lausus, the chief chamberlain of Theodosius II (WEC 3:134). Written ca. 419/420, the intent of the book is spiritual edification. Although reports of wonderful happenings are not absent, the author is generally considered as giving an accurate account of monastic life in Egypt, Palestine, Syria, and Asia Minor. The work has come down to us in Latin, Greek, and several Oriental languages. † Translated from E.C. Butler, The Lausiac History of Palladius: A Critical Discussion Together with Notes on Early Egyptian Monasticism, Texts and Studies 6 (Hildesheim, 1967) 26ff.

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214  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East vii. [.  .  .] All these [the monks at Mount Nitria in Egypt] engage in manual labor, making linen. In this way each monk is self-supporting. At about the ninth hour one can stand and hear the divine psalmody issuing forth from each cell and imagine that one is high above in paradise. Only on Saturdays and Sundays is the church used. Eight priests are in charge of it, but only the senior priest celebrates and preaches. None of the others do so. They simply sit next to him. [.  .  .] 3208 xxxii. [.  .  .] He [Pachomiusa] commanded that the monks pray twelve prayers each day and twelve at the time they light the lamps; during the night devotions they say twelve prayers; three at the ninth hour. And when the monks were preparing to eat, he commanded them to sing a psalm before each prayer. [.  .  .] 3209 xxxiii. In addition to these [the male monks] there was also a monastery with some four hundred women. [.  .  .] They resided on one side of the river, the men on the other side. Upon a virgin’s death the other virgins prepared her body for burial. They carried it and placed it on the bank of the river, which the monks would cross by means of a ferry. Then, bearing palm leaves and olive branches, they take the body and bury it in the common cemetery. 3210 No one goes over to the women’s monastery other than a priest and deacon, who do so only on Sunday. 3207

131-B. Dialogue on the Life of Saint John Chrysostom† Written ca. 408 and supposedly taking place at Rome, this treatise is in the form of a dialogue between an Oriental bishop and the Roman deacon Theodore defending John Chrysostom (WEC 2:74) against accusations made by Theophilus, the archbishop of Alexandria (385–412) and one of Chrysostom’s most bitter enemies. v. [.  .  .] Then he [John Chrysostom] urged the people to show zeal in being present for prayers at night. Yet the women he invited to pray at home during the day when their husbands had no time for prayer. All these entreaties were resented by the members of the clergy who customarily spent the whole night in bed. [.  .  .] 3212 viii. [.  .  .] Two deacons had, in fact, been removed by Bishop John from the Church for immoral conduct. Theophilus, seeking to profit from their weakness, urged them to come up with accusations against John. [.  .  .] These charges contained nothing true except that John urged everyone to take some water or a small piece of bread after Communion, thus ensuring that no one would unwittingly discharge part of the sacrament with saliva or phlegm. [.  .  .] 3211

a. Pachomius (ca. 290–346): founder of Egyptian cenobite monasticism (WEC 2:86). † Translated from Dialogue sur la vie de Jean Chrysostome. Palladius, vol. 1, ed. A.-M. Malingrey and P. Leclercq, SChr 341 (Paris, 1988) 124–25, 162–63.

133. Socrates  215 132. Philostorgius

Philostorgius, an Arian church historian, was born ca. 368 in Borissus in Cappadocia. A layman and a scholar, he spent much of his life in Constantinople, although making journeys to Palestine and Antioch. Little is known of his life. Philostorgius died ca. 425. CPG 3: no. 6032 * Altaner (1961) 274 * Altaner (1966) 226 * Bardenhewer (1913) 4:132–35 * Bautz 7:539–40 * Quasten 3:530–32 * Steidle 254–55 * Tixeront 146 * DCB 4:390 * DPAC 1:1374–76 * DTC 12.2:1495–98 * EC 7:1367–68 * EEC 2:683–84 * EEChr 2:918 * LTK 8:260–61 * NCE 11:323–24 * NCES 11:307 * ODCC 1281 * PEA (1894) 20.1:119–22 * PEA (1991) 9:887

132-A. Epitome of the Church History of Philostorgius† Unfortunately the full text of Philostorgius’s history, in twelve books covering the years 300–425, has been lost, although fragments and excerpts do remain. There is also this epitome redacted by Photius of Constantinople (ca. 810–ca. 895). II.xiii. He [Philostorgius] says that when the ruling despot denied the martyr Luciana just before his martyrdom access to a church or to an altar and when confining chains and wounds would not allow Lucian to move, he laid flat upon his back and offered the awesome sacrifice upon his own chest. He received [Communion] from it and allowed others to receive from the spotless sacrifice. This took place in prison where the gathering of holy Christians standing around the man who for all purposes was dying was a figure of the Church. They also served as a screen preventing the godless from viewing what was taking place. 1 3 3 . S o c r at e s

Socrates (Socrates Scholasticus) was born ca. 380 at Constantinople. Few details are known of his life. A layman, he studied biblical exegesis and then law. His year of death was sometime after 439. CPG 3: no. 6028 * Altaner (1961) 274 * Altaner (1966) 226–27 * Bardenhewer (1908) 378–79 * Bardenhewer (1910) 270 * Bardenhewer (1913) 3:137–41 * Bautz 10:756 * Hamell 123 * Jurgens 3:249–52 * Quasten 3:532–34 * Steidle 255 * Tixeront 181 * CATH 14:193 * CE 14:118–19 * DCB 4:709–11 * DPAC 2:3248–50 * DTC 14.2:2334–36 * EC 11:883 * EEC 2:785 * EEChr 2:1076 * LTK 9:699–700 * NCE 13:408–9 * NCES 13:293 * ODCC 1513 * PEA (1894) 3.1 (n.s.) 893–901 * PEA (1991) 11:687–88

Translated from PG 65:475–76. a. Lucian: a priest of Antioch martyred at Nicomedia in 312. †

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133-A. Church History† Intended to continue the work of Eusebius of Caesarea (WEC 2:81-A), the seven books of this history cover the years 305 (abdication of Diocletian) to 439 (the seventeenth consulate of Theodosius II). Each book is devoted to the various events, both religious and secular, that occurred under each emperor. Source material includes oral history as well as the writings of such authors as Rufinus (WEC 3:105), Gelasius of Caesarea, etc. Often quoted verbatim are original documents. The work as it has come down to us is a second edition, the first being rewritten to correct certain errors. 3214

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I.x. [.  .  .] Constantine asked Acesiusa whether he would agree to this faith and what was prescribed regarding the day for celebrating the feast of the Pasch. The latter replied, “The council has defined nothing new here. Even from the beginning, from apostolic times, I have received what faith prescribes as well as the time handed down for celebrating the feast of the Pasch.” Once again the emperor questioned him, “Why, then, do you refrain from Communion?” Acesius, recalling what occurred during the Decian persecution,b referred to the force of the strict rule forbidding the baptized who have sinned—the Scriptures speak of the “sin leading to death”1—to share in the divine mysteries; rather, they should be urged to do penance and to hope for reconciliation, not given by priests but by God, who alone has the right and power to forgive sins. When Acesius said this, the emperor added, “Acesius, set up a ladder and alone ascend into heaven.” [.  .  .] II.xi. [.  .  .] I should here speak about Athanasius,c who, when he was expelled from the church, escaped the hands of those wishing to capture him. It was evening, and the people were keeping watch in the church in anticipation of a service. Suddenly the commander arrived, gave instructions to his soldiers, and had them surround the building. When Athanasius saw this, he gave thought as to how the people might be kept from further harm on his account. He commanded the deacon to inform the faithful that they should pray; he immediately ordered a psalm to be sung. Once the people began their melodious song, all departed, exiting through one of the church doors. Meanwhile, the troops merely looked on, doing nothing. As the crowd was singing the psalms, Athanasius escaped, passing Translated from PG 67:99ff. a. Acesius: an early fourth-century Novatianist bishop of Constantinople, present at the Council of Nicaea (WEC 2:71-C). b. The Decian persecution began in 249 and concluded in June 251 when Decius was killed in battle. c. Athanasius: anti-Arian bishop (328–73) of Alexandria (WEC 2:90). 1. 1 John 5:17. †

133. Socrates  217 among them unharmed. Freed from impending danger, he went to Rome. [.  .  .] II.xliii. [.  .  .] Eustathiusd did many things contrary to the Church’s laws. He prohibited marriage and taught that meat should not be eaten. Thus he separated many married people from their spouses. Those who avoided assembling in church he persuaded to gather at home. Under the pretext of godliness he separated servants from their masters. He wore the garment of a philosopher and commanded his followers to wear new and unusual garb. He said that a woman’s hair was to be cropped. He allowed the prescribed fasts to be neglected and commanded that a fast be observed on Sundays. He forbade prayers to be said in the houses of the married. To be avoided as a likeness of evil, he said, was to be blessed by or to have fellowship with any married presbyter who married his wife while he was a layman. [.  .  .] IV.xxviii. At about this time the Novatianse living in Phrygiaf changed the day for observing the feast of the Pasch. How this came about I shall briefly discuss. But first I must explain the rule and discipline that exist in the provinces of Phrygia and Paphlagonia.g Novatian, a presbyter of the Roman church, separated himself from it because Corneliush the bishop received into communion the faithful who had offered sacrifice during the Decian persecution against the Church. For this reason Novatian, afterwards being raised to the episcopacy by bishops of a similar mind, wrote to all the churches, saying that they should not admit to the sacred mysteries those who had sacrificed to the idols. They were to be urged to do penance, leaving to God the forgiveness of their crimes, for God has the power to remit all evil deeds. These letters were sent to all the provinces. In this matter each province judged according to its own custom. According to Novatian, those who after baptism commit a deadly sin should not be admitted to the fellowship of the sacraments. Some understood this rule to be bitter and harsh. Others received it as being just and especially useful for promoting discipline. Now while this was being debated, letters arrived from Cornelius, the bishop of Rome, in which forgiveness was promised to those sinning after baptism. Thus Novatian and Cornelius wrote against the other; each using the Sacred Scriptures to prove his own opinion. As customary

d. Eustathius (ca. 300–ca. 380): bishop of Sebastie in Armenia. e. Novatians: members of a highly rigorist yet orthodox Christian community whose name is taken from the Roman cleric Novatian (d. 257/258), who, disappointed with the papal election of Cornelius in 251, joined this community, had himself ordained bishop, and became a rival of Cornelius as bishop of Rome. f. Phrygia: a region located in what is now northern Turkey. g. Paphlagonia: a Roman province in Asia Minor bordering on the Black Sea. h. Cornelius: bishop of Rome 251–53.

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218  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East in such cases, each espoused a position that already agreed with his preexisting dispositions. [.  .  .] 3223 It was for the sake of stricter discipline that Novatian became a separatist. However, in no way did he change the feast of the Pasch. He always followed what was observed in the West. Furthermore, the Novatians celebrate the feast after the equinox according to the custom handed down from antiquity when they first became Christians. Novatian himself was martyred when Christians were persecuted during the reign of Valerian.i It was about this time that the Novatians living in Phrygia and who were opposed to communion with other Christians even in this regard changed the day for celebrating the Pasch. This was done by a few obscure bishops who gathered at a synod in the town of Pazo, located at the headwaters of the river Sangarius.j It was there that they enacted a rule that the Pasch be observed on the same day on which the Jews each year celebrate the Passover.k [.  .  .] 3224 IV.xxx. [.  .  .] Upon the death of Auxentius,l whom the Ariansm had ordained bishop of the Church in Milan, the people were again in an uproar as to electing his successor. There was great contention since some people favored one candidate; others favored another. For this reason there was great strife in the city. In the midst of all this Ambrose,n the governor of the province and of consular rank, feared that the people’s tumult would come to a dreadful end. He hurried to the city that he might quell the disturbance. Upon his arrival, the people settled down. He gave a long and useful speech which calmed the mad fury of the crowd, urging the people to do what they believed was right. Suddenly all reached a unanimous agreement, crying out that Ambrose himself was worthy to be made bishop and demanding that he be ordained, for it was only in this way, they said, that the peace of the Church would be preserved and that all would be united in the same faith and judgment. The bishops who were present believed that such unity among the people was of divine origin, and they immediately imposed hands on Ambrose. He—still a catechumen—was baptized. They wanted to raise him to the episcopate. Although Ambrose willingly allowed himself to be baptized, he steadfastly refused ordination. Thereupon the bishops referred the matter to Emperor Valentinian.o This leader, viewing the people’s unanimous consent as i. Valerian (Publicus Licinius Valerianus): Roman emperor 253–60. j. Sangarius: a river in Asia Minor flowing into the Black Sea. k. This is also related by Sozomen, Church History VI.xxiv (WEC 3:3898). l. Auxentius: Arian bishop of Milan 355–74. m. Arians: those following a doctrine propagated by Arius (ca. 260–336), a priest in Alexandria, who denied the unity and consubstantiality of the three persons of the Trinity and consequently the full divinity of Christ, a doctrine condemned by the Council of Nicaea in 325. n. Ambrose: bishop of Milan 373/374–97 (WEC 2:53). o. Valentinian: Roman emperor of the West 364–75.

133. Socrates  219 something divine, told the bishops to carry out God’s will by ordaining Ambrose, declaring that Ambrose was chosen more by the voice of God than by human election. And so Ambrose was ordained. The citizens of Milan, once greatly divided among themselves, were again restored to unity.p V.xix. At this time it was judged necessary to abolish those presbyters of the churches who were in charge of the penitents. This was done for the following reason. After the Novatians had separated themselves from the Church because they did not desire to associate with those who lapsed during the Decian persecution, the bishops added to the ecclesiastical rolls a presbyter of penance so that those who lapsed after baptism might confess their sins before a presbyter appointed for this purpose. This rule is still in force among other religious groups. Only the Homoousiansq and the followers of Novatian who share their teaching have rejected the benefit of the penitentiary presbyter. From the beginning the Novatians did not allow this addition. The Homoousians, who now possess the churches, retained this institution for a long time but rejected it at the time of Nectarius the bishop,r doing so because of a terrible deed that was committed in a church. A certain noble woman went to a penitentiary presbyter and confessed the sins she had committed after baptism. The presbyter commanded that she fast and pray continually so that, acknowledging her wrongdoing, she might demonstrate that she was indeed doing penance. Sometime afterwards she again came, confessing that a deacon of the Church had the custom of sleeping with her. Once she related this, the deacon was ejected from the Church, and the people became highly disturbed. They were indignant not only because of the evil deed that took place but also because of the great harm and harsh disgrace this inflicted upon the Church. One result was that the ecclesiastics were taunted and attacked. And so Eudaemon, a presbyter of the Church and a native of Alexandria, persuaded Bishop Nectarius to do away with the penitentiary presbyter. Each person was to follow his or her own judgment and conscience in regard to participating in the holy mysteries. It could only be in this way that the Church would be free from all reproach.s [.  .  .] V.xxi. Marcian promoted Sabbatius, a convert from Judaism, to the dignity of the presbyterate. Sabbatius, however, eagerly devoted himself to p. A description of this incident is also found in Theodoret of Cyr, Church History IV.vi (WEC 3:3516–17), as well as in Sozomen, Church History VI.xxiv (WEC 3:3897). q. Homoousians: a term designating the opponents of Arianism who professed the Nicene Creed with its expression “homoousios.” r. Nectarius: bishop of Constantinople 381–97. s. Another description is given by Sozomen, Church History VII.xvi (WEC 3:3901–3).

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220  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East the doctrine of the Jews in which he was formerly educated. Furthermore, he wanted to be made a bishop. Joining to himself two presbyters, namely, Theoctistus and Macarius, who were aware of his ambitions, he determined to defend the solemnity of the paschal feast which the Novatians at the time of Valens Augustust changed, as I wrote earlier, in the town of Pazo in Phrygia. First, under the guise of following a more austere life he withdrew from the Church, saying he was distressed because he suspected some members of the Church were participating in the mysteries unworthily. In time his objective became clear, namely, his purpose was to hold separate assemblies. Once Marcian realized this, he blamed himself for wrongly ordaining to the presbyterate men so full of vain glory. Often did he say that he should have imposed hands on thorns rather than to have placed them on Sabbatius. Further, he saw to it that a synod of Novatian bishops took place at Angarum, a market town near Helenopolis in Bithynia.u The bishops who gathered there summoned Sabbatius and ordered him to explain to the synod the reason for his distress. He said that disagreement concerning the paschal feast was the cause of his distress, and that this feast should be celebrated according to the custom of the Jews and that the rule promulgated by the synod of Pazo should be observed. The bishops at Helenopolis, suspecting this to be a mere pretext to conceal his desire for the episcopacy, had him swear that he would never accept any episcopal honor. After he took this oath, the bishops passed a rule about the paschal feast; it is called “adiaphoron” namely, “indifferent.” It states that disagreement concerning the day of the paschal feast should not be so great as to lead any to separate themselves from the Church; nor did those who gathered at Pazo do anything harmful to the Catholic and universal rule. The ancients and those who lived close to the times of the apostles differed concerning this feast; nonetheless, they were in communion with each other, there being no dissension whatsoever. Furthermore, the Novatians living in Rome never followed Jewish custom, for they always observed the Pasch after the equinox. Nor did they separate themselves from the rest of the faithful who did not celebrate the feast on this day. Carefully examining this and similar reasons, they enacted the “indifferent” canon, as I said, regarding the Pasch: one is freely allowed to celebrate the Pasch as one is accustomed, as each so desires. Doing so involves no disagreement in communion. Even though celebrating the feast differently, all remained in the unity and harmony of the Church. Once this regulation concerning the day of the paschal feast was enacted, Sabbatius, bound by the oath he had taken, anticipated the fast in private and then celebrated the Pasch. Then, keeping watch throughout the night of the great Sabbath, at daybreak he gathered in the church with the others and with them participated in the mysteries. He did so for many years and t. Valens Augustus: emperor of the East 364–78. u. Bithynia: a region in what is now northwest Turkey.

133. Socrates  221 thus could not escape notice by the people. Some of the people, the more ignorant and primarily the Phrygians and Galatians,v believed that they would be justified by following his example. And so they began to imitate Sabbatius and, as he did, they celebrated the Pasch in secret.w V.xxii. Now that we have referred to the paschal feast, I believe it opportune to say a few more words about it. It seems to me that neither the ancients nor the more recent who strove to follow Jewish custom had a fitting reason to dispute at such length concerning this feast. They failed to consider that once the Jewish religion was exchanged for Christianity, the strict observance of the Mosaic Law was abrogated together with the various figures of things to come. This can be shown by the strongest of arguments, for there is no law of Christ saying that Christians are to observe Jewish rites. The apostle clearly forbids this. He not only rejects circumcision but also forbids arguments concerning feast days. He says to the Galatians, “Tell me, all who desire to be under the Law, have you not heard the Law?”2 Saying little about this, he shows that the Jewish people were in slavery whereas the followers of Christ are called to freedom. He urges them not to observe “days, months, or years.”3 Also, writing to the Colossians he clearly says that such observances are only shadows. “Let no one therefore judge you in meat or in drink or in respect to a feast day or of the new moon or of the Sabbath, all these being shadows of future things.”4 He confirms this in his letter to the Hebrews where he says, “For the priesthood being translated, it is necessary that a translation be made of the Law.”5 To be sure, neither the apostle nor the Gospels have ever imposed the yoke of slavery on those who proclaim the faith. They have left the day of the Pasch and other feast days to be observed according to the free will and fairness of those who have received the benefits of these days. Therefore because people love feasts, because such days free us from labor, so each person in each place—as each so desires—celebrates the memory of the saving Passion according to one’s particular custom. Neither the Savior nor the apostles gave any law prescribing that we observe this feast. Neither do the Gospels nor the apostles threaten us with any fine, punishment, or harm as the Mosaic Law does for the Jews. It is only for the sake of history and for the reproach of the Jews, who on their feasts defiled themselves with blood, that the Gospels tell us that our Savior suffered on the days of the unleavened bread. The purpose of the apostles was not to enact laws regarding feast days but to show us how to lead a good life, how to attain true godliness. It seems to me that just as many other practices developed in various places, so also the paschal feast v. Galatia: a Roman province in what is now Turkey and centering around modern Ankara. w. Another description is given by Sozomen, Church History VI.xviii (WEC 3:3905–6). 2. Gal 4:21.  3. Gal 4:10.  4. Col 2:26.  5. Heb 7:12.

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was celebrated in each place according to the particular custom of that particular people since no apostle, as I said, legislated concerning it. Facts themselves show that the paschal observance from earliest times was a question of usage rather than of law. In Asia Minor many people of old, neglecting the Sabbath, observed the fourteenth day. These, however, never separated themselves from those who celebrated the Pasch differently till Victor,x the bishop of Rome, inflamed with excessive anger, sent a letter of excommunication to the Quartodecimansy in Asia. So it was that Irenaeus,z bishop of Lyons in Gaul, wrote to Victor, greatly reproaching him for his excessive behavior, and informing him that although the ancients differed in their celebration of the Pasch, they did not divorce themselves from those doing differently.aa Furthermore, Polycarp,bb the bishop of Smyrna who afterwards was martyred under Gordian,cc continued to be in communion with Anicetus,dd the bishop of Rome, although Polycarp, as Eusebius tells us in the fifth book of his Church History,ee kept the Pasch on the fourteenth day. Therefore some in Asia Minor observed the fourteenth day whereas others in the East observed it on the Sabbath but differed regarding the month. The former believed they should follow Jewish custom even though they did not do so exactly; the latter, refusing to celebrate with the Jews, observed the Pasch after the equinox since, as they said, it should be celebrated when the sun is in Aries, in the month called Xanthicus in Antioch and called April in Rome. Doing so, they contended, they were not conforming to the present-day Jews who err in just about everything but to the Jews of old and to what Josephusff has written in the third book of his Jewish Antiquities. Thus these people differed among themselves. All other Christians in the West, and as far as the ocean itself extends, celebrate Easter after the equinox, doing so according to a very old tradition. They have never disagreed with one another in this regard. It is not true—as some have suggested—that the council under Constantine changed this feast. When Constantine wrote to those whose practice differed, he recommended that they, being few in number, could agree with

x. Victor: bishop of Rome 189–98. y. Quartodecimans: Christians who always celebrated the Christian Pasch on the 14 Nisan no matter the day of the week, and not on Sunday. z. Irenaeus: bishop of Lyons ca. 178–ca. 200 (WEC 1:15). aa. Citations from this letter are given in Eusebius, Church History V.xxiv (WEC 2:2017–22). bb. Polycarp (ca. 69–ca. 155): bishop of Smyrna, now Izmir on the west coast of Turkey (WEC 1:12). cc. Socrates is mistaken here since Gordian was emperor 238–44. dd. Anicetus: bishop of Rome ca. 154–ca. 166. ee. Church History V.xxiv.6 (WEC 2:2016). ff. Josephus: Jewish historian (37–ca. 100).

133. Socrates  223 the majority. This letter is found in the third book of the Life of Constantine by Eusebius. The relevant passage is as follows.gg [.  .  .] Additionally, the Quartodecimans assert that they received the observance of the fourteenth day from the apostle John; on the other hand, the Romans and others in the West assure us that they received their observance from the apostles Peter and Paul. Yet neither group can adduce any written evidence to support their respective positions. Since the observance of the Pasch in various places depends on usage, I infer from this that those who agree in faith can differ among themselves in regard to practice. It will not perhaps be inopportune to mention here the diversity of practices existing among Christians. People in Rome fast three consecutive weeks before the Pasch, except on Saturday and Sunday. People in Illyricahh and throughout Greece and Alexandria fast for six weeks, calling this the “forty day fast.” Still others extend their fast from the seventh week before the Pasch and fast thirty-five days only and at intervals, and yet call this a “forty day fast.” It surprises me that people, differing in the number of days they observe, give the fast one and the same name, some assigning one reason for it whereas others have a different reason, all as they wish. In addition to the number of days there is also a disagreement as to the way a person fasts from food. Some refrain from living things; others eat only fish from among all living creatures; many eat fowl with the fish, saying that according to Moses fowl were made from the water. Some do not eat eggs or fruit of any kind; others take only dry bread; others do not even do this; still others, fasting till the ninth hour, then eat any kind of food. Other practices are found among the various nations and for these all kinds of reasons are given. Since no person can show a written order upon which to base his or her authority, obviously the apostles allow us to follow personal desire so that each may do what is good without any constraint or necessity. These are the differences existing among the churches in regard to fasting. There is no less variation in regard to the assembly. Although almost all the world’s churches celebrate the holy mysteries each week on the Sabbath, nonetheless, Christians in Alexandria and in Rome, due to a very old tradition, have ceased doing so. The Egyptians near Alexandria and those living in Thebaeii gather on the Sabbath and yet do not participate in the mysteries as is customarily done by Christians generally, for after having eaten and satisfied themselves with all sorts of food, in the evening they make their offerings and share in the mysteries. Again at Alexandria on gg. This letter is not included in WEC’s excerpts from the Life of Constantine. Rather, the letter is found in Theodoret of Cyr, Church History I.ix (WEC 3:3507–9). hh. Illyrica: a Roman province located in what is now the Balkan Peninsula. ii. Thebae: a city located in southern Egypt on the Nile south of modern Qena.

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Wednesday in Passion Week and on Good Friday the Scriptures are read, the teachers explain them, and all the customary services are carried out by the assembly except the celebration of the mysteries. This practice in Alexandria is very old. [.  .  .] I have also heard of another peculiarity that exists in Thessalonica,jj namely, it is only at Easter that they baptize; consequently, a large number of people die without having been baptized. At Antioch in Syria the orientation of the church is inverted, with the altar facing the west and not the east. In Greece, in Jerusalem, and in Thessalykk the people go to pray as soon as the candles are lighted as do the Novatians at Constantinople. At Caesareall likewise and in Cappadociamm and in Cyprus the presbyters and bishops explain the Scriptures in the evening after the lighting of the candles. The Novatians in Hellespontnn do not pray as do the Novatians in Constantinople; in most things, however, their practice is similar to that of the prevailing church. In short, it is impossible to find among the sects any two churches that exactly agree regarding the way they pray. At Alexandria no presbyter may speak to the people, a restriction made after Arius caused so great a disturbance in that church. At Rome people fast every Saturday. At Caesarea in Cappadocia those who sin after baptism are excluded from Communion, as is done by the Novatians. The same is practiced by the Macedoniansoo in Hellespont and by the Quartodecimans in Asia. [.  .  .] To give a complete listing of all the ritual usages found in every city and country would be difficult if not impossible. However, the cases we have cited are sufficient to show that the paschal feast was from ancient precedent celebrated differently in each province. Those who assert that the time for observing the Pasch was changed at the Council of Nicaea speak foolishly, for the bishops who gathered there attempted to reduce the first dissenting minority to a uniformity of practice with the rest of the people. [.  .  .] VI.viii. [.  .  .] As I said previously, the Arians gathered outside the city. Each week—when feast days occurred, namely Saturday and the Lord’s Day, on which assemblies are customarily held in the churches—they gathered within the city’s gates in the public squares and in antiphonal jj. Thessalonica: today Salonika, a city in northern Greece. kk. Thessaly: a region in eastern Greece bordering on the Aegean Sea. ll. Caesarea: an ancient seaport in Palestine. mm. Cappadocia: a district in eastern Asia Minor. nn. Hellespont: the strait connecting the Black Sea with the Aegean Sea. oo. Macedonians: from ca. 380 a term referring to those who, though not Arians, refused to acknowledge the divinity of the Holy Spirit.

133. Socrates  225 fashion sang songs reflecting the Arian heresy, doing so throughout most of the night. They did likewise in the morning, singing these same antiphons. They processed through the city and, arriving outside its gates, they proceeded to the place where they celebrated their rites. But because they did not cease from using insulting words when referring to the Homoousians—often singing “Where are those who say three things are one power?” John [Chrysostom],pp fearing that the more simple would become estranged from the Church by songs of this type, set in opposition to the Arians some of his own Catholic people. He did so in order that they, also engaged in singing nocturnal hymns, would overshadow the efforts of the Arians and strengthen his own people in professing the true faith. Because the nocturnal hymns of the Homoousians appeared to be sung with more display—silver crosses were invented by John and on them lighted tapers were carried, with Eudoxia Augustaqq providing money for their cost. And so the Arians, numerous and full of anger, determined to obtain revenge by attacking their rivals. Remembering how they recently dominated, they were confident they could struggle in this way, easily overcoming their enemies. And so one night without delay they fought. Briso, a eunuch of Augusta and in charge of the singers of these hymns, was struck on the forehead by a rock. Moved by this, the emperor commanded the Arians not to continue singing hymns in public.rr [.  .  .] 3247 Now, however, we must now say something as to the origin of the Church’s custom of singing in alternation. Ignatius,ss the bishop of Antioch in Syria, the third from the apostle Peter, also had dealings with the apostles themselves. In a vision he saw the angels alternating chants with the Holy Trinity. And so he introduced to the church at Antioch the form of singing he had seen in this vision, and from here tradition passed this practice on to all the other churches. This is what we have been told regarding these hymns. 3248 VII.xxii. [.  .  .] The emperortt would fast most frequently, especially on Wednesday and Friday. He did this in order to accurately observe the rites of the Christian religion. He so arranged life within his palace that it differed but little from the life followed in a monastery. In early morning he sang in alternation with his sisters hymns in praise of God. Consequently he memorized the books of Holy Scripture, and like a veteran priest he discussed them with the bishops who came to see him. [.  .  .] 3249 One year when the weather was very bad, the pleading of the people forced him to stage the accustomed games in the circus. When the circus pp. John Chrysostom: bishop, orator, theologian (WEC 2:74). qq. Eudoxia Augusta (d. 404): wife of the Roman emperor Arcadius. rr. Another account of this is found in Sozomen, Church History VIII.viii (WEC 3:3926). ss. Ignatius: bishop of Antioch ca. 69–ca. 107 (WEC 1:9). tt. Namely, Theodosius II, Roman emperor of the East 408–50 (WEC 3:134).

226  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East was full of spectators, the weather became worse, a heavy snow beginning to fall. It was then that the emperor clearly showed how he was affected by God. Through a herald he told the people, “It is much better that we forgo the games and that all of us make supplication to God so that we may be saved from the imminent storm.” The herald had hardly announced this when all the people in the circus immediately began to beseech God and sing hymns. In this way the whole city was seen to be an image of the same Church. The emperor himself in his ordinary garb went among the people where he led the hymn-singing. [.  .  .] 1 3 4 . T h e o d o s i u s II

Theodosius II was emperor in the East from 408–50, and is noted not only for his weakness of character and support of Monophysitism (which held the doctrine that in the incarnate Christ there was but one nature) but also for having summoned the Council of Ephesus in 431 and for commissioning the Theodosian Code. CPL no. 1795 * Altaner (1961) 293 * Altaner (1966) 254 * Bautz 11:994–96 * CATH 14:999–1000 * DCB 4:964–67 * DDC 7:1215–46 * DPAC 2:3398 * EC 11:1944–45 * EEC 2:829 * EEChr 2:1120 * LTK 9:1422 * NCE 14:24–25 * ODCC 1602 G. Fowden, “Bishops and Temples in the Eastern Roman Empire a.d. 320–435,” JThSt, n.s., 29 (1978) 53–78.

134-A. Theodosian Code† This collection of Roman imperial decrees—sections of the work are unfortunately missing—was assembled and edited in 429 and 435. Published in 438, its sixteen books, with laws arranged according to topics, begin with legislation issued in 312. One of the main concerns of the work is orthodoxy. 3250

XV.v.5. (1 February 425). The same Augustusa and Valentinian Caesarb to Asclepiodatus, Praetorian Prefect.c On the Lord’s Day, this being the first day of the week, on Christ’s Nativity and Epiphany, on Easter, on Pentecost, for as long as the garmentsd imitating the light of the heavenly washing gives testimony to the new

† Translated from Theodosiani Libri XVI cum Constitutionibus Simondianis et Leges Novellae ad Theodosianum Pertinentes, ed. Th. Mommensen and P.M. Meyer, 3rd ed. (Berlin, 1962) 820, 880–81. a. Augustus: namely, Theodosius II, emperor in the East 408–50. b. Valentinian Caesar: emperor in the West 425–55. c. Praetorian Prefect: the Roman official who at this time was head of the civil and juridical administration of the empire. d. Garments: the white robes worn by the newly baptized after baptism.

134. Theodosius II  227 light of holy baptism, also when the apostolic passione is commemorated this being the teacher of all Christianity—on these occasions all that pertains to the theater and the circus will be denied to the people in all the cities; for the minds of Christians and of all the faithful are to be focused on divine worship. 3251 XVI.vi.6. (20 February 373). Emperors Valentinianf and Valensg Augustuses to Julianus Proconsulh of Africa. We judge unworthy of the priesthood any bishop who repeats holy baptism, doing so unlawfully and against all that has been established, and who, by such a repetition, contaminates its grace.

XVI.vi.2. (17 October 377). Emperor Valensii Gratian,j and Valentiniank Augustuses to Florianus, Vicarl of Asia. We condemn the error of those who trample on the apostolic precepts and who by baptizing a second time do not purify but rather defile those who have already received the sacraments of the Christian name, thereby polluting them in the name of the washing. And so your Authority will order them to desist from their miserable errors, with the churches they retain contrary to true faith being returned to the Catholic Church. [.  .  .]

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XVI.vi.4. (12 February 405). The same Augustuses to Hadrianus, Praetorian Prefect.m By the authority of this decree we call for the enemies of the Catholic faith to be rooted out. Therefore by a new constitution we call for the destruction of this sect which—to avoid being known as heretical—prefers to call itself schismatic. Those known as Donatistsn are said to have trod so far down the path of evil that with harmful rashness they repeat holy baptism, thereby trampling on the mysteries. Doing so, they have infested with the contagion of a profane repetition those who have already been cleansed by the gift of divinity as has been handed down to us. In this fashion it happened that heresy was born from schism. So it is that an

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e. Apostolic passion: either the time after Easter when the Acts of the Apostles were read or the feasts of the apostles. f. Valentinian I: emperor in the West 364–75. g. Valens: emperor in the East 364–78. h. Proconsul: an official who commanded an army in one or more provinces and who was often the provincial governor. i. Valens: see note g above. j. Gratian: emperor in the West 367–83. k. Valentinian II: emperor in the West 375–92. l. Vicar: a deputy of the Praetorian Prefect. m. Praetorian Prefect: see note c above. n. Donatists: members of a Christian group in Africa who emphasized the Church as being one holy body and who rejected sacraments celebrated by those outside Donatism.

228  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East attractive error invites credulous minds to the hope of a second forgiveness, for it is easy to persuade sinners that pardon, once granted, can again be granted. Yet if forgiveness can in the same way be given a second time, then we fail to understand why it should be denied a third time. Such people, to be sure, with the sacrilege of a repeated baptism pollute slaves and others subject to them. This is why we sanction by this law that whoever is henceforth found to rebaptize will be handed over to the judge in charge of the province. Those who rebaptize will be punished by the confiscation of all their goods; they will suffer the penalty of poverty, which will last forever. [.  .  .] 1 3 5 . P s e u d o - H i p p o ly t u s . H o m i ly. O n t h e Pa s c h †

In his Church History (VI.xxii.1) Eusebius mentions that Hippolytus (WEC 1:31) wrote a treatise entitled On the Pasch. Although the text of this work remains lost, many believe that the following homily, perhaps originating in Asia Minor, lyrical in nature, and anti-Arian in content, is based upon a sermon on the same topic by Hippolytus. Its date is generally thought to be after the fourth century. CPG 1: no. 1925 * Altaner (1961) 188 * Altaner (1966) 168 * Bardenhewer (1913) 2:544 * Quasten 2:178–79 * DPAC 2:1793 R. Cantalamessa, L’omelia in S. Pascha dello pseudo-Ippolito de Roma: Ricerche sulla teologia dell’Asia Minor nella seconda metà del II secolo, Scienze filologiche e letteratura 16 (Milan, 1967).

i.1. Behold the sacred beams of the light of the resplendent Christ. The pure flames of the pure Spirit arise; the heavenly treasures of glory and divinity are opened; the night’s dark vastness has been swallowed up; somber darkness has been destroyed in this light; and death’s sad shadow has receded into darkness. Life is extended to all, and all are filled with much light; the shoot [dawn] of shoots [dawns] occupies the universe,a and he who was “before the morning star”1 and before the other stars, the great Christ, immortal and immense, shines more brightly than the sun upon all people and things. 3255 i.2. This is why, for all of us who believe in him, there was instituted a day of light, long, eternal, which is not extinguished, the mystical Passover, celebrated in figure by the Law and truly fulfilled by Christ, the wonderful Passover, the marvel of divine virtue and work of divine power, true feast and eternal memorial, impassibility flowing from the 3254

† Translated from Homélies paschales I: une homélie inspirée du traité sur la Pâque d’Hippolyte, trans. and ed. P. Nautin, SChr 27 (Paris, 1950). a. Words in brackets have been added by the editor of SChr 27. 1. Ps 110:3.

135. Pseudo-Hippolytus. Homily. On the Pasch  229 Passion and immortality flowing from death, life flowing from the tomb and healing flowing from the wound; Resurrection flowing from the fall and the Ascension flowing from the descent [into hell]. i.3. This is how God accomplishes wonderful things; this is how God creates the unbelievable from the impossible so that we might know that it is God alone who can do whatever he wishes. ii.1. May Egypt announce the truth in figures, and may the Law explain these beforehand in images, being the messenger who proclaims the great coming of the wonderful king. May the multitude of the Egyptian firstborn die, and may the mystical blood save Israel: this foretells what is to come; but for us the images have come to be; they have been realized; and in place of figures there is precise and evident truth itself. ii.2. This is why the Law has gone before; by a figure it has indicated the object of the truth; once there was the figure, then the truth was discovered; once there was a lamb taken from the flock, now there is the Lamb coming from heaven; once there was the sign of blood and the small phylactery of all, here there is the Word and the cup filled with the divine blood and the divine Spirit; once there was a lamb taken from the flock, now in place of the lamb there is the Shepherd himself. iii.1. Does not the reality, whose types were already beneficial, effect the complete salvation of all? iii.2. May, then, the highest heavens rejoice, for, as the Holy Spirit exclaims, these “tell of the glory of God”2 and are the first to be enlightened by the Holy Spirit; may the heavenly angels and archangels rejoice upon seeing the commander of the heavenly armies bodily arrive in the world. May the choirs of stars also rejoice, pointing out the one who rises “before the morning star,”3 may the air which spans the depths and endless space also rejoice; may the water of the sea, honored by the holy footprints, also rejoice; may the earth rejoice, washed as it is by the divine blood; may the whole human soul rejoice, reinvigorated as it is by resurrection unto new life. iii.3. The Passover is the public feast common to all, a gift that the Father desired to send into the world; it is Christ’s divine light shining upon the earth; it is an eternal feast for the angels and archangels and immortal life for the whole world; it is mortal wound for death and incorruptible nourishment for us; it is heavenly life for all and a sacred feast for heaven and earth; it foretells mysteries “old and new,”4 it is seen by eyes upon earth and by the mind in heaven. iv.1. Joining ourselves to those who have a pious understanding of things “old and new,”5 we will try to give an instruction, one that is as brief as possible, on the salutary feast of the Passover. In this way may we be completely nourished by the Word, fed not with earthly but with

2. Ps 19:1.  3. Ps 110:3.  4. Matt 13:52.  5. Ibid.

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heavenly food. May we also eat the Passover of the Word with the spiritual longing with which the Lord himself desired to eat it with us when he said, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you.”6 v.1. Well, now, let us begin by briefly explaining the Law, its necessity, and why it came after Egypt; and second, the nature of the Passover that originated in Egypt, its full hidden meaning, and its complete spiritual significance. v.2. First we will cite the Scripture itself so that, through comparison and reference, we can investigate each point we will consider. “The Lord said to Moses and to Aaron in the land of Egypt: ‘This month will be for you the beginning of months; it will be for you the first month of the year. Speak to the whole assembly of the children of Israel as follows: On the tenth of this month take one lamb per family, one lamb per household. If in a house there are not enough persons for the lamb, then take the stranger, the neighbor, according to the number of persons; take according to what suffices as a reckoning for the lamb. It shall be to you an unblemished lamb, a year-old male; you shall take it from the lambs or the kids. You shall keep it till the fourteenth of this month, and all the multitude of the assembly of the children of Israel shall kill it toward evening. Then they shall take of the blood, which they shall place on two door-posts and on the lintel, in the houses where they shall eat them. And they shall eat the flesh during this night, flesh roasted over fire, and they shall eat unleavened bread with bitter herbs. You shall not eat of it raw nor boiled in water, but only if roasted over the fire, the head with the feet and the entrails. Nothing shall be left of it till morning and a bone of it you shall not break. But you shall burn with fire whatever is left of it in the morning. Thus shall you eat it with loins gird, sandals on your feet, staves in your hands. You shall eat it in haste. It is a Passover to the Lord. And I will go through the land of Egypt in that night, and will smite every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and animal, and I will take vengeance on all the gods of Egypt: I am the Lord. And the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses in which you live, and I will see the blood and will protect you. And there shall not be upon you the plague of destruction when I smite in the land of Egypt. And this day will be a memorial for you, and you shall observe it as a feast to the Lord through all generations; you shall observe it as a feast for a perpetual ordinance. For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread.’7 “And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron: ‘This is the law of the Passover: no stranger shall eat of it. Every slave or servant bought with money—him you shall circumcise, and then shall he eat of it. A traveler or hireling shall not partake of it. In one house shall it be eaten, and you shall not carry any of the flesh out from the house, and a bone of it you shall not

6. Luke 22:15.  7. Exod 12:1–15.

135. Pseudo-Hippolytus. Homily. On the Pasch  231 break. All the assembly of the children of Israel shall observe it. And if any proselyte shall come to you to keep the Passover to the Lord, you shall circumcise every male of him, and then shall he approach to sacrifice it, and he shall be as the original inhabitant of the land; no uncircumcised person shall eat of it. There shall be one law to the native, and to the proselyte coming among you.’”8 vi.1. It was in this mystical manner that the divine Scripture announced such a holy feast. Now we will more carefully examine each point that was read; in response to your requests we will investigate the mysteries hidden in the Scripture without suppressing the truth of what is written and yet considering the reality of the mysteries through their figures. vi.2. Regarding the tabernacle, the Holy Spirit commanded Moses to fashion it “according to the plan that I will show you.”9 And so in the original model and in the firstborn our eyes see a figure, our mind sees a mystery. vi.3. To begin, let us explain why this month is the “beginning of months,”10 and why this month of the Passover is the “first month of the year”;11 second, let us talk about the lamb that is “taken on the tenth day of the month,”12 the “perfect one year-old lamb”;13 also who is “the neighbor” and who is the one who “lives nearby”;14 and why is the lamb kept till the fourteenth day15 and then “killed toward evening: the whole assembled congregation of the sons of Israel will kill it toward evening,”16 what about “the blood on the two door-posts and on the lintel,”17 and why was the meat eaten “at night and roasted on a fire and not raw or boiled in water”?18 What is the meaning of the phrase, with its “head, legs, and inner organs”?19 And why “you shall not break any of its bones”?20 Why eat the Passover in haste?21 What are the “girded loins, sandals on the feet, and staff in your hand”?22 And what is the meaning of “it is the Passover of the Lord”?23 And of “the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; when I see the blood I will pass over you and no plague shall destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt”?24 Why eat “unleavened bread for seven days”?25 Why is “a foreigner not to eat of it, but a slave who has been circumcised”?26 And what is the meaning of “it shall be eaten in one house; you shall not take any of the flesh outside, and you shall not break any of its bones”?27 No “uncircumcised may eat of it”?28 “The whole assembly will celebrate it”29—what is the assembly? “There will be one law for the native and for the proselyte coming [among you],”30 one and the same law for all. vii.1. These are the figures, the symbols, the mysteries that can be found in Israel and that are spiritually fulfilled in us. We will briefly speak about 8. Exod 12:43–49.  9. Exod 26:30.  10. Exod 12:2.  11. Ibid.  12. Exod 13:3.  13. Exod 12:5.  14. Exod 12:4.  15. See Exod 12:6.  16. Ibid.  17. Exod 12:7.  18. Exod 12:9.  19. Ibid.  20. Exod 12:46.  21. See Exod 12:11.  22. Ibid.  23. Ibid.  24. Exod 12:13.  25. Exod 12:15.  26. Exod 12:43–44.  27. Exod 12:46.  28. Exod 12:45.  29. Exod 12:47.  30. Exod 12:49.

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them, and then we will go on to consider the mysteries of the Truth. What was the coming of Jesus Christ after the Law? And why did he come with a body? What is the Passover he desired to eat with us? Why did he, who raised the dead by means of his word, not completely vanquish death during his lifetime? And why did he even endure death on the cross? What were the thorns with which he was crowned? The vinegar and gall that he drank? The open side from which blood and water poured forth? Why did he pray that the cup, which he came to drink, be removed from him? Who are the thieves also hanging on a cross? And which of the two is in paradise? Why was Christ’s soul entrusted to the hands of his Father and his body placed in an empty sepulcher? What is the meaning of “in paradise today”?31 What were the three days when he remained under the earth? Why were women the first to see him? And why did he extend the good news, “Women, rejoice”?32 viii.1. For us this is the food of the holy feast, our spiritual banquet, our immortal and delicious food. Nourished with “the bread from heaven”33 and drinking from the cup of joy—a cup that is warm and glowing, blood marked from on high by the flame of the Spirit—may we first, returning to the beginning, speak about what is meant by the Law and the economy of the Law. In this way we will know by means of comparison the significance of the Word and its bountiful nature. ix.1. The Law of Moses was a collection of various and necessary commandments, a salutary bringing together of all that is good in this life, a mystical copy of heavenly ways of acting, a light, a star, a flame, a torch, a reflection of light from above. ix.2. The Law of Moses was the model of godliness, a rule for a wellordered way of life; it was an obstacle facing the first sin, a clue as to the truth to come. ix.3. The Law of Moses was punishment for Egyptian ill-conduct, “imprinted with the finger of God,” for his “powerful arm”34 was reserved for something better. ix.4. The Law of Moses was a leader for piety, a guide for justice, a light for the blind, a proof for the foolish, a teacher35 for children, a restraint for the arrogant, a bridle for stiff necks, a restraining yoke for those who resist. ix.5. The Law of Moses was the messenger of Christ and the precursor of Jesus, the herald and prophet of the great king, a wise school, a necessary exercise, a universal teaching, a commandment coming at the right time, and a passing mystery. ix.6. The Law of Moses, being in form a symbol and an enigma, was a summary of future grace, and through images it proclaimed the perfect truth to come: by means of sacrifice it announced the Victim and by blood 31. Luke 23:43.  32. See Matt 28:9.  33. John 6:31.  34. Exod 31:18.  35. See Gal 3:24.

135. Pseudo-Hippolytus. Homily. On the Pasch  233 it announced the Blood; by the lamb it announced the Lamb; by the dove it announced the Dove; by the altar of the High Priest and by the temple it announced the divine Tabernacle; and by the fire of the altar it announced the full Light that descended from on high upon the world. x.1. The Law was given to us beforehand in a mystical manner, but it had to come after Egypt since it came from a materialistic soul and from an Egyptianized heart. It extracts invisible evil roots; like a plow it cuts through the dense and thick thorns of intimate thoughts; it ploughs and furrows the depths of the soul, prepares and clears a path in the soul so that the soul may receive the heavenly seed of the divine Word; this is why the Holy Spirit rightly exclaims, Break up your fallow ground and do not sow among thorns.36 x.2. And so the Passover, for a mystical reason, originated in Egypt; it is the first to destroy the darkness of idolatry; it is the symbolic breaking away from godless paganism, the nocturnal and vengeful plague upon the firstborn offspring of a people who have strayed. xi. Certainly Egypt also suffered, unquestionably so, by the plague affecting the firstborn. All its eldest died so that the stiff-necked Pharaoh, who failed to learn from the first plagues, might at least learn from this last lesson so that Israel was also saved in an extraordinary manner, and so that God was glorified in all. For Egypt, therefore, it was the “passion” during the plague, and for Israel it was the “Passover” in the feast; and it is precisely for this reason that the feast is called “the Passover of the Lord.”37 xii. There were many other mysteries of God’s future mercy, and this is why Egypt is the immense and dark image of an obscure and profound ill-conduct, for from Egypt came forth the first torrent of falsehoods concerning calves, fish, birds, beasts, and animals of this sort, all deified and honored like gods. Yet when the avenging anger from on high was made manifest and when a great wrath afflicted the whole land, only then was the error of superstition and idolatry stricken, for, “on all the gods of Egypt I will show my vengeance; I am the Lord.”38 xiii. All the firstborn were touched by the plague because, claiming for themselves seniority in age, they had seniority as being slaves of idolatry. xiv. The plague occurred in darkness and at night, for it was in complete darkness, in an obscurity without light and without day, that the punishment of dark evil deeds and of the devils occurred: “I will show portents in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.”39 And, “Alas for you who desire the day of the Lord! Why do you want the day of the Lord? It is darkness, not light; it is as if someone fled from a lion and was met by a bear, or went into the house and

36. Jer 4:3.  37. Exod 12:11.  38. Exod 12:12.  39. Joel 2:30–31.

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rested a hand against the wall, and was bitten by a snake. Is not the day of the Lord darkness, not light, and gloom with no brightness in it”?40 xv.1. “Blood as a sign”;41 the bloody mystery of Christ’s seal and a sign. The sign is not the reality itself but is the sign of a reality yet to come. For those who bear the sign of blood marked and anointed on their souls—as on the houses—will be spared the exterminating plague since “when blood is seen on the houses, I will protect you, and no plague will kill you when I strike the land of Egypt.”42 xv.2. “Blood as a sign”: a phylactery; “on the houses” as on souls, for by faith the soul is the sacred dwelling-place of the Holy Spirit; “I will protect you”: the far-reaching protection of the outstretched hands of Jesus safeguarding those who believe. xvi. This, then, is the cosmic and universal mystery of the Passover: but listen also to the detailed explanation of this divine feast insofar as we can give it, for it is God who knows the truth about these things, as well as God’s Word who has organized in himself and by himself the holy Passover; but may we—human as we are—be pardoned, my beloved, if we should fail in any way. xvii.1. As to the first point, let us explain why this month is “the beginning of months” and why the month of the Passover is “the first month of the year.”43 xvii.2. According to a secret tradition among the Hebrews it was during this month that God, the artisan and maker of all things, created the universe. This month was the first flower of creation, the beauty of the world, when the creator saw the statue that he had artfully made move harmoniously as intended. They observe the good order of the heavens and the pleasantness of the season, the regularity of the sun and the ascent of a light that is not diminished; also the emergence of fruits and the budding of plants, the flowering of trees, and flocks bear their young. This is the time when the whole earth begins to turn green so that new trees blossom and bring forth fruit; when the farmer, detaches the plow and allows his billowing oxen to rest and, after throwing God-given seeds upon the earth, awaits heaven’s rain; when the shepherd obtains milk from the white sheep of his flocks; when beekeepers fashion fragrant honeycombs for their hives; when the sailor joyfully dares to tempt the sea and confront the heavy waves for the sake of gain. They believe that this harmony in all things, this order of the universe, and, so to speak, this happiness, are the first beginnings, and that the sweet pleasure of springtime begins the year. xvii.3. I do not disbelieve these things; and yet I believe—or rather I am convinced—that it is because of the spiritual feast of the Pasch that this month of the Passover is considered as the beginning, the head, and the

40. Amos 5:18–20.  41. Exod 12:13.  42. Ibid.  43. Exod 12:2.

135. Pseudo-Hippolytus. Homily. On the Pasch  235 most important leader of all times and all ages. During this month such a great mystery is accomplished and celebrated. Just as the Lord is the first-begotten and firstborn of all immaterial and invisible beings, so this month which celebrates the holy solemnity became the first month of the year and the beginning of all time. xvii.4. The year is that proclaimed by the divine Scriptures, “Proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”44 xviii.1. The holy victim is a lamb, for “he allows himself to be led to slaughter and is like a sheep before its shearers that is silent.”45 In John we read, “This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”46 ixx. The lamb is “perfect” and “one year old.”47 Perfect as if coming from heaven; one year old since this is how long it exists on earth. The year, in fact, is the measure of time upon earth, for year follows year and by circling back upon itself imitates endless eternity. xx. It is taken “on the tenth of the month”48 in a way that is also completely symbolic, for the Law is the period of time prior to the Gospel, and the principal commandment of the Law is the Decalogue, but after the ten precepts of the Law comes the mystical Lamb descending from heaven. xxi. It is kept throughout the intervening days,49 allowing us to understand the period of time during which the high priest held Christ captive. xxii. “I am the unworthy one, the neighbor”50 who is invited to eat the lamb since you, O Israel, did not understand the Lamb. xxiii. The lamb is then slaughtered at twilight.51 In fact, it was also at the setting of the sun that the holy Lamb of God was slain. xxiv. “All the multitude of the assembly of the children of Israel will kill it.”52 Unbelieving Israel has, in fact, become responsible for this precious blood, some in the past spilling it and others still refusing to believe. This is why the Holy Spirit testifies against them and cries out, “Your hands are full of blood.”53 xxv.1. The blood is “on the lintel,” as on the Church, and “on the two doorposts,”54 as on the two peoples. xxv.2. The Savior did not deny that he was first sent to you, O Israel: “I was not sent to you,” he said, “but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”55 And I, like a small dog, was sitting alongside the table of others, still being unable to eat the bread and to gather the superfluous morsels that fall from the table of others; but since you did not recognize the heavenly Manna, the Bread was given to me rather than to you because of my faith; once a dog, I am now a son. xxvi. It is during the night56 when the meat is eaten, for the light of the world has come down upon the great body of Christ: “Take, eat; this is my Body.”57 44. Isa 61:2.  45. Isa 53:7.  46. John 1:29.  47. Exod 12:5.  48. Exod 12:3.  49. See Exod 12:6.  50. Exod 12:4.  51. See Exod 12:6.  52. Ibid.  53. Isa 1:15.  54. Exod 12:7.  55. Matt 15:24.  56. See Exod 12:8.  57. Matt 26:26.

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xxvii. The meat is “roasted over the fire”58 since the spiritual body of Christ is on fire: “I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled.”59 xxviii. The meat is not raw60 so that the Word of God can be assimilated, easy to proclaim and to receive; nor is it “boiled in water”61 so that God’s Word be neither moist nor watery nor runny. xxix.1. “The head with the feet and the inner organs”:62 [the head is like God; the inner organs] like the invisible will [of the Father]; the feet like humankind. xxix.2. “The head with the feet and the inner organs,” being the beginning, the middle, and the end—enclosing, assembling, and gathering everything in itself by indissoluble bonds, having truly become “one mediator between God and humankind.”63 xxix.3. “The head with the feet and the inner organs”; God, the Word, and the people on the earth. xxix.4. “The head with the feet and the inner organs” [comprising] by their height, their depth, and their extent [the heavens, the earth] and the earth’s foundations. xxix.5. “The head with the feet and the inner organs”: the Law, the Word, and the apostles; the Law as the beginning, the Word as [God’s will], and the apostles as the feet: “How beautiful are the feet of those who announce good news.”64 xxx. “Break none of its bones”65 so that you may recognize his bodily Resurrection: “Put your fingers here,” he says, “in the place of the nails so that you might know that a spirit has neither flesh nor bone.”66 xxxi. “Eat the unleavened bread with bitter herbs”:67 a bitter mystery for you, [O Israel], namely, the mystery of bitter things. “Your country lies desolate, your cities are burned with fire; in your very presence aliens devour your land; it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners.”68 xxxii. “Eat” the Passover “in haste,”69 for we must remain awake and be sober when we see the great body [of Christ] approaching. xxxiii. “Girded loins”:70 to cease are sexual defilement, illicit intercourse, and impure pleasure. xxxiv.1. “Sandals on the feet”:71 these being the foundation of righteousness, a solid support since [sandals] are the roots of truth. xxxiv.2. “Sandals on the feet”: these Moses removed and Jesus put on; it was, in fact, said [to Moses], “Untie the sandals of your feet”72 to show that the Law is transitory; [and of Jesus] it was said, “I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals.”73

58. Exod 12:8.  59. Luke 12:49.  60. See Exod 12:9.  61. Ibid.  62. Ibid.  63. 1 Tim 2:5.  64. Rom 10:15; Isa 52:7.  65. Exod 12:10.  66. See John 20:25, 27.  67. Exod 12:15; see 12:8.  68. Isa 1:7.  69. Exod 12:11.  70. Ibid.  71. Exod 12:11.  72. Exod 3:5.  73. Luke 3:16.

135. Pseudo-Hippolytus. Homily. On the Pasch  237 xxxv. “Your staff in hand”:74 a sign of divine power and a support of the power of the Word, the staff of Moses, that of Aaron, that made from the nut tree; the staff that opened up the depths of the [Red] Sea; the staff that sweetened the bitter streams; the staff upon which God’s seven holy spirits rested: “The spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, [the spirit of knowledge and godliness], the spirit of the fear of God will fill him.”75 xxxvi. The Passover is “the Passover of the Lord.”76 Has the Spirit proclaimed anything more clearly than this, namely, that the Passover is not a figure, not a story, not an outline, but the true Passover of the Lord? xxxvii. “The blood as a sign,”77 a sign of the truth to come, the first figure of the true Spirit, a representation of the great anointing. xxxviii. “I will pour out the blood and I will protect you.”78 You have truly protected us, O Jesus, from great destruction; you have extended your paternal hands; you have hidden us within your fatherly wings; you have had your divine blood flow forth upon the earth in your bloodstained and merciful solicitude; you have turned away from us angry threats, and in their place you have granted us the first reconciliation coming from on high. xxxix. May they [the Jews] eat “unleavened bread for seven days”79 by being involved with the weekly cycle of the world and by eating the food of the earth as allowed by the Law. “For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed,”80 and we have received the “new dough”81 of his holy mixture, completely fermented by the leaven of a stronger Power and kneaded by his Spirit * * *b xl. The reason why the foreigner is not to eat of this Passover82 is that I do not “throw pearls before swine,” and I do not “give what is holy to dogs.”83 But those who formerly were “slaves” of sin will be “circumcised” in their hearts, and, once set free from painful slavery, then as children of the family they will approach the mystery and as free persons they will of their own accord eat the Passover, for “Christ redeemed us” from slavery and “from evil by becoming a curse for us.”84 xli. “It shall be eaten in one house; you shall not take any of the meat outside.”85 There is, in fact, one assembly and one house—namely, one Church—within which the holy Body of Christ is eaten; this is why “outside” the one house—the Church—meat will not be brought forth, but whoever eats it there will be punished as an ungodly person and as a thief. xlii. There will be one law for those who are free and for the proselytes, for wherever Christ is, there is liberty and equality for all, the same rights, the same law, the same price: all have been redeemed “by the precious b. The text here is corrupt. 74. Exod 12:11.  75. Isa 11:2.  76. Exod 12:11.  77. Ibid.  78. Exod 12:12.  79. Exod 12:15.  80. 1 Cor 5:7.  81. Ibid.  82. See Exod 12:43–44.  83. Matt 7:6.  84. Gal 3:13.  85. Exod 12:46.

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blood.”86 For this reason “you are no longer slaves”87 nor Jews; you are free, for in Christ we have all become free. xliii. Listen now, listen. After the figures and after the economy of the Law, this is why and with what greatness Christ came upon the earth after the Law. xliv. What do we mean by the coming of Christ? It is deliverance from slavery, the rejection of former constraints, the beginning of freedom, the honor of adoption, the source of the forgiveness of sins, and indeed immortal life for all. xlv.1. Since the Word from above saw us under the tyranny of death, both bound and loosed by the fetters of corruption and taken down an inevitable path with no return, he came to assume [the nature] of the first man according to his Father’s plan. Neither to the angels nor to the archangels did he entrust the care of our salvation, but he took upon himself the whole struggle on our behalf, obedient as he was to the will of the Father. [.  .  .] xlv.3. Since there also had to have been a receptacle of the Holy Spirit— filtering and receiving [human nature], rejecting and throwing aside, on the one hand, all that was superfluous and disturbing, [retaining] on the other hand, all that was pure, transparent, and clear—he had it glow like the stars; it was bright as fire, flowering, virginal, and, so to speak, angelic. This was his body, a body in the image of man, possessing from one part a spiritual shoot and taking flesh from the other part. xlv.4. This is why in a completely figurative way Scripture has designated him in these terms: “This is the man whose name is shoot.”88 “Shoot” insofar as in the Spirit; “man” insofar as the flesh. In fact, “the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called the Son of the Most High.”89 Faced with this extraordinary and divine birth, the Spirit is rightly astonished, saying, “Who could have explained his generation?”90 xlvi.1. God has four principal names by which we can recognize the Holy Spirit: lordship, divinity, filiation, and eternal royalty. Let us see whether Christ alone had the honor of receiving these qualities and glories. First, observe that he is the Lord: “The Lord says to my lord, sit at my right hand.”91 You see that he is the Lord since he proceeds from the Lord; also see that he is the Son: “He shall cry to me, You are my Father .  .  . and I will make him the firstborn.92 Also, “You are my son: today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage.”93 Notice that he is the Son, the Firstborn and the Only-Begotten One; also that he is God: “The powerful will come to you; in choirs they will follow you, for you are God, because you alone are God.”94 You have seen that he is 86. 1 Pet 1:19.  87. Gal 4:7.  88. Zech 6:12.  89. Luke 1:35.  90. Isa 53:8.  91. Ps 110:1.  92. Ps 89:26–27.  93. Ps 2:7–8.  94. Isa 45:14.

135. Pseudo-Hippolytus. Homily. On the Pasch  239 God; also see that he is the eternal King: “Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever. Your royal scepter is a scepter of equity. You love righteousness and hate wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”95 You have seen that he is King; also note that he, while being King, is the Lord of hosts: “O princesses, lift up your gates; lift up your eternal gates so that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord himself is the King of glory.”96 Notice that at one and the same time he is King, he is also the Lord of hosts; notice that, among his other titles, he is also the eternal High Priest: “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: you are a priest forever.”97 xlvi.2. But if he is the Lord God, Son and King, Lord of hosts and eternal High Priest when he desires this, “he is also a man and who has known him”?98 The words “also a man” evidently and primarily imply that he is also God. And so that we not imagine, as some people do, that he came upon earth like a phantom or a spirit produced by chance and without (human) generation; we should understand that he was also a small infant: “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to dispute with mortals that you dispute with the Lord also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: Look, a virgin will conceive and bear a son and he will be called Emmanuel.”99 Also, “they will be willing even if they were burnt with fire. For a child is born to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; he is called the Messenger of the Great Counselor, admirable Counselor, mighty God, Prince of Peace, and Father of the age to come.”100 xlvii.1. It is indeed as God and man that this wonderful Jesus came to dwell among us—let no one refuse to believe this; and that the sovereign Spirit has been contained in a human body. xlvii.2. The first mystical breath of the Father was retained by Adam upon the earth, even though Adam was made of clay, for nothing prevents the Holy Spirit from uniting with a body when God so desires: if primitive mud contained the Holy Spirit, then a body endowed with a soul contained Christ’s immortal life. xlvii.3. To be sure, if the Spirit alone had fallen into the slavery of sin and death, Christ’s great bodily coming would have been superfluous; neither sin nor death would have been overcome. But it was necessary that sin be abolished and that the body be freed. xlvii.4. Because of this “he committed no iniquity and no evil was found in his mouth.”101 xlviii. He first clothed himself with this body which is miserable and subject to death, and this is why the Spirit cries out: “He had no form or majesty. We looked upon him and he had neither form nor beauty. He was despised and rejected by the sons of men,”102 for “it is in the likeness of sin 95. Ps 45:6–7.  96. Ps 24:9–10.  97. Ps 110:4.  98. Jer 17:9, LXX.  99. Isa 7:13–14.  100. Isa 9:4–5.  101. Isa 53:9.  102. Isa 53:2–3.

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that he has condemned sin,103 showing that “those who are healthy have no need of a physician but those who are sick.”104 So he has cured our bodies from their infirmities, and he has healed each from his or her illness by reason of his power so that the following might be fulfilled: “I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. I am the Lord. This is my name.”105 “The deaf shall hear the words of the book. ‘A light has risen for those who were seated in the darkness; then the lame shall leap like a deer and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.’”106 And when every evil will be suppressed, “the last enemy to be destroyed is death; where, O death, is your sting?”107 il.1. This was the Passover Jesus desired to suffer for us: through suffering he freed us from suffering; through death he conquered death; and by visible nourishment he obtained his immortal life for us. This is the salutary desire of Jesus;108 this is his completely spiritual love: to show the figures as being figures and, in their place, to give his holy body to his disciples: “Take, eat, this is my Body. Take, drink; this is my Blood—the new covenant—poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”109 il.2. If he desires not so much to eat as to suffer, it is to deliver us from suffering by eating. l. So in place of the old tree he plants a new one; in place of the wicked hand which was formerly extended in a godless gesture, there is his own immaculate hand closed in a gesture of godliness, showing his whole life hanging [on the cross]. You, O Israel, you were unable to eat it, but we, with a spiritual and indestructible knowledge, have eaten it, and because we have done so we will not die. li.1. For me the cross is the tree of eternal salvation; from it I nourish myself, from it I feed myself. li.2. In its roots I myself take root; with its branches I enlarge myself; its dew gives me joy; its breath, like a refreshing breeze, fertilizes me. li.3. In its shade I have pitched my tent, and fleeing the hot season I find there a shelter moist with dew. li.4. Its leaves are my foliage, its fruits my perfect delicacies; I freely enjoy its fruits, which have been set aside for me from the beginning. li.5. It is my nourishment when I am hungry; my spring when I am thirsty; my garment when I am naked. What covers me are no longer the leaves of a fig tree but the Spirit of life. li.6. When I fear God, it is my protection. When I stagger, it is my support. When I struggle, it is my prize. When I triumph, it is my standard. li.7. For me it is the straight path and the narrow road. 103. Rom 8:3.  104. Luke 5:31.  105. Isa 42:6–8.  106. Isa 35:6.  107. 1 Cor 15:26, 55.  108. See Luke 22:15.  109. Matt 26:26–28; see 1 Cor 11:25.

135. Pseudo-Hippolytus. Homily. On the Pasch  241 li.8. It is Jacob’s ladder and the way of the angels leading to a summit that is indeed upheld by the Lord. li.9. This cross with its heavenly dimensions extends from the earth to heaven; it is stable, an eternal tree, between heaven and earth, the upholder of all things, the foundation of the universe, the support of the whole inhabited earth, the joint of the world, bringing together human nature in all its variety and fastened by the invisible pegs of the Spirit so that, joined together with the divine, it may no longer be detached from it. li.10. With its tallest point extending to the highest heavens, it gives a firm footing to the earth and, midway down, its large hands embrace the omnipresent spirit of the air. It is completely in all things and in all places. lii.1. He, who filled all, was stripped of his clothes so that naked he might struggle against the powers of the air. lii.2. For an instant he cries out for something to drink in order to show that he is also a man; but recalling his mission and wishing to accomplish the economy for which he was sent, he again cries out, “Not my will but yours be done,”110 for “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.”111 liii.1. Since the merciless combat in which he engaged was a struggle leading to victory, his holy head was first crowned with thorns, these completely blotting out the ancient curse of the earth, with his divine head destroying the profusion of thorns that result from sin. liii.2. Then after consuming the bitter gall of the Dragon, he poured out for us in exchange the sweet fountains flowing from within himself. liii.3. Desiring to destroy what the woman had done and as an obstacle to him [Adam] from whose side she came as a bearer of death, he opened his own holy side from which flowed forth the holy blood and water, signs of a spiritual wedding, of spiritual adoption and rebirth. liii.4. For it is written, “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire,”112 the water as “with the Holy Spirit,” the blood as “with the fire.” liv.1. Two thieves were crucified with him. They were the signs of the two peoples: the one thief who recognized and sincerely confessed his sins and showed affection for his master; the other thief who had “a stiff neck”—neither recognizing nor showing affection for his master and continuing in his sinful way of life. liv.2. The two thieves are the two dispositions of the soul: the first turns away from its former sins, prepares itself for its master, and thus obtains— through penance—mercy and a reward; the other has no excuse because it has not changed and remains a thief up to the end. lv.1. When the cosmic struggle ended and Christ was everywhere victorious in battle, neither elevated like God nor conquered like man, he remained firmly embedded in the confines of the universe, triumphantly producing in his own person a victorious trophy over the Enemy.

110. Luke 22:42.  111. Matt 26:41.  112. Matt 3:11.

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lv.2. Then, confronted with his long endurance, the whole world stood in awe. When the heavens were shaken, the Powers above, the Thrones and the Laws quivered, seeing the commander-in-chief of the great army [of angels] on the cross; very nearly did the stars of heaven fall, seeing on the cross the one who existed “before the morning star,”113 for a short time the sun’s fire was also extinguished upon seeing the great “light of the world”114 darken. Then the rocks of the earth split apart,115 crying out Israel’s ingratitude: You have not recognized “the spiritual drink that followed you and from which you drank,”116 the veil of the temple was rent, participating in the Passion and designating the true high priest of heaven. The whole world would have been crushed by fear, confronted as it were by the Passion, if the great Jesus had not breathed forth the divine Spirit as he said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”117 lv.3. There was complete dismay; a fearful trembling afflicted all; everything was shaken. But when the divine Spirit rose up again, the universe in some way was renewed, vivified, strengthened, again finding stability. lvi. O divine extension that is in all things and is found everywhere! O crucifixion that permeates all things! O most unique One, truly you are all. May the heavens have your spirit, paradise your soul—for he says, “This day I will be with you in paradise”118—and may the earth possess your body. The indivisible is divided in order that all might be saved, so that even the place below be not deprived of the divine coming. “His form we have not seen, but his voice we have heard.” lvii. Certainly, already during his lifetime he broke the bonds of death as he used his royal power, for example, “Lazarus, come forth”119 and “Child, arise”120 in order to show that he has authority over death. He gave himself completely over to death so that the ravenous beast with its insatiable bonds might completely die. In his sinless body the beast looked for its food all over: nowhere sensual pleasures, nowhere pride, nowhere disobedience, nowhere—in a word—the ancient sin, the original nourishment of death, for it is written, “the sting of death is sin.”121 But when the beast found nothing in him that death could eat, being completely cut off and destroyed by a lack of food, it caused its own death. lviii.1. Many of the just were announcing the Good News and were prophesying, [awaiting] him who by his resurrection would be “the firstborn from the dead.”122 So he remained in the earth for three days in order that people everywhere would be saved: those before the Law, those under the Law, and those of his own time. lviii.2. Perhaps this is why the living [Christ] took three days to rise completely: soul, spirit, and body.

113. Ps 110:3.  114. John 8:12.  115. See Matt 27:51.  116. 1 Cor 10:4.  117. Luke 23:46.  118. Luke 23:43.  119. John 11:43.  120. Luke 8:54.  121. 1 Cor 15:56.  122. Col 1:18; see Rev 1:5.

135. Pseudo-Hippolytus. Homily. On the Pasch  243 lix.1. After his resurrection it was the women who saw him first; just as a woman brought the first sin into the world, so a woman was also the first person to announce life to the world. lix.2. This is why they also heard the holy words “Women, rejoice”123 so that the initial sadness might be swallowed up by the joy of the resurrection. lx. Remaining for a little while and ratifying his holy resurrection, he gave unbelievers proof of his resurrection so that they might believe that his rising from among the dead took place with his body. lxi.1. Just as he completely assumed in himself the complete image [of God] and putting off “the old self,”124 he changed himself into the man of heaven125 when this image, blended to himself, ascended with him into heaven. lxi.2. Seeing this great mystery of a man now ascending with God, the Powers cry out the following command to the armies on high: “Lift up your gates, O princesses, lift up your eternal gates, and the King of glory will come in.”126 Seeing the wonderful prodigy of a human being mixed with God, they respond, “Who is the King of glory?”127 And again those who were asked reply, “The Lord of Powers is the King of glory, strong, mighty, and powerful in battle.”128 lxii.1. O mystical choir! O spiritual feast! O divine Passover! You came down from heaven to earth, and you return to heaven from the earth. lxii.2. O universal festival of all things. O festival for the whole world. O joy and honor of the universe, its nourishment and delight! Through you death’s darkness has been destroyed, life has been extended to all things. Heaven’s gates have been opened. God is shown to be man, and a man is shown to be God. Thanks to you [namely, the Passover] the “gates of hell” have been broken and the “bars of bronze”129 have been shattered. The people from below, raised from the dead, proclaim the Good News. And from the earth a choir has been given for the flocks on high. lxii.3. O holy Passover, you have not restricted God by having God depart from the heavens, but you have spiritually joined God [to us]. Thanks to you the great wedding hall has been filled, everyone wearing nuptial garments, and no one being ejected for not wearing such a garment.130 lxii.4. O Passover, light of the new torches and glitter of the torches of virgins, thanks to you the lamps of souls are no longer extinguished, but the divine and spiritual fire of love burns in all, in spirit and in body, supplied with the very oil of Christ. lxiii.1. It is indeed you upon whom we call. You are God, the spiritually eternal master. You are Christ, being both teacher and king. Continue to extend your powerful hands upon your holy Church and upon your holy people, keeping and preserving them as you attack, pursue, combat, and 123. See Matt 28:9.  124. Eph 4:22; Col 3:9.  125. See 1 Cor 15:48.  126. Ps 24:7.  127. Ps 24:8.  128. Ibid.  129. Ps 107:16; Job 38:17.  130. See Matt 22:10.

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244  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East subdue all adversaries, even vanquishing with invisible power all who oppose you. Since you have conquered our enemies, as you did those of Israel, now raise on high the standard of our salvation and allow us also to join Moses in singing the hymn of victory. For to you are the glory and the kingdom for ever and ever. Amen. 1 3 6 . C a l l i c i n i u s . L i f e o f H y pat i u s †

Hypatius, who lived sometime during the second half of the fourth century and the first half of the fifth century, was the hegumen or superior of a monastic community in Bithynia, located in northwest Asia Minor. Callicinius, a disciple, wrote this admiring biography. Bardenhewer (1913) 4:160–61 * DPAC 2:1790–91 * EEC 1:401 * NCES 6:262

xiii. Hypatius, a friend of Christ, built a very small cell where he secluded himself during Lent—its entrance being made of clay. In the door was a small hole through which on every other day he received his bread and through which he instructed visitors. On the holy Pasch he left the cell, his face shining like that of one of God’s angels, an angel full of divine grace. Immediately he went to the Church of the Holy Apostles in which he had unwillingly been ordained a priest by the blessed bishop Philotheus. Celebrating the liturgy, at the moment of the divine offering of the host he, full of sighs, invoked God with so powerful a voice that those listening to him were moved to tears. All were filled with fear, being instructed when on Sunday he went to the Holy Apostles and corrected the whole world by his actions as well as by his words. The clergy revered him as a father. 3374 xv. At another time the body of Alcimus, who was a servant of Ourbicius, was half wasted away as a result of magical practices. This servant came with Ourbicius to request healing from Hypatius. God’s servant prayed and anointed Alcimus with oil, and the Lord cured him several days later. [.  .  .] 3375 xxvi. The diet followed by Hypatius consisted of dry beans, greens, and a little bread. In his old age he took a little wine. He always ate after the ninth hour had passed, often postponing his meal somewhat. During Lent, when he ate only every other day, he secluded himself, singing the psalms and praying in the morning, at the third, sixth, and ninth hours, at the lighting of the lamps, at the first vigil, and at midnight, for it was said, “Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous ordinances.”1 And so within the space of one day and one night he chanted the psalms seven 3373

† Translated from Vie d’Hypatios, ed. G.J.M. Bartelink, SChr 177 (Paris, 1971) 120–23, 124–25, 180–83, 234–35, 288–91. 1. Ps 119:164.

137. Council of Chalecdon  245 times, a hundred psalms and a hundred prayers. This is how he lived till the time of his death. [.  .  .] xl. On a certain Sunday he went to the Church of the Holy Apostles where he met a foreign woman who, tormented by a devil, solemnly cried out to him, “O Hypatius, listen to me. Do not let me be tormented.” She went as far as the porch where she remained till the dismissal of the faithful. Upon coming out, Hypatius marked her with the sign of the cross and said a prayer. She got to her feet, suddenly regaining her calm and composure since God cured her through the imposition of the saint’s hands. [After the death of Hypatius] li. [.  .  .] Many bishops gathered as well as all those who loved Hypatius because of his virtuous life. It was a large crowd composed of people who love God and of monks from each of the monasteries. They lit candles and piously accompanied him during his last voyage as they sang psalms and hymns. All accompanying his precious body were in tears because, having lost such a father, they were orphans. In peace they placed the saint’s body in the monastery’s beloved oratory, in a stone sarcophagus, in the chapel where the brothers send up their prayers. [.  .  .]

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137. Council of Chalcedon (451)†

This meeting, acknowledged as the fourth ecumenical council, took place in Chalcedon, nearly opposite Byzantium, and opened on October 8, 451. The bishops declared that in Jesus there is one person with two natures, one human and the other divine, which are indivisibly and inseparably united. CPG 4: nos. 8945ff. * Hefele (1871) 3:4ff. * Hefele (1905) 2.2:649–857 * CATH 2:868–69 * CE 3:555–58 * DCA 1:334–37 * DDC 3:287–92 * DDCon 1:230–33 * DPAC 1:565–67 * DTC 2.2:2190–2208 * EC 3:324–28 * EEC 1:159 * EEChr 1:233–34 * LTK 2:999–1002 * NCE 3:423–26 * NCES 3:363–66 * ODCC 315 * TRE 7:668–75 3378 Canon 2. [.  .  .] If any bishop [.  .  .] ordains for money a bishop, a chorbishop, a presbyter, or a deacon, or anyone numbered among the clergy [.  .  .], let him lose his personal rank; and let the person ordained profit nothing from the ordination.a [.  .  .] Canon 15. No woman under forty years of age is to be ordained [a deacon- 3379 ess?], and then only after close scrutiny.b If after receiving ordination and

Translation from DEC 1:87–88, 94. a. See Orleans II (533) can. 3 (WEC 4:4597); Braga II (572) can. 3 (WEC 4:4756); Barcelona II (599) can. 1 (WEC 4:4772). b. See Nicaea I (325) can. 19 (WEC 2:1456); Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 11 (WEC 2:1964); Nîmes (394) can. 2 (WEC 2:1226); Statuta (5th c.) can. 100 (WEC 3:3119); Orange I (441) can. 25 (WEC 3:3136); Epaon (517) can. 21 (WEC 4:4577); Dvin (527) can. 17 (WEC 4:4844); Orleans II (533) can. 18 (WEC 4:4600). †

246  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East spending some time in the ministry, she despises God’s grace and marries, she is to be anathema along with her spouse.

Syria 138. Theodore of Mopsuestia

Theodore, born in 350 in Antioch, studied in that city under Libanius, the sophist rhetorician, and then under Diodore of Tarsus. Theodore eventually embraced and then left the monastic life, only to return, influenced by John Chrysostom (WEC 2:74), a dear friend who had been a fellowstudent. In 383 Theodore was ordained a presbyter; in 392 he was made bishop of Mopsuestia in Cilicia (located in southwest Asia Minor). Especially noted for his biblical commentaries, for being a strong opponent of the Alexandrian allegorical interpretation of the Scriptures, as well as for being an adversary of Arianism and other heresies, Theodore was greatly revered during his own lifetime. However, after his death in 428, some accused his theology as being less than orthodox, especially regarding his christological teaching, e.g., Christ having two persons. Denying the existence of original sin, he was also considered a Pelagian. The Second Council of Constantinople in 553 issued fourteen anathemas or condemnations, twelve of these being against Theodore. Most of Theodore’s writings, at least in their original Greek, no longer exist, being destroyed after his condemnation in 553 as works of a heretic. Yet a few treatises, for example, his Catechetical Homilies, have survived in translation. CPG 2: nos. 3827ff. * Altaner (1961) 370–73 * Altaner (1966) 319–22 * Bardenhewer (1908) 318–23 * Bardenhewer (1910) 294–97 * Bardenhewer (1913) 3:312–22 * Bardy (1929) 113–15 * Bautz 11:885–909 * Hamell 112–13 * Jurgens 2:77–84 * Quasten 3:401–23 * Steidle 128–30 * Tixeront 197–200 * CATH 14:989–92 * CE 14:571–73 * CHECL 347–48 * DCB 4:934–48 * DictSp 15:385–400 * DPAC 2:3382–86 * DTC 15.1:235–79 * EC 11:1934–37 * EEC 2:824–25 * EEChr 2:1116–17 * LTK 9:1414–15 * NCE 14:18–19 * NCES 13:874–76 * ODCC 1598–99 * PEA (1894) 5.2 (n.s.) 1881–93 R. Devreesse, “Les instructions catéchétiques de Théodore de Mopsueste,” RSR 12 (1933) 425–36. * W.C. van Unnik, “Een verloren dogmatisch Geschrift van Theodorus van Mopsuestia teruggevonden,” Nieuw Theologisch Tijdschrift 16 (1933) 152–61. * R. Abramowdki, “Neue Schriften Theodors von Mopsuestia,” ZNW 34 (1934) 66–84. * O. Casel, “Neue Zeugnisse für das Kultmysterium,” JL 13 (1933) 99–171. * F.J. Dölger, “Theodor von Mopsuestia über zwei Zeremonien vor dem Genuss des eucharistischen Brotes,” AC 4 (1934) 231. * F.J. Dölger, “Der Taufbürge nach Theodor von Mopsuestia,” AC 4 (1934) 231–32. * F.J. Dölger, “Der Kaisername als Handtätowierung für die Rekruten nach einem Zeugnis des Theodor von Mopsuestia,” AC 4 (1934) 230. * E. Amann, “La doctrine christologique de Théodore de Mopsueste (à propos d’une publication récente),” RSR 14 (1934) 161–90. * J. Quasten, “Der älteste Zeuge für die trinitarische Fassung der liturgischen ei\~ a{gio~ Akklamation,” ZkTh 58 (1934) 253–54. * M. Jugie, “Le ‘Liber ad baptizandos’ de

138. Theodore of Mopsuestia  247 Théodore de Mopsueste,” EO 38 (1935) 257–71. * W. de Vries, “Der ‘Nestorianismus’ Theodors von Mopsuestia in seiner Sakramentenlehre,” OCP 7 (1941) 91–148. * F.J. Reine, The Eucharistic Doctrine and Liturgy of the Mystagogical Catecheses of Theodore of Mopsuestia, SCA 2 (Washington, D.C., 1942). * J. Quasten, “Theodore of Mopsuestia on the Exorcism of the Cilicium,” HThR 35 (1942) 209–19. * J.M. Vosté, “Le ‘Liber ad baptizandos’ de Théodore de Mopsueste,” OCP 9 (1943) 211–28. * J.M. Vosté, “Maroutha de Maipherqat et le ‘Liber ad baptizandos’ de Théodore de Mopsueste,” OCP 12 (1946) 201–5. * X. Ducros, “L’Eucharistie chez Théodore de Mopsueste d’après son commentaire sur l’Evangile selon Jean,” in Actes du 21e Congrès International des Orientalistes (Paris, 1949) 366ff. * J. Lécuyer, “Le sacerdoce chrétien et le sacrifice eucharistique selon Théodore de Mopsueste,” RSR 36 (1949) 481–516. * J. Quasten, “Mysterium tremendum,” in Vom christlichen Mysterium (Düsseldorf, 1951) 66–75. * G. Touton, “La méthode catéchétique de s. Cyrille de Jérusalem comparée à celles de s. Augustin et de Théodore de Mopsuestia,” PrOChr 1 (1951) 265–85. * J. Quasten, “The Liturgical Mysticism of Theodore of Mopsuestia,” TS 15 (1954) 431–39. * T.A. Curtin, The Baptismal Liturgy of Theodore of Mopsuestia (Washington, D.C., 1970). * H. Riley, “The Rite of Christian Initiation: A Comparative Study of the Interpretation of the Baptismal Liturgy in the Mystical Writings of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, St. John Chrysostom, Theodore of Mopsuestia and Ambrose of Milan,” diss. (Regensburg, 1971). * E. Yarnold, The Awe-Inspiring Rites of Initiation: Baptismal Homilies of the Fourth Century (Slough, 1972). * L.L. Mitchell, “Four Fathers on Baptism: St. John Chrysostom, St. Ephraem, Theodore of Mopsuestia, Narsai,” in The Syrian Churches, ed. J. Vellian, Series 6 (Kottayam, India, 1973) 37–56; repr. as “Four Syrian Fathers on Baptism,” in Worship: Initiation and the Churches (Washington, D.C., 1991) 49–73. * H.M. Riley, Christian Initiation: A Comparative Study of the Interpretation of the Baptismal Liturgy in the Mystagogical Writings of Cyril of Jerusalem, John Chrysostom, Theodore of Mopsuestia, and Ambrose of Milan, SCA 17 (Washington, D.C., 1974). * J.-P. Longéat, “Les rites de baptême dans les homélies catéchétiques de Théodore de Mopsueste,” QL 66 (1985) 193–202. * M.L. Gaudoin-Parker, “The Beauty of the Eucharist,” CR 71:12 (December 1986) 439–44. * E. Mazza, Mystagogy: A Theology of Liturgy in the Patristic Age (New York, 1989).

138-A. Catechetical Homilies† Only fragments (from the original Greek) of Theodore’s prebaptismal sermons existed till the discovery in the 1930s of a Syriac translation of sixteen baptismal homiletic instructions given at Antioch between 392 and 428 when he was still a presbyter. Numbers 1–10 explain the creed, which is a variant of the Constantinopolitan text; number 11 concerns the Our Father; numbers 12–14 treat baptism; numbers 15–16 concern the Eucharist.

† Homilies translated from R. Tonneau, ed., Les homélies catéchétiques de Théodore de Mopsueste, ST 145 (Rome, 1949). For an excellent English translation of Homilies 13–16 with most informative notes see E. Yarnold, The Awe-Inspiring Rites of Initiation: Baptismal Homilies of the Fourth Century (Slough, 1972) 173–263.

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138-a-1. homily 12. on baptism (1) Synopsis. Those who approach the gift of holy baptism are to present themselves to God’s Church. They are received by the person designated for this since it is the custom that those who come to be baptized have their names inscribed there. Inquiries are made concerning their way of life. For those to be baptized this role is carried out by the “sponsors.” Baptism will be received from those who are in charge of it; according to established usage the names of those coming forth for baptism will be written down. Inquiries will be made concerning their way of life. For those to be baptized this task is carried out by those who are the “sponsors.” A person specially designated for this task inscribes your name in a book of the Church, joining in this book your name to that of your witness or your “guide” in the city and its way of life. It is necessary to use the service of those who are called “exorcists.” During the exorcisms you stand motionless. You stand with outstretched hands in the posture of a person who prays; you look downward in order to obtain the mercy of the judge. Removing your outer garment, you stand barefoot. You also stand on sackcloth. You are ordered during the remaining days to meditate on the words of the creed.a i. Beloved, we have, I believe, said enough over the past few days re3381 garding the profession of faith composed by our blessed fathers in obedience to our Lord’s instructions. This is the profession in which he desired that we be instructed and baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. During these days I spoke to you, candidates for baptism, to teach what you should believe and in whose name you will be baptized so that, conforming to what our Lord desired, you will understand that you are being taught and baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. We added something about prayer so that you might know what should be taught to those about to receive the great gift of baptism and how they are to conduct themselves. Since the time for the sacrament has arrived and since with God’s grace you will soon receive holy baptism, it is necessary that I inform you as to the power of the sacrament and what accompanies it, and as to why each of the sacraments takes place so that, having learned the reason for each, you will receive with great love all that will happen. ii. Each sacrament, in fact, indicates by means of signs and symbols 3382 what is invisible and inexpressible. Certainly, there must be an interpretation and an explanation for such things so that those approaching the mysteries might know their power. If, in fact, the mysteries consisted only of visible elements, then speech would be superfluous; what we see would in itself suffice to show us what is taking place. But since in the sacrament there are signs of what will take place or of what has already taken place, then there must be speech to explain the signs and the mysteries. [.  .  .] 3380

a. Each instruction is preceded by a composite of texts taken from that part of the ritual explained by the sermon.

138. Theodore of Mopsuestia  249 vi. [.  .  .] According to the apostle, when we baptize or minister the Lord’s table, we do so in memory of the death and resurrection of Christ our Savior so that hope in the resurrection may be strengthened in us. vii. As to the resurrection, he said, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.”1 Clearly he teaches that we have been baptized so that we might conform ourselves to our Lord in his death and resurrection. We make memory of what was; we also receive confirmation of our hope in what is to come. As to participation in the holy mysteries he says, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”2 Our Lord also said, “This is my Body which is broken for you, and this is my Blood which is poured out for the forgiveness of sins.”3 So it is evident that both participation in the liturgy and the reception of Communion are to recall Christ’s death and resurrection by which all of us will be united with him. We do so in such a way that in this mystery we carry out the events that occurred in regard to Christ our Savior so that, as experience has shown us, our bonds with him may be strengthened. [.  .  .] xiv. Those who approach the gift of holy baptism are to present themselves to God’s Church, and by doing so they understand that they will arrive at the life of the heavenly abode. But since they come to a new and wonderful city, and since they desire to become children of this city, they are to do what is required in order to be enrolled. And so they reach the Church of God where they are received by the person designated for this since it is the custom that those who come to be baptized have their names inscribed. Inquiries are made concerning their way of life to discover whether it is such that they can become inhabitants of this great city. After renouncing the evil of this world and by absolutely removing themselves from it, even in spirit, they must show that they are worthy to live in this city and to have their names inscribed there. This is why, since they are guests in the city and strangers to its customs, one of the citizens of this city who is specially appointed will accompany them, someone who will know their lives and will accompany them to the one who will inscribe their names. Those appointed testify that the candidates are worthy to reside in the city and that they themselves are willing to be guides for those who lack experience here. xv. For those to be baptized this role is carried out by the “sponsors.” To be sure, it is not for future sins that the sponsor is responsible since each of us answers to God for our own sins. As to the candidates, the sponsor gives witness of what they have done and of how they have prepared themselves to become worthy of this city and of the life that is led here. Rightly

1. Rom 6:3–4.  2. 1 Cor 11:26.  3. Matt 26:26, 28.

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are such persons called “sponsors” because it is on their word that the candidates are judged worthy to be baptized. [.  .  .] xvi. [.  .  .] All of us who are under his rule must pray and desire to come to baptism by means of faith and in order to obtain the benefit of being enrolled in heaven. As to those of you who are candidates for baptism, this is why a person specially designated for this task inscribes your name in a book of the Church, joining in this book your name to that of your witness or your guide in the city and its way of life, namely, your “sponsor.” [.  .  .] xxii. [.  .  .] Since you are not capable on your own of pleading and fighting against Satan, it is necessary to use the service of those who are called “exorcists.” They are your guarantee of divine assistance. Loudly and at length they request that your enemy be punished and that by sentence of the judge Satan be ordered to stand far off so that he may not have even the least occasion or possibility of doing evil against you. In this way may we absolutely escape his slavery; may we enjoy true freedom and the happiness of our present enrollment. xxiii. [.  .  .] During the exorcisms you stand motionless; you say absolutely nothing; you stand as if you were still trembling and in fear of the Usurper, even incapable of looking at him because of the great evil he did to you and your forebears. He led you into captivity and for a long time had you submit to a harsh and cruel servitude, inflicting upon you indelible scars by the punishment of death, long keeping you in a slavery of your own making. xxiv. You stand with outstretched hands, in the posture of a person who prays; you look downwards in order to obtain the mercy of the judge. Removing your outer garment, you stand barefoot in order to show in yourself this evil slavery during which you long served the devil as a captive and accomplice, doing all he demanded. The purpose here is to move the judge to mercy. It is this posture of captivity that God’s word indicates, for Isaiah says, “Just as my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and portent to Egypt and Ethiopia, so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians as captives and the Ethiopians as exiles, both the young and the old, naked and barefoot.”4 xxv. You also stand on sackcloth. Pricking your feet and stung by the roughness of the cloth, may all this recall the evil you formerly did. Show yourself afflicted and penitent for the sins of your forebears, the sins that led us to such evil tribulation. May you, as a result, receive the mercy of the judge and rightly say, “You have removed my sackcloth and girded me with joy.”5 This is the meaning of the exorcisms. Now that you have decided to undertake so great a venture, you are not to remain idle and without work. During the remaining days you are to meditate on the words of the creed so that you might understand them. Its words are placed on your

4. Isa 20:3–4.  5. Ps 30:11.

138. Theodore of Mopsuestia  251 lips so that by continuous meditation you might be able to recite them by heart. [.  .  .] xxvii. Just as when someone desires to enter a house whose master possesses worldly authority, doing so in order to carry out some task there, it is not to the master himself that a person goes to draw up a contract or to reach some agreement—such a conversation would be below the master of the house—but one goes to the household manager with whom an agreement is reached as to the work to be done; it is through the manager that one conducts business with the master and owner of the house and all within it. The same holds true for you who present yourselves to the “household of God which is the Church of the living God,”6 as blessed Paul says, because God is much greater than we; in nature God is far above us and is ever invisible, the God “who dwells in unapproachable light,” as blessed Paul says.7 So it is that we present ourselves to the manager of this large house, of the Church. This manager is the bishop who has been found worthy of presiding over the Church. The creed is recited before him. It is through him that we reach an accord and pact with God as to our faith. We promise to be submissive to God, to serve God, to persevere always, and ever to keep God’s love without change. After we make our contract and promise to our Lord God by reciting the creed, it is through the bishop that we become worthy to enter the Lord’s house, to enjoy it, to know it, to inhabit it, and to be enrolled in the city and among its citizens. We then have great confidence. [.  .  .]

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138-a-2. homily 13. on baptism (2) Synopsis. Once again you stand upon sackcloth, with bare feet, having taken off your outer garment, with hands outstretched toward God as in an attitude of prayer. First you kneel. You kneel but the rest of your body remains upright. You say, “I renounce Satan, all his angels, all his service, all his vanity, and all his worldly affairs; and I bind myself by a vow. I believe, and I am baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Your knees are on the ground, but the rest of your body remains upright, and you look upward toward heaven, hands outstretched in a posture of prayer. The bishop, wearing a robe of clean and shining linen, signs you on the forehead with the oil of the anointing and says, “N. is signed in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Your sponsor, standing behind you, spreads a linen cloth over your head and raises you up, having you stand erect. i. We have already given you sufficient instruction about the ceremonies that, according to early tradition, are performed for those who are to be baptized. When you go to be enrolled, in the hope of living in heaven, of being citizens there, you have in the exorcism a type of lawsuit against the devil. By a divine sentence you are set free from his slavery. And so

6. 1 Tim 3:15.  7. 1 Tim 6:16.

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you recite the words of the creed and of the Lord’s Prayer; through them and through the bishop you make a covenant and a pact with God. You pledge to persevere in love of God. This, if you think fitting things, will be a source of magnificent gifts, namely, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; you pledge to conduct yourself in this world as best you can and in a way consonant with the life and citizenship of heaven. But it is right that you now be taught in regard to what happens in the sacrament itself because if you learn the reason for this, then you will acquire a knowledge that is of no little importance. When by the exorcisms you have escaped the slavery of the Usurper and when you have made a contract with God by means of solemn promises and by reciting the creed, you will approach the sacrament itself. But you must learn how this happens. ii. Once again you stand upon sackcloth, with bare feet, having taken off your outer garment, with hands outstretched toward God as in an attitude of prayer. In all this you imitate the posture during the exorcisms whereby you signified your ancient captivity and your slavery, being a dire punishment to the Usurper. Yet, having cast away this posture and these memories, you approach the sacrament which promises participation in the good that is to come. You recall your former sins in order to show from what you were set free and toward what you will turn. iii. First you kneel. You kneel but the rest of your body remains upright. With the posture of one who prays, you stretch out your arms toward God. All of us, in fact, have fallen into sin, and the sentence of death has forced us to the ground. But “at the name of Jesus every knee should bend,” according to the blessed apostle Paul, and “confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.”1 By this confession we indicate what comes to us from God thanks to the economy of Christ our Lord, whom God raised up to heaven and showed as the Lord of the universe and the giver of our salvation. Because these things have to be accomplished by all of us who have “fallen to the ground,”2 according to the words of blessed Paul, it is right that you through the sacrament will participate in the ineffable benefits3 to which faith in Christ our Lord calls you; you should bend your knees, manifest your past fall, and adore God, who is the source of all good. iv. The rest of your body is erect and looks toward heaven. In this way you pray to God and ask that you be permitted to escape from your past fall and be allowed to participate in heavenly benefits. While you are kneeling, those in charge of this ministry approach and tell you precisely what the angel said when appearing to Cornelius: “Your prayers have been heard” and your petitions have been granted.4 [.  .  .] v. “I renounce Satan, all his angels, all his service, all his vanity, and all his worldly affairs; and I bind myself by a vow. I believe, and I am baptized in the

1. Phil 2:10–11.  2. See Acts 26:14.  3. See 1 Tim 6:2.  4. See Acts 10:3.

138. Theodore of Mopsuestia  253 name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” The deacons who approach you at this moment prepare you to say these words. But what power do such words have? [.  .  .] Now is the time to explain them so that you might know the force of the pact, of the promises, and of the vows through which you joyfully receive such a gift. The devil, whom you obeyed, caused you numerous and great evils; he began to do so from the time of your forebears. And so you promise to renounce him because the facts themselves and your own experience make you feel his misdeeds. This is why you say, “I renounce Satan.” Formerly, even if you had so desired, you would not have dared use these words, being terrified as you were of his servitude. But because of the exorcisms the divine sentence has freed you, and with your own voice you confidently proclaim that you have rejected him. For this reason you say, “I renounce Satan,” indicating both your previous association with him and your present rejection of him since no one says that he or she renounces something with which one had no previous association. [.  .  .] vii. Now if only Satan himself were waging war against us, and if only Satan were causing us harm, then these words would be sufficient since they show that you reject him and completely renounce his friendship. Although invisible, he knows how to struggle against us by using visible beings, those whom he subjected to himself, those whom he made instruments of his wickedness, those whom he once caused to fall. For this reason you add, “and all his angels.” viii. Those called “his angels” are all who have received some type of evil from him through which they harm others. [.  .  .] Angels of Satan are all who serve the devil, doing so in order to deceive people and to cause them to fall. In our opinion “angels of Satan” are all who serve profane wisdom and spread the error of paganism throughout the world. Surely the angels of Satan are all those poets who by their fables promote idolatry and by their “wisdom” strengthen the error of paganism. [.  .  .] x. Having said, “I renounce Satan and all his angels,” you continue with “and all his service.” This means that you should turn away with horror from all that they do under the name of instruction, this obviously being an act of godlessness. The “service of Satan” is whatever has a connection with paganism, not only sacrifices, the adoration of idols, and all that is done in worship according to ancient custom, but also whatever has its origins there and corrupts the human soul. [.  .  .] xi. You also say, “And all your vanity.” Satan’s vanity is, as it were, a clear term which names all that the pagans did under the name of religion because they flaunted all such actions before the world in order to fascinate those looking on and to deceive all others. Since by God’s grace all these things have today been abolished, nonetheless, we must not think any less of the rites performed by the heretics. Satan, having seen that the error of paganism was abolished by the name of Christ, used other means to lead people astray. He invented heresies and raised up heretical leaders

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so that, by imitating the Church’s ceremonies and by invoking the divine names, they might deceive the simple, thus leading them to damnation. xii. After this you say, “And all his worldly glamor.” His “glamor” is the theater, the circus, the foot-race, athletic games, worldly songs, waterorgans, dances, whatever the devil sows in this world so that under the guise of amusement he might bring about the downfall of the human soul. [.  .  .] xiii. Having said “I renounce Satan, his angels, his service, his deception, and all his worldly glamor,” you say, “And I take a vow; I believe; and I am baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” When you say, “I renounce Satan,” you intend to completely stay away from Satan, not to return to him, nor any longer to be associated with him. When you say, “I take a vow,” you show that you will steadfastly remain with God, that you will henceforth be united with God, that in no way will you be separated from God, and that you will henceforth believe it more precious than anything else to be and to live with God, to act in conformity with God’s laws. xiv. It is also necessary to add “I believe” since whoever approaches God must believe that God exists, as blessed Paul says.5 [.  .  .] You also add “I am baptized” to the “I believe” since it is with faith in what will be that you will draw near to the gift of holy baptism in order to be reborn, to die with Christ, to rise with him, so that after having thus received a second birth in place of the first you might enter heaven. [.  .  .] xv. To all this you add “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” for this is the divine nature. It is the Being that exists from all eternity; it is the cause of everything; it first created us and now renews us; it is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. [.  .  .] xvi. You make your vows and promises while in the posture described above: “your knees are on the ground,” both as a sign of your adoration of God as well as a reminder of your former fall to the ground. The rest of your body remains upright, and you look upward toward heaven, hands outstretched in a posture of prayer. Thus you show yourself as adoring God in heaven and your hope of rising from your fall. [.  .  .] xvii. Once you have made your vows and promises, the bishop approaches, dressed not as customary nor clothed as before but wearing a robe of clean and shining linen. His new appearance manifests the newness of the world to which you will go; his radiance shows that you will shine in the other world; his cleanliness indicates the refinement of the world to come. [.  .  .] He signs you on your forehead with the oil of the anointing and says, “N. is signed in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” These are the first fruits of the sacrament, a sacrament that can only be given “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy

5. See Heb 11:6.

138. Theodore of Mopsuestia  255 Spirit.” The bishop begins the sacrament with the name from which you anticipate receiving all good things. [.  .  .] The seal by which you are now signed shows that you are henceforth marked as a sheep of Christ, as a soldier of the heavenly King. [.  .  .] xix. [.  .  .] Your sponsor, standing behind you, spreads a linen cloth over your head and raises you up, having you stand erect. By rising from kneeling you show that you have left behind your former fall, that you have nothing to do with the world and worldly affairs, that your adoration of God and your prayer to God have been pleasing, that you have received the seal, a sign that you have been chosen for ineffable service, that you have been called to heaven. From now on it is to this dwelling place and to this kind of life that you must journey, remaining far away from all worldly things. The linen cloth extended over your head reveals the freedom to which you are henceforth called. First of all, to be sure, you stand naked as do captives and slaves. But once you have been signed, over your head is extended a linen cloth, a sign of the freedom to which you have been called. Those who are free customarily spread a linen on their heads as an ornament, wearing it both at home and in public. xx. Having been thus identified and marked as a soldier of Christ our Lord, you will receive the rest of the sacraments and will put on the full armor of the Spirit. Doing so, you will participate in the good things of heaven. [.  .  .]

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138-a-3. homily 14. on baptism (3) Synopsis. Then you approach holy baptism. First you remove all your clothing. You are anointed as prescribed all over your body with the oil of anointing. The bishop begins and says, “N. is anointed in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” You go down into the water, which has been consecrated by the blessing of the bishop. The bishop stands and extends his hand, which he places on your forehead. He says, “N. is baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Wearing the same garb as previously, the bishop lays his hand upon your head and says, “In the name of the Father.” While saying this, he immerses you into the water. If, in fact, you were allowed to speak at this time, you would say, “Amen.” And so you are immersed; then you lift your head while the bishop says, “and of the Son” and he places his hand to immerse you as previously. You raise your head. Then the bishop says, “and of the Holy Spirit,” and in like manner he immerses you with his hand. When you exit the water, you put on a radiant garment. The bishop comes forward, signs you on the forehead, and says, “N. is signed in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” ii. You know the effects of the signing since we spoke sufficiently about them yesterday. Today we must say something about the ceremonies that follow since you are now approaching baptism itself in which the figures of this new birth will take place. You will truly receive this new birth only when you have risen from among the dead and when you will have

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256  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East regained all that death has taken from you. It is evident that whoever is born comes into existence whereas whoever dies certainly ceases to exist. At the resurrection you will gain a second birth, rising from the dead to a second existence just as when you were born of a woman you entered into the existence you lost because of death. All this will happen to you at the time appointed for your rebirth at the resurrection. Now you have faith in Christ our Lord. Yet while you await the resurrection, you must be satisfied with the signs of this wonderful sacrament by which you will surely participate in future benefits. 3415 iii. You are drawing near to holy baptism where there is the sign of the birth you are awaiting. For this reason Christ our Lord called it a second birth as when he said to Nicodemus, “No one can see the Kingdom of God without being born from above.”1 Here he shows that those wishing to enter God’s Kingdom are to be born a second time. But Nicodemus believed that this second birth spoken of by Jesus was akin to carnal birth from a woman. He said, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?”2 Nicodemus said this because he imagined that this second birth would be like our first birth. As to our Lord, he did not say that there are two ways in which we receive this second birth, one being at the resurrection. Christ did not tell Nicodemus this, knowing that the reality was too great for his understanding. He told Nicodemus only of the birth that occurs at baptism, that received by all believers so that by its signs they may possess the reality itself. He says, “What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.”3 He does not mention water because water is the sacramental sign. He says, “Spirit” because it is through the working of the Spirit that this birth takes place. [.  .  .] 3416 viii. Then you approach holy baptism. First you remove all your clothing. As Adam was nude in the beginning and was in no way ashamed—it was only after breaking the commandment and after becoming mortal that he needed an outer garment—so also you, who will present yourself for the gift of holy baptism in order to be born again and to become symbolically immortal, will remove your garment, a sign of mortality, a convincing proof of God’s judgment which brings you so low as to need a garment. Once you have disrobed, you are anointed as prescribed all over your body with the oil of anointing, this being a sign of the garment of immortality with which you will be clothed by means of baptism. When you have removed the garment, which is a sign of mortality, by the anointing you receive a sign of the garment of immortality, which you anticipate receiving through baptism. Your whole body is anointed. Unlike a garment which does not always hide all parts of the body—although covering all the external parts, it does not do the same for what is within—our whole

1. John 3:3.  2. John 3:4.  3. John 3:6.

138. Theodore of Mopsuestia  257 nature will be covered with immortality at the time of the resurrection. All that we have, whether it be within or without, will surely become incorruptible according to the working of the Holy Spirit who will then be with us. And so you receive this anointing when the bishop begins and says, “N. is anointed in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Those appointed for this task anoint your whole body. ix. After this and at the moment I indicated to you, you go down into the water, which has been consecrated by the blessing of the bishop. Surely it is not simply with ordinary water that you are baptized but with the water of a second birth. It can only become such by the coming of the Holy Spirit. It is necessary that beforehand the bishop, using specific words, asks God that the Holy Spirit come upon the water, giving it the power both to bring forth a wonderful birth and to make the water itself the womb of a sacramental rebirth. [.  .  .] x. [.  .  .] When the water has been prepared by the coming of the Holy Spirit and when it has received such power, you immediately go down into it, waiting to receive its awe-inspiring life. xiv. [.  .  .] The bishop stands and extends his hand, which he places on your forehead. He says, “N. is baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. He wears the same garb as previously, namely, the clothing he wore while you were kneeling and when he signed your forehead. It is the same apparel he wore when he consecrated the oil. Wearing this garment he celebrates the gift of baptism because it is fitting that he should celebrate these sacramental rites while being clothed in the same garment which symbolizes the renewed world to which this sacrament carries you. He says, “N. is baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” thereby indicating to you the very origin of this gift. This is why he also says, “N. is signed in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” This corresponds to what our Lord said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”4 These words show that the cause of these gifts is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who exist from all eternity and who created all things. [.  .  .] xv. The bishop places his hand on your head and says, “N. is baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” He does not say, “I baptize” but “N. is baptized.” In like manner he did not previously say, “I sign” but “N. is signed,” thus showing that no human is capable of granting such a gift. [.  .  .] xviii. The bishop lays his hand upon your head and says, “In the name of the Father.” While saying this, he immerses you into the water. You obey him as you follow his spoken directions and his gestures while you go down under the water; you bow your head as if to signify that you agree to

4. Matt 28:19.

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258  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East receive the blessings of baptism from the Father as the bishop says. If, in fact, you were allowed to speak at this time, you would say, “Amen,” a word used as a sign of our assent to the words of the bishop. According to blessed Paul, “How can anyone in the position of an outsider say ‘Amen’ to your thanksgiving?”5 Paul shows that this word is the people’s reply to the words of the bishop, and by this word they truly assent to what is said. At the moment of baptism you are not allowed to speak, but it is in silence and awe that you are to be renewed by the mysteries. By immersing yourself and by bowing your head you show that you assent to what the bishop says. 3422 xix. And so you are immersed; then you lift your head while the bishop says, “and of the Son,” and places his hand to immerse you as previously. Again being immersed in the same way, you show that you assent to the bishop’s words, and as a sign that it is from the Son that you anticipate receiving the benefits of baptism, you raise your head. Then the bishop says, “and of the Holy Spirit.” In like manner he immerses you with his hand. Again you go down into the water, humbly showing by the same sign that it is from the Holy Spirit that you await the benefits of baptism. [.  .  .] 3423 xxvi. When you leave the water, you put on a radiant garment. It is a sign of a brilliant world, a sign of the life and conduct to which you have already passed. Once you experience the resurrection in reality and have clothed yourself with immortality and incorruptibility, such a garment will no longer be needed. But since this has not yet happened to you, and since you have received these gifts only by means of symbols and signs, you now have need of such garments. You clothe yourself with them. They represent the happiness you have received symbolically but which in the future you will possess in reality. 3424 xxvii. Once you have received the grace of baptism and clothed yourself with the radiant white garment, the bishop comes forward, signs you on the forehead, and says, “N. is signed in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” When Jesus emerged from the water, he received the grace of the Holy Spirit who came upon him under the form of a dove. This is why we say that he was anointed with the Holy Spirit—”the Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me”6 and “Jesus of Nazareth, whom God anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power,”7 texts showing that the Holy Spirit is never apart from Jesus. Likewise the Spirit is with those who are anointed by men with oil and can no more be separated. It is necessary that you also receive a “signing” on the forehead. While signing you, the bishop says, “N. is signed in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” so that you might have a sign and a mark that when the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were named, the Holy Spirit also came upon you, that you were anointed with the Spirit, that you received the power of the Holy Spirit, and that the Spirit remains in you. [.  .  .] 5. 1 Cor 14:16.  6. Luke 4:18.  7. Acts 10:38.

138. Theodore of Mopsuestia  259

138-a-4. homily 15. on the eucharist (1) Synopsis. We must first of all understand that what we eat is a kind of sacrifice that we perform. It is the office of the high priest of the New Covenant to offer this sacrifice by which the New Covenant appears to consist. We must view the bishop who approaches the altar as representing his image. We must believe that the deacons present an image of the liturgy of these invisible spirits. They also wear garments that reflect their true status since these garments make them seem more impressive than they are. On the left shoulder they wear a stole which hangs down. We must see Christ who is now being led and taken to his passion and who at another time is stretched on the altar to be sacrificed for us. For this reason the deacons who spread the linens on the altar give us a representation of the burial clothes. The deacons stand on both sides and use fans to circulate the air above the holy body. This occurs while all are silent. Then comes time for prayer, no longer in silence but proclaimed by the deacon. While all stand in silence, the bishop begins the prayer over the offerings. After this he gives thanks for himself. Those present say, “Amen.” The bishop prays that peace be with them. All present respond, “And with your spirit.” The church’s herald in a loud voice requests that all share the peace with one another. The bishop washes his hands first, and all the priests present, as numerous as they may be, also do so. From the rolls of the church are read the names of the living and of the dead. The bishop approaches for the liturgy. The church’s herald cries out, “Look to the offering.” ii. Once you receive the true birth of the resurrection, you will receive another food, one too sublime for words. Clearly you will be nourished by the grace of the Spirit by which your body will remain immortal and your soul will remain without change. It is a food that benefits this birth; the grace of the Spirit will grant those born of the resurrection to remain firm so that their bodies may not decay, so that their souls may not suffer any change that incites them to evil. iii. Because we are now born symbolically through baptism in the hope of the other birth that we are awaiting, at present we receive as a pledge the first fruits of the grace of the Holy Spirit,1 which will then be given us, who expect to receive these fully in the future world through the resurrection. Having received this food, we hope to become immortal and changeless. We are now to eat—symbolically and by the grace of the Holy Spirit—a food suitable to our present life in the world. Blessed Paul said, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”2 Paul shows that when our Lord comes from heaven, when he reveals the life to come and brings about the resurrection of all—making us immortal in body and unchangeable in soul—then the use of symbols and figures will necessarily cease. We, existing in reality itself, will no longer have any need for signs to remind us of what will take place. 1. See Rom 8:23.  2. 1 Cor 11:26.

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iv. Two things give us life in this world: birth and nourishment. By birth we come into existence; through nourishment we continue our existence. Those who are born will die if they lack nourishment. [.  .  .] ix. Our Lord gave us the bread and the cup because it is through food and drink that we continue to live here on earth. He calls the bread his “Body” and the cup his “Blood” because his passion affected his body which it tormented and from which it caused his blood to flow forth; of these two [Body and Blood] by which his passion took place, he used the symbols of food and drink to reveal for us the immortal; it is in waiting to receive life immortal that we receive this sacrament which, as we believe, gives us a firm hope of benefits to come. x. When giving the bread Christ did not say, “This is the symbol of my body” but “This is my Body.” Likewise when presenting the cup, he did not say, “This is the symbol of my blood,” but “This is my Blood.” The reason he did not do so was his desire that we should consider the bread and the cup, which have received the grace and coming of the Holy Spirit, not according to their natures, but we should receive them as they are, namely, our Lord’s Body and Blood. Our Lord’s body did not of its proper nature possess immortality and the power to bestow immortality; this is the gift of the Holy Spirit. [.  .  .] xi. [.  .  .] If, therefore, the nature of the life-giving Spirit changed our Lord’s body into what its nature did not formerly possess, we also, who have received the grace of the Spirit through sacramental signs, are no longer to look upon the elements as bread and wine but as Christ’s Body and Blood. They were transformed by the grace of the Holy Spirit. By the Spirit they become to those partaking of them that which we believe happens to the faithful through our Lord’s Body and Blood. This is why he says, “I am the bread that came down from heaven” and “I am the bread of life.”3 To show them what he understood by bread, he said, “The bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”4 Since it is by bread and other food that we continue to live, he refers to himself as the bread of life that has come down from heaven, as if to say, “Truly it is I who am the bread of life which gives immortality to those who believe in me by means of this visible body. For its sake I came down. By my body I granted immortality to those who believe in me.” [.  .  .] xiv. In the cup Christ our Lord gives you wine as a sign of his blood. One can see this. But the wine is mixed with water, either because this was the customary way to drink wine or because it is appropriate that water be added to the cup since one cannot make bread without adding water. Just as this sign was used for the baptismal birth, so we also use the same sign in the sacrament of our food and drink. [.  .  .] xv. We must first of all understand that what we eat is a kind of sacrifice that we perform. To be sure, even though in the food and in the drink we 3. John 6:41, 48.  4. John 6:51.

138. Theodore of Mopsuestia  261 commemorate the death of our Lord, we believe that these make memory of his passion since he indeed said, “This is my Body which is broken for you.”5 Yet it is clear that in the liturgy we offer sacrifice. It is the office of the High Priest of the New Covenant to offer this sacrifice by which the New Covenant appears to consist. Evidently it is a sacrifice, but it is not something new, not something the bishop offers as his own. It is a remembrance of the true offering. [.  .  .] xxi. Since Christ our Lord offered himself for us as a sacrifice and thus became in reality our high priest, we must view the bishop who approaches the altar as representing his image—not as offering his own sacrifice. He does not offer his own sacrifice since he is not in truth the High Priest. [.  .  .] Here also, when this awesome liturgy is celebrated, we must believe that the deacons present an image of the liturgy of these invisible spirits. They have been chosen to carry out this wonderful service by the grace of the Holy Spirit. xxii. For this reason we also are called “ministers” of Christ; all of us who have been chosen for ministry, as blessed Paul says, “Inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I glorify my ministry.”6 But this name is fitting only to those who carry out this ministry and whom all call “deacons.” Only they are appointed for this ministry and resemble those sent forth as servants.7 xxiii. They also wear garments that reflect their true status since these garments make them seem more impressive than they are. Dressing in this way is appropriate to their ministry. On the left shoulder they wear a stole which hangs down in front of and behind them. It shows that their ministry is one of freedom, not servitude, since the purpose of their ministry is to lead to freedom all who are worthy of the great house of God, namely, the Church. They do not place the stole around the neck so that both ends hang down since no household servant dresses in this way; it is only those who are free and who are far distant from any kind of servitude who customarily wear it in this way. But the deacon places it on his shoulder since he is appointed to serve. The stole is the sign of the freedom to which all of us believers in Christ have been called; and we hasten to go to and to dwell in “the household of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of truth,”8 as blessed Paul says. It is to serve all that they are entrusted with their roles. xxiv. [.  .  .] The deacons bring forth and place upon the altar this awesome sacrifice or rather the signs of this sacrifice. They arrange them on the awe-inspiring altar. [.  .  .] xxv. By means of signs we must see Christ who is now being led and taken to his passion and who at another time is stretched on the altar to be sacrificed for us. When, in fact, the offering which will be placed on the altar is brought out, you are to believe that Christ our Lord comes forth, being led to his passion. [.  .  .] We must, therefore, believe that the deacons who are now 5. Matt 26:26.  6. Rom 11:13.  7. See Heb 1:14.  8. 1 Tim 3:15.

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bringing in the “bread” for the offering represent the invisible “serving spirits,”9 and yet their ministry and these remembrances do not send Christ our Lord to his life-giving passion. xxvi. When they bring out the bread, they place it on the holy altar for the perfect representation of the passion. In this regard we believe that the altar upon which Christ, having suffered, is placed resembles a type of tomb. For this reason the deacons who spread the linens on the altar give us a representation of the burial clothes. After the linens have been spread out, the deacons stand on both sides and use fans to circulate the air above the holy body so that nothing corrupt might come near. By so doing they show the greatness of the body placed there. When the dead body of one of the world’s notables is placed on a bier, it is customary that it be fanned as a sign of honor. So it is proper that this be done to the body lying upon the altar, a body that is holy, awe-inspiring, and incorruptible, a body that in the not distant future will rise with immortality. Those appointed to this task encircle the body and fan it, thereby giving it appropriate honor and showing to all present its greatness. xxviii. This occurs while all are silent. Even before the liturgy begins, those present are to look on, doing so with recollection, with awe, and in silent prayer as the body is brought forth and arranged on the altar. After our Lord died, the disciples withdrew and spent time in a house where they experienced fear and observed great silence. An ineffable silence spread everywhere; even the invisible powers remained apart, looking forward to the expected resurrection. When Christ our Lord rose, the apostles felt untold joy and happiness. [.  .  .] xxix. This recalls for us our Lord’s passion. Seeing the offering on the altar—as if it were a dead body placed in a type of tomb—all become quiet because of the wonderful things taking place. So with awe and quiet all are to look at it because at this moment, by reason of the wonderful liturgy that takes place according to the priestly rules, Christ our Lord is to rise and announce to all a share in his wonderful benefits. In the offering we recall our Lord’s death, which proclaims the resurrection and wonderful blessings. xxx. Then comes time for prayer, no longer in silence but proclaimed by the deacon who, as we know, gives the signal for—and the purpose of—all that happens in the church. In fact, what the assembly is to do is made known by the proclamation of the deacon who requests and recalls to all what those gathered in God’s church are to do. xxxi. Once the deacon has concluded his particular task of exhorting aloud all to say prayers appropriate to church gatherings and while all stand in silence, the bishop begins the prayer [over the offerings]. He begins by praying to God because before all other things pertaining to religion, it

9. Heb 1:14.

138. Theodore of Mopsuestia  263 is with prayer that he is to begin. This is especially true for this wonderful liturgy which we can offer only with divine assistance. The bishop concludes by thanking our Lord for the great things he has given for our salvation and life and for having granted us knowledge of these great mysteries, which recall the wonderful gift given us by his passion, namely, his promise to raise us all from among the dead and to help us ascend to heaven. xxxii. After this he gives thanks for himself because Christ has made him a minister of so wonderful a sacrament. He then requests that the grace of the Holy Spirit, by which he attained the priesthood, now be granted him. In this way he may be worthy of so great a ministry and by God’s grace be free from all evil intentions and fear of punishment as he approaches what is far above himself. xxxiii. Once the bishop has concluded this prayer and others similar to it, those present say “Amen,” a word of agreement confirming the bishop’s prayer. Paul speaks of this: “How can anyone in the position of an outsider say the ‘Amen’ to your thanksgiving since the outsider does not know what you are saying?”10 The people are to say “Amen” to show that they agree with the bishop’s prayers and thanksgivings. xxxiv. After the people have said “Amen,” the bishop prays that peace be with them. This is the appropriate way to begin services that take place in the church assembly, especially the awe-inspiring liturgy since blessed Paul begins all his letters with “Grace and peace be with you.” [.  .  .] xxxv. A regulation coming from the very early Church is that those who have been deemed worthy to carry out the duties of a priest should begin all that is done in the assembly with these words, especially such an awesome sacrament. And so the bishop prays, “Peace to all.” This announces the magnificent blessings whose symbol and sign is the divine liturgy, which is the memorial of our Lord’s death and by means of which these and similar blessings have been promised us. All present respond, “And with your spirit.” xxxvi. And so they reply with the same prayer. In this way they make known to the bishop and to all that not only do others need a blessing and the bishop’s prayer but that the bishop himself also needs the prayer of all. Consequently according to the regulation established in the beginning, bishops as well as others in the assembly are mentioned in all the Church’s prayers because “we are all members of our Lord Jesus Christ”11 and “we are” all “members of one another.”12 And so the bishop’s role is that of a member who is more honored than the other members of the Body. Let me explain this. The bishop is the eye or the tongue. As the eye he sees what everyone is doing, and with priestly concern he corrects and directs all according to the rule of the priesthood; as the tongue he presents the prayers of all. But if the eye and the tongue need other members 10. 1 Cor 14:16.  11. 1 Cor 12:27.  12. Eph 4:25.

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264  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East of the body if they are to carry out their functions, so it is necessary that these other members be healthy and whole. [.  .  .] This is why the bishop blesses the people at the “peace” and then receives their blessing as they respond, “And with your spirit.” 3451 xxxvii. It is not the bishop’s soul that the people have in mind when they say, “And with your spirit” but the grace of the Holy Spirit by which those confided to his care believe that he is called to the priesthood. As blessed Paul says, “God, whom I serve with my spirit by announcing the gospel of his Son,”13 as if to say, “By the gift of the grace of the Holy Spirit who was given to me so that I might serve the Gospel and so that all of you might be joined to my spirit.” In other words, “I have received from God the ability to do this and similar things and have found no rest for my spirit,” namely, “I was unable to do what a person who serves the Holy Spirit is to do for the good of others because he who should have assisted me is absent.” 3452 xxxix. Once the blessings have taken place, the church’s herald, namely, the deacon, in a loud voice requests that all share the peace with one another. The bishop begins. All follow his example by exchanging the peace with one another. By doing so they demonstrate their unity with and their love for one another. As far as possible each of us gives the peace to our neighbor, indicating, as it were, that all share the peace with all the others because by doing so we profess that all of us are to be the one Body of Christ our Lord. We are to show mutual love to one another. We are to support and assist one another. We are to consider the affairs of others as affairs of the whole community. We are to sympathize with the sorrows of others and rejoice in the good things that happen to them. 3453 xl. Through baptism we have received the one new birth because by it we are joined into one natural body. It is the same food that all of us take when we receive the same Body and the same Blood and become more closely joined in the single body of baptism. As blessed Paul said, “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one Body, for we all partake of one bread.”14 And so before approaching the solemn mysteries, we must follow the custom of sharing the peace; in this way all of us manifest our unity and love for one another. Certainly it is not right for those who form one church body to look down upon any member of the faithful who has shared the same birth so as to become a member of the same body, who is, as we believe, equally a member of Christ our Lord, and who is also nourished by the same food shared at the spiritual table. For this reason our Lord himself said, “If you are angry with a brother or a sister, you will be liable to judgment.”15 So what happens is not only a profession of love but also, as it were, a call that we rid ourselves of all enmity if it seems to us that our complaint against another believer is unjust. [.  .  .]

13. Rom 1:9.  14. 1 Cor 10:17.  15. Matt 5:22.

138. Theodore of Mopsuestia  265 xli. All of us offer the sacrifice with the bishop. Although it is the bishop who stands when offering, he does so like the tongue for the whole body. All offer together; all share a common blessing; what is offered is shared equally by all. As blessed Paul says regarding the high priest, he “must offer [sacrifice] for his own sins as well as for those of the people.”16 Paul shows that the high priest offers a common sacrifice, being appointed to offer the sacrifice both for himself and for all others. [.  .  .] xlii. The bishop washes his hands first, and all the priests present, as numerous as they may be, also do so. They do so not to ensure that their hands are clean—if this were true, all would be required to wash them, some because of their ministry, others because of the offering they will receive— but because the priests are appointed to offer the sacrifice for the whole community, thus reminding all of us that we are to offer ourselves with pure consciences when the sacrifice is offered. [.  .  .] xliii. Then all rise according to the signal given by the deacon and look at what is happening. From the rolls of the church are read the names of the living and of the dead who have died in the faith of Christ, it being clear that included in the small number now mentioned are all the living and the dead. [.  .  .] xliv. When the above-mentioned reading of the names is concluded, the bishop approaches for the liturgy. The church’s herald, namely, the deacon— his words clearly indicating what the people are to do as they follow the signs given them by the bishop—first cries out, “Look to the offering.” In this way he urges everyone to look carefully at the sacrifice since what is taking place is a communal action. The community’s sacrifice is immolated, and the community’s oblation is offered for all, not only for those who are present but for the absent as well, to the extent that they were with us through faith, were counted as members of God’s Church, and have reached the end of life within the Church. It is clear that to immolate the offering and to present the offering are the same since a most holy victim is being immolated and presented to God, for as blessed Paul says, Christ “offered himself once for all.”17 [.  .  .] “Because of this it is necessary that he [the bishop] also have something to offer.”18 Since our sacrifice represents the sacrifice of Christ, we call it the “offering” or the “presenting of the offering.” For this reason it is correct for the deacon before the offering to call out, “Look to the offering.” xlv. When all have been told to look at what has been placed on the altar, and once all that we have described has taken place—things to be done before the sacred liturgy and which were necessary for your instruction and remembrance—the bishop begins the anaphora.a [.  .  .]

a. Anaphora: the “eucharistic prayer,” namely, the consecratory prayer said over the bread and the wine. 16. Heb 5:3.  17. Heb 7:27.  18. Heb 8:3.

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138-a-5. homily 16. on the eucharist (2) Synopsis. The bishop begins the anaphora by blessing the people as follows, “May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.” The people respond, “And with your spirit.” The bishop says, “Lift up your hearts,” and the people answer, “To you, O Lord.” The bishop says, “Let us give thanks to the Lord.” The people respond, “It is right and just.” The bishop then begins to pray the anaphora and to offer the community’s sacrifice. The bishop says [lacuna in manuscript] elevating the voice and giving praise, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord of Sabaoth. Heaven and earth are full of your praises.” When silence returns and while we are still looking downward, the church’s herald cries out, “Let us all stand, doing so with great fear and trembling.” But it is now necessary that Christ our Lord rise from among the dead by the power of what is taking place and that he should extend his grace to all of us. The bishop also requests that the grace of the Holy Spirit come upon all who have gathered. He makes supplication for all those who are customarily remembered in church. He then recalls the deceased. The bishop concludes these prayers, immediately takes the holy bread into his 3460 hands and looks up to heaven. He breaks the bread while praying for the people, asking that God’s grace be with them. The people reply with the customary words. With the bread he makes the sign of the cross over the Blood and with the Blood over the bread. For this reason it is required that we drop piece by piece the lifegiving bread into the cup. We must pray for the person who has presented this holy offering. And before all else we are to pray to our Lord for those who brought the holy offering. The bishop blesses the people, who respond in the usual way while all bow their heads as is required. The church’s herald cries out, “Let us be attentive.” The bishop announces, “What is holy to those who are holy.” All answer, “There is one holy Father, one holy Son, one Holy Spirit.” They continue, “Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.” Now all hasten to receive from the offering. For this reason the officiating bishop is the first to approach and receive. Then each of us approaches, looking downward and with both hands extended. The right hand is extended to receive the offering that is given, but the left hand is placed under it. The bishop, when giving Communion, says, “The Body of Christ.” This is why, after the bishop, you say, “Amen.” The same applies to the cup. After receiving Communion, rightly do you thank and bless God. You will remain in the church so that with all the others you may give praise and thanks according to the Church’s practice. ii. After the deacon says, “Look to the offering,” and while all, as the 3461 deacon announced, are doing so, the bishop begins the anaphora by blessing the people as follows: “May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.”1 He believes that now, before the liturgy, the people should be blessed by these most precious words of the apostle. [.  .  .] Some priests only say, 3459

1. 2 Cor 13:13.

138. Theodore of Mopsuestia  267 “May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you,” thus shortening what the apostle wrote. The people respond, “And with your spirit.” As is required, when the bishop blesses the people, doing so either with “grace” or with “peace,” all present respond in the manner I have already explained. iii. After this blessing the bishop prepares the people by saying “Lift up your hearts” to show that even though we are to perform the aweinspiring, ineffable liturgy here on earth, we are to look and to direct our souls toward heaven because we are commemorating Christ our Lord’s sacrifice and death, Christ who suffered for us and was raised, who was joined to the divine nature, and who is seated at the right hand of God in heaven. And so we must direct our minds there and from this memorial transfer our hearts to heaven. iv. The people respond, “To you, O Lord.” By these words the people show they are intent on doing this. And when the bishop has prepared and directed the hearts and minds of the people, he says, “Let us give thanks to the Lord.” It is for what has been done for us and for what we are to remember in this liturgy that we should especially give thanks to God, the source of all goodness. To this the people respond, “It is right and just.” They profess that it is right to do so, either because of the greatness of God, who is the source of such gifts, or because it is right that those receiving such benefits not be ungrateful to their benefactor. v. After all are standing and keeping a respectful silence, the bishop begins the anaphora and offers the community’s sacrifice. An all-embracing reverence comes upon all of us because of what has happened, namely, because our Lord died for all of us, and it is in memory of this death that our sacrifice will take place. Since at this moment the bishop is the tongue of the assembly, he uses in this liturgy words that are fitting, words that praise God, words proclaiming that all laud and glory are proper to God. To God belong adoration and service from us all, especially by this memorial of the grace given us and which is beyond the understanding of all creation. vi. Since it is in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit that we have been instructed and baptized, and because it is from them that we should await the fulfillment of what is done, the bishop says, “The greatness of the Father.” He adds “and of the Son” since what is due the Father is also due the Son, who truly and really is a Son and is of the same substance as the Father, in no way being inferior to him. The bishop must also mention the Holy Spirit, professing that the Spirit is also of the divine substance. He says that praise and glory are, at all times and before all others, offered to this eternal and divine nature by all visible creatures and by the invisible powers. He mentions before other creatures the Seraphim who offer that praise which blessed Isaiah learned of by divine revelation and which he handed down through the Scriptures, the praise all of us who have gathered sing

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as if we also were singing what the invisible powers sing, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord of Sabaoth. Heaven and earth are full of your praises.”2 vii. It is required that in this liturgy the bishop, after mentioning the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, says, “May all creation praise and adore the divine nature.” He also mentions the Seraph because the Holy Scriptures have them singing this praise, a praise all of us render loudly in the divine song which we, together with the invisible powers, sing in order to serve God. [.  .  .] ix. [.  .  .] We, with reverence and with eyes cast down, stand as we bow our heads, being unable to gaze upon so awesome a liturgy. [.  .  .] We bow our heads both before and after acclaiming the “Holy” because of the greatness of what is taking place. [.  .  .] x. After the people have proclaimed “Holy, holy, holy, Lord of Sabaoth,” and when all have gradually become silent, the bishop continues the liturgy. First he says, “Holy is the Father. Holy also is the Son. Holy alike is the Holy Spirit” so that a profession of faith is made in this holy and eternal nature, and also that he may be seen as clearly understanding the praise offered by the Seraph, a praise heard by the prophet and handed down through the Scriptures. The bishop then recalls the ineffable mercy revealed to us. [.  .  .] It was very necessary for Christ to give us this mystery which leads to future benefits. In this way we are born again in the sign of baptism so that we may recall the death of our Lord in this most sublime liturgy. We share in the immortal and spiritual food which is our Savior’s Body and Blood. When our Lord was about to suffer, he instructed his disciples that all who believe in him are to receive his Body and Blood through these elements. [.  .  .] xi. The bishop says these and similar things in the holy liturgy. By recalling what has taken place, he prepares us to see in these offerings the very gift of Christ our Lord. It is now necessary that Christ our Lord rise from among the dead by the power of what is taking place and that he should extend his grace to all of us. Yet this can only happen through the coming of the grace of the Holy Spirit. [.  .  .] xii. Following church law, the bishop is to request God that the Holy Spirit may descend and that grace may come down upon the bread and wine placed on the altar so that they may truly be seen as our Lord’s Body and Blood, the memorial of immortality. The body of Christ our Lord, having the same nature as our own, was originally mortal in nature, but through the resurrection it passed to an immortal and unchangeable nature. So when the bishop says that the bread and wine are Christ’s Body and Blood, he reveals that they have become so through the coming of the Holy Spirit, and that through the Holy Spirit they have become immortal—in that the Lord’s body, when it was anointed and had received the Holy Spirit, was clearly revealed to be immortal. Still today when the 2. Isa 6:3.

138. Theodore of Mopsuestia  269 Holy Spirit comes, there is, as it were, a type of anointing conferred by the grace that comes upon the bread and the wine. Henceforth we believe that the bread and the wine are Christ’s Body and Blood, immortal, incorruptible, impassible, and unchangeable by nature as was our Savior’s body after his resurrection. xiii. The bishop also requests that the grace of the Holy Spirit come upon all who have gathered. Just as by a new birth they grew into one Body, so may they now be strengthened in one Body by sharing the Body of our Savior; may they become one in harmony and peace, and be diligent in good works. [.  .  .] xiv. The bishop carries out the divine liturgy in this way, making supplication for all those who are customarily remembered in church. He then recalls the deceased, showing that this sacrifice protects us in this world and that after death it grants those who died in the faith that ineffable hope which all the children of the mystery of Christ desire and to which they journey. xv. The bishop concludes these prayers, immediately takes the holy bread into his hands, and looks up to heaven. Keeping his eyes fixed on high, he gives thanks for these great gifts, and he breaks the bread. While doing so, he prays for the people, asking that God’s grace be with them. He says, “May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” The people reply with the customary words. With the bread he makes the sign of the cross over the Blood. He does likewise with the Blood over the bread. He joins them, bringing them together so as to show that even if they are two, nonetheless, they are one in power and are the memorial of the passion and death undergone by the Lord’s body when he shed his blood upon the cross for us. When the bishop makes the sign of the cross over them, he brings them together, uniting them just as the human body is one with its blood, and where the body is, so there is its blood. Thus wherever there is an incision or a cut, whether it be large or small, blood will flow forth according to the size of the wound. This was true for our Lord’s body before his passion. Much blood had to have flowed from the wounds he received upon the cross. xvi. When our Lord gave his body and blood, he said, “This is my Body broken for you for the forgiveness of sins,” and “This is my Blood poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins.”3 Our Lord indicated his passion by what he said first; what he said next indicated the violence and extent of this passion during which much blood was shed. So we should follow this tradition and place both the bread and the cup on the altar to show what took place and to recall that these two share the same power because they belong to him who suffered—the body of our Lord and the blood that was poured forth. This is why the bishop, having finished the anaphora, breaks the bread and joins it to the cup while making the sign of the cross over it. In like manner he also brings the cup to the bread, thus showing that they are one, that we are ordered to commemorate the passion in this way. 3. Matt 26:26–28; 1 Cor 11:24–25.

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xvii. For this reason it is required that we drop piece by piece the life-giving bread into the cup to show that the Body and Blood are inseparable, that they have the same power, and that they confer identical grace to those receiving them. The bishop breaks the bread and does so for a purpose. It is because Christ our Savior, after rising from among the dead, revealed himself to all his followers—first appearing to the women, then to the eleven disciples and various groups, and finally to all the faithful as when he appeared to Cleopas and his companions.4 He did this to show that he had risen, and by means of the resurrection he announced to them that they also would join him in the great benefits spoken of in his greeting. He exhorted them to rejoice while awaiting the good things to come. This is why, even to the women to whom he appeared after the resurrection, he said, “Peace be to you.” xviii. Because of this it is proper, once the liturgy has been completed, that the bishop do what the Lord was the first to do, namely, since it is the memorial of the Lord’s death and resurrection, he is to break the bread as the Lord did when he appeared to various people at various times and then to many at the same time so that all might be united with him. [.  .  .] xix. Finally, all the bread is broken so that all the people may receive some of it. Yet we believe that in the portion we receive, we receive the whole Christ. [.  .  .] xx. Because of what will take place afterwards, the bishop who offers the sacred and ineffable sacrifice must begin this action. When he has finished the consecratory liturgy [the anaphora], he begins to break the bread as is fitting so that henceforth in this bread we might in our hearts envision Christ our Lord who comes through each portion to the person receiving it. [.  .  .] xxi. After this the church’s herald makes another announcement, briefly recalling those for whom all are to pray. He begins by saying, “We must pray for the person who has presented this holy offering,” as if to say, “for being able to make the offering; we are also to pray that we might become worthy to look upon it, to stand close to it, and to receive it.” The bishop then concludes the prayer by requesting that this sacrifice be pleasing to God and that the grace of the Holy Spirit descend upon the whole world so that we might participate in it without punishment since it is immeasurably loftier than we are. xxii. When the bishop has concluded the prayer with these words, he blesses the people who respond in the usual way. All bow their heads as is required. Once this prayer has ended and while all who will receive what is “Holy” are looking on, the church’s herald cries out, “Let us be attentive.” With a loud voice he urges all to listen attentively to the bishop who says, “What is holy to those who are holy.”5 He does so because this food, which is 4. See Luke 24:18.  5. See Matt 7:6.

138. Theodore of Mopsuestia  271 our Lord’s Body and Blood, is holy and immortal. It is all-holy since the Holy Spirit has come down upon it. Yet not all are allowed to partake of this food. Only those who have already been sanctified. This is why only the baptized receive it, those who by a new birth given 3483 at baptism “are the first fruits of the Holy Spirit”6 and have been found worthy to receive holiness from it. This is why the bishop says, “What is holy to those who are holy,” and he directs the hearts of all to be attentive to the great offering placed on the altar. You should know that by nature you are not worthy of the nourishment you receive. This food is immortal and completely unchangeable. Not everyone is to receive; only those who have been made holy. xxiii. [.  .  .] For every animal born of another animal God has provided 3484 food that is suitable and fitting. Thus each animal is brought forth and nourished by one of its own kind. A sheep is born of a sheep and is nourished by the nature of a sheep. The same is true for a horse and for all the other animals. Animals of one species are born from others of the same species and are fed by the same. At baptism you were born and made holy by the grace and coming of the Holy Spirit. And so it is fitting that you partake of food of the same kind by the grace and coming of the Holy Spirit. You do so to strengthen and increase the sanctification given you and to obtain the good things that will be ours in the world to come and by means of which all of us will be completely holy. This is how we are to understand “What is holy for those who are holy.” And so we draw near to the greatness of this Communion, doing so with these dispositions, this faith, this zeal, this awe, and this love as we partake of this holy and immortal food. It is with this in mind that the bishop says, “What is holy for those who are holy.” All answer, “There is one holy Father, one holy Son, one Holy Spirit.” All profess that there is only one nature of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, existing from all eternity, alone being unchangeable, alone being able to give holiness to whomever God desires. They continue, “Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen.” Those professing the divine nature are to glorify it as required by their duty to give glory. xxiv. Once the service has concluded, all hasten to receive from the offering. 3485 From the awesome and ineffable altar we receive an immortal and holy nourishment. Although those who are appointed for the divine liturgy and stand near the altar approach it to receive the divine food,7 all others receive at a distance. This is the only difference. There is no difference in the food itself. There is only one bread, only one Body of Christ our Lord, into which the bread that was presented has been changed. It is by the coming of the Holy Spirit that the bread receives such a transformation. All receive from this bread because we are all the one Body of Christ our Lord and because we are nourished with the same Body and Blood. Just as 6. Rom 8:23.  7. See 1 Cor 9:13.

272  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East we have all become one Body of Christ through a new birth and through the Holy Spirit, so through the one food of the holy mysteries, which nourish us by the grace of the Holy Spirit, all of us enter into the one communion of Christ our Savior, “for in one Spirit we were all baptized into one Body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free.”8 On the other hand, “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one Body, for we all partake of the one bread.”9 When, therefore, we are all nourished by the same Body of our Lord and receive communion with him whom we receive by means of this new nourishment, it is the one Body of Christ that all of us become. It is communion and union with him as with our head because “the bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ?”10 The apostle teaches that by receiving these we are united with our Lord’s body and blood. Thus when we receive, we remain in communion with him, we ourselves being the Body of Christ; by this communion we strengthen what we have received by our new birth in baptism. As the apostle said, it is his Body which we have become: “You are the Body of Christ,”11 and elsewhere, Christ is “the head from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.”12 3486 xxv. The gift of “Communion” in the mysteries is granted to each of us in a general way because all of us equally have need of it, doing so because we believe that the joy of eternal life is presented in it. For this reason the officiating bishop is the first to approach and receive, doing so in order to show to all that according to the rules of the priesthood the sacrifice is offered for all, and that he needs to partake of it with the others. It is in eating and drinking that our Lord established what profits us, for he said that “those who eat my flesh and drink my blood will have eternal life.”13 It is not “those who officiate” but “those who eat.” All of us are to do this. The sacrifice is offered so that by the coming of the Holy Spirit it becomes what it is said to be, namely, Christ’s Body and Blood. Once the bread and the wine become this, all of us partake of them because we believe that in this food and drink, of which we are to partake, there is life as our Lord said. [.  .  .] 3487 xxvi. [.  .  .] Christ comes to each of us. Yet he is completely whole in each portion that is received. He is united with each person. He gives himself to each so that we might grasp and embrace him with all our might and so that we might show our love for him as we so desire. In this way our Lord’s Body and Blood nourish us and have us look ahead to our transformation into one immortal and incorruptible nature. 3488 xxvii. Then each of us approaches, looking downward and with both hands extended. With eyes lowered we show that fitting adoration is being given; it is, as it were, a profession of faith that we are receiving the Body of the 8. 1 Cor 12:13.  9. 1 Cor 10:17.  10. 1 Cor 10:16.  11. 1 Cor 12:27.  12. Col 2:19.  13. John 6:56.

138. Theodore of Mopsuestia  273 King who became the Lord of all by being united with the divine nature and is adored as Lord by all creatures. By the fact that both hands are extended, we acknowledge the greatness of the gift that will be received. The right hand is extended to receive the offering that is given, but the left hand is placed under it as a sign of reverence. The right hand is on top since it will receive the royal Body whereas the left hand supports and guides its sister hand; yet it does not consider its role to be one of a servant since it is equal to the right hand in dignity because of the royal Body it also bears. xxviii. The bishop, while giving Communion, says, “The Body of Christ.” By these words he teaches you not to look at what is visible but to picture in your mind what it has become by the descent of the Holy Spirit, namely, the Body of Christ. In this way you should approach, doing so with great awe and love out of respect for the greatness of the gift. Awe is appropriate because of the gift’s great dignity; love is appropriate because of its grace. This is why, after the bishop, you say, “Amen.” By responding to him you confirm and subscribe to what he has said. The same applies to the cup. Once you have received the Body into your own hands, you adore it— thereby recognizing the power of him who is placed in your hands. You recall the words our Lord spoke to his disciple after rising from among the dead, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”14 With great and sincere love you press it to your eyes, kiss it, and pray to it as to Christ our Lord who is henceforth with you. [.  .  .] xxix. [.  .  .] After receiving Communion rightly you thank and bless God, doing so on your own, so as not to be ungrateful for the divine gift. And you will remain in the church so that joining the others you may give praise and thanks according to the Church’s practice because it is fitting that all who together have received this spiritual food should together praise God for this great gift. xxxi. [.  .  .] We should try to make ourselves as worthy as possible of the mysteries. We will be worthy of them if we obey the commandments of Christ our Lord, who beforehand promised us these and similar benefits provided we strive to avoid all evil and cling to what is good, provided we shun all that is wicked, provided we increase in mercy, which brought us such good things as these. [.  .  .] xxxiii. [.  .  .] We are to arrange our lives according to the things of the world to come. [.  .  .] Sins of human weakness should not restrain us from partaking in the holy mystery. However, those who continually live a sinful life should not approach without fear. [.  .  .] xxxiv. We should, therefore, neither stay away completely nor carelessly approach the mysteries,15 but we must strive with all our power to lead a good life. So doing, may we hasten to Communion, knowing that if our lives are careless, if we sin without fear, if we do whatever we please, then it is unto condemnation that we eat and drink this ineffable food and 14. Matt 28:18.  15. See 1 Cor 11:27.

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drink. But if we show concern for how we live our lives and strive to do what is good, if we always reflect upon this in our hearts, then our involuntary sins, those resulting from human weakness, will not harm us. On the other hand, we will profit greatly from receiving the mysteries. The Body and Blood of our Lord and the grace of the Holy Spirit given by the sacrament will strengthen us in doing good and fortify our dispositions, repelling all evil thoughts and removing sins—presuming that these have been committed involuntarily or out of human weakness. [.  .  .] xxxv. Surely our participation in the holy mysteries will forgive sins of this kind because our Lord clearly said, “This is my Body given up for you for the forgiveness of sins,” and “This is my Blood poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins,”16 and “I have come,” he says, “not to call the righteous but sinners.”17 If we sin through carelessness, it will go hard for us should we approach the holy mysteries. But if we zealously do good, avoid evil, and sincerely repent of our sins, then the holy mysteries will be the gift of the forgiveness of sins. Although we are sinners, we have been called to penance. [.  .  .] xxxvi. [.  .  .] A Seraph was sent to Isaiah. With tongs the Seraph took a burning coal from the altar and placed it on Isaiah’s lips, saying, “This has touched your lips; your iniquity is no more; your sins are forgiven.”18 And so there were burning coals upon the altar, this being a figure of the mystery that was to be given us. A piece of coal is first of all dark and cold, but when it has been brought to the fire, it becomes luminous and hot. The food of the holy mystery should be like this. What is brought forward is regular bread and wine, which as such are transformed into the power of spiritual and immortal food. This is why Isaiah saw a sign and a revelation of what was to take place in the burning coals. The Holy Spirit also, in the form of fire, came down from heaven upon the apostles and through them the grace of the Holy Spirit entered the whole human race. Just as the Seraph drew near to the prophet, purifying and removing all his sins, so we also should believe that by participating in the holy mysteries our sins are completely removed provided we repent, provided that in our hearts we grieve and are sorry for our sins. xxxviii. The Seraph did not hold the burning coal in its hand; the coal was held with tongs. This vision shows that the faithful should also fear approaching the mysteries without an intermediary. And so the bishop with his hand gives you the mysteries, saying, “The Body of Christ.” He does not believe that he himself is worthy to hold and present such gifts; replacing the tongs is the spiritual grace he has received as a priest. [.  .  .] xxxix. [.  .  .] If we are guilty of a great sin against the Law—the type of sin being unimportant—we must refrain from Communion and yet not stay away indefinitely. What good does it do to continue on in the same sins? We must make every effort to move our conscience so that we are 16. See Matt 26:26–28; 1 Cor 11:24–26.  17. Matt 9:13.  18. Isa 6:7, LXX.

139. Theodoret of Cyr  275 eager to do penance for sins. We are not to leave to ourselves the treatment of these sins. Just as God gave our bodies, which can suffer, remedies to be used by experts in treating them, so God gave our souls, created and changeable, penance as a remedy for sin; decisions concerning penance have been given from the beginning. The priests and experts who treat and care for sinners are to follow the Church’s discipline and wisdom in healing penitents, this being regulated according to the seriousness of a person’s sins. xl. For this reason our Lord said, “If another member of the Church sins 3499 against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the Church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the Church, let such a one be to you as a gentile and a tax collector.”19 3500 God established this treatment for sins and confided it to the priests of the Church so that they, diligently using it, may cure the sins of the people. 3501 xliv. You know that God in his great care for us gives us penance, points out for us the remedy of contrition, and has made priests, as it were, physicians for sins so that by them sins are treated and forgiven here on earth. In this way we are delivered from future punishment. And so with great confidence we are to go to the priests and reveal our sins to them. With all care, compassion, and love they will heal sinners according to the rules already given. [.  .  .] 139. Theodoret of Cyr

Theodoret (ca. 385–ca. 460), a native of Antioch, became a monk at Nicerte ca. 416. Against his will he was ordained bishop of Cyr (Cyrrhus, Cyrus), a small town east of Antioch. He directed his flock well and yet found time to write, especially against the Jews, the pagans, as well as against various heresies. It was especially in the field of Christology that he excelled, opposing Cyril of Alexandria (WEC 3:148) in the latter’s opposition to Nestorius. Because of his defense of Nestorius, Theodoret was forced into exile in 449, only to be recalled by the emperor Marcian in 450. He attended the Council of Chalcedon (WEC 3:137) in 451. Nestorian tendencies resulted in his writing being condemned by the fifth General Council, namely, Constantinople II in 553. Theodoret has been called “one of the most fertile authors of the Greek Church” (Altaner [1961] 397). Unfortunately only a small number of his writings survive. 19. Matt 18:15–18.

276  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East CPG 3: nos. 6200ff. * Altaner (1961) 396–99 * Altaner (1966) 339–41 * Bardenhewer (1908) 370–76 * Bardenhewer (1910) 326–31 * Bardenhewer (1913) 4:219–47 * Bardy (1929) 171–76 * Bautz 11:936–57 * Hamell 121–23 * Jurgens 3:238–49 * Quasten 3:536–54 * Steidle 132–35 * Tixeront 205–8 * CATH 14:995–96 * CE 14:574–75 * CHECL 349–51 * DCB 4:904–19 * DictSp 15:418–35 * DPAC 2:3371–74 * DTC 15.1:299–325 * EC 11:1926–27 * EEC 2:827–28 * EEChr 2:1117–18 * LTK 9:1401–94 * NCE 14:20–22 * NCES 13:878–79 * ODCC 1600–1601 * PEA (1894) 5.2 (n.s.) 1791–1801 J. Quasten, “The Conflict of Early Christianity with the Jewish Temple Worship,” TS 2 (1941) 481–87. * H. Chadwick, “Eucharist and Christology in the Nestorian Controversy,” JThSt, n.s., 2 (1951) 145–64. * J. Sauter, “L’événement de la Pentecôte dans l’exégèse de Théodoret, évêque,” QLP 34 (1953) 103–7. * W.M. Green, “Ancient Comment on Instrumental Music in the Psalms,” ResQ 1 (1957) 3–8. * O. Rousseau, “La mémoire de Pierre et Paul dans la liturgie,” VS 117 (1967) 265–74. * Y.-M. Congar, “Doctrines et théologie de l’eucharistie,” RSPT 66 (1982) 233–44. * D. Krueger, “Writing as Devotion: Hagiographical Composition and the Cult of the Saints in Theodoret of Cyrrhus,” CH 66 (1997) 707–19.

139-A. On the Interpretation of the Psalms† In this treatise Theodoret, often considered the leading exegete of the Antiochene School, comments on the whole Psalter, avoiding extreme allegorical interpretations and explaining messianic prophecies as referring to past events. According to some the work was written between 441 and 449. 3502

On Psalm 109:4.a [.  .  .] Christ our Lord offered himself to God not only for the Jews but for all people. The priesthood had its origins during that night when he was approaching his cross, the night when “he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and said, ‘Take and eat from this for this is my Body.’ In like manner when he mixed the cup, he gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Drink from this, all of you, for this is my blood of the New Testament which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’”1 We find that Melchisedech was both priest and king (he being a figure of the true priest and king), and that he offered to God not victims unable to reason but rather bread and wine. [.  .  .] Now it is Christ who is the priest, born in the flesh from Judah, not himself offering anything but appearing as the head of those who do offer. For he calls the Church his head and through it as man he serves as priest; as God he receives what is offered. The Church offers the symbols [suvmbola] of his Body and Blood, sanctifying the whole by means of its first fruits.

Translated from PG 80:1771–74. a. Enumeration according to the LXX. 1. Matt 26:26–28. †

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139-B. On the Interpretation of the Song of Songs† Written early on in his career as a writer and at the request of John of Germanicia,a this work greatly relies on Origen’s (WEC 1:43) understanding of the Church as the bride and of Christ as the spouse. i.1. Vers. 1. [.  .  .] Should any be embarrassed and troubled by the word “kiss,” let them consider that at the time when the sacrament is being celebrated, we receive the members of the Spouse, we embrace and kiss them. [.  .  .] i.1. Vers. 2. If you desire to understand this verse in a more mystical way, recall the sacred baptismal mystery in which those being initiated, after renouncing the tyrant and confessing the King, receive as a kind of royal imprint the anointing with the spiritual and fragrant oil, this being, as it were, a sign of the invisible grace of the most Holy Spirit. [.  .  .]

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139-C. Interpretation of the Fourteen Letters of Saint Paul†† This is Theodoret’s only work on the New Testament. On Hebrews 8. 4. It is clear to those who are learned in divine things 3505 that we offer no other sacrifice [than that which Christ offered]. We celebrate its sole and sanctifying memory as the Lord commanded, “Do this in memory of me.” [.  .  .]

139-D. Religious History††† Written ca. 444, the thirty chapters of the Historia Religiosa seu Ascetica Vivendi Ratio or the History of the Monks give a short biography of twentyeight male and three female ascetics, most of whom Theodoret knew personally. xxx.1. The admirable Domnina, having resolved to imitate the life of Marona [.  .  .], built for herself a small grass hut in her mother’s garden. It is there that she lives, continually moistening with tears not only her cheeks but even her horsehair garments, her body being covered with clothing of this kind. At cockcrow she hastens to the divine temple, which is not far from there, in order to join everyone, women and men, in praising the master of the universe. She does this not only at the beginning but Translated from PG 81:53–54. a. John: a partisan on the Nestorian side, who attended the Council of Ephesus (431) with Theodoret. †† Translated from PG 82:735–36. ††† Translated from Histoire de moines de Syrie .  .  ., vol. 2, ed. P. Canivet and A. Leroy-Molinghen, SChr 257 (Paris, 1979) 241–42. a. Maron: a well-known anchorite who died before 423; he is considered the father of the spiritual movement now called the Maronite Church. †

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278  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East also at the end of the day, believing and teaching others that a place consecrated to God is more important than any other place. [.  .  .]

139-E. Church History† Theodoret’s Church History (Historia Ecclesiastica), written in five books, was completed in 449/450. It begins where Eusebius (WEC 2:81) ended and concludes with the year 428. Theodoret’s work contains many documents not found elsewhere. I.ix. Letter of Constantine the Emperor. To those bishops who were absent from the synod.a Concerning what was decided there. 3507 “An inquiry was made there concerning the most holy day of the Pasch. It was decided that all people shall celebrate it at one and the same time. Is anything more proper, more important, than that this feast, the origin of our hope for immortality, be observed uniformly and clearly among all without failure and error? It was first deemed unworthy to observe this holy solemnity as do the Jews whose hands are stained with crime and whose minds are rightly blinded. It is fitting that in rejecting their customs we pass on to succeeding generations what is more reasonable concerning the day of the Passion. And so let us have nothing in common with the most hated Jewish people. May we learn a different way from our Savior. Our religion offers a better and more legitimate way. My most honorable brothers and sisters, may we persevere as one and stay far away from evil conscience. They claim that we—without their teaching—are incapable of observing the feast properly. This is indeed absurd. How can they think correctly about anything? After the Lord’s death and being mentally impaired, they are not guided by reason, but their unrestrained impulses are carried wherever their unbridled madness brings them. So it is that they do not see the truth here, always wandering as far as they can from fitting correction so that they celebrate a second Passover in the same year. Why should we follow those who indeed are in great error? By no means could we bear celebrating a second Pasch in the same year. Even if all this were not enough, your own wisdom should move you to struggle and pray constantly so that your pure minds not appear to follow the customs of such bad people. Remember that in so great a matter, namely, in observing such a great feast, there is to be no disagreement. Our Savior has handed down to us one day on which to remember our deliverance, namely, the day of his most holy suffering. He desired that his Catholic Church be one even though its members are many and found in various places throughout the world. They are to be nourished by one spirit, namely, by the divine will. May your holy wisdom consider how evil and improper it is that the days when some are fasting are spent by others in feasting; Translated from PG 82:931ff. a. Namely, the First Council of Nicaea in 325 (WEC 2:71-C). †

139. Theodoret of Cyr  279 and that after the paschal fast there are some who devote themselves to feasting and relaxation whereas others keep the obligatory fasts. This incongruity is to be corrected, and all these various ways of commemoration are to assume one form, this being God’s will as surely all of you understand. Such an incongruity is to be remedied so that we may not have anything in common with those murderers who killed our Lord. All the churches in the West, in the South, in the northern regions of the world, and even some in the East observe the appropriate and suitable form of commemorating. And so I believe that all of you are willing to adopt this and will follow the rule observed in the city of Rome, throughout Italy, in all Africa, in Egypt, the Spains, the Gauls, the Britains, Libya, Greece, the dioceses of Asia, of Pontus,b in Cilicia.c You should remember that the churches in all these places are not only greater in number but also that it is most godly for all to follow what reason demands so as to have nothing in common with the perjury of the Jews. “And so to briefly state what was said above, all believed that the most 3508 holy paschal feast is to be celebrated on one and the same day. In such a holy matter customs should not differ. It is better to follow the opinion that has no contamination by reason of sin or falsehood. This being true, freely receive the heavenly gift and the truly divine command. For whatever is decided in the councils of bishops is to be completely ascribed to God’s will. “Therefore once you have announced to all our brothers what has been 3509 written above, then you ought to allow and establish the observance of this most holy day so that when, as I have long desired, I see you in person, I will be able to observe the sacred feast with you on one and the same day.” [.  .  .] I.xiv. Letter of the great and victorious Constantine to Eusebius. “My dear brother [Eusebius],d I know for certain and am totally convinced that since the servants of Christ our Savior have till now been suffering from deplorable ploys and tyranny, church buildings have either been left to ruin through neglect, or due to fear of impending harm were not constructed as they should have been. Now that freedom has been regained and the dragon, through God’s providence and our ministry, has been expelled from the administration of the government, I believe that God’s power is sufficiently seen by all. I also believe that those who by fear or by unfaithfulness or by certain sins were implicated will now, upon knowing him who truly is, be brought to a way of life that is true and proper. And so either take charge of these churches or urge bishops, b. Pontus: Roman province in northeast Asia Minor. c. Cilicia: a region in southeast Asia Minor. d. Eusebius of Caesarea (ca. 260–ca. 340): bishop of Caesarea and church historian (WEC 2:81).

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280  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East presbyters, or deacons elsewhere to give attention to them so that existing buildings be restored or enlarged and that new ones, if needed, be constructed. As to what will be necessary, you and others through you can make a request to the provincial governors and to the office of the prefecture. [.  .  .] I have written them urging that they zealously carry out what your Holiness tells them. May God, my dearest brother, safeguard you.” [.  .  .] I.xvi. Letter of Constantine to Macarius,e Bishop of Jerusalem. Concerning the building of God’s church. 3511 [.  .  .] “Since I firmly believe that my intent is well-known to all, I wish to assure you that my primary care is to adorn with beautiful buildings that sacred place which by God’s command I freed from the wicked addition of an idol as if from some heavy burden. Such a place, already in times past declared holy by God, is now made more holy from the time when the memorial of the Lord’s saving passion was brought to light. And so let us adorn this place with a beautiful building. For this reason it is fitting that your Holiness establish and provide all that is necessary so that such a basilica may not only surpass all others, but that it also be the most beautiful in the whole world. As to erecting and decorating the walls, we have designated our friend Dracillianus, the most distinguished prefect of the province, to oversee this task. We have ordered him to send artisans, workers, and whatever building materials you need. 3512 “As to the columns and the marbles, inform us by letter after you have finished your inspection as to what you consider to be more useful and suitable so that what is required may be brought to one location. A place that is to be the most respected in the world is to be adorned as its dignity requires. I wish to know from you whether you think that the basilica’s ceiling should be panelled or done in another way. If the ceiling is panelled, it can also be decorated with gold. Therefore it remains for your Holiness to make known as soon as possible to the above-mentioned judges how many workers and artisans and how much money are required. Inform me not only as to the marbles and the columns but also regarding the panelled ceiling.” [.  .  .] 3513

I.xxix. Concerning the consecration of the church in Jerusalem. [.  .  .] The emperor commanded all the bishops attending the Council of Tyref as well as all other bishops to proceed to Aeliag and consecrate the church he had constructed there. He sent some officials, upright persons

e. Macarius: bishop of Jerusalem 314–33 and a strong opponent of Arianism. Constantine’s letter was written in 326. f. The Council of Tyre, at which Athanasius (WEC 2:90) was condemned, took place in 335. g. In 135 Hadrian changed the name of Jerusalem to Colonia Aelia Capitolina.

139. Theodoret of Cyr  281 known for their godliness and faith, to provide adequate provisions to all, not only to the bishops and their attendants but to all who came from far and wide to Jerusalem. The holy altar was adorned with royal hangings, and the golden vessels were gleaming with all types of precious stones. Once this wonderful celebration ended, each bishop returned to his own diocese. Hearing about the splendor and magnificence of the affair, the emperor was highly pleased and gave thanks to the Giver of all good things. [.  .  .] II.xix. Concerning the cunning of Leontius, Bishop of Antioch, and the trustworthiness and independence of Flavianus and Diodorus. [.  .  .] When Leontiush saw that the clergy and the rest of the people were divided into two parts—some people giving glory to the Son by employing the conjunction “and,” others using the preposition “through” the Son, reserving “in” to the Holy Spirit—he said the whole prayer of glory silently so that those standing close by could only hear the phrase “Forever and ever.” [.  .  .] Flavianus and Diodorus,i that admirable pair, although not yet having obtained the priestly office and still counted among the laity, day and night roused all to strive after godliness. Being the first to divide the choir into two sections, they taught them to sing the psalms in alternation. Originating at Antioch, this practice spread everywhere, even to all corners of the world. Gathering those devoted to divine things in the church of the martyrs, they spent the night with them praising God. IV.vi. Concerning the election of Ambrose, Bishop of Milan. The synod begged the emperor Valentinian,j a wise and godly man, to choose the bishop. But he said, “To do something like this is beyond my ability. You are blessed with divine grace. You have been enlightened. Thus you are better able to decide.” And so the bishops with him left in order to deliberate. But the citizens and inhabitants of the city were in turmoil since no agreement could be reached. Some proposed one man whereas others advanced another. Those affected by the disease of Auxentiusk proposed candidates who agreed with them. The orthodox wanted to have as their leader someone sharing their beliefs. Advised of this disagreement, Ambrose,l at that time magistrate of the people, was afraid that the situation was becoming dangerous. So he quickly hastened to the church. The disturbance then ceased, and all the people unanimously h. Leontius: a pro-Arian bishop and an enemy of Athanasius; ordained bishop in 344. i. Flavianus: soon to be bishop of Antioch 381–404. Diodorus: ordained bishop of Tarsus in 378. j. Valentinian: Roman emperor in the West 364–75. k. Auxentius: Arian bishop of Milan 355–74. l. WEC 2:53.

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282  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East demanded that Ambrose become their pastor even though he had not yet been initiated into the sacred mysteries. 3517 When the emperor became aware of this, he immediately ordered that this most praiseworthy man be baptized and ordained, for he knew that Ambrose’s judgment was as straight as a carpenter’s rule and that his thinking was more exact than a carpenter’s square. Valentinian believed that the approval was divine, a conjecture based on the fact that people of various opinions were able to reach an agreement. After Ambrose had received the gift of holy baptism and the grace of the episcopacy, the most illustrious emperor, being present for all this, is said to have offered these words of praise to the Lord and Savior: “Almighty Lord and Savior, we give you thanks. I have entrusted human bodies to this man; you have entrusted him with their souls. You have declared my choice to be correct.”m [.  .  .] 3518

IV.xxvi. Concerning [.  .  .] Ephrem the Syrian. At that time in Edessa there flourished the admirable Ephremn [.  .  .] who wrote against false teachings. Using the Syrian language, he extended the rays of spiritual grace. Although untouched by the teachings of the pagans, he exposed many of their errors and laid open the deceitful weakness of all the heresies. Harmonios, the son of Bardesanes,o once composed some hymns, enticing those listening by mixing sweet sounds with ungodliness. In this way he led them to destruction. Ephrem, borrowing the music of these songs, gave them religious words, thereby providing those listening with both great pleasure and useful medicine. These songs now make joyful the feasts of the victorious martyrs.p

V.xvii. The massacre at Thessalonica; the boldness of Bishop Ambrose; the godliness of the emperor. 3519 Thessalonica, a large and populous city, is part of Macedonia.q It is also the capital of Thesaly and Achaia as well as of other provinces ruled by the prefect of Illyrium. A rebellion broke out in this city with several magistrates being roughly treated and stoned. 3520 Hearing this, the emperorr was enraged. Swords of injustice were unsheathed left and right. No one was spared, innocent and guilty alike being slaughtered. There were no preliminary trials. [.  .  .] It is said that seven thousand were killed. m. Also related in Sozomen, Church History VI.xxiv (WEC 3:3897), and in Socrates, Church History IV.xxx (WEC 3:3224). n. Ephraem the Syrian (ca. 306–73): Syrian exegete and hymn writer (WEC 2:76). o. Bardesanes (154–222): Syrian hymn writer, generally considered a heretic. p. Also related in Socrates, Church History IV.xxx. (WEC 3:3224), and Sozomen, Church History VI.xxiv (WEC 3:3897). q. Macedonia: region on the Balkan Peninsula in northeastern Greece. r. Namely, Theodosius I: Roman emperor 379–95.

139. Theodoret of Cyr  283 News of this deplorable calamity reached Ambrose in Milan where the emperor, as customary, wished to enter the church. Ambrose, going to the building’s porch, forbade him entrance, saying, “O Emperor, you appear to be unaware of the magnitude of what you have done. Your anger has subsided; yet your reason refuses to acknowledge that you have committed a terrible deed. [.  .  .] And so with what eyes will you look upon the church of our common Lord? With what feet will you walk upon its holy floor? How will you extend your hands still dripping with the blood of an unjust slaughter? With such hands will you receive the most holy Body of the Lord? How will you raise up the most precious Blood to your mouth, for in your abominable anger you have shed so much blood? Depart, therefore, and first of all take care not to add one sin to another. Acknowledge the bond by which the God and Lord of all recommends that you be held. God will be your physician. God will restore your health.” The emperor, moved by these words—for he was educated in divine sayings—well knew which things belonged to the priests and which to the emperor, and so he returned to his palace with sighs and tears. After a long time, eight months having passed, the feast of our Savior’s birth had arrived. The emperor, residing in his palace, was shedding a great number of tears. At that time Rufinuss was in charge of the imperial household. Close to the emperor and enjoying the greatest liberty, he went to the emperor and questioned him as to the reason for his tears. The emperor, groaning and crying even more, said, “Rufinus, you are jesting. You do not realize what is afflicting me. I indeed am grieving and sorrowful as I consider my misfortune. Admitted into God’s church are servants and beggars; they can enter without worry and petition their Lord. But for me, I am not to enter there; heaven is closed for me. I remember the words of our Lord, “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven.”1 Rufinus replied, “If it pleases you, let me go to the bishop and entreat him to release you from your penalties.” The emperor replied, “He will not change. I know that the sentence imposed by Ambrose is just; nor will he out of respect for imperial power break God’s law.” Rufinus continued to make his case, promising to win over Ambrose. Theodosius finally had him go with all speed, and shortly afterward the emperor himself followed, being assured by the promises of Rufinus. As soon as the holy Ambrose saw Rufinus, he said, “Rufinus, your shamelessness rivals that of a dog. You advised such a slaughter; you wiped away shame from your brow. You neither blush nor are terrified after such madness committed against God’s image.” Rufinus, for his part, had recourse to prayer and announced that the emperor was approaching. s. Rufinus Flavius, head of the court, went on to assume various government positions; he was murdered at Constantinople in 395. 1. Matt 18:18.

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Ambrose, fired with zeal, said, “Rufinus, I tell you beforehand that I will not allow him to cross the sacred threshold. But if royal power changes into tyranny, gladly will I submit to death.” Hearing this, Rufinus sent a messenger to inform the emperor of the bishop’s thinking and persuaded him to remain within the palace. The emperor was in the middle of the forum when he learned this. “I will go,” he said, “and accept the punishment I deserve.” When he reached the sacred enclosure, he did not enter the church. Rather, going to the bishop seated in the house of salvation, the emperor pleaded that his penalty be removed. “Your coming,” said Ambrose, “is that of a tyrant. You are raging against God, treading on God’s laws.” Replied the emperor, “I do not break the laws laid down for me, nor do I desire to wrongfully enter the sacred courts. I do ask you to relax my penalties and to remember the mercy of our Lord. Do not close the door which the Lord has opened to all who do penance.” The bishop answered, “What penance have you done after such an evil deed? What medicine will you use to heal such terrible wounds?” The emperor replied, “It is for you to point out and regulate the medicine; it is for me to receive what is to be applied.” Then Ambrose said, “Because you allowed your anger and not reason to rule your judgment, write an edict that will render null and void whatever decisions come from such anger. Suspended for thirty days are to be those sentences prescribing death or confiscation—the judgment of reason being awaited. Once these thirty days have passed, those issuing the sentence are to show their orders and then and only then, anger having subsided, reason itself is to judge what has been decreed and discern what is just or unjust. If something is found to be unjust, then what has been written is to be voided. But if just, then reason will confirm this, and the number of days will by no means inflict harm on those who have been rightly judged.” The emperor, welcoming this advice and believing it to be the best, ordered that such an edict be immediately issued. He confirmed it with his own hand. Once this was done, Ambrose lifted the penalty. And so at last the most faithful emperor dared enter the church. Praying to God, he neither stood nor knelt but lay prostrate as he spoke the words of David, “My soul clings to the dust; revive me according to your word.”2 Plucking his beard, striking his brow, and weeping profusely, he requested pardon. When the time came for him to bring his offering to the altar, he went up to the sanctuary as he did so. But once he presented his gifts, he remained within the railing as was his custom. Ambrose again did not remain silent but taught him how to differentiate one place from another.

2. Ps 118:25.

139. Theodoret of Cyr  285 First, Ambrose asked the emperor if he desired anything. When the emperor answered that he was waiting to share in the divine mysteries, the following is what Ambrose indicated by means of the first deacon: “O Emperor, access to the inner places is restricted to priests alone. It is forbidden to all others. Therefore leave and stand with the rest, for purple makes emperors, not priests.” The emperor received this admonition patiently; he had it said that he remained within the railings not due to spiritual arrogance but because he learned that this was the custom at Constantinople. “I should give thanks,” he said, “for being cured of this.” [.  .  .] 3532 Upon returning to Constantinople, the emperor continued to observe the rule of godliness that he had received from the archbishop. When on a feastday he again entered God’s church and after presenting his gifts at the holy altar, he immediately departed the sanctuary. And when the bishop of the church—namely Nestorius—asked why he did not remain within, Theodosius, sighing, replied, “With difficulty I learned the difference between an emperor and a priest.”t [.  .  .] V.xxxv. Concerning Alexander, Bishop of Antioch. [.  .  .] Alexanderu was a holy man, one who practiced poverty, a man eloquent in speech and endowed with any number of spiritual gifts. Through persuasion and exhortation he was able to unite the followers of the great Eustathiusv to the rest of the body, something not allowed to happen by Paulinusw and after him Evagrius.x And so a feast was celebrated. Nothing like it had ever been seen. The bishop gathered all the faithful, clergy and laity alike, and had them assemble. Cantors being present and with a hymn sung in harmony, all processed from the little door facing the west into the great church. [.  .  .]

139-F. Eranistes or Polymorph† The first four books of Eranistes or Polymorph, written ca. 447 and revised ca. 451 after the Council of Chalcedon (WEC 3:137), are a dialogue on the Christian religion between Eranistes and a true believer. Book five presents forty syllogisms summarizing this dialogue. Eranistes (meaning the beggar) is a Monophysite and is also known as Polymorph (a person of many faces or shapes) since Monophysitism is nothing more, says Cyr, than a collection of various ancient errors or heresies. t. Also related in Sozomen, Church History III.xvi (WEC 3:3893). u. Alexander: bishop of Antioch 413–21. v. Eustathius: anti-Arian bishop of Antioch ca. 324–ca. 327. w. Paulinus: head of a small separatist community in Antioch, a see whose leadership was pro-Arian. x. Evagrius (ca. 320–ca. 394): the successor of Paulinus. † Translation (adapted) from Jurgens 3:243–44.

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286  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East Dialogue Two Beggar: You have opportunely introduced a word about the divine sacraments, for directly I will prove to you that the body of the Master is changed into another nature. Please answer my questions. True Believer: I will do so. Beggar: What do you call the gift that is offered prior to the invocation of the priest? True Believer: It is not proper to divulge this, for it is probable that some are present who have not been initiated. Beggar: You can answer enigmatically. True Believer: Food from certain seeds. Beggar: And what do we call the other symbol? True Believer: It is a common name, signifying a type of beverage. Beggar: And what do you call them after the consecration? True Believer: Christ’s Body and Blood. Beggar: And do you believe that you receive Christ’s Body and his Blood? True Believer: This is what I believe. 3535 Beggar: Well then, just as the symbols of the Master’s Body and Blood are one thing before the priestly invocation, and after the invocation are changed and become something else, so too after the assumption [of flesh] the body of the Master is changed into the divine essence. 3536 True Believer: [.  .  .] After the consecration the mystical symbols do not lose their own nature, for they remain with their former essence and outward appearance and shape, and they are visible and tangible just as they were before. They are understood, however, to be what they have become, and by faith they are believed, and they are adored as what they are believed to be. 3534

139-G. History of Heresies† The History of Heresies (Hereticarum Fabularum Compendium), written ca. 453 and relying on a wide variety of sources, contains five books, the first four treating a wide variety of heretical sects and movements, the fifth presenting a summary of Christian doctrine. 3537

I.xx. Concerning [.  .  .] the Hydroparastatae or the Encratites [.  .  .] The Hydroparastataea offer water rather than wine. The Encratitesb do not drink wine nor do they eat meat.

Translated from PG 83:369–70, 387–90, 425–26. a. Hydroparastatae: a name, popular from the fourth century, given to the Aquarians, namely to those substituting water for wine at the Eucharist. b. Encratites: a general term applied to any number of early Christian groups whose practices included refraining from meat and wine. †

140. Balai  287 II.i. Concerning the Ebionites [.  .  .] [The Ebionitesc] live a life according to the Law of Moses. They accept only the Gospel according to the Hebrews, calling Paul an apostate. One of their members was Symmachus, who translated the Old Testament from Hebrew into Greek. There was another group also known as Ebionites. In some things they agreed with the others, saying that our Lord and Savior was born of a virgin, using only the Gospel according to Matthew, and observing the Sabbath according to Jewish law. They sanctify Sunday as we do. IV.vii. Concerning the Melitians [.  .  .] [The Melitiansd] contrived such foolish practices as washing the body with water every other day while clapping their hands and doing some sort of dance while singing hymns and shaking little bells attached to wood. [.  .  .]

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139-H. Letter 146. To the Monks of Constantinople† Although many of Theodoret’s letters have been lost, we do have 209 of these epistles in Greek and 27 in Latin. They are a valuable source of information as to the Church’s life in the fifth century. [.  .  .] As to those who each year come forward to be baptized, we have them learn the faith set forth at Nicaea by the holy and blessed fathers. Initiating them to the mysteries as we have been commanded to do, we baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, pronouncing each name separately. In like manner when we celebrate the holy offices in the churches, both at day’s beginning and at day’s end as well as during the day itself, observing this threefold distinction we glorify the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. [.  .  .] 140. Balai

Little is known of the life of this fifth-century Syrian poet other than his probably being chorbishop of Beroea (Aleppo, modern Haleb). Although most of his work has been lost, several of his compositions have been incorporated into the Maronite and Jacobite liturgies. He died ca. 460. c. Ebionites: a sect of Jewish Christians who viewed Jesus as being only the human son of Joseph and Mary, who used only one Gospel (not one of our canonical texts), and who emphasized the binding character of the Mosaic Law. d. Melitians: a schismatic group whose members were followers of Melitius, bishop of Lycopolis in Egypt, and who after the persecution of 303–12 espoused a rigorist position in regard to the reconciliation of those who under duress compromised the faith. † Translated from Correspondance. Théodoret de Cyr, vol. 1, ed. Y. Azéma, SChr 111 (Paris, 1955) 178–79.

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288  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East Altaner (1961) 405 * Altaner (1966) 347 * Bardenhewer (1908) 394–95 * Bardenhewer (1910) 341 * Bardenhewer (1913) 4:399–402 * Bautz 1:350 * Steidle 139 * Tixeront 221 * CATH 1:1184 * DHGE 6:304 * DPAC 1:468 * EC 2:720 * EEC 1:107 * PEA (1991) 2:416

140-A. Hymn for the Dedication of a New Church† 3541

His altar is ready, and he takes his meal with us; his glory is offered to men, and they take their place at table; we eat with him at our table one day he will eat with us at his. Let his glory and his majesty be adored! Here he gives us his Body; there he will give us his reward. On earth stands the altar which bears his Body, and in the heavenly kingdom he will grant us eternal life and glory. The disciples received the bread he had blessed: he named it his Body, and the wine his Blood. “In fellowship with you I have enjoyed the sacrament; you will in turn enjoy it with me in the heavenly kingdom.” 141. Narsai of Nisibis

Narsai (Narese), probably born in 399, is often considered the outstanding theologian of the Assyrian Church. Perhaps as early as 437 he assumed leadership of the theological school at Edessa (today Urfa in Turkey), a position from which he was expelled in 457 due to his adherence to the teachings of Nestorius. Narsai and his followers settled in Nisibis (today Nusaybin in Turkey), where he founded a catechetical school most noted for being a center from which what is called Nestorianism (the teaching that there are two persons in Christ, one human and the other divine) spread throughout the East. He died ca. 503. A prolific author, Narsai wrote Old Testament commentaries, homilies, hymns (he was called the “Harp of the Spirit”), spiritual treatises and instructions. Unfortunately much of his literary output has perished. Altaner (1961) 407 * Altaner (1966) 348–49 * Bardenhewer (1913) 4:407–12 * Steidle 139–40 * Tixeront 320 * CATH 9:1042 * DACL 12:884–88 * DictSp 11:39–41 * DPAC 2:2342–43 * DTC 11.1:26–30 * EC 8:1657–58 * EEC 2:583 * EEChr 2:797–98 * LTK 7:644–45 * ODCC 1130–31 * PEA (1991) 8:716 A. Guillaumont, “Poème de Narsaï sur le baptême,” OrSyr 1 (1956) 189–207. * I.-H. Dalmais, “L’apport des églises syriennes à l’hymnographie chrétienne,” OrSyr 2 (1957) 243–60. * P. Krüger, “Traduction et commentaire de l’homélie de Narsaï sur les martyrs: contribution à l’étude du culte des martyrs dans le nestorianisme,” OrSyr 3 (1958) 299–316. * E.C. Ratcliff, “A Note on the Anaphora Described in the †

Translation from G. Wainwright, Eucharist and Eschatology (London, 1971) 47.

141. Narsai of Nisibis  289 Liturgical Homilies of Narsai,” in Biblical and Patristic Studies in Memory of R. Casey (Freiburg, 1963) 235–49. * P. Brouwers, “Premier poème de Narsai sur le baptême,” Mélanges de l’Université Saint-Joseph 41 (1965) 177–207. * L.L. Mitchell, “Four Fathers on Baptism: Saint John Chrysostom, Saint Ephraem, Theodore of Mopsuestia, Narsai,” in Studies in the Syrian Baptismal Rite, ed. J. Vellian, The Syrian Churches Series 6 (Kottayam, India, 1973) 37–56, repr. under the title “Four Syrian Fathers on Baptism,” in L.L. Mitchell, Worship: Initiation and the Churches (Washington, D.C., 1991) 49–73. * B.D. Spinks, “A Note on the Anaphora Outlined in Narsai’s Homily XXXII,” JThSt, n.s., 31 (1980) 82–93.

141-A. Homilies Over eighty homilies of Narsai have come down to us, some still awaiting publication.

141-a-1. homily 17. an exposition of the mysteries† [.  .  .] In a mystical manner the Church depicts the glorious mysteries; as if by an image it shows to all what has happened. What came to pass in the death of the Son it commemorates by the mysteries. Also, his resurrection from the dead it reveals to all. [.  .  .] The Church carries out its mysteries in secret, apart from those who are without; the priest celebrates privately within the sanctuary. Only the Church’s children, the baptized and the signed, are allowed to enjoy Communion in the venerable mysteries it performs. And so it is through the deacon that the Church cries out before the hearers, having them bow to receive a blessing from the priest: “Bow your heads, O hearers, believers, the baptized, and receive a blessing from the laying on of the hands of the bright [-robed] priest.” And when they have been blessed, another proclamation is made: “Let all who have not been baptized depart; go forth, all the unbaptized, you shall not share in the mysteries of the Church; only members of the household are allowed to do so.” A further proclamation then occurs: “Let all who have not received the sign of life depart; all who have repented and returned from heresy shall not partake of the mysteries of the Church till they have been signed [with chrism]. Furthermore, all who have denied the faith and returned to their [former] condition shall not partake till absolved by the sign of the Church.” Another proclamation: “Let all who will not receive the Body and Blood depart; all who have been prescribed by the priest are forbidden to receive, and they are not to remain when [the mysteries] are offered. Also those whom the canon has forbidden to receive the Sacrament; they are

† Translation (altered) from The Liturgical Homilies of Narsai: Translated into English with an Introduction, ed. R.H. Connolly, Texts and Studies 8 (Cambridge, 1916) 2–30.

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not even permitted to stand in the place where the mysteries are being offered. The sick and the ailing who are unable to receive may not even stand in the place where the mysteries are being consecrated. Sadly all of these depart the nave; they show sorrow, standing with great mourning in the [outer] court of the church, congratulating those who remain to gladly share in the mysteries, and lamenting over their own exclusion. [.  .  .] The proclamation concerning the hearers follows. They should go and attend to the doors of the church, keeping watch by them: “Go, hearers, see diligently to the outer doors where no member of any alien religion may enter.” They stand next to the doors as if they were hirelings, like those not partaking in the mysteries of the Church, like those who are not members of the household. At such a time may we shun anger and hatred; may we see Jesus who is being led to death for our sake. On the paten and in the cup Jesus goes forth with the deacon [deacons?] to suffer. The bread on the paten and the wine in the cup are a symbol of his death, a symbol they bear in their hands; when they have set these on the altar and covered them, they symbolize his burial. [.  .  .] The priests now process into the sanctuary, standing there in great splendor and wearing beauteous adornment. The priest chosen to celebrate this sacrifice bears in himself the image of our Lord at this time. Our Lord was a mediator between us and his Father; in like fashion the priest is a mediator. [.  .  .] All the priests in the sanctuary bear the image of the apostles who gathered at the tomb. Undoubtedly the altar is the symbol of the Lord’s tomb; the bread and wine are the body of the Lord which was embalmed and buried. The veil covering them is a type of the stone sealed by the ring of the priests and the executioners. And the deacons, standing on both sides and brandishing [fans], symbolize the angels at the head and feet [of the tomb]. All the deacons who minister before the altar are like the angels who surrounded our Lord’s tomb. The sanctuary is a symbol of the Garden of Joseph from which life flowed for all the people and angels. On another level it is a type of that kingdom entered by our Lord and into which he will collect all his friends. Its venerable altar is a symbol of the throne of the Great and Glorious One, upon which he will be seen by watchers and others on the day of his revelation. The apse stands for things that are below and above, calling to mind what has been and spiri­ tually standing for what is to be. As soon as the priests and deacons have taken their stand, they begin to recite the Faith of the Fathers [the creed]: “Now we believe in one God the Father who is from eternity, who holds all by the hidden nod of his Divinity.” [.  .  .] The Church confesses according to the confession of the fathers, and it employs their confession also at the time of the mysteries when its children thunder forth with their Faith, reciting it with mouth and heart, without doubting.

141. Narsai of Nisibis  291 And when the Faith has been recited in due order, at once the Church’s herald commands all to pray: “Pray,” he says, “commemorating the fathers, the bishops with the doctors, and with them the priests, the deacons, and all in orders as well as all who have departed this world in faith, that they may be crowned on the day when they rise from the dead; and that we may join them in inheriting life in that kingdom. Pray, brethren, over the sacrifice we offer that it may be acceptable before God to whom it is offered, that by the brooding of the Holy Spirit it may become for us a cause of life in the heavenly kingdom.” With these [words] the Church’s herald urges the people, exhorting them to pray to God with a pure heart. Full of awe and covered with fear and great dread, the priest now offers the mystery that redeems us. In this frame of mind the priest stands to officiate, doing so with reverence, great awe, and trembling. Like Jacob he worships three times and three; then he draws near to kiss our Lord’s tomb [the altar]. [.  .  .] He asks the deacons surrounding him to pray so that by his humility he may receive mercy from the Merciful One. He now prays with a contrite heart before God and confesses his sins and those of the ecclesiastical body. The priest asks for hidden power as well as [divine] help that he may use his gift according to God’s desire. In all that the priest says before God the people concur, sealing his ministry with Amen. In this way the people endorse what is said by the priest, joining him by their prayers and by their word [the Amen]. Then the priest blesses the people using the words the life-giving mouth prescribed: “Peace be with you” says the priest to the children of the Church, for peace is multiplied in Jesus our Lord who is our peace. [.  .  .] The people answer the priest lovingly and say, “With you, O priest, and with your priestly spirit.” They call “spirit” not the soul which is in the priest but the Spirit which the priest has received by the laying on of the hands. By the laying on of hands the priest receives the power of the Spirit that thereby he may be able to carry out the divine mysteries. That grace the people call the “Spirit” of the priest, and they pray that he may attain peace with it and it with him. This shows that even the priest needs prayer, and it is necessary that the whole Church should intercede for him. [.  .  .] Then the Church’s herald commands all the people to give the Peace, each one to his or her companions, doing so in the love of our Lord. First the priests exchange the Peace in the sanctuary; the people give it in the nave in the same manner. [.  .  .] While the Peace is being shared in the church from one person to another, the book of the two [sets of] names, namely, those of the living and the dead, is read. The Church commemorates the living and the dead at this time so that it may declare that the living and the dead profit from the sacrifice. [.  .  .] The Church’s herald now cries out and admonishes every one to confess to the Lord and to entreat the Lord with purity of heart. “Stand well,”

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he says, “look carefully upon what is being done. Great is the mystery in which you minister, O mortal ones; the awesome mysteries are being consecrated by the hands of the priest: let every one be in fear and awe while the mysteries are being carried out. The priest has already advanced alone to pray: pray with him so that your peace may be increased through his mediation. Lower the eyes of your hearts and stretch to the height the secret glance of your minds; earnestly entreat and make supplication to the God of all at this time which is full of trembling and might.” [.  .  .] At this point the priest uncovers the venerable mysteries and places on one side the veil that covers them. Removing the veil does not symbolize the Resurrection since the stone was not rolled away at the very moment of the Resurrection. It was afterwards when a watcher rolled away the stone. But the priests remove the veil before the symbol of the Resurrection. The priest first blesses the people. [.  .  .] “The grace,” he says, “of Jesus our Lord and the love of the Father and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with us”—may the grace which our Lord has granted us by his coming give us confidence before his Majesty. May “the love of the Father”—who sent us the Son, who is from him—open for us the door of mercy in the day of his coming. May “the communion of the Holy Spirit,” of which we have been made worthy, sanctify and purge us from the filth of our sins. Then he prepares the people with an exhortation, saying: “Let your minds be aloft in this hour when the royal Messiah is sitting at the right hand. Be not filled with vain thoughts of earthly things. Look upon him who is now mystically slain upon the altar, who sits on high and requests mercy for sinners.” The people answer: “Unto you, Lord, our hearts are raised, to you the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the glorious King—the glorious King whom the just and the fathers have glorified, in whom they have been glorified and in whom they give glory without end.” The priest adds: “This acceptable and pure oblation is offered to the Lord—the Lord of the heights and the depths. He is the Lord who has taken away and who takes away the sin of the world. May this sacrifice blot out and forgive your sins. Behold, it is offered on behalf of the angels and people everywhere so that all together may delight, namely, with body and soul. Behold, it is offered for sinners and for the just that it may cleanse them from the stains of their sins. Behold, it is offered for the deceased and for the living that all peoples may find mercy in this sacrifice. Behold, it is offered to the God of all as a pledge that he will save us from the torments of Gehenna.” The people answer, “It is meet, right, worthy, and becoming to offer this sacrifice for all creatures.” The whole ecclesiastical body now observes silence, and all prepare to pray earnestly in their hearts. The priests are quiet, and the deacons stand in silence. All the people are silent, still, subdued, and calm. The altar

141. Narsai of Nisibis  293 stands crowned with beauty and splendor, and upon it are the Gospel of Life and the adorable wood [the cross]. The mysteries are prepared. The censers are smoking. The lamps are shining. And the deacons like watchers are hovering and brandishing [fans]. Deep silence and peaceful calm settles on that place. It is filled and overflows with brightness and splendor, beauty and power. The bright [-robed] priest, the tongue of the Church, opens his mouth and speaks in secret with God as a familiar. He recounts the glory of that incomprehensible Divinity, which is the cause of intelligible and sensible beings, which cannot be comprehended, searched out, or scrutinized, which cannot be known by corporeal beings. [.  .  .] The priest adds: “All the watchers are standing in fear to praise the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. The angels too offer worship to that Majesty, and the army-leaders [of heaven] send up praise continually. The cherubim applaud, the seraphim make holy with their sanctifications, the authorities and dominations with their praises; all at once cry out and say to one another.” The people reply, “Holy Lord who dwells in light. Holy, Holy, Holy Lord of whose glories the heavens and all the earth are full.” [.  .  .] With these [words] the whole Church cries out and then returns to silence. The priest begins to commune with God. He confesses [or gives thanks for] the mercy and the grace that have been wrought in us by the revelation of the Word, the Word who was revealed in a body [taken] from us. The Creator, adorable in his honor, took a human body so that by it he might renew the image of Adam which was worn out and effaced. [.  .  .] Our Lord Jesus Christ went forth from us to the place above so that at his coming he might raise us up with him to the kingdom on high. Because he departed to a place that is unknown to us, he was pleased to comfort us by his Body and his Blood until his coming. And because it is not possible that he give his [physical] body and blood to his Church, he commanded us to perform this mystery with bread and wine. Happy are the Christian people! [.  .  .] When the time of the passion of the Life-giver of all arrived, he ate the required Passover meal with his disciples. He took bread and blessed and broke and gave it to his disciples and said, “This is truly my Body, without doubt.” And he took the cup and gave thanks and blessed and gave it to his disciples and said, “This is my true Blood which is for you.” And he commanded them to receive [and] drink of it, all of them, that it might ever atone for their debts. [.  .  .] The priest gives thanks before God and raises his voice at the end of his prayer so that all the people can hear him. He makes himself heard, and with his hand he signs the mysteries that are set [on the altar]; with an Amen the people concur and acquiesce in his prayer. Then the Church’s herald commands the people and says, “With your minds you are to pray. Peace be with us.” In mind and in thought now

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294  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East pray, for great peace is made to come about through carrying out of the mysteries. 3576 The priest begins to make earnest supplication before God, asking God in his love to graciously accept the living sacrifice that is being offered to him. He mentions the ecclesiastical orders, one after another, for whom the Church offers the venerable mysteries. First he commemorates the glorious Church that is in every place, asking that they [its members] may be of one mind and faith. He mentions the priests who are standing around and the deacons, entreating that they be made holy and pure. He recalls the martyrs, confessors, and doctors that they may be remembered in the Church during the mysteries. He commemorates kings and judges everywhere so that throughout the whole world they may be judged with equity. He commemorates in his prayer [lit. “word”] all mourners and ascetics that their prayer may daily be acceptable to God. He recalls the just and the righteous everywhere, asking that they keep the covenant they have made in [its] integrity. He commemorates the sons of Holy Church in all their grades, asking that they guard their faith with watchfulness. He also commemorates all the deceased who have departed in faith without doubting. He mentions himself, who has been accounted worthy of this mediation. He requests mercy for all creatures collectively. He also mentions those who pour out alms upon the poor, asking that they receive a double reward for their alms. He also mentions those who have fallen, sinners, and transgressors, asking that they return to penance and the pardon of transgressions. He mentions those for whom he is offering the sacrifice, that they may find mercy and forgiveness of the debts of their offenses. He mentions the heathen, the apostates, and those in error, entreating that they may come to know the faith of Holy Church. He mentions the whole world and its inhabitants so that battles, wars, and strife may cease. He mentions the weather and the crops of the whole year, asking that the crown of the year may be prosperous and blessed. He mentions his own place and all places together, requesting that there may be peace and quiet in the midst of their habitations. He mentions those who are sailing on the seas and [those] in the islands, praying that all may be saved from storms. He mentions those who are distressed and persecuted, asking that they receive solace and respite in their afflictions. He mentions those in prison and in bondage, asking that they may be loosed from their chains and grievous torments. He mentions those who have been cast into distant exile, begging that they may escape tribulations and temptations. He mentions those afflicted with sickness and disease, imploring that they recover bodily health and healing. He mentions those tempted by the accursed demons, asking that they find the Lord’s mercy and compassion. In his prayer he also mentions those who hate the Holy Church, asking that their impieties before God may come to an end. He mentions the sins of the whole ecclesiastical body, entreating that its members be made worthy of the forgiveness of sins and offenses.

141. Narsai of Nisibis  295 All these the priest mentions before God. [.  .  .] To this effect the priest prays before God, asking God to graciously accept the sacrifice which the priest offers him. On behalf of all is the living sacrifice offered within the Church, a sacrifice that assists and profits all creatures. By the priest’s supplication on behalf of all classes their sins and offenses are forgiven. After this the priest makes confession before God as our Lord Jesus taught his twelve. “Lo, we typify,” says the priest, “and commemorate the passion, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus.” He summons the Spirit to come down and dwell in the bread and wine, making them the Body and Blood of the royal Messiah. He calls upon the Spirit to light down upon the assembled congregation that by its gift its members may be worthy to receive the Body and Blood. The Spirit descends upon the oblation without change [of place] and causes the power of its Godhead to dwell in the bread and wine, completing the mystery of our Lord’s resurrection from the dead. These things the priest says in earnest entreaty; and he draws himself up and stretches out his hands toward the height. Boldly looking upwards, the priest calls the Spirit to come and celebrate the mysteries he has offered. He requests the Spirit to come and brood over the oblation and bestow upon it power and divine operation. The Spirit comes down at the request of the priest—no matter how great a sinner the priest may be—and celebrates the mysteries by the mediation of the priest whom the Spirit has consecrated. It is not the priest’s goodness that celebrates the venerable mysteries, but it is the Holy Spirit who does so by its brooding. The Spirit broods, not because of the worthiness of the priest but because of the mysteries that are set upon the altar. As soon as the bread and wine are set upon the altar they show forth a symbol of the death of the Son, also of his resurrection. So it is that the Spirit, who raised the Son from the dead, now comes down and celebrates the mysteries of the resurrection of his body. Thus does the Holy Spirit celebrate by the hands of the priest; and without a priest they [the mysteries] are never celebrated. They are not celebrated without a priest, for the Holy Spirit has not permitted [any other] to celebrate them. The priest receives the power of the Spirit through the laying on of hands, and by him are performed all the Church’s mysteries. The priest consecrates the waters of baptism, and the Spirit bestows the adoption of children on those who are baptized. Without a priest a woman is not betrothed to a man; and without a priest their marriage festival is not accomplished. Without a priest the dead are not interred, nor is a deceased lowered into the grave without a priest. Common [unclean] water is not consecrated without a priest; and if there were no priest the whole house would be unclean. These things the Holy Spirit celebrates through the hands of the priest. [.  .  .] The priest summons the Spirit, which comes down on the oblation; and he worships with quaking, fear, and harrowing dread. Then the Church’s herald cries out at that time: “In silence and awe stand up; peace be with us. Let all the people be in fear at this moment

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when the venerable mysteries are being accomplished by the descent of the Spirit.” Then the priest makes his voice heard by all the people and signs with his hand over the mysteries as before. He signs now not because the mysteries have need of a signing but to teach by the last sign that they are accomplished. Three signs the priest makes over the oblation; and by them he mystically perfects and completes it. Three bows does the priest make before God; and by them he openly adores the divine majesty. With one he praises, with one he confesses [or gives thanks], with one he prays; and he calls upon the Spirit to dwell and come down upon the offering. Three days did our Lord remain within the earth; and on the third day he rose and was resuscitated in great glory. In like manner the priest bows three times, the third [bow] symbolizing the resurrection of our Lord Jesus. Genuflections also the priest makes three times; and he typifies thereby our Lord’s stay in the tomb. Three times he genuflects before the descent [of the Spirit]; yet he does not genuflect again because the mystery of the resurrection has been accomplished. He accomplishes the mystery of the resurrection by completing the mysteries; and he does not again symbolize the mystery of the Lord’s death by a genuflection. The 318 bishops enjoined that on all Sundays and feasts there should be no kneeling.a No one therefore is allowed to bow the knee at the mysteries, only the priest who by genuflecting signifies a mystery. The priest may bow the knee before the descent but afterwards he may not [so] worship. Then the priest takes into his hands the living Bread and, looking upward, confesses his Lord. He breaks the Bread in the name of the Father and the Son and the Spirit, and, uniting the Blood with the Body, mentions the Trinity; with the same words he signs the Body with the living Blood. He unites them—the Body with the Blood and the Blood with the Body—so that all may confess that the Body and the Blood are one. Thus the priest, after all the ceremonies have been completed, blesses the people with the formula used by our Lord to bestow the blessing. He now begins to break the Body little by little that it may be easy to distribute to all who receive it. The resurrection of the Son the priest symbolizes by the completion of the mysteries; and most suitably does he break the Body so that he may distribute it since our Lord also, risen from the tomb in glory, appeared ten times to the women and to the disciples. [.  .  .] Then the Church’s herald cries out and proclaims. “Let us all approach with fear the mystery of the Body and the Blood. In faith let us recall the passion of Jesus our Lord, and let us understand also his resurrection from the dead. For our sake the Only-Begotten Son of the God of all took a perfect man and accomplished his dispensation; he suffered on the cross, died, was resuscitated, rose, and ascended; in his love he gave a. See Council of Nicaea I (325), can. 20 (WEC 2:1457).

141. Narsai of Nisibis  297 us as a pledge his Body and Blood so that by them we might recall all the graces he has given us. Let us confess, worship, and glorify him at all times. Let us now draw near, doing so in pure love and faith so that we may receive the treasure of spiritual life; and with prayer, clean and pure, and with contrition of heart let us partake of the venerable mysteries of Holy Church; let us set the condition of repentance before God; let us have remorse and contrition for the abominable deeds we have done; let us ask mercy and the forgiveness of our sins from the Lord of all; and let us also forgive the offenses of our fellow-servants.” The people answer: “O Lord, pardon the sins of your servants and purify our conscience from doubt and from strife. O Lord, pardon the offenses of those who offer praise. Cleanse our souls from hatred and slander. O Lord, pardon the sins of your servants who have confessed your name, and make us worthy to receive this sacrament with faith. O Lord, pardon your servants who call upon your name daily; and grant us, Lord, to be yours, even as you desire; may these divine mysteries, Lord, grant us confidence and courage before your Majesty.” Then the priest prays and begs God to sanctify us and blot out our sins by his grace, to make us worthy to stand before him without blemish, and—on behalf of all—to confidently call him Abba, Our Father. Then the people answer and say earnestly the prayer that the Living Mouth taught his beloved children: “Our Father, who [.  .  .]. And make us not enter into temptation nor trial, we who are feeble and without your power are nothing, but deliver us from the malice of the crafty Evil One, and suffer him not to draw near to us by his wiles: for yours is the power, the kingdom, and to you is due also glory forever and ever.” Then the priest says to the people, “Peace be with you.” The people answer, “And with you, O priest, and with your spirit.” It was with the Lord’s Prayer that the priest began the mysteries; now that all the mysteries have been completed, he concludes with the Our Father. “Peace be with you,” says the priest; here he reminds us of our Lord’s resurrection from the dead. “Peace be with you,” said our Lord to his Twelve, when, appearing to them, he announced his resurrection, “Peace be with you”1 said our Lord. [.  .  .] And when the children of the Church have been prepared to receive the mysteries, the priest declares, “Holy Things to the holy ones. To all the holy ones, sanctified by the Spirit of Adoption as children, are Holy Things fitting by consent of the fathers. To all the holy ones, whom baptism has sanctified, Holy Things are fitting according to ecclesiastical law. Those who have been removed from within the Church may not take part in receiving the divine mysteries.”

1. Luke 24:36; John 20:19.

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The people answer: “One is the Father, the Holy One who is from eternity, without beginning and without end; he has graciously made us worthy to acquire sanctification from the spiritual birth of baptism. One is the Father, and one also is the Son and the Holy Spirit: one in three and three in one, without alteration. Glory to the Father and to the Son who is from him, and to the Holy Spirit, a Being who is forever and ever without end.” The priest is the first to receive the Sacrament so that he may teach the people that even the priest stands in need of mercy. The priest who has consecrated needs to receive the venerable mysteries that he also may be made worthy of the Communion, which is the pledge of life. The priest precedes the bishop in receiving the mysteries if a priest and not the high priest [the bishop] has consecrated them. In due order the other priests and deacons receive; then the people, men and women, little and great. As he goes forth, the priest blesses the people and says, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” The Sacrament is carried on the paten and in the cup with splendor and glory, with an escort of priests and a great procession of deacons. Thousands of watchers and ministers of fire and spirit go forth before the Body of our Lord and lead it. All the Church’s children, all the people, rejoice when they see the Body brought forth from the altar. Even as the apostles rejoiced in our Lord after his resurrection, so do all the faithful rejoice when they see him. Great and unspeakable, dear brethren, is this mystery. May those who are capable of describing it do so fully if they can. “I have a mystery, I have a mystery,”2 cried Isaiah, the marvel of the prophets, in regard to the revelation of God which he saw in the temple. If I should seek to write anything at all concerning this, all the parchments in this [world] would not suffice. Flesh, moreover, is fitting for the perfect and the fullgrown; milk is for children till they reach maturity. “Whoever eats my flesh abides in me and I in him,”3 provided my commandments are diligently obeyed. For “whoever eats my Body and drinks my Blood unworthily eats and drinks unto condemnation,”4 thus doing so without profit. Those who approach to receive the Body stretch forth their hands, lifting up their right hand and placing it over its companion. Each person receiving joins his or her hands in the form of a cross and thus receives the Body of our Lord upon a cross. Upon a cross our Lord Jesus was set at naught; and on the same cross he ascended and was exalted to the height above. With this type the person who receives approaches [and] receives. And the priest who distributes says, “The Body of our Lord.” The communicants receive in their hands the venerable Body of the Lord of all. They embrace it and kiss it with love and affection. [.  .  .] While the Body and Blood are being distributed to all who will receive, the Church cries out in honor of the mysteries and says: “Behold, the Medicine of life! Behold, it is distributed in the holy Church. Come, you 2. Isa 24:16, Peshitta.  3. John 6:56.  4. 1 Cor 11:27.

141. Narsai of Nisibis  299 mortals, receive and be pardoned your sins. This is truly our Lord’s Body and Blood, which the people have received and by which they have certainly been forgiven. This is the Medicine that heals diseases and festering sores. Receive, you mortals, and may it purify you from your sins. Come and freely receive forgiveness of sins and offenses through the Body and Blood, which take away the sin of the whole world.” After the whole congregation has received the Body and Blood, the people reply and say with love and rejoicing: “Our Lord Jesus, King to be adored of all creatures, remove all harm from us by the power of your mysteries; and when you shine forth at the end of time for the redemption of all, may we go forth to meet you with confidence, with Hosannas. May we confess your name for your goodness toward us; you have pardoned our sins, blotting them out by your Body and Blood. May we everywhere be worthy to send up to your Godhead glory, comeliness, and praise forever and ever.” Then the Church’s herald cries out, proclaiming and urging the people to give thanks. For this reason he says, “May all of us who have been made worthy of the gift of the mysteries give thanks to and worship and glorify the God of all.” The people answer, “To him be glory for his gift, which cannot be repaid, forever and ever. Amen and Amen.” Then the priest prays and gives thanks to the God of all, who has made us worthy of unspeakable mysteries; he begs and entreats God to strengthen us that we may become acceptable to him in thought, word, and deed. Then all at the altar and in the congregation pray the prayer which that life-giving mouth taught. With it [people] begin every prayer, morning and evening, and with it they conclude all the rites of Holy Church. This, it is said, includes all prayer, and without it no prayer is concluded. Then the priest goes forth [and] stands at the door of the altar; he extends his hands, blesses the people, and says—all the people the priest blesses at that time, symbolizing the blessing that our Lord Jesus gave to his twelve. On the day of his Ascension he, the High Pontiff, lifted up his hands, blessed, and made priests of his Twelve, and was then taken up. [.  .  .]

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141-a-2. homily 22. on baptism†a [.  .  .] Behold the priest is ready to enter the holy of holies, to open the door of the kingdom on high before those who would enter. Behold, he approaches the curtain of the royal house in order to receive power to Translation (altered) from R.H. Connolly, 35–43. a. Homilies 21 and 22 are complementary. The former describes the ceremonies of the water bath (yet no postbaptismal anointing occurs); the latter describes the preparatory rites. Thus, following Connolly, the sequence here is Homily 22 followed by Homily 21. †

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perform the mysteries that are to be carried out through his hand. Behold, the King on high extends to him the hand of the Spirit and places in his hand the signet of his name so that he may seal his sheep. Behold, he puts on the priest the glorious vesture of the immortals so that he may hide there with the disgrace of those who were guilty and exposed. Behold, he has brought him to visit the flock entrusted to him, and he lifts up his voice and calls the sheep by name. Behold, the sheep are gathered together, the lambs and the ewes; he sets upon them the stamp of life of the word of his Lord. [.  .  .] He lifts up his voice and says, “Renounce the Evil One, his power, his angels, his service, and his error.” The candidates first renounce the dominion of the Evil One who brought them to slavery; they then confess the power of the Creator who set them free. The person being baptized says two things while approaching the mysteries of the Church: there is a renunciation of the Evil One followed by a [confession of] faith in the Maker. “I renounce the Evil One and his angels,” a person cries out, “and I have no dealings with him, not even in word.” The priest stands as a mediator [“interpreter”] and asks, “Whose servant do you henceforth wish to become?” He learns whom the candidate wishes to call Master; and then the priest inscribes the candidate’s name among the firstborn on high. From Satan and his angels the priest turns away [the catechumen’s] face; he then traces the sign of God upon each candidate’s forehead. [.  .  .] Then the catechumen comes to the confession of the faith. The state of his or her soul the candidate reveals aloud. “Behold, I have turned from the Evil One to the Creator.” The candidate puts the devils to shame as he or she says, “Hear, you rebellious ones, I have no part with you.” The assemblies on high the candidate makes rejoice by the words of faith. “Come, you spiritual ones, rejoice with me, for I am saved from destruction; I am your fellow-servant and a fellow-laborer in your works; and the Lord to whom you minister I desire to serve.” The candidates name themselves as soldiers of the Kingdom on high—fugitives who have returned to take refuge with the King of kings. The candidates first entreat the stewards of Holy Church to present them at the door of the King that they may speak their words. The stewards are the priests, the ministers of the mysteries, to whom it is committed to dispense the treasury of the Spirit. One of the candidates, a wanderer, an exile, approaches, that the priests may set this person free from the subjection of the Evil One who took him or her captive. Like exiles the candidates stand naked, without covering. [.  .  .] As in a lawsuit the priest stands at the time of the mysteries and accuses the devil on behalf of sinners. The sinners also stand like poor persons who have been defrauded; they beg and entreat that mercy may assist them when they are judged. Naked, they stand, stripped, before the Judge so that by their

141. Narsai of Nisibis  301 wretched plight they may win pity and thereby cover themselves. Without clothing the candidates plead their case against the Adversary. They bend their knees and bow their heads in their confusion. They are ashamed to look up toward the Judge, who spreads sackcloth [upon them] and then draws them near to request mercy, making mention of their subjection to the Evil One. Two things they depict by kneeling down at the time of the mysteries: one, their fall; the other, that they are making payment as debtors. [.  .  .] They wait for the priest to bring in his words before the Judge; and he [the priest] restores to them the chart of liberty with the oil and the water. They also bring with them into the court sponsors who bear witness to their preparation and earnestness. With sincerity the candidates protest that they will abide in love of the truth; and their companions become surety [saying], “Yes, true is the protestation of their souls.” The sponsors become, as it were, guides as to their words and actions, showing them how to live the spiritual life. They call [or read] their names and present them before the guard [the priests] that they may name them heirs, children, and citizens. The priest enters the names of the lost ones in the book, which he brings in and places in the archives of the King’s books. The priest makes each candidate stand as a sheep in the door of the sheep-fold; he signs the body of each and allows each candidate to mix with the flock. The sign of oil he holds in his hand, before those looking on; and with things that can be seen he proclaims the power of things that are hidden. And as by a symbol he shows to bodily eyes the secret power hidden in the visible sign. [.  .  .] The priest holds the iron of the oil on the tip of his fingers; he signs the body and the senses of the soul with its sharp [edge]. The son of mortals whets the oil with the words of his mouth; he makes it as sharp as iron to cut off iniquity. The three names he recites one after another; and in triple fashion [with the three names] he completes and performs the mystery of our redemption. [.  .  .] He casts three names upon the oil and consecrates it that it may sanctify human uncleanliness. With the name hidden in the oil the priest signs the visible body, and the sharp power of the name enters even into the soul. How wonderful! A man performs by a [power] that is not his own, signing weak bodies so that the inward [parts] feel the pain. He also exercises the office of a physician toward the members, touching the exterior and causing pain to reach the hidden parts. [.  .  .] With the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Spirit he seals his words; with their names he confirms those being baptized. The three names he traces upon the face as a shield, that the tyrant may see the image of the Divinity on the head of a human being. [.  .  .] He calls the King’s servants by their names and has them come [forth]; he makes them pass one by one, marking their faces with the brand of

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302  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East the oil. By the voice of his utterances he proclaims the power hidden in his words [and declares] whose they are and with whose name they are branded. “Such a one,” he says, “is the servant of the King of all kings, both those on high and those below; with the King’s name each person is signed in order to serve [as a soldier] according to God’s will.” The name of the Divinity he mixes in his hands with the oil, and he signs and says “Father” and “Son” and “Holy Spirit.” “This person,” he says, “is signed with the three names, names that are equal, and there is no distinction of elder or younger between One and Another. 3622 The priest does not say “I sign” but “is signed”; for the stamp that he sets is not his but his Lord’s. The priest is only the mediator who has been graciously chosen to minister; the sign that drives out iniquity and gives the Spirit is not his sign. By visible oil he reveals the power existing in the names, a power that can strengthen human weakness with hidden [powers]. The three names he recites with [the rubbing] of the oil upon the whole body, doing this so that the hostile demons and vexing passions may not cause harm. It is not by means of the oil that he keeps people from harm; it is the divine power that bestows its power upon bodily weakness. The oil is a symbol proclaiming divine power; by outward things he [God] gives assurance of his works [done] in secret. By his power body and soul acquire power; no more do they fear the injuries of death. [.  .  .]

141-a-3. sermon 21. on the mysteries of the church and on baptism† [.  .  .] It is with God’s name that the priest consecrates the water so that it may cleanse the defiled. Human defilement he cleanses with water; yet not by water but by the power of the name of the Divinity, a power which descends there. Divine power dwells in the visible waters, and by the force of God’s power the waters dissolve the might of the Evil One and of Death. The Evil One and Death are undone by baptism; and the resurrection of the body and the redemption of the soul are preached therein. In the water, as in a tomb, body and soul are buried, and they die and live [again] with a type of the resurrection that is to occur at the end. [.  .  .] 3624 In the watery grave the priest buries the whole person whom he resuscitates by the power of life that is hidden in his words. At the door of the tomb of baptism he stands equipped, performing there a mystery of death and of resurrection. Audibly he proclaims the power of what he is doing— how it is that a person dies in the water and yet returns and lives again. 3625 He reveals to the baptized in whose name they will die and swiftly come to life. 3626 He mentions the name of the Divinity and says three times, “Father and Son and Holy Spirit,” one equality. Three names he repeats aloud and says, “This person is baptized in the name of the Father and of the 3623

†

Translation (altered) from R.H. Connolly, 50–61.

141. Narsai of Nisibis  303 Son and of the Spirit.” He does not say, “I baptize” but “is baptized” since it is not the priest who baptizes but the power that is placed in the divine names. The names and not a human being grant forgiveness of sin. They sew new life in what is mortal. In their name the baptized are baptized [and buried] as in a tomb; the names call and raise the baptized from death. Three times the baptized person bows his or her head at their names in order to learn their relationship—that whereas they are one, they are three. Imitating the mystery of our Redeemer, this person goes down into the font as if to spend three days within the tomb. Three days our Redeemer remained with the dead; also the person who is baptized, the three times are equal to the three days. [.  .  .] As babies from the midst of the womb they look forth from the water; and instead of garments the priest receives and kisses them. They resemble babies when they are lifted up from the water; everyone embraces and kisses them as if they were babies. Instead of swaddling clothes actual garments are placed on them; they are adorned like a bridegroom on the day of the wedding feast. By their baptism they also enact a type of wedding feast, by their adornment depicting the glory prepared for them. By the beauty of their garments they proclaim the beauty that is to be: here is a type but there the truth that is not simulated. [.  .  .] [.  .  .] There is no measure to the greatness of the food with which they are nourished. They taste of the divine mysteries as if they were milk, and by degrees they are led like children to the things to come. A spiritual mother [the Church] prepares spiritual milk for their lives; and instead of breasts the Church puts into their mouths the Body and Blood. With the Body and Blood the Church keeps alive the children born from her womb. [.  .  .] Like an eagle the priest hovers before them and prepares for them the food of maturity with which they are to be nourished. A living sacrifice he prepares and sets before them; he summons them to examine it with affection of soul. An awesome mystery he begins to depict spiritually; he mixes his words like paints before those looking on. With the pen of his word he draws an image of the crucified King; as with the finger he points out the King’s passion as well as his exaltation. Death and life the herald’s voice proclaims to the ears of the people; forgiveness of iniquity he distributes, he gives, in the Bread and in the Wine. The mystery of death he shows first to those who are mortal; then he reveals the power of life hidden in his words. As if for a dead person he spreads out a bed with the sacred vessels; he lifts up, he sets thereon the bread and wine like a corpse. The King’s burial day he carries out mystically. Symbolic soldiers stand guard, for two deacons are placed like a rank [of soldiers] on each side so that they may guard the awesome mystery of the King of kings. Awe and love engage them while they look intently upon the bread and wine as upon the King.

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With bright apparel their bodies are clothed exteriorly; their garments show forth the beauty of their souls. Their stoles are a sign of the heavenly beings who were clothed in beautiful garments at the temple of the tomb. Two angels the disciples saw at the tomb of our Lord,1 angels attending the place of his body as though this place were his body [itself]. And if spiritual beings with fear honored the place where his body was placed, how much more should corporeal beings honor the mystery that has honored them? Like the two watchers two deacons now stand hovering over the mysteries. [.  .  .] The priest calls upon the Hidden One to send him hidden power that he may grant the bread and wine power to give life. He turns the gaze of all toward what is hidden that they may view secret things by means of visible things. “Lift up your souls on high,” he cries out and says to those on earth. And they answer, “To the Lord, who is hidden on high.” The priest recites and gives the reason for gazing on high and why he calls us to take part with him. “Look upon the offering of the sacrifice which is for you, which Divinity accepts with love on your behalf. Look steadfastly upon the bread and wine that are upon the table, which the Spirit’s power changes into the Lord’s Body and Blood. See outward things with the external senses of your body and depict things hidden by the inner faculties of your minds. Recall your deaths by the sign that is full of both death and life. Praise and magnify him who sets power in things that are weak.” As if with a signet they seal his words with their voices, “Right, just, becoming, and holy is the sacrifice of our life.” [.  .  .] With great earnestness the priest prays for himself and for all people that his word may be an acceptable sacrifice before the Most High. He imitates the spiritual beings by his words while making supplication; and in a holy way he teaches the people to cry “Holy.” The sanctifying words of the heavenly beings he proclaims to the people that they too may cry out, “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord.” By the power of his will the priest distributes life in the Bread, drives out iniquity, and makes the Spirit dwell in the midst of the members [of the body]. The power of the Spirit comes down to a mortal man, dwells in the bread, and consecrates it by the strength of its power. [.  .  .] He extends his hands on high with his soul, summoning the Spirit to come down and grant his spiritual request. Not in [its] nature does the Spirit, who does not move about, come down. It is the power of the Spirit that descends and works to accomplish all. Its power comes down upon the visible table and makes it possible for the bread and wine to bestow life. The power of the Spirit strengthens the hand of the priest that his hand may grasp its power. [.  .  .] 1. See Luke 24:4.

142. Testament of Our Lord Jesus Christ  305 With human hands a corporeal being takes hold of the Spirit in the Bread; he raises his eyes and then breaks it. He breaks the Bread and places it in the Wine; he signs it and says, “In the name of the Father and the Son and the Spirit, an equal nature.” [.  .  .] Truly did the Lord of the mystery rise from the tomb; without doubt the mystery acquires the power to bestow life. Suddenly the bread and wine acquire the power of life. Immediately they forgive the sins of those receiving them. [.  .  .] Wine and water he pours into the cup before he consecrates, for water is also mingled with blood in created things. [.  .  .] With the voice of praise they seal the words that complete the mysteries; and they render holiness to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. “Holy is the Father, and holy is his Begotten, and the Spirit who is from him [the Father]; and to them is due holiness and praise from all mouths.” After sanctifying and giving praise, the newly baptized lift up their hearts toward the Gift. With their senses and mental faculties they are eager to approach the Bread and the Wine within which the forgiveness of sins is hidden. By faith they acquire power to see things hidden; and, as if it were the King, they triumphantly carry the Sacrament in their hands. They hold it, certain that the Body of the King dwells in the visible bread; in it the resurrection of the dead is preached to those who eat of it. “The Body,” says the priest when he gives it. “The Blood” he calls the mingled Wine within the cup. He gives the Bread and says, “The Body of the Messiah the King” [or “of Christ the King”]. And in like manner he gives the Wine to drink, saying, “The Blood of Christ.” He believes that the Bread and the Wine are the Body and the Blood. [.  .  .] Let us receive the Bread, affirming that it is able to forgive sin. Let us drink the Wine, and let us confess that doing so gives life. Let us honor them as the Body and Blood of the King that they may lead us even unto the glorious things that are in the kingdom. Let us believe that they are able to give life to our mortality; let us stretch forth our minds so that they may look forward to the hope the Body and Blood contain. [.  .  .] 1 4 2 . T e s ta m e n t o f O u r Lo r d J e s u s C h r i s t

Dating from the fourth or fifth century and written as a private venture, probably somewhere in Asia Minor, the Testament of Our Lord (Testamentum Domini) purports to be an instruction composed by the apostles and reporting the words of Jesus to his Church. Its two books, beginning with an apocalyptic introduction from an unknown source, rely much on the so-called Apostolic Tradition once ascribed to Hippolytus of Rome (WEC 1:31-A). Church design, ordination, the Eucharist, initiation, times for prayer are among the numerous topics treated by the unknown author. Originally written in Greek, the work exists in a seventh-century Syriac version (Latin translation published in 1899 by Ignatius Rahmani) and

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306  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East in an Ethiopic version (translated into French by Robert Beylot and published in 1984). There is also an Arabic version, which for the most part remains to be edited, as well as what appear to be various fragments in Greek and Coptic. The treatise has been incorporated into several Eastern collections. CPG 1: no. 1743 * Altaner (1961) 60 * Altaner (1966) 257 * Bardenhewer (1908) 355–56 * Bardenhewer (1910) 324–25 * Hamell 84 * Quasten 2:185–86 * Steidle 270 * Tixeront 214–15 * DACL 11:622–24 * DDC 7:1206–7 * DPAC 2:3435 * DTC 15.1:194– 200 * EEC 2:820 * EEChr 2:1109 * ODCC 1593 * PEA (1894) 5.1 (n.s.) 1016–20 Texts and Translations E. Rahmani, ed., Testamentum Domini nostri Jesu Christi (Mainz, 1899; repr. 1969) [with a Latin translation]. * J. Cooper and A.J. Maclean, eds., The Testament of Our Lord, translated into English from the Syriac (Edinburgh, 1902). * F. Nau, ed., La version syriaque de l’Octateuque de Clément, trad. en français (Paris, 1913). * J. Quasten, ed., Monumenta Eucharistica et Liturgica Vetustissima (Bonn, 1935–37) 235–73 [liturgical excerpts]. * A. Vööbus, ed., The Synodicon in the West Syrian Tradition, Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium 367–68 (Louvain, 1975). * R. Beylot, ed., Testamentum Domini Ethiopien (Louvain, 1984). * G. Sperry-White, ed., The Testamentum Domini: a Text for Students with Introduction, Translation, and Notes, Grove Liturgical Study 66 (Bramcote, Nottingham, 1991). General Studies W.H. Kent, “The Syriac Testament of Our Lord,” Dublin Review (1900) 245–74. * J. Wordsworth, “The Testament of Our Lord,” Internationale theologische Zeitschrift 8 (1900) 452–72. * T. Zahn, “Neue Funde aus der alten Kirche 4: ‘Das neue Testament unseres Hern,’” Neue kirchliche Zeitschrift 11 (1900) 438–50. * J. Parisot, “Note sur la mystagogie du ‘Testament du Seigneur,’” Journal Asiatique 9, 15 (1900) 377–80. * G. Morin, “Le Testament du Seigneur,” RB 17 (1900) 10–28. * F.X. Funk, Das Testament unseres Herrn und die verwandten Schriften, FLDG 2, 1/2 (Mainz, 1901). * P. Drews, “Testamentum Domini nostri Jesu Christi,” ThStKr 74 (1901) 141–70. * H. de Jongh, “Le Testament de Notre-Seigneur et les écrits apparenetés: à propos d’un récent ouvrage de M. le Dr. F.X. Funk,” RHE 3 (1902) 615–43. * E. Schwartz, Die pseudo-apostolischen Kirchenordnungen (Strasbourg, 1910). * G. Leroux, “Les églises syriennes à portes laterales et le Testamentum Domini,” in Mélanges Holleaux (Paris, 1913) 123ff. * C. Schmidt, Gespräche Jesu mit seinen Jüngern nach seiner Auferstehung, TU 43 (Leipzig, 1919) 157–66. * I.E. Rahmani, Les liturgies orientales et occidentales (Beyrouth, 1929). Eucharist J.M. Harden, “The Anaphora of the Ethiopic Testament of Our Lord,” JThSt 23 (1921–22) 44–49. * C.C. Richardson, “A Note on the Epiclesis in Hippolytus and the ‘Testamentum Domini,’” RTAM 15 (1948) 357–59. * L. Bouyer, Eucharist: Theology and Spirituality of the Eucharistic Prayer (Notre Dame, 1968) 170ff. * L. Ligier, “L’anaphore de la ‘Tradition Apostolique’ dans le ‘Testamentum Domini,’” in The Sacrifice of Praise, ed. B. Spinks (Rome, 1981) 89–106. Baptism H.A. Kelly, The Devil at Baptism: Ritual, Theology and Drama (Ithaca and London, 1985) 139–42, 157, 192–93.

142. Testament of Our Lord Jesus Christ  307 Other Topics H. Selhorst, “Die Platzordnung im Gläubigenraum der altchristliche Kirche,” diss. (Münster, 1931). * J. Quasten, “Die Ostervigil im Testamentum Domini,” in Paschatis Sollemnia: Studien zu Osterfeier und Osterfrömmigkeit (Basel, 1959) 87–95. * E. Ferguson, “Ordination in the Ancient Church,” ResQ 5 (1961) 17–32, 67–82, 130–46. * M. Arranz, “The Functions of the Christian Assembly in the Testament of Our Lord,” in Roles in the Liturgical Assembly, ed. A.M. Triaca, trans. M.J. O’Connell (New York, 1981) 29–60. * P. Post, “La liturgie en tant qu’architecture? Remarques sur la relation entre le ‘Testamentum Domini Jesu Christi’ et l’architecture des églises dans l’Illyricum oriental,” Bijdragen 42 (1981) 392–420. * B. Gain, “Fragments grecs inédits du ‘Testamentum Domini’ attribués à s. Basile [‘Orationes sive Exorcismi’],” Aug 32 (1992) 261–77. * G.S. Sperry-White, “Daily Prayer and Its Ascetic Context in the Syriac and Ethiopic Testamentum Domini,” diss. (Notre Dame, 1993). * G.S. White, “The Imagery of Angelic Praise and Heavenly Topography in the Testament of Our Lord,” EOr 19 (2002) 315–32.

The Testament or Words Which Our Lord, Having Risen from the Dead, Spoke to His Holy Apostles, and Which Were Written Down in Eight Books by Clement of Rome, a Disciple of Peter † I.xix. [.  .  .] Now I will tell you about the holy building. Then I will speak to you about the holy rule that concerns the Church’s priests. The church is to be constructed as follows: it should have three doors, this being an image of the Trinity. The diaconicon should be to the right of the entrance on the right so that the eucharistic offerings may be seen. It is to have a courtyard with a portico extending to the diaconicon. Within the courtyard there should be a baptistery that is twenty-one cubitsa long as a type of the prophets, and twelve cubits wide as a type of those who were appointed to preach the Gospel. It is to have one entrance and three exits. There should be a place for the catechumens, this also being for the exorcists. It should not be far from the church so that when the catechumens enter, standing there, they might hear the readings, the spiritual canticles, and the psalms. A throne is to be placed there facing the east. On its right and on its left will be places for the presbyters. On the right side sit those presbyters who are more distinguished and honorable and who toil in [preaching] the word;1 on the left are those of middle age. The place for this throne is to be elevated by three steps since this is where the altar is located. In this house there are to be two galleries, on the

Translated from E. Rahmani, Testamentum Domini Nostri Jesu Christi (Mainz, 1899). A most helpful English translation of the Testament is that by G. SperryWhite as listed in the introductory bibliography for this document. a. Cubit: an ancient unit of measure, often about eighteen inches long. 1. See 1 Tim 5:17. †

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right and on the left, one for the men and the other for the women; these are to have lights, both as a type and for reading. The altar is to have a pure linen veil, one that is stainless. The baptistery is also to be concealed by a veil. A place is to be constructed for commemorating the names so that the priest, sitting with the chief deacon and the readers, may inscribe the names of those presenting the offerings or the names of those for whom they have been presented so that when the bishop offers the sacrifice, the reader or the chief deacon might mention their names in the memorial which the priests and the people offer for them;2 for this there is also a type in heaven. The place for the priests is to be behind the veil, close to the place of the commemoration. The treasury and alms box are to be near the diaconicon. The place for reading the lessons is to be a little distant from the altar. The place for the bishop is to be close to the church’s courtyard. The same is true for the place of the widows, whom we call “those sitting in front.” The place for the priests and deacons is to be behind the baptistery. The deaconesses are to remain at the door of the church. Close to the church is to be a hospitium where the chief deacon will receive strangers. I.xx. Once the church has been constructed as it should be, a bishop is to be ordained, someone chosen by all the people according to the desire of the Holy Spirit,3 someone who is irreproachable,4 chaste,5 gentle,6 humble, without anxiety, vigilant, not loving money,7 blameless,8 not contentious,9 showing pity, learned,10 not loving talkativeness, a lover of all that is good,11 a lover of labor, someone who loves widows, who loves orphans and the poor, who is experienced in the mysteries, who is far removed from the things of this world, who is peaceful, perfect in all that is good, someone to whom God’s order and place are entrusted. It is good that he have no wife or, at least, that he has been married only once,12 so that he can sympathize with the weakness of the widows. He is to be appointed bishop only when he has attained middle-age, not when he is still young. I.xxi. Such a person is to be ordained for the Church and on a Sunday; all are to consent to his ordination, with all the priests and bishops who are present being witnesses on his behalf.b After washing their hands, the bishops lay their hands upon him. The presbyters, however, stand near the bishops while they, the presbyters, silently lift up their hearts in awe. b. See ApT 2 (WEC 1:617). 2. See Luke 10:20; Rev. 13:8; 17:8; 21:12.  3. See Acts 13:2; 20:28.  4. See 1 Tim 3:2; Titus 1:6.  5. See 1 Tim 3:2; Titus 1:8.  6. See 1 Tim 3:3.  7. Ibid.  8. See Titus 1:7.  9. See 1 Tim 3:3.  10. See 1 Tim 3:2.  11. See Titus 1:8.  12. See 1 Tim 3:2; Titus 1:6.

142. Testament of Our Lord Jesus Christ  309 While imposing hands the bishops are to say: “We place our hands upon this servant of God whom the Spirit has chosen for the stable and religious establishment of the Church whose organization is monarchical and indissoluble, the Church of the living and invisible God, for delivering a true judgment, for holy and divine revelations, for divine gifts and faithful doctrine of the Trinity, through the cross, through the Resurrection, through incorruptibility, in the holy Church of God.” Then one bishop, who has been commanded by the other bishops, lays his hands upon him while saying the prayer of ordination.

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Prayer for Episcopal Ordinationc “O God, by your power you have made and strengthened all things; by 3668 your will and power you have established the world; you have crowned all that has been made by you; you have allowed all to observe in fear your commandments; you have permitted us to understand truth, and you made known to us your good Spirit; you have sent us your beloved Son, our only and sinless Savior, for our redemption. O God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Father of mercies and of all consolation,13 you perpetually remain in the heavens above, where you are most high, glorious,14 to be feared, great, where you see all that is; you know all things before they come to be; all things were with you before they existed; you gave light to your Church through the grace of your only-begotten Son; from the beginning you established those who await what is just and who do what is holy, so that they might dwell with you; you chose Abraham who pleased you by his faith,15 and having sanctified holy Enoch,16 you hid him in the treasure house of life. You established princes and priests in your most high temple. Lord, you called them to praise and glorify in the place of glory your name and that of your Only-Begotten. Before the creation of the world, Lord, you did not leave your highest temple to be without a servant. Furthermore, from the creation of the world you have adorned and beautified your sanctuaries with your faithful leaders and priests according to the image of heaven. Lord, you have desired to be glorified now by him, your servant, and are pleased to establish a leader for your people. Shine and spread the wisdom and the grace of your princely Spirit, whom you gave to your beloved Son, Jesus Christ. O God, give your servant wisdom, counsel, strength, power, unity of spirit, so that he may do all things through your help. O God, give him the Holy Spirit which was given to your holy ones. Lord, grant that this your servant might please you, for doxology and unending praise, for fitting hymns of glory, for suitable times, for prayers that are accepted, for faithful asking, for correct thought, for a humble heart, for the working of life and of c. See ApT 3 (WEC 1:619–20). 13. See 2 Cor 1:3.  14. See Rev 4:11.  15. See Heb 11:8.  16. See Heb 11:5.

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truth, for knowledge of God and uprightness. Father, you know the hearts of all.17 Grant that this your servant, whom you chose for the episcopate, might feed your holy flock and function as chief priest without complaint, serving you day and night. Look upon him and make him worthy, he who diligently and with awe offers you the offerings of your holy Church. Give him your powerful Spirit which can break all bonds just as you granted this same Spirit to your apostles. So that he may please you in humility, fill him with love, knowledge, learning, discretion, discipline, perfection, magnanimity with a pure heart while he prays for the people, while he laments for those who are stubborn, and may he assist them in obtaining help while he offers you praise, thanksgiving, and prayers unto the odor of sweetness through our Lord Jesus Christ, your beloved Son, through whom you receive glory, honor, and might, together with the Holy Spirit before the ages, now and at all times, for generations and generations, forever and ever. Amen.” And the people are to say, “Amen.” Then they cry out, “Worthy, worthy, worthy.” After he has been made a bishop, the people are to feast for a period of three days as a figure of him who after three days rose from the dead. Then the bishop gives them the kiss of peace.d I.xxii. The bishop is to be assiduous at the altar, day and night persevering in prayer, especially at the prescribed hours of the night, at the first hour of sleep, at midnight, when the morning star rises, and at the break of dawn. Also at the third, the sixth, the ninth, and the twelfth hours, and at the lighting of the lamps. At whatever hour he unceasingly prays to God, whether for himself or for the people, he does a good thing. He alone is to reside within the church as his house. And if he has one or two companions who are one in spirit with him, they may remain with him so that they might pray together, for “where two or three are gathered in my name,” they should know what I have said, namely, “I am in the midst of them.”18 And if he is unable to stay for the whole night, he should at least remain at the hours mentioned above, for at these hours the angels visit the church. The bishop is to fast three days each week throughout the year. Additionally, he is to fast for three weeks after his ordination, according to the number of the eighteen exalted entrances through which the Only-Begotten passed on his way to his passion. On Sunday he may eat only bread with oil, honey, salt, and all fruits from the trees. May he never partake of wine except in the cup of the offering; he can use this whether he is sick or in good health, for it is right that this be for the priests only. And so after this three-week fast he is to fast for three days each week throughout the year. The rest of the time he is to fast as he is able. He is d. See ApT 4 (WEC 1:621). 17. See Acts 1:24.  18. Matt 18:20.

142. Testament of Our Lord Jesus Christ  311 never to eat meat, not that eating meat is reprehensible but because food, which gives strength, is not appropriate for one who loves infirmity; furthermore, he is to abstain from meat so that he might be vigilant. The sacrifice is offered only on Saturday or on Sunday and on a day when there is fasting. In the evening, however, he is to explain the things that are hidden to those whom he has ascertained as having ears to hear.19 If on a fast day he is found to be sick, he may immediately heal himself, eating fish and always taking a little wine of the sacrifice so that the Church not cease to be because he is lying sick, but rather that those who are learning the word may be joyful. When he teaches in the church, may he teach diligently, as a man who gives testimony for the doctrine of the whole ministry of the Father of all, a doctrine that is accurately written down. May he speak all that he truly knows and remembers. For if he knows what he is speaking, he can rightly hope that his listeners will also know these things. With all zeal may he supplicate the Lord so that his word may produce the fruits of the Holy Spirit in his hearers. May he do all things in an orderly and knowledgeable manner. He is to dismiss the catechumens after he has instructed them by means of the reading, exhortations from the prophets and the apostles, and through doctrinal instruction, so that they might know the Lord whom they are confessing. Having sent forth the catechumens, he is to teach the mysteries to the faithful; and after the instruction in the mysteries he may offer so that they also might offer with fear, knowing the mystery in which they are participating. I.xxiii. On Saturday the bishop is to offer three loaves, this symbolizing the Trinity; on Sunday four loaves as a type of the Gospel. When the bishop offers the sacrifice, the veil of the sanctuary door is drawn as a sign of the error of the people of old, and may he offer behind the veil with the presbyters, deacons, the designated widows, the subdeacons, the deaconesses, the lectors, and those having charisms. The bishop is to stand first, in the middle, and immediately after him stand the presbyters on both sides. The widows come after the presbyters who are located on the left; the deacons stand behind the presbyters located on the right. Then come the readers, with the subdeacons behind them and the deaconesses behind the subdeacons. The bishop extends his hand over the loaves that are placed on the altar, and the presbyters impose hands with him.e As to the others, they merely stand in silence. Bread brought by a catechumen is not accepted, not even if the catechumen has a believing son or wife and wishes to offer on their behalf. A cate­ chumen is not to offer till after baptism. e. See ApT 4 (WEC 1:622). 19. See Deut 29:3.

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312  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East Before the bishop or the presbyter offers, the people are to exchange the kiss of peace. 3682 Then, once a great silence has come about, the deacon proclaims: 3681

Proclamation of the Deacon over the Eucharist “Lift up your hearts. If any hate their neighbor, they are to be reconciled.20 If any have a conscience without faith, they are to confess this. If any have thoughts contrary to the commandments, they are to depart. If any have fallen into sin, they are not to hide themselves, for this is wrong. If any have a weak mind, they are not to come near. If any are defiled, if any are not firm, they are to give place. If any are strangers to the command of Jesus, they are to leave. If any despise the prophets,21 they are to separate themselves. They are to keep themselves from the wrath of the Only-Begotten. May we not despise the cross. May we flee the threats of our Lord. We have the Lord looking on, the Father of lights22 with the Son, and the angels visiting us. Take care that you do not show anger toward your neighbor. Take care that none are angry; God sees. Lift up your hearts for offering unto the salvation of life and of holiness. With the wisdom of God may we receive the grace that is given us.” 3684 Then the bishop, confessing, is to offer thanks in a loud voice: “May our Lord be with you.” The people answer, “And with your spirit.” The bishop is to say, “Lift up your hearts.” The people are to say, “We have lifted them up to the Lord.” The bishop is to say, “Let us praise the Lord.” All the people are to say, “It is right and just.” The bishop is to cry out, “Holy things to the holy ones.” The people are to cry out together, “Ceaselessly in heaven and upon the earth.” 3683

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The bishop is to immediately say: “May we give thanks to you, holy Lord, the strengthener of our souls, the giver of our life, the treasure of incorruptibility, Father of your OnlyBegotten and of our Savior, whom you sent to us in the last times to be our redeemer and the herald of your plans.23 Your plan is that we be saved through you. Our heart, O Lord, praises you, as well as our mind, our soul together with each thought, so that your grace, O Lord, may come over us. 20. See Matt 5:24.  21. See 1 Thess 5:20.  22. See James 1:17.  23. See Jer 29:11.

142. Testament of Our Lord Jesus Christ  313 In this way may we continually praise you and your only-begotten Son and your Holy Spirit, now, always, and forever. Amen. “You are the power of the Father, the grace of the nations, knowledge, true wisdom, the exaltation of the humble, the medicine of souls, assurance for us who trust in you. You are the strength of the just, the hope of those who suffer persecution, a harbor for those who are tossed about, the one who gives light to those who are perfect, the Son of the living God.24 Out of your unsearchable gift make rise over us greatness of soul, confidence, wisdom, constancy, unwavering faith, unshaken hope, knowledge of your Spirit, humility, rectitude, so that we your servants and all people may always and without blemish praise you, bless you, confess and beseech you, O Lord.” Then the bishop is to say: “Lord, you are the maker of all that is above, the king of the treasuries of light, the inspector of the heavenly Sion, the king of the orders of archangels and of dominions, the power of the thrones, the vestments of light, the joy of all that pleases the father of kings. You sustain all things with your hand and moderate by your design through your only-begotten Son, who was crucified for our sins. Lord, being pleased with him, into the womb of a virgin you sent your Word, the sharer of your counsel and covenant and through whom you made all things. When he was conceived and became incarnate, your Son appeared, born of the Holy Spirit and of the Virgin. Fulfilling your will and preparing a holy people,25 he stretched out his hands26 to suffering so that he might free from death’s pain and corruption those who hope in you. When he was willingly handed over to his passion—that he might raise up those who had fallen, that he might find those who were lost, give life to the dead, abolish death, break the bonds of the devil, fulfill the will of the Father, trample down hell, open the way of life, enlighten the righteous, establish boundaries, illumine the darkness, nurture infants, show forth the resurrection—he took bread, gave it to his disciples, and said: Take and eat. This is my Body which is broken for you unto the remission of sins. As often as you do this you make my resurrection.27 “He likewise gave them the cup of wine which he mixed, as a type of the blood that was poured out for us.” Then the bishop is to say: “Remembering your death and resurrection, we offer you the bread and the cup, giving thanks to you who alone are God for ever and our Savior because you have made us worthy to stand before you and serve in your priesthood. And so we, your servants, give you thanks, O Lord.” The people are to say likewise. Then the bishop is to say: 24. See Matt 16:16.  25. See 1 Pet 2:9; Exod 19:6.  26. See John 21:18.  27. See Matt 26:27–28; 1 Cor 11:24–26.

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“We offer you this thanksgiving, eternal Trinity, Lord Jesus Christ, Lord Father, before whom every creature and all nature tremble, taking refuge in you. Lord Holy Spirit, bring forward this drink and this food of your holiness. May they be for us not unto judgment nor ignominy nor perdition but to cure and strengthen our spirit. O God, grant us that through your name every thought of whatever displeases you may take flight. Lord, grant that all proud thought may be removed from us through your name which is written within the veils of your sanctuaries on high. When hell hears your name, it is astounded, the pit is rent, the spirits are expelled, the dragon is bruised,28 unbelief is banished, disobedience is subjugated, anger is placated, envy has no effect, arrogance is refuted, avarice is eradicated, boasting is removed, pride is made humble, every root of bitterness is destroyed. Lord, grant that our innermost eyes may see you, glorify you, praise you, remember you, and serve you because in you alone do they have their portion, O Son and Word of God to whom all things are subject. Sustain to the end all who have the gifts of revelation;29 confirm those who have the gift of healing;30 strengthen those who have the power of tongues;31 guide those who labor in the teaching of doctrine.32 Cure those who always do your will; visit the widows and assist the orphans. Remember those who in faith have gone to their rest, and grant us a share with your holy ones;33 grant us the power of pleasing you just as they have pleased you. Nourish your people in righteousness and make all of us holy. Therefore, O God, grant that all may be united to you, all who by participating receive from these your sacred mysteries that they may be filled with the Holy Spirit for strengthening truth with faith, that they might always praise you and the Son, your beloved Jesus Christ, through whom be the glory and the kingdom to you with your Holy Spirit forever and ever.” The people are to say, “Amen.”34 The deacon: “Let us carefully beseech the Lord our God so that he grant us the spirit of unity.” The bishop: “Grant us unity in the Holy Spirit and heal our souls through this offering so that we might live in you forever and ever.” The people: “Amen.” The people, praying, repeat the same words. This having taken place, the conclusion of the thanksgiving is to be as follows: “May the name of the Lord be blessed forever.”35 People: “Amen.” Priest: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; blessed be the name of his glory.”

28. See Rom 16:20.  29. See 1 Cor 14:26.  30. See 1 Cor 12:9.  31. See 1 Cor 12:10.  32. See 1 Cor 12:8.  33. See Eph 1:18; Col 1:12.  34. See 1 Cor 14:16.  35. See Matt 21:9.

142. Testament of Our Lord Jesus Christ  315 All the people are to say, “So be it, so be it.” The bishop is to say, “Send the grace of the Spirit upon us.” Furthermore, the bishop, should he be polluted, is not to offer; this is done by a presbyter. Nor is this same bishop to receive from the mysteries, not as if he were defiled, but because of the honor due the altar. However, after he has fasted and washed himself with clean water, he may return to his ministry. The same for a presbyter. Also, should a widow be menstruous, she is not to approach to receive the Eucharist. Likewise any other menstruous woman—or a layman or anyone from the assembly who has had a nocturnal emission—is not to approach, for the sake of showing honor, unless fasting and washing have preceded.36 The clergy are the first to receive, doing so in the following order: the bishop, then the presbyters, afterwards the deacons, the widows; then the readers, the subdeacons, those possessing charisms, the newly baptized, and the young children.37 The people do so in this order: elderly men, virgins,38 then the others. As to the women, first the deaconesses and then the others. When receiving the Eucharist a person is to say, “Amen.” After receiving, one is to pray as follows: “Holy, holy, holy ineffable Trinity, grant that I may receive this Body unto life and not unto condemnation. Grant that I might bear fruits that are pleasing to you so that in this way I might live in you and obey your commandments. With confidence might I invoke you,39 O Father, when I call down upon myself your kingdom and your will,40 may your name be made holy in me, O Lord, because you are strong and glorious; to you be praise forever. Amen.” When this prayer has been completed, one may eat. Receiving from the cup, a person is to again say, “Amen,” doing so for the fullness of the Body and Blood. Once all have received, they are to pray and give thanks for receiving when the deacon proclaims: “Having received from his holy mysteries, may we praise the Lord; may we, giving praise to the Lord our God, request and beseech that this reception be for the life and salvation of our souls.” Then the bishop: “Lord, giver of eternal life, pilot of our souls, leader of the holy ones, grant us eyes that understand and are always focused on you, ears that hear you alone, so that our souls be filled with grace; create in us a clean heart41 so that we might always fathom your greatness. O wonderful God and lover of us all, make our souls good and make our thoughts unbending through this Eucharist which we, the least of your servants, have received. Blessed is your kingdom, O Lord our God, a kingdom glorious and exalted in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit before the ages, now and always, for all generations, forever and ever.” 36. See Heb 10:22.  37. See Matt 18:1–4; Mark 10:15.  38. See 1 Cor 7:32; Rev 14:4.  39. See 1 Pet 1:17.  40. See Matt 6:8.  41. See Ps 51:10.

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People: “Amen.” I.xxiv. If the priest consecrates oil for healing the sick, f the vase containing the oil is placed before the altar. In a low voice he says: “Lord God, you granted us the Spirit, the Paraclete; your name gives health; your spirit is unchanging; your name is hidden from the proud and revealed to the wise.42 O Christ, you sanctified us; you made your servants wise by means of your mercy, your servants whom you chose by your wisdom; you sent the wisdom of your Spirit to sinners through your holiness when you granted us the power of your Spirit; you cure those who are in distress and who are suffering;43 you gave the gift of healing to those whom you made worthy of this gift. Send upon this oil, which is a type of your fullness, the delivering power of your beneficial compassion so that it might free those who labor, cure those who are sick,44 and sanctify those who are returning when they draw near to your faith; for you are ever strong and wonderful.” People: “Amen.” I.xxv. This prayer is likewise said over the water. I.xxvi. At the very break of dawn the bishop is to gather the people so that the service might conclude before sunrise. At the first hymn of dawn, with the presbyters, deacons, the other clerics with the faithful standing by, the bishop is to say, “Glory to the Lord.” People: “It is right and just.” Praise of Dawn

Bishop: “It is right and just that we praise and exalt you, that we confess you, O ineffable God, the maker of all things. Stretching forth our souls, may we send up a morning song of praise45 to you, O Lord, for you are most wise, strong, the God of great mercy, the support and protector of our souls. We praise you, O Word, born of the Father before the ages. You alone rest with the holy ones. You are praised by the archangels; you are the maker not made by hands; you make known the holy things that are invisible, pure, and immaculate; you have revealed to us the mysteries of your wisdom;46 you promised us the light of immortality. Lord, we your servants give you glory in pure holiness.” 3708 The people are to say, “We praise you, we bless you, we confess you, O Lord. We beseech you, O God.” The bishop then adds: 3709 “O God, you are the maker of light, the principle of life, the giver of wisdom, the gift of grace, the creator of souls, the author of beautiful things, the giver of the Holy Spirit, the treasure house of wisdom, the maker of good things, the teacher of holiness. By your will you rule the 3707

f. See ApT 5 (WEC 1:627). 42. See John 14:17.  43. See Matt 4:23.  44. See Mark 16:18; 1 Cor 12:9.  45. See Ps 5:3.  46. See 1 Cor 2:6–7.

142. Testament of Our Lord Jesus Christ  317 world. You receive prayers that are pure. We praise you, the only-begotten Son, the first-born and Word of the Father. You have given us your grace. We beseech you, the helper, and your Father who begot you. Your essence cannot be harmed; it is where neither moth nor worm corrupts.47 To those who place all their trust in you, you grant what the angels long to see.48 You are the guardian of eternal light and of incorruptible treasures; by the will of your Father you shed light upon the darkness within us; you raised us from the depths to light; from death you gave us life; you freed us from slavery; by the cross you made us members of your Father’s household; through your Gospel you led us to the heights of heaven; through your prophets you consoled us; through your own person you made us members of the household of the Father of lights.49 Lord, grant that we may praise our God so that with unending thanksgiving we, as your servants, O Lord, might sing your praises.” People: “We praise you, we bless you, we confess you. And we beseech 3710 you, our God.” 3711 The bishop is also to say: “With our mouths we sing to you this triple hymn of praise as an image of your kingdom, O Son of God; through eternity you are above all things with the Father; all creation praises you as it trembles in awe of your Spirit; all nature quakes and is fearful before you; every righteous soul blesses you; to you we have fled; for our benefit you calmed confusion, storms, the wind; for us you became a harbor of peacefulness and a refuge from evil; in you we place our hope of eternal salvation; you grant soothing rest to those tossed about on the seas and by storms.50 When sick, we entreat you and you freely grant healing. You accompany those who are in prison; you have freed us from the bonds of death; you console the distressed, the afflicted, and those who have wearied themselves with the cross; you turn away from us all threats; for our sake you refuted the deceit of Satan; you banished his threats and gave us fortitude; you drove out all error from those trusting in you. So we, Lord, praise you whom the prophets and apostles secretly praised; to you we offer our praise so that, obtaining understanding through you and always doing your will, we might attain rest in the mansions of life. Lord, grant that we might walk according to your precepts. In mercy visit us, both the small and the great, both the prince and his people, both the shepherd and his sheep, because you, Lord, are our God. Blessed and praised is your kingdom, that of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, before the ages, now and always through all generations, forever and ever.” People: “Amen.” 3712 To be sung are the psalms and four canticles, one from Moses, the second from Solomon, and the others from the prophets.

47. See Matt 6:19.  48. See 1 Pet 1:12.  49. See Jas 1:17.  50. See Ps 107:28–29.

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Singing are the boy singers, two virgins, three deacons, three presbyters. Praise is likewise given by the bishop or by a presbyter as follows: “The grace of our Lord be with all of you.” The people are to say, “And with your spirit.” The priest is to say, “Let us also praise our Lord.” The people are to say, “It is right and just.” The priest is to say, “Let your hearts be fixed.” The people are to say, “We have them fixed with the Lord.” Concluding Praise

“Lord, Father, giver of light, source of all strength and of all spirits, sealer of eternal lights and ruler of life, maker of all delights and of immortality. You allowed us to pass through material darkness; you gave us immaterial light; you dissolved the bonds of disobedience; you crowned us with the faith that is yours. Do not depart from your servants but continue to dwell with them. Do not neglect the souls that beseech you with labor and fear. You understand all things before we think of them; you search out all things before they are considered; you grant before we petition; you are pleased to hear those who most willingly serve you; you are king of the highest lights and of the heavenly armies; you hear the archangels giving glory to you; and you, Lord, take pleasure in them. Hear us, we ask you. We offer our praise to you so that we, your servants, upheld by you and guided by your light, might continually give glory to you, O Lord.” 3716 People: “We praise you, we bless you, we confess you. And we beseech you, our God.” 3717 Priest: “Lord Jesus, hear us. O Holy One, you were a voice for the dumb and the destitute, a support for the paralytics, a source of light for the blind, a guide for the lame, a source of purification for lepers, a healer of natural fluxes, a healer of the deaf, a rebuker of death, a tormentor of the darkness, a ray of light, an inextinguishable lamp,51 the sun which does not know how to be extinguished52 or made dim, but you always shine in your holy ones. You have established all things together as beautiful and embellished; you are the reason for order and proportion; you shine openly upon all; you are the savior of humankind and the one who converts souls. As is right, you show care for all; you created the angels; you adorned everything; you are the design of the Father. In prudence and wisdom you established and fixed the worlds; you were sent to us from your eternal Father; you are the mind of the Spirit which cannot be grasped or explained; you make known what is invisible; you are glorious, and wonderful is your name.53 Therefore we, your servants, give you praise.” 3718 People: “We praise you, we bless you, we confess you. And we beseech you, our God.” 3715

51. See 2 Sam 21:17.  52. See Eccl 12:2; Isa 60:20.  53. See Isa 9:5.

142. Testament of Our Lord Jesus Christ  319 Priest: “We sing to you this three-fold hymn of praise, for you are the holy Lord. You gave us a faith in you that cannot be weakened, a faith through which you grant us the power to conquer the bonds of death. You created right minds in those who trust in you so that they might become gods.54 Through the Spirit may we trample underfoot the power of our enemy.55 May we not violate the things that are inviolable. Through your mediation we can enjoy friendship with your Father. Lord, hear us, your servants. May we unceasingly pray to you that, at our bidding, you grant us power against our enemy. At all times we ask that the evil one be overthrown. O king, hear us always. Console widows. Assist the orphans. Be gracious to the energumens who are vexed by impure spirits; purify them. Teach the foolish. Correct the erring. Free those in prison. Watch over all of us because you, Lord, are our God, and your kingdom is blessed and glorious.” People: “Amen.” I.xxvii. Then the prayer is to conclude. Let the reader read the prophets and the other lessons. The gospel is to be read by a presbyter or a deacon. Next, the bishop or the presbyter is to teach what is fitting and useful. A prayer follows, with the catechumens then receiving the imposition of the hand. I.xxviii. Afterwards, the bishop is to instruct the people on the things that are hidden. If the bishop is not present, a presbyter may do this so that the faithful might understand him whom they will approach, who is their God and Father. Instruction on the mysteries is to be given in this manner.

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The Mystagogia Given to the Faithful before the Sacrifice “He who was, who is still with us, and who will come. It is he who suffered, was buried, rose, and was glorified by the Father. “It is he who broke our fetters of death, who rose from the dead. He is not merely man but at the same time is God. Through the Holy Spirit he restored the flesh of Adam with his soul to immortality. [.  .  .]” After the people have been given the mystagogia, the Eucharist is offered. Furthermore, the mystagogia does not take place every time but only at Easter, on Saturday, on the Lord’s Day, and on the days of Epiphany and Pentecost. I.xxix. How a presbyter is to be ordainedg As was said above, all the people are to give witness concerning the man who will be ordained to the presbyterate, testifying that he is wise in what he has read, humble, poor, not avaricious, greatly involved in serving the sick, someone who is proven, pure and sinless, treating orphans as a father, ministering to the poor, not lazy in going to church, pious in all g. See ApT 7 (WEC 1:629). 54. See Ps 82:6; John 10:34.  55. See Luke 10:19.

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320  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East things, of mild temperament, so that he might be worthy to have what is appropriate and fitting revealed to him by God and also to be worthy of the gift of healing. 3727 I.xxx. The ordination of a presbyter takes place as follows. The whole presbyterate leading him, the bishop places his hand upon [the candidate’s] head while the presbyters touch and hold him. The bishop is to speak as follows: Prayer for the Imposition of the Hand upon the Priest 3728

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“God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, you are ineffable; you are wonderful; you have neither beginning nor end.56 Lord, you have arranged and fixed all things. By your design you have given order to your creation. Hear us. Look upon this your servant. Impart and give him the Spirit of grace, of wisdom, and of magnanimity, the Spirit of the presbyterate, the Spirit which does not grow old, which is not lacking, the Spirit that is homogenous, loving and correcting the faithful so that he might assist and govern your people by his labor, in fear, with a pure heart, in holiness, in graciousness, in wisdom and under the working of the Holy Spirit and by your providence, O Lord. In like manner when you looked upon your chosen people and commanded Moses to select elders57 whom you filled with the Holy Spirit, whom you gave to your ministers, so now, Lord, grant to this man your unfailing Spirit which you gave to those whom you instructed and to all who truly believe in you58 through them. Make him worthy, filled with your wisdom and your hidden mysteries. May he govern your people with the support of a pure and true heart while he gives glory, blesses, exalts, gives thanks, and offers praise at all times, day and night, to your holy and glorious name while he works with joy and patience to become a vessel of your Holy Spirit. At all times may he carry and bear the cross of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom glory and might be to you with the Holy Spirit forever and ever.” The people are to say, “Amen.” The presbyters and then the people give him the peace with a holy kiss.59 I.xxxi. After the presbyter has been ordained, he is to assiduously remain at the altar, making time for constant prayer. At times in a private home he may take respite from the things required of him in the Lord’s house, and yet he is not to reduce the hours appointed for prayer. He is, however, to fast throughout the year, three days each week, on the one hand so that his mind be perfected; furthermore, he is to fast according to his ability so that he not be seized by any spirit but act to the fullest. The presbyter or bishop, if it is revealed that he should speak, will do so; but if not, he should not cease or despise what he is doing. 56. See Heb 7:3; Rev 21:6; 22:13.  57. See Num 11:17–29.  58. See John 17:20.  59. See Rom 16:16.

142. Testament of Our Lord Jesus Christ  321 If it is revealed to the presbyter that he should visit his parishes and speak there, he is to go; otherwise, he is to beseech God by his prayer. He is to say what has been revealed to him, always taking upon himself the burden of the one who was crucified for him and praying for people everywhere. The presbyter or bishop is not to be concerned about food or clothing,60 for God will provide him with what God knows he needs. If, when receiving food or clothing, someone tells him that he also should have received these from another, it is enough to have received from the first alone and only to the extent that what was received was necessary, certainly not excessive. Let the presbyter always maintain himself as unwavering in what pertains to the strictness of faith. This is what God requires. May the hearts of each one be searched. May evil not perhaps be hidden and buried within him so as to separate him from the grace of God. May he not allow tares to grow amidst the good wheat, but he is to remove them, and he is to cut back those who planted them. May darkness not obscure his light. May he at all times instruct the faithful so that they might complete the course, as it were, during the day61 since the children of light are never to walk in the darkness.62 May the presbyter’s teaching be fitting, fruitful, and restrained, mixed with fear and trembling. The instruction given by the bishop is to be likewise. The bishop and presbyter in their teaching are not to speak of useless things but of those that their listeners can put into practice. [.  .  .] The presbyter, as is right and fitting, should go to the homes of the sick together with a deacon and visit them. May he think and say whatever is fitting and useful for them, especially for the faithful. May he exhort that the sick, especially the poor, be assisted by the Church so that those who act generously might enter into the joy of the Lord.63 With the word of his teaching and with the eloquence of the prophets and of the Gospels he is to strengthen those who have recently been instructed. May he not neglect his prayers, for his role is that of the archangels. Furthermore, may he be aware that God did “not spare the angels when they sinned.”64 [.  .  .] The presbyter is to give thanks and praise in the same manner as the bishop. I.xxxii. The presbyters are to give praise each day in the church, each at his own time and as follows:

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Daily Hymn of Praise Priest: “May the grace of our Lord be with all of you.” People: “And with your spirit.” 60. See Matt 6:25ff.  61. See Rom 13:13.  62. See John 8:12.  63. See Matt 25:21.  64. 2 Pet 2:4.

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322  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East Priest: “Give praise to the Lord.” People: “It is right and just.” 3743 Priest: “O Father of incorruptibility, we praise you. You free our souls; you strengthen our thoughts; you guard our hearts. You have enlightened our hearts, abolished the darkness of our thoughts through the knowledge that resides in you. Through the cross of your Only-Begotten you have renewed the old self which was handed over to corruption.65 You restored incorruptibility. You removed error and through your commandments caused humankind to pass over to immortality. Yes, we are indeed your servants. We are indeed your people. As such we give you praise for you searched out what was lost.” People: “We praise you, etc.” Priest: “Lord, we praise you [.  .  .]” 3744 At midnight the presbyterate and the more perfect among the people are to give praise, for it was at midnight that our Lord, our risen Lord, praised the Father. [.  .  .] Concerning Deaconsh I.xxxiii. The one to be ordained a deacon is to be selected according to what was said before. His life is to be good and pure. He is to have been chosen because of his purity and because he abstained from what is unlawful. But if not, he should have had only one wife.66 All the faithful are to give testimony about him; he should not be engaged in worldly affairs; his occupation should be no obstacle; he is not to be rich or to have children. If he already has a wife or children, then they are to be taught to be pious and to show themselves as pure, inasmuch as they should please the Church in his ministry. Furthermore, let the Church provide for them so that they too have time for the law and the work of ministry. 3746 I.xxxiv. May the deacon do in the Church whatever is fitting. His ministry should be as follows: first, he is to do exactly what the bishop asks to be done; he is also to be a counsellor of all the clergy and, as it were, the mystery [symbol] of the whole Church. He is to assist the sick and strangers, help widows, and be, as it were, a father to orphans. He is to go to the homes of the needy to see whether any are in distress or toil under hardship or adversity. May he visit the homes of the catechumens in order to strengthen those who are wavering and to instruct the ignorant. He is to clothe and do whatever is necessary for those who have died, and he is to provide a burial for strangers. May he be a leader for those who have left home or who have been sent into exile. May he inform the Church concerning those who are in need. He should not bother the bishop, but on Sunday only may he call things to the bishop’s attention so that the bishop may be better informed about all matters. 3745

h. See ApT 8 (WEC 1:630–31, 633). 65. See Eph 4:22.  66. See 1 Tim 3:12.

142. Testament of Our Lord Jesus Christ  323 He is to be vigilant at the time of the assembly, going through the church to see that no braggart be present, no joker, no curious individual, no liar. May he reprove such persons with everyone hearing and looking on. He should eject those who deserve punishment so that others may also be afraid. [.  .  .] In the church there are to be twelve presbyters, seven deacons, four subdeacons, and three widows who sit in front. [.  .  .] I.xxxv. May the deacon be, as it were, the eye of the Church in all things, informing the bishop with fear. He should also be an example of piety for the people. May he proclaim as follows:

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Admonition of the Deacon “Let us rise. May each know their place. May the catechumens depart. See that no defiled or excommunicated person remains. Lift up the eyes of your hearts. The angels are watching. See that unbelievers depart. May we beseech with a harmony of minds. May no fornicator, no angry person remain. Should a servant of sin be present, may this person depart. See to it that we make our petitions as children of the light. Let us beseech the Lord, our God and Savior Jesus Christ.” When the presbyter or the bishop begins the prayer, the people kneel as they pray. The deacon is to say: “For the peace that comes from heaven we pray: may the Lord in his graciousness grant us peace. For our faith we pray: may the Lord allow us to hold fast to the end our faith in him. For unity and oneness of mind we pray: may the Lord grant to the end patience in all afflictions. For the apostles we pray: may the Lord allow us to please him as they pleased him, and may he make us worthy of their inheritance. For the holy prophets we pray: may the Lord count us among their number. For the holy confessors we pray: may the Lord God allow us to finish our life with the same mind as theirs. For the bishop we pray: may our Lord long preserve him in the faith that he might rightly break open the word of faith and preside over the Church in purity and without blame. For the presbyters we pray: may the Lord not remove the priestly spirit from them; and may he grant them diligence and piety to the end.

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324  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East

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For the deacons we pray: may the Lord allow them to live a perfect life, to attain holiness, and may he remember their labor and charity. For the female presbytersi we pray: may the Lord hear their prayers and perfectly keep their hearts in the grace of the Spirit and assist them in their labors. For subdeacons, lectors, and deaconesses we pray: may the Lord allow them to accept their reward in patience. For the faithful we pray: may the Lord grant that they perfectly preserve the faith. For the catechumens we pray: may the Lord grant that they be worthy of the bath of forgiveness, and may he sanctify them with the seal of holiness. [.  .  .]” Then the bishop completes the prayer, and the people respond, “Amen.” I.xxxvi. The deacon is to manifest fear of God, decency, modesty. As to fervor of life, let him do all things well. May the deacon pay special attention to those entering the church, inquiring as to who they are in order that he might determine whether they are lambs or sheep. After such an inquiry he is to bring in only those who are worthy so that a curious person not gain entrance, so that the liberty of the Church not be attacked, and that his sin not be on his head. Should anyone arrive late for the assembly, either when praise is being given at dawn or when the sacrifice is being offered, that person, no matter who he or she might be, is to remain outside. The deacon is not to allow such people to enter the church, for it is a figure of the future day of judgment; their entrance should not be a source of distraction for those who are at prayer. But when they come near and find the door closed,67 late-comers, because of what I just said, are not to seek admittance. When the initial hymn of praise has ended, the faithful, whether they be male or female, may enter, and the deacon proclaims either “Over the offering” or “Over the hymn of praise” so that the Lord might inscribe our request in the book of life and that the eternal God might remember us in his holy dwelling of light. We ask that the Lord grant zeal and labor to any person who is tardy; also freedom from the bonds of this world, together with a desire for love, charity and hope. As to a sister or a deaconess who comes late and remains outside, let the deacon announce that all the people are to pray for her. When the deacon mentions and proclaims these, zeal is increased, the bond of love68 is strengthened, and the negligent or the lazy are accused. i. Who were these “female priests” listed between the deacons and the subdeacons? Could they be “deaconesses”? See Canon 11 of the Council of Laodicea (WEC 2:1964). 67. See Matt 25:11–12.  68. See Col 3:14.

142. Testament of Our Lord Jesus Christ  325 I.xxxviii. A deacon is ordained as follows: the bishop alone places his hand upon him because the deacon is not ordained to the priesthood but to the ministry of serving the bishop and the Church. The bishop is to pray as follows over the deacon: Prayer for Imposing the Hand upon the Deacon “O God, through your Word you have created all things and adorned them. You rest in an indescribable world. Through your prophets you minister life eternal to us. With the light of knowledge you enlighten us. O God, you do great things69 and are the source of all glory. O Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, whom you sent to carry out your will that the whole human race be set free, you have declared and shown to us your mind, your wisdom, your providence, your beloved Son Jesus Christ,70 who is the lord of light, the king of kings, the God of gods. Send the Spirit of your grace and diligence upon this your servant so that he be given enthusiasm, rest, graciousness, and the strength to please you. Lord, make him a lawful and kind worker without shame, a lover of orphans and of those who practice piety, a lover of widows. Make him fervent in spirit,71 a lover of all that is good.72 Lord, enlighten him whom you have loved and chosen to minister to your Church. May he offer in your holy sanctuary what is offered to you from the inheritance of your high priesthood. In this way, exercising a ministry without blame, and doing so in a holy and pure manner and with a spotless mind, may he be made worthy of this great and exalted honor through your will, and may he praise you without end through your Son, the only-begotten Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom glory and might is given you forever.” People: “Amen.” [On Confessors]j I.xxxix. A man who testifies and confesses that he was in bonds and in prison and was tortured for the name of God is not to receive the imposition of the hand. He already enjoys the honor of being a cleric since through his confession he was protected by the hand of God. If, however, he is to be ordained a bishop, he is also worthy to receive the imposition of the hand. Now even if he is a confessor who nonetheless was not summoned to be judged by the authorities nor was placed in chains but only confessed his faith, he is worthy to have the hand imposed since he has received the prayer of the clergy. [.  .  .] On Widowsk I.xl. A woman selected as a widow is to have lived for some time without a husband. [.  .  .] She is to remain silent in church,73 be persistent in j. See ApT 9 (WEC 1:634). k. See ApT 10 (WEC 1:636). 69. See Job 9:10.  70. See Rom 15:6.  71. See Rom 12:11.  72. See Titus 1:8.  73. See 1 Tim 2:11–12.

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326  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East prayer, and visit those women who are ill. On the Lord’s Day she should take with her one or two deacons, and she is to help the sick women. 3764 I.xli. A widow is appointed in this way. While she is praying at the entrance to the altar and is bowing her head, the bishop says the following in a low voice so that the priests are able to hear him: Prayer for the Institution of Widows, Who Sit in Front 3765

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“O God, you are the Holy One, the Most High; you look upon those who are humble; you have chosen both the weak74 and the powerful; you are the honored one who also created the things that are despised. Lord, send the Spirit of your power upon this your servant and strengthen her with your truth. [.  .  .]” I.xlii. After being appointed a widow, she is not to be anxious for any reason. She is to remain alone and have time for performing works of piety. Solitude is the very foundation for a widow’s holiness and life. May she love no other than the God of gods, the Father in heaven. She is to observe the appointed hours for praise, both at night and at dawn. If menstruous, she is to remain in the temple but not approach the altar, not that she is, as it were, defiled but because of the honor due the altar. Having fasted and washed herself, she may continue on at the altar. During the days of Pentecost she is not to fast; at Easter she should share her possessions with the poor, wash herself, and pray. When she gives thanks or praise and if she has like-minded friends who are virgins, it is best if they join her in prayer so that they might respond Amen. Otherwise, she is to pray alone, either in the church or at home but especially at midnight. The times when she must give praise are Saturday, Sunday, and either Easter or Epiphany or Pentecost. At other times she should humbly give thanks by means of the psalms, canticles, meditations, and so she should labor. [.  .  .] Concerning the Subdeaconl

I.xliv. To be ordained to the subdiaconate is one who is chaste, with the bishop praying over him. 3772 On the Lord’s Day, with all the people listening, the bishop is to say the following over him: 3773 “N., may you minister and hear the Gospel in the fear of God. Cultivate in holiness knowledge of yourself. Stay pure. Live in a disciplined fashion. Humbly observe, obey, and listen. Do not neglect to pray and fast so that the Lord might grant you contentment and make you worthy of a higher order.” All the priests are to say, “So be it, so be it, so be it.” 3771

l. See ApT 13 (WEC 1:639). 74. See 1 Cor 1:27.

142. Testament of Our Lord Jesus Christ  327 Concerning the Readerm I.xlv. Appointed as a reader is one who is pure, quiet, humble, wise, highly experienced, learned, completely informed, having a good memory, and vigilant so that he might appropriately be raised to a higher order. First, on a Sunday may the book be presented to him in the presence of all the people. There is no imposition of the hand, but let him hear the following words of the bishop: “N., you have been called by Christ to be a minister of his words. Take care and strive that you appear approved75 in observing this rule and in a higher degree, even by our Lord Jesus Christ so that in his lasting dwelling place he may best reward you for doing these things.” And the priests are to say, “So be it, so be it, so be it. [.  .  .]”

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The Second Book of Clement Precepts, Canons, and Statutes Which Our Lord Jesus Christ Prescribed concerning the Order of Baptism Concerning the Laityn II.i. Those who come in order to hear the word, before they enter the full assembly, are first led to those who teach at home. Here they are carefully examined as to their reason for coming. This is so the teachers might know the purpose of their coming and whether they did so willingly. Now if they came with good will and a true desire, they are to be carefully instructed. Those who bring them are to be mature, faithful, known to the Church; and they are to testify that those they bring are fit for hearing the word. Inquiry is to be made concerning how the candidates act and live, whether they are peaceful, quiet, humble, not speaking inane things, not contemptuous, not uttering evil things, not acting foolishly, not deceiving, not provoking ridicule. Let an inquiry be made as to whether they are married or not; if they of their own free will are not married, they are to be assiduously and carefully instructed and kindly urged to mend their ways. May the bishop take care in the Lord to instruct them by means of prophetic exhortations that lead them to purity. If they make progress, he should instruct them with apostolic teachings, and then with those of the Gospels, with the complete word of instruction. If deemed worthy, they are baptized, and if they are judged worthy to hear the hidden things, may they hear them individually, thus making progress in learning what is hidden. m. See ApT 11 (WEC 1:637). n. See ApT 15 (WEC 1:641). 75. See 2 Tim 2:15.

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No obstacle is to be placed in the way of those who desire to marry so that they not be entangled in fornication by Satan. May their spouses be Christians, from Christian families. [.  .  .] II.iii. With all care the catechumens are to be instructed by hearing the Gospel, doing so for not less than three years. Should they desire and make a request to receive baptism before the appointed time, let them be baptized. As to those who are meek, humble, loving, assiduous, remaining with the one who is giving the instruction, doing so with zeal, with vigils, with confession, with subjection, and with prayers, and wish to be baptized immediately [before the completion of the three years], let them be baptized, for the space of time is not to be judged but the will to believe.o II.iv. After the instruction the catechumens are to pray apart from the faithful;p they depart so that the faithful may be able to learn at the time when the presbyter or the deacon reads the New Testament or the Gospels. The women among the faithful stand by themselves in the church; those who are catechumens stand apart from the women who are members of the faithful. Each group is separated from the men. The young women also stand apart, each according to order. The men stand on the right side, the women on the left. The virgins among the faithful are in front; behind them are those catechumens desiring to vow virginity. After the prayer the catechumens exchange the kiss of peace, men with men, women with women. [.  .  .] II.v. After the catechumens pray, the bishop or the presbyter imposes the hand upon them, and he says over them the prayer for the imposition of the hand.q Prayer over the Catechumens

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“O God, you send the thunder and cause the lightning; you created the heavens and established the world. Shed light upon your faithful ones; convert the erring. You restored to life those who were dead; you gave hope to those without hope; you freed the world from error through the coming of your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ. Lord, hear us and give understanding to these souls; grant perfection, unwavering faith, knowledge of the truth. In this way may they ascend to a higher degree through your holy name and that of your beloved Son Jesus Christ through whom glory and might be to you with the Holy Spirit, now and forever and ever. Amen.” Once this is finished, they are dismissed. o. See ApT 17 (WEC 1:660). p. See ApT 18 (WEC 1:661). q. See ApT 19 (WEC 1:662).

142. Testament of Our Lord Jesus Christ  329 Should any catechumens be apprehended because of my name and be sentenced to torture, they should hasten and press on to be baptized. The shepherd is not to hesitate in this matter but is to confer baptism. But if any are violently killed before receiving baptism, be not anxious about them since they were justified by being baptized in their own blood. II.vi. May all those selected to be baptized be examined beforehand as to their way of lifer while still under instruction, whether they have respected widows, visited the sick, walked in all humility and love,76 whether they have shown themselves to be steadfast in doing good works.77 Also to be presented is the testimony of those who brought them. Each day, after hearing the Gospel, they are to receive the imposition of the hand. From the day on which they were selected for baptism, they are to be exorcised. Let them be baptized on the day of the Pasch. When these days approach, the bishop is to exorcise each individually so that he might be persuaded that each is clean. Should it happen that someone is not clean or is possessed by an unclean spirit, that person is to be convicted by that impure spirit. Those discovered to be restrained by such an impediment are to be removed from among the candidates, and since the evil and foreign spirit still dwells within, they should be reproached and censured for not having faithfully heard what was commanded and advised. Those to be baptized are to be instructed to wash themselves and to cleanse their heads only on Thursday of the last week. Should a woman be menstruous, she may also choose another day on which to bathe herself and wash beforehand. They are to fast on Friday and on Saturday. II.vii. On Saturday the bishop is to gather together those who will be baptized and, as the deacon proclaims, he tells them to kneel. After a short period of silence he lays his hand on them and gives the exorcism.

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Exorcism before Baptism 3798 “O God of heaven, God of the stars,78 God of the archangels who are subject to you, O God of the angels who are under your power, O king of glories and dominions,79 O God of the holy ones, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,80 you have freed the souls that were confined by death. Through the nailing on the cross of your suffering and only-begotten Son you have enlightened those who were enclosed and pinned down by the darkness. You have broken our bonds and removed our burdens; you warded off from us Satan’s hostile attack. O Son and Word of God, by your death you made us immortal, by your glory you glorified us, by your

r. See ApT 28 (WEC 1:664). 76. See Eph 5:2.  77. See Titus 2:14.  78. See Jas 1:17.  79. See Col 1:16.  80. See Rom 15:6.

330  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East passion you dissolved all the bonds of our sins, by your cross you bore the curse of our sins, and by your resurrection you taught that we pass from being human to being divine. You have taken upon yourself our misfortune. For us you have laid out the path to heaven, and from corruptibility to incorruptibility you changed us. Lord, hear me. To you I cry out with pain and fear. Lord God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ81—before whom stand the holy power of the archangels, the cherubim, the innumerable armies of princes and of seraphim—your veil is the light, and before your face the fire burns; the throne of your glory is ineffable, and ineffable are the dwellings of your delights which you have prepared for your holy ones, whose covering and riches are visible only to your holy angels. All things tremble before you. Together they praise you. Your glance measures out the mountains, and your name, when spoken, divides the depths. The heavens, contained in your hand, hide you. Before you the heavens and the earth tremble together; the sea and the animals within it are moved. The untamed beast, trembling, turns to you. Through you the mountains and the earth’s firmament melt out of fear; due to your power the wind of winter trembles and quakes. Because of you the angry winds keep within their defined limits. [.  .  .] Lord, hear me and breathe the spirit of peace upon these your servants so that protected by you they may produce through you the gifts of faith, strength, wisdom, purity, self-discipline, patience, hope, unity, modesty, and praise because in the name of Jesus Christ you have called them to be your servants when they are baptized in the Trinity, in the name of the Father and Son and Holy Spirit, with as witnesses the angels, the glories, the dominions, and the whole heavenly army. Lord, as the foundation of our life and of theirs, guard their hearts, O God, because you are strong and wonderful forever.” All the people and priests are to say, “Amen. So be it. So be it. So be it.” 3799 If while the bishop is performing the exorcism someone becomes excited, suddenly jumps up, and cries out, or shouts violently, or foams at the mouth, or gnashes the teeth, or shamelessly stares, or is lifted up or simply runs away, being quickly carried off, the deacons are to isolate such a person so that there be no commotion while the bishop is speaking. Those acting in this way are to be exorcised by the priests till they are made clean; then they are baptized. 3800 After the priest has exorcised those who were brought near or who were found to be unclean, he is to breathe upon them, sign them on the forehead, on the nose, on the chest, on the ears, and so may he raise them up. 3801 II.viii. During the forty days of the Pasch the people are to remain in the temple, keeping vigil, praying, listening to the Scriptures, to hymns, and to doctrinal instruction.

81. Ibid.

142. Testament of Our Lord Jesus Christ  331 On the last Saturday the faithful are to rise early in the night when the catechumens are being exorcised, till the middle of the night on the same Saturday. The baptismal candidates are to bring nothing with them other than one loaf of bread for the Eucharist.s This is how they are to be baptized when they approach the water, which should be pure and flowing;t first the children, then the men, and then the women. If anyone wishes to make a vow of virginity to God, this person is the first to be baptized by the bishop. Women are to loosen their hair for baptism. All the children who can respond while being baptized do so, repeating the words after the priest; but if they are unable to do this, then their parents or some family member reply on their behalf. When after their response those to be baptized go down into the water, the bishop is to see to it that no man is wearing a ring, that no woman has a gold ornament on her, for no one is to have any foreign object on him or her while in the water; such is to be handed over to those standing close-by. When the candidates are about to be signed with the oil for the anointing, the bishop is to pray over the oil and give thanks. He is also to exorcise another oil for the catechumens. A deacon carries the exorcised oil, with a presbyter standing near him. Whoever stands near the oil over which praise has been given is to be on the right; whoever stands near the oil that has been exorcised is to be on the left. When the bishop takes hold of each of those to be baptized—they are facing the west—the bishop says, “You are to say ‘I renounce you, Satan, all your service, all your pretexts, all your desires, all your works,’” and after the candidate has said and professed this, he or she is to be anointed with the oil of exorcism while the bishop who does the anointing says, “I anoint you with this oil so that you be free from every evil and impure spirit, that you be free from all evil.” The bishop turns the candidate toward the east and says, “You are to say ‘I submit to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, before whom all nature trembles and quakes; grant that I might without sin do all that you desire.’” The bishop is then to hand over this person to the presbyter who baptizes. Those to be baptized stand naked in the water. A deacon is to descend in like manner with these candidates. And when those to be baptized have gone down into the water, the one baptizing places his hand upon each of them and says, “Do you believe in s. See ApT 20 (WEC 1:670). t. See ApT 21 (WEC 1:671).

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332  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East God, the almighty Father?” and the person to be baptized says, “I do believe.” Immediately each is baptized a first time. Then the priest says, “Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who came from the Father, who from the beginning is with the Father, who through the Holy Spirit was born of the Virgin Mary, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, who died, who rose from the dead with new life on the third day, who ascended into heaven, who sits at the right hand of the Father, and who will come to judge the living and the dead?” The candidate, having responded “I do believe,” is then baptized a second time. Then the one baptizing is to say, “Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, in the Holy Church?” and the candidate, having responded “I do believe,” is baptized a third time. 3815 When the newly-baptized come up out of the water, they are anointed by the presbyter with the oil over which the thanksgiving was given. He says, “I anoint you with oil in the name of Jesus Christ.” 3816 Women are to be anointed by the widows who sit in the front during the gathering, doing so while the presbyter recites over them the formula. These widows during the baptism, under a veil, are to receive them with a veil while the bishop says the profession and also the things that are renounced. 3817 II.ix. When they have again gathered in the church, the bishop imposes his hand upon each of them and says the following: Invocation of the Holy Spirit “Lord God, through your beloved Son Jesus Christ you filled your holy apostles with your Holy Spirit. Through this same Spirit you allowed your holy prophets to speak. You made these your servants worthy to merit through Christ the forgiveness of sins through the washing of regeneration, and you washed away from them all mist of error and the darkness of infidelity. Through your goodness make them worthy to be filled with your Holy Spirit. Grant them your grace so that, O God, they might truly serve you according to your will. In holiness may they fulfill your commands so that, at all times doing the things that please you, they might enter your eternal tabernacles through you and through your beloved Son Jesus Christ, through whom glory and might forever be to you with the Holy Spirit.” 3819 Likewise the bishop, pouring the oil and placing his hand upon the head of the recently baptized, says, “Anointing, I anoint you in the allpowerful God, in Christ Jesus, and in the Holy Spirit, so that you be a worker having perfect faith and a vessel pleasing to him.” Signing the person on the forehead, the bishop gives him or her the peace, saying, “May the God of the humble be with you.” The person who is signed responds, “And with your spirit.” This the bishop does for each individual. 3820 II.x. Henceforth the recently baptized are to pray with the whole assembly. 3821 The deacon is to bring the offering to the bishop who gives thanks. 3818

142. Testament of Our Lord Jesus Christ  333 The bread is offered as a type of my body, the cup is to be mixed with wine—wine mixed with water—for it signifies the blood and the water of the washing so that the interior person, which is spiritual, might merit those things which are similar to it, namely, things of the body also. All, in accord with what has just been said, receive of the Eucharist which is offered, saying, “Amen.” The deacons hover over the offerings as already mentioned. And, as was noted earlier, whoever distributes Communion is to say, “The Body of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, unto a cure of soul and body.” The person who receives says, “Amen.” Those who spill the Blood from the cup prepare judgment for themselves; likewise those who see this and say nothing, giving no reproof no matter who does this. Those receiving the Eucharist from the priests are to be exhorted to do good, to love strangers, to be zealous in fasting, and to do every good work. May they also be instructed on the teaching of the resurrection of the body, something concerning which they are to know nothing before being baptized. This is a new decree, having a new name, which none know about till they receive. The deacon does not give Communion to the presbyter, but he is to uncover the paten or pyx from which the presbyter is to take [the Eucharist].u The deacon is to give the Eucharist to the people by [in?] the hand. If a presbyter is not present and necessity requires, the deacon may baptize. II.xi. If anyone has received any gift to take to a widow or to a poor woman or to anyone else who is regularly engaged in affairs of the Church, the gift is to be given on the same day; but if the gift is withheld till the next day, then let something of a person’s own be added before giving it since bread for the poor has been delayed.v On Thursday of the last week of the Pasch the bread and the cup are to be offered. [.  .  .] The deacon is to offer the lamp in the temple, saying, “May the grace of the Lord be with all of you,” and the people respond, “And with your spirit.”w The young children sing spiritual psalms and canticles for the lighting of the lamp. With one voice all the people respond, “Alleluia.” No one kneels till the person who is speaking has concluded. The same is true for a reading or when a doctrinal instruction has been given. [.  .  .] II.xii. The Pasch is to be completed at midnight, after Saturday. No one is to fast or kneel during Pentecost since these are days of rest and joy. u. See ApT 22 (WEC 1:690). v. See ApT 24 (WEC 1:694). w. See ApT 25 (WEC 1:695).

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Those doing heavy labor are to relax somewhat during the days of Pentecost and on every Lord’s Day. Before offering the sacrifice the bishop is to say whatever is appropriate for the offering, whereas those dressed in white exchange the “Alleluia” with each other. II.xiii. At supper or at a feast those who have come together receive a portion from the shepherd as for a blessing.x A catechumen, however, is not to receive. [.  .  .] II.xiv. Whoever wishes to offer fruits or the first produce of the crop is to give them to the bishop. [.  .  .] II.xvi. This is how the bishop is to bless the fruits that have been presented to him.y “O God, we thank you at all times and on this day when we offer you the first fruits which you have given to us as food, and which you have made perfect by your power and word. At the world’s beginning you commanded that the earth bring forth various fruits for our joy and delight and for that of all the animals. Lord, we praise you for all the things with which you have favored us when you adorned the earth with various fruits for our benefit. Bless also N., your servant, whose good will and love we ask you to accept through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ through whom glory, honor, and might be to you, with the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.” Vegetables are not blessed, only the fruits of trees, flowers, roses, and lilies.z [.  .  .] II.xviii. During the Pasch, especially on its last days, namely, on Friday and Saturday, both during the day and at night there are to be as many prayers as there are canticles. Speech should be extended; the readings are to be various and numerous. The nocturnal vigils and anticipations are to be carried out in good order. II.xix. As to the deacons who pass among the women, the readers should assist them so that no disorderly children be found there. The subdeacons are also to do this. The children are not allowed to fall asleep since in a special way the night that follows Saturday is an image of the heavenly kingdom. Those who labor and work may do so till midnight. First the catechumens are dismissed, being blessed with the broken bread. The faithful, when they are sent forth, return to their homes in an orderly and discreet fashion; they are not to omit their prayers while there. Priests are not to abandon their ministries. The women are to depart, each going to her own husband. x. See ApT 25 (WEC 1:698). y. See ApT 31 (WEC 1:708). z. See ApT 32 (WEC 1:709).

142. Testament of Our Lord Jesus Christ  335 Widows are to remain in the temple till morning, taking their food there. Virgins are likewise to remain in the temple, and the bishop is to help and provide for them; the deacons are to minister to them. The presbyters remain with the bishop till morning, praying and resting. Likewise the recently baptized. May the virgins who can marry accompany their mothers in going home. II.xx. The bishop is to announce that no one is to taste anything till the sacrifice has been completed and till the whole body of the Church has received the new food. Then in the evening those to be baptized are baptized after the first reading. Those who have eaten before receiving eucharistic Communion are guilty and receive no merit for fasting. When the catechumens are dismissed, a hand is to be imposed on them. Should any of the faithful remain at home because of sickness, the deacon is to bring the sacrifice [the Eucharist] to them. If a presbyter is unable to come to church, then another presbyter is to bring him Communion. If a pregnant woman becomes sick and is unable to observe the fast on these two days, she is to fast on one day and then on the other day she is to take bread and water. If she cannot come to church, the deaconess is to bring her Communion. II.xxi. Those who are sick should see to it that the bishop knows about their condition so that he might visit them; a sick person, especially when he or she is a member of the faithful, is greatly comforted when remembered by the high priest. II.xxii. The virgins and the children are to respond in song to him who sings psalms in the church. If two or three sing psalms privately at home, they may respond in psalmody to each other. Likewise the men. II.xxiii. If a poor person should die, those in charge of providing things for all are to clothe the body.aa If a stranger should die, namely, a stranger who does not have a burial place, then those who own such places are to provide this; if the Church has such a place, the Church should provide it. If a stranger who dies lacks a funeral garment, the Church is to supply it. And if he or she does not have what is necessary for burial, the Church is to supply this. [.  .  .] II.xxiv. The people are to take care that they immediately pray at early dawn, rising from bed and washing their hands. In this way each person heads off to work as desired. aa. See ApT 40 (WEC 1:718).

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336  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East 3867

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3873 3874

3875 3876

At the third hour all are to pray with sorrow and zeal, either in church or, if they cannot go to church, at home. This is the hour at which the Only-Begotten was placed on the cross. Likewise there is to be prayer with sorrow at the sixth hour since this is when the day was divided by the darkness. And so let there be that voice which imitates the prophets and which imitates creation, mourning. At the ninth hour prayer is to be prolonged with praise; it should be akin to that of the souls of those praising the God who does not lie, who remembers his holy ones, and who sent his Word and his Wisdom to enlighten these. It was at this very hour that life was extended to the faithful, the hour when blood and water flowed forth from the side of Christ. In the evening, namely, the beginning of another day, and giving us an image of the final resurrection, he has us praise him. At midnight the people are to praise and glorify God because of the Lord’s resurrection. At dawn they are to give praise by singing the psalms because after the resurrection Christ praised the Father while the apostles were singing psalms. Should a man, a member of the faithful, have a wife or spouse who is not faithful, he is to go and pray at these hours. Those who are chaste [virgins?] are not to reduce the number of hours for prayer; praising God are the ornaments of heaven, the lights, the sun, the moon, the stars, the lightning, the thunder, the clouds, the angels, the archangels, the glories, the dominions, the whole heavenly army, the depths, the seas, the rivers, the pools, fire, dew and all nature that brings forth the rain. All the holy ones also give praise as do all the souls of the just. Those who pray in this manner are counted among those remembered by God. II.xxv. [.  .  .] The faithful are always to take care that before sharing in the Eucharist they take no food; in this way nothing can harm them. [.  .  .]

Persia 1 4 3 . M Å r Á t Å o f M a i p h e r q at

Bishop of Maipherqat (located near the Armenian and Syrian border), Mår¥tå is especially known—according to tradition—for having brought to his see the relics of a large number of martyrs killed during the persecution of Shapur II, thus the name of Maipherqat being changed to Martyropolis. He was present at the influential synod of Seleucia-Ctesiphon in Persia (410) and apparently died before 420. This Mår¥tå is often confused with Mår¥tå the Monophysite bishop of Tagrit (Tikrit), who died in 649. Bardenhewer (1913) 4:391–92 * Tixeront 220–21 * CE 9:748 * DCB 3:859 * DPAC 2:2157–59 * DTC 10.1:143–49 * EC 8:261–62 * EEC 1:537 * EEChr 2:732–33 * LTK 6:1448 * NCE 9:333 * PEA (1894) 14.2:2054–56 * PEA (1991) 7:968–69

143. Mår¥tå of Maipherqat  337

143-A. The Seventy-Three Canons† Tradition has long attributed these canons to Mår¥tå, although various theories have been postulated as to their general origin and precise relationship to the synod of Seleucia-Ctesiphon. Later material has apparently been incorporated into the text. Canon 71. It is the will of the general synod that they should genuflect at all [appropriate] times during the service. The genuflection shall be from the ninth hour of the Pentecost Sunday and up to the service of the night of the ‘ar¥btá of the Passiona—when the Saturday of the Gospel shines forth.b But on Sundays and on the festivals there shall be no genuflection since the holy church has joy and exaltation. For genuflecting proclaims suffering and grief. Therefore it is right that we do not genuflect during the festivals and particularly on the day of the Resurrection of Christ our Savior. [.  .  .] Canon 72. It is the will of the general synod that wherever an assembly gathers of the covenant of the brothers and the sisters and the order of believing men and women, the sacrifice shall not be offered rashly, simply as may happen, but [only] after the Holy Scriptures first are read and [then in sequence] one [item] after the other until the entire [liturgical] order is perfected. In the same way as we have determined above in the canon a presbyter ought not to stand at the altar without the deacon and offer the sacrifice. However, we do not enslave the priests to the deacons; rather do we divide the honor to the service of the altar in order that the service shall be performed nobly. The deacon shall be an exhorter of the people through proclamation.c But those who are accustomed [to assemble] in the anchorite and monastic manner and [so] serve, and where no gathering of the lay people takes place as [a matter] of necessity, it shall [not] hear of the powers of the holy mysteries from the mouth of a deacon. About these [matters] we do not have any law. So as they wish they may serve. [.  .  .] Canon 73. [.  .  .] It is the will of the general synod that if there are commemorations in the churches and the martyria and in the monasteries and [anything of] the consecrated [elements] is left over, this must be honored through the taking [of them] on the next day after it. [This must be received] by the clerics of prudence, [namely] by priests and brothers who have not yet received the sacrifice. Translation from The Canons Ascribed to Mår¥tå of Maipherqat and Related Sources, vol. 2, ed. A. Vööbus, Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium 440, Scriptores Syri 192 (Louvain, 1982) 94–95. a. Namely, Friday. b. Namely, the Easter Vigil during Saturday night. c. Namely, by leading the litany. †

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338  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East The sacrifice which has remained shall be divided among them and they shall each take something once it comes to each of them—whether much or whether little; the synod does not permit anyone to take the sacrifice a second time, one after another. 3886 But if by reason of negligence a mistake takes place, and there is someone whose conscience is troubled, let him honor the sacrament by receiving it. 3887 If there is not [one to receive it]—so shall it be hidden in a place of honor which is not cultivated. 3888 The synod does not permit it to be burned in fire, for this is audacity and even a great sin, [in like manner as in the case] of the bodies of the holy men [where] we also do not have the custom of honoring them through burning in fire but rather in honor conceal them under the earth. 3885

Pa l e s t i n e 144. Sozomen

Sozomen (Salmaninus Hermia Sozomenus) was probably a native of Bethelia near Gaza in Palestine. Educated in a monastic milieu, he journeyed to Italy and eventually settled in Constantinople, where his profession was that of a lawyer. The dates of his birth and death are unknown, though the latter probably occurred toward the middle of the fifth century. CPG 3: no. 6030 * Altaner (1961) 274 * Altaner (1966) 227 * Bardenhewer (1908) 378–79 * Bardenhewer (1910) 270 * Bardenhewer (1913) 3:141–44 * Bautz 10:860–63 * Hamell 123 * Jurgens 3:252–53 * Quasten 3:534–36 * Steidle 255 * Tixeront 181 * CATH 14:351–52 * CE 14:165–66 * DCB 4:722–23 * DPAC 2:3261–63 * DTC 14.2: 2469–71 * EC 11:1016–17 * EEC 2:790 * EEChr 2:1081–82 * LTK 9:801–2 * NCE 13:489 * NCES 13:372–73 * ODCC 1525 * PEA (1894) 3.1 (n.s.) 1240–48 * PEA (1991) 11:773

144-A. Church History† The nine books (parts of Book IX are missing) of this history, written between 439 and 450, cover the years 324 to 425. This is the author’s second historical account, the first, now lost, spanning the years from Christ’s ascension to the fall of Licinius in 323. Among Sozomen’s source material was the history written by Eusebius of Caesarea (WEC 2:81), often quoted verbatim without acknowledgement (today called plagiarism). Legendary elements are not excluded from this narrative. 3889

I.viii. Once the Roman empire had passed into Constantine’s hands, he issued a public edict to the citizens of the East commanding them to † Translated from Histoire ecclésiastique. Sozomène, vol. 1, trans. and ed. A.-J. Festugière and G. Sabbah, SChr 306 (Paris, 1983) 138ff. (Books I–III); PG 67:1275ff. (Books V–VIII).

144. Sozomen  339 follow the practices of the Christian religion. [.  .  .] Christians assumed most of the Roman magistrate offices; all were henceforth forbidden to offer sacrifices, to have recourse to oracles or pagan initiation rites, to dedicate statues to the gods and to celebrate pagan feasts. [.  .  .] As to places of prayer, Constantine ordered the restoration of churches that were sufficiently large; others were wonderfully increased in length and height; elsewhere new buildings were constructed where previously none existed. The emperor furnished money from the imperial treasury. Writing to the bishop of each city and to the provincial governors, he asked them to contribute whatever they wished. [.  .  .] So as to accustom the soldiers to reverence God as he did, Constantine had the symbol of the cross placed upon their weapons. A chapel was built within the palace, and when Constantine set out for war, he had a tent, made in the form of a cross, carried before him so that even in obscure places neither he nor his army would lack a holy house within which they might sing hymns to God, pray, and participate in the mysteries. Priests and deacons followed the tent. Like servants they carried out the offices according to the rule of the Church. Also from this time each of the Roman legions, today known as regiments, builds its own tent to which are assigned priests and deacons. As to the day called the Lord’s Day—known as the first day of the week by the Jews, the day consecrated by the pagans to the sun, and also known as the day before the seventh day— he determined by law that on this day there henceforth be no judicial or other business and that prayers and supplications be offered to God. He honored the Lord’s Day as the day on which Christ was raised from the dead, the day before the seventh day being the day on which Christ was crucified. [.  .  .] III.xiv. [.  .  .] On the first and last days of the week the monksa were to approach the altar to share in the holy mysteries; loosening their girdles and removing their garments made of skin, they were to pray twelve times during the day as well as during the evening, and then likewise during the night; they were also to pray three times at the ninth hour. At meals they were to sing a psalm before each prayer. [.  .  .] III.xvi. I am not unaware that some very learned men once lived in Osrhoene:b for example, Bardesanes,c who began the heresy bearing his name, and his son Harmonios. The latter, they say, was educated in the Greek disciplines and was the first to introduce musical meters and modes into the language of his father and delivered this to choirs. Still today the Syrians often sing his songs, using not the words of Harmonios but his melodies. Harmonios was not completely sheltered from the heresy of a. Namely, the followers of Pachomius (ca. 290–346), founder of Egyptian monasticism. b. Osrhoene: kingdom in eastern Syria with Edessa as its capital. c. Bardesanes (154–222): Syrian hymn writer, generally considered a heretic.

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340  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East his father nor from the teachings of the Greek philosophers on the soul, on the beginning and ending of the body, and on the reincarnation since, when setting his words to music, he mixed these doctrines with his own writings. Ephremd saw how the Syrians were seduced by the beauty of the words and by the rhythm of the melody. And so, accustomed to think like Harmonios and even though he was not acquainted with Greek culture, Ephrem learned the meters of Harmonios and composed his own texts, which were in conformity with the doctrine of the Church. These were used for holy hymns and songs in praise of the saints. Since that time the Syrians sing the music composed by Harmonios but the words of Ephrem. 3894 III.xx. [.  .  .] Although the followers of Eustathiuse were in charge of all the churches in Antioch, most of the clergy and people did not fully follow their doctrines. They sang hymns to God in the choirs into which they customarily grouped themselves. At the end of these hymns personal preference was evident: some praised “the Father and the Son” with equal honor; others praised “the Father in the Son,” thus showing by the insertion of the preposition “in” that the Son was inferior. 3895 Under such circumstances Leontius,f who at that time belonged to the opposite group, governed the see of Antioch. He did not attempt to hinder those who were praising God according to the tradition of the Council of Nicaea, for he feared fomenting an insurrection of the people. But it is related that he once touched his head, which was filled with white hairs, and said, “When this snow melts, there will be only mud,” suggesting that after his death disagreement in hymn-singing would result in sedition since his successors would not, unlike himself, accommodate themselves to the people. 3896 V.xix. [.  .  .] Since many bodies were buried at Daphne,g the Emperor Julian,h believing that opposition to the oracles was solely due to Babylasi the martyr, commanded that the martyr’s coffin be moved. And so the Christians, gathering in that place, carried the martyr’s coffin into the city, approximately forty stadia distant, to the place where it is still located and which is named after him. It is said that the men and women, the youth and maidens, the elderly and the young—all who carried the martyr’s coffin, encouraged one another, singing psalms throughout the whole journey. Apparently they sang to ease the burden of walking but in reality because they were motivated by a certain zeal and spirit of godliness, something not shared by the emperor. The most experienced singers of the psalms sang first, and the whole group responded in harmony with this d. Ephraem the Syrian (ca. 306–73): Syrian exegete and hymn writer (WEC 2:76). e. Eustathius (ca. 300–ca. 380): bishop of Sebastie in Armenia. f. Leontius: bishop of Antioch 344–? g. Daphne: a suburb of Antioch. h. Julian (“the Apostate”) (Flavius Iulianus Augustus): Roman emperor 361–63. i. Babylas: bishop of Antioch and martyr (d. ca. 250).

144. Sozomen  341 verse, “All who worship graven images, all who glory in idols, are thrown into disorder.” VI.xxiv. [.  .  .] Following the death of Auxentiusj there was a great uprising of the people since there was no universal agreement as to the selection of a bishop for the church at Milan; the whole city was in the utmost peril. As usually happens, threats were made by those desiring this office and yet not obtaining it. Ambrose, at that time governor of the province, feared an insurrection of the people. So he went to the church and exhorted the people to cease their strife. He had them remember their laws and how pleasing are the mutual harmony and good that come from peace. Hardly had he finished speaking when all suddenly overcame their desire for disputation and voted that Ambrose become the bishop. Since he had not yet been initiated, they urged him to be baptized. They also requested that he be ordained. But when Ambrose protested and would have nothing to do with the priesthood, the people continued to insist. They stated that they would only be pleased if he yielded to their desires. The matter was referred to the court. It is said that the emperor Valentinian,k hearing about this, prayed to God, giving thanks that the man he had appointed governor was selected to fill the priestly office. When Valentinian learned of the strong desire of the people and of Ambrose’s refusal, he inferred that God arranged this to promote the harmony of the church in Milan and ordered that Ambrose be immediately made a bishop. Baptized and ordained in the same ceremony, Ambrose immediately brought the church in Milan, a church which under Auxentius was so long plagued by division, into divine harmony.l [.  .  .] About this time the Novatiansm residing in Phrygian began to celebrate—contrary to ancient custom—the Pasch on the same day as the Jews. Novatian, the founder of this group, refused to admit to communion those doing penance; and it was only in regard to this that he was an innovator. Novatian and his successors, following the custom of the Roman church, celebrated the feast of the Pasch after the vernal equinox. About this time some Novatian bishops throughout Phrygia gathered in the town of Pazo near the headwaters of the river Sangarius.o Having no desire to be in communion with those from whom they dissented, they j. Auxentius: Arian bishop of Milan 355–74. k. Valentinian: Roman emperor in the West 364–75. l. This is also reported by Theodoret of Cyr, Church History IV.vi (WEC 3:3516–17), and by Socrates, Church History IV.xxx (WEC 3:3224). m. Novatians: members of a highly rigorist yet orthodox Christian community whose name is taken from the Roman cleric Novatian (d. 257/258), who, disappointed with the election of Cornelius in 251, joined this community, had himself ordained bishop, and became a rival of Cornelius. n. Phrygia: a region located in northern Asia Minor. o. Sangarius: a river in Asia Minor flowing into the Black Sea.

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342  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East established their own rule, namely, to observe the feast of the unleavened bread and to celebrate the Pasch with the Jews.p [.  .  .] 3899 VI.xxv. At about the same time Apollinarisq openly initiated the heresy bearing his name. [.  .  .] In addition to the holy hymns that are customarily sung in church, the people sang certain metrical songs written by Apollinaris, who in addition to his outstanding learning was a poet, skilled in songs of all kinds. By their pleasing quality these songs persuaded many to follow him. Whether feasting or working, men sang them; also women while weaving. Whether sung at work or at leisure, whether on feasts or other days, these songs were composed for the praise of God. [.  .  .] 3900 VI.xxvi. [.  .  .] Some say that Eunomiusr was the first to assert that holy baptism is given by one immersion only, thus corrupting the apostolic tradition which till then was universally observed; it is said that he invented a procedure different from that of the Church. [.  .  .] Others say—and, as I believe, more correctly so—that Theophronius of Cappadocias and Eutychius, both ardent defenders of this heresy, withdrew from communion with Eunomius during the reign of the following emperor and innovated concerning divine baptism and the other doctrines of Eunomius. According to them, baptism is to be given in the name of Christ, not in that of the Trinity. [.  .  .] Whether it was Eunomius or someone else who first innovated concerning the tradition of baptism, I believe that those who did so were, according to this line of thinking, alone in danger of departing this life without having been baptized, for after being baptized according to the custom received from the beginning, it was impossible for them to rebaptize themselves, and so we must admit that they introduced a practice to which they themselves had not submitted and that they gave to others what was not given them either by themselves or by others. [.  .  .] They admit that the unbaptized cannot baptize others. Whoever was not baptized according to the rite given by their tradition remains unbaptized as someone who was not rightly signed. They show this by rebaptizing those whom they are able to attract to their side even though these have been baptized according to the tradition of the Catholic Church. Teachings like this do no small harm to our Christian religion. [.  .  .] 3901 VII.xvi. At about this time Nectarius,t the bishop of Constantinople, was the first to remove from the Church the office of the priest in charge of penitents. Almost all the bishops later on followed his example. What this p. Also related by Socrates, Church History IV.xxviii (WEC 3:3220, 3223). q. Apollinaris (ca. 310–ca. 390): bishop of Laodicea whose christological teaching, which implied that Christ’s manhood was not complete, was condemned by the Council of Constantinople in 381. r. Eunomius (d. 394): Arian bishop of Cyzicus in Mysia (in northwestern Asia Minor). s. Cappadocia: a district in eastern Asia Minor. t. Nectarius: bishop of Constantinople 381–97.

144. Sozomen  343 office involved, what was its origin, and the reason behind it, others have related. I will tell you what I know. Sinlessness belongs to the divine nature alone; it does not belong to human nature. God commanded that pardon be granted to penitents even if they fall frequently; and when seeking pardon, it is necessary that the sin be confessed. From the beginning it probably seemed burdensome to the priests to have this public confession with almost all the members of the Church in attendance. And so one of the priests was appointed, a most holy and assuredly prudent man, to preside in such cases. Sinners went to him and acknowledged their sins. He indicated a penance appropriate to each one’s sin. Once this was done, he granted forgiveness. Since the practice of penance did not exist among the Novatians, they did not have this office. Among other religious groups, however, this custom continued to exist. In the churches of the West and especially in the Roman church it is diligently observed. For in Rome there is an open space for the penitents. It is there that they stand and, as it were, lament till the solemnities of the Mass have been completed; they are excluded from sharing in the sacred mysteries. With groans and lamentations they fling themselves down upon the ground. Then the bishop, in tears, also falls upon the ground. All the people likewise confess and weep. The first bishop then stands, raises up those who are prostrate, and, as is fitting, by prayer offers forgiveness to those doing penance. Each person is commanded to do penance voluntarily and in private, by fasting, by not bathing, by abstaining from meat or from other things. When the appointed day arrives, the sinner, as if a certain debt has been removed, is freed from the penalty assigned to the serious sin that was committed and is reunited to the rest of the people in the Church. All this the bishops of the city of Rome have observed from antiquity down to the present day. 3902 As to the church at Constantinople, a priest was appointed to be in charge of the penitents. A certain noble lady, because of a sin she had confessed, was ordered to fast and to make supplication to God. For this reason she was lingering in the church, and it was here that a deacon raped her. When the people became aware of this, they became very angry because of the insult afflicted on the Church. Especially those in orders were highly scandalized. 3903 Nectarius, hesitating for a long time as to what he would do, deposed the deacon, who admitted the evil deed. Some advised Nectarius that each person should consult his or her own conscience before sharing in the holy mysteries. As a result he abolished the office of the presbyter in charge of penitents. From that time on this remained the case. It seems to me that what in antiquity was weighty and severe soon became something that was lax and loose. Formerly people were restrained from sinning because they feared confessing their sins and revealing them to a judge.u

u. Also related by Socrates, Church History V.xix (WEC 3:3225–26).

344  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East I also believe that it was for similar reasons that Theodosiusv the emperor, ever zealous in promoting the honor of the Church, ruled that women should not be admitted to ministry unless they are mothers and are at least sixty years of age, as the Apostle Paul required. [.  .  .] 3905 VII.xviii. During the same reign a division occurred among the Novatians as to the time for celebrating the feast of the Pasch. This resulted in another group, that of the Sabbatians. Sabbatius, who with Theoctistus and Mascarius, was ordained a presbyter by Marcian, followed the decision of those who during the reign of Valensw gathered at Pazo where they stated that the feast of the Pasch should be celebrated on the same day when the Jews celebrate it. After leaving the Church—initially to follow a more austere way of life, for this is what he was professing to live—he also pretended that one reason for leaving was that some received Communion unworthily. However, when Marcian’s desire to innovate was discovered, he was questioned as to why he ordained Sabbatius. It is said that he repeatedly replied that he would have preferred to lay his hands upon thorns rather than upon the head of Sabbatius. Now when he saw that the people of the Church were being divided into two parts, Marcian gathered the bishops of his group at Sangorus, a town located in Bithynia,x situated near the sea not far from Helenopolis.y The bishops who gathered there summoned Sabbatius and ordered him to state the reason for his discontent. When he complained that diversity existed regarding the date of the feast’s celebration, the bishops suspected that this was just a pretext to conceal his desire to be made a bishop. And so they made him take an oath that he would never accept the episcopal office. Once he had sworn to this, the bishops agreed that diversity was not a fitting reason for communion to be broken and that each bishop could observe the date as he so desired. They drafted a canon in this regard, which they called the adiaphoron (“indifferent”). This is what occurred during the gathering at Sangorus.z 3906 From that time on, Sabbatius followed Jewish practice unless it happened that all observed the Pasch at the same time; when this happened, he fasted as was customary but did so earlier, and privately observed the Jewish law. On Saturday from evening to the prescribed time he kept vigil and said the accustomed prayers; on the following day he together with all the others gathered in church and took part in the sacred mysteries. At first most did not notice this, but with the passing of time it attracted attention. Many imitated him, especially in Phrygia and Galatiaaa where celebrating the feast of the Pasch in this way became a national custom. 3904

v. Namely, Theodosius II: Roman emperor in the East 408–50. w. Valens Augustus: Roman emperor in the East 364–78. x. Bithynia: a region in northwestern Asia Minor. y. Helenopolis: a city located in Bithynia. z. Also related by Socrates, Church History V.xxi (WEC 3:3227). aa. Galatia: a Roman province in Asia Minor centered around modern Ankara.

144. Sozomen  345 In time Sabbatius openly left the Church and became bishop of those who followed his teachings. [.  .  .] I am indeed astonished that Sabbatius and his followers attempted to introduce this novelty. As Eusebius, based on the testimony of Philo,bb Josephus,cc Aristobulus,dd and numerous others, relates, the Jews of old offered the Pasch after the vernal equinox when the sun passes through the first sign of the zodiac, called by the Greeks the Ram, and when the moon in the fourteenth day of its age is in the opposite quarter. But the Novatians, having studied the matter most diligently, say that neither the founder of their heresy nor his followers observed this custom in the beginning. It was initiated by those who gathered at Pazo, and that at Rome up to this day their co-religionists celebrate this feast as do the other Romans. The latter, who in times past have never celebrated it differently, follow what has been handed down to them by the apostles Peter and Paul. Furthermore, the Samaritans, who most faithfully observe the Mosaic Law, never celebrate this feast till the new fruits reach maturity. It is said that the Law calls this the Feast of the First Fruits, and it is not permitted to celebrate this feast till these fruits appear. For this reason it is absolutely necessary that the vernal equinox precede the celebration of this feast. Certainly, those who imitate the Jews in this regard cause me to be greatly amazed, for they do not follow ancient Jewish custom. Except for those mentioned above and for those who in Asia are called Quartodecimans,ee all the heretics, I believe, celebrate this feast as do the Romans and the Egyptians. The Quartodecimans celebrate it on the fourteenth day of the moon as do the Jews. This is the origin of their name. The Novatians celebrate the day of the Resurrection, but they follow the custom of the Jews and the Quartodecimans when the fourteenth day of the moon falls on the first day of the week. In this case they celebrate the feast so many days after the Jews as there are days between the fourteenth day of the moon and the following Lord’s Day. The Montanists,ff whom people refer to as the Pepuzites and Phrygians, celebrate the Pasch in a strange manner, one invented by them. Criticizing bb. Philo: a Hellenist Jewish philosopher (d. after 41 a.d.) who resided in Alexandria. cc. Josephus: Jewish historian (37–ca. 100). dd. Aristobulus: mid second-century Judaeo-Hellenist philosopher. ee. Quartodecimans: Christians who always celebrated the Christian Pasch on the fourteenth day of Nisan no matter the day of the week, and not on Sunday. ff. Montanists: members of a movement, begun by a certain Montanus during the years 155–60 in Phrygia, that stressed the immanence of the parousia. Fasting, almsgiving, and in general a strong ethical rigorism were practiced as a preparation for the end.

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all who determine the time for observing the feast according to the course of the moon, they say that one can pay attention only to the cycles of the sun. According to them each month has thirty days, and they reckon the day following the vernal equinox to be the first day of the year—according to Roman calculation this being the ninth day before the calends of April. It was on this day, they say, that the two great luminaries for indicating the seasons of the year were created. This is shown by the fact that the moon meets the sun every eight years and that the beginning of each new month falls at the same time. Indeed, the eight-year lunar cycle takes place in ninety-nine months and in 2,922 days, during which time the sun makes eight revolutions, each having 365 days and a fourth of a day. They compute the day of the sun’s creation, mentioned in the Scriptures, to have been on the fourteenth day of the moon, namely, on the ninth day before the ides of the same month. It is on this day that they observe the Pasch when it occurs on the day of the Lord’s resurrection. Otherwise, they celebrate it on the following Sunday, for it is written, as they say, that it may be celebrated on any day between the fourteenth and the twenty-first. VII.xix. Thus far we have treated the differences in observing the Pasch. It seems to me that Victor,gg bishop of Rome, and Polycarp,hh bishop of Smyrna, came to a very wise decision in regard to this controversy. Because the bishops of the West did not believe that the tradition of Paul and Peter should be abolished, and because the bishops of Asia stated that they wanted to follow the Gospel of John, they unanimously agreed that each could follow his own custom in celebrating the feast without breaking communion existing among them. They concurred that it would be foolish and wrong for those agreeing in major religious issues to be separated from each other because of custom. Although professing the same doctrine, all churches do not share the same traditions. For example, in the provinces of Scythia,ii there is only one bishop even though there are numerous cities. In other provinces, however, each town had its own bishop. This is true for Arabia, the island of Cyprus, as well as among the Novatians and the Montanists who live in Phrygia. Among the Romans there are only seven deacons, this number having been determined by the apostles; among these deacons Stephen was the first to be martyred. In other churches, however, the number of deacons is not a matter of concern. Furthermore, at Rome the Alleluia is sung only once each year, namely, on the first day of the paschal feast. Many Romans are accustomed to swear by reason of having heard or sung this melody. gg. Victor: bishop of Rome 189–98. hh. Polycarp (ca. 69–ca. 160): bishop of Smyrna (now Izmir on the west coast of Turkey) (WEC 1:12). ii. Scythia: the region north and northeast of the Black Sea and east of the Aral Sea.

144. Sozomen  347 In the city of Rome it is not the bishop who teaches the people, nor is it anyone in the church. In Alexandria the city’s bishop alone instructs the people. They say that this practice dates back to the time of Arius,jj who, though only a presbyter, initiated a new doctrine. Another unusual custom may be found at Alexandria, one not existing elsewhere. When the gospel is read, the bishop does not rise from his chair. In Alexandria it is the archdeacon only who reads the gospel whereas in some other places one of the deacons does so; in many churches it is read only by priests whereas on special days the bishop does so, for example, in Constantinople on the first day of the feast of the Resurrection. There are some churches where Quadragesima, which occurs before the Pasch and during which the people fast, extends for six weeks. This is true in Illyriakk and in the western regions, in Libya, throughout Egypt, and in Palestine. At Constantinople Lent lasts seven weeks, as is true for the neighboring provinces as far distant as Phoenicia. In some churches the people fast three alternate weeks, doing so throughout six or seven weeks; in other churches a continuous fast is observed during the three weeks immediately before the feast. Others, like the Montanists, fast only two weeks. The people do not gather at the same time or in the same manner in all the churches. In Constantinople and almost everywhere else they gather on Saturday as well as on the first day of the week—something never observed at Rome or Alexandria. In Egypt there are some cities and villages where, contrary to what is observed elsewhere, the people gather on Saturday evening and, though they have not eaten previously, share in the mysteries. The same prayers and psalms are not recited in all the churches on the same occasion. Nor are the same lessons read. Thus the Apocalypse of Peter,ll considered altogether spurious by the ancients, is still read in certain Palestinian churches on Friday when a fast is observed in memory of the Savior’s passion. [.  .  .] VII.xxv. Following the death of Eugenius,mm the emperornn went to Milan so as to pray within its church. When the emperor arrived at the gates of the building, Ambrose,oo the bishop of the city, met him, grabbed jj. Arius (ca. 260–336): a priest in Alexandria, noted as a preacher and for his holiness, who denied the unity and consubstantiality of the three persons of the Trinity and consequently the full divinity of Christ. Arianism was condemned by the Council of Nicaea in 325. kk. Illyria: the ancient name for a region, bordering the Adriatic Sea, in what is now called the Balkan Peninsula. ll. Apocalypse of Peter: an early second-century apocryphal book held in some places to be part of the biblical canon. mm. Eugenius (Eugenius Flavius): Roman emperor 392–94. nn. Namely, Theodosius I (“the Great”): Roman emperor in the East 379–95. oo. See WEC 2:53.

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348  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East him by his purple robe, and before a large crowd said to him, “Stand back. You are a man defiled by sin. Your hands are defiled by blood that has been unjustly shed. Unless you do penance, you may not enter; you may not share in the sacred mysteries.” The emperor, admiring the independence of Ambrose, reflected on what he, the emperor, had done and, motivated to do penance and being sorrowful, drew back. [.  .  .] Ambrose reproached the emperor, forbade him entrance to the church, and refused him communion with the Church. The emperor openly acknowledged his sin, doing so in the church. During the time appointed for him to do penance, the emperor, as was customary for someone in mourning, was not to wear his imperial garb. He also enacted a law stating that officers appointed to carry out imperial commands were to wait thirty days before inflicting the death penalty so that the emperor’s anger might subside and so that there would be an opportunity for mercy and penance. Ambrose did many other things worthy of his priestly office, things apparently known only to those living in that country. 3924 Among all the wonderful deeds attributed to Ambrose, I have heard this one. It was customary that the emperor, when present with the people gathered in the church, to sit apart from the rest of those who had assembled. Ambrose, noticing that such a practice was due to adulation or to a collapse of discipline, assigned the emperor a place in the church outside the altar’s grill work; thus the emperor was to sit in front of the people and behind the priests. The emperor Theodosius approved this procedure, and from that time till the present we see it observed.pp [.  .  .] 3925 VII.xxviii. [.  .  .] It is said that Zeno—and I have witnessed this—when governing the church at Majumaqq and when almost a hundred years old, never absented himself from the morning and evening hymns or from the rest of the divine office unless sickness hindered him. [.  .  .] 3926 VIII.viii. During the reign of Theodosius [“the Great”] the Arians in Constantinople were deprived of their churches and so had to conduct their ecclesiastical assemblies outside the city walls, first gathering at night in public squares. Divided into two groups, they antiphonally sang psalms, adding certain conclusions composed by them and reflecting their teachings. At daybreak, singing in public, they went to the place where they worshiped. This was done on some of the more important feasts and on the first and seventh days of the week. What they added was capable of leading to quarrels and disputes, as for example, “Where are those who say that the three persons are one power?” Other similar texts were interspersed throughout their hymns. John [Chrysostom],rr fearing that some members of his church might be misled by this, commanded that his people also sing the psalms. It was not long till John’s people surpassed pp. Also narrated by Theodoret of Cyr, Church History V.xvii (WEC 3:3519–32). qq. Majuma: a port city in what today is the Gaza Strip. rr. See WEC 2:74.

145. Jerome  349 the Arians in number and in outward appearance, for they carried before them silver crosses and lighted candles. The eunuch of the empress was appointed to oversee all this; he was to prepare the hymns for singing and to cover whatever cost was involved. The Arians, either moved by envy or overcome by feelings of revenge, attacked the Catholics. People on both sides were killed. [.  .  .] Having begun the custom of singing hymns for the reason and in the manner described above, Catholics continue to do so up till the present day. [.  .  .] VIII.xxi. John [Chrysostom], deposed by the judgment of the bishops, no longer went to the church but stayed home in his episcopal residence. At the end of Quadragesima and during that holy night when we celebrate the annual feast in memory of the Lord’s resurrection, John’s partisans, being assaulted while celebrating the sacraments of baptism, were expelled from the church by the soldiers and by some of John’s enemies. This being unanticipated, a great disturbance arose in the baptistery. The women, in tears, were in great turmoil; the children were crying; the priests and deacons, still wearing the vestments used for worship, were beaten and violently ejected from the church. [.  .  .] When the people began to understand how they were being attacked, they did not use the church on the following day but celebrated the Pasch in the spacious public bath named after the Emperor Constantius. Officiating were bishops, priests, and others who rightly administer ecclesiastical affairs.ss [.  .  .] 145. Jerome

Jerome (Eusebius Hieronymus) was born ca. 345 at Stridon in Dalmatia. Perhaps as early as 354 he went to Rome to study grammar. Baptized there, Jerome proceeded to Trier and then to Aquileia, where he associated himself with the ascetical life. In 373/374 he set off to Jerusalem. Ill health, however, forced him to spend considerable time in Antioch, where he studied Greek. And while living as a hermit from 375 to 378 in the desert of Chalcis east of Antioch, he learned Hebrew. Ordained a presbyter by Paulinus of Antioch in 379, Jerome went to Constantinople and then on to Rome, where he became the friend and secretary of Pope Damasus (WEC 2:52). While there he also directed a circle of aristocratic ladies (e.g., the widows Marcella and Paula) whose financial generosity on Jerome’s behalf did not pass without unfavorable notice on the part of the Roman clergy. After the pope’s death Jerome left Rome in 385, from where he went to Antioch, Palestine, and Egypt. Returning to Palestine in 386, he took up residence in a monastery in Bethlehem, where he spent thirty-four years translating texts and engaging in other literary and scholarly activity. He died in 420. ss. Also related by Socrates, Church History VI.viii (WEC 3:3246).

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350  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East At the urging of Pope Damasus Jerome began work on the texts of the Scriptures, beginning with the four Gospels. In 391 he initiated a new translation of various books of the Old Testament on the basis of the original Hebrew or Aramaic. Sometime before ca. 392 Jerome made a hasty translation of the psalter, using the Septuagint as his basis—this translation was once mistakenly identified with what is known as the Roman Psalter, the text of the psalms generally used in Italy down to the sixteenth century. Another psalter, known as the Gallican Psalter because of its popularity in Gaul, was produced by Jerome ca. 392, who used as his basis Origen’s Hexaplaric text of the Septuagint. Finally ca. 400 Jerome produced the Hebrew Psalter, a work that never attained general acceptance. The Vulgate version of the Bible is for the most part the work of Jerome and includes the Gallican Psalter, which was generally adopted for liturgical use. CPG 3: nos. 7815ff.; CPL nos. 580ff. * Altaner (1961) 462–76 * Altaner (1966) 394–404 * Bardenhewer (1908) 455–73 * Bardenhewer (1910) 395–410 * Bardenhewer (1913) 3:605–54 * Bardy (1930) 99–110 * Bautz 2:818–22 * Hamell 139–45 * Jurgens 2:182– 214 * Labriolle (1947) 2:498–557 * Labriolle (1968) 334–73 * Leigh-Bennett 272–89 * Quasten 4:212–46 * Steidle 160–66 * Tixeront 253–59 * Wright (1928) 211–67 * CATH 6:702–6 * CE 8:341–43 * CHECL 318–22 * DACL 7.2:2235–2304 * DCB 3:29–50 * DHGE 27:1021–27 * DictSp 8:901–18 * DPAC 2:1583–88 * DTC 8.1:894–983 * EC 6:652–64 * EEC 1:430–31 * EEChr 1:606–9 * LTK 5:91–93 * NCE 7:872–74 * NCES 7:757–60 * ODCC 867–68 * PEA (1991) 5:548–51 * RACh 15:117–39 * TRE 15:304–15 G. Morin, “La lettre de s. Jérome sur le cierge pascal: résponse à quelques difficultés de M. l’abbé L. Duchesne,” RB 9 (1982) 392–97. * P. Antin, “Le cilice chez s. Jérôme,” VS Supplément 1 (1947) 58–61. * P. Blanchard, “Le correspondance apocryphe de pape s. Damase et de s. Jérôme sur le psautier et le chant de l’alleluia,” EphL 63 (1949) 376–88. * A.A. Stephenson, “The Lenten Catechetical Syllabus in Fourth-Century Jerusalem,” TS 15 (1954) 103–16. * J. Janixi, “De institutione quadragesimae apud s. Hieronymum,” Periodica de Re Morali, Canonica, Liturgica 47 (1958) 41–60. * J. Lecuyer, “Le problème des consécrations épiscopales dans l’église d’Alexandrie,” BLE 65, 4th ser. (1964) 242–57. * A. de Vogüé, “La Règle du Maître et la lettre apocryphe de s. Jérôme sur le chant des psaumes,” SM 7 (1965) 357–67. * Y.M. Duval, “Saint Jérôme devant le baptême des hérétiques: d’autres sources de l’Altercatio Luciferani et Orthodoxi,” REAug 14 (1968) 145–80. * E. Ferguson, “Ordination in the Ancient Church,” ResQ 5 (1961) 17–32, 67–82, 130–46. * T. Marsh, “The History of the Sacramental Concept,” MilS 3 (1979) 21–56. * P. Nautin, “Le premier échange épistolaire entre Jérôme et Damase: lettres réelles ou fictives?” FZPT 30 (1983) 331–44.

145-A. Dialogue between a Luciferian and an Orthodox Christian† Written ca. 382 or perhaps earlier, this treatise is directed against the teachings of Lucifer (d. ca. 370), a strongly anti-Arian bishop of Cagliari in

†

Translated from PL 23:159, 163–64.

145. Jerome  351 Sardinia who refused to acknowledge the ministry of those Arian bishops who converted to orthodoxy. The protagonists in the discussion are a Luciferian (L) and an Orthodox Christian (O). 3928 v. L. [.  .  .] The priest offers his sacrifice for the laity, imposes his hand on the one subject to him, requests the return of the Holy Spirit, and having prayed before the people, reconciles to the altar whoever was delivered to Satan for the ruin of the flesh, doing this so that the person’s soul might be saved.1 Nor does he restore one member to health till all the other members have together wept with him. [.  .  .] 3929 viii. L. [.  .  .] Do you not know that it is the Church’s custom to lay hands on those who have been baptized in order to invoke the Holy Spirit? Where, you ask, is this written down? In the Acts of the Apostles. Even if the authority of the Scriptures gave no support here, the consent of the whole world regarding this practice would make it a matter of obligation. Many other things observed as a tradition in the Church take upon themselves the authority of written law, for example, dunking the head three times and then, after coming up out of the water, tasting the mixture of milk and honey as a sign of infancy, not kneeling to worship and not fasting on Sunday and during Pentecost; many other unwritten things have won a reasonable claim for themselves. [.  .  .] ix. O. Certainly I don’t deny that it is the Church’s custom for the bishop 3930 to go to those living far distant from the major cities and who were baptized by presbyters and deacons. He does so in order to invoke the Holy Spirit through the imposition of the hand. [.  .  .] When the bishop imposes his hand, he does so on those who were baptized into the orthodox faith, those who believe that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are three persons, one in substance. [.  .  .] Should you inquire why a person baptized in the Church receives the Holy Spirit, whom we assert is given in true baptism, and only through the hands of the bishop, learn that our authority for this practice comes from the fact that the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles after the Lord’s ascension. We find that in many places this practice is more for the honor of the bishop than from any law. If the Holy Spirit descends only at the request of the bishop, to be mourned are those in country-houses or fortresses or in more remote areas who, after being baptized by the presbyters or deacons, depart this life before being visited by the bishop. The good health of the Church depends upon the dignity of its chief priest, and if some special and unique power were not given him by all, there would be in the Church as many schisms as there are priests. For this reason neither a presbyter nor a deacon has the right to baptize without having been ordained and without being ordered to do so by the bishop. Yet we know that, as frequently happens, in cases of necessity the laity may baptize, for what a person has received, a person may give. [.  .  .]

1. See 1 Cor 5:5.

352  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East

145-B. Life of Hilary† This biography was written after Jerome’s travels in Syria and Egypt and during his early period in Bethlehem (ca. 386–90). Hilary of Gaza (ca. 291–371) spent many years as a hermit in the Egyptian desert. Numerous miracles were ascribed to this holy man. 3931

xxxii. Returning to Aphroditos and keeping with him only two of the brothers, Hilary stayed in the near-by desert. [.  .  .] His reputation did not remain unknown to those dwelling in that place, and both men and women with pale faces and gaunt with hunger asked that Hilary, as Anthony’s successor, grant them rain. Seeing them, Hilary was extremely moved. Raising his eyes to heaven and with uplifted hands, he immediately presented their request. Behold, that thirsty and parched region, once it was drenched with rain suddenly issued forth a large number of serpents and poisonous animals. As a result, countless people were bitten and would have immediately died had they not hurried to Hilary, who blessed some oil. All the farmers and shepherds applied this ointment to their sores and were thus restored to good health.

145-C. Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians†† Jerome intended to write on all the Pauline letters but finished commentaries on only four: Philemon, Galatians, Ephesians, and Titus. This commentary dates from Jerome’s early stay in Jerusalem. 3932

II.iv. [.  .  .] Someone might say: If it is not permitted to observe the days, the months, the seasons, the years, then we also commit a similar sin when we observe the fourth Sabbath, the day of preparation, the Lord’s Day, the Lenten fast, the feast of Easter, the joy of Pentecost, and—according to each region—the times appointed for honoring the martyrs. Whoever gives a simple reply to this says: The Jewish feasts are not our feasts. We do not celebrate the Passover of the unleavened bread but that of the Cross and Resurrection. Nor do we follow Jewish custom in counting out seven weeks in Pentecost, but we revere the coming of the Holy Spirit. So that the disorderly gathering of the people not lessen faith in Christ, certain days have been appointed when all of us might come together in unity. The purpose here is not that the day on which we gather be more crowded but so that on whatever day the people come together a greater joy might arise from seeing one another. Whoever tries to respond more effectively to the opposite question should affirm that all days are equal, that Christ was crucified not only on the Day of Reparation, that he rose not only on the Lord’s Day; but that it is always the holy day of the Resurrection and that we are always to be nourished by the Lord’s Body. Fasts and assemblies †

Translated from PL 23:46. Translated from PL 26:378.

††

145. Jerome  353 take place on days appointed by those prudent ones who have more time for the world than for God. Truly they do not wish to spend their whole lives gathered in church. So before engaging in human activities they offer the sacrifice of their prayers to God. How few are they who always practice at least these small things that have been appointed or observe the times for prayer or fasting? Just as we can always pray or fast and, having received the Lord’s Body, incessantly celebrate the Lord’s Day with those who are rejoicing, so the Jews are never allowed to sacrifice the lamb, to observe Pentecost, to set up the tents, and to fast each day. [.  .  .]

145-D. Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew† This work, hastily written in 398, was requested by Eusebius of Cremona, a companion of Jerome in Bethlehem. 3933 IV.xxv.6. “But at midnight a voice cries out: Behold the spouse is coming. Go out to meet him.”1 Suddenly, as in the middle of the night and in total peacefulness, when sleep is most heavy, the coming of Christ will be announced by the sound of the angels and the trumpets of the virtues who preceded him. Let us give the reader something of a useful explanation. According to Jewish tradition Christ will come at midnight just as was true in the past in Egypt when at Passover the angel of death came, when the Lord passed over the houses, when the doorposts were made holy by the blood of the lamb. Behold, I am sure this is the origin of the apostolic tradition which continues: at the Paschal Vigil it is not permitted to dismiss before midnight the people who are awaiting the coming of Christ. Once this moment has passed, security henceforth being secured, all celebrate the feast. Thus the words of the psalmist, “At midnight I will arise to praise you because of your just decrees.”2

145-E. Preface to the Rule of Pachomius†† It was after 404 that Jerome translated into Latin this and other Pachomian documents. 3. Whoever is the first to enter the monastery is the first to sit, to walk, to chant the psalms, to eat at the table, to receive Communion in the church; determining this is not a person’s age but the date of profession. 5. The sick are strengthened by wonderful help and abundant meals. Those in good health observe greater abstinence: on Wednesday and Friday all fast except at the time of Easter and Pentecost. On other days those desiring to eat do so after the sixth hour. [.  .  .] † Translated from Commentaire sur S. Matthieu. S. Jérome, vol. 1, trans. and ed. E. Bonnard, SChr 242 (Paris, 1997) 214–17. 1. Matt 25:6.  2. Ps 119:62. †† Translated from Pachomiana Latina, ed. A. Boon (Louvain, 1932) 6, 8.

3934

3935

354  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East 7. The fathers of all the monasteries have a single leader who resides in the monastery of Bau. At Easter all, except those whose presence in the monastery is necessary, gather with him so that close to fifty thousand men celebrate the feast of the Lord’s Passion. 3937 8. During the month of Mesore, namely, August, following the example of the remission given during the Jubilee Year,1 there are days when sins are pardoned to all and when those at odds with one another are reconciled. [.  .  .] 3936

145-F. Against Vigilantius† Responding to a treatise by Vigilantius, a priest of Aquitaine who visited Jerusalem in 395, Jerome here defends the veneration of the saints and their relics, the custom of observing vigils, as well as various other pious practices. Jerome said he wrote the treatise, which dates from 406, in a single night. vii. We, however, do not light candles during the day, as you mistakenly accuse us of doing; but by their comfort we temper the night’s darkness. And so we keep watch till dawn lest we, blind like you, slumber in the darkness. There are the ignorant or the simple-minded lay people or the pious women concerning whom we can say, “I admit that they have zeal for God but not according to knowledge.”1 They do these things to honor the martyrs. Does this harm you? Even the apostles once pleaded that the ointment was wasted, but the Lord corrected them.2 For just as Christ did not need the ointment, so the martyrs do not need the light of the candles; a certain woman, however, used ointment to honor Christ, and the devotion of her heart was accepted. Those lighting candles are rewarded according to their faith, for the apostle says, “Let all be fully convinced in their own minds.”3 Do you call people like this idolaters? I do not deny that all of us who believe in Christ came from the error of idolatry. We were not born Christians but were reborn as Christians. Because we once worshiped idols, should we now not honor God so that we do not seem to honor him with the honor we showed to the idols? In one instance idols were given honor—something to be reprobated. In the other instance honor is given to the martyrs—something to be accepted. For even where there are no relics of the saints, throughout all the churches of the East when the gospel is read, candles are lighted even when the light of dawn reddens the sky; surely this is done not to dispel the darkness but as a sign of joy. [.  .  .] 3939 ix. As to keeping vigil and observing the night-watches that are often celebrated in the basilicas of the martyrs, in another letter, one I wrote 3938

1. See Lev 25. † Translated from PL 23:345–47. 1. Rom 10:2.  2. See Matt 26:6–13; Mark 14:3–9.  3. Rom 14:5.

145. Jerome  355 about two years ago to the venerable presbyter Riparius, I gave a brief response. But you argue that all these observances should be condemned so that we do not appear to be frequently observing the Pasch and appear not to observe the year’s customary vigils. Now if this is true, sacrifices should not be offered to Christ on Sunday to avoid the appearance of having frequent celebrations of the Pasch of the Lord’s resurrection; to avoid the appearance of having many Easters rather than only one Easter. However, the pious should not be accused of the errors and faults of the young and of the most simple-minded women, faults that are often detected during the night; to be sure, these are generally seen as occurring during the Paschal Vigil, and yet the fault of a few should not be held against religion. [.  .  .]

145-G. Dialogue against the Pelagians† These three books, written in 415, are considered by many to be Jerome’s best polemical work. Atticus (A) is the Catholic protagonist; Critobulus is the Pelagian spokesman. I.xxv. [.  .  .] A. According to the apostle women are to be silent in church,1 and if they desire to know something, they should consult their husbands at home. You should not be content with having given your spouse knowledge of the Scriptures unless you take delight in her singing and canticles, for you have a heading that says: “Women are to sing to God.” Yet who does not know that it is at home that women are to sing, far removed from male company and from the tumultuous crowd? You permit what is not allowed; as a result women do openly what should be done with all modesty, without any witness or authority of a teacher.

3940

145-H. Homilies In 1897 Dom Gabriel Morin published a number of homilies by Jerome: fifty-nine on the psalms, ten on Mark’s Gospel, and another ten on various other texts. In 1903 Morin issued fourteen homilies by Jerome on the psalms and two on Isaiah. These sermons were given in Bethlehem, especially on Sundays, and appear to have been recorded by various members of Jerome’s congregation.

145-h-1. on psalm 91 (92)†† The title of Psalm 91 (92) is “A psalm: a song for the Sabbath Day.” The Sabbath day cannot exist unless six days precede it. We work for six days; on the seventh day we rest. And so we can sing to the Lord only on the Translated from PL 23:519. 1. See 1 Cor 14:34. †† Translated from Opera Homiletica, vol. 2, CCL 78 (Turnhout, 1958) 133. †

3941

356  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East Sabbath Day. We cannot sing to him as long as we are doing the works of this world, namely, during the six days. As we read in Leviticus, “On the Sabbath you shall do no servile work.”1 Consequently no one on the Sabbath, on the day when the Lord rested, is to do any servile work, namely, whatever pertains to this world. To be done is whatever pertains to the Sabbath. Do you want to know why on the Sabbath priests are at work in the Lord’s temple? On the Sabbath no one is allowed to cut wood. Indeed, the man found doing so in the desert was stoned to death.2 Nor may a fire be lit or anything else done. You see that all these things, which cannot be done on the Sabbath by anyone in the world, are permitted only to the priests: they cut wood, light a fire, do other services, and sacrifice victims. Now why have I mentioned this? To show you that, according to the Law, on the Sabbath we are to cease doing all the works of the world and are to do the things that pertain to God. A psalm, therefore, is a song on the Sabbath, a day when we work for God, not for the world. [.  .  .]

145-h-2. on psalm 149† 3942

[.  .  .] Wherever there is a choir, many diverse voices are brought together into one song. Just as individual chords make one sound in the song, so diverse voices, namely, when the faithful assemble together, form the Lord’s choir. May they praise his name as a choir. Where there is dissension, where there is envy, there is no choir. [.  .  .]

145-h-3. on mark 11:15–17†† 3943

[.  .  .] Behold! The days of fasting have ended—days of fast, days of penance, days of purification. Let us now rejoice and be glad. The man in the Gospel, who is said to carry a little flask of water, leaves the house and goes to the guest room.1 You are about to be baptized. And so prepare yourselves today for what will occur tomorrow. Those who head off to battle diligently make themselves ready beforehand. Does the enemy have a shield? A sword? A spear? Arrows? Is his horse refreshed? Arms are prepared beforehand so that one can fight. Fasting is your weapon; humility your battle. Should any person have something against another, let him or her forgive in order to be forgiven, for no one should consider approaching baptism to have sins forgiven who has not forgiven others. If you have something against another, extend forgiveness. I did not say that those having something against you are to forgive; no, if you have something, you are to forgive. It is in the power of another whether to forgive or not forgive. It is within your power to forgive so that you may be forgiven. You are approaching baptism. How happy are you, for you will be reborn 1. Lev 23:3.  2. See Num 15:32–36. † Translated from CCL 78:349. †† Translated from CCL 78:495. 1. See Mark 14:13–16.

145. Jerome  357 in Christ. You will put on the garment of Christ. You will be buried with Christ so that you may rise with Christ. During the remaining days you will hear in proper order about the things that pertain to the mysteries; as for now, I have told you that, starting tomorrow, you may know that you must labor greatly. May the all-powerful God strengthen your hearts; may God make you worthy of his washing; may God descend upon you in baptism and sanctify the water so that you might be sanctified. No one having doubts is to approach. No one is to say, “Do you think my sins have been forgiven?” Whoever approaches in this manner will have no sins forgiven. It is better not to approach at all than to do so with such an outlook and especially those of you who seek baptism because you desire to serve God in a monastery.

145-h-4. on mark 13:32–33; 14:3–6† [.  .  .] When you go down into the life-giving font with the Savior, then you will have to learn how the ointment comes upon the Savior’s head. If Christ is your head, then your head is to be anointed, and you are anointed after the baptism.

3944

145-h-5. on the nativity of the lord†† [.  .  .] Let us recall in our hearts that Christ was born on this day. Others 3945 believe he was born on the Epiphany. We do not condemn the opinion of others; we merely follow our own. “Let all be fully convinced in their own minds.”1 Those who hold that the Savior was born on the Epiphany and we who believe he was born on this day—all of us worship the same Lord; all of us acknowledge the same infant. [.  .  .]

145-h-6. on psalm 41 (42). to the neophytes††† [.  .  .] Before baptism the neophytes spoke to one another, saying, “When will I come and appear before the face of God?”1 Behold, what they sought is now given. They came and stood before the face of God, and they appeared before the altar and before the mystery of the Savior. No one deserves to see this except those who with good conscience and repentant hearts call this to mind: “My tears were my bread day and night.”2 Throughout the whole season of Lent they dedicated themselves to prayer and fasting; they slept in sackcloth and ashes, seeking the life to come by confessing their sins. Because they shed tears and showed sorrow, they are told, “Those who sow in tears will reap rejoicing.”3 Also, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”4 Translated from CCL 78:499. Translated from CCL 78:527. 1. Rom 14:5. ††† Translated from CCL 78:543. 1. Ps 42:2.  2. Ps 42:3.  3. Ps 126:5.  4. Matt 5:4. †

††

3946

358  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East 3947

When the devil went on to insult them and say, “Where is your God?”5 they, having received Christ’s Body and having been reborn in the lifegiving font, confidently speak and say, “I will go to the place of the wonderful tabernacle, up to the house of the Lord.”6 The church is the house of God; it is a wonderful tabernacle because within it dwell the voices of joy, thanksgiving, and the sounds of those who are feasting. Certainly the angels in heaven and all the powers rejoice that our brothers and sisters have come to belief and have obtained eternal life. For if the angels rejoice and are happy over one sinner doing penance and over the one sick lamb carried back on the shoulders of the shepherd, how much more will the whole heavenly kingdom rejoice with so many of the brethren being reborn and made clean in the life-giving waters, purified from the ancient stain of sin and prepared for their dwelling place.

145-h-7. on easter sunday† [.  .  .] Just as Mary, the Virgin Mother of God, holds first place among all women, so today is the mother of all days. This is something new, and yet it is confirmed by the Scriptures; this day is both one from seven as well as one beyond seven. Today is called the eighth day, and for this reason some psalms bear the title “for the octave.” This is the day on which the synagogue came to an end and on which the Church was born. This is the day in whose number eight souls were saved in Noah’s ark.1 Its counterpart, says Peter, now saves you.2 This is the day concerning which Ecclesiastes commands, “Make seven or eight portions.”3 These are the eight steps by which in Ezekiel we go up to God’s temple. This is the eighth day whose sacred meaning, with the faith of all nations in Christ, begins Psalm 8: “O Lord, our Lord, how wonderful is your name throughout the whole world.”4 3949 Why must I go on and on? A whole day would not be sufficient for me to explain today’s mystery. I say only this, namely, that the universal grace of the Sabbath and the ancient festival of the Jewish people are changed by the solemnity of this day. On the Sabbath the Jews performed no servile work; on the Lord’s Day, namely, on the day of Christ’s resurrection, we do no servile work because we are not servants of vice and sin. Whoever sins is the servant of sin. The Jews do not leave their houses; we do not leave the house of Christ, for we are in the Church. [.  .  .] 3948

145-I. Letters More than 150 letters are found in the corpus of Jerome’s writings. Some of these, however, were written to Jerome; others are Jerome’s translations of various Greek documents. 5. Ps 42:3.  6. Ps 42:4. † Translated from CCL 78:545–46. 1. See Gen 7:14.  2. 1 Pet 3:21.  3. Eccl 11:2.  4. Ps 8:1.

145. Jerome  359

145-i-1. letter 14. to heliodorus, monk†a viii. [.  .  .] Far be it that I should say anything unfavorable about 3950 those clerics who, being successors of the apostle, bring about the Body of Christ by sacred words; through them we are Christians; they possess the keys of the kingdom of heaven; to a certain extent they render judgment before the day of judgment; they preserve the spouse of Christ by a modest chastity. Yet as I mentioned earlier, the status of the monk is one thing, that of the clergy is another. The clergy feed the sheep, and I am fed by them. They live by the altar, and I—should I not bring my gift to the altar—have the axe applied to my root as if I were a tree bearing no fruit.

145-i-2. letter 22. to eustochium††a xxxv. [.  .  .] The cenobites live apart from one another, dwelling in connected cells. Till the ninth hour no monk, except those whom we call deans, is to visit another monk. The task of the deans is to console with comforting words those whose spirits are disturbed. After the ninth hour the monks come together, sing psalms, and read the Scriptures according to their custom. Once the prayers have ended and all are sitting, the person known as “father” begins the exposition. While he is speaking, there is such a great silence that no one dares look at another or cough. Praise for the speaker is found in the weeping of the listeners. Tears silently flow down their cheeks, and yet their sorrow does not erupt into sobbing. When he begins to speak of Christ’s kingdom, of future happiness, of the heavenly glory to come, you can see all the monks, with eyes lifted up toward heaven and with restrained sighing, saying among themselves, “Who will give me wings like those of a dove so that I can fly and be at rest?”1 Then those who have gathered are dismissed, and each group of ten goes with its father to the table. Each week they take turns serving one another. During the meal there is no noise, no talking. They take only bread, legumes, and vegetables; their only seasoning is salt and oil. Only the elderly receive wine and with the young have a meal so that the advanced years of the former be supported and that the tender years of the young not begin to decay. Thereupon all rise together and after singing a hymn they return to their cells. There until evening each speaks with his companions and says, “Did you notice so-and-so, how much grace † Translated from Sancti Eusebii Hieronymi Epistulae, vol. 1, ed. I. Hilberg, CSEL 54 (Turnhout, 1910) 55. a. Written between 374 and 379. Heliodorus: the bishop of Altinum near Aquileia. †† Translated from CSEL 54:197–201. a. Written at Rome in 384. Eustochium: the third daughter of Jerome’s friend, Paula. 1. Ps 55:7.

3951

360  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East he has, how great a silence he has observed, how restrained is his walking?” Should they encounter a sick person, they give consolation; if they see someone fervent in love of God, they encourage that person’s zeal. At night, in addition to the public prayer, each is to keep watch in his own cell. [.  .  .] Each Sunday they devote themselves to prayer and the readings, having first carried out their customary tasks. Each day they are taught something from the Scriptures. Throughout the whole year they observe the same fasts except during Lent when they live more strictly. After Pentecost the evening meal is changed into a midday meal, both to satisfy ecclesial tradition and not to burden the stomach with a double amount of food. [.  .  .] 3952 xxxvii. Even though the apostle commands us to pray always,2 and although sleep itself is a prayer for the holy ones, nonetheless, we ought to observe the various hours of prayer so that if we should perhaps be totally involved in our work, time itself will warn us as to our duty. There is no one who is unaware that prayer should take place at the third, sixth, and ninth hours as well as at dawn and in the evening; nor that one should ever leave the table without first giving thanks to the Creator. We should arise two or three times during the night and review what we have memorized from the Scriptures. [.  .  .]

145-i-3. letter 41. to marcella†a 3953

3. [.  .  .] In accord with apostolic tradition—and the whole world agrees with us—we fast for one Lent. They [the Montanists] observe three forty-day fasts each year as if three saviors had suffered, not that it is unlawful to fast throughout the year except for Pentecost. Yet it is one thing to fast because one is obliged to do so, and another to fast voluntarily. [.  .  .]

145-i-4. letter 46. paula and eustochium to marcella††a 3954

xii. [.  .  .] As said earlier, in the country-home of Christ there is complete rusticity and, except for the singing of the psalms, there is silence. Wherever you turn, the ploughman holding the plow is singing Alleluia, the exhausted reaper finds relief in singing the psalms, and the vinedresser sings the songs of David while pruning the vine. These are the songs that are found in this country. As people say, they are the songs of love. They are whistled by the shepherds. They are the tools used by the tiller. [.  .  .] 2. See Eph 6:18. † Translated from CSEL 54:313. a. Written at Rome in 385. Marcella: a widow and one of Jerome’s good friends at Rome. †† Translated from CSEL 54:342–43. a. Written at Bethlehem in 386.

145. Jerome  361

145-i-5. letter 48. to pammachius†a xv. [.  .  .] Paul the apostle says that we are not able to pray after having 3955 had sexual relations with our wives.1 Peter exhorts continence so that our prayers not be impeded.2 [.  .  .] What is greater? To pray or to receive the Body of Christ? If intercourse hinders what is less important, so much the more does it hinder what is more important. In the same work I stated that David and his companions, because of 3956 the Law, were not able to eat the loaves of proposition unless they were able to answer that for three days they were free from women, not only from prostitutes—something prohibited by the Law—but from their wives to whom they were rightly joined.3 The people also, when about to receive the Law on Mount Sinai, were ordered to abstain from their wives for three days.4 I know that at Rome it is customary for the faithful always to receive the Body of Christ, a practice I neither censure nor approve—let all be fully convinced in their own minds5—but I appeal to the consciences of those who on one and the same day receive Communion after having had intercourse and, according to Persius, “have washed away the night in a stream.”b Why, I ask, do they not dare go to the martyrs? Why do they not presume to enter the churches? Is there one Christ in public and another Christ at home? Whatever is not permitted in church is not permitted at home. Nothing is hidden from God. Night shines like the day before him. All are to examine themselves6 and then approach the Body of Christ. Postponing Communion for one or two days does not make a Christian more holy so that what I have not merited today I will merit tomorrow or the next day. If I grieve that I did not receive the Body of Christ, then I should for a short time refrain from my wife’s embrace so that I might prefer the love of Christ over that of my wife. [.  .  .]

145-i-6. letter 51. from epiphanius, bishop of salamis in cyprus, to john, bishop of jerusalem††a ii. [.  .  .] Many bishops in communion with me have ordained presbyters 3957 in our province, presbyters whom we were unable to provide for, and they have sent to us deacons and subdeacons whom we gratefully received. [.  .  .] I have never ordained deaconesses nor sent them into other provinces, nor have I ever done anything to cause division in the Church. [.  .  .] Translated from CSEL 54:376–77. a. Written in 392/393. Pammachius: a Roman senator and a cousin of Jerome’s good friend Marcella. b. See Persius II:16. 1. See 1 Cor 7:5.  2. See 1 Pet 3:7.  3. See 2 Sam 21:5.  4. See Exod 19:15.  5. See Rom 14:5.  6. See 1 Cor 11:28. †† Translated from CSEL 54:398, 441. a. Jerome translated this letter, written by Epiphanius of Salamis (WEC 2:78), into Latin. John: namely, John II, the bishop of Jerusalem (386–417). †

362  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East 3958

ix. I have heard that some are murmuring against me. When we went on to the holy place that is called Bethel so that, according to the Church’s custom, I might join you in celebrating the collecta, I came to the village called Anablatha. Passing through, I saw a lamp burning there. Upon inquiring as to what kind of place it was, I was told it was a church. Entering in so that I might pray, I found there a curtain suspended on the church’s doors, a curtain dyed, embroidered, and having an image of Christ or of one of the saints—I don’t remember precisely whose image it was. When I saw that an image of a man was hanging in a church of Christ—this being contrary to the authority of the Scriptures—I tore the curtain apart and advised the custodian of the place that this curtain be used as a shroud for some deceased poor person. Those in charge murmured, saying that since I tore the curtain apart, it was fitting for me to give them a replacement. [.  .  .] I have now sent them the best curtain I have been able to find, and I ask that you direct the presbyter of that place to receive [.  .  .] the curtain that I am sending and to direct that in Christ’s church curtains of any other type—contrary as they are to our religion— are not to be hung. [.  .  .]

145-i-7. letter 52. to nepotian†a 3959

viii. When speaking in church, seek not the people’s cries of approval but their lamentations. The tears of those listening are to be your praises; the words of the presbyter are to be based on the reading of the Scriptures. Do not be a declaimer or a garrulous chatterbox; rather, be someone who is most skilled in the mysteries and in the sacraments of your God.

145-i-8. letter 60. to heliodorus††a 3960

xii. [.  .  .] Nepotian took care to see that the altar was glowing, that the walls were without dust, that the brick pavement was wiped clean, that the doorkeeper was always at his post, that the curtains were always on the doorways, that the sacristy was clean, and that the vessels were shining. With reverent care he saw to all the ceremonies, and he neglected no duty, whether great or small. Whenever you looked for him in the church, you found him there. [.  .  .] He decorated the basilicas of the Church and the shrines of the martyrs with various types of flowers, foliage, and vine leaves so that whatever was pleasing in the church, whether by location or appearance, testified to the work and zeal of the presbyter in charge of it.

Translated from CSEL 54:428. a. Written in 394. Nepotian: a presbyter at Altinum. †† Translated from CSEL 54:563–64. a. Heliodorus: a monk and the bishop of Altinum near Aquileia. †

145. Jerome  363

145-i-9. letter 71. to lucinius†a vi. You ask whether a fast is to be observed on Saturday and whether the Eucharist is to be received each day, as is customary in the Roman church and in Spain. [.  .  .] Briefly, I believe that ecclesiastical traditions, especially those that do not hinder faith, are to be followed as earlier generations passed them down; what one church does is not to be rejected because another church acts differently. And so would that we fast at all times, as we read in the Acts of the Apostles that the faithful did with Paul during the days of Pentecost and on the Lord’s Day.1 These, however, are not to be accused of the Manichaean heresy since bodily nourishment is not to be preferred to spiritual nourishment. As to the Eucharist, without any rebuke from me or pang of conscience you may always receive. Listen to the psalmist who says, “Taste and see the goodness of the Lord”2 and sing with him, “My heart pours forth a good word.”3 This is what I am saying. Do not fast on feastdays; do not fast during the weekdays of Pentecost. Each province is to follow its own desires4 and to consider the precepts of the elders as apostolic laws.

3961

145-i-10. letter 77. to oceanus††a xi. Fabiolab had just breathed her last and returned her soul to Christ to whom it belonged [.  .  .] when all the people in the city gathered for her funeral. They sang psalms, and the golden roofs of the temple shook with Alleluias raised on high. Choirs of young and old acclaimed her deeds and sang the praise of her holy soul. [.  .  .]

3962

145-i-11. letter 82. to theophilus, bishop of alexandria†††a ii. In the Gospel we read: “If you bring your gift to the altar and while there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go first to be reconciled with your brother; and then come and offer your gift.”1 If we are not to offer our gifts without being at peace, how much the more are we to be at peace when receiving the Body of Christ? How can I in good conscience respond † Translated from Sancti Eusebii Hieronymi Epistulae, vol. 2, ed. I. Hillberg, CSEL 55 (Vienna, 1918) 6–7. a. Lucinius: a wealthy Spaniard from Baetica and a student of the Scriptures. 1. See Acts 13:2–3.  2. Ps 34:8.  3. Ps 44:1.  4. See Rom 14:5. †† Translated from CSEL 55:48. a. Written in 399. Oceanus: a Roman official, perhaps a senator, who was noted for upholding orthodoxy. b. Fabiola: a Roman noblewoman who went to Bethlehem in 394, where she engaged in various charitable and religious activities. ††† Translated from CSEL 55:109. a. Theophilus: Bishop of Alexandria 385–412, a staunch opponent of paganism. 1. Matt 5:23–24.

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364  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East “Amen” to the Eucharist of Christ when I have doubts about the love of the person presenting it?

145-i-12. letter 98. from theophilus† 3964

xiii. [.  .  .] He [Origena] pretends that the Holy Spirit does not extend its work to inanimate things and does not reach those who lack reason. He asserts this but does not recognize that the mystical waters of baptism are made holy by the coming of the Holy Spirit and that the Lord’s bread, which shows forth the Body of the Savior and which we break to sanctify ourselves, as well as the holy cup—all being placed on the table of the church and which are certainly inanimate—are made holy by the invocation and the coming of the Holy Spirit. [.  .  .]

145-i-13. letter 107. to laeta††a i. [.  .  .] A holy and faithful household sanctifies a nonbeliever. Someone who is surrounded by a group of believing children and grandchildren is a candidate for the faith. I even think that if [your father] had such a family when he was young, he would have been able to believe in Christ. He might spit upon and deride my letter; he might call me foolish or mad; and yet his son-in-law did this before he came to faith. Christians are made, not born. [.  .  .] 3966 ix. [.  .  .] May your daughter never go out in public without you, her mother. May she never visit the basilicas of the martyrs or the churches without you. [.  .  .] May our little virgin not observe days of vigil and solemn night vigils while being in the least separated from her mother’s side. [.  .  .] She should rise at night for prayer and psalmody. She should sing the psalms in the morning and at the third, sixth, and ninth hours as if to join the battle line of Christ. She should light the lamp to offer the evening sacrifice. May she spend the day doing all this; may she pass the night in similar fashion. May reading follow prayer; may prayer follow reading. Time will pass quickly when it is filled with such a great variety of works. 3965

145-i-14. letter 108. to eustochium†††a 3967

xx. I will now say a word about the procedure followed in the monastery [established by Paula]. [.  .  .] She divided the many virgins whom she gathered from the various provinces—some of noble birth, others from the middle or lower class—into three groups or monasteries so that, although apart for work and for meals, they came together for the singing of the psalms and Translated from CSEL 55:196–97. a. See WEC 1:43. †† Translated from CSEL 55:291, 300. a. Laeta: the daughter-in-law of Paula, one of Jerome’s good friends. ††† Translated from CSEL 55:334–35, 348. a. Eustochium: the third daughter of Paula, a friend of Jerome. †

145. Jerome  365 for prayer. After the singing of the Alleluia—this being a signal calling them together for the collecta—no one was permitted to stay behind. [.  .  .] At dawn, at the third, sixth, and ninth hours, in the evening, and at midnight they sang the psalms, one after another. Not one of them was allowed to be ignorant of the psalms; each day they were to learn something from the holy Scriptures. Only on the Lord’s Day did they proceed to the church next to which they lived, each group following its own mother. Returning home together, they devoted themselves to their assigned tasks. [.  .  .] 3968 xxix. Neither tears nor sorrow, so customary in the world, followed the death of Paula. Rather, all the monks were loudly singing the psalms in various languages. With their own hands the bishops placed her body upon a bier and carried it to the church located in the cave of the Savior where they placed it in the center. Other bishops carried torches and candles, whereas others led the choirs of the psalm-singers. [.  .  .] In Greek, in Latin, and in Syriac they sang the psalms one after another, not only during the three days before the interment beneath the church and next to the cave of the Lord but during the rest of the week. [.  .  .]

145-i-15. letter 109. to riparius†a i. [.  .  .] We honor the relics of the martyrs so that we might adore him on whose behalf they were martyred. We honor the servants so that this honor might extend to their Master. [.  .  .]

3969

145-i-16. letter 113. to theophilus†† ii. In your work I admire what is useful for all the churches, namely, that the ignorant be instructed by the authority of the Scriptures concerning the reverence they should show when receiving holy things and when ministering at Christ’s altar; they are to learn that the holy cups and holy veils and whatever else pertains to the worship of the Lord’s passion are not inert and unfeeling objects devoid of holiness but, because of their close relationship with the Lord’s very Body and Blood, are to be venerated with the same dignity as that shown to his Body and Blood.

3970

145-i-17. letter 120. to hedibia†††a ii. [.  .  .] We believe that the bread which the Lord broke and gave to his disciples is the Body of the Lord who said to them, “Take and eat, this is my Body.”1 We also believe that the cup is the cup concerning which he Translated from CSEL 55:352. a. Riparius: a presbyter in Gaul. †† Translated from CSEL 55:395. ††† Translated from CSEL 55:479–80. a. Written in 406. Hedibia: a lady living in Gaul who wrote to Jerome with questions on Scripture. 1. Matt 26:26. †

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366  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East said, “Drink from this, all of you, for this is my Blood of the new covenant which is shed for many unto the forgiveness of sins.”2 This is the cup concerning which we read in the Prophet, “I will accept the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord.”3 And elsewhere, “Your cup cheers me like the best oil.”4 For if the bread that comes down from heaven is the Lord’s Body and if the wine that he gave his disciples is his blood of the New Testament, the blood he shed for the remission of sins, then we disregard the stories of the Jews and ascend with the Lord to the Upper Room, prepared and clean, and receive from him on high the cup of the New Testament and there, celebrating the Passover with him, may we be intoxicated with the wine of sobriety. Food and drink are not the kingdom of God but “justice and joy and peace in the Holy Spirit.”5 It is not Moses but the Lord Jesus who gives us true bread. He is both the table companion as well as the feast; he is the one who eats and who is consumed. [.  .  .]

145-i-18. letter 130. to demetrias†a 3972

xv. [.  .  .] In addition to the order of psalmody and prayer, which you are always to follow at the third, sixth, and ninth hours, in the evening, at midnight and when morning breaks, you should decide on how many hours you will devote to the study of Scripture, how much time for reading, doing so not to burden the soul but to delight and instruct it. [.  .  .]

145-i-19. letter 146. to evangelus†† 3973

i. In Isaiah we read, “The fool will speak what is foolish.”1 I hear that a certain person has become so foolish as to place deacons before priests, even before bishops. Now if the apostle clearly teaches that presbyters are the same as bishops, then would not a servant of the table and of widows be arrogant to consider himself superior to those whose prayers bring about the Body and Blood of Christ? Now by what authority do I say this? Listen to the following testimony, “Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the holy ones in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi with the bishops and deacons.”2 Do you wish another example? In the Acts of the Apostles Paul speaks as follows to the priests of the one Church, “Watch over yourselves and over the whole flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you bishops so that you might care for the Lord’s Church which he acquired by his own blood.”3 And so that no one may contend that there were many bishops in the one Church, listen to the following testimony which most clearly proves that the bishop and the presbyter are 2. Matt 26:27–28.  3. Ps 116:4 (13).  4. Ps 23:5.  5. Rom 14:17. † Translated from Sancti Eusebii Hieronymi Epistulae, vol. 3, ed. I. Hilberg, CSEL 56 (Vienna, 1918) 195. a. Demetrias: a virgin and ascetic of Roman birth who settled in Carthage. †† Translated from CSEL 56:308–12. 1. Isa 32:6.  2. Phil 1:1.  3. Acts 20:28.

145. Jerome  367 the same: “This is why I have left you in Crete so that you might correct what needs correcting and might appoint presbyters in each city as I have commanded you to do. A bishop or a dispenser of God should be without sin, married only once, having faithful children who are not accused of licentiousness or rebellion. He must be blameless.”4 And to Timothy, “Do not neglect the gift given to you by prophecy through the imposition of the hands of the presbyters.”5 In his first letter Peter says, “I beseech the presbyters among you, doing so as a fellow presbyter and a witness to the suffering of Christ and a participant in the glory that will be revealed. Feed the flock of Christ, overseeing it not by force but willingly as God would so desire.”6 The Greek makes this more clear: episkopountes, namely, “overseeing,” and this is the origin of the word “bishop” [episcopus]. Now does the testimony of such great men appear insignificant to you? Then just listen to the Trumpet of the Gospel, the Son of Thunder, whom Jesus loved the most, who from the breast of the Savior drank the waters of doctrine, “The Presbyter to the chosen lady and to her children, whom I love in truth.”7 In another letter he writes, “The Presbyter to the beloved Gaius whom I love in truth.”8 Afterwards one presbyter was selected to be set over the others, this being done as a remedy for schism so that no one divide the Church of Christ by drawing it to himself. For at Alexandria, from the time of Mark the evangelist to Heraclas and Dionysius, the presbyters always selected one of their own number to be bishop, to be higher in rank, just as an army appoints its leader or as deacons select from among themselves one whom they know to be diligent, making him an archdeacon. For other than ordaining, what does a bishop do that a presbyter cannot do? Are we to judge that there is one Church in the city of Rome and another in the rest of the world? Gaul and Britain, Africa, Persia, India, and all foreign countries adore the one Christ and observe one rule of faith. If you seek authority, the world is greater than its major city. Wherever there is a bishop, whether in Rome or Engubium, whether at Constantinople or at Rhegium, whether at Alexandria or at Zoan, each bishop’s dignity and priesthood is one. Power over riches and the lowliness of poverty do not make him any more or any less a bishop. All are successors of the apostles. ii. But you ask why a presbyter in Rome is ordained on the testimony of a deacon. Why do you mention the custom of one city only? Why do you oppose to the Church’s laws a smaller number of cases that can be called into question. The rarer something is, the more it is sought after. In India the penny-royal is more expensive than pepper. Being few in number, deacons are more highly regarded, whereas presbyters, because of their numbers, are less thought of. Even in the church of Rome the presbyters sit whereas the deacon stands although—defects gradually increasing—I have seen a deacon in the bishop’s absence sitting among the presbyters 4. Titus 1:5–7.  5. 1 Tim 4:14.  6. 1 Pet 5:1–2.  7. 2 John 1:1.  8. 3 John 1:1.

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368  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East and at domestic meals giving his blessing to the presbyters. Those acting in this manner should know they are not acting correctly. They should listen to the apostle, “It is not fitting that we should neglect the word of God to minister at the table.”9 Let them know why they were appointed deacons. Let them read the Acts of the Apostles. May they remember their condition. The name presbyter refers to age; the term episcopus refers to dignity. Consequently when writing to Timothy10 and to Titus11 the apostle speaks of the ordination of the bishop and of deacons, and yet he says absolutely nothing about presbyters because the office of the presbyter is contained in that of the bishop. When someone is promoted, it is from the lower to the higher. [.  .  .] 146. Mark the Deacon

Mark, a deacon, was an assistant to Porphyry, bishop of Gaza 395–420. Porphyry, born ca. 347, spent a number of years as a monk in Egypt and Palestine and was ordained a priest ca. 392, becoming bishop of Gaza in 395. At the time Gaza, a city in southwest Palestine, was a center of Greek paganism, one of the last strongholds of the old religion, its residents not even allowing Christians to construct churches within the town’s borders. One of Porphyry’s main goals as bishop was to eliminate pagan worship from the city, especially by having the pagan temples destroyed or replaced. He died in 420. CPG 3:6722 * Altaner (1961) 257 * Altaner (1966) 243 * Bardenhewer (1913) 4:308–11 * Bardenhewer (1910) 318–19 * Steidle 245–46 * DACL 14.1:1465–69 * DCB 3:826 * DictSp 10:266–67 * DPAC 2:2101–2 * EC 8:40 * EEC 1:527 * EEChr 2:721 * PEA (1894) 14.2:1867

146-A. Life of Porphyry, Bishop of Gaza† Scholars believe that this biography, based on notes written by Mark, was redacted in the late fifth or early sixth century. 3975

xxi. Some of the Greeks [.  .  .] came with us to the holy church. The saintly man [Porphyry], having sealed them with the sign of Christ, had them depart. There were 127 of them, 78 men, 35 women, and 14 children, of whom 5 were maidens. And once we had offered the perfect sacrifice of thanksgiving, each returned home. [.  .  .] On the eleventh [of January] we celebrated the feast of our Lord and Master’s Theophany, doing so with joy, singing hymns, and giving thanks for all the blessings given us through God’s loving kindness. [.  .  .] 9. Acts 6:2.  10. See 1 Tim 3:1–13.  11. See Titus 1:5–9. † Translated from Vie de Porphyre évêque de Gaza, trans. and ed. H. Grégoire and M.A. Kugener (Paris, 1930) 18–19, 27, 39–40, 46–47, 71.

146. Mark the Deacon  369 xxxi. All presenta were struck with wonder and cried out, “Great is the God of the Christians. Great is the priest Porphyry.” The next day the woman’s parents, her husband, and all the members of her family went to blessed Porphyry. Throwing themselves at his feet, they requested to be sealed in Christ. Porphyry marked them with the Christian seal, made them catechumens, and enjoined them to frequent the holy church. He then instructed them and a little later baptized them, together with the woman and her infant who was given the name Porphyry. Some sixty-four people were enlightened [baptized] because of this woman. xlvii. [.  .  .] The day arrived when the young emperor Theodosiusb was to be baptized. The whole city was decorated with silk, jewels, and all types of ornamentation to such an extent that it is simply impossible to describe the city’s splendor. One could see the throng of citizens moving like a wave, their glistening garments assuming all forms and colors. It is beyond my ability to describe this splendor; to do so belongs to those who are skilled in writing. For me, I return to my true account. After the young Theodosius had been baptized and while he was returning to the palace from the church, one could again view the magnificent crowd of dignitaries walking at the head of the procession and clothed in shining garments. All, in fact, wore white so that the crowd seemed to be covered with snow. In front of the procession were the patricians, the important civil servants, all sorts of celebrities, together with sections of the army—all carrying candles so that it seemed as if the stars were shining on the earth. Close by the infant, who was being carried, walked the emperor Arcadius himself,c happy in countenance and brighter than the purple he was wearing. One of the notables was holding the infant who also was garbed in a white robe. We were amazed in seeing all this glory. And Saint Porphyry told us, “If earthly things, which pass so quickly, have such glory, what about the heavenly things prepared for those who are worthy of them, ‘things the eye has not seen nor has the ear heard, things that have never entered into the human heart.’”1 lvii. [.  .  .] We called to the owner of the shipd and said to him, “Do you desire that your ship be saved together with us and your own soul?” He replied, “Unquestionably!” And the bishop [Porphyry] said to him, a. Namely, those present when through the intercession of Porphyry, a woman having problems giving birth safely delivered. b. Theodosius II: Roman emperor in the East 408–50. c. Arcadius: Roman emperor in the East 377–408 and father of Theodosius II. d. A severe storm was threatening the ship upon which the bishop and his deacon were traveling. 1. 1 Cor 2:9.

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3977

3978

3979

370  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East “Reject your evil belief and believe in the true faith; be saved, you, your ship, and all of us.” The ship owner said, [.  .  .] “I believe what you believe; I reject the heresy of Arius and Arius himself.” [.  .  .] The holy bishop took and sealed him again, praying over him, and also had him share in the divine mysteries. Meanwhile the storm ceased; toward evening the wind receded; the weather was good for sailing. [.  .  .] 3980 xcii. Five years had to pass before the construction of the great holy church was completed. Its name was Eudoxiana, called after the Empress Eudoxia,e most beloved of God. The most holy Porphyry consecrated it on Easter,f the Day of the Resurrection, doing so in a splendid fashion, sparing no expense. Those who gathered were all the monks, about a thousand of them together with other devout people, clergy, laity, and bishops. All the days of the holy Easter were days of rejoicing. Choirs of angels were seen not only during the offices of the church but also at the time meals were taken. Their table was not only material but also spiritual: a psalm was said after the meat course; there was a hymn after the libations. When the pagans saw what had happened, their hearts were warmed. Strangers from all over arrived to gaze upon the beauty and magnificence of this holy church, which was said to be greater than all the other churches existing at the time.

Egypt 1 4 7 . A p o p h t h e g m ata Pat r u m

The Apophthegmata Patrum or Sayings of the Fathers is an anonymous collection of proverbs, maxims, and anecdotes illustrating the piety and desert experience of the Egyptian monks. Oral in origin, the collection has come down to us in various languages, e.g., Greek, Latin, Syriac, Coptic, Armenian, etc., thus testifying as to the popularity of the work, which appears to have been edited or redacted toward the end of the fifth or the beginning of the sixth century. Two forms exist: one listing the monks alphabetically, the other presenting general topic areas. Much research remains to be done to unravel the complexity of this precious historical resource on early Eastern monasticism. CPG 3: nos. 5560ff. * Altaner (1961) 256–57 *Altaner (1966) 239 * Bardenhewer (1913) 4:107–9 * Bardy (1929) 155–56 * Quasten 3:187–89 * Steidle 100 * CATH 1:719 * CE 1:623–24 * CHECL 379–80 * DHGE 3:1021–23 * DictSp 1:765–70 * DPAC 1:291–92 * DTC 1.2:1602 * EC 1:1670–71 * EEC 1:60–61 * EEChr 1:87–88 * LTK 1:849 * NCE 1:678 * NCES 1:568–69 * ODCC 88 * PEA (1991) 1:894 * RACh 1:545–50

e. Eudoxia: wife (d. 404) of Arcadius. f. The date was April 14, 407.

147. Apophthegmata Patrum  371 Arsenius † a xxiv. [.  .  .] Another time Abbab Arsenius said to Abba Alexander, “After 3981 you finish cutting your palm branches, come and join me in eating. But if guests should arrive, then eat with them.” Abba Alexander was a slow worker, someone who took his time. When the hour for eating came, he still had branches to cut. Wishing to comply with the older monk’s directives, he waited till he finished his work. But Abba Arsenius, seeing that Abba Alexander was late, went ahead and ate, thinking to himself that guests had perhaps arrived. Abba Alexander, his work being completed in the evening, returned. The old man asked him, “Did you have guests?” “No, I did not.” Then Abba Arsenius asked, “So why did you not come?” “Because you told me that I should come only after I had cut the palm branches. I complied with what you said. I did not come because my work was not yet finished.” The old monk marveled at his careful obedience and told him, “Break your fast right now so that you might say your synaxis [of prayer]; take some water so that your body not become weak.” Epiphanius c iii. Blessed Epiphanius, the bishop of Cyprus, was told the following by the abbot of a monastery Epiphanius had founded in Palestine. “By your prayers we have not neglected our canon [of prayer] and the psalmody, but we zealously celebrate Terce, Sext, and None. But Epiphanius, reproaching them, said, “Clearly you neglect the other hours of the day when you cease praying. It is fitting that a true monk always have prayer and psalmody in his heart.”

3982

Macarius d 3983 xxxiii. [.  .  .] Macarius said, “Two young men, foreigners, came to see me. [.  .  .] When early morning came, I pretended that I had just awoken. They did likewise. The older of the two said to me, ‘Is it your wish that we say the twelve psalms?’ I replied in the affirmative. The younger man sang five psalms, each with six verses and one Alleluia. At each verse a flame of fire poured forth from his mouth and ascended into heaven. The same was true for the other. When he opened his mouth in psalmody, it was as Translated from PG 65:93–96, 163–64, 277–78, 585–88. a. Arsenius: a well-known Egyptian monk, formerly a tutor at the imperial court (d. ca. 449). b. Abba: an Aramaic term for “father,” a title given in Egypt to an older and more venerable monk. c. Epiphanius: founder of a monastery in Palestine and then bishop of Salamis on Cyprus (WEC 2:78). d. Macarius: although many Egyptian monks at the time bore the name “Macarius,” this is Macarius the Egyptian (d. ca. 390). †

372  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East if a flame of fire issued forth, extending upward as far as the heavens. For a short while I also recited the psalms, saying them by memory.” [.  .  .] 3984

An Abba from Rome i. Once there was a Roman monk who lived in Scetise close to a church. [.  .  .] An Egyptian notable, hearing about him, came to pay a visit, thinking that the monk would be leading a very ascetic life. Entering, he greeted the monk. After a prayer was said, they sat down. [.  .  .] When evening came, they recited twelve psalms and fell asleep. Likewise during the middle of the night. In the morning the Egyptian rose and said to the monk, “Pray for me.” He then departed. [.  .  .] 148. Cyril of Alexandria

Born in Alexandria ca. 375, Cyril apparently led a monastic life for a number of years. His uncle was Theophilus, the metropolitan of Alexandria 385–412 and an opponent of John Chrysostom (WEC 2:74). Cyril was a supporter of Theophilus, whom he succeeded as metropolitan. As bishop Cyril was more than eager to engage in controversy. As to the pagans, he appears to share at least indirect blame for the cruel murder of the neoplatonist philosopher Hypatia at the hands of a Christian mob. As to the Jews, he once expelled them from Alexandria after an incident of Jewish-Christian strife. Both Arianism and Novatianism were also objects of his rhetoric. But it is especially in regard to his opposition to Nestorius that Cyril is most remembered. Nestorius, metropolitan of Constantinople, defended the proposition that Mary was the mother only of Christ’s humanity and consequently could not be called the Theotokos (“the mother of God”). The position of Nestorius was eventually condemned at the Council of Ephesus (431), which was presided over by Cyril, who died in 444. Although a first-rate theologian and a prolific author, Cyril is perhaps more often remembered by historians as a bishop who loved power, conflict, and controversy, all used, in his mind, on behalf of orthodoxy. CPG 3: nos. 5200ff. * Altaner (1961) 328–34 * Altaner (1966) 283–88 * Bardenhewer (1908) 360–70 * Bardenhewer (1910) 230–40 * Bardenhewer (1913) 4:23–78 * Bardy (1929) 149–54 * Bautz 1:1183–86 * Hamell 118–21 * Jurgens 3:205–36 * Quasten 3:116–42 * Steidle 90–95 * Tixeront 160–64 * CATH 3:407–12 * CE 4:592–95 * CHECL 353–57 * DCB 1:763–73 * DHGE 13:1169–77 * DictSp 2.2:2672–83 * DPAC 1:691–96 * DTC 3:2476–2527 * EC 3:1715–24 * EEC 1:214–15 * EEChr 1:310–12 * LTK 2:1368–70 * NCE 4:571–76 * NCES 4:465–70 * ODCC 443–44 * RACh 3:499–516 * TRE 8:254–60 E. Michaud, “Saint Cyrille d’Alexandrie et l’eucharistie,” RIT 10 (1902) 599–614, 675–92. * J. Mahé, “L’eucharistie d’après s. Cyrille d’Alexandrie,” RHE 8 (1907) e. Scetis or Scete: a center of Egyptian monasticism in the Libyan Desert about halfway between Alexandria and Cairo.

148. Cyril of Alexandria  373 677–96. * A. Struckmann, Die Eucharistielehre der hl. Cyrill von Alexandrien (Paderborn, 1910). * P.-T. Camelot, “L’eucharistie dans l’école d’Alexandrie,” Div 1 (1957) 71–92. * E. Gebremedhin, Life-Giving Blessing: An Inquiry into the Eucharistic Doctrine of Cyril of Alexandria, Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis; Studia Doctrinae Christianae Upsaliensia 17 (Uppsala, 1977). * L.J. Welch, Christology and Eucharist in the Early Thought of Cyril of Alexandria (San Francisco, 1994).

148-A. Dialogue on the Trinity† This anti-Arian treatise consists of seven dialogues with a certain Neme­ sius, a friend of the author. The first six dialogues treat the divinity of the Son; the seventh, the Holy Spirit. By nature all of us are separate individuals. Nonetheless, we are united as one. We have different personalities, and thus one person is Peter or John, Thomas or Matthew. Yet we are, as it were, molded into the one body of Christ. We feed on one flesh alone. One Spirit makes us one; as Christ is one and indivisible, so we are no longer apart but one in him. And so Christ said to his heavenly Father, “That they may be one as we are one.”1

3985

148-B. Adoration and Worship of God in Spirit and in Truth†† 3986 6. Suppose that some part of your body is ill. Now if you truly believe that the Lord of the Sabbath—as well as the various invocations attributed by Scripture to God in accord with the divine nature—will cure your illness, then even when you utter these sayings over yourselves, you will fare much better than the pagans since you are glorifying God and not the impious spirits. I also recall the divinely inspired writing which says, “Are any among you sick? Let them call in the presbyters of the Church.”1

148-C. Glaphyra††† The Glaphyra or Elegant Comments is a systematic explanation of certain Pentateuch passages. The work, in seven books, was written after 412. II. [.  .  .] He commanded that during this night, namely, in this world, flesh be eaten. This is what Paul had in mind when he wrote, “The night has passed; the day approaches.”1 By this Paul clearly meant the world to come, whose light is Christ himself. Therefore, he says, they eat flesh in Translated from PG 75:695. 1. John 17:11. †† Translated from PG 68:471–72. 1. Jas 5:14. ††† Translated from PG 69:427–48. 1. Rom 13:12. †

3987

374  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East this world. For insofar as we are in this world, we will imperfectly share Christ by means of his holy Body and precious Blood. However, when on the day of his power and strength we will hasten forward and, as is written,2 go up to join the fellowship of the saints, there we will be made holy in another fashion, one known by him who distributes and gives future benefits. Receiving the holy Body and drinking the salutary Blood have within themselves a profession of Christ’s death, a death he suffered for our sake. As he said elsewhere when establishing laws concerning this mystery, “As often as you eat this bread and drink this wine, you will proclaim the death of the Lord.”3 In the present world we proclaim his death by sharing in these things. [.  .  .]

148-D. Commentary on the Gospel of John† This highly theological and polemical commentary was written before 429. It is divided into twelve books, with only fragments remaining of books seven and eight. II.1. On John 3:5. [.  .  .] The human spirit is made holy by the Spirit; the body by water that has been sanctified. For just as water placed in a kettle receives its power from a strong fire, so through the working of the Spirit perceptible water is transformed, receiving a certain divine and ineffable power and sanctifying all who are within it. 3989 XI.11. On John 20:21. So that we might come together as united with God and with one another—even though we differ from each other in body and soul—the Only-Begotten has devised a certain means sought by his own wisdom and the counsel of the Father. By one body he, blessing through mystical communion those believing in him, has us share the same body with him and with each other. Can anyone divide those who are joined to Christ through the unity of that holy body and remove them from the natural unity existing among them? Now if all of us share in the one bread, so all of us form one body.1 Christ cannot be divided. The Church is called the body of Christ; we are his individual members, as Paul said.2 We are all united to the one Christ through his holy body since we receive him who is one and indivisible into our bodies. In this way our members serve him rather than ourselves. [.  .  .] 3990 XII.1. On John 20:22–23. [.  .  .] He believed that those who already possessed the divine and ruling Spirit should be able to forgive or retain the sins of any as they so desired since the Holy Spirit dwells in them, the Spirit who forgives or retains as the Spirit wills even though, as it happens, this is done by men. Furthermore, those having the Spirit forgive or retain sins, I believe, in two ways: they either invite to baptism those 3988

2. See Ps 110:3.  3. 1 Cor 11:26. † Translated from PG 73:243–46; 74:559–60, 721–22, 725–26. 1. See 1 Cor 10:17.  2. See Eph 5:30.

148. Cyril of Alexandria  375 whose probity of life and perseverance in faith has made them suitable for baptism or they forbid or delay from divine grace those who are not yet worthy of it. Yet there is still another means whereby sins are forgiven or retained, namely, when they correct the Church’s sinful children and pardon those who do penance. XII.2. On John 20:26–27. [.  .  .] Rightly, then, do we have our holy assemblies in church on the eighth day. To use allegorical language, as the idea demands, we do close the doors. Nonetheless, Christ visits and appears to all of us, whether invisibly or visibly: invisibly as God but also visibly in the body. He allows us to touch his holy Body and gives it to us. It is through divine grace that we can share in the blessed Eucharist. Doing so we receive Christ into our hand so that we may firmly believe that he in truth did raise up the temple of his body. To share in the holy Eucharist is to proclaim Christ’s resurrection. Christ’s own words prove this, the very words he used when he carried out this type of the mystery. As it is written, he broke the bread and gave it to them, saying, “This is my Body, which is given for you unto the forgiveness of sins: do this in memory of me.”3 The divine mysteries not only fill us with divine blessedness. They are a true profession and memorial of Christ’s death and resurrection which took place for us. [.  .  .]

3991

148-E. Apology to the Emperor† Writing to Emperor Theodosius II,a Cyril here explains his actions before and during the Council of Ephesus in 431. Then the holy synod gathered in the church named after Maryb and appointed Christ to be, as it were, its confessor and head. The gospel book was placed on its holy throne in order to be venerated. [.  .  .]

3992

148-F. Letter 9. To Posidonius††a 6. [.  .  .] Having failed on this occasion, Nestoriusb thought of something else. He said, “Why did you have private gatherings and celebrate the sacrifice in homes?” Almost every cleric said to him, “Each of us does so when the times or necessity so demand.” Nonetheless, Nestorius brought a decree of deposition against the man. [.  .  .] 3. See Matt 26:26, 28; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19; 1 Cor 11:24. † Translated from PG 76:471–72. a. Theodosius II: emperor in the East (WEC 3:134). b. The ruins of this building still exist. †† Translated from PG 76:457–58. a. Posidonius: a deacon in Rome. b. Nestorius: the patriarch of Constantinople (b. after 351; d. after 450) whose name is given to the doctrine that there exist two separate persons in Christ, one human and the other divine.

3993

376  Chapter X. Fifth Century. East 149. Isidore of Pelusium

Born ca. 360 in Alexandria, Isidore was a priest and a member of a monastic foundation near Pelusium, a port city in Lower Egypt. Although the sixthcentury Roman deacon Rusticus speaks of him as an “abbas monasterii circa Pelusium,” common opinion is that “abbas” here means a “teacher” or “instructor.” Highly regarded among his contemporaries, Isidore died ca. 440. CPG 3: nos. 5557ff. * Altaner (1961) 308–9 * Altaner (1966) 267–68 * Bardenhewer (1910) 316 * Bardenhewer (1913) 4:100–107 * Bautz 2:1383 * Quasten 3:180–85 * Steidle 99 * Tixeront 168 * CATH 6:153–54 * CE 8:185–86 * DCB 3:315–20 * DHGE 26:211–12 * DictSp 7.2:2097–2103 * DPAC 2:1834–35 * DTC 8.1:84–98 * EC 7:254 * EEC 1:417–18 * EEChr 1:593 * LTK 5:618 * NCE 7:673–74 * NCES 7:601–2 * ODCC 851 * PEA (1894) 9.2:2068–69 * PEA (1991) 5:1121

149-A. Letters† Some 2,012 letters (19 being doublets) written by Isidore were collected between 450 and 550 at a monastery in Constantinople. They treat a wide variety of topics: e.g., exegesis (for the most part not allegorical), spirituality, theology, contemporary events. The letters, usually very brief and written from 393 to 433, have come down to us artificially divided into five books. I.xc. [.  .  .] Women were originally permitted by the apostles and presbyters to join in singing so as to prevent their gossiping in church. Later, this permission was withdrawn since it was learned that women did not gain any salutary fruits of penance from divine song but used the sweetness of melody for disturbances of every kind since they looked on it exactly the same way as theater music. [.  .  .] 3995 I.cxxii. When the bishop goes up to the church’s episcopal chair, he extends the peace, doing so in imitation of the peace Jesus left to his disciples.1 The people reply, “And with your spirit.” The meaning here is as follows. Lord, the peace you offered us is our unity together. Grant us peace, namely, a similar unity with you, a unity that can in no way be broken,2 so that we, made peaceful with your Spirit (indicated to us at creation’s beginning), may never be separated from your love. 3996 I.cxxv. [.  .  .] In grave necessities and dangerous situations the saying is: “Surrounded as we are by evils, let us baptize our children as soon as possible.” 3997 I.ccxxviii. The reason why the reception of the divine sacraments is called Communion is that the sacraments join us to God and make us members and participants of his kingdom. 3994

† Other than I.xc, letters are translated from PG 78:263–64, 325–26. The translation of Letter I.xc is taken from J. Quasten, Music & Worship in Pagan & Christian Antiquity (Washington, D.C., 1983) 81. 1. See John 14:27.  2. See Rom 8:35ff.

Index to Volume Three Numbers in bold and within parentheses are subhead numbers, which indicate particular authors/documents in this volume. All other numbers refer to marginal paragraph numbers. account of institution. See Eucharistic Prayer/anaphora: institution account acolyte(s), 2788, 2794, 2926, 3113 adiaphoron, 3905 Africa, 2607, 2626, 2783, 2860, 3043, 3973 alb, worn by deacon, 3092 Alexandria, 2961, 2984, 3918–19, 3973 Alleluia almsgiving and, 2571 exchanged by newly baptized, 3836 meaning of, 2567–68, 2665, 2698, 2702–5 as psalm response, 2987, 2997, 3832 as signal for prayer, 3967 sung by a reader, 2740 sung during Easter/Pentecost season, 2567, 2623, 2665, 2694, 2700, 2703–4 sung everywhere, 3954 sung on certain days, 2563–74 sung only on Easter, 3917 unity and, 2558 almsgiving, 2673, 2903–4 (114-A-3) Alleluia and, 2571 baptism and, 2903–4 box for, 3656 deceased, benefitting the, 2556 fasting, related to, 2822, 2868–69, 2873, 2885, 2891. See also fasting/ fasts forgiveness of sins and, 2651, 2657, 2873, 2891, 2903–4, 2964 great merit in, 2864 Monica and, 2510 prayer and fasting, related to, 2813, 2866, 2869, 2871 See also poor: care for

altar(s), 3541 blessing/consecration of, 3043 crowned with beauty, 3567 deacons as, 3042 decoration of, 3513 to God alone, 2505–6 kissing, 3555 location of, 3651 relics of saints under, 2796–98 symbol of Christ, 2796 symbol of Christ’s tomb, 3551 symbol of God’s throne, 3551 as table, 3541, 3964. See also Eucharist: as meal/banquet tomb, as a type of, 3441 veil/cloth, 3551, 3561, 3652 See also Eucharist: as sacrifice Alypius of Thegaste (d. ca. 430?), 2498–2500 (97) ambo. See pulpit/ambo Ambrose of Milan (d. 397), 2511, 2515, 2607, 2765, 2768–73, 3224, 3516–17, 3521–31, 3897, 3923–24 Amen, 2521, 2558, 3447 anamnesis. See Eucharistic Prayer/ anaphora: anamnesis (memorial) anaphora. See Eucharistic Prayer/ anaphora “And with your spirit,” 3449–51, 3461, 3684 angel(s) baptism, present at, 2753 baptism, rejoicing at, 3947 deacons as, 3551 deceased rejoicing in company of, 2770 Divine Office’s number of psalms, determining, 2983–84, 2988

377

378  Index to Volume Three Easter season, present during, 3980 in harmony with us when sins are remitted, 2554 Paschal Vigil, celebrating, 2757–58, 2760 praise of God and, 2700 readers numbered among, 3040 sacrifice, assisting at, 3569 singing in alternation with the Trinity, 3247 Angers, Synod of (453). See councils/ synods: Angers (453) Anicetus, Pope (ca. 154–ca. 166), 3230 anointed ones, 2507 anointing postbaptismal. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: anointing(s), postbaptismal prebaptismal. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: anointing(s), prebaptismal of self, 2583 See also chrism/myron; oil: blessing of Antioch, 3894–95 antiphonal psalmody. See psalms/ psalmody: singing, methods of antiphons, 2767 Apocalypse of Peter, 3922 Apollinaris, Sidonius. See Sidonius Apollinaris Apophthegmata Patrum (4th–5th centuries), 3981–84 (147) Aquarians. See water: replacing wine Aquileia, 2764 Arabia, 3915 Arcadius, 3978 archdeacon(s), 3112–13, 3116, 3919, 3973 architecture, church. See church(es): architecture of Arian(s), 2511, 2740, 2741, 2766, 3145, 3224, 3246, 3926 Arius, 3918, 3979 Arles II, Synod of (between 442 and 506). See councils/synods: Arles II (between 442 and 506) Arnobius “the Younger” (5th century), 2736–37 (100)

Ascension, feast of, 2609 observed throughout whole world, 2711 assembly absenting oneself from, 2656, 3082 admittance to, those allowed, 3754 by Arians, 3246, 3926 arriving late, 3755–58 bad Christians present within, 2689 church, held outside a, 3927 clergy and laity, place for, 3531–32 Eucharist and, 3454 on feast of Saint Lawrence, 2720 at home rather than in a church, 3219 as house of God, 2729 improper behavior in, 2699 members of, uneducated, 2807 members showing enmity toward one another, 3151 place for prayer, 2674 reduced size of, 2656 return to, 2801 on Saturday, 3246 on Sunday, 3246, 3991 unity in. See unity: faithful, of the Athanasius (ca. 296–373), 2517, 3217–18 Augustine of Hippo (354–430), 2501– 2734 (98), 2735 Balai (d. ca. 460), 3541 (140) baptism/initiation, 2519–20 (98-F), 2524–38 (98-I), 2901 (114-A-1) Africa or Mauretania, of those coming from, 2860 baptism cannot be determined, of those whose, 2858 bathing in water before, 3794 of children. See children/infants: baptism of Christ and, 2545, 2589, 2710, 2893, 2901, 2903, 3046 day(s) for celebrating, 2762, 2830–32, 2862, 3180, 3238, 3781–82, 3789, 3792. See also Pasch/Easter: baptism during of the dying, 2862, 2929 fasting before, 2691, 3796. See also fasting/fasts

Index to Volume Three  379 heretics conferring, 2520, 2595, 2602, 2708, 2845–47 of heretics, 3052, 3061 by John the Baptist. See baptism (of Jesus) by John martyrdom and, 2648, 2962, 3064, 3789 no memory of having been baptized, of those having, 2859 menstruating women and, 3795 minister(s) of, 2520, 2523, 2542, 2714, 2957, 3614, 3812, 3900, 3930 necessity of, 2528, 2716, 3064 New Testament and, 2752 Old Testament types, 2522 only one, 3061 outside the Church, by those, 2520, 3061 postponing, 2508–9 the power of speech, of those who have lost, 3127–28 repeated, not, 2523, 2595, 2602, 2708, 2844–47, 3052, 3251–52, 3900 sinning after, 3244 sponsors/godparents, 2533, 2631, 2634, 3061, 3386, 3617 See also Holy Spirit: baptism and; water, baptismal baptism/initiation, effects of, 2752, 2874 death/life, 2635, 2707, 2831, 3624 as enlightenment/illumination, 2531–32, 3976 forgiveness of (washing away/ cleansing) sin, 2508, 2524–27, 2545, 2595, 2678, 2707, 2752–53, 2891, 2962, 3046, 3053, 3064, 3182, 3943, 3947, 3990. See also sin, forgiveness of rebirth, 2508, 2524, 2536, 2553, 2591, 2678, 2694, 2751, 2816, 2818, 2862, 2877, 2882–83, 2893, 2960, 3046, 3049, 3383–84, 3414–15, 3947 as sacrament, 2609, 3382 as seal, 3410 strengthening, 3053, 3060–61 unity, 2709–10 baptism/initiation, liturgy of anointing, 2676–77, 2754, 3049

anointing(s), postbaptismal (confirmation/chrismation), 2539, 2541, 2726, 2786, 3060, 3121–22, 3124, 3172, 3424, 3815–16, 3819, 3944. See also chrism/myron; Holy Spirit: baptism and anointing(s), prebaptismal, 2548, 2958, 3410, 3416, 3504, 3618–22, 3809–10 Christ, putting on, 2706 cross, signing with, 3424, 3612. See also signing with the cross the devil, renunciation of, 2533, 2753, 2893, 3398–3408, 3609–11, 3810 elect (competentes), 2680, 2694 Eucharist and, 2690–91, 2893, 3064, 3427–30, 3629–30 exorcisms, 2533, 2553, 2593, 2691, 2819, 3388–91, 3394–97, 3792–93, 3797–3800, 3810. See also oil: blessing of exsufflation/insufflation, 2553, 2593, 2819 facing east, 3811. See also orientation for prayer facing west, 3810. See also orientation for prayer formulas, 2545, 2549, 2609, 2690, 2714, 2781, 3061, 3064, 3145, 3381, 3419–22, 3814, 3900 immersion/going down into/coming out of water, 2831, 3064, 3418, 3628, 3808, 3900, 3929 inscription of names, 2574, 2646, 2666, 3080, 3385, 3387, 3394, 3611, 3618. See also elect (competentes) jewelry, rings, etc., removal of, 3808 kiss of peace, 3819. See also kiss of peace milk and honey, 3929 mystagogical catecheses. See mystagogical catechesis nakedness of the baptized, 3614 the Our Father, receiving/reciting back, 2659, 2693, 3394 profession/handing over of the creed, 2592–95 (98-T), 2661, 2678–79, 2692, 2753, 2764, 2893,

380  Index to Volume Three 3064, 3392, 3394, 3540, 3626–27, 3814 sackcloth and, 3615 scrutinies, 2958 sequence in which people are baptized, 3804 white garment/linen cloth, 2688, 2754, 2917, 3250, 3411, 3423, 3628, 3836, 3943, 3978 See also baptismal font/pool/shell; bishop(s)/hierarch(s): baptism and; catechumenate, length of; catechumens; feet, washing of; hand(s), imposition/laying on of; Holy Spirit: baptism and; oil: blessing of; signing with the cross; water, baptismal baptism (of Jesus) by John, 2901 feast of, 2961 baptismal font/pool/shell, 2678, 2960, 3046 baptismal oil. See chrism/myron; oil baptistery catechumens forbidden to enter, 3134 dimensions of, 3648 veil, 3653 baptized, newly, 3946–47 the Alleluia, exchanging, 3836 Easter Vigil, remaining in church after the, 3851 exhortation to, 2706 obligations of, 3081 Bardesanes (154–222), 3518, 3893 basilica, architecture of. See church(es): architecture of belief, law of, 3047 bells, 3539 bema, 2587 Bethlehem, 3017 bishop(s)/hierarch(s) admittance to liturgy and, 3074 baptism and, 3251, 3392 Church, higher place in, 3070 church, location in, 3678 Communion, first to receive, 3486 conditions for being considered as, 2848 consecration of church and, 3178

consecration of virgins and, 3043 Daily Office, role at, 3671, 3705–21 passim deaconesses and, 3678 deacons and. See deacon(s): bishop(s) and dismissals from liturgy and, 3675 doorkeeper(s) and, 3116 episcopal ordinations, assisting at, 3664–67 exorcist(s) and, 3114 fasting and, 3672–74 gathering with the elect on Holy Saturday, 3797 giving the peace, 3670 hands, imposition of and, 3679 instructing the people, 3918 leading the psalm-singers, 3968 minister of ordination, 3072 ministry of, 3044, 3071, 3157 number of in one area, 3915 ordain a penitent, not to, 3106 ordaining for money, 3378 ordaining unlawfully, 3107 ordaining within his own district, 3154 ordination of, 2826–27, 2848, 3109, 3663–70, 3974 penitents and, 3901 presbyters and, 3070, 3678, 3973 qualities of, 2669, 3671, 3674, 3734, 3736, 3973 reader(s) and, 3115, 3678 rising for gospel, 3919 selection of, 2848, 3663–64, 3897, 3973 seven orders in the Church, one of, 3044 sick, care for the, 3860 subdeacons and, 3678 successors of the apostles, 3973 teaching the people, 3676, 3720–21 traveling to distant places, 3930 use of the word, 2669 virgins and, 3850 visiting from another church, 3089 widows and, 3663, 3678 See also chrism/myron: preparation by bishop; clerics; hand(s), imposition/laying on of

Index to Volume Three  381 bishop’s chair/cathedra, 3650–51, 3658 Bonosians, 3145 book of the Gospels. See gospel book bowing, 3581 bread breaking of. See Communion rite: fraction/breaking of bread Christ as daily, 2502–3, 2815 Britain, 3973 burial Alleluia at, 3962 of Ambrose, 2772–73 of catechumens, 2667 of Fabiola, 3962 hymns/no hymns during, 2643, 2738 of Hypatius, 3377 of a nun, 3209 of Paula, 3968 of Paulinus of Nola, 3167 procession, 2773, 3167, 3209, 3377 psalmody during, 3377, 3962 Callicinius (after 426), 3373–77 (136) candles, 3051, 3113, 3938 canonical readings. See Word, Liturgy of: canonical readings cantor(s)/singer(s), 3533 appointment of, 3117 Claudianus, 3050 Donatus as a good, 3203 monastic practice and, 2987 teaching others, 3050 Cappadocia, 3036 capsa, 3132 Carthage, 2581, 2652, 2743 Carthage V, Synod of (401). See councils/synods: Carthage V (401) Carthage VI, Synod of (407). See councils/synods: Carthage VI (407) Carthage, Synod of (411). See councils/ synods: Carthage (411) Cassian, John. See John Cassian casulae, 2653 catechumenate, length of, 3781 catechumens baptism of, 3781 baptistery, not to enter, 3134 burial of, 2667

“conceived yet not born,” 2663 dismissal of, 3074, 3783, 3845, 3856 eulogia, not to receive, 3837 faithful, numbered among the, 2548 fasting before baptism, 3080 gifts for Eucharist not accepted, 3680 hearers, 3133 imposing hands upon, 2535, 3791. See also hand(s), imposition/laying on of Pasch (Eucharist), not to celebrate the, 2535, 2551 place for, 3649, 3784–85 prayer by, 2535, 3946 prayer for, 3047 preparation of, 2544, 2664, 3776– 3801, 3943 Sunday and, 3180 See also elect (competentes); secret, discipline of; signing with the cross cathedra. See bishop’s chair/cathedra Celestine I, Pope (422–32), 2808–11 (111) cemeteries burial place provided by the Church, 3864 churches in, 2788 See also burial Chalcedon, Council of (451). See councils/synods: Chalcedon (451) chalice. See cup chant. See singing children/infants baptism of, 2524–28, 2530–34, 2549, 2553, 2591, 2593, 2631–35, 2671, 2694, 2715–17, 2726, 2742, 2746, 2749, 2751, 2771, 2793, 2810, 2861, 3061, 3807, 3976–77, 3996 community and, 2631–33 deportment of during Easter Vigil, 3843 enrolled among Church’s ministers, 2794 singing psalms, 3832, 3861 See also Communion: to children choir(s), 2805 of psalm-singers, 3968 unity of voices in, 2570, 3942 of young and old, 3962

382  Index to Volume Three chrism/myron, 2552, 2754, 2958, 3049 anointing of sick and, 2791 blessing of, 3123. See also oil: blessing of Christ and, 2677 obtained from a presbyter’s own bishop, 3108, 3138, 3172 preparation by bishop, 2791, 3043, 3124, 3172 reconciliation of heretics and, 3052, 3123, 3145, 3148 sacrament of the Holy Spirit, 2691 See also baptism/initiation, liturgy of: anointing(s), postbaptismal Christ. See Jesus Christ Christian, name of, 2669, 2717 Christian prayer. See Office, Daily (cathedral)—east; Office, Daily (cathedral)—west; Office, Daily (monastic)—east; Office, Daily (monastic)—west; Office, ������������������� Daily (pri����� vate/early beginnings of) Christians, “made, not born,” 3965 Christmas. See Nativity of the Lord Chromatius of Aquileia (d. 407), 2752–63 (104) Chrysostom, John. See John Chrysostom church(es) architecture of, 2796–2803, 3647–62 decoration within, 3511–12, 3958, 3960 dedication/consecration of, 2729, 2798, 2925, 3043, 3178, 3513, 3980 house of God, 3947 invasion of, 2740–41, 2766 keys of, 3116 Mary, named after, 3992 monks, used by, 3207 orientation of, 2801, 3239 place of assembly, 2645 place within for the emperor, 3924 restoration of, 3511–12, 3890 Saint Justus, in honor of, 3051 See also oratory; prayer(s): places for Church formed by blood and water from side of Christ, 2682

members of Christ’s body as, 2648 church, location of men in, 3651 church practice, diversity in, 2607, 3204–44, 3922. See also unity cincture, 2808 circus, not to be held, 3250 Claudianus, Epitaph of, 3050 clerics not allowed to become, those, 2644, 3088 Daily Office and, 3163, 3173 daily sacrifice, not attending, 3169 fasting and, 3101 ministry, refusing to carry out, 3155 night vigils, attendance at, 3083, 3211 penance, admitted/not admitted to, 3126, 3150 wives, refraining from, 2850 collection for poor. See almsgiving Communion bad Christians receiving, 2689 to children, 2833 not consuming what is received, 3171 as “daily bread,” 2658 to the dying/Viaticum, 2770, 2779–80, 2844, 2959, 3125, 3149 fasting before, 2616–17, 3853, 3855, 3876 the “holy may approach.” See Communion rite: invitation to receive married persons and, 3955–56 monks receiving on Saturday and Sunday, 3892 pagans, those who lived with, and were baptized as children, 2861 Paschal Vigil and, 3181, 3947 prayer after, 3491 preparation for receiving, 2654, 3062, 3215, 3492, 3824–25 receive, those not to, 2734, 3695 receiving in the hand, 3598–3600, 3991 reverence toward. See Eucharist: reverence toward to the sick, 3857 union with Christ, 2658, 3485 unity of hearts, 2693, 3485

Index to Volume Three  383 water or bread afterwards, taking, 3212 worthy/unworthy, reception of, 2612, 2693, 2978 See also Eucharist: frequency of reception/celebration Communion rite cup, misusing, 3823 cup, receiving from, 2691, 2721, 2775, 2933, 2935, 3698, 3823. See also wine, at Eucharist disposal of what remains, 3883–88 formulas, 2712, 2900, 3488–90, 3585–87, 3593–94, 3599, 3697–98, 3822, 3963 fraction/breaking of bread, 3474–80, 3584, 3640 hymns during, 2596 invitation to receive, 3482–84, 3684 minister of, 2721 order of receiving, 3486–88, 3595, 3696 Our Father during, 2693, 3588 prayer(s) after, 3699–3710 union of bread and wine, 3475–76 women receiving, 3695 See also eulogia; kiss of peace conciliabula, 3104 concluding rites. See Mass/Divine Liturgy: rites, concluding confession, meanings of, 2565, 2662 confessors, not ordained, 3762 Confirmation. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: anointing(s), postbaptismal Constantine, 3214–16, 3232, 3889–91 letter of, 3507–12 Constantinople, 3902, 3919–21, 3926 Cornelius, 2709, 3010, 3221–22 councils/synods Angers (453), 3152–57 (126-E) Arles II (between 442 and 506), 3139–51 (126-D) Carthage V (401), 2746–47 (102-A) Carthage VI (407), 2748 (102-B) Carthage (411), 2652 Chalcedon (451), 3378–79 (137) Irish Synod I (between 450 and 456), 3173–79 (129-A)

Irish Synod II (after 456), 3180–82 (129-B) Milevis (416), 2749–50 (102-C) Nicaea I (325), 2959, 3141, 3245, 3581, 3895 Orange I (441), 3123–36 (126-B) Riez (439), 3121–22 (126-A) Rome (ca. 400?), 2957–58 (116-A) Rome (488), 2959 (116-B) Toledo I (400?), 3168–72 (128-A) Tours I (461), 3158–59 (126-F) Tyre (335), 3513 Vaison (442), 3137–38 (126-C) Vannes (between 461 and 491), 3160–64 (126-G) creed/profession of faith Divine Liturgy, during the, 3552 handing over. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: profession/handing over of the creed cross church’s narthex, above, 2800 Constantine and, 3891 relic of true, 2796–99 signing with. See signing with the cross cup received by subdeacon, 3112 receiving Communion from. See Communion rite: cup, receiving from Cyprian of Carthage (b. between 200 and 210; d. 258), 2519, 2538, 2723, 3203 Cyril of Alexandria (d. 444), 3985–93 (148) dancing, 2723–24, 2728, 3162, 3539 Day of the Lord. See Sunday/Lord’s Day: names for Day of the Sun. See Sunday/Lord’s Day: names for daybreak, prayer at. See Office, Daily (cathedral)—east: Morning Prayer (Matins); Office, Daily (cathedral)— west: Morning Prayer (Matins); Office, Daily (monastic)—east: Morning Prayer (Matins); Office, Daily (monastic)—west: Morning Prayer (Matins); Office, Daily

384  Index to Volume Three (private/early beginnings of): Morning Prayer De septem ordinibus ecclesiae, 3038–46 (119) deaconess(es) appointment of, 3379 bishop and, 3678 Communion to pregnant women, bringing, 3859 location of in church, 3661 marry, not to, 3379 ordained, not to be, 3136, 3957 deacon(s) as altars of Christ, 3042 baptizing by, 3828 bishop(s) and, 3090, 3678, 3746, 3749, 3973 chrism and, 3172 Communion, distributing, 2928, 3042, 3091, 3144, 3827, 3857 continence and, 3158 exhorter of the people, 3881 Gospel, reading, 3720, 3919 liturgical fans and. See fan(s), liturgical location of in church, 3660, 3662 meal prayer and, 3974 ministry of, 3746–47 monks and, 3882 number of, 3748, 3916 observing their proper limits, 2927 ordination of, 2826–27, 2930, 3111, 3156, 3760–61 penance, not admitted to, 2849 preaching and, 3093 presbyters and, 2926, 3042, 3090, 3152, 3880, 3973 presbyters, not to give Communion to, 3042, 3826, 3858 presbyters, not to sit with, 2928, 3144, 3973 psalmody and, 3042 qualities of, 3753 role, 2626 role at baptism/initiation, 2957, 3124, 3809, 3813 role at Mass/Divine Liturgy, 3436–37, 3439–41, 3444–45, 3452, 3456–57, 3481–82, 3551, 3553,

3555, 3558, 3560, 3585, 3603, 3631, 3747, 3749–52, 3754–59, 3821, 3826, 3843 role at Morning Prayer, 3706, 3720. role during the lucernarium, 3831 selection of, 3745 seven orders in Church, one of, 3042 sick and, 3737 time spent as, 2794 unity, calling to, 3205 vesture of, 3092, 3438 virgins, assisting, 3850 See also clerics deceased the bodies of, those who care for, 3098, 3863 burial of. See burial catechumens, 2667 Eucharist offered for, 2515, 2643, 2735, 3079 funeral garment provided for, 3865 praying for, 2668, 2670, 2713, 2735, 3559 devil, renunciation of the. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: the devil, renunciation of diaconicon, 3647, 3656 Dionysius the Great of Alexandria (d. ca. 264), 3973 direct psalmody. See psalms/psalmody: singing, methods of dismissals, of those not receiving Communion, 3545–49. See also catechumens: dismissal of; penitent(s): dismissal of; Word, Liturgy of: dismissals from Donatist(s), 2519–20, 2523, 2715, 3253 Donatus, 2714, 3203 doorkeeper(s) appointment of, 3116 function of, 3039, 3960 penance, those who have done, 3168 seven orders in Church, one of, 3039 dying Augustine when, 2735 reconciliation of. See reconciliation: dying, of the See also Communion: to the dying/ Viaticum

Index to Volume Three  385 east, facing at baptism, 3811 during prayer. See orientation for prayer Easter. See Pasch/Easter Easter season. See paschal season Easter vigil. See Pasch/Easter: vigil Easter week newly baptized and, 2624 washing of feet during, 2625 Ebionites, 3538 Egypt, 2961, 2981–83, 3920 Egyptians, 2678, 3022, 3910 eighth day of the week. See Sunday/ Lord’s Day: names for elect (competentes), 2694 bringing loaf of bread, 3803 gathering with bishop on Holy Saturday, 3797 Elizabeth, 3198, 3200 Ember Days, 2870–71, 2872 fasting on, 2866–73, 2900 ordinations on, 2930 Encratites, 3537 energumens catechumens who are, 3180 clerics, not to become, 3131 Communion and, 3129 consignation of, 2789 exorcists, hands laid upon by, 3094, 3114 exorcists to supply food for, 3096 sweeping church, 3095 Ephraem the Syrian (ca. 306–73), 3518, 3893 epiclesis. See Eucharistic Prayer/ anaphora: epiclesis/invocation of the Holy Spirit Epiphanius of Salamis (ca. 315–403), 3982 Epiphany, 2743–44, 2902 (114-A-2), 3945 baptism and, 2830, 3180 blessing of font on, 2743 Egypt, as celebrated in, 2961 Gaza, as celebrated in, 3975 mystagogia on, 3724 observing, day and month for, 2733 prayer of widows on, 3770

veiling of virgins on, 2931 episcopal ordination. See bishop(s)/ hierarch(s): ordination of Eucharist assembly and, 3454 bread, living, 2528 “broken bread scattered/gathered,” 2691 celebrated for a particular person, 2515 defiled by Arians, 2741 forgiveness of sins and, 3494–95, 3565, 3641, 3645 frequency of reception/celebration, 2502, 2547, 2610, 2612, 2774, 2978, 3003, 3062, 3674, 3961. See also Mass/Divine Liturgy: frequency of celebration “many grains,” 2712, 2775 as meal/banquet, 2528, 2547, 2550, 2666, 2803, 2900, 2918, 2935, 3541. See also altar(s): as table minister(s) of, 3043, 3056, 3089, 3179, 3551, 3695 offered for the deceased, 2515, 2556, 2573, 2578, 3137 offered for the living, 3165 offered in private homes, 3993 Real Presence, 2635, 2666, 2691, 2712, 2774, 2900, 2936, 3055–58, 3431–33, 3487, 3534–36, 3551, 3645, 3971, 3987, 3991 reconciliation before receiving, 3546 reservation of, 2803, 3857–59 reverence toward, 3054, 3970 as sacrament, 2609 as sacrifice, 2556, 2575–77, 2640, 2693, 2774, 2811, 3055, 3121, 3373, 3435–36, 3457, 3502, 3505, 3565, 3577, 3928, 3939, 3975 salvation, necessary for, 2528 as thanksgiving/praise, 3464–67, 3685 unity and, 3453, 3985, 3989 Eucharist, Liturgy of bringing/presenting/distributing/ praying over gifts, 2510, 2745, 2785, 3087, 3100, 3439–43, 3531, 3550, 3631, 3803, 3821

386  Index to Volume Three hymns/prayers before Eucharistic Prayer, 2596, 3683 mixed cup. See wine, at Eucharist: mixed with water preparation for. See Communion: preparation for receiving preparatory prayers, 3444–47 See also Communion rite; Eucharist; Eucharistic Prayer/anaphora; hands, washing of Eucharistic Prayer/anaphora, 2540, 2693, 3461–73, 3684–93 anamnesis (memorial), 3383–84, 3578, 3689, 3991 epiclesis/invocation of the Holy Spirit, 2934, 3432–33, 3470–72, 3578–80, 3638–39, 3691–92, 3964 initial dialogue, 2692, 3461–63, 3684 institution account, 3301, 3335, 3573 intercessions/supplications/reading of names/commemorations, 2668, 2670, 2785, 3473, 3576 offering, 3689–90 people’s participation, 3560, 3574, 3634, 3636, 3642–43 preface, 2749–50 See also Holy, holy, holy/Trisagion eulogia, 3837, 3845 Eunomius, 3900 Eusebius Pamphilus of Caesarea (ca. 260–ca. 340), 3232, 3510, 3907 Eustathius, 2834, 3219, 3533, 3894 Evening Prayer. See Office, Daily (cathedral)—east: Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers); Office, Daily (cathedral)—west: Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers); Office, Daily (monastic)—east: Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers); Office, Daily (monastic)—west: Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers); Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of): Evening Prayer (lucernarium) exomologesis. See penance/ reconciliation exorcisms. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: exorcisms exorcist(s), 3388 adults as, 2794

appointment as, 3114 energumens and, 3094 energumens, supplying food to, 3096 place for in church, 3649 exsufflation. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: exsufflation/insufflation faith, profession of. See creed/profession of faith faithful Daily Offices, presence at, 3706–20 passim sacraments of the, 2551 See also laity fan(s), liturgical, 3441, 3551, 3567 fasting/fasts, 2673, 2907–9 almsgiving and, 2813, 2822, 2866, 2868–69, 2871, 2873, 2885, 2891 baptism, before, 2691, 3943. See also baptism/initiation: fasting before bishop(s)/hierarch(s) and. See bishop(s)/hierarch(s): fasting and catechumens and, 3946 clergy and, 3101 Communion, before. See Communion: fasting before December, during, 2866–67, 2869 Easter (Pentecost) season, during/ not during the, 2974–77, 3045, 3768, 3935 on Ember Days. See Ember Days: fasting on feast of Saint Felix, before, 2804 on Fridays, 2787, 2898, 3248 on Good Friday, 2606 Holy Week, during, 2613 in Milan, 2607 in monasteries/convents, 3935 Montanists and, 3953 neglecting, 3219 ordinations, before, 2827 Pasch, before the (i.e., during Lent), 2546, 2564, 2623, 2665, 2812, 2817–22, 2882–85, 2888, 2890, 2905–6, 2910, 2920–22, 3235, 3932, 3946, 3953 penance, as sign of, 2651 Pentecost, after, 2899

Index to Volume Three  387 poor, to benefit, 2909. See also poor: care for prayer and almsgiving, related to, 2813, 2869 in Rome, 3243 Saturdays, on/not on, 2604, 2606–7, 2610–11, 2630, 2787, 3030–33, 3243, 3961 sick and, 2884 sin, from, 2907, 2909 Sundays, on/not on, 2605, 3033, 3045, 3102, 3219 Thursdays, on/not on, 2613 variation in manner of, 3236 Wednesdays, on/not on, 2898, 3248 widows and, 3768 See also Communion: fasting before Faustus of Riez (d. ca. 490), 3052–60 (123) feast(s), attending assembly on, 3082 feet, washing of, 2625 fermentum, 2788 first fruits blessing of, 3839–41 prayer for those who give, 3840 font/pool, baptismal. See baptismal font/pool/shell fraction (breaking of bread). See Communion rite: fraction/breaking of bread frequency of Communion. See Eucharist: frequency of reception/ celebration Fridays, fasting on. See fasting/fasts: on Fridays funerals. See burial Gaudentius of Brescia (4th–5th centuries), 2774–75 (107) Gaul, 2783, 3017, 3973 Gelasius, Pope (492–96), 2925–56 (115), 3069 general intercessions. See Word, Liturgy of: petitions Gennadius of Marseilles (d. ca. 492– 505), 3061–69 (124) genuflecting. See kneeling/ prostrating/genuflecting Gervasius, 2512, 2582

gifts, bringing/presenting of. See Eucharist, Liturgy of: bringing/presenting/distributing/praying over gifts godparents. See baptism/initiation: sponsors/godparents Goliath, 3196 Good Friday, 2893–96 fasting on. See fasting/fasts: on Good Friday observance of, 3842, 3932 as observed in Alexandria, 3237 passion being read on, 2681 gospel book, 3992. See also lectionary grave diggers, an ecclesiastical order, 3038 “Great Week.” See Holy Week Habakkuk, 3200 hand(s), imposition/laying on of, 2862, 3544 baptism, after, 2726, 2847, 3059, 3064, 3817–19, 3929–30 catechumens, upon, 3720, 3787–88, 3791, 3856. See also catechumens: imposing hands upon confessors, not upon, 3762 diaconal ordinations, during, 3111, 3760–61 energumens, upon, 2789, 3094, 3114 episcopal ordinations, during, 3109, 3665–67 at marriage, 2806 offerings, upon, 3679 penitents, upon, 2697, 3928 prayers accompanying, approval needed for, 2748, 2750 presbyteral ordination, during, 3110, 3727–28 reconciliation, during, 2844, 3125, 3145 reconciliation of heretics, during, 2776 sick, upon, 3376 hands, upraised, 2730, 3931 hands, washing of, 3455, 3665 hearers, 2959, 3549. See also catechumens: hearers heathens. See pagans

388  Index to Volume Three heretics admittance to liturgy, 3074 gathering places of, 3104 noncanonical readings used by, 2628 objections to singing by, 3187 no prayer or psalmody with, 3105 reconciliation of, 2776, 2959, 3123, 3145, 3148 See also baptism/initiation: of heretics Hippo, 2583 Hippo, Epitaph from, 2751 (103) Hippolytus, Pseudo. See PseudoHippolytus Holy, holy, holy/Trisagion, 3466, 3469, 3570 Holy Saturday, 3842. See also Pasch/ Easter: vigil Holy Spirit, 3268–3353 passim anointing and. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: anointing(s), postbaptismal apostles, descended upon, 3005–6 baptism and, 2539, 2631, 2691–92, 2709–10, 2786, 2816, 2847, 2874, 2896, 2905, 3053, 3060, 3064, 3427–28, 3504, 3818, 3930, 3964. See also baptism/initiation, liturgy of: anointing(s), postbaptismal coming of, 2692 Ember Days and, 2872 enlightenment and, 3260 Eucharist and, 2540. See also Eucharistic Prayer/anaphora: epiclesis/ invocation of the Holy Spirit Paschal Vigil and, 2758 Pentecost and, 2897–98 priests, present in, 3578 reconciliation of heretics and, 2845 sending of, 2701 Holy Thursday bathing on, 2613, 2618 eucharistic celebrations on, 2613–15, 3167, 3830 fasting on, 2613–15, 2617 Paulinus of Nola and, 3167 Holy Week, concluded at midnight, 3833

Homoousians, 3225, 3246 Honoratus, 2770 hospitium, 3662 Hours. See Office, Daily (cathedral)— east; Office, Daily (cathedral)—west; Office, Daily (monastic)—east; Office, Daily (monastic)—west; Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of) Hydroparastatae, 3537 hymnal, 3066 hymns Ambrosian, 3069 Apollinaris, composed by, 3899 Arians and, 3246 Christian lyrics substituted, 3518 Communion, during distribution of, 2596 as “daily bread,” 2658 disagreement regarding singing of, 3895 Ephrem, composed by, 3893 at Epiphany, 2744 Eucharistic Prayer, before, 2596 Eustathius, sung by followers of, 3894 at evening, 2582 Melitians and, 3539 in Milan, 2767 monastic use of, 2561 morning, 3163 night, during the, 2744, 2807 nocturnal, 3246 praise of God, 2559, 2562, 2569 singing of, 3249, 3891 sung in harmony, 3533 used throughout whole world, 2561 usefulness of, 3185–3206 Ignatius of Antioch (ca. 35–ca. 107), 3247 imposition of hands. See hand(s), imposition/laying on of incensation, during liturgy, 3567 infants, baptism of. See children/infants: baptism of Innocent I, Pope (402–17), 2776–93 (108) institution account. See Eucharistic Prayer/anaphora: institution account

Index to Volume Three  389 intercessions. See Eucharistic Prayer/ anaphora: intercessions/supplications/reading of names/ commemorations invocation of Holy Spirit. See Eucharistic Prayer/anaphora: epiclesis/ invocation of the Holy Spirit Irenaeus of Lyons (ca. 130–ca. 200), 3229 Irish Synod I (between 450 and 456). See councils/synods: Irish Synod I (between 450 and 456) Irish Synod II (after 456). See councils/ synods: Irish Synod II (after 456) Isidore of Pelusium (d. ca. 440), 3994–97 (149) Israel, 3257, 3265, 3298, 3300 Italy, 2783, 3043 January, calends of, 2918–19 (114-A-10) January 1st, 2672–77 (98-X-16) Jerome (ca. 345–420), 3928–74 (145) Jerusalem, 2752, 3039, 3044 Jesus Christ altar as symbol of, 2796 baptism and, 2545, 2589, 2710, 2893, 2901, 2903, 3046 baptism by John, 2901 chrism and, 2677 Communion effecting union with, 3258, 3485 as “daily bread,” 2502, 2815 penance and, 2836 prayer and, 2675, 3514 putting on, 2706 Jews liturgy, admittance to, 3074 Paschal Vigil and, 2760 unleavened bread, eating, 3319 John the Baptist, 3198 John Cassian (ca. 360–between 430 and 435), 2961–3037 (118) John Chrysostom (ca. 347–407), 3246, 3926–27 Jordan River, 2901–2, 2922 kiss of peace at baptism. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: kiss of peace

catechumens exchanging, 3786 eucharistic liturgy, during, 2693, 2784, 3448–53, 3503, 3556–58, 3592, 3681, 3995 Paulinus of Nola and, 3166 See also bishop(s)/hierarch(s): giving the peace kneeling/prostrating/genuflecting forbidden during Pentecost, 3834 penitents and, 3099 times, at appropriate, 3877 times when permitted, 3832 labor forbidden on Sunday. See Sunday/ Lord’s Day: no/less labor on not forbidden on Holy Saturday, 3844 laity deacons and, 2927 functions forbidden to, 3085 See also faithful lamps, 3567, 3651 lighting of. See Office, Daily (cathedral)—east: Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers); Office, Daily (cathedral)—west: Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers); Office, Daily (monastic)—east: Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers); Office, Daily (monastic)—west: Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers); Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of): Evening Prayer (lucernarium) lapsed, penance/reconciliation, 2959, 3141–42, 3221–22 Lateran Baptistery, inscription in, 2960 (117) latria, 2506 Lawrence, deacon and martyr, 2719–22 laying on of hands. See hand(s), imposition/laying on of lectionary, 3068, 3115. See also gospel book lectors. See reader(s)/lector(s) Lent (Quadragesima), 2881–92, 2905–6 (114-A-4), 2913–15 (114-A-7), 2920–22 (114-A-11)

390  Index to Volume Three church tradition, commended by, 2624 date when it begins, 2961 fasting during. See fasting/fasts: Pasch, before the feasts during, major, 2886 forty-two days, 2921 length of, 3920 looking forward to, 2504 Montanists and, 3953 ordinations during, 2930 prayer during, 2905, 3801 priest not to go to a bath during, 2613 reading of synodal minutes during, 2652 scriptural types, 2818–21, 2906, 2913–15, 2920–22 tasks of the people during, 3801 tribulation and, present, 2567, 2702 washing of feet during, 2625 Leo I, Pope (440–61), 2823–2900 (113) Leontius, 3895 levite(s). See deacon(s) Lex supplicandi, lex credendi, 3047 Libya, 3920 Liturgy of the Eucharist. See Eucharist, Liturgy of Liturgy of the Hours. See Office, Daily (cathedral)—east; Office, Daily (cathedral)—west; Office, Daily (monastic)—east; Office, Daily (monastic)—west; Office, ������������������� Daily (pri����� vate/early beginnings of) Liturgy of the Word. See Word, Liturgy of Lord’s Day. See Sunday/Lord’s Day: names for Lord’s Prayer. See Our Father lucernarium, lighting of lamps, 3831–32. See also Office, Daily (cathedral)— east: Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers); Office, Daily (cathedral)— west: Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers); Office, Daily (monastic)— east: Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers); Office, Daily (monastic)— west: Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers); Office, Daily (private/

early beginnings of): Evening Prayer (lucernarium) Lupercalia, 2935 Macedonians, 3244 Magi, 2830 Manichaeans, 2605, 2628, 3961 manna, 2915 mantile, 3112 mantle, 2808 manutergium, 3112 Mark the Deacon (after 420), 3975–80 (146) marriage/wedding bishop and, 2806 clerics not to attend, 3162 couple spending first night as virgins, 3120 Eustathius, prohibited by, 3219 hands extended at, 2806 poem celebrating, 2805–6 presbyter and, 3120 sacraments, 2543 Marseilles, 3068 martyrdom, baptism and. See baptism/ initiation: martyrdom and martyrs baptism and, 3789 baptism on feast of, 2862 commemoration of, 2722, 2728, 3932 dancing at shrines of, 2723, 2724 Eucharist offered in memory of, 2550 feasts of, 2722 hymns and psalms at commemoration of, 2723 imitating, 2727 praying/not praying for, 2668, 2713 Protasius and Gervasius, 2512 relics of, 2586, 3063, 3969 shrines to, 2723, 3063 tombs of, gathering at, 2723 veneration of, 2505–6, 2512, 2601, 2722, 2742, 2796–97, 3063, 3938, 3969 vigils in honor of, 3939 See also relics of the saints; saints Mår¥tå of Maipherqat (2nd half of 4th century), 3877–88 (143)

Index to Volume Three  391 Mary, holding first place among all women, 3948 Mass/Divine Liturgy dismissal from. See catechumens: dismissal of; penitent(s): dismissal of frequency of celebration, 3169, 3210, 3237 place of celebration, 2739, 2765, 2801, 3213 repetition of on same day, 2828 rites, concluding, 3606–7 sequence to be followed, 3879 time of celebration, 3051 See also assembly; Eucharist, Liturgy of; Word, Liturgy of Matins. See Office, Daily: (private/ early beginnings of): Morning Prayer; Office, Daily (cathedral)— east: Morning Prayer (Matins); Office, Daily (cathedral)—west: Morning Prayer (Matins); Office, Daily (monastic)—east: Morning Prayer (Matins); Office, Daily (monastic)—west: Morning Prayer (Matins) Maximus of Turin (ca. 380–between 409 and 428), 2901–24 (114) meal(s) angels present at, 3980 prayer at, 3035, 3208, 3892, 3974, 3980 psalms at, 3203 meal/banquet, Eucharist as. See Eucharist: as meal/banquet mediana die, 2930 Melitians, 3539 memorial, prayer of. See Eucharistic Prayer/anaphora: anamnesis (memorial) midnight, prayer at. See Office, Daily (cathedral)—east: nocturnal prayer (vigils); Office, Daily (cathedral)— west: nocturnal prayer (vigils); Office, Daily (monastic)—east: nocturnal prayer (vigils); Office, Daily (monastic)—west: nocturnal prayer (vigils); Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of): nocturnal prayer (vigils)

Milan, 2511, 2607, 3897, 3923 Milevis, Synod of (416). See councils/ synods: Milevis (416) milk and honey. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: milk and honey mixed cup. See wine, at Eucharist: mixed with water monasticism/monks/nuns fasting. See fasting/fasts: in monasteries/convents hours and, 3951–52 profession, 3054 See also Office, Daily (monastic)— east; Office, Daily (monastic)— west monasticism, meal prayers, 3951–52 Monica, 2508, 2510, 2513, 2607, 2611 Montanists, 3913, 3915, 3920 Montanus, 2776 Morning Prayer. See Office, Daily (cathedral)—east: Morning Prayer (Matins); Office, Daily (cathedral)— west: Morning Prayer (Matins); Office, Daily (monastic)—east: Morning Prayer (Matins); Office, Daily (monastic)—west: Morning Prayer (Matins); Office, ������������������� Daily (pri����� vate/early beginnings of): Morning Prayer myron. See chrism/myron mystagogical catechesis, 2694, 3722–24 names place for commemorating, 3654 reading of, 3456, 3559. See also Eucharistic Prayer/anaphora: intercessions/supplications/reading of names/commemorations; Word, Liturgy of: petitions Narsai of Nisibis (d. ca. 503), 3542– 3645 (141) Nativity of the Lord, 2874–80, 3945 circus not permitted on, 3250 Egypt, as celebrated in, 2961 pagan practices, 2875, 2878–80 neophytes, 2917, 3139 Nestorians, 3993 Nestorius, 3993

392  Index to Volume Three Nicaea I, Council of (325). See councils/synods: Nicaea I (325) Nicetas of Remesiana (d. ca. 414), 3183–3206 (130) night, prayer during. See Office, Daily (cathedral)—east: nocturnal prayer (vigils); Office, Daily (cathedral)— west: nocturnal prayer (vigils); Office, Daily (monastic)—east: nocturnal prayer (vigils); Office, Daily (monastic)—west: nocturnal prayer (vigils); Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of): nocturnal prayer (vigils) noncanonical readings. See Word, Liturgy of: noncanonical readings None. See Office, Daily (cathedral)— east: prayer at ninth hour (None); Office, Daily (monastic)—east: prayer at ninth hour (None); Office, Daily (monastic)—west: prayer at ninth hour (None); Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of): prayer at ninth hour Novatian (d. 257/258), 2649, 2780, 3221–23, 3898 Novatianism, 2776 Novatians, 2781, 3220, 3225, 3240–41, 3244, 3898, 3901, 3905, 3908, 3915 Office, Daily (cathedral)—east Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers), 3240, 3925 Morning Prayer (Matins), 3248, 3705–21, 3925, 3966 nocturnal prayer (vigils), 3744, 3966 prayer at ninth hour (None), 3966 prayer at sixth hour (Sext), 3966 prayer at third hour (Terce), 3966 times for prayer, 3892, 3966, 3972 Office, Daily (cathedral)—west Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers), 2510, 2582, 2603, 2923–24, 3166, 3170, 3173, 3183, 3540 Morning Prayer (Matins), 2510, 2814, 3163, 3166, 3173, 3540 nocturnal prayer (vigils), 2511, 2767, 2804, 2807, 2867, 2898, 3083 times for prayer, 2957

Office, Daily (monastic)—east arriving late for, 3024–25 Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers), 2988, 3016, 3035, 3037, 3208, 3506, 3967, 3981, 3984 Morning Prayer (Matins), 3013, 3015–23, 3208, 3506, 3967, 3983–84 nocturnal prayer (vigils), 2988, 3026–29, 3208, 3967, 3984 prayer at ninth hour (None), 2983, 3002, 3004, 3009–10, 3016, 3207, 3967 prayer at sixth hour (Sext), 2983, 3002, 3004, 3007–8, 3016, 3967 prayer at third hour (Terce), 2983, 3002, 3004–6, 3016, 3967 times for prayer, 3003, 3018–20, 3375, 3982, 3984 Office, Daily (monastic)—west Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers), 2499 Morning Prayer (Matins), 2498 nocturnal prayer (vigils), 2500, 2979 prayer at ninth hour (None), 2499, 2980 prayer at sixth hour (Sext), 2499, 2980 prayer at third hour (Terce), 2499, 2980 Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of) Evening Prayer (lucernarium), 3831, 3870, 3966 Morning Prayer, 3872 nocturnal prayer (vigils), 3871 prayer at cockcrow, 3866 prayer at ninth hour, 3869 prayer at sixth hour, 3868 prayer at third hour, 3867 oil blessing of, 3620, 3702–3, 3809, 3931 symbolism/meaning of, 3622 See also chrism/myron Orange I, Synod of (441). See councils/ synods: Orange I (441) oratory, 2598 orders imposition of hands. See hand(s), imposition/laying on of

Index to Volume Three  393 seven in Church, 3038–46 (119) stages of, 2794, 2826 ordinations approval by bishop, 2823 approval by copresbyters and people, 3072 of clergy only, 3043 day(s) for, 2826–27, 2930, 3664 by false bishops, 2848 fasting before, 2827 obtained by money, 3378 slaves and, 2823 twice, not conferred, 2520 See also bishop(s)/hierarch(s): ordination of; deacon(s), ordination of; presbyter(s)/priest(s): ordination of Ordo Monasterii, 2498–2500 (97) orientation for prayer, 2501, 2901. See also baptism/initiation, liturgy of: facing east; baptism/initiation, liturgy of: facing west ostiarius(ii). See doorkeeper(s) Our Father, 2502 forgiveness of sins and, 2579, 2654, 2657, 2678, 2972 prayed daily at altar, 2660 See also Communion rite: Our Father during; baptism/initiation, liturgy of: the Our Father, receiving/reciting back pagans, 2763, 3074 Christians compared to, 2673 feasts of, 2918–19, 3889 rites of, 3889 Palestine, 3004, 3036, 3920 Palladius of Helenopolis (ca. 363/364– between 420 and 430), 3207–12 (131) Paraclete. See Holy Spirit Pasch/Easter, 2609, 2916 (114-A-8), 2917 (114-A-9) baptism during, 2830–31, 2862, 2893, 2912, 2929, 3180, 3238. See also baptism/initiation: day(s) for celebrating celebrated each year, 2522, 2619 circus not permitted on, 3250 coming of Christ and, 3933

date of (e.g., Quartodeciman controversy), 2622, 2747, 2835, 2840–42, 2961, 3103, 3214, 3223, 3227–3233, 3245, 3507–9, 3898, 3905–14 faithful returning to their homes, 3846, 3848 no genuflecting on, 3878 as greatest feast, 2687, 2892 homily on, 3254–3372 (135) major celebration, 2886 monks celebrating, 3936 mystagogia on, 3724 observance of, 3932 pascha, 2620, 2916 present event, 2895 purpose, 2883 sacraments not celebrated during, 2787 Scriptures, commanded by the, 2624 unity in celebrating, 2558 vigil, 2621, 2683, 2684–85, 2686–87, 2755–60 (104-A-2), 2761–63 (104A-3), 3167, 3177, 3180, 3927 Wednesday before, 3237 week after. See Easter week widows, praying during, 3770 paschal lamb. See Passover: lamb paschal mystery, 2522, 2619–22, 2635, 2684, 2736, 2877, 2882, 2887, 2892–93, 2896, 2916, 3384 paschal season, 2567. See also Pentecost/Easter season paschal week. See Easter week Passover Christian. See Pasch/Easter Jewish, 3265–3321 lamb, 3269, 3319 mystical, 3255 paten, 3112 Paulianists, 2781 Paulinus of Milan (4th century), 2765–73 (106) Paulinus of Nola (ca. 355–431), 2795– 2807 (110), 3066, 3165–67 peace, kiss/sign of. See kiss of peace Pelagians, 2590, 2793 penance/reconciliation, 3498–3501 allowed once, 2642, 3253

394  Index to Volume Three baptism, after, 2649 baptism, before, 2649–50 clergy and, 2836–37, 2849, 2863, 3075, 3150, 3175, 3500–3501 clerics, not forbidden to, 3126 community support, 3901, 3928 death, at time of, 2779–80, 2809, 2852, 3077, 3079 heretics and, 2732 length of, 2844 the Lord, spoken of by, 2836 monks and, 3054 necessity of, 3062 Novatians and, 3901 objections to, 2732 open to all, 3157 the power of speech, those who suddenly lose, 3127 role of bishop/hierarch, 2742, 2836–37, 2959, 3157 sick and, 2851, 2853, 3077 sins confessed/not confessed in public, 2863 thieves and, 3176 ways of doing, 2651 See also lapsed, penance/reconciliation; reconciliation penitent(s) clerics, not to become, 2644, 3106, 3168 the dead, caring for, 3098 dismissal of, 2697. See also Word, Liturgy of: dismissals from eternal salvation promised to, 2962 Eucharist, not to receive, 2612, 2641, 2731, 3901 hearers, 2959 imposition of hands upon, 2697, 3077–78, 3097 kneeling on feast days, 3099 legal matters and, 2854 marriage and, 2857 married persons becoming, 3147 the military, returning to afterwards, 2856 Peter as a, 2647 presbyters in charge of, 3225–26, 3901–3 reception of, careless, 3076

relapse, those who, 2697, 3153, 3159–60 standers, 3901 Viaticum and, 3125, 3137, 3143, 3149 Pentecost, 2609, 2897–99, 2910–12 (114A-6) baptism, day for, 2831, 2862, 2912, 2929, 3180 circus not permitted on, 3250 a festival, 2897 mystagogia on, 3724 observance of, 2910 Pasch, completes the, 2831 readings during, 2696 Scriptures, commended by the, 2624 widows praying on, 3770 Pentecost/Easter season Alleluia during, 2564, 2623–24, 2665, 2694, 2698–99, 2702 celebrating, 2504, 2546, 2623, 2665, 2698, 2701, 3932 days of joy, 2702, 3980 no fasting during, 2910–11, 2913, 2974–77, 3045, 3768, 3834, 3929, 3961 no kneeling during, 3834, 3929 less labor during, 3835 readings during monastic daily prayer, 2988 standing during, 2623, 2910, 2977 ten added to the fortieth/fiftieth day, 2504, 2546, 2701, 2910, 2977 veil given to virgins during, 2931 Pepuzites, 3913 Persia, 3973 Peter Chrysologus (ca. 380–448/449), 2812–22 (112) Philostorgius (ca. 368–ca. 425), 3213 (132) Phrygia, 3898, 3915 Phrygians, 3913 Polycarp of Smyrna (ca. 69–ca. 155), 3230, 3914 poor care for, 2890, 3829 recognizing Christ in, 2865 See also almsgiving; fasting/fasts: almsgiving and Possidius (ca. 370–ca. 440), 2735 (99)

Index to Volume Three  395 prayer(s) almsgiving and fasting, related to, 2813, 2866, 2869, 2871 authorized forms of, 2748, 2750 Christ and, 2675, 3514 in church, special rooms for, 2800 churches, in town’s, 2795 deceased, for the. See deceased: praying for diversity in, 3241 Father and, 2675 forgiveness of sins and, 2594–95, 2651 heretics, not with, 3105 at home, 3211 law of, 3047 at marriage, 2806 married, not in houses of the, 3219 martyrs, not for the, 2668 at meals. See meal(s): prayer at places for, 2811. See also oratory priest and, 2626, 3047–48, 3730, 3733 private, 3205 of supplication, 3047–48 types of, 2636–40 widows and, 3763, 3768–70 See also orientation for prayer preaching. See Word, Liturgy of: preaching preface. See Eucharistic Prayer/ anaphora: preface presbyter(s)/priest(s) acolytes, not to make, 2926 anointing, assisting at, 2583 baptism and, 2957 bishop(s)/hierarch(s) and, 2926, 3043, 3073, 3678, 3973 cantors and, 3117 chrism and, 2786, 3108, 3172 continence and, 3158 Daily Office, role at, 3706 deacons and. See deacon(s): presbyters and Easter Vigil, remaining in church after, 3850 episcopal ordinations, assisting at, 3664–65 episcopal signation, not to give, 2926 fasting and, 3731

gospel, proclaiming, 3919 heretics, reconciling, 3148 imposing hands on gifts for Eucharist, 3679 imposing hands on penitents, 3097 location in church, 2926, 3650, 3655, 3660 marriage and, 2825 married men not to be ordained as, 3140 as minister of the Eucharist. See Eucharist: minister(s) of ministry of, 3733, 3950 number of, 3748 ordain, not to, 2926 ordained, those not to be, 2823–24 ordination, time required before, 2794 ordination of, 2826–27, 2829, 2930, 3110, 3156, 3725–29, 3974 penance, not admitted to, 2849 preaching and, 2608, 2839, 3043 qualities of, 3734–44 selection of, 2825, 2829, 3726, 3974 serious sin, guilty of, 2934 seven orders, one of, 3043 sick, visiting the, 3043, 3737 speak to the people, not to, 3242 teaching the people, 3721 visiting from another church, 3089 See also clerics processions, burial. See burial: procession profession of faith. See creed/profession of faith Prosper of Aquitaine (ca. 403–after 455), 3047–48 (120) prostration. See kneeling/prostrating/ genuflecting The numeration of the following psalms is that of the LXX. Psalm 5, sung at Matins, 2498 Psalm 8, eighth day and, 3948 Psalm 62, sung in the morning, 2498 Psalm 89, sung in the morning, 2498 Psalm 91, for the Sabbath day, 3941 Psalm 110, praises the Lord’s wondrous deeds, 2736 Psalm 148, sung in the morning, 2737 psalmists. See cantor(s)/singer(s)

396  Index to Volume Three psalms/psalmody, 2511, 2514, 2558, 2566, 2603 Arians and, 3926 conclusions of, 3926 a death, immediately after, 2514 at end of the day, 2923–24 at funerals, 3968 at home, 3170, 3862, 3954 hymns as, 2557 John Chrysostom and, 3926 learning, 3967 liturgy, during. See Word, Liturgy of: psalmody during monastic practice, 2985–86, 2989–96, 2998–3000, 3207, 3375, 3892 number of, 2979–80 people singing in church, 3218 prayer said after singing, 2992–93 singing, methods of (e.g., antiphonal, responsorial, direct), 2499– 2500, 2767, 3515, 3861, 3896, 3926 singing while a martyr’s coffin is being moved, 3896 sung disjointedly, not to be, 3174 sung everywhere, 3954 uniform method, 3164 unity and, 2558 usefulness of, 3185–3206 Pseudo-Hippolytus (after 4th century), 3254–3372 (135) pulpit/ambo, 3657 Quadragesima. See Lent (Quadragesima) Quartodeciman controversy. See Pasch/Easter: date of Quartodecimans, 3244, 3910–12. See also Pasch/Easter: date of reader(s)/lector(s) adults as, 2794 appointment of, 2628, 3115, 3774–75 bishop and, 3678 children as, 2794 Daily Office, ministry at, 3720 deacons, assisting, 3843 penance, those having done, 3168 seven orders in Church, one of, 3040 singing in church, 2740

readings listening to, 3204–5 place from which proclaimed, 2653 reconciliation Communion at end of penance, 2790 dying, of the, 2838, 2844, 2959 of heretics. See heretics reconciliation of of penitents, 2790 role of Christ, 2962 role of people, 2838 role of priest/bishop/hierarch, 2742, 2790, 2838 sick, of the, 2969 sorrow and, 2965, 2967 See also hand(s), imposition/laying on of: reconciliation, during; penance/ reconciliation; penitent(s) Red Sea, 2522, 2678, 2922, 3315 redditio symboli. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: profession/handing over of the creed relics of the saints, 2580, 2588, 2796, 3051, 3063. See also martyrs: relics of responsorial singing/psalmody. See psalms/psalmody: singing, methods of Riez, Synod of. See councils/synods: Riez (439) Rome, 2607, 2611, 2630, 2720, 2721, 2722, 2764, 2783, 2792, 3901, 3908, 3916–18, 3956, 3961, 3973–74 Rome, Synod of (ca. 400?). See councils/synods: Rome (ca. 400?) Rome, Synod of (488). See councils/ synods: Rome (488) Rufinus of Aquileia (ca. 345–410), 2764 (105) Sabbath, Christian, 2560 Sabbath, Jewish, 2560 rest on, 3941 Sabbatians, 3905 Sabbatius, 3227, 3905–7 sacramentary, 3066–68 sacraments, 2635 Christ’s blood and water and, 2682 Church and, 3542–43

Index to Volume Three  397 crimes forbidding participation in, 2601 few in number, 2609 joining us to God, 3997 ministers of, 2521, 2645, 3578 preparing for, 2521 sacrifice, Eucharist as. See Eucharist: as sacrifice sacristan, 3138 saints praying for us, 2797 veneration of, 3051, 3063 See also martyrs; relics of the saints; saints Salvian of Marseilles (ca. 400–ca. 480), 3049 (121) Saturday assembly on, 3921 Eucharist celebrated on, 2610, 3237, 3674 fasting/no fasting on. See fasting/ fasts: Saturdays, on/not on the Jews, observed as do, 3538 monks receiving Communion on, 3892 monks using church on, 3207 mystagogia on, 3724 ordinations on, 2829 readings on, during monastic daily prayer, 2988 widows praying on, 3770 Scriptures listening to, 2692 reading of in private, 2673, 2803, 3972 See also gospel book; lectionary; Word, Liturgy of: canonical readings scrutinies. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: scrutinies Scythia, 3915 seal, baptism as. See baptism/initiation, effects of: as seal secret, discipline of, 2544, 2677, 2784 servants. See slaves Sext. See Office, Daily (cathedral)— east: prayer at sixth hour (Sext); Office, Daily (monastic)—east: prayer at sixth hour (Sext); Office, Daily (monastic)—west: prayer at sixth

hour (Sext); Office, Daily (private/ early beginnings of): prayer at sixth hour sick/dying anointing of, 2791, 3374, 3931 Communion to. See Communion: to the dying/Viaticum; Communion: to the sick healing of, 2969, 3376, 3986 imposing hands on, 3376 penance and, 2851–53 reconciliation of, 2969 visited by bishop, 3860 visited by priests, 3043, 3737 visited by widows, 3763 See also oil Sidonius Apollinaris (ca. 430–ca. 486), 3050–51 (122) signing with the cross, 2508, 2522, 2535, 2544, 2552, 2581, 2643, 2663, 2718, 2730, 3376, 3581, 3975–76. See also baptism/initiation, liturgy of: cross, signing with silence, 3204, 3442–43, 3514, 3567, 3679, 3763 sin, confession of, 2966 Eucharist, before receiving, 3498 public, not in, 2863 sin, forgiveness of, 2555, 2579, 2595, 2649, 2883, 2889, 3990 by amending one’s life, 2968 August, in the month of, 3937 Church, by the, 2555, 2956 Communion, by receiving, 2978, 3495 by forgiving others, 2972 by gift of charity, 2970 saints, through intercession of the, 2969 various means of, 2678, 2961–73, 3595 See also baptism/initiation, effects of: forgiveness of (washing away/ cleansing) sin; Eucharist: forgiveness of sins and; reconciliation sin, types of, 2594 birth, existing from, 2524–38 passim, 2553, 2554, 2591, 2631, 2671, 2749, 2960

398  Index to Volume Three common, 2554 daily, 2554, 2594, 2612, 2654, 2657 deadly, 2731, 2956 singers. See cantor(s)/singer(s) singing, 2600 in alternation, 3247 Apollinaris, hymns of, 3899 by Arians, 3246 benefits of, 2518, 2626–27 danger in, 2516–17 expressing what is in the heart, 2599, 3186 Harmonios, melodies of, 3893 living well and, 2695 love, as sign of, 2729 practices of, different, 2626 unity, sign of, 2795, 3202, 3942 usefulness of, 3185–3206 women and, 3994 See also psalms/psalmody sinners, reconciliation of. See reconciliation sitting, during monastic hymnody, 2987 slaves ordination of, 2823 our brothers and sisters by grace, 2908 Socrates (ca. 380–after 439), 3214–49 (133) soldiers, returning to military after doing penance, 2856 Solomon, 2753, 2754, 2756 soothsayers, visiting, 3175 Sozomen (early 5th century), 3889– 3927 (144) Spain, 2783, 3961 Spirit, Holy. See Holy Spirit sponsors/godparents. See baptism/initiation: sponsors/godparents standers. See penitent(s): standers standing, for prayer, 2501. See also kneeling/prostrating/genuflecting Statuta ecclesiae antiqua, 3070–3120 (125) stole, 3438 subdeacons appointment of, 3112, 3771–73 bishop and, 3678

chrism, obtaining, 3138 deacons, assisting, 3843 number of, 3748 penance, who have done, 3168 seven orders in Church, one of, 3041 time spent as, 2794 Sunday/Lord’s Day assembly on, 3921, 3991 Christ’s resurrection, day of, 2787, 2910 circus not permitted on, 3250 Communion, receiving on, 2978, 3062 Constantine and, 3891 Daily Office on, 3034 Eucharist celebrated on, 2610, 3674 fasting/not fasting on, 2604–6, 2611, 2977, 3929 no kneeling/genuflecting on, 2910, 2977, 3001, 3581, 3878, 3929 no/less labor on, 3835, 3891, 3949 monks going to the church on Sunday, 3207, 3967 monks receiving Communion on, 3892 mystagogia on, 3724 names for, 2572, 2710, 2910, 3891, 3948–49, 3991 observance of, 3932 ordination/appointment, day for, 2826, 2827, 2829, 3664, 3772, 3774 readings on, 2988 rejoicing, day of, 2787 standing on, 2910 widows praying on, 3770 synaxis. See assembly table. See altar(s): as table tapers. See candles Terce. See Office, Daily (cathedral)— east: prayer at third hour (Terce); Office, Daily (monastic)—east: prayer at third hour (Terce); Office, Daily (monastic)—west: prayer at third hour (Terce); Office, Daily (private/ early beginnings of): prayer at third hour Testament of Our Lord Jesus Christ, 3646–3876 (142)

Index to Volume Three  399 theater, 2699 avoiding, 2673, 3081 Theodore of Mopsuestia (350–428), 3380–3501 (138) Theodoret of Cyr (ca. 385–ca. 460), 3502–40 (139) Theodosius I (379–95), 3520–32, 3724, 3923, 3926 Theodosius II (401–50), 3248–53 (134), 3904, 3977–78 Thursday, fasting on. See fasting/fasts: Thursdays, on/not on Toledo I, Synod of (400?). See councils/ synods: Toledo I (400?) Tours I, Synod of (461). See councils/ synods: Tours I (461) traditio symboli. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: profession/handing over of the creed tradition(s), 2626, 2782–83, 3929 translator(s), 2629 Triduum. See Pasch/Easter Trisagion. See Holy, holy, holy/Trisagion tropes, 2979 unity baptism, as effect of, 2709–10 Communion, of hearts in, 2693, 3485 deacon calling to, 3205 diversity and, 2610–18, 2782–83, 2792, 3164, 3245 Eucharist and, 3453, 3985, 3989 faithful, of the, 2558, 2674, 3985 singing as sign of, 2558, 2795, 3202, 3942 of voices in a choir, 2570, 3942 universal prayer. See Word, Liturgy of: petitions Uranius (353–431), 3165–67 (127) urceolum, 3112–13 Vaison, Synod of (442). See councils/ synods: Vaison (442) Vannes, Synod of (between 461 and 491). See councils/synods: Vannes (between 461 and 491) veil(s), 3551, 3561, 3652–53, 3678, 3970 Vespers (Evening Prayer). See Office, Daily (cathedral)—east: Evening

Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers); Office, Daily (cathedral)—west: Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers); Office, Daily (monastic)—east: Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers); Office, Daily (monastic)—west: Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers); Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of): Evening Prayer (lucernarium) vessels, liturgical golden, 3513 veneration of, 3970 See also cup vestments, 3927 not worn to distinguish priest from people, 2808 See also alb, worn by deacon; cincture; stole Viaticum. See Communion: to the dying/Viaticum Victor of Vita (d. ca. 486), 2738–45 (101) Victor, Pope, 3229, 3914 vigil(s). See Office, Daily (cathedral)— east: nocturnal prayer (vigils); Office, Daily (cathedral)—west: nocturnal prayer (vigils); Office, Daily (monastic)—east: nocturnal prayer (vigils); Office, Daily (monastic)— west: nocturnal prayer (vigils); Office, Daily (private/early ��������������������� beginnings of): nocturnal prayer (vigils) virgins adultery, those caught in, 3161 appointment/blessing/consecration of, 2931, 3043, 3118, 3122 baptism of, 3805 baptism of women, assisting at, 3119 Daily Offices and, 3874 deserting their state of life, 3153 Easter Vigil, remaining in church after, 3850 psalmody and, 3170, 3861 reconciliation of, 2777, 2778 washing of feet. See feet, washing of washing of hands. See hands, washing of water blessing of, 3704

400  Index to Volume Three replacing wine, 3537 See also wine, at Eucharist: mixed with water water, baptismal blessing of, 2552, 2743, 2816, 3417, 3623, 3964, 3988 new life and, 2876 Wednesday, fasting on. See fasting/ fasts: Thursdays, on/not on west, turning toward, 3810. See also orientation for prayer widow(s) baptism of women, assisting at, 3119, 3816 bishop and, 3678 care for, 3829 Communion, receiving, 3768 deacons and, 3763 Easter Vigil, remaining in church after, 3849 fasting and, 3768 husbands of and ordination, 2824 location in church, 3659, 3748 number of, 3748 prayer and. See prayer(s): widows and psalmody and, 3170 sick, visiting the, 3763 silent in church, 3763 wine, at Eucharist mixed with water, 3065, 3434, 3822

symbolism of, 3065 See also water: replacing wine women baptism of, 3119, 3806, 3816 baptize, not to, 3086 fasting and, 3859 location in church, 3651 menstruating, 3768 ministry and, 3904 prayer and, 3211 returning home after vigil, 3848 singing in church, 3994 singing psalms, 3940 speak in church, not to, 3940 teach men, not to, 3084 See also deaconess(es); virgins; widow(s) Word, Liturgy of, 3649 candles at gospel, use of, 3938 canonical readings, 2586, 2658, 2719, 2725, 3050, 3922 dismissals from, 3749–50 noncanonical readings, 2628, 2652 petitions, 2937–55 preaching, 2586, 2608, 2720, 2735, 2839, 3089, 3959 psalmody during, 2719, 3922 See also Alleluia; kiss of peace Word of God, listening to. See Scriptures: listening to Zosimus, Pope (417–18), 2794 (109)

Worship in the Early Church

An Anthology of Historical Sources Volume Four

Lawrence J. Johnson

A PUE BLO BOOK Liturgical Press  Collegeville, Minnesota www.litpress.org

A Pueblo Book published by Liturgical Press Cover design by David Manahan, osb © 2009 by Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, microfilm, microfiche, mechanical recording, photocopying, translation, or by any other means, known or yet unknown, for any purpose except brief quotations in reviews, without the previous written permission of Liturgical Press, Saint John’s Abbey, PO Box 7500, Collegeville, Minnesota 56321-7500. Printed in the United States of America. The Library of Congress has cataloged the printed edition as follows: Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Johnson, Lawrence J., 1933–    Worship in the early church : an anthology of historical sources / Lawrence J.   Johnson.      p.   cm.    “A Pueblo book.”   Includes index.   ISBN 978-0-8146-6197-0 (v. 1) — ISBN 978-0-8146-6198-7 (v. 2) —  ISBN 978-0-8146-6199-4 (v. 3) — ISBN 978-0-8146-6226-7 (v. 4)    1. Worship—History—Early church, ca. 30–600.  2. Church history—Primitive   and early church, ca. 30–600. I. Title.   BV6.J64  2009   264.00937—dc22 2009035344

Contents Abbreviations  ix Introduction  xxi Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West  1 Africa  1 150. Fulgence of Ruspe  1 150-A. The Forgiveness of Sins  1 150-B. Rule of Faith  3 150-C. Against Fabian  4 150-D. Letters  5 150-D-1. Letter 12. To Ferrandus, a Deacon  5 150-D-2. Letter 14. To Ferrandus, a Deacon  6 151. Ferrandus of Carthage  6 151-A. Life of Fulgence of Ruspe  6 Italy  7 152. Magnus Felix Ennodius  7 152-A. Libellus de Synodo  7 152-B. Life of Epiphanius  7 153. Hormisdas, Pope  8 153-A. Letters. 59; 146  8 154. Rule of the Master  9 155. Benedict of Nursia  25 155-A. Rule  27 156. Rule of Paul and Stephen  37 157. John the Deacon  38 157-A. Letter to Senarius  39 158. Pseudo-Maximus of Turin  44 158-A. Treatises on Baptism. 1; 2; 3  44 159. Vigilius, Pope  47 159-A. Letter to Profuturus  48 160. Pelagius I, Pope  49 160-A. Letters  50 160-A-1. Letter to the Bishops of Tuscany  50 160-A-2. Letter to Tulianus, Bishop of Grumentum  50 160-A-3. Letter to Lawrence, Bishop of Civitavecchia  50 v

vi  Contents 161. Cassiodorus  50 161-A. Commentary on the Psalms. Psalms 97; 118  51 162. Liber diurnus  52 163. Liber pontificalis  53 164. Synod of Rome (595)  58 165. Gregory I, Pope  59 165-A. Letters. Book I: Letters 41, 45; Book II: Letters 31, 35, 38; Book III: Letter 7; Book IV: Letters 9, 18, 26; Book V: Letters 5, 57a, 61; Book VII: Letter 17; Book VIII: Letters 23, 28, 37; Book IX: Letters 26, 148, 209, 220; Book XI: Letters 3, 21, 27, 31, 52, 56; Book XII: Letter 6; Book XIII: Letter 1; Book XIV: Letter 2; Appendix 4; Appendix 9  61 165-B. Dialogues  74 165-C. Homilies on the Gospels. Book I: Homily 16; Book II: Homilies 8, 26, 37  78 Gaul  81 166. Oriental Rule  81 167. Avitus of Vienne  81 167-A. Letters. Letter 3. To King Gundobad  82 167-B. Homilies. Homily on the Rogations  82 168. Caesarius of Arles  84 168-A. Monastic Rules  85 168-A-1. Rule for Monks  85 168-A-2. Rule for Virgins  86 168-B. Sermons. 1; 6; 12; 13; 16; 19; 33; 50; 55; 64; 67; 72; 73; 74; 75; 76; 78; 80; 86; 130; 136; 147; 156; 170; 179; 187; 188; 192; 196; 197; 199; 207; 208; 209; 229  89 169. Third Rule of the Fathers  119 170. Cyprian of Toulon  119 170-A. Life of Caesarius of Arles  119 170-B. Letter to Maximus, Bishop of Geneva  120 171. Aurelian of Arles  120 171-A. Rule for Monks  121 171-B. Rule for Virgins  124 172. Gregory of Tours  125 172-A. History of the Franks  126 172-B. Eight Books of Miracles (Octo Miraculorum Libri)  130 172-B-1. Glory of the Martyrs (In Gloriam Martyrum)  130 172-B-2. Miracles of Saint Julian (De Virtutibus s. Juliani)  132 172-B-3. Miracles of Saint Martin (De Virtutibus s. Martini)  132 172-B-4. Lives of the Fathers (Liber Vitae Patrum)  133 172-B-5. Glory of the Confessors (De Gloria Confessorum)  135

Contents  vii 173. Venantius Fortunatus  137 173-A. Life of Queen Radegunde  137 174. Columbanus  137 174-A. Rules  138 174-A-1. Regula Monachorum  138 174-A-2. Regula Coenobialis  140 174-B. Penitential  140 175. Ferreolus of Uzès  142 175-A. Rule of Ferreolus  143 176. Synods  143 176-A. Synod of Agde (506)  143 176-B. Synod of Orleans I (511)  146 176-C. Synod of Epaon (517)  148 176-D. Synod of Lyons II (between 518 and 523)  150 176-E. Synod of Arles IV (524)  150 176-F. Synod of Vaison II (529)  151 176-G. Synod of Orleans II (533)  152 176-H. Synod of Clermont (535)  153 176-I. Synod of Orleans III (538)  153 176-J. Synod of Orleans IV (541)  156 176-K. Synod of Lyons III (between 567 and 570)  157 176-L. Synod of Tours II (567)  157 176-M. Synod of Auxerre (late 6th or early 7th century)  159 176-N. Synod of Mâcon I (581/583)  161 176-O. Synod of Lyons IV (583)  161 176-P. Synod of Mâcon II (585)  161 176-Q. Synod of Narbonne (589)  164 177. Inscription. Mainz Baptistery  164 Iberia  165 178. Braulio of Saragossa  165 178-A. Letters  165 178-A-1. Letter from Eugene to Braulio  165 178-A-2. Letter of Braulio to Eugene  166 179. Martin of Braga  167 179-A. Capitula Martini  168 179-B. On Triple Immersion  172 179-C. On the Pasch  174 180. Synods  177 180-A. Synod of Tarragona (516)  177 180-B. Synod of Gerunda (517)  178 180-C. Synod of Valence (524)  179 180-D. Synod of Barcelona I (ca. 540)  179

viii  Contents 180-E. Synod of Lerida (546)  180 180-F. Synod of Braga I (561)  181 180-G. Synod of Braga II (572)  183 180-H. Synod of Toledo III (589)  185 180-I. Synod of Saragossa II (592)  187 180-J. Synod of Barcelona II (599)  187 British Isles  188 181. Finnian  188 181-A. Penitential  188 Chapter XII. Sixth Century. East  197 Armenia  197 182. Synod of Dvin (527)  197 Asia Minor  198 183. Theodore Lector  198 183-A. Church History  199 184. Eutichius of Constantinople  199 184-A. Sermon. On the Pasch and on the Eucharist  199 Syria  199 185. Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite  199 185-A. The Ecclesiastical Hierarchy  201 186. Evagrius Scholasticus  219 186-A. Church History  220 187. Pseudo-Eusebius of Alexandria  220 187-A. Homily 16. On the Lord’s Day  221 Persia  223 188. Canons of Mar Išo’yahb I  223 Palestine  226 189. John Moschus  226 189-A. The Spiritual Meadow  226 190. John of Scythopolis  227 190-A. Scholion on Pseudo-Dionysius  227 Egypt  227 191. Cosmas Indicopleustes  227 191-A. Christian Topography  228 192. Louvain Papyrus  229 193. Manchester Papyrus  229 Index to Volume Four  231 Comprehensive Index  252

Abbreviations Sc r i p t u r e

Acts Acts of the Apostles

Joel

Joel

Amos Amos

John

John

Bar

Baruch

1 John  1 John

Cant

Canticle of Canticles

2 John 2 John

1 Chr

1 Chronicles

3 John 3 John

2 Chr

2 Chronicles

Jonah Jonah

Col

Colossians

Josh

Joshua

1 Cor

1 Corinthians

Jude

Jude

2 Cor

2 Corinthians

Judg

Judges

Dan

Daniel

1 Kgs

1 Kings

Deut

Deuteronomy

2 Kgs

2 Kings

Eccl Ecclesiastes

Lam Lamentations

Eph Ephesians

Lev Leviticus

Esth Esther

Luke Luke

Exod Exodus

1 Macc 1 Maccabees

Ezek Ezekiel

2 Macc 2 Maccabees

Ezra Ezra

Mal

Malachi

Gal

Galatians

Mark

Mark

Gen

Genesis

Matt

Matthew

Hab Habakkuk

Mic

Micah

Hag Haggai

Nah Nahum

Heb Hebrews

Neh Nehemiah

Hos Hosea

Num Numbers

Isa Isaiah

Obad Obadiah

Jas

James

1 Pet

1 Peter

Jdt

Judith

2 Pet

2 Peter

Jer

Jeremiah

Phil Philippians

Job

Job

Phlm Philemon ix

x  Abbreviations Prov Proverbs

2 Thess  2 Thessalonians

Ps/Pss Psalms

1 Tim

1 Timothy

Rev Revelation

2 Tim

2 Timothy

Rom Romans

Titus Titus

Ruth Ruth

Tob Tobit

1 Sam

1 Samuel

Wis

Wisdom

2 Sam

2 Samuel

Zech

Zechariah

Zeph

Zephaniah

Sir Sirach 1 Thess 1 Thessalonians

P e r i o d i c a l s a n d B o o k s M o s t F r e q u e n t ly C i t e d

AB ABR AC AER

Analecta Bollandiana (Brussels, 1882ff.). American Benedictine Review (Atchison, KS, 1950ff.). Antike und Christentum (Münster, 1929–50). American Ecclesiastical Review (Washington, D.C., 1889–1975). Altaner B. Altaner, Patrology, trans. H.C. Graef, 2nd ed. (New (1961) York, 1961). Altaner B. Altaner, Patrologie. Leben, Schriften und Lehre der (1966) Kirchenväter, 6th ed., rev. A. Stüber (Freiburg/Basel/ Vienna, 1966). Altaner B. Altaner, Patrologie. Leben, Schriften und Lehre der (1978) Kirchenväter, 8th ed., rev. A. Stüber (Freiburg/Basel/ Vienna, 1978). ALW Archiv für Liturgiewissenschaft (Regensburg, 1950ff.). Amb Ambrosius (Milan, 1925–60). ANF A. Roberts and J. Donaldson, eds., The Ante-Nicene Fathers: Translations of the Writings of the Fathers down to a.d. 325 (New York, 1885, 1926). Ant Antonianum (Rome, 1926ff.). APB Acta Patristica et Byzantina (Praetoria, 1990ff.). ApT Apostolic Tradition. Assem Assembly (Notre Dame, 1974ff.). AThR Anglican Theological Review (New York, 1918ff.). Aug Augustinianum (Rome, 1961ff.). AugMag Augustus Magister, Congrès international augustinien (Paris, Sept. 21–24, 1954). Vols. I and II: Communications; vol. III: Acts. BALAC

Bulletin d’ancienne litérature et d’archéologie chrétienne (Paris, 1911–14).

Abbreviations  xi Bardenhewer O. Bardenhewer, Patrology: The Lives and Works of the (1908) Fathers of the Church, trans. T.J. Shahan (Freiburg i. B./ St. Louis, 1908). Bardenhewer O. Bardenhewer, Patrologie (Freiburg i. B., 1910). (1910) Bardenhewer O. Bardenhewer, Geschichte der altkirchlichen Literatur, (1913) 5 vols. (Freiburg i. B./St. Louis, 1913–32). Bardy (1929) G. Bardy, The Greek Literature of the Early Christian Church, trans. Mother Mary Reginald, Catholic Library of Religious Knowledge 2 (St. Louis, 1929). Bardy (1930) G. Bardy, The Christian Latin Literature of the First Six Centuries, trans. Mother Mary Reginald, Catholic Library of Religious Knowledge 12 (St. Louis, 1930). Bautz F.W. Bautz, ed., Biographisch-bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (Hamm Westf., 1970ff.). BCE Bulletin du comité des études (Paris, 1953–70). Bib Biblica (Rome, 1920ff.). BLE Bulletin de littérature ecclésiastique (Toulouse, 1899ff.). Bouyer L. Bouyer, Eucharist: Theology and Spirituality of the Eucharistic Prayer (Notre Dame, 1968). BT The Bible Today (Collegeville, 1962ff.). BVC Bible et vie chrétienne (Brussels/Paris, 1953–68). CA Campbell

Cahiers archéologiques (Paris, 1945ff.). J.M. Campbell, The Greek Fathers, Our Debt to Greece and Rome series (New York, 1929). CATH G. Jacquemet, ed., Catholicisme, 9 vols. (Paris, 1947ff.). CB Collationes Brugenses (Bruges, 1896–1954). CC La Civiltà Cattolica (Rome, 1850ff.). CCL Corpus Christianorum, Series Latina (Turnhout, 1954ff.). CE Catholic Encyclopedia, 13 vols. + index (New York, 1907–14). CH Church History (Chicago and Tallahassee, 1932ff.). CHECL F. Young, L. Ayres, and A. Louth, eds., The Cambridge History of Early Christian Literature (Cambridge, 2004). ChQ Church Quarterly Review (London, 1875–1968). Chr Christus (Paris, 1954ff.). CollMech Collectanea Mechliniensia (Mechlin, 1927–70). ComL Communautés et liturgies (Ottignies, 1975ff.). Con Concilium (Glen Rock, NJ, etc., 1965ff.). Courtonne Y. Courtonne, ed., Saint Basile: Lettres, 3 vols. (Paris, 1957, 1961, 1966). CPG M. Geerard and F. Glorie, eds., Clavis Patrum Graecorum, 5 vols. (Turnhout, 1974–87).

xii  Abbreviations CPGS

M. Geerard and others, eds., Clavis Patrum Graecorum Supplementum (Turnhout, 1998). Cph Classical Philology (Chicago, 1906ff.). CPL E. Dekkers and A. Gaar, eds., Clavis Patrum Latinorum, 3rd ed. (Turnhout/Steebrugge, 1995). CR The Clergy Review (London, 1931–87). CRI Comptes-rendus de l’Académie des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres (Paris, 1857ff.). Cross F.L. Cross, The Early Christian Fathers (London, 1960). CS Chicago Studies (Mundelein, IL, 1962ff.). CSEL Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum (Vienna, 1866ff.). CV G.M. Diez, Concilios visigóticos e hispano-romanos (Barcelona/ Madrid, 1963). DACL

F. Cabrol and H. Leclercq, eds., Dictionnaire d’archéologie chrétienne et de liturgie, 15 vols. (Paris, 1913–53). DCA W. Smith, ed., A Dictionary of Christian Antiquities, 2 vols. (London, 1876–80). DCB W. Smith and H. Wace, eds., A Dictionary of Christian Biography, Literature, Sects and Doctrines, 4 vols. (London, 1877–87). DDC R. Naz and others, eds., Dictionnaire de droit canonique, 7 vols. (Paris, 1935–65). DDCon P. Palazzini, ed., Dizionario dei Concili, 6 vols. (Rome, 1963–67). DEC N.P. Tanner, ed., Decrees of the Ecumenical Councils (London/ Washington, D.C., 1990). Deiss L. Deiss, Springtime of the Liturgy: Liturgical Texts of the First Four Centuries (Collegeville, 1979). DGA P.-P. Joannou, ed., Disciplina Generale Antique (Rome, 1962). DHGE A. Baudrillart, ed., Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie ecclésiastiques (Paris, 1912ff.). DictSp M. Viller and others, eds., Dictionnaire de spiritualité ascétique et mystique (Paris, 1937ff.). Did Didache. Didas Didascalia Apostolorum. Di Sante C. di Sante, Jewish Prayer: The Origins of the Christian Liturgy, trans. M.J. O’Connell (New York, 1991). Div Divinitas (Vatican City, 1957ff.). Dix G. Dix, The Shape of the Liturgy, 4th ed. (Westminster, 1949). DLW J.G. Davies, ed., A Dictionary of Liturgy and Worship (New York, 1972). Dolbeau F. Dolbeau, ed., Vingt-six sermons au peuple d’Afrique / Augustin d’Hippone; retrouvés à Mayence, Collection des études augustiniennes, Série Antiquité 147 (Paris, 1996). DPAC A. di Berardino, ed., Dizionario Patristico e di Antichità Cristiane, 3 vols. (Marietti, 1983–88).

Abbreviations  xiii DR Downside Review (Bath, England, 1880ff.). DT Divus Thomas (Fribourg i. S., 1871–1953). DTC A. Vacant, E. Mangenot, and E. Amann, eds., Dictionnaire de théologie catholique, 15 vols. (Paris, 1903–50). DV Dieu vivant (Paris, 1945–55). EC P. Paschini and others, eds., Enciclopedia Cattolica, 12 vols. (Vatican City, 1949–54). ED Euntes Docete (Rome, 1948ff.). EEC A. di Berardino, ed., Encyclopedia of the Early Church, trans. A. Walford, with a foreword and bibliographic amendments by W.H.C. Frend, 2 vols. (New York, 1992). EEChr E. Ferguson, ed., Encyclopedia of Early Christianity, 2 vols., 2nd ed. (New York, 1997). EgT Eglise et théologie (Ottawa, 1970–99). Elbogen I. Elbogen, Der jüdische Gottesdienst in seiner geschichtlichen (1962) Entwicklung, 4th ed. (Hildesheim, 1962). Elbogen I. Elbogen, Jewish Liturgy: A Comprehensive History, trans. (1993) R.P. Scheindlin (Philadelphia/New York, 1993). EO Echos d’Orient (Paris, 1897–1942). EOr Ecclesia Orans (Rome, 1984ff.). EphL Ephemerides Liturgicae (Rome, 1887ff.). ERP Etudes religieuses, philosophiques, historiques, et litteraires (Paris, 1888–1940). EstAg Estudio Teologico Augustiniano (Valladolid, Spain, 1973ff.). Et Etudes (Paris, 1897ff.). ETL Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses (Louvain, 1924ff.). ETR Etudes théologiques et religieuses (Montpellier, 1926ff.). ExpT The Expository Times (Edinburgh, 1889ff.). FF FLDG Folia FThSt FZPT

GCS

France franciscaine (Lille, 1912–29). Forschungen zur christliche Literatur- und Dogmengeschichte (Mainz/Paderborn, 1910–38). Folia. Studies in the Christian Perpetuation of the Classics (Worcester, MA, 1959–79). Freiburger theologische Studien (Freiburg i. B., 1910ff.). Freiburger Zeitschrift für Philosophie und Theologie (Fribourg i. S., 1954ff.).

Die griechischen christlichen Schriftsteller der ersten (drei) Jahrhunderte (Berlin, 1897ff.). Goodspeed E. J. Goodspeed, A History of Early Christian Literature, rev. and enl. R. Grant (Chicago, 1966). GOTR Greek Orthodox Theological Review (Brookline, MA, 1954ff.). Greg Gregorianum (Rome, 1920ff.).

xiv  Abbreviations Hamell P.J. Hamell, Handbook of Patrology (New York, 1968). Hänggi A. Hänggi and I. Pahl, Prex Eucharistica: Textus e Variis Liturgicis Antiquioribus Selecti (Fribourg i. S., 1968). Harp Harp: A Review of Syriac and Oriental Studies (Kerala, India, 1987–2000). Hefele C.J. Hefele, Histoire des conciles d’après les documents originaux, (1905) trans. H. Leclercq, 11 vols. (Paris, 1905–52). Hefele C.J. Hefele, A History of the Councils of the Church: From the (1871) Original Documents, trans. W.R. Clark and H.N. Oxenham, 5 vols. (Edinburgh, 1871–96). HS Hispania sacra (Madrid, 1948ff.). HThR Harvard Theological Review (New York, 1908–9; Cambridge, MA, 1910ff.). Idelsohn A.Z. Idelsohn, Jewish Liturgy and Its Development (New York, 1967). IER Irish Ecclesiastical Record (Dublin, 1864–1968). Imp Impacts: Revue de l’Université catholique de l’Ouest (Angers, 1967ff.). Ire Irénikon (Amay, 1926ff.). Ist Istina (Paris, 1954ff.). ITQ Irish Theological Quarterly (Dublin, 1906–22; Maynooth, 1951ff.). Jasper R.C.D. Jasper and G.J. Cuming, Prayers of the Eucharist: Early and Reformed, 3rd rev. ed. (Collegeville, 1992). JBL Journal of Biblical Literature (Boston/New Haven, 1890ff.). JECS Journal of Early Christian Studies (Baltimore, 1993ff.). JEH The Journal of Ecclesiastical History (London, 1950ff.). Jeremias J. Jeremias, Die Abendmahlsworte Jesu, 3rd. ed. (Göttingen, (1960) 1960). Jeremias J. Jeremias, The Eucharistic Words of Jesus, trans. N. Perrin (1966) (London, 1966). JL Jahrbuch für Liturgiewissenschaft (Münster, 1921–41). JLH Jahrbuch für Liturgie und Hymnologie (Kassel, 1955ff.). JQR The Jewish Quarterly Review (London, 1889–94; New York, 1896–1908). JR The Journal of Religion (Chicago, 1921ff.). JThSt The Journal of Theological Studies (London, 1900–1905; Oxford, 1906–49; n.s. 1950ff.). JucL Jucunda Laudatio (Milan, 1963ff.). Jurgens W.A. Jurgens, The Faith of the Early Fathers, 3 vols. (Collegeville, 1970–79). Kat

Katholik: Zeitschrift für katholische Wissenschaft und kirchliches Leben (Mainz, 1821–89).

Abbreviations  xv Labriolle P.C. de Labriolle, Histoire de la littérature latine chrétienne, (1947) 3rd rev. ed. (Paris, 1947). Labriolle P.C. de Labriolle, History and Literature of Christianity from (1968) Tertullian to Boethius, trans. H. Wilson, History of Civilization (New York, 1968). LAC L’Ami du clergé (Langres, France, 1888–1968). Latomus Latomus. Revue d’études latines (Brussels, 1937ff.). Lau Laurentianum (Rome, 1960ff.). Leigh- E. Leigh-Bennett, Handbook of the Early Christian Fathers Bennett (London, 1920). LJ Liturgisches Jahrbuch (Münster, 1951ff.). LMD La Maison-Dieu (Paris, 1945ff.). LMF Le messager des fidèles (Mardesous, 1884–89). LNPF P. Schaff and H. Wace, eds., A Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church (repr. Grand Rapids, 1951ff.). LO Lex Orandi (Paris, 1944–71). LQF Liturgiegeschichtliche Quellen und Forschungen (Münster i. W., 1918–39). LThPh Laval théologique et philosophique (Quebec, 1970–82). LTK W. Kasper and others, eds., Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, 11 vols., 3rd ed. (Freiburg i. B., 1993–2001). LV Lumière et vie (Bruges, 1951–60). LWP Liturgical Week Proceedings, North American LwQF Liturgiewissenschaftliche Quellen und Forschungen (Münster i. W., 1919–2005). LXX Septuagint. Mansi

J.D. Mansi, ed., Sacrorum Conciliorum Nova et Amplissima Collectio, 31 vols. (Florence, 1759–98). Mel Melto. Melta. Recherches orientales (Kaslik, Liban, 1965–69). Millgram A.E. Millgram, Jewish Worship (Philadelphia, 1971). MilS Milltown Studies (Dublin, 1978ff.). Mnem Mnemosyne: Bibliotheca classica Batava (Leyden, 1852ff.). MRR-1 J. Jungmann, The Mass of the Roman Rite: Its Origins and Development (Missarum Sollemnia), trans. F.A. Brunner, 2 vols. (New York, 1951). MRR-2 J. Jungmann, The Mass of the Roman Rite: Its Origins and Development (Missarum Sollemnia), trans. F.A. Brunner, rev. C.K. Riepe (New York, 1959). MS Mediaeval Studies (Toronto, 1939ff.). MSR Mélanges de science religieuse (Lille, 1944ff.). Mus Le Muséon (Louvain, 1882–1916, 1921ff.).

xvi  Abbreviations NCE

New Catholic Encyclopedia, 14 vols. + index (New York, 1967) + 3 supplementary vols. 16–18 (1974–89). NCES New Catholic Encyclopedia, Second Edition, 15 vols. (Detroit/ Washington, D.C., 2003). NDSW P.E. Fink, ed., The New Dictionary of Sacramental Worship (Collegeville, 1990). Not Notitiae (Rome, 1965ff.). NRTh Nouvelle revue théologique (Tournai, 1869–1913, 1920–39, 1945ff.). NTes Novum Testamentum (Leiden, 1956ff.). NTS New Testament Studies (London, 1954ff.). NWDLW J.G. Davies, ed., The New Westminster Dictionary of Liturgy and Worship (Philadelphia, 1986). OC Oriens Christianus (Wiesbaden, 1931–39, 1953ff.). OCA Orientalia Christiana Analecta (Rome, 1935ff.). OCP Orientalia Christiana Periodica (Rome, 1935ff.). ODCC F.L. Cross, The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, 3rd ed., ed. E.A. Livingstone (New York, 1997). Oesterley W.O.E. Oesterley, The Religion and Worship of the Synagogue, (1911) 2nd ed. (London, 1911). Oesterley W.O.E. Oesterley, The Jewish Background of the Christian (1925) Liturgy (Oxford, 1925). OLZ Orientalische Literaturzeitung (Berlin, 1909ff.). OrSyr L’Orient syrien (Paris, 1956ff.). OstkSt Ostkirchliche Studien (Würzburg, 1952ff.). ParL Paroisse et liturgie (Bruges, 1946–74). PB Pastor Bonus (Trier, 1889–1943). PEA (1894) A.F. von Pauly, Paulys Real-encyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft (Stuttgart, 1894–1919). PEA (1991) H. Cancik and H. Schneider, eds., Der neue Pauly. Enzyklopädie der Antike (Stuttgart, 1991ff.). PG J.P. Migne, Patrologia Graeca, 162 vols. (Paris, 1857–66). PhW Philologische Wockenschrift (Leipzig, 1881–1940). PL J.P. Migne, Patrologia Latina, 221 vols. (Paris, 1844–64). PLS J.P. Migne, Patrologiae Cursus Completus. Series Latina Supplementum, ed. A. Hamman (Paris, 1958ff.). PO Parole de l’Orient. Melto dmadnho (Kaslik, Lebanon, 1970ff.). PP Parole et pain (Paris, 1964–73). PrO Présence orthodox (Paris, 1967–81). PrOChr Proche-orient chrétien (Jerusalem, 1951ff.). QL QLP

Questions liturgiques (Louvain, 1970ff.). Questions liturgiques et paroissiales (Louvain, 1919–69).

Abbreviations  xvii Quasten

J. Quasten, Patrology, 4 vols. (Westminster, MD, 1962ff.). (Vol. 4, 1986, is a translation of vol. 3 of Patrologia, ed. A. di Berardino.)

RAC RACh

Rivista di Archeologia Cristiana (Rome, 1924ff.). Reallexikon für Antike und Christentum, ed. T. Klauser (Leipzig, 1950ff.). Revue d’ascétique et de mystique (Toulouse, 1920–71). Revue pratique d’apologétique (Paris, 1905–21). Recherches augustiniennes (Paris, 1958ff.). Revue bénédictine (Maredsous, 1890ff.). Revue biblique internationale (Paris, 1891ff.; n.s. 1904ff.). Revue belge de philologie et d’histoire (Brussels, 1922ff.). Revue du clergé francais (Paris, 1894–1920). Revista catalana de teología (Barcelona, 1976–88, 1990ff.). Revue de droit canonique (Strasbourg, 1951ff.). Revue des études augustiniennes (Paris, 1955ff.). Revue d’histoire de l’Eglise de France (Paris, 1910ff.). Revue des études grecques (Paris, 1888ff.). Revue des études juives (Paris, 1880ff.). Revue ecclésiastique de Liège (Liège, 1905–67). Revue des études latines (Paris, 1923ff.). Résurrection (Paris, 1956–63). Restoration Quarterly (Abilene, TX, 1957ff.). Revista española de teología (Madrid, 1940ff.). Revista augustiniana de Espiritualidad (Calahorra, Spain, 1960–79). Revue augustinienne (Louvain, 1901–10). Revue des sciences religieuses (Strasbourg, 1921ff.). Revue d’histoire ecclésiastique (Louvain, 1900ff.). Revue d’histoire et de littérature religieuse (Paris, 1896–1922). Revue d’histoire et de philosophie religieuses (Strasbourg, 1921ff.). Revue internationale de théologie (Berne, 1893–1910). Rivista di Ascetica et Mistica (Florence, 1956ff.). Rivista Liturgica (Turin, 1914ff.). Rocznik theologico-kanoninczne (Lublin, Poland, 1949–90). Revue de philologie, de littérature et d’histoire anciennes (Paris, 1845–47; n.s. 1877–1926; 3. s. 1927ff.). Römische Quartelschrift für christliche Altertumskunde (Freiburg i. B., 1887ff.). Revue des questions historiques (Paris, 1866–1939). Revue réformé (Saint-Germaine-en-Laye, France, 1950ff.). Review for Religious (St. Louis, 1942ff.).

RAM RAp RAug RB RBibl RBPh RCF RCT RDC REAug REF REG REJ REL RELA Res ResQ RET RevAgusEsp RevAug RevSR RHE RHL RHPR RIT RivAM RL Rocz RPLH RQ RQH RR RRel

xviii  Abbreviations RSPT RSR RT RTAM RTL RTP RUO

Revue des sciences philosophiques et théologiques (Paris, 1907ff.). Recherches de science religieuse (Paris, 1910ff.). Revue thomiste (Paris, 1924–65). Recherches de théologie ancienne et médiévale (Louvain, 1969ff.). Revue théologique de Louvain (Louvain, 1970ff.). Revue de théologie et de philosophie (Lausanne, 1921ff.). La revue de l’Université d’Ottawa (Ottawa, 1931–87).

Sal Salesianum (Turin, 1939ff.). SC Scuola Cattolica (Milan, 1902ff.). SCA Studies in Christian Antiquity (Washington, D.C., 1941–85). ScE Science et esprit (Montreal, 1928ff.). SChr Sources chrétiennes (Paris, 1941ff.). SCJ Second Century: Journal of Early Christian Studies (Abilene, TX, 1981–92). Scr Scripture (London, 1969–75). SE Sacris Erudiri (Bruges, 1948ff.). SJT Scottish Journal of Theology (Edinburgh, etc., 1948ff.). SM Studia Monastica (Barcelona, 1959ff.). SP Studia Patristica: Acts of the International Conventions of Oxford (TU) (Berlin, 1957ff.). SPMed Studia Patristica Mediolanensia (Milan, 1974ff.). ST Studi e Testi (Rome, 1900ff.). StC Studia Catholica (Nijmegen, 1924–60). Steidle B. Steidle, Patrologia: seu Historia Antiquae Litteraturae Ecclesiasticae, Scholarum Usui Accommodata (Freiburg i. B., 1937). StGKA Studien zur Geschichte und Kultur des Altertums (Paderborn, 1907ff.). STh Studia Theologica (Lund, 1947ff.). StLit C. Jones and others, eds., The Study of Liturgy, rev. ed. (New York, 1992). StP Studia Patavina (Padua, 1954ff.). Strack H.L. Strack and P. Billerbeck, Kommentar zum Neuen Testament aus Talmud und Midrasch, vol. iv/i, 2nd ed. (Munich, 1956). StudEnc Study Encounter (Geneva, 1965–76). StudLit Studia Liturgica (Rotterdam, 1962ff.). TD Theol ThGl ThQ ThStKr Tixeront

Theology Digest (St. Louis, 1953ff.). Theology (Norwich, England, 1976ff.). Theologie und Glaube (Paderborn, 1909ff.). Theologische Quartalschrift (Stuttgart/Tübingen, 1831–1928; various places, 1929ff.). Theologische Studien und Kritiken (Gotha, 1828–42). J. Tixeront, A Handbook of Patrology, trans. S.A. Raemers (London/St. Louis, 1947).

Abbreviations  xix Tra

Traditio: Studies in Ancient and Medieval History, Thought, and Religion (New York, 1943ff.). TRE G. Krause and G. Müller, eds., Theologische Realenzyklopädie (Berlin, 1976ff.). TS Theological Studies (Baltimore/Woodstock, 1940ff.). TU Texte und Untersuchungen zur Geschichte de altchristlichen Literatur (Berlin, 1882ff.). TV Theologia Viatorum: Jahrbuch der kirchlichen Hochschule Berlin (Berlin, 1948/49–1979/80). TZ Theologische Zeitschrift (Basel, 1945ff.). VC VerC VetChr VS

Vigiliae Christianae (Amsterdam, 1947ff.). Verbum Caro (Taizé, France, 1947–69). Vetera Christianorum (Bari, 1964ff.). La Vie Spirituelle (Paris, 1919ff.).

WEC L. Johnson, ed., Worship in the Early Church: An Anthology of Historical Sources, 4 vols. (Collegeville, 2009). Werner E. Werner, The Sacred Bridge: The Interdependence of Liturgy and Music in Synagogue and Church during the First Millennium (London/New York, 1959). Wor Worship (Collegeville, 1952ff.; formerly Orate Fratres, 1926–51). Wright F.A. Wright, ed., Fathers of the Church: Tertullian, Cyprian, (1928) Arnobius, Lactanius, Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine: A Selection from the Writings of the Latin Fathers (London, 1928). Wright F.A. Wright, A History of Later Greek Literature from the Death of (1932) Alexander in 323 b.c. to the Death of Justinian in 545 a.d. (London, 1932). WSt Wiener Studien: Zeitschrift für klassische Philologie (Vienna, 1879ff.). ZAW ZKG ZkTh ZNeW ZNW ZTK

Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft (Berlin/New York, 1881ff.). Zeitschrift für Kirchengeschichte (Gotha, 1877–1930; Stuttgart, 1931ff.). Zeitschrift für katholische Theologie (Innsbruck, 1877–1940; Vienna, 1947ff.). Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft und die Kunde der älteren Kirche (Giessen/Berlin/New York, 1900ff.). Zeitschrift für Missionswissenschaft (Münster, 1911–37). Zeitschrift für Theologie und Kirche (Tübingen, 1891ff.).

/ = “or,” e.g., 543/554 [ ] Textual material supplied by translator of the original source or by the present editor/translator

Introduction Recent decades have witnessed numerous Christian denominations reforming and renewing their communal worship structures. Well before such a venture occurred, there took place, mainly though not exclusively in Europe, a scientific study of the early development of the Church’s common prayer, a study that continues today. Both professional and amateur historians have applied and are applying their expertise to this important task, for understanding the past is not merely an intellectual exercise but offers one of the all-important keys for understanding the present. Yet many students of worship have but little direct contact with the great literary heritage that witnesses the way Christians lived their liturgical life during the early ages of Christianity. Often a person’s acquaintance with the primitive Church’s written documentation is only by way of citations in end- or footnotes. Frequently access to the excellent English language collections of early source material is limited, since these are for the most part found only in the libraries of theological schools and major universities. The same is true of texts related to particular subjects, e.g., initiation. Furthermore, a large amount of pertinent material has simply not appeared in English. Texts in Latin, Greek, and other languages— apart from their inherent problems for many students of the liturgy—are no less difficult to obtain. The four volumes of the present series aim to present a selection or thesaurus (representative, to be sure) of a wide selection of source material illustrating the growth of the Church’s common prayer, in both East and West, from its Jewish roots down to the end of the sixth century. Included are texts from homilies, dogmatic and spiritual treatises, letters, monastic rules, church orders, prayer formulas, conciliar and synodal legislation, inscriptions, and the like. The subject matter is not only sacramental celebration but also the liturgical year, the times of the day for personal or group prayer, music and song, the physical arrangement of the church building, times for fasting (considered to be so closely allied with prayer), veneration of the martyrs, liturgical roles, decorum within and without the church, etc. The user of these volumes fortunate enough to have access to a major theological library may well profit from the references to patristic and other manuals, as well as from the bibliography of pertinent periodical articles and treatises. In a few cases the most recent edition of a text was, for various reasons, unavailable to me. Also, several texts initially intended to appear in xxi

xxii  Introduction this work are in fact not included since a particular volume could not be obtained. It should be noted that, unless otherwise indicated, the enumeration of the psalms follows the Hebrew. All cited texts have been translated by the present editor from the source indicated (“Translated from .  .  .”) or are taken from a preexisting translation (“Translation from .  .  .”). A note on format Each subhead (author, anonymous document, synods, etc.) is assigned an identification number, which is usually followed by a letter indicating a particular work of an author or a particular synod. The internal enumeration of paragraphs usually corresponds to that of the edition from which the text was translated. Marginal numbers, running sequentially, are assigned to paragraphs of the text. Cross-references are indicated by the abbreviation for Worship in the Early Church, i.e., WEC, followed by the volume number and then either the subhead number in bold text (e.g., WEC 4:151 or WEC 4:180-G) or else the marginal paragraph number (e.g., WEC 4:4234). There are three types of footnotes: daggers, letters, and numbers. Daggered notes indicate the sources from which translations have been made, lettered notes contain explanations for words and phrases used in the text, and numbered notes indicate scriptural references. *** No work of this kind can reach completion without the encouragement and assistance of many people. And thus I must express my gratitude to Mr. Peter Kearney for sharing his expertise in Latin and Hebrew. To the Rev. James Challancin, a priest of the diocese of Marquette, Michigan, and a former professor of liturgy, for his many words of encouragement. To the staff (especially Jessica) of the Escanaba, Michigan, Public Library for such gracious assistance in procuring by means of interlibrary loans ever so many volumes from libraries throughout the country. To the whole publishing team at Liturgical Press and especially to Stephanie Lancour, my copy editor, whose careful reading of the text has saved me from any number of embarrassing moments. And especially to my wife, Marlene Winter-Johnson, not only for her patience throughout this endeavor but especially for the numerous hours in researching materials found in the library of The Catholic University of America and in that of the University of Notre Dame, as well as for helping to prepare the work’s manuscript for publication.

Chapter XI Sixth Century. West Af r i c a 150. Fulgence of Ruspe

Fulgence (468–533 or perhaps ca. 462–527), son of a prominent family, was a native of Telepte in the African province of Byzacena. He eventually embraced monastic life and was (ca. 502/507) ordained bishop of Ruspe, a small seaport in northwest Africa. The times were violent since the Vandal kings, who were Arian, did not hesitate to persecute, or encourage the persecution of, orthodox Christians, with books being burned, churches being destroyed, the clergy being harassed. With sixty other bishops Fulgence was exiled to Sardinia. He returned ca. 510/515, only to be banished again, and then came back in 523. A chronicle of Fulgence’s life has been written by Ferrandus of Carthage (WEC 4:151). Though not an original theologian, Fulgence was a strong adversary of Arianism and Pelagianism. Strongly influenced by Augustine (WEC 3:98), he left several treatises, letters, and sermons. CPL 814ff. * Altaner (1961) 587–90 * Altaner (1966) 489–90 * Bardenhewer (1908) 616–18 * Bardenhewer (1910) 532–34 * Bardenhewer (1913) 5:303–16 * Jurgens 3:285–300 * Labriolle (1947) 2:769–70 * Labriolle (1968) 496–97 * Steidle 240–41 * Tixeront 346–48 * CATH 4:1669–71 * CE 6:316–17 * DCB 2:576–83 * DictSp 5:1612–15 * DPAC 1:1407–9 * DTC 6.1:968–72 * EC 5:1802–5 * EEC 1:331–32 * EEChr 1:442–43 * LTK 4:220–21 * NCE 6:220 * NCES 6:23–24 * ODCC 646 * PEA (1894) 7.1:214–15 * PEA (1991) 4:699–700 * RACh 8:632–61 * TRE 11:723–27 J. Stiglmayr, “Das Quicumque und Fulgentius von Ruspe,” ZkTh 49 (1925) 341–57. * M. Jugie, “Considérations générales sur la question de l’épiclèse,” EO (1936) 324–30. * S. Salaville, “L’épiclèse africaine,” EO 39 (1941–42) 268–82. * J.J. Gavigan, “Fulgentius of Ruspe on Baptism,” Tra 5 (1947) 313–22.

150-A. The Forgiveness of Sins† The Forgiveness of Sins (Ad Euthymium de Remissione Peccatorum), in two books, was written for an otherwise unknown Euthymius. The treatise is dated not before 512 and not after 523. Translated from Sancti Fulgentii Episcopi Ruspensis Opera, vol. 2, ed. J. Fraipont, CCL 91 A (Paris, 1968) 667ff. †

1

2  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West 3998

3999

4000

4001

4002

I.xix.1. Only in the Catholic Church is the forgiveness of sins given and received. To this Church—which the Spouse has called his only dove, his chosen one, the Church he built on a rock—he gave the keys of the kingdom of heaven. He granted it the power to loose or to bind as Truth itself promised to blessed Peter, “You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it; I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose upon earth will be loosed in heaven.”1 I.xix.2. Those outside this Church, which has received the keys of the kingdom of heaven, will not walk the path to heaven but to hell. Nor will they go on to the abode of eternal life but will hasten to the punishment of eternal death. This is true not only for unbaptized pagans but also for those who have been baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and remain heretics. Nor does baptism merit true life if those who have been baptized, whether within or without the Church, do not end their lives within the Catholic Church. Nor will those who do not share the Church’s faith and love find life through the sacrament of the Church’s baptism. Saved by this baptism are those whom the unity of love will have kept within the Catholic Church till the end of our present life. I.xxii.1. [.  .  .] Outside the Catholic Church there is no forgiveness of sins. Just as within the Catholic Church “one believes with the heart and so is justified and one confesses with the mouth and is thereby saved,”2 so outside this same Church belief in what is evil cannot be turned into righteousness but into punishment, and an evil confession does not save the person confessing but carries death. Outside this Church the name “Christian” assists no one; neither does baptism save nor is a pure sacrifice offered to God; neither is the forgiveness of sins received nor is the joy of eternal life found. I.xxiv.2. Our Lord and Savior did not say that sins not forgiven in this world will be forgiven in the world to come. What he points out is that in the future world only sins already forgiven in the one and true Catholic Church will be forgiven. Only to the Church has the Lord given the power to bind and loose, saying, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind upon earth will be bound in heaven; whatever you loose upon earth will be loosed in heaven.”3 Therefore what the holy Church does not remit in this world remains unremitted so that not even in the future world is anything remitted. Bound is every person whom the Church has not loosed. Nor does a person obtain beneficial forgiveness unless he or she returns to penance in the Church and hopes that his or her sins will be forgiven. [.  .  .] II.xvii.3. So we recognize that sins are not forgiven unless penance is performed in this life. Nor will penance in this life profit anyone who 1. Matt 16:18–19.  2. Rom 10:10.  3. Matt 16:19.

150. Fulgence of Ruspe  3 despairs of the forgiveness of sins. The wicked will not be converted in the future, their sorrow being continuous yet useless. Just as no forgiveness will be granted them, so their remorse will never end. They fail to recognize the time during which penance is fruitfully done by sinners and during which God’s goodness pardons sins. [.  .  .] 4003 II.xxii.3. Whoever does not wish to endure unending misery only has to seek the Lord’s mercy. Whoever does not wish to suffer eternal death only has to seek out eternal life. Whoever does not wish to be condemned by eternal punishment should now confess before God. It is now that penance is fruitfully carried out, now that forgiveness is granted to those who do penance. [.  .  .]

150-B. Rule of Faith† The Rule of Faith (De Fide ad Petrum seu de Regula Fidei) was written between 523 and 526 for an otherwise unknown Peter, who needed a theological tool wherewith to combat any heretics he might encounter during his journey to Jerusalem. 4004 43. [.  .  .] From the time when our Savior said, “Those who are not reborn of water and the Spirit cannot enter the kingdom of God,”1 those lacking the sacrament of baptism cannot enter the kingdom of heaven and receive eternal life, the exception being those in the Catholic Church who shed their blood for Christ. Whoever is baptized, whether in the Catholic Church or in any heretical or schismatic sect, receives the whole sacrament. However, salvation, being the very essence of the sacrament, will not be attained if this individual was baptized outside the Catholic Church. Such a person must return to the Church and is not to be baptized a second time since baptism is not to be repeated for any baptized person who has already been baptized. One must return in order to receive eternal life within the Catholic community. As to eternal life no one is fitting, not even with the sacrament of baptism, if he or she remains estranged from the Catholic Church. 4005 62. Hold firmly and never doubt that God’s only begotten Word was made flesh and offered himself for us as a fragrant sacrifice2 and victim to God. To the Word together with the Father and the Holy Spirit animals were sacrificed at the time of the old covenant by the patriarchs, prophets, and priests. Now—namely at the time of the new covenant—it is to him and to the Father and the Holy Spirit with whom he is one in divinity that the holy Catholic Church does not cease to offer the sacrifice of bread and wine throughout the whole world, doing so in faith and love. [.  .  .] 70. Hold firmly and never doubt that not only people having the use of 4006 reason but also infants—whether they died in the wombs of their mothers

Translated from CCL 91 A:740ff. 1. John 3:5.  2. See Eph 5:2. †

4  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West or whether they were in fact born—who leave this world lacking the holy sacrament of baptism which is conferred in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, are punished with the everlasting torment of eternal fire. Even though they committed no personal sin, nonetheless, they assume the damnation of original sin through bodily conception and birth. 4007 79. Hold firmly and never doubt that the sacrament of baptism can be found not only within the Catholic Church but also among heretics who baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Yet outside the Church such a baptism profits nothing. Indeed, just as salvation within the Church is conferred through the sacrament of baptism upon those who correctly believe, so outside the Church, unless they return to it, those baptized by the same baptism come to naught. It is the unity as such of the Church’s society that avails unto salvation, so that one is not saved by a baptism given in a place where it should not be given. [.  .  .] 4008 80. Hold firmly and never doubt that a person baptized outside the Catholic Church cannot share eternal life unless prior to the end of life he or she has returned to the Church and has been incorporated into it.

150-C. Against Fabian† Only thirty-nine large fragments of a treatise against Fabian, an Arian bishop, remain. xxviii.17. The sacrifice is offered so that the death of the Lord, who died for us, may be proclaimed and commemorated. He said, “No one has more love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”1 So it was out of love that Christ died for us. When we commemorate his death during the sacrifice, we ask that love be granted us through the coming of the Holy Spirit. We ask that through the very love by which Christ deigned to be crucified for us that we, having received the grace of the Holy Spirit, may consider the world as being crucified to us and we as being crucified to the world.2 Imitating the death of our Lord—in that Christ “died to sin, dying once but that he lives, living for God”3— may we also walk in newness of life. Having accepted the gift of love, may we die to sin and live for God. “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who is given to us.”4 4010 xxviii.18. When we eat the Lord’s Bread and drink from his cup we share in the Lord’s Body and Blood. This indeed encourages us to die to the world and to lead a life hidden with Christ in God. It prompts us to crucify our own bodies with its sins and impure desires. So may it be that all the faithful who love God and neighbor drink the cup of the Lord’s love even if they do not drink the cup of his bodily passion. [.  .  .] 4009

Translated from CCL 91 A:183ff. 1. John 15:13.  2. See Gal 6:14.  3. See Rom 6:10.  4. Rom 5:5. †

150. Fulgence of Ruspe  5 4011 xxviii.19. The gift of love allows us to truly be what we celebrate in the mystical sacrifice. As the apostle said, “Because there is one bread we, though many, are one body.” He adds, “May all of us share in the one bread.”5 This is what we request at the time of the sacrifice. We have the most salutary example of our Savior. Being our high priest, he desired that we petition this when we commemorate his death. Being close to death, he asked this for us when he said, “Holy Father, protect in your name those whom you have given us.”6 And somewhat later, “Not for them only do I pray but for them also who through their word will believe in me. That they all may be one as you, Father, in me and I in you; that they may also be one in us; that the world may believe that you have sent me. And the glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me.”7 4012 xxviii.23. [.  .  .] When the holy Church, while offering the sacrifice of Christ’s Body and Blood, asks that the Holy Spirit be sent upon it, the Church thereby requests the gift of love whereby it may safeguard the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. It is written, “Love is as strong as death.”8 It was through love that the Redeemer was moved to freely die for the Church, which requests love for its members on earth. Thus the Holy Spirit sanctifies the sacrifice of the Catholic Church; and so the faithful remain Christian in faith and love while through the gift of the Holy Spirit they worthily eat and drink the Lord’s Body and Blood. They do so because each has a correct belief regarding God, and since by living justly they are not separated from the unity of the body of the Church.

150-D. Letters The corpus of Fulgence’s letters contains eighteen letters, including five sent to him by others.

150-d-1. letter 12. to ferrandus, a deacon† 26. I believe, my holy brother, that what we have talked about and what has been confirmed by the writing of such an excellent teacher as Augustinea should leave no room for any doubt, namely, that the faithful share in Christ’s Body and Blood when by baptism they have been made members of Christ’s body. United in this body they are not to be considered as separated from the assembly of the Bread and the Cup even if they depart this world before eating that Bread and drinking from that Cup.b [.  .  .]

5. 1 Cor 10:17.  6. John 17:11.  7. John 17:20–23.  8. Cant 8:6. † Translated from Sancti Fulgentii Episcopi Ruspensis Opera, vol. 1, ed. J. Fraipont, CCL 91 (Paris, 1968) 380–81. a. WEC 3:98. b. This concerns a person who, while unconscious, was baptized but did not receive the Eucharist.

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150-d-2. letter 14. to ferrandus, a deacon† 10. [.  .  .] Just as there can be individual persons in the Trinity, so there can be separate works of the Trinity. May we heed what Holy Scripture says concerning Wisdom: “She is the splendor of eternal light.”1 Just as we see splendor inseparably united to light, so we must admit that the Son cannot be separated from the Father. As stated by apostolic authority, “He is the splendor of God’s glory and the imprint of God’s substance.”2 Then there is blessed Ambrose’s morning hymn which declares that the Son is the splendor of the Father’s glory.a 44. [.  .  .] Therefore in the very sacrifice of Christ’s body we begin by 4015 giving thanks so that we might demonstrate that Christ is not to be given us but that he has in truth already been given us. By giving thanks to God when offering Christ’s Body and Blood we acknowledge that Christ has been slain and not that he will be slain for our sins; that we have been redeemed by his blood, not that we will be redeemed by his blood. [.  .  .] 4014

1 5 1 . F e r r a n d u s o f C a rt h a g e

As a layman Ferrandus (d. before 546) accompanied Fulgence of Ruspe (WEC 4:150) into exile during the time of Vandal-Arian persecution. Upon returning, he went to Carthage, where he was ordained a deacon. Though few of his writings survive, Ferrandus has gained the reputation of being a trustworthy theologian. CPL nos. 847ff. * Altaner (1961) 588 * Altaner (1966) 489 * Bardenhewer (1913) 5:316–20 * Bautz 2:19 * Steidle 240–41 * Tixeront 349–50 * CATH 4:1196–97 * CE 6:317–18 * DCB 2:583–84 * DDC 5:831 * DictSp 5:181–83 * DPAC 1:1352–53 * DTC 5:2174–75 * EEC 1:322 * LTK 3:1243 * NCE 5:892 * NCES 5:691–92 * ODCC 606–7 * PEA (1894) 6.2:2219–21 * PEA (1991) 4:482

151-A. Life of Fulgence of Ruspe†† Unlike many biographies of the time, Ferrandus’s work is highly factual, missing the miracles and legendary elements found in genres of this type dating from this period. 4016

lix. Fulgence was most diligent in seeing that no cleric wears ostentatious garb or is remiss in his ecclesiastical duties due to secular concerns. He prescribed that no cleric should reside far distant from the church and that each personally attend to his own garden. Also that the psalms be sung in an agreeable manner and that the greatest attention be given to Translated from CCL 91:397, 440. a. See WEC 2:53-T. However, the text for Splendor paternae gloriae is not given in WEC. 1. Wis 7:26.  2. Heb 1:3. †† Translated from PL 65:147. †

152. Magnus Felix Ennodius  7 their words. He commanded that each week on Wednesday and Friday all clerics, widows, and those among the laity who were able, should fast and ordered that one be present for the daily vigils, observe the fasts, and attend morning and evening prayer. [.  .  .]

I ta ly 152. Magnus Felix Ennodius

Born of a noble family in Arles in 473/474, Ennodius was raised in Pavia, south of Milan in northern Italy. Perhaps married, he was ordained to the diaconate. About 496 he moved to Milan, where he taught rhetoric. In 514 Ennodius was ordained bishop of Pavia. Twice he led missions (both unsuccessful) on behalf of the pope to the East in order to effect some type of reconciliation with Rome. His death occurred in 521. Ennodius is especially noted for his attempt to fuse classical pagan literature with Catholic doctrine. Among his abundant writings are 297 letters, numerous speeches, poems, and hymns. Scholars often refer to his Latin as “turgid.” CPL nos. 1487ff. * Altaner (1961) 572–74 * Altaner (1966) 478–79 * Bardenhewer (1908) 622–25 * Bardenhewer (1910) 536–38 * Bardenhewer (1913) 5:236–49 * Bardy (1930) 177–78 * Bautz 1:1516–17 * Labriolle (1947) 2:752–54 * Labriolle (1968) 489–91 * Steidle 235–36 * Tixeront 352–53 * CATH 4:206–7 * CE 5:478–79 * DCB 2:123–24 * DPAC 1:1155–56 * DTC 5.1:126–29 * EC 5:364–65 * EEC 1:272–73 * EEChr 1:371 * LTK 3:677–78 * NCE 5:444 * NCES 5:264–65 * ODCC 547 * PEA (1894) 5.2:2629–33 * PEA (1991) 3:1046–47 * RACh 5:398–421

152-A. Libellus de Synodo† The papal election in 498 was disputed: Laurentius, a Roman deacon, was selected by his partisans, Symmachus by others. The proponents of Laurentius attacked the character of Symmachus. Consequently, a Roman synod was called (in 501). Although not addressing the particulars of the case, the delegates declared Symmachus to be the rightful pope. Ennodius, present at the synod, wrote this book in defense of the papal office. [.  .  .] Was there any occasion when they were celebrating Mass that his (the pope’s) name was not commemorated? Did these bishops ever at your bidding offer incomplete sacrifices, those contrary to the Catholic rite and the ancient manner? [.  .  .]

152-B. Life of Epiphanius†† Epiphanius was ordained bishop of Pavia in 466 and was succeeded by Ennodius. †

Translated from CSEL 6, ed. W. Hartel (Vienna, 1882) 311. Translated from CSEL 6:332.

††

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[.  .  .] When he was hardly eight years old, Epiphanius began serving in the heavenly army. As previously indicated by a sign that came from heaven, he became an ecclesiastical reader. [.  .  .] 153. Hormisdas, Pope

An Italian with a Persian name, Hormisdas, archdeacon at Rome, was elected pope in 514. He is especially noted for ending in 519 the Acacian schism between Rome and Constantinople. This division, lasting for thirty-five years and occasioned by the Monophysite position espousing only one nature in Christ, began during the patriarchate of Acacius (471–89). Hormisdas died on August 6 in 523. CPL nos. 1683ff. * Altaner (1961) 554 * Altaner (1966) 464 * Bardenhewer (1913) 5:279–80 * Bautz 2:1057–58 * Steidle 228 * CATH 5:942–43 * CE 7:470–71 * DACL 13.1:1215 * DCB 3:155–61 * DHGE 24:1123–24 * DPAC 2:2538–39 * DTC 7.1:161–76 * EC 9:360–61 * EEC 1:399–400 * EEChr 1:545 * LTK 5:279–80 * NCE 7:148 * NCES 6:110–12 * ODCC 790–91 * PEA (1991) 5:729 S.M. Meo, “La formula mariana ‘Gloriosa semper Virgo .  .  .’ nel canone romano e presso due pontefici del VI secolo,” in De primordiis cultus mariani, vol. 2 (Rome, 1970) 439–58.

153-A. Letters Some ninety letters and other related documents, mostly concerning the Acacian schism, are generally counted as authentic. However, the corpus of this pope’s letters, as is sometimes the case, also contains correspondence sent to Hormisdas by others.

153-a-1. letter 59. from bishops germanus and john, deacons felix and dioscorus, and blandus, a presbyter† 4019

2. Before we entered the city of Scampina,a Trojan, the venerable bishop, came out to meet us with his clergy and people. How God was praised on that day! What festivity ensued! [.  .  .] A gathering took place in the Basilica of Saint Peter. We confess to Your Holiness: we saw such devotion, such great praise of God, so many tears, such joy as hardly can be found among other people. Almost all the men and women with candles as well as the soldiers with crosses received us into the city. Mass was celebrated. Only your name was recited, not that of just anyone connected to religion. Germanus, our venerable bishop, celebrated Mass. They promised that hereafter only the names of those recognized by the Apostolic See would be commemorated. [.  .  .]

Translated from CSEL 35, ed. O. Guenther (Vienna, 1895) 850. a. Scampina: located in northwest Greece. †

154. Rule of the Master  9

153-a-2. letter 146. from john of constantinople†a 4. We have written only to give assurance that the venerable name of Leo, once archbishop of Rome, is affixed to the diptychs said at the time of the consecration and that your holy name likewise is proclaimed in them. This is due to the agreement we made. [.  .  .] 1 5 4 . R u l e o f t h e M a s t e r ††

The Rule of the Master (Regula Magistri), dating from the first quarter of the sixth century, is an anonymous treatise originating in south-central Italy and is probably the result of various redactions. The writer gives copious details regarding monastic life, yet at times his liturgical directives lack completeness. It is generally agreed that Saint Benedict of Nursia (WEC 4:155) borrowed from this rule. CPL no. 1858 * Altaner (1961) 579 * Altaner (1966) 482–83 * CATH 8:211–12 * DPAC 2:2980 * EC 10:664–65 * EEC 2:746–47 * LTK 8:977–78 * NCE 12:208 * ODCC 1377 * PEA (1991) 10:838–43 F. Masai, “Le ‘Regula Magistri’ et l’histoire du bréviaire,” in Miscellanea Liturgica in Honorem L. Cuniberti Mohlberg, vol. 2 (Rome, 1949) 423–39. * C. Gindele, “Die Satisfaktionsordung von Caesarius und Benedikt bis Donatus,” RB 69 (1959) 216–36. * C. Gindele, “Das Alleluia im ‘Ordo Officii’ der ‘Regula Magistri,’” RB 70 (1960) 504–25. * V. Janeras, “Notulae liturgicae in ‘Regula Magistri,’” SM 2 (1960) 359–64. * A. de Vogüé, “Lacunes et erreurs dans la section liturgique de la ‘Regula Magistri,’” RB 70 (1960) 410–13. * A. de Vogüé, “Le rituel monastique chez s. Benoît et chez le Maître,” RB 71 (1961) 233–64. * A. de Vogüé, “Le sens d’antifana’ et la longeur de l’office dans la ‘Regula Magistri,’” RB 71 (1961) 119–24. * A.M. Mundó, “A propos des rituels du Maître et de s. Benoît: la ‘Provolutio,’” SM 4 (1962) 177–91. * C. Gindele, “Ansatzpunkte für die Rekonstruktion der werktäglichen Vigilien der Magisterregel,” RB 75 (1965) 329–35. * A. de Vogüé, “La Règle du Maître et la lettre apocryphe de s. Jérôme sur le chant des psaumes,” SM 7 (1965) 357–67. * A. de Vogüé, “‘Orationi frequenter incumbere’: une invitation à la prière continuelle,” RAM 41 (1965) 467–72. * C. Gindele, “Zum grossen Rekonziliationsritus nach der Magister- und Benediktusregel,” RB 80 (1970) 153–56. * C. Gindele, “Die Magisterregal und ihre altmonastische Alleluia-Psalmodie,” RB 84 (1974) 176–81. * E. de Bhaldraithe, “The Morning Office of the Rule of the Master,” Regulae Benedicti Studia. Annuarium Internationale 5 (1976) 201–23. * C. Gindele, “Verspätung, Verzügerung und Krürzung im Gottesdienst der Magister- und Benediktusregel,” RB 86 (1976) 306–21. * A. Verheul, “La prière monastique chorale avant Benoît: son influence sur le culte en occident: la prière des heures avant la Règle et dans la Règle Translated from CSEL 35:592. a. John II (d. 520): patriarch of Constantinople. †† Translated from La Règle du Maître, vol. 2, ed. A. de Vogüé, SChr 106 (Paris, 1964) 48ff. An excellent commentary on the monastery’s liturgical life appears in SChr 105:65–86. An English translation of the rule’s text and the SChr commentary is The Rule of the Master, trans. L. Eberle (Kalamazoo, MI, 1977). †

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10  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West de s. Benoît,” QL 62 (1981) 227–42. * A. Wathen,”The Rites of Holy Week according to the Regula Magistri,” EOr 3 (1986) 289–305. * R. Taft, The Liturgy of the Hours in East and West: The Origins of the Divine Office and Its Meaning for Today (Collegeville, 1986) 122–30. * A. Verheul, “Les psaumes dans la prière des heures: hier et aujourd’hui,” QL 71 (1990) 261–95. * A. Wathen, “Rituals of Admission in the Rule of the Master,” in Monastic Profession (Petersham, MA, 1998). * J.H. Dyer, “Observations on the Divine Office in the Rule of the Master,” in The Divine Office in the Latin Middle Ages: Methodology and Source Studies, Regional Developments, Hagiography, ed. M.E. Fassler and R.A. Baltzer (New York, 2000).

Question of the disciples xiv. How is an excommunicated monk to do penance? The Lord has replied through the Master: When an hour of the divine office is celebrated in the oratory, namely, 4021 when at the end of a psalm all prostrate for prayer, the excommunicated monk will prostrate himself before the oratory’s entrance and cry out while weeping, “I have sinned and I acknowledge my sin.”1 I have strayed; I promise to amend my ways; I will sin no more.2 Intercede for me, holy communities, from which I—by my negligence and at the urging of the devil—am separated. Intercede for me, you my former deans.a Pardon me, “O good shepherd” and kind abbot, “who leaves the ninety-nine for the one.”3 [.  .  .] The guilty one, stretched out on the floor, will address the brothers in 4022 this way when they conclude the psalms, doing so at each prayer. At the completion of the Holy Work [Opus Dei] in the oratory, while the guilty one continues to lie before the entrance and at the moment the abbot is departing, the whole brotherhood, including the deans, will humbly kneel on behalf of the sinner. When this has been done and if the fault is not serious, the abbot, agreeing to grant immediate pardon, will without delay order the guilty monk’s deans to lift him to his feet. Once again the abbot will reproach him for his failing. When the sinner has responded that he will henceforth amend his ways, the abbot will immediately say to the whole community: “Come, brothers, together with tears let us pray in the oratory for this sheep of your flock who, recognizing his sin,4 promises to henceforth correct himself. May we reconcile him before the Lord who was provoked by his disobedience.” Then the abbot will enter the oratory with the brothers. Before they 4023 begin to pray, the guilty monk’s deans, still outside, will lead him by the hand, one on the right and the other on the left, and will accompany him into the oratory while both deans say this verse, “Praise the Lord, for he is a. The monastery, at least normatively, was to consist of two sections, each section having ten monks and two deans [praepositi]. The function of the deans was to impart instruction as well as to oversee various aspects of the section’s life of prayer and work. 1. Ps 51:3.  2. See Ps 119:176.  3. John 10:11.  4. See Ps 51:3.

154. Rule of the Master  11 good,” and the rest of the community will respond, “Because his goodness is forever.”5 Thus, when the deans from the outside press for confession on the part of the penitent by this verse, immediately from within the oratory, and by means of the mouth of the brothers who respond, the good God promises mercy. Once the deans have led the guilty one back into the oratory, they will have him prostrate at the foot of the altar. Immediately all do likewise and together with the abbot they pray on his behalf. Then, prostrate, the guilty monk prays to the Lord for his fault, with tears, saying, “Lord, ‘I have sinned’ and ‘I acknowledge my iniquity.’6 I pray to you, I beseech you, pardon me, O Lord, pardon me.7 ‘Do not drag me along with my sins’8 nor condemn me9 into the nether regions10 nor forever charge me with my evil deeds, for you are a God of repentance.”11 [.  .  .] When he has said all this with tears, the abbot will immediately lift him up by the hand, saying: “Take care, my brother, take care that you sin no more. Should you do so, you will be obliged to do penance a second time, and this second penance will cast you among the heretics.” Then the repentant monk will say, “I have strayed like the sheep that was lost. Lord, receive your servant,” and all will respond. Then the abbot will call his deans and hand the monk over to them, saying: “Receive your sheep, make your group complete. Once again allow him to eat at the table. ‘For he who was dead is now living; he who was lost is now found.’”12 [.  .  .] On this day, as a sign of a return to humility, he will wash the hands of the brothers when they enter for Communion.b While so doing he will kiss their hands, first those of the abbot, then those of all the brothers. While pouring the water, he will ask each to pray for him. Furthermore, once having entered the oratory, he will again and in a loud voice remind all to pray for him; upon exiting with the brothers he will assume his customary place at meals. As to children under fifteen years old, we prescribe punishment, not excommunication but rather corporal punishment. After fifteen years of age they receive not bodily punishment but excommunication, for from this age on they understand how they should do penance and correct evil deeds committed in adulthood. [.  .  .] Question of the disciples xxi. How are the kitchen servers and the cellarer to receive Communion? The Lord has replied through the Master: When the brothers are standing before the abbot in the oratory to receive Communion, after all have shared the sign of peace and the abbot has received, no one is to receive after him, but the deans of the weekly b. Entering for a canonical hour that precedes the Mass? 5. Ps 106:1.  6. Ps 51:5–6.  7. See Matt 6:12.  8. Ps 28:3.  9. See Job 10:2.  10. See Ps 63:9.  11. See Jer 18:8–10.  12. Luke 15:32.

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12  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West servers immediately request permission to leave in order to summon their servers for Communion. [.  .  .]

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Question of the disciples xxii. After all the kitchen servers have left, in which order are those remaining in the oratory to receive Communion after the abbot? The Lord has replied through the Master: After the abbot’s Communion the dean whose turn has placed him next to the abbot will receive Communion, and his deanery, each member in turn, follows him. Once they have finished, the other dean will receive Communion. Then his deanery, each member in turn, follows him. But if, with the Lord’s help, the community is more numerous, the others will do likewise. They should stand in the oratory, as commanded, and receive Communion. Should a brother become proud in regard to Communion and refuse to receive, let him abstain. But when he desires to receive Communion, this is denied him for the same period of time as he refused to receive. For as long as he was proud without reason, for such a length of time let the abbot or the dean be rightly displeased with him. [.  .  .] The place next to the abbot in the oratory will be occupied a day at a time by the deans and the other brothers so that the second place is always flexible. In this way no one, assured and proud of his status, will cause others to despair. [.  .  .] Furthermore, after the abbot and at his direction it will be the deans who will always lead the antiphonal psalms from each choir. When they have finished, and always at the abbot’s directive, the brothers who are lower in rank do so from the two choirs—one after another, as they have been directed by name—namely, first from one choir and then from the other choir.

Question of the disciples xxxiii. The divine offices throughout the night The Lord has replied through the Master: At the night office during winter, the nocturns are sungc before cock4033 crow since the prophet says, “During the middle of the night I will rise to praise you.”13 As to summer, he also says, “At night my spirit watches for you, O God,”14 namely, in one part of the night, after cockcrow, the signal to rise is given. In winter those keeping vigil should take care that the cockcrow neither 4034 precedes nor surprises the nocturns, for during winter the nights are long. In fact, cockcrow signals the end of the night since it is night that brings c. Ancient liturgical documents use the words “say,” “sing,” “recite,” etc. interchangeably. See R. Taft, The Liturgy of the Hours in East and West: The Origins of the Divine Office and Its Meaning for Today (Collegeville, 1986) 50, 138. 13. Ps 119:62.  14. Isa 26:9, LXX.

154. Rule of the Master  13 forth the day. [.  .  .] In winter the cockcrow must come after the nocturns since the nights are long. Thus the brothers, refreshed by sleep, will have their spirits enlivened and made fit for understanding the Work of God which they perform. If an interval is allowed, it is so that the lengthening of the night might put an end to the drowsiness of sleep. 4035 On the other hand, during spring and summer, namely, from Easter till 24 September, which is the winter equinox, the shortness of the night causes the brothers to begin the nocturns at cockcrow. When they have completed the number of psalms, they immediately link them to Matins with its appointed number of psalms. We have enjoined that during these short nights the nocturns are to begin after cockcrow and are to be joined to Matins, so as to avoid having the brothers return to bed after the nocturns, fall back to a deep sleep, and—overburdened by a most welcome sleep of the morning—not only miss Matins but even be so disordered as to be late for Prime. 4036 If we have said that the nocturns are to be joined to Matins after cockcrow, it is also so that the brothers, rendered fit by prolonged sleep, may celebrate both offices with full understanding. Once the divine debt of Matins has been paid, the brothers can, should they so desire, rest till Prime. In this way during these hours they put off all lethargy of sleep and are disposed to work with a refreshed body after Prime. We have an historical example of this in Saint Helenus of whom it was said: “He was accustomed to rest after Matins.”d [.  .  .] As to the psalms at the winter nocturns—namely, from the winter equi- 4037 nox to the spring equinox, that is, from 24 September to 25 March or better till Easter—since the nights are long, it is necessary to say e antiphonal psalms,f always according to their order in the psalter, and then three responsorial psalms so as to obtain sixteen inpositiones,g matching the number of prophets, but not counting the lessons, the verse, and the rogus Dei.h Thus these sixteen inpositiones of the nocturns with the eight inpositiones at Matins have us prostrate before God twenty-four times while we praise him, doing so in imitation of the twenty-four elders.15 The reason for singing more psalms during the long winter nights is this: since God d. Eugenia: a martyr during the third century who was baptized by Helenus, bishop of Heliopolis; see Passio s. Eugeniae, ed. B. Mombritius, Sanctuarium 2, under the title Passio ss. Prothi et Hiacynthi martyrum (Paris, 1910) 392. e. Angle brackets indicate text material inserted by A. de Vogüé, editor of SChr 106. f. For various methods of rendering the psalms, e.g., antiphonally, responsorially, directly, see, at least in regard to Benedict’s Rule, R. Taft, The Liturgy of the Hours, 139. g. Inpositio: a liturgical unit consisting of a psalm, the “Glory be,” a prostration, and a prayer; see R. Taft, The Liturgy of the Hours, 123–24. h. Rogus Dei: probably a litany; see R. Taft, The Liturgy of the Hours, 125–26. 15. See Rev 4:4; 5:8–9; 7:11–12.

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has added to the night a time for further rest, so we also should add acts of thanksgiving to his praise. But during the summer, namely, from Easter to 24 September, antiphonal psalms are said, always following the sequence given in the psalter as said earlier, together with three responsories, in addition to the lessons, the verse, and the rogus Dei. Thus these twelve night inpositiones with the eight morning inpositiones to which they are joined will have us prostrate before God twenty times only. We are bound to do this because of the shortness of the night, for sleep, when it is brief, appears pleasing to the body when the human body, tired by the day’s labor, has less repose during a short night. Therefore throughout the summer, as we indicated above, since the nights are short, there are nine antiphonal psalms and three responsories so as to obtain twelve inpositiones, this number corresponding to the list of the apostles. For during the summer these nocturns, as we said earlier, begin and end after cockcrow; when they are finished, Matins is immediately added due to the shortness of the night. At all times, however, both in winter and in summer, during the day as well as during the night, and also at vigils, when chanting the psalms care is to be taken not to couple them since this is forbidden. On the contrary, each is to end with the “Glory be” so as not to lose the prayers that are to occur between them and so as not to give the impression that we are withholding the “Glory be” from the praise of God when the psalms are crowded together, for the prophet who imposed a beginning on each psalm also assigned it an end. If some type of necessity should befall those chanting the psalms, they will not join together every two psalms but will link every three, each three with its own “Glory be” so as to finish more quickly and yet not reduce the number of psalms. The reason we say the psalms one by one or in groups of three is that just as we confess unity in the Trinity and the Trinity in unity, so we should believe that it is necessary to say the psalms one by one or when necessary in groups of three and yet with their doxologies. It is, in fact, absolutely forbidden to join two psalms together since Christians cannot adapt themselves to what is more or less than one and three and since our faith is not perfect unless we acknowledge the Trinity in unity and unity in the Trinity. But if some more urgent necessity, no matter what the hour, afflicts those chanting the psalms, they will say one section of each of the psalms that are to be said and conclude with a single doxology; they will then exit the oratory. Thus, whatever the necessity, the impression will not be given that the Work of God has been left undone. Question of the disciples xxxiv. The divine offices throughout the day The Lord has replied through the Master:

154. Rule of the Master  15 It is especially and preeminently in the arrangement of the divine office that the rule of holy service should be established; following ancient custom and the rule established by the institutions of our elders, the correct hours to be observed are Matins, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers, and Compline so that we may carry out the decree of the prophet who says to the Lord, “Seven times a day have I praised you.”16 But Prime, said in the same manner as the twelfth hour which is called Vespers, should occur when the rays of the sun are already giving light; Vespers when these rays are fading, for just as the Work of God begins the day, so the day is concluded in similar fashion. In this way is fulfilled the Scripture: “From the rising of the sun to its setting”—it does not say “after its setting”—”praise the name of the Lord,”17 for the Lord “takes delight in what comes from the morning and the evening.”18 It is at such moments that the Lord, thanks to our angels, takes delight in telling the good deeds accomplished by the just throughout the day, as Saint Paul says in his revelation: “Sons of men, bless the Lord without cease, but especially when the sun is setting.”i But an exact indication of the day’s beginning and end is given us by the sun, which as it sets introduces the darkness of the night. Because of summer’s short nights the lucernarium [Vespers] is begun when the sun is still somewhat high. In this way, when the brothers are fatigued by working in the heat and by fasting, their insufficient rest may receive additional sleep, taken at a time when it is still daylight, to make up for the brevity of the night. Question of the disciples xxxv. The manner and number of the psalms during the day The Lord has replied through the Master: As to the psalms at Matins, in every season there are to be six; also one responsory, the verse, the reading from the Apostle, and the reading from the Gospel which is always done by the abbot, and the rogus Dei. As to the psalms at the hours designated above, namely, at Prime, Terce, Sext, and None, there are always three psalms and according to the sequence given by the psalter; also the responsory, the reading from the Apostle, the reading from the Gospel which is always done by the abbot or, in his absence, by the deans in turn, and then the rogus Dei. Question of the disciples xxxvi. The psalms at the lucernarium The Lord replies through the Master:

i. Visio Pauli 7, ed. M.R. James, Apocrypha Anecdota, Texts and Studies 2.3 (Cambridge, 1893). Also known as the Apocalypse of Paul, this is an apocryphal work originally written in Greek during the latter half of the fourth century. 16. Ps 119:164.  17. Ps 113:3.  18. Ps 65:8.

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16  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West At the lucernarium in winter there should be six psalms, always in the sequence given in the psalter; also one responsory, the verse, the lesson from the Apostle, the Gospelj which is always said by the abbot, and then the rogus Dei. Thus there are [eight] psalm inpositiones when we include the responsory but not the verse and the lessons. Then there are the four inpositiones at each hour of the day, that is, the three antiphonal psalms and the responsory at each of these hours, namely, Prime, Terce, Sext, and None. So altogether there are sixteen inpositiones, not counting the verses and the lessons. As a result we prostrate twenty-four times when chanting the psalms, doing so in imitation of the twenty-four elders who, adoring God without ceasing in heaven, throw down their crowns and lie prostrate, praising the Lord day and night as they glorify God. 4048 Likewise during summer at the lucernarium there are to be eight inpositiones with the responsory and the Gospel but not including the verse and the lessons. Thus these eight inpositiones, as we said above, result in our having twenty-four inpositiones in accord with the twenty-four elders in heaven,19 and so they cause those of us on earth to prostrate before God in praise twenty-four times a day in every season. 4049 During summer the lucernarium is begun earlier because of the short nights during this season. 4047

Question of the disciples xxxvii. The psalms at Compline The Lord has replied through the Master: 4050 At Compline there are three psalms, the responsory, the lesson from the Apostle, the lesson from the Gospel which is always said by the abbot when he is present, the rogus Dei, and the closing verse. Question of the disciples xxxix. How the psalms are to be chanted at Matins The Lord has replied through the Master: 4051 At Matins the psalms are always sung antiphonally, namely, four without the Alleluia; then two with the Alleluia; subsequently the responsory, the verse, the lessons, the Gospelk which is read by the abbot without the Alleluia but with the Alleluia on Sunday till the Epiphany. Thus with the Gospel there are eight inpositiones, excluding the verse and the lessons. Matins, however, consists of canticles except for Psalm 50 and the praises.l Yet on Sundays and other feasts, and on the anniversaries of the saints, the Benedictionesm are said. After these, on Sundays there is no prostrating till j. The “Gospel” here would seem to mean a Gospel canticle; see R. Taft, The Liturgy of the Hours, 126–27. k. See note j above. l. Namely, Psalms 148, 149, and 150. m. Namely, Dan 3. See R. Taft, The Liturgy of the Hours, 128–29. 19. See Rev 4:4; 5:8–9; 7:11–12.

154. Rule of the Master  17 the nocturns, and once the Benedictiones have been said, all the antiphonal psalms and the responsories are said with the Alleluia up to the nocturns of Monday. Question of the disciples xl. How are the psalms at the hours to be chanted? The Lord has replied through the Master: The psalms sung at Prime, Terce, Sext, and None are always antiphonal psalms. Except from the Epiphany on, the third psalm is always sung with the Alleluia and always follows the sequence given in the psalter. There is always the responsory, the lesson from the Apostle, the lesson from the Gospel which is always read by the abbot or in his absence by the deans in turn, the verse, and the rogus Dei. Question of the disciples xli. How are the psalms at the lucernarium to be chanted? The Lord has replied through the Master: The psalms at the lucernarium are to be sung with antiphons, the last two with the Alleluia and always following the sequence of the Psalter. There is always the responsory, the verse, the lesson from the Apostle, and the Gospeln which is always given by the abbot without the Alleluia but on Sunday with the Alleluia. On Sunday after the Benedictiones the antiphonal psalms are all chanted with the Alleluia; on this day there is no prostrating till Monday’s nocturns. Question of the disciples xlii. How are the psalms at Compline to be chanted? The Lord has replied through the Master: In every season the psalms at Compline are sung with their antiphons. However, the third psalm begins with an Alleluia. According to the prophet we are to praise God seven times during the day.20 And so all the psalms are sung in the same fashion because of the sevenfold Spirit who in no way can be divided.21 Question [of the disciples] xliv. How are the psalms at night to be sung? The Lord has replied through the Master: At the nocturns the opening verse and the exhortatory response are said by the abbot. In winter there are [nine] antiphonal psalms without the Alleluia, a responsory without the Alleluia, [four antiphonal psalms with the Alleluia] and always according to the sequence in the psalter, another responsory, this time with the Alleluia to make sixteen inpositiones, the lesson from the Apostle, the lesson from the Gospel which is always read by n. See note j above. 20. See Ps 119:164.  21. See Isa 11:2–3.

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18  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West the abbot or if he is absent by the deans in turn, the verse, and the rogus Dei. 4056 In summer, however, from the Pasch to winter’s equinox, which is September 24, six antiphons without the Alleluia are sung after the opening verse and the abbot’s responsory. Then follows a responsory, likewise without the Alleluia. Next there are three antiphons with an Alleluia, always following the sequence of the psalter as we have said above. Then another responsory, this time with the Alleluia, all of which make twelve inpositiones. There are two readings, one from the apostle, the other from the Gospels and which is read by the abbot or in his absence by the deans in turn. Finally there is a verse followed by the prayer to God. 4057 As to the lesson, the person appointed to read should do so by heart and not use a book; vigils are the only exception here. We prescribe this so that the brothers may more often meditate on and retain the Scriptures in their memories. And so whenever there is no book, no matter where, the text of the lesson or of the page is, if necessary, recited by memory. 4058 When the nights are long, a candle or a lamp will be lit in the dormitory, and the abbot, if he so pleases, will do the reading, or indeed each brother of his own accord will obtain permission to read, to listen, to study something, or to work for the benefit of the monastery. [.  .  .]

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Question of the disciples xlv. How are the psalms to be sung on feasts? The Lord has replied through the Master: From Easter to Pentecost all the antiphonal psalms and the responsories, both during the day and during the night, are chanted with the Alleluia. During this time there is no prostrating. Furthermore, from the Lord’s Nativity to the Epiphany all the antiphonal psalms and the responsories, both during the day and the night, are chanted with the Alleluia; during this time no one prostrates, fasts, or abstains. But during the eight days preceding the Lord’s Nativity the brothers fast and abstain as they do during Lent; the orations are prayed as one customarily prays them during Lent. May we, imitating the sadness of Lent, be like servants who go beyond their daily duties in giving service in order to obtain pardon. In so doing we will rejoice that the Lord’s Nativity has arrived with its rewards and gifts. As to the Epiphany, it is only during the night of the vigil and the day itself that all the antiphonal psalms and the responsories are sung with the Alleluia. Starting from this day the Alleluia is locked up and the festal decorations are immediately removed from the oratory. On Epiphany itself there is no prostration. As we have said, the Alleluia is sung only on Epiphany itself with its vigil and not till its octave; the reason for this is that the hundred days of fast and abstinence before Easter begin from this day. Furthermore, on all Sundays after the Benedictiones, all the antiphonal psalms and the responsories are said with the Alleluia up to the nocturns

154. Rule of the Master  19 of Monday, and there is no prostrating because Sunday is devoted to the paschal resurrection. On the other hand, on every Sunday, from the Benedictiones up to the end of the Mass in the church, the following verse is always said at the Work of God: “The saints will exalt in glory; they will rejoice in their chambers,”22 namely, that wherever there are chambers of the saints—in other words, churches—there Mass is joyfully celebrated. Furthermore, when there is a feast of a saint, no matter on which day, once the Benedictiones are said there is no prostrating till Prime. But if it is the feast of a saint in whose oratory the psalms are being sung, then once the Benedictiones have been said, there is no prostrating till the procession at the Mass celebrated there on this day by a priest; and as a sign of joy for the oratory’s own feast, throughout the whole day up to the nocturns that follow, everything will be sung with the Alleluia as is the practice on Sunday.

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Question of the disciples xlvi. Intoning the psalms in the oratory, whatever the season The Lord has replied through the Master: 4064 After the abbot, it is the deans who intone the antiphonal psalms. They do so at the directive of the abbot and, as we have said, according to the sequence found in the psalter. When the deans have finished, each of the brothers from all the deaneries will intone, each in turn, when directed to do so by the abbot when he is present. 4065 The lessons from the Apostle will always be read by the deans who take turns doing so. The lessons from the Gospel will always be read by the abbot when he is present; but if he is not present, then by the deans who take turns doing this. At Matins as well as at the lucernarium, after the lesson from the Apostle has been read, the abbot, when present, always follows with a reading from the Gospel. In his absence the deans take turns doing this. Thus, according to the order in which the clerics do the readings at Mass—namely, when a lower cleric finishes reading the Apostle, it is a deacon, his superior, who proceeds to read the holy Gospel—so in the monastery one preserves the hierarchy of the Lord by following the order of dignity. 4066 During the nocturns, Matins, and the lucernarium, the responsories are sung integrally. But at Prime, Terce, Sext, and None two sections of the responsory are said each time, and immediately the “Glory be” is said so that the brothers may more quickly depart the oratory and go back to their assigned manual labor. Question of the disciples xlvii. The manner of chanting the psalms The Lord has replied through the Master: We are to chant the psalms with such great reverence and seriousness that it is evident that the Lord is ever more pleased to hear what we have 22. Ps 149:5.

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20  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West to say, as Scripture says, “You take delight in the coming of the morning and evening.”23 Also, “Sing for him in jubilation because the word of the Lord is good.”24 Also, “Rejoice before him with fear.”25 Also, “Sing praises with wisdom.”26 If then he enjoins us to sing wisely and with fear, it is necessary that whoever chants the psalms stands with a motionless body, with head bowed, and that he sing praises to the Lord with reserve since he is fulfilling his service before the divinity, as the prophet teaches when he says, “In the presence of angels I will sing to you.”27 4068 Whoever sings the psalms should unceasingly take care not to allow his spirit to roam elsewhere lest, should our spirit yield to distractions, God may say regarding us, “This people honors me with its lips, but its heart is far from me.”28 May he also not say of us, “Their mouth blesses, but their heart curses.”29 When we praise God only with our tongue, then we allow God to enter only the door of our mouth while we introduce and install the devil within, in the dwelling of our heart. In fact, whoever goes inside is more greatly esteemed by the person bringing him in than is he who is left waiting without. And so for such a great and important task the heart should agree with the tongue in order to render with fear what is due to the Lord each day. Those who chant the psalms are to concentrate in their hearts on each and every text spoken, for if one thus concentrates on each verse, the soul will draw profit for salvation and will there find all that is sought, “for the psalm says all that contributes to edify”30 since the prophet says, “I will sing and understand in the unspotted way when you will come to me.”31 May he whose name resounds in the voice be also in the mind of those who sing. Therefore may we sing with both voice and understanding, as the apostle says, “I will sing in the spirit, I will sing with the mind.”32 We should cry out to God not only with our voices but also with our hearts. 4069 On the other hand, when singing the psalms we should also take care to avoid frequent coughing, prolonged panting, or continually spitting out saliva. Whoever is chanting the psalms will also take care not to discard in front of him the filth found in his nose; it is behind him that the brother is to dispose of such, for we learn that the angels stand in front of those who sing the psalms, as the prophet says, “In the presence of the angels I will sing to you.”33 And so when the devil presents all these obstacles to those who sing the psalms, the person singing will immediately make the sign of the cross on his mouth. Question of the disciples xlix. Vigils in the monastery The Lord has replied through the Master: 23. Ps 65:8.  24. Ps 33:3–4.  25. Ps 2:11.  26. Ps 47:7.  27. Ps 138:1.  28. Matt 15:8; see Isa 29:13.  29. Ps 62:4.  30. 1 Cor 14:3, 26.  31. Ps 101:1–2.  32. 1 Cor 14:15.  33. Ps 138:1.

154. Rule of the Master  21 Every Saturday a vigil is to be celebrated in the monastery from evening 4070 till the second cockcrow; this is followed by Matins. The reason it is called a vigil is that the brothers rouse themselves from sleep, chant the psalms, and hear the lessons. After Matins they return to their beds. Question of the disciples Here begins the Rule for Lent li. The prayers of Lent during the day The Lord has replied through the Master: All are to say a simple prayer between Matins and Prime. Likewise between Prime and Terce, between Terce and Sext, between Sext and None, between None and Vespers; also between Vespers and Compline. This must be done each day during Lent.

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Question of the disciples lii. The prayers without psalms during the night The Lord has replied through the Master: 4072 After the first period of sleep, all rise and say a prayer at their beds. After the abbot concludes the prayer, all return to bed. Once again after the nocturns, all go back to sleep; when the cock has crowed, all rise and pray at their beds; the abbot concludes the prayer and all lie down again. And so it is necessary that the “watchful cocks” [vigigallos] be especially vigilant during the nights of Lent and very attentive throughout the day so as to alert the brothers that the hour for prayer has arrived. For this reason all should sleep in the same room; in this way these prayers may be said by all in common at their beds and all may be able to hear the abbot conclude them. Once again one rises and celebrates Matins, for before Easter Matins is still said separately from the nocturns. And again between Matins and Prime a simple prayer is said. Question of the disciples liii. Abstinence from food and drink during Lent The Lord has replied through the Master: [.  .  .] These [monks who during Lent do more than is required by the Rule] in fact merit to rejoice with Christ at his resurrection on Easter. They have crucified their bodies with him by abstaining during Lent as Scripture says when it speaks of sadness: “Those who sow with tears will reap with joy,”34 and “Afflicted in little things, in many they shall be rewarded.”35 For this reason Lent is a type of the present world, whereas for those who are good Easter signifies the eternal joy of the life to come insofar as the food that we are permitted to eat during the rest of the year is not taken during these forty days. Likewise, the soul of the brother who in the present life of this world curbs his desires and body is in the other world allowed to grow abundantly fat and always has more abundant 34. Ps 126:5.  35. Wis 3:5.

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divine delights. For having wished to be sad for the sake of the Lord during this very brief season, he will also merit to rejoice with him in the future. On Holy Thursday they will cut the hair on their heads, wash themselves, and take everything they abstained from other than the flesh and blood of land animals.36 [.  .  .] During these forty days the weekly servers will not wash the feet of the brothers in the monastery, but they will be content to remove their footwear. The feet of all visitors from afar will be washed because of the scriptural passage of the woman who washed the Savior’s feet when he was at supper and who, using an alabaster jar, anointed them.37 On Holy Thursday, however, in place of the blessing, they will wash the feet of the abbot, and then the abbot will wash the feet of all the deans, assisted by the brothers, but the abbot himself begins this. Furthermore, the superior will personally wash the feet of the porters. Thus, having proved himself humble by serving them in this fashion, the abbot will be judged worthy of the honor that places him above all. Afterwards, each dean will wash and dry the feet of the brothers who belong to his deanery. At dawn on the Friday before Holy Saturday, only the nocturns are celebrated—these are said before cockcrow and thus still belong to Thursday—and henceforth Matins nor the other hours nor the usual divine offices are said till Mass on Saturday when the new Alleluia of the joyous Resurrection will end the long silence of the psalms in the mouths of those who chant them. Then, although they chant no psalms from the nocturns on Thursday till the Mass on Saturday, they will, however, pray the simple prayers of Lent; and all day on Friday they will quietly meditate on the Lord’s suffering, not even greeting each other when they meet. [.  .  .] The sacrament of the altar, kept in a large glass vessel, will be entirely consumed. In this way when the Jews on Friday seek out Christ in order to have him suffer, he will on this day be enclosed in our hearts; in this way Saturday might appear to us as a new sacrament because of his resurrection. Henceforth, those who wish to have a meal on Friday will do so without receiving Communion to show that it is not right to take a meal without Christ. On the same day various objects are washed, and preparations are made for Easter. Also on this day the altar veil is removed; additionally all decorations are removed from the oratory. Furthermore, all lights and lamps within the monastery are to be removed so that everything among us be sorrowful on this day—a day when the true light of the Lord left the world due to his passion,38 and because all is joyfully restored at dawn on the following Saturday when the light of joy will return to us because of Christ’s resurrection. At all times the monastery is to be well-arranged and uncluttered; when viewed from the entrance all the places are to be clean 36. See Gen 9:4; Acts 15:29.  37. See Luke 7:36–46; John 12:2–8.  38. See John 1:9.

154. Rule of the Master  23 and adorned with hangings. Throughout it is to be the image of a church. Thus wherever the brothers gather is to be fitting, pleasing, and conducive to prayer. End of the Rule for Lent liv. When the hour for the divine office arrives, the brothers should immediately hasten to the oratory When the signal given in the oratory announces that the time for the Work of God has arrived, the workers immediately put aside their chores, the artisans leave their tools; the copyists do not complete the letters they are drawing; the hand of each brother will leave what it is doing; the feet must immediately and with all purpose hasten to the oratory; their thoughts are to be directed toward God so that all may immediately gather for the first prayer. Like bees seeking honey, the brothers will swarm toward the oratory’s entrance so that the holy oratory, till then silent, is immediately filled with the clamor of the psalms, and that the silence of the holy place will spread toward the deserted workshops and unfinished tasks. Meanwhile, each time that the signal is sounded in the oratory, all who hear it, before hastening off, trace the sign of the cross on their foreheads and reply, “Thanks be to God.”

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Question of the disciples lv. The distance required for a brother to abandon his work and hurry to the oratory The Lord has replied through the Master: 4081 When the signal given by the abbot in the oratory is heard, the brother who is working, whether alone or with others, immediately is to put down his tool and by means of a quick glance determine whether he should or should not hasten to the oratory. If he is fifty steps from the monastery’s entrance, he should hurry there with all speed. But if the distance is greater than this, he does not go. But remaining where he is, putting aside the tool he has in his hand, and bending the neck as the brothers bend the knees in the oratory, he too will carry out the Work of God, doing so quietly and apart. If a brother has some urgent task to do, he will say the psalms in groups 4082 of three with the “Glory be” because the doxologies that are said between the psalms replace the prayers. The person saying the psalms always says these doxologies with bowed head. The psalms are said directly because, as we said earlier, the work to be done is pressing. After these psalms with the verse and the oration have been concluded, he himself will conclude and immediately resume what he was doing. [.  .  .] 4083 As to those within the monastery who are detained by tasks that are immediately necessary for the life of the community, they will ask aloud— once the psalm is concluded and all stand for the prayer—that they be

24  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West remembered by those within the oratory. Nevertheless, in the very place where they are detained they are to carry out the Work of God, doing so silently by following the words said in the oratory. In addition, each time that they complete a psalm, in the very place where they are standing or sitting they are to prostrate themselves for the prayer. 4084

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lxxiii. Brothers who arrive late for the Work of God As to the brother who is tardy for the first prayer or psalm at the nocturns, Matins, and the lucernaria, the abbot shakes his head at him in the oratory in order to inspire fear and then, outside, privately warns him to correct his ways. If the brother misses the second prayer or psalm, he will be severely reprimanded in the oratory itself, in the presence of the community and after the psalm. But if he enters after the third prayer or psalm, he and his deans will be immediately excommunicated and evicted from the oratory. They will not be forgiven till they have all completed a humble satisfaction before the oratory’s entrance. Yet this is to be understood in accordance with what we already said about being less than fifty steps distant. After the signal has been given for Prime, Terce, Sext, and None, whoever does not arrive on time for the first prayer and the first psalm will be severely reprimanded in the oratory itself and in the presence of all. The brother who arrives after the second prayer or the second psalm will first be excommunicated, and he with his deans must leave. [.  .  .] Yet these reprimands and excommunications are directed only at those who come late by reason of willful negligence and are not detained by any task necessary for the community. Even if they cry out with their own voices requesting that they be remembered in the oratory as absent ones in the prayers, the brothers will not mention them. They should know that they are excommunicated since it was not an affair of the monastery that delayed them but their own lack of concern. As to those detained by urgent affairs of the monastery, those in the oratory rightly recall these absent ones who in the very place where they are detained perform the Work of God. As to the brother who has been reprimanded in the oratory, even if he has not been ordered to leave the oratory, he will not pray or read a psalm, a responsory, a lesson, a verse, till he has done satisfaction for his fault within the oratory by prostrating himself and by humbly requesting that others pray for him. A brother who is detained because of urgent community business is to be remembered in the oratory as someone who is absent. Those detained by negligence or laziness are passed over in silence since they sin by refusing to remember God in prayer. lxxv. Rest on Sunday Starting from the ninth hour on Saturday, after the meal, in summer there is no more reading. In winter, beginning with None on Saturday, as

155. Benedict of Nursia  25 prescribed above, there is no work. In addition, on the following day, Sunday, all manual work ceases as well as the daily memorizing that normally occurs for three hours each day during each season, both winter and summer. But after Mass in the church, each will read as much as he wishes, and permission is granted to return to bed. In this way all are happy that Sunday has been assigned as a day of rest. 155. Benedict of Nursia

Almost all the information we have regarding Benedict’s life comes to us from Book II of Gregory I’s Dialogues (WEC 4:165-B). Born ca. 480 in Nursia (Norcia) in Tuscany, Benedict was sent as a boy to Rome for his education. However, he fled the city because of its immoral lifestyle and ca. 500 took refuge in a cave near the town of Subiaco, where he lived as a hermit. Gradually disciples came to him, and Benedict established small monasteries for them in the locality. Leaving Subiaco because of local rivalries, Benedict ca. 530 went to Monte Cassino, where he established a monastery on the site of an abandoned pagan temple. It was from here that monks were sent out to various places in the West, where they brought about a revival of the monastic life. And it was at Monte Cassino that Benedict wrote his famous Rule. Although he preached, Benedict does not seem to have been ordained. Nor does it appear that he intended to establish a religious order. His sister, Scholastica (ca. 480–ca. 543), is said to have established a convent at Plombariola, a short distance from Monte Cassino. Benedict died on March 21, 543. CPL no. 1852 * Altaner (1961) 559, 576–78 * Altaner (1966) 481–82 * Bardenhewer (1908) 627 * Bardenhewer (1910) 540 * Bardenhewer (1913) 5:228–36 * Bautz 1:494–96 * Labriolle (1947) 2:799–801 * Steidle 233–34 * Tixeront 353 * CATH 1:1446–52 * CE 2:467–72, 436–41 * DCB 1:309–11 * DDC 2:297–349 * DHGE 8:225–41 * DictSp 1:1371–1409 * DPAC 1:521–22 * DTC 2:1709–17 * EC 2:1251–62 * EEC 1:119 * EEChr 1:179–81 * LTK 2:203–4 * NCE 2:271–73 * NCES 2:236–38 * ODCC 182–83 * PEA (1991) 2:559–61 * RACh 2:130–36 * TRE 5:538–49 “Saint Benoît et le signe de la croix,” LMF 1 (1884–85) 315–17. * “Saint Benoît et l’esprit de prière,” LMF 1 (1884–85) 411–12. * “L’évangile dans la liturgie,” LMF 1 (1884–85) 318–26, 363–68, 460–64, 506–13, 557–63. * F. Cabrol, “Le ‘Book of Cerne’: les liturgies celtiques et gallicanes et la liturgie romaine,” RQH 76, n.s., 32 (1904) 210–22. * U. Berlière, “Les hymnes dans le ‘cursus’ de s. Benoît,” RB 25 (1908) 367–74. * F. Cavallera, “Ascétisme et liturgie,” BLE 5, 6th ser., 6 (1914) 49–68, 97–107. * C. Callewaert, “Tu autem Domine miserere nobis,” CB 28 (1928) 471–75. * C. Callewaert, “De Parvis Horis Romanis ante Regulam s. Benedicti,” CB 29 (1929) 481–92. * C. Callewaert, “De Completorio ante s. Benedictum,” CB 30 (1930) 225–30. * C. Callewaert, “De Capitulis in Officio Romano ante s. Benedictum,” CB 30 (1930) 318–21. * C. Callewaert, “Les étapes de l’histoire du ‘Kyrie’: s. Gélase, s. Benoît, s. Grégoire,” RHE 38 (1942) 20–45. * A. Strittmatter,

26  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West “The Monastic Blessing of the Weekly Reader in Missal W. 11 of the Walters Art Gallery,” Tra 3 (1945) 392–94. * J. Gaillard, “Le dimanche dans la Règle de s. Benoît,” VS Supplement (1947) 469–88. * I. Hausherr, “Opus Dei,” OCP 13 (1947) 195–218. * G. Le Maître, “L’oraison dans l’Ordre Bénédictin,” Chr 2 (1955) 238–42. * E. von Severus, “Monastische Liturgie,” ALW 4 (1955–56) 506–65. * C. Gindele, “Die Satisfaktionsordung von Caesarius und Benedikt bis Donatus,” RB 69 (1959) 216–36. * E. von Severus, “Monastische Liturgie,” ALW 6 (1959–60) 520–80. * P. Rouillard, “Temps et rythmes de la prière dans le monachisme ancien,” LMD, no. 64 (1960) 32–52. * P. Bellet, “‘Data benedictione’: nota sobre el capítulo XI de la Regla de san Benito,” SM 4 (1962) 365–67. * A. de Vogüé, “Le rituel monastique chez s. Benoît et chez le Maître,” RB 71 (1961) 233–64. * A.M. Mundó, “A propos des rituels du Maître et de s. Benoît: la ‘Provolutio,’” SM 4 (1962) 177–91. * A. de Vogüé, “‘Orationi frequenter incumbere’: une invitation à la prière continuelle,” RAM 41 (1965) 467–72. * A. de Vogüé, “Le sens de l’office divin d’après la Règle de s. Benoît,” RAM 42 (1966) 389–404. * R.E. Sommerville, “‘Ordinatio Abbatis’ in the Rule of St. Benedict,” RB 77 (1967) 246–63. * A. de Vogüé, “Le sens de l’office divin d’après la Règle de s. Benoit II: psalmodie et oraison (RB 19–20),” RAM 43 (1967) 21–33. * G. Morin, “Une demi-heure d’oraison chaque jour dans le monastères de s. Benoît?” SM 11 (1969) 99–103. * C. Gindele, “Zum grossen Rekonziliationsritus nach der Magister- and Benediktusregel,” RB 80 (1970) 153–56. * J. Gribomont, “Rome et les moines: le principal document sur l’office divine au VIe siècle remis en question,” LMD, no. 114 (1973) 135–40. * B. de la Héraudière, “Le repas monastique,” Chr 21 (1974) 474–85. * C. Gindele, “Verspätung, Verzügerung und Krürzung im Gottesdienst der Magister- und Benediktusregel,” RB 86 (1976) 306–21. * F. Débuyst, “La personalisme communautaire dans la Règle de s. Benoit,” ComL 61:5 (1979) 407–19. * M. van Parys, “La prière brève et pure selon s. Benoît,” Ire 52 (1979) 507–12. * B. Fischer, “Prière commune institutionnelle et prière personnelle libre dans la Règle de s. Benoît,” LMD, no. 143 (1980) 153–73. * A. Louf, “La prière dans la Règle de s. Benoît,” VS 134 (1980) 511–29. * Ph. Rouillard, “Prière et communauté dans la Règle de s. Benoît,” Not 16 (1980) 309–18. * M. Marrion, “God the Father as Foundation for Constant Prayer in the ‘Regula Benedicti,’” SM 23 (1981) 263–305. * N. Mitchell, “The Liturgical Code in the Rule of Benedict,” in RB 1980: The Rule of St. Benedict in Latin and English with Notes, ed. T. Fry (Collegeville, 1981) 379–414. * A. Verheul, “La prière monastique chorale avant Benoît: son influence sur le culte en Occident: la prière des heures avant la Règle et dans la Règle de s. Benoît,” QL 62 (1981) 227–42. * A. de Vogüé, “Les chapitres de la Règle bénédictine sur l’office: leur authenticité,” SM 23 (1981) 7–10. * A. de Vogüé, “Vie monastique et temps de prière commune,” Con (F) 162 (1981) 125–32. * A. Verheul, “La prière chorale dans la Règle de s. Benoît,” QL 63 (1982) 25–36. * A. Verheul, “Les valeurs permanentes de la prière des heures selon s. Benoît,” QL 63 (1982) 217–22. * O. Raquez, Offices byzantines en l’honneur de s. Benoît de Nursie (Cureglia, Switzerland, 1983). * R. Taft, The Liturgy of the Hours in East and West: The Origins of the Divine Office and Its Meaning for Today (Collegeville, 1986) 134–40. * A. Verheul, “Les psaumes dans la prière des heures: hier et aujourd’hui,” QL 71 (1990) 261–95. * A. Borias, “Etude sur les chapitres 27 et 28 de la Règle bénédictine,” RB 104 (1994) 284–94. * C. Stewart, Prayer and Community: The Benedictine Tradition (Maryknoll, NY, 1998).

155. Benedict of Nursia  27

155-A. Rule† Written between 535 and 540 at Monte Cassino, Benedict’s Rule, consisting of a prologue and seventy-three chapters, employed, in addition to Scripture, various other sources: e.g., the Rule of Basil (WEC 2:67-B), John Cassian (WEC 3:118), Augustine (WEC 3:98-V), and Caesarius of Arles (WEC 4:168-A-1). There is also a close relationship between Benedict’s Rule and the Rule of the Master (WEC 4:154), although not all scholars agree as to which document came first. For Benedict the primary focus of the community’s life is the Opus Dei, the “Work of God,” the Divine Office, and this observance is supported by private prayer and reading as well as by labor. The document has been characterized as a work of wisdom, balance, and mildness. viii. The divine offices during the night As circumstances allow during the season of winter, namely, from the calends of November till Easter, the brethren rise at the eighth hour of the night so that having rested after midnight they might be refreshed. The time remaining after the vigila will be used for study by those brothers who still have parts of the psalter or the lessons to learn. From Easter to the above-mentioned calends of November the hour for the vigil will be arranged so that, after a very short period of time when the brothers can tend to the needs of nature, Morning Prayer,b said at daybreak, may immediately follow. ix. How many psalms are to be said during the night hours During the season of winter mentioned above, having first said the verse Deus in adiutorium meum intende, the brothers then say the Domine, labia mea aperies, et os meum adnuntiabit laudem tuam,1 repeating it three times. Then Psalm 3c with the Gloria follows. Afterwards Psalm 94 with its antiphond is said or chanted.e A hymnf follows; then six psalms with † Translated from La Règle de s. Benoît, vol. 2, trans. and ed. A. de Vogüé and J. Neufville, SChr 182 (Paris, 1972). a. Vigilia or nocturnus: terms used by Benedict for the office celebrated at night. In this translation the term “night office” is used. b. Matutinus: a term used by Benedict for the celebration of the office at daybreak. In this translation the term “Morning Prayer” is used. He uses the word laudes to refer to Psalms 148–50, in this translation rendered as “psalms of praise.” c. Benedict follows the numbering of the psalms according to the LXX, an enumeration retained in this translation. d. For antiphonal singing, see R. Taft, The Liturgy of the Hours in East and West: The Origins of the Divine Office and Its Meaning for Today (Collegeville, 1986) 139. e. Benedict uses interchangeably various terms for rendering the psalmody, e.g., to “sing,” to “psalm,” to “say.” f. Benedict at times, as here, employs the term ambrosianum for “hymn.” 1. Ps 51:15.

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28  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West antiphons. When these and the verses have been said, the abbot gives the blessing; all are seated on benches, and the brothers read alternately three lessons from a book located on a reading stand; a responsory is sung after each of them. Two of the responsories are said without the Gloria, but after the third lesson the brother who is chanting says the Gloria. When he begins it, all immediately rise from their benches as a sign of honor and reverence for the Holy Trinity. At vigils are read the books of divine authority, both the Old and the New Testaments as well as the explanations given by the eminent and orthodox Catholic fathers. 4093 After these three lessons with their responsories, six other psalms follow and they are sung with the Alleluia. The reading from the Apostle follows, being recited from memory; then the verse and the invocation of the litany, namely, the Kyrie eleison. In this way the night offices end.

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x. How the night office is to be celebrated during the summer season On the other hand, from Easter to the calends of November all the psalmody indicated above is retained. However, no lessons are read from the book due to the shortness of the night; replacing these three lessons is one lesson, memorized and from the Old Testament; this is followed by a short responsory. Everything else is done as we said, namely, at the night vigils there are no fewer than twelve psalms, not including Psalms 3 and 94.

xi. How to celebrate the Sunday vigils On Sunday the brothers rise earlier for the vigils where the following regulation is to be observed, namely, once the six psalms and the verse have been sung as arranged above, and once all according to order and rank are properly sitting on their benches, four lessons with responsories are read from the book. It is only at the fourth responsory that the cantors sing the Gloria. When they intone it, all immediately stand, doing so with reverence. 4096 After these lessons there are six other psalms, following in order as previously, with antiphons and verse. Then four other lessons with their responsories are read according to the order given above. 4097 After these come three canticles, selected by the abbot, from the Prophets; these are sung with the Alleluia. Once the verse has been said and the abbot has given the blessing, four other lessons are read from the New Testament according to the order indicated above, but after the fourth responsory the abbot intones the hymn Te Deum laudamus. When this has been completed, the abbot reads the lesson from the Gospel while all stand with reverence and awe. At the end of the Gospel reading all respond Amen, and immediately the abbot follows up with the hymn Te decet laus, and once the blessing has been given, Morning Prayer begins. 4098 This order for the vigil is to be observed on Sunday at each season, during the summer as well as during the winter except if—God forbid—the brothers should arise late and the readings or responsories have to be 4095

155. Benedict of Nursia  29 somewhat shortened, and yet every care is to be taken that this does not occur. But if it should happen, the brother whose neglect caused this to happen is to make in the oratory a fitting satisfaction to God. xii. How to celebrate the solemnity of Morning Prayer On Sunday, Morning Prayer begins with Psalm 66 without an antiphon, 4099 directly.g Afterwards Psalm 50 with the Alleluia is said. Then Psalm 117 and Psalm 62. Next, the blessings and the songs of praise [laudes], one lesson from Revelation said by heart, the responsory, the hymn, the verse, the canticle from the Gospel, the litany with which the office concludes. xiii. How to celebrate Morning Prayer on ordinary days On weekdays Morning Prayer is celebrated as follows: Psalm 66 is said without an antiphon, drawing it out a little as is done on Sunday so that all may be present for Psalm 50, which is said with an antiphon. Afterwards, two other psalms are said according to custom, namely, on Monday Psalm 5 and Psalm 35, on Tuesday Psalm 42 and Psalm 56, on Wednesday Psalm 63 and Psalm 64, on Thursday Psalm 87 and Psalm 89, on Friday Psalm 75 and Psalm 91, and on Saturday Psalm 142 and the canticle from Deuteronomy, divided into two sections with each section followed by the Gloria. On other days the canticle is from the Prophets as the Roman Church sings on these days. Psalms of praise follow; then a lesson from the Apostle said by heart, the responsory, the hymn, the verse, the canticle from the Gospel, and the litany with which the office concludes. Because of possible scandals, the morning and evening offices should never conclude without the Lord’s Prayer being said aloud. In this way the brothers may cleanse themselves of failings of this type, doing so by reason of the promise found in this prayer when they say: Dimitte nobis simul et nos dimittimus..2 At other celebrations, however, only the last part of this prayer is said [aloud] so that all may answer Sed libera nos a malo.3 xiv. How the night office is said on the feasts of the saints On the feasts of the saints and on all solemnities, the night office is to be celebrated as we said it should be celebrated on Sunday, except that the psalms, the antiphons, and the lessons proper to the day are used. Their number is that indicated previously. xv. When the Alleluia is said From holy Easter till Pentecost the Alleluia is always said, both in the psalms and in the responsory; from Pentecost to the beginning of Lent it is said every night at the nocturns with the six latter psalms only. Every Sunday, except during Lent, the canticles as well as Morning Prayer, Prime, Terce, Sext and None are said with the Alleluia, but at g. For “direct” psalmody, see R. Taft, The Liturgy of the Hours, 139. 2. Matt 6:12.  3. Matt 6:13.

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30  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West Vespers with the antiphon. Except from Easter to Pentecost the responsories are never said with the Alleluia. 4105

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xvi. How the Work of God is prayed throughout the day As the prophet says, “Seven times a day I have praised you.”4 This sacred number of seven is thus observed by us when we perform the duties of our service at Morning Prayer, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers, and Compline because concerning these hours during the day it was said, “Seven times a day I have praised you.”5 As to the night offices the same prophet said, “At midnight I arose to praise you.”6 Therefore at these times let us praise our Creator “for the judgments of his justice,”7 that is, at Morning Prayer, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers, Compline, and “at night let us rise to praise him.”8 xvii. How many psalms are to be sung at these hours We have already treated the psalmody for the night and morning hours; now let us consider the following hours. At Prime three psalms are said separately, not under one Gloria. The hymn for this same hour is said after the verse Deus in adjutorium9 before beginning the psalms. After finishing the three psalms, one lesson is said, then the verse, the Kyrie eleison, and the dismissal. At Terce, Sext, and None the prayers follow this order, namely, the verse, the hymn proper to the hour, three psalms at each hour, the lesson, the verse, the Kyrie eleison, and the dismissal. If the community is larger, the psalms are chanted with antiphons; but if it is smaller, they are sung directly.h For the afternoon gathering there are four psalms with antiphons. After these psalms, a lesson is recited, then the response, the hymn, the verse, the canticle from the Gospel, the litany, the Lord’s Prayer, and the concluding prayer. At Compline three psalms are said, directly, without antiphons. Afterwards, there is the hymn proper to this hour, a lesson, the verse, the Kyrie eleison, and then the blessing with the concluding prayer.

xviii. The order in which the psalms are to be sung First, there is the verse Deus in adiutorium meum intende, Domine ad adiuvandum me festina10 with the Gloria; then the hymn proper to each hour. At Prime on Sunday the four sections of Psalm 118 are said. At the other 4112 hours, namely, Terce, Sext, and None, three sections of the same psalm are said. Yet at Prime on Monday three psalms are said, namely, Psalm 1, Psalm 2, and Psalm 6. And so each day at Prime till Sunday three psalms are said in consecutive order up to Psalm 19, yet dividing into two Psalm 4111

h. See note g above. 4. Ps 119:164.  5. Ibid.  6. Ps 119:62.  7. Ps 119:164.  8. Ps 119:62.  9. Ps 70:1.  10. Ibid.

155. Benedict of Nursia  31 9 and Psalm 17. In this way it will always happen that the Sunday night office always begins with Psalm 20. At Terce, Sext, and None on Monday the remaining nine sections of Psalm 118 are said, three sections at each of these hours. Having thus completed Psalm 118 in two days, namely, Sunday and Monday, on Tuesday for Terce, Sext, and None are sung three psalms each, from Psalm 119 to Psalm 127, that is, nine psalms. These psalms are always repeated identically till Sunday at these hours, keeping on all these days a uniform arrangement for the hymns, the lessons, and the verses, so that Sunday always begins with Psalm 118. Each day at Vespers four psalms are sung. The brothers begin with Psalm 109 and go to Psalm 147; not said, however, are those psalms reserved for the other hours, namely, Psalm 117 to Psalm 127 and Psalm 133 and Psalm 142. The rest are said at Vespers. Since three psalms are lacking, the longer psalms are divided, namely, Psalm 138, Psalm 143, and Psalm 144. Psalm 116, because it is short, is joined to Psalm 115. The order of psalmody for Vespers being thus arranged, what remains is said as directed above, namely, the lessons, the responsories, the hymns, the verses, and the canticles. At Compline each day the psalms are repeated, that is, Psalm 4, Psalm 90, and Psalm 133. The arrangement of the psalms for each day being thus organized, all the other psalms will be distributed equally among the seven night offices, dividing those that are longer so that twelve occur each night. We call special attention to the fact that if this allocation of the psalms does not please, then anyone may establish another arrangement which is thought to be better, provided that all 150 psalms of the Psalter are said each week, and that this distribution always starts from the beginning at the night office on Sunday. Monks who during the course of the week fail to chant the complete Psalter with its customary canticles are lax in their devotion since we read that our holy fathers promptly did in one day what we, being lukewarm, are called to do in one week. xix. How to recite the psalms We believe that the divine presence is everywhere and that “the eyes of the Lord look upon the good and the evil in every place.”11 However, it is especially when we assist at the Work of God that we should most strongly believe this. Furthermore, we should always remember what the prophet said: “Serve the Lord with awe.”12 Also, “Sing wisely.”13 And, “I will sing to you in the presence of the angels.”14 Consider how we should act in the presence of God and of God’s angels, and, when we stand to sing the psalms, how our minds should be in tune with our voices. 11. Prov 15:3.  12. Ps 2:11.  13. Ps 47:7.  14. Ps 138:1.

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xx. Reverence when praying If when we wish to present a request to powerful individuals, we do so only with humility and reverence, then how much more are we to beseech the Lord God of the universe in all humility and with the purest devotion! Know that we are heard not by the abundance of our words but by the purity of our hearts and by the tears of our sorrow. Wherefore prayer should be brief and pure unless it is perhaps lengthened by the inspiration of divine grace. In a community, however, prayer should always be short, and when the superior gives the sign, all are to rise together.

xli. The hours when the brothers are to take their meals From holy Easter till Pentecost the brothers will take their meals at the sixth hour and have supper in the evening. 4122 Starting from Pentecost and throughout the summer, if the monks are not required to labor in the fields and if the summer heat does not bother them, they will fast on Wednesday and Friday till the ninth hour. On other days they will dine at the sixth hour. But if they have to work in the fields or if the summer’s heat is excessive, it is necessary to have dinner at this sixth hour. The abbot is to provide for this and thus arrange all things so that souls are saved and that the brothers do what they should do without having any reason to complain. 4123 From the ides of September to the beginning of Lent they will always dine at the ninth hour. 4124 During Lent, up till Easter, the meal will be in the evening. This, however, should be so arranged that the light of the lamp need not be required; everything is to be concluded while it is still daylight. At all times the hour for the meal, whether for dinner or for supper, will be sufficiently early so that all can be done while it is still daylight. 4121

xlii. No one is to speak after Compline The monks are always to cultivate silence, especially during the night hours. Also at all times, whether it be a fast-day or a day when there is a midday meal, as soon as they have risen from the evening meal they are to sit together while someone reads to them the Conferences or the Lives of the Fathers or something else that edifies those listening; however, not the Heptateuch or the Books of Kings because it is not good for weak souls to hear this part of the Scriptures at such a time; these books can be read at other times. 4126 If it is a day of fast, then shortly after Vespers they are to gather for the reading, as we have said. Four or five pages are to be read or as much as time allows so that during the time used for this all the monks—including those engaged in some assigned task—may come together. Once all have gathered, they will celebrate Compline, and once Compline is completed no permission is granted to speak to anyone. Whoever breaks this rule of silence is to be severely punished unless he 4125

155. Benedict of Nursia  33 had to tend to the needs of guests or that the abbot perhaps had given him a command. But even this should be done with the greatest seriousness and moderation. xliii. Those arriving late for the Work of God or for meals As soon as the signal for the Work of God is heard, the monks leave 4127 whatever they are doing and hurry with all speed, yet with decorum, so that there be no room for levity. Nothing is to be preferred to the Work of God. Those at the night offices who arrive after the Gloria of Psalm 94, 4128 which for this reason is to be much drawn out and prayed slowly, are not to take their places in the choir but are to stand in the last place or in a place assigned by the abbot for such careless ones. In this way they may be seen by the abbot and by all until, the Work of God being concluded, they make satisfaction through public penance. The reason why we believe they should remain in the last place or be set apart is so that all can see them and so that they might correct themselves as a result of shame. If, however, they remained outside the oratory, it might happen that some monk would go back to sleep, or seat himself without, passing the time in gossiping and giving “chance to the devil.”15 Better that they enter so as not to lose everything and so that they might correct themselves for the future. At the hours of the day, those who are late for the Work of God, arriving 4129 after the verse and the Gloria of the first psalm which is said after the verse according to the rule given above, are to stand in the last place and are not allowed to join the choir of those doing the psalmody till they have made satisfaction, unless, perhaps, the abbot has given them permission to do so, with the understanding that satisfaction be made afterwards. [.  .  .] xliv. Those who are excommunicated; how they are to make satisfaction Whoever is excommunicated from the oratory and the table for a serious sin is, after the Work of God is completed in the oratory, to lie down on his stomach before the door of the oratory and remain there saying nothing, face down, at the feet of all who are exiting from the oratory. He is to do this till the abbot has judged that satisfaction has been made. When the abbot so commands, he is to cast himself at the feet of the abbot, and next at the feet of all so that they may pray for him. And then, if the abbot orders it, he will be admitted back to the choir in the place decided by the abbot; yet he should not presume to intone a psalm or a lesson or anything else in the oratory unless the abbot again allows him to do so. And at all the hours, when the Work of God has ended, he will prostrate himself in the place where he stands and in this way make satisfaction till the abbot releases him from this penance. [.  .  .] 15. See Eph 4:27; 1 Tim 5:13.

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xlv. Those who make a mistake in the oratory Anyone who makes a mistake while reciting a psalm, a response, an antiphon, or a reading, and does not humble himself before all by making satisfaction, is to undergo a more severe punishment for not having desired to correct through humility the fault he committed out of negligence. As to the children, they are to be corporally chastised [vapulent] for such a fault.

xlvii. Giving the signal for the time of the Work of God Announcing the hour, whether during the day or during the night, is a task entrusted to the abbot; he does this himself or entrusts this function to an attentive brother so that everything is done at its proper time. 4133 Those who have been ordered to do so are to intone the psalms or the antiphons in their turn after the abbot. No one, however, should presume to sing or to read unless he is so capable of performing such an office that those listening are edified. This is to be done with humility, gravity, and reverence, and upon the abbot’s command. 4132

xlviii. Daily work Idleness is the enemy of the soul. Therefore at certain times the brothers should occupy themselves with manual work; at other hours with the divine reading. 4135 We believe, then, that these two activities should be well distributed during the day as follows: from Easter to the calends of October the monks go out to labor as is necessary from the first till about the fourth hour. From the fourth hour till the sixth hour, when they will celebrate Sext, they devote themselves to reading. After the sixth hour, however, upon getting up from the table, they are to rest in their beds in complete silence, or if someone wishes to read for himself, he will do so in a way that disturbs no one. None will be celebrated earlier, about the middle of the eighth hour, and the monks will work at whatever is necessary till Vespers. If, however, local circumstances or poverty require that they gather the harvest themselves, they should not become downcast, for by labor they are truly monks, living by the work of their hands as did also our fathers and the apostles. Yet for the benefit of the faint-hearted all is to be done with moderation. 4136 From the calends of October till the beginning of Lent, they should devote themselves to reading till the end of the second hour. Terce is to be said at the second hour, and then, till the ninth hour, all are to carry out their assigned tasks. When, however, the first signal is given for the hour of None, they are to cease working and prepare themselves for the second signal. After the meal they devote themselves to reading or to the psalms. 4137 During Lent from morning till the end of the tenth hour, they do their appointed tasks. During these days all will receive a book from the library, and they are to read them through in sequence. These books are to be distributed at the beginning of Lent. 4134

155. Benedict of Nursia  35 4138 Above all, one or two of the senior brothers will be appointed to go about the monastery during the time when the brethren are engaged in reading, and they shall observe whether there might be a slothful brother engaged in idleness or useless talk rather than applying himself to the reading. Such a brother not only harms himself but also distracts others. If such a one is found—God forbid—he is to be reprimanded once, twice. If he does not correct his ways, he will be subject to the correction of the Rule so that others may fear. A brother is not to join another brother at unseemly times. 4139 On Sunday, likewise, all are to devote themselves to reading, except those with appointed tasks. If someone is negligent and lazy to the point of not wishing or not being 4140 able to meditate or read, he will be assigned some task so that he may not remain idle. [.  .  .]

il. Observing Lent 4141 Although the life of a monk should always be an observance of Lent, yet since such virtue belongs only to a few, we advise that during these days of Lent, the monk guard his life with all purity and at the same time wash away all the failures of other times. This will be done if we refrain from all vices, if we devote ourselves to tearful prayers, to reading, to sorrow of heart, and to abstinence. And so during these days let us add something to our ordinary service: special prayers, abstaining from food and drink, so that each may freely and with the joy of the Holy Spirit go beyond what is prescribed, namely, to deprive the body of some food, drink, sleep, speech, merriment, and with the joy of spiritual desire to look forward to holy Easter. Each monk is to inform his abbot as to what he is offering, and it is to be 4142 done with the abbot’s approval. l. Brothers who work a long distance from the oratory or who are on a journey The brothers who work at too great a distance and who cannot go to the oratory at the desired hour—the abbot himself judging whether this is true—will celebrate the Work of God where they are working, doing so while kneeling out of fear of God. Likewise, those sent on a journey will not omit the appointed hours but will celebrate them as best they can and will not fail to fulfill the obligation of the divine service. lii. The oratory of the monastery The oratory is to be what its name signifies and is not to be used for any other purpose. When the Work of God is completed, all will depart from it in complete silence and with reverence toward God so that a brother who desires to pray by himself is not prevented from doing so by the misconduct of others. But if a monk desires to pray alone in private, he is to enter

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36  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West with simplicity and pray, not loudly, but with tears and dedication of the heart. Whoever does not act in this way will not be allowed to remain in the oratory after the Work of God has ended so that, as we said, another may not be hindered from praying. 4146

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lviii. The manner of receiving the brothers [.  .  .] In the presence of all and before God and his saints the person to be received is to promise, in the oratory, stability, conversion of life, and obedience so that if he should ever do otherwise, he will know that he is condemned by God, whom he mocks.16 He is to write down his promise in the name of the saints whose relics are in the oratory and of the abbot who is present there. He is to write down this petition with his own hand. Now if he is unlettered, he can request another to write it down for him, the novice placing a mark upon the document which he personally lays on the altar. When it has been placed there, the novice begins the verse, “Uphold me, O Lord, according to your word and I shall live; and let me not be confounded in my expectations.”17 All repeat this three times, adding the Gloria Patri. Then the novice brother prostrates at the feet of all and asks for their prayers. From that day forward he is considered to be a member of the community. [.  .  .] lx. Priests desiring to live in the monastery If a priest petitions to be admitted to the monastery, consent will not be given too hastily. But if he tenaciously persists in his request, he should know that he will have to observe the complete discipline of the Rule and that nothing will be relaxed for his benefit as is written, “Friend, why did you come?”18 Nonetheless, he may stand next to the abbot, give the blessing, and conclude the prayers, provided the abbot allows him to do so. [.  .  .] lxii. Priests of the monastery If the abbot desires to have a priest or a deacon ordained, he is to choose from among the monks someone fitting to exercise the priestly office. The ordained person is to guard against arrogance and pride; he should do only what the abbot has ordered, knowing that now he is all the more subject to the Rule. [.  .  .] lxiii. Order in the community [.  .  .] The order of rank in the monastery will be determined according to the time when a monk entered religion or according to the merit of each monk’s life, or as the abbot shall direct. [.  .  .] And so according to the rank the abbot has established or which the brothers themselves have, they are to receive the peace, receive Communion, intone the psalms, and stand in choir. [.  .  .] 16. See Gal 6:7.  17. Ps 119:116.  18. Matt 26:50.

156. Rule of Paul and Stephen  37 lxvii. Brothers sent forth on a journey The brothers who set forth on a journey are to commend themselves to the prayers of all the brethren and of the abbot. After the last prayer of the Work of God, there is to be a commemoration of all who are absent. On the day they return from a journey and once the Work of God has concluded, at each canonical hour they are to prostrate upon the floor of the oratory and request the prayers of all because of their failings, lest seeing evil or hearing frivolous speech should have suddenly overtook them on the way. [.  .  .]

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The author (or authors) of this monastic rule, which appears to have been redacted in Italy, remains anonymous. v. Those who hold the first places in the choir begin the psalm verses. If they are impeded by sickness, the abbot appoints others to do so. Then once they begin, all, if possible, together with one voice join in the first or second syllable so that there be no discord among the singers, something that ordinarily results from an inept beginning and from a conflict between voices that seem to battle one another. vi. The younger monks, especially those who are still striving to learn the psalms, will say them carefully and according to their rank in the choir. [.  .  .] vii. If possible we are to sing the psalms in a measured fashion so that we neither excessively fall behind nor rush ahead. The pace is always to be moderate, without either lengthening or shortening the syllables. Since the time, the hour, and the circumstances pertain to the will and authority of the superior, who is to examine and judge them, so he has the right to slow down or accelerate the psalmody when, in accord with his judgment, he gives a sign to do so. Likewise if he desires to raise or lower the pitch. Nonetheless, the psalmody is to be rendered in unison, coming as it were from one mouth. May no one without the superior’s permission presume either to exceed or to change the correct rendering of the psalmody, either by singing in a very loud fashion—something that too frequently leads thoughtless souls to a haughty and arrogant vanity—or by disordered haste. Nor will the superior, without true necessity, presume to avail himself of his ability to regulate the psalmody, knowing that he will be held accountable to the Lord who said, “Sing the psalms wisely.”1 viii. With God’s help we should refrain from sleep during the Work of God. We should listen to what the prophet said: “Cursed be the one who † Translated from Règles monastiques d’Occident: IVe–VIe siècle, d’Augustin à Ferréol, trans. and ed. V. Desprez, Spiritualité orientale 9 (Maine-et-Loire, France, 1980) 349ff. 1. Ps 37:8.

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is negligent in doing the Lord’s work,”2 and also, “They have slept their sleep and all the rich have found nothing in their hands.”3 x. In the morning after Prime, no one is to return to bed except on Sundays and feasts. On these days, if one is more tired than usual because of observing the vigil and due to the heat of the previous day, those among us who so desire may after Prime spend a little more time in bed. This is not allowed at just any time of the year, only during the summer months. [.  .  .] xii. The Work of God, which the brothers will say at the appointed hours wherever they are laboring, is observed in a disciplined way, with fear, and in common. The monk does not plunge ahead as he wishes under the pretext of or for the sake of his work. Nor does a younger monk hastily presume to leap in front of an older one. As a result of such unruly self-conceit, the Work of God, which should be carried out with fear, will be sung foolishly, not wisely. Unless restrained with great effort, the spirits and voices of some of the brethren, infected by such a practice, can no longer be in unison with those in the oratory. With simple love we exhort you to rid yourselves of such evil, for God will then hear you: “He has sent his angel and has taken me from the midst of my father’s sheep.”4 xiii. At the hour when we are to receive the Lord’s holy Body and Blood, may we who are present—excused are those who have a reason for not being there, a reason known by the superior—hasten to cry out, “Free us from evil.”5 Care is always to be taken that we do not receive the holy Body and Blood unworthily, namely, unto judgment.6 xiv. May no one in this community presume to sing, learn, or say the responses and antiphons, as some are wont to sing on an ornate tone, doing so as they wish, and not taking them from the canonical Scriptures. [.  .  .] “Only sing what you read is to be sung,” as blessed Augustine has written; “do not sing what you read is not to be sung.”a What the Lord desired to reveal to us through his prophets and apostles is not to be rendered in praise so that it differs from what he himself has prescribed. What is to be sung, let us not change into prose or into a lesson-like recitative. What is written to be a reading, let us not be so bold as to turn into a trope and ornate melody. We are to offer God the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving according to the manner he prescribed.7 [.  .  .] 157. John the Deacon

Not to be confused with the ninth-century John the Deacon who was one of the three biographers of Pope Gregory I (WEC 4:165), the John who wrote this Letter to Senarius was, according to some, Pope John I (523–25), a native of Tuscany. a. Augustine, Rule ii.4 (WEC 3:98-V). 2. Jer 48:10.  3. Ps 75:5, LXX.  4. Ps 151:4, LXX.  5. Matt 6:13.  6. See 1 Cor 11:29.  7. See Tob 8:19; Ps 50:14, 23.

157. John the Deacon  39 CPL no. 950 * Altaner (1961) 554 * Altaner (1966) 464 * Steidle 237

157-A. Letter to Senarius† This letter is addressed to a nobleman of Ravenna who had previously submitted a number of liturgical questions to Rome. ii. You wrote, “I ask why a person is made a catechumen before bap4159 tism. Or what is the meaning of the word ‘catechumen’ or ‘catechesis’? Or what Old Testament rule preceded this? But if it is a new rule, then does it find its origin in the New Testament? Likewise, what is a scrutiny? Why are infants scrutinized three times before the Pasch? Why is so much attention and care given to the scrutinies?” Etc. iii. Here is my answer. I trust that you sufficiently know that at the be4160 ginning of the world the whole human race, so to speak, underwent death due to the collusion of the first parent. Freedom from it could only come through the grace of the Savior, who, before time begotten of the Father, did not for our sake reject being born in time as the son of his mother alone. So there is no doubt that before a person is born again in Christ, he or she is held bound by the power of the devil. Unless one is freed from the devil’s bonds and renounces the devil among the first elements of the faith by a true profession, he or she cannot obtain the grace given by the saving bath. And so it is fitting to first enter the classroom of the catechumens. It is said that the word “catechesis” comes from the Greek and means “instruction.” One is instructed by the Church’s ministry which imposes a blessing, namely, a laying on, of the hand so that one might know who he or she is or will be: from being condemned, a person is made holy; from being unjust, one becomes just; and finally a servant becomes a son or daughter. In this way whoever was lost in the first parent is restored by the gift of a second parent and possesses the paternal inheritance. There is an exsufflation and exorcism so that the devil may be put to flight and an entrance provided for Christ our Lord. Freed from the power of darkness, one is transferred to the kingdom of the glory of the love of God.1 Those who for a long time were vessels of Satan now become dwelling places of the Savior. An exsufflation is given because the ancient deserter merits such disgrace. There is an exorcism, namely, the devil is adjured to depart and leave and acknowledge the arrival of him who stood erect in the happiness of Paradise of him whose image the devil cast down by his evil persuasion. Catechumens receive blessed salt to signify that just as all meat is preserved by salt, so by the salt of wisdom and of preaching God’s word, the mind, so drenched and weakened by the waves of the world, might, once the moisture of inner corruption has been wiped away, † Translated from Analecta Reginensia: extraits des manuscrits Latins de la Reine Christine conservés au Vatican, ed. A. Wilmart, ST 59 (Vatican City, 1933) 171–78. 1. See 1 Cor 1:13.

40  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West attain stability and permanence through the pleasant working of divine salt. This is brought about by frequent impositions of the hand and, out of respect for the Trinity, by thrice invoking over a person’s head the blessing of the Creator. 4161 iv. Henceforth encouraged and making progress, those who during the exsufflation renounced the snares and pomp of the devil merit to receive the words of the creed which has been handed down from the apostles, so that who was previously called a catechumen is now also called a competens or an electus. These are conceived in the womb of Mother Church and already begin to live even though they have not completed the period of holy birth. Then, according to ecclesiastical custom, follow the frequent scrutinies. We scrutinize their hearts as to what they believe, as to whether the sacred words after the renunciation of the devil are implanted in their minds; as to whether they have recognized the future grace of the Redeemer; as to whether they confess that they believe in God the almighty Father. And when their responses show that this is true, then according to what is written, “One who believes with the heart is justified; one who confesses with the mouth is saved,”2 their ears as well as their nostrils are anointed with the oil of sanctification: the ears because through them faith enters the mind since, as the apostle says, “Faith comes through hearing, and what is heard comes through the word of God.”3 Thus, the ears, provided with a certain wall of holiness, might allow nothing harmful, nothing that might recall what is from the past. 4162 v. When their nostrils are touched, they are warned that as long as their nostrils breathe the spirit of this life, they must remain in God’s service, obeying his commandments. As that holy man said, “The Lord lives, the Lord who has taken away my judgment, and the Almighty who has led my soul to bitterness; as long as breath remains in me and the spirit of God is in my nostrils, my lips will not speak iniquity nor will my tongue engage in lying.”4 The anointing of the nostrils has yet a further meaning. Because the oil is blessed in the name of the Savior, so may the nostrils be led to his spiritual aroma by internally experiencing a certain undescribable sweetness. In this way may they delight in singing, “Your name is like oil that is poured out; we will run after the aroma of your ointments.”5 Made safe by this mystery, may they admit nothing of the world’s pleasures, nothing that might impair the mind. 4163 vi. The breast—this being the seat and dwelling place of the heart—is then anointed with the oil of consecration so that the catechumens might understand that they, having already rejected the devil, are to obey Christ’s commandments with a firm conscience and a pure heart. They are also enjoined to come forward, completely naked, so that having put aside the deadly and carnal clothing of the world, they acknowledge that they are taking upon themselves a way of life in which nothing harsh, 2. Rom 10:10.  3. Rom 10:17.  4. Job 27:2–4.  5. Cant 1:3.

157. John the Deacon  41 nothing harmful, is found. Down through the years the Church has carefully established this even though the ancient books give no evidence of such a custom. And so once the elect or the catechumens have advanced in faith by means of what might be called spiritual vehicles, it is then necessary that they be made holy by the one and only baptismal bath. In this sacrament the baptized person is made perfect by a triple immersion. And rightly so. For those who approach to receive baptism in the name of the Trinity should at least signify this Trinity by a triple immersion and acknowledge that one is in debt to him who on the third day rose from the dead. 4164 Then, once the baptized have put on white garments, each person’s head is anointed with holy chrism. In this way the baptized are able to understand that the kingdom and a priestly mystery have met in them. Priests and kings were once anointed with the oil of chrism so that, on the one hand, the priests might offer sacrifice, and on the other hand, so that the kings might govern the people. For more fully expressing the priestly image, the newly-baptized person’s head is adorned with a beautiful linen cloth since priests in days past always adorned their heads with a type of mystical veil. So all who have been reborn are clothed with white garments to signify the mystery of the risen Church just as our Lord and Savior was transfigured on the mountain before some of the disciples and prophets, as is said, “His face glowed like the sun; his garments became as white as snow.”6 This prefigured the future splendor of the resurgent Church, concerning which it is written, “Who is it who rises up?”7 Thus the newly-baptized wear white garments; although the infancy of their first birth has been darkened through the rag of the ancient error, so, wearing a wedding garment, may they hasten to the table of the heavenly bridegroom as new people. 4165 vii. Not to overlook anything, I must clearly state that all this is also done for the young who, due to their tender age, understand nothing of what is happening. You should also know that they, whether brought by their parents or by others, and who were condemned by the sin of another, are saved by the faith of others. You ask that I explain why the holy chrism can be consecrated only by a 4166 bishop, this not being granted to the presbyter. And rightly so. The bishop holds the rank of the high priest; the presbyter holds that of the second priest. Every bishop is a priest; not every priest can be called a bishop. In the Old Testament, not to mention elsewhere, they differed even by their clothing, priests wearing four mystical garments which were also worn by the high priest, the high priest wearing four other garments which priests were not allowed to wear. Furthermore, only the high priest was permitted—and only once each year8—to enter the holy of holies. And so among the New People the bishop has the power to ordain presbyters. Therefore 6. Matt 17:2.  7. Cant 3:6; 8:5.  8. See Heb 9:7.

42  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West the power of blessing and anointing is retained in this tradition as agreeing with the very origin of ecclesiastical orders. 4167 viii. We must not overlook that a prayer of consecration said by a priest does not have the same words of blessing as a prayer spoken by a bishop. For if nothing special were reserved to the bishop, then his rank would appear to be unimportant. Although words may differ, the consecratory blessing is the same. It should not upset you if at times necessity requires, as is said to happen at present throughout Africa, that presbyters prepare the holy chrism; it would, however, be disturbing if this were done contrary to episcopal authority. And so it is evident that whatever is now done by bishops can be done by presbyters in cases of great necessity and when so determined by a higher order. 4168 ix. Do you also wish to know why the Catholic Church does not baptize heretics who return to it? Allow me to say that the question here concerns those who have not been baptized in the full name of the Trinity. If a person confessed only the Father and denied the Son and the Holy Spirit, or if a person confessed only the Son and denied the Father and the Holy Spirit, then he or she is certainly to be baptized. Now if the Father and the Son are confessed but the Holy Spirit is denied, then he or she is to be cleansed at the mystical font as is required by the Lord who said, “Go, baptize all nations in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”9 If some have truly accepted the name of the Trinity and yet differentiate in regard to equality as was done at the time of Arius,a in no way are they to be [re-] baptized since they have followed the Lord’s rule even though they appear to have erred. This is why they are to be instructed rather than baptized; after the bishop’s blessing they are to be incorporated into the womb of the Church so that through the love by which God and neighbor are truly loved, they might recognize what they lacked and what was completed in them. As to the Pelagians,b the Eutychiansc and the Nestorians,d what happens here is understood by all, this being common knowledge as you will be able to grasp more fully once you have read the Book of Heresies.e a. Arius (ca. 260–336): a priest in Alexandria, noted as a preacher and for his holiness, who denied the unity and consubstantiality of the three persons of the Trinity and consequently the full divinity of Christ. This Arian doctrine was condemned by the Council of Nicaea (WEC 2:71-C). b. Pelagians: members of a heretical movement promoted by Pelagius (b. ca. 354), who although British, lived in Rome, and who promoted the heresy that a person can be saved by one’s personal merits alone. c. Eutychians: another name for the Monophysites, those believing that in Christ there is only one nature, not two. d. Nestorians: Christians believing that two separate persons exist in Christ, one human and the other divine. e. See Augustine (WEC 3:98-S). 9. Matt 28:19.

157. John the Deacon  43 x. Acolytes differ from exorcists in that the latter do not have the power 4169 to carry the sacraments and to minister these to the priests; lacking only the imposition of the hand, they are called exorcists; they do whatever else pertains to the rank of acolytes. Acolytes receive and then carry to the priests the vessels containing the sacraments. An exorcist may become an acolyte, but in no way may an acolyte be reduced to the rank of an exorcist. If an acolyte excels in carrying out his duties, he can be made a subdeacon, namely, someone who carries the sacred cup used by the bishop when offering the mystery of the Lord’s Blood. Furthermore, if a subdeacon serves in a blameless manner, he may be promoted to the most holy dignity of the diaconate or the presbyterate. [.  .  .] xii. You ask why milk and honey are placed in the most sacred cup that 4170 is offered with the sacrifice on the paschal Sabbath. The reason is found in the Old Testament and which in figure has been promised to the New People: “I will lead you into the land of promise, a land flowing with milk and honey.”10 And so the land of promise is the land of the Resurrection, a land leading to everlasting happiness; it is nothing other than the land of our body which in the resurrection of the dead attains glorious incorruption and peace. Therefore this form of the sacrament is offered to the baptized so that they may understand that only the baptized, not others, share in the Lord’s Body and Blood, that they receive the land of promise, that beginning this journey they, like children, are nourished with milk and honey so that they may sing, “How sweet are your words to my face, O Lord, sweeter than honey to my mouth.”11 The newly born, namely, those who have put aside the bitterness of sin, those who at their first birth were nourished with the milk of corruption and who in the beginning shed tears, at their second birth receive within the Church the sweetness of milk and honey so that nourished by such sacraments they may be made holy by the mysteries of an incorruption that lasts forever. 4171 xiii. You also asked why in the Roman church the Alleluia is sung till Pentecost. You should know that some things exist in the Catholic Church that bind a Christian as, for example, the authority of the New and Old Testaments. We also have what has been established by the fathers, for example, the canons of Nicaeaf and the like. Likewise, there are other things that each church holds as its own, these having been given to it by its elders, namely, things the Roman church—faith and Catholic peace being intact—does not hold in common with other churches in the same region. Here one fasts on all Saturdays, a practice not apparently followed in the East. Here seven altars are arranged, something not attempted elsewhere. In different churches things are done in various ways so that all the churches form a garment of the queen concerning whom it is said, “At your right hand stood a queen clothed in golden vesture.”12 Therefore f. See WEC 2:71-C. 10. Deut 31:20.  11. Ps 119:103.  12. Ps 45:9.

44  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West do not be disturbed if you see here something done to praise God which elsewhere is legitimately done differently. Whether the Alleluia is sung till Pentecost, which among us is surely the custom, or whether as elsewhere the Alleluia is sung throughout the whole year, it is the Church singing its praise of God. Among us there is paschal restraint so that, as it were, with greater joy and renewed spirits we might joyfully return to our praise of God as expressed by our singing of the Alleluia—in Latin “Praise the Lord.” Daily the voice of people using other words resounds; for example, “Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise him in the heights.”13 Or, “Praise him, all his angels.”14 Or, “Praise the Lord, all nations.”15 Therefore when God is praised in any way with a faithful heart, it is the Alleluia that is being sung. 4172 xiv. A further question remains to be answered. If someone who is baptized departs this life without the chrismal anointing and the bishop’s blessing, is it or is it not held against that person? In this regard I would like to hear what the more learned have to say.g [.  .  .] 158. Pseudo-Maximus of Turin

A set of three homilies or treatises on baptism have come down to us under the name of Maximus of Turin. Preached (or written?) about 550, these pieces are generally considered to be the work of an unknown bishop from northern Italy who was acquainted with John the Deacon’s Letter to Senarius (WEC 4:157-A). CPL nos. 220ff. B. Capelle, “Les ‘Tractatus de Baptismo’ attribués à s. Maxime,” RB 45 (1933) 108–18.

158-A. Treatises on Baptism† 158-a-1. treatise 1 Beloved, it is with the greatest concentration and attentiveness that we should listen to all that God tells us. This is especially true for what we will say to you today. The catechumens have been dismissed; only you remain as my audience. 4174 We will not speak about all that Christians have in common; no, we will specifically focus on the heavenly mysteries. One cannot be given an explanation of these mysteries till he or she has actually experienced them. With how much more reverence you should listen to what we will say since what is entrusted to the baptized and to the faithful who are 4173

g. John continues on but does not really present his answer before the text, which unfortunately is incomplete, ends. 13. Ps 148:1.  14. Ps 148:2.  15. Ps 117:1. † Translated from PL 57:771–74.

158. Pseudo-Maximus of Turin  45 listening is much greater than what the catechumens are accustomed to hear. Beloved, be not surprised if we said nothing to you concerning these mysteries while they were being celebrated, if we did not immediately explain what we were doing. [.  .  .] First, we smeared your ears with the oil of blessing; but recognize that according to church tradition this is done by all Christ’s Catholic priests. The beginning of faith and of all holy instruction gains access to the soul through the ears. Understanding results from hearing. No one can understand the sacraments of faith without hearing the one who preaches, for as the apostle said, “How will they hear without the one who preaches?” Also, “Faith comes from hearing, hearing through the word of God.”1 Rightly, then, does this oil sanctify all the body’s sense organs. Without it, faith cannot possess the soul. At the same time those who come to baptism are to keep themselves undefiled, avoiding very evil and foul words, not slandering their neighbor. Like the deaf, they are not to listen to those who utter obscenities or shameless things. Thus they fulfill what the Scripture says: “Fence in your ears with thorns and listen not to a wicked tongue.”2 [.  .  .] Once your ears have been anointed with the blessed oil, you are placed among those who listen with wisdom so that rightly retaining God’s words and carrying out what you have heard, you might on the day of judgment hear Christ saying to you, “Come, blessed of my Father, receive the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world.”3 [.  .  .] Your nose also did we anoint with the blessed oil. We did this to have it understood that those who come to baptism are admonished to keep integral and inviolate the sacrament of such a great mystery. They are to do so till death, for as long as they breathe the spirit of life through the nose they are not to fall away from the worship and service of Christ our Lord. [.  .  .] The anointing of the nose also has a more simple explanation. The aroma of the oil, which is blessed in the name and by the power of Christ, calls you to a spiritual sense of smell, not one of the body but of the soul. By means of the senses you are able with inestimable fragrance to experience the aroma of Christ; delighted by being addressed by him and following in his footsteps, may you be worthy to imitate what the choir of believers says to God: “We will run after you, for the odor of your ointments.”4

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158-a-2. treatise 2† [.  .  .] Previously we spoke to you only about what we did before you entered the holy font. [.  .  .] Without reservation you renounced all the devil’s works and pomp; you rejected diabolical fornication. 1. Rom 10:14, 17.  2. Sir 28:24.  3. Matt 25:34.  4. Cant 1:4. † Translated from PL 57:775–76, 778.

4179 4180

46  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West You went down into the sacred font, the font of life, the font of redemption, the font sanctified with heavenly power. Thus made holy, it sanctifies by washing away sins. You should not judge this water with your eyes but with your mind. For even though this water may appear to be common water, its effect, however, proceeds from God’s grace and power, God who created the waters so that by the hidden strength of his power he might wash away sins that are unseen. The Holy Spirit is indeed active in the water so that those who before baptism were accused of various sins and were to burn in hell with the devil will after baptism merit to enter the kingdom of heaven. Thus the Lord, expressing the power of such a great sacrament, said in the Gospel, “No one can enter the kingdom of God without having been born of water and the Holy Spirit.”1 4182 Before we washed your body in this font we asked, “Do you believe in God the Father almighty?” You replied, “I believe.” Again we asked, “Do you believe in Jesus Christ his Son, who was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary?” Each of you replied, “I believe.” Again we asked, “Do you also believe in the Holy Spirit?” You likewise replied, “I believe.” We did all this according to the command of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who, before ascending to his heavenly Father, said to the disciples, namely, his apostles, “Go, baptize all nations in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to do all that I have commanded you.”2 No one upon hearing the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit believes that we are acknowledging three Gods. May such a sacrilege be far removed from our faith. As God himself attests, we know that there is only one God, who says, “I am God and there is no other than me.”3 Elsewhere, “Hear, O Israel, the Lord is your God; God is one.”4 Also, “God is in heaven above, and there is no other.”5 We honor and believe in three persons, namely, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. There is one power, one substance, one eternity, one will, one deity, and we adore the whole Trinity of the one God. [.  .  .] 4183 Rightly you were immersed three times since you were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ who on the third day rose from the dead. This threefold immersion signifies a type of the Lord’s burial through which we in baptism are buried with Christ and in faith will rise with him so that, our sins being washed away, we may live in imitation of him. [.  .  .] 4181

158-a-3. treatise 3† 4184

Thus far we have spoken of the mysteries that were celebrated either before the sacrament of baptism or during baptism itself. Now we will treat those things that complete the holy institution for those who have been baptized. After the bath we poured on the head chrism, namely, the oil of 1. John 3:5.  2. Matt 28:19.  3. Isa 45:5; see also Hos 23:4.  4. Deut 6:4.  5. Deut 4:39. † Translated from PL 57:777–79.

159. Vigilius, Pope  47 sanctification, by which the Lord confers the royal and priestly dignity upon the baptized. In the Old Testament those chosen as priests and kings were anointed upon the head with holy oil; from God some received the power to rule, others that of offering sacrifice. Just as holy David and the other kings were anointed by the prophets, so by the oil of sanctification they were changed from being private citizens unto royalty. Thus we sing in the psalm, “Like oil on the head which runs down onto the beard, the beard of Aaron.”1 In the Old Testament oil conferred a temporal kingdom and a temporal priesthood. In such a case the life of service ended after a few years. But the chrism, namely, the anointing given you, has conferred the dignity of the priesthood which, once having been given, never ends. [.  .  .] 4185 All the sacraments being completed, we handed down to you by word and deed the command of Christ. We washed the feet of each, summoning you to imitate our example and that of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ so that just as we washed your feet, you also should wash the feet of your comrades and guests. We teach you to be not only hospitable but also to be humble, thus honoring those to whom you extend hospitality so that you not be ashamed to carry out the role of being their servants. [.  .  .] 159. Vigilius, Pope

In 537 Pope Silverius, accused of treason, was imprisoned. Elected to succeed him was Vigilius, a deacon and a member of a prominent Roman family. As pope, Vigilius was involved in various religious disputes. The most famous of these concerns was the “Three Chapters,” a decree issued by the emperor Justinian (527–65), who wished to extend a gesture of reconciliation toward the Monophysites. This three-part decree, seen as being anti-Nestorian, condemned (1) the writings and person of Theodore of Mopsuestia (WEC 3:138), (2) the writings of Theodoret of Cyr (WEC 3:139) against Cyril of Alexandria (WEC 3:148), and (3) the letter of Ibas of Edessa to Maris. The bishops of the East assented; those of the West were very unhappy with the document, seeing it as contrary to the decisions taken at the Council of Chalcedon (WEC 3:137). Vigilius would not approve the decree but then, summoned by the emperor to Constantinople in 548, somewhat unwillingly condemned the decree, while nonetheless upholding the decisions of Chalcedon. Vigilius then withdrew his condemnation while awaiting a discussion of the matter at the General Council of Constantinople (553). Here the decree was again condemned with Vigilius concurring. The pope died in 555 on his way back to Rome. CPL nos. 1694ff. * Altaner (1961) 555 * Altaner (1966) 464–65 * Bardenhewer (1908) 639–40 * Bardenhewer (1910) 550 * Bardenhewer (1913) 5:281–83 * Bautz 12:1383–87

1. Ps 133:2.

48  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West * Steidle 228–29 * CATH 15:1118–20 * CE 15:427–28 * DCB 4:1144–51 * DPAC 2:3591 * DTC 15.2:1868–1924, 2994–3005 * EC 12:1416 * EEC 2:870 * EEChr 2:1161 * LTK 10:787–88 * NCE 14:664–67 * NCES 14:509–11 * ODCC 1697–98 B. Capelle, “‘L’aqua exorcizata’ dans les rites romains de la dédicace au VIe siècle,” RB 50 (1938) 306–8. * A. Chavasse, “Messes du Pape Vigile (537–555) dans le sacramentaire léonien,” EphL 64 (1950) 161–213; 66 (1952) 145–215. * S. Agrelo, “La simbologia de la luz en el ‘Sacramentario Veronense’: Estudio histórico-literario,” Ant 50 (1975) 5–123. * A.A.R. Bastiaensen, “Un formulaire de messe du sacramentaire de Vérone et la fin du siège de Rome par les Goths (537–538),” RB 95 (1985) 39–43.

159-A. Letter to Profuturus† There exist twenty-six letters and documents, mostly concerned with the “Three Chapters” controversy. Among these is the pope’s letter to Profuturus, the metropolitan of Braga, who submitted a now lost letter to Vigilius requesting papal clarification on several matters. The pope’s response formed the basis of a decretal, which entered the Spanish collection of church law. ii. As to the solemn celebration of baptism, whatever apostolic authority has either ratified or observes your holiness evidently permits to those subject to you. There is, we believe, a new error occurring in this regard. Catholics everywhere when concluding the psalms say, “Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.” But some, as you have indicated, remove the one syllable conjunction “and,” thereby attempting to diminish the perfect word of “Trinity” as they say, “Glory to the Father and to the Son, to the Holy Spirit.” Although reason may evidently teach us that removing one syllable shows in a certain way that the person of the Son and that of the Holy Spirit are one, nonetheless for demonstrating the error of those who do this, we merely need point out that the Lord Jesus designated the baptism of believers to be celebrated by invoking the Trinity, for he said, “Go, teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”1 He did not say, “In the name of the Father and of the Son, of the Holy Spirit.” Rather, he commanded that with equal distinctions the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are to be named. It is evident that those who weaken this profession stray from the Lord’s teaching. Persisting in error, they cannot be our associates. iii. As to those who, having already received the saving grace of bap4187 tism, are baptized again by the Ariansa [.  .  .], their reconciliation does not 4186

Translated from PL 69:17–18. a. Arians: followers of Arius (ca. 260–336), a priest in Alexandria, who denied the unity and consubstantiality of the three persons of the Trinity and consequently the full divinity of Christ. This doctrine was condemned by the Council of Nicaea (WEC 2:71-C). 1. Matt 28:19. †

160. Pelagius I, Pope  49 take place through the imposition of the hand whereby the Holy Spirit is invoked but through that imposition whereby the fruit of penance is acquired and which is completed by restoring Holy Communion. 4188 iv. Concerning the construction of a church, if it has been destroyed, it is to be rebuilt. If the service of consecration is to be repeated in that place in which there were no relics of the saints, there is no reason why exorcised water cannot be sprinkled, although it is the Mass that consecrates churches. Therefore if a basilica dedicated to the saints has been restored from its foundations, surely it is fully consecrated by celebrating Mass there. If the relics of the saints have been removed, the building is sanctified by replacing them and by celebrating Mass. 4189 v. [.  .  .] At no time, on no feast, do we have a set of various prayers for celebrating Mass. We always consecrate the gifts offered to God according to the same text. Yet when we celebrate the paschal feast, the Lord’s Ascension, Pentecost, Epiphany, and the feasts of the saints, we add formulas that are suitable for each of the days; through these we commemorate the holy solemnity and those whose birthdays are being celebrated. We then continue in the customary way. And so we direct that the text be added after that of the canonical prayer which we, through God’s favor, have received from apostolic tradition. And so that your charity may know in which places we join what is fitting for the feasts, we likewise are enclosing the prayer used for the paschal feast. [.  .  .] vi. If any bishop or presbyter, contrary to the Lord’s command, does not 4190 baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, but in the one person of the Trinity, or in two or three Fathers, or in three Sons or in three Paracletes, he is to be removed from the Church of God. 160. Pelagius I, Pope

Son of a noble family, Pelagius was a church official under Pope Agapetus I (535–36) and then under Pope Vigilius (WEC 4:159). It was a time when the Roman emperor Justinian, in an attempt to placate the Monophysites, issued in 543 an edict known as the “Three Chapters,” a document condemning certain theologians considered sympathetic to Nestorius and thus hated by the Monophysites. The bishops of the East assented to the decree. But Pope Vigilius, summoned to appear before the emperor as well as before his advisor Pelagius, vacillated between approving and rejecting Justinian’s condemnation. Upon the death of Vigilius on June 7, 555, at Syracuse while returning to Rome, Pelagius became the emperor’s choice for the Roman See. But due to hard feelings aroused by the “Three Chapters” controversy as well as rumors that Pelagius played a part in the demise of Vigilius, Pelagius was hard-pressed to find bishops willing to ordain him to the episcopate, which indeed did take place on April 16, 556. As pope, Pelagius is especially known for his charitable deeds, for the construction of various churches and shrines, and for his attempts,

50  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West generally successful, to heal a schism that developed in northern Italy as a result of the “Three Chapters” affair. He died on March 3, 561. CPL nos. 1698ff. * Altaner (1961) 555–56 * Altaner (1966) 465–66 * Bardenhewer (1910) 550–51 * Bardenhewer (1913) 5:283 * Bautz 7:166–67 * Steidle 229 * CATH 10:1087–90 * CE 11:602–3 * DCB 4:295–98 * DPAC 2:2737 * DTC 12.1:660–69 * EC 9:1077–78 * EEC 2:666–67 * EEChr 2:890 * LTK 8:10–11 * NCE 11:55–56 * NCES 11:59–60 * TRE 26:176–85

160-A. Letters 160-a-1. letter to the bishops of tuscany† 4191

[.  .  .] How can you believe that you are not separated from universal communion if you fail to mention my name during the sacred mysteries? [.  .  .]

160-a-2. letter to tulianus, bishop of grumentum††a 4192

[.  .  .] If he [the deacon Latinus] can hasten here before the holy day [the Pasch] so that on Saturday itself after the baptisms that occur during that great night, he with God’s grace can be ordained. [.  .  .]

160-A-3. letter to lawrence, bishop of civitavecchia†††a 4193

[.  .  .] And so we exhort Your Grace to watch over the [persons to be ordained] and diligently inquire whether or not they have acted according to the canons. If you find them blameless, and if you find praiseworthy witnesses who can testify as to their lives, then when mediana septima Paschaeb comes, and if the Lord shall desire and if we are alive, do not delay moving them through the respective offices. Let the presbyter take care never to celebrate the sacred mysteries without mentioning my name and your name. [.  .  .] 161. Cassiodorus

Cassiodorus (Flavius Magnus Aurelius Cassiodorus Senator) was born ca. 490. The son of a distinguished family in Calabria in southern Italy, he received a classical education and spent many years in public service. Shortly after 540 he retired to the monastery of Vivarium on the family

Translated from PL 69:398. Translated from PL 161:472. a. Grumentum: a town thirty-three miles south of Potenza in southern Italy. ††† Translated from PL 69:416. a. Civitavecchia: a port northwest of Rome and located on the Tyrrhenian Sea. b. Mediana septima Paschae: it has been suggested that this phrase refers to the week following the fourth Sunday of Lent; see G.C. Willis, Essays in Early Roman Liturgy, Alcuin Club Collections 46 (London, 1964) 101–4. †

††

161. Cassiodorus  51 estate, a monastery he founded. However, it is not known whether he became a monk. It was in this monastic setting that Cassiodorus not only wrote on various religious subjects but also encouraged the monks to collect, translate, and copy the literary works of others, thus preserving these documents for posterity. He died ca. 583. CPL nos. 896ff. * Altaner (1961) 584–86 * Altaner (1966) 486–88 * Bardenhewer (1908) 633–37 * Bardenhewer (1910) 545–48 * Bardenhewer (1913) 5:264–76 * Bardy (1930) 195–97 * Bautz 1:953–55 * Labriolle (1947) 2:786–91 * Labriolle (1968) 506–9 * Steidle 238–40 * Tixeront 359–62 * CATH 2:618–21 * CE 3:405–7 * DCB 1:416–18 * DHGE 11:1349–1408 * DictSp 2.1:276–77 * DPAC 1:617–19 * DTC 2.2:1830–34 * EC 3:1004–9 * EEC 1:149–50 * EEChr 1:219–20 * LTK 2:970–71 * NCE 3:184 * NCES 3:208–9 * ODCC 296 * PEA (1894) 3.2:1672–76 * PEA (1991) 2:1004–7 * RACh 2:915–26 * TRE 7:657–63 G. Morin, “L’ordre des heures canoniales dans les monastères de Cassiodore,” RB 43 (1931) 145–52.

161-A. Commentary on the Psalms† Probably composed over many years, this tract, greatly depending on Augustine’s Exposition, (WEC 3:98-O) treats in a highly allegorical manner all 150 psalms. Psalm 97 a Conclusion of the Psalm Why is it that we find frequent mention of musical instruments in the psalms, instruments that do not seem to charm the ears of those listening as much as to rouse the hearing of our hearts? Because this sound and rhythm of the flutes are not found in the sacred mysteries as celebrated at the present time, we should carefully inquire as to the spiritual meaning involved here. Music is a discipline that examines how sounds differ from and agree with each other. Music is correctly used to express images of spiritual things because through the power of music harmony exists within disharmony. When we sing a psalm or when we obey God’s commands, we are controlled by the grace of the sweetest harmony. If you carefully consider the reasons for this, you will discover that every person living under the rule of the Creator is not exempt from this harmony. Therefore we are commanded to sing to the Lord without ceasing, to sing a psalm with harp accompaniment, to sing a psalm with the harp, to make a joyful sound with hammered flutes and horns so that there can be no doubt that these most delightful instruments show us the agreement of praiseworthy deeds.

Translated from CCL 98:881, 1132. a. Enumeration of the psalms according to the LXX. †

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Psalm 118 164. “Seven times a day I will sing your praise for the judgments of your justice.” If we desire to direct our attention to the number “seven,” we see that this number signifies the seven times that the pious devotion of the monks is consoled: Matins, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers, Compline, and the Nocturns. This is attested by the hymn of Saint Ambrose that is sung at the sixth hour.b Now if you are looking for a spiritual explanation of “seven,” notice that this number expresses a continuous activity. For example, “I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise will ever be on my lips.”1 So it is that each week, which always revolves in this number, extends for us the longest period of time since all that occurs in the duration of the world is enclosed in this number. For example, “seven” is used as an indefinite number in the text, “A just man falls seven times and rises again. The just man falls any number of times, but whenever he falls, he inevitably rises again.”2 [.  .  .] 162. Liber diurnus†

The Liber diurnus Romanorum Pontificum is a collection of formulas used by the papal chancery as introductions and conclusions to letters and miscellaneous documents issued by the pope. Most of these formulas date from the late sixth century to the late eighth century. It is disputed whether the collection that has come down to us in various manuscripts is itself an official book or, as some have argued, more a training manual for clerics who would eventually work in the papal office. CPL no. 1626 * Altaner (1961) 565 * Altaner (1966) 472–73 * CATH 3:901–2 * CE 9:215–16 * DACL 9.1:243–344 * DCA 1:983–84 * DDC 4:1307–14 * DPAC 2:1943–44 * EC 7:1262–67 * EEC 1:485 * LTK 6:882 * NCE 8:694 * NCES 8:534–35 4196

vi. [.  .  .] In no way is the bishop to receive Africans who indiscriminately present themselves for ecclesiastical orders because some of these are Manichaeans,a others are proven to have been frequently baptized. b. Some see this reference as applying to the hymn Bis ternas horas explicans, which can be found in A.S. Walpole, Early Latin Hymns: With Introduction and Notes (London, 1922), hymn no. LXXXII, pp. 294–98. Lines 9–12 read, “ut septies diem vere/ orantes cum psalterio/laudesque cantantes Deo/laeti solvamus debitum.” However, there is no universal agreement that this hymn was written by Ambrose. 1. Ps 36:2.  2. Prov 24:16. † Translated from Liber diurnus Romanorum Pontificum, ed. T.E. von Sickel (Vienna, 1889) 6, 77–78. a. Manichaeans: followers of Mani (ca. 216–76), born in Persia, who preached a dualistic doctrine based on an ancient conflict between light and darkness, between good and evil; his disciples—found in Egypt, Rome, and elsewhere—practiced a severe ascetic life, e.g., always refraining from meat.

163. Liber Pontificalis  53 [.  .  .] As to what the Church receives of the offerings of the faithful, let the bishop divide these into four portions: one portion he may keep for himself; the second he is to distribute to the clergy that they be zealous in their duties; the third is to be given to the poor and members of the lower class; the fourth he will set aside for church construction. Divine judgment will be his guide in all this. The ordination of priests or deacons will be celebrated only at the fasts of the first, fourth, seventh, and tenth months and during Lent on Saturday evening of the mediana week.b The sacrament of most holy baptism will be celebrated only on the feast of the Pasch and at Pentecost, except for those in danger of death; so that they not be eternally lost, it is fitting that they be assisted with suitable remedies. [.  .  .] 4197 lxxiv. [.  .  .] I pledge and promise that at all times and on each day I will celebrate vigils in the church, from the first cockcrow till morning, together with all orders of my clergy in such a way that on the shorter nights, namely, those between the Pasch and the equinox of 24 September, there will be three readings, three antiphons, and three responses; from this equinox to the other, namely, the vernal, equinox and till the Pasch, there will be four readings with their responses and antiphons. We promise God that on Sundays during the year we will have nine readings with antiphons and responses. I promise that the litanies will always be observed by me twice a month. [.  .  .] 163. Liber pontificalis†

The Liber pontificalis is a collection of biographical notices of the bishops of Rome. Each entry follows the same pattern: name of the pope, place of origin, name of his father, etc., and concluding with the time of vacancy before the next pope was elected. The notices for earlier popes are generally quite brief; for those of later popes the notices are, in reality, short books. The list begins with Peter and concludes with Honorius II (d. 1130). The history of the text, written by numerous minor officials of the papal court, is complex and involves various editions and textual layers, some the work of contemporaries, others the product of pious memories or imaginations. According to Louis Duchesne, a first edition of the work, ending with Hormisdes (514–23), was redacted shortly after 530. Although the original has been lost, an attempt has been made to reconstruct it on the basis of summary versions of the primitive text.a A second edition was redacted during the pontificate of Vigilius (WEC 4:159) with further material eventually being added to this edition. Determining the historical veracity of the liturgical information scattered throughout the work is not always possible. At times historical terms b. Mediana week: the week following the fourth Sunday of Lent. † Translated from Le liber pontificalis: texte, introduction et commentaire, vol. 1, trans. and ed. L. Duchesne (Paris, 1957) 121ff. a. See Duchesne, Le liber pontificalis, 47–108.

54  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West of comparison are simply lacking. At times it is impossible to determine, and especially when duplicates are given, whether the pope’s decree concerned only the papal liturgy, that of the Roman titular churches, that of churches under strong Roman influence, or that of distant churches. CPL nos. 1568, 1682 * Altaner (1961) 564–65 * Altaner (1966) 472 * Bardenhewer (1908) 657–58 * Bardenhewer (1910) 565 * Bardenhewer (1913) 5:301–2 * Steidle 274 * Tixeront 355–56 * CATH 7:545–47 * CE 9:224–26 * DACL 9.1:354–460 * DCB 3:713–16 * DPAC 2:1947 * EC 7:1278–82 * EEC 1:486 * EEChr 2:679–80 * LTK 6:883–84 * NCE 8:695–96 * NCES 8:535 * ODCC 977 * PEA (1894) 13.1:76–81 * PEA (1991) 7:139–40 P. Lejay, “Le Liber pontificalis et la messe romaine,” RHL 2 (1897) 182ff. * P. Jeffery, “The Introduction of Psalmody into the Roman Mass by Pope Celestine I (422–432): Reinterpreting a Passage in the ‘Liber pontificalis,’” ALW 26 (1984) 147–65. * A. Chavasse, “Les grands cadres de la célébration à Rome ‘In urbe’ et ‘Extra muros’ jusqu’au VIIIe siècle,” RB 96 (1986) 7–26. 4198

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ii. Linus [ca. 70], born in Italy, [.  .  .]. As instructed by blessed Peter, he decreed that a woman when entering a church is to have her head covered. [.  .  .] vi. Evaristus [ca. 100], born in Greece, [.  .  .] divided the titulib in the city of Rome among the priests, and he ordained seven deacons to watch over the bishop when he recites [the eucharistic prayer] in order to determine that he is speaking correctly. [.  .  .] vii. Alexander [ca. 110], born in Rome, [.  .  .] inserted the institution narrativec [passionem Domini] into what the priest says when he celebrates Mass. [.  .  .] He decreed that water with salt be blessed for sprinkling the people’s homes. viii. Sixtus [ca. 117–ca. 127], born in Rome, [.  .  .] decreed that the sacred vessels used for ministry be touched only by the ministers. [.  .  .] He decreed that within the celebration [of Mass] the people sing—with the priest beginning—the “Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth” etc.d ix. Telesphorus [ca. 127–ca. 137], born in Greece, [.  .  .] decreed that a fast of seven weeks should be kept before the Pasch, and that Mass be celebrated at night on the day of the Lord’s birth, for no one would ever presume to celebrate Mass before the office [cursum] of the third hour, the hour when our Lord ascended the cross; also that the hymn of the angels, namely, the “Gloria in excelsis Deo,” is to be sung before the sacrifice.e [.  .  .] b. Tituli: the word titulus had various meanings in classical and ecclesiastical antiquity, here signifying a parish church where priests and other clergy carried out the religious ceremonies. c. Some suggest the translation “theme of redemption.” d. The decree regarding the Sanctus appears only in the first edition of the Liber pontificalis, perhaps simply being overlooked by the redactor of the later version. e. In the first edition the Gloria is restricted to the Christmas night Mass; in the second edition it is sung on all Sundays and feasts.

163. Liber Pontificalis  55 xi. Pius [ca. 140–ca. 154], born in Italy [.  .  .]. During Pius’ episcopacy Hermasf wrote a book which contains the order the angel of the Lord imposed on Hermas when the angel came to him in shepherd’s garb; he, the angel, commanded that the Pasch be celebrated on the Lord’s Day.g He determined that a heretic converting from the Jewish heresy be received and baptized. [.  .  .] xiii. Soter [ca. 166–75], born in Campania, [.  .  .] decreed that no monk should touch the sacred pall nor burn [ponoret] incense in the holy church.h xv. Victor [189–98], born in Africa, [.  .  .] decreed, like Eleutherius,i that the holy Pasch be celebrated on the Lord’s Day. [.  .  .] He decreed that in cases of necessity a person coming from paganism is to be baptized wherever that person might be, whether the baptism take place in a river, in the sea, or in a spring, provided that the Christian confession of faith [the creed] has been distinctly professed. [.  .  .] When priests questioned him concerning the paschal cycle, he decreed that the Pasch be celebrated on the Lord’s Day;j having discussed this with the presbyters and bishops and after holding a meeting to which Theophilus the bishop of Alexandria was invited, the holy Pasch was to be observed between the fourteenth and twenty-first days of the first lunar month. [.  .  .] xvi. Zephyrinus [198–217], born in Rome, [.  .  .] declared that a cleric, a deacon, and a priest were to be ordained in the presence of all the clerics and the lay faithful. He legislated concerning the church, and that glass patens be held before the priests in the church and that ministers should hold these patens while the bishop is celebrating Mass with the priests standing before him;k Mass is to be celebrated in this manner with the clergy remaining for all of it, although the bishop can lawfully excuse them; and that a presbyter is to receive from what is consecrated a consecrated crown [the eucharistic bread] to be given to the people. [.  .  .] xvii. Callistus [217–22], born in Rome, [.  .  .] decreed that three times each year, on Saturdays, there should be a fast from corn, wine, and oil according to the prophecy.l [.  .  .] xxi. Fabian [236–50], born in Rome, [.  .  .] divided the regions among the deacons, and he made seven subdeacons who were to look out for the f. Hermas: see WEC 1:10. g. Confer WEC 4:4205. The Roman custom of celebrating the Lord’s resurrection on Sunday precedes Pius I; see Eusebius, Church History V.xxiv.14 (WEC 2:2025). h. Confer WEC 4:4220. i. There is nothing in the notice of Eleutherius concerning the day on which the Pasch was to be observed. j. Confer WEC 4:4203. k. The text here in places is somewhat obscure. l. In the first edition and in several manuscripts of the second edition the text adds, “during the fourth, seventh, and tenth months.”

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seven notaries so that these would faithfully gather intact the acts of the martyrs. [.  .  .] xxiv. Stephen [254–57], born in Rome, [.  .  .] decreed that priests and deacons are not to wear the sacred vestments as daily garb but only when they are in church. [.  .  .] xxvii. Felix [269–71], born in Rome, [.  .  .] decreed that Mass be celebrated over the memorials of the martyrs.m [.  .  .] xxviii. Eutychianus [275–83], born in Tuscany, [.  .  .] decreed that the only fruits of the earth to be blessed upon the altar [during the eucharistic prayer] are to be beans and grapes. [.  .  .] He also decreed that whoever of the faithful buries a martyr should never do so without wearing a dalmaticn or collobium,o this having been brought to his attention. [.  .  .] xxix. Caius [283–96], born in Dalmatia, [.  .  .] decreed that in receiving ecclesiastical orders a person deserving to be bishop should first be a doorkeeper, a reader, an exorcist, an acolyte [sequens], a subdeacon, a deacon, a presbyter, and then ordained a bishop.p [. . .] xxxii. Eusebius [310], born in Greece, [.  .  .] found heretics in the city of Rome whom he reconciled by imposing hands. [.  .  .] xxxiii. Miltiades [310/311–14], born in Africa, [.  .  .] decreed that for no reason whatsoever should the faithful fast on Sunday or Thursday just because the pagans observed a holy fast on these days. And Manichaeansq were discovered in the city. From that day on he initiated the practice whereby consecrated offerings from what the bishop consecrated should be distributed to the churches, this being called the fermentum.r [.  .  .] xxxiv. Silvester [314–35], born in Rome, decreed that a presbyter not reconcile any Arians who converted, but only the bishop of the designated place; and also that chrism be prepared by a bishop and, this being an episcopal privilege, that he sign a person who had been baptized at the hands of the heretics. Furthermore, he decreed that the presbyter should m. The practice actually antecedes Felix; see Prudentius, Peristephanon xl.v.171ff. n. Dalmatic: a tunic-like garment today worn by the deacon. o. Collobium: a tunic without sleeves. p. Confer WEC 4:4215. Perhaps more of an ideal than a reality. q. Manichaeans: followers of Mani (Manes) (ca. 216–76), who was born in Persia and who preached a dualistic doctrine based on an ancient conflict between light and darkness, between good and evil; his followers, found in Egypt, Rome, and elsewhere, observed a highly ascetic life, e.g., always refraining from meat. r. Confer WEC 4:4216. The fermentum was the name given to the portion of the consecrated bread at the Roman episcopal Mass sent on Sunday to the priests of the Roman churches to be placed in their chalices as a symbol of the unity of the local church. s. Arian: a follower of Arius (ca. 260–336), a priest in Alexandria, who denied the unity and consubstantiality of the three persons of the Trinity and consequently the full divinity of Christ. This Arian doctrine was condemned by the Council of Nicaea (WEC 2:71-C).

163. Liber Pontificalis  57 anoint the baptized when taken out of the water,t doing so because of the risk of death. [.  .  .] He decreed that deacons wear dalmatics in church and that their left arms be covered with a woolen cloth.u [.  .  .] He decreed that the sacrifice of the altar is not to be celebrated on a silk or dyed cloth but only on a pure linen cloth just as the body of our Lord Jesus Christ was buried in a clean linen cloth. In this way Mass is celebrated. He decreed that any person who desires to serve or to assist the Church should be a reader for thirty years, an exorcist for thirty days, an acolyte for five years, a guardian of the martyrs for ten years, a deacon for seven years, a presbyter for three years, thus approved in every way, also by outsiders. Having only one wife, a wife blessed by a priest, he should attain the episcopal order [.  .  .] with the consent of all the clergy, with no cleric or member of the faithful objecting. [.  .  .] xl. Siricius [384–99], born in Rome, [.  .  .] decreed that no presbyter should celebrate Mass every week unless he receives the fermentum,v namely, the indicated consecrated [portion] from the designated bishop of the place. He discovered Manichaeans in the city; these he sent into exile. He declared that converts from Manichaeism who return to the Church should in no way receive Communion but should be sent to a monastery and held there for life; punished by fasting and prayers, and proven by every test till the day of death; viaticumw is to be given them through the graciousness of the Church. He decreed that a heretic should, in the presence of the whole church, be reconciled by the imposition of the hands.x [.  .  .] xli. Anastasius [399–401], born in Rome, [.  .  .] decreed that as often as the holy Gospels are read, priests are not to be seated but are to stand and bow. [.  .  .] xlii. Innocent [401–17], born in Albanum, [.  .  .] decreed that one born of a Christian mother is to be born again through baptism, namely, is to be baptized, something Pelagiusy was condemning. [.  .  .] He decreed that Saturday be a day of fasting because our Lord was placed in the tomb on Saturday and the apostles fasted. xliii. Zosimus [417–18], born in Greece, decreed [.  .  .] that deacons should cover their left arms with a linen cloth;z permission was granted to bless the [paschal] candle in the parishes. [.  .  .] t. The text is not very clear as to which chrismation is meant. The postbaptismal anointing? Or the anointing accompanying the consignation? u. Confer WEC 4:4219. v. Confer WEC 4:4214. w. Viaticum: the Eucharist given to those in immediate danger of death. x. Confer WEC 4:4213. y. Although British by birth (ca. 354), Pelagius taught in Rome, where he promoted the heresy that a person can be saved by one’s own merits alone. z. Confer WEC 4:4215.

4216

4217

4218

4219

58  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West 4220

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4222

4223

4224

4225

xliv. Boniface [418–22], born in Rome, [.  .  .] decreed that no woman or nun is to touch or wash the holy pall, nor to burn incense within the church, such being done only by a minister.aa [.  .  .] xlv. Celestine [422–32], born in Campania, [.  .  .] decreed that the 150 psalms of David be antiphonally sung before the sacrifice, something not done formerly when only the letter of blessed Paul and the Gospel were read. [.  .  .] xlvii. Leo [440–61], born in Tuscany [.  .  .] decreed that while offering the sacrifice [intra actionem sacrificii] there be said the “sanctum sacrificium” etc.bb He decreed that a nun not receive the blessing of the head veil till she has lived a life of virginity for sixty years. [.  .  .] li. Gelasius, [492–96], born in Africa, [.  .  .] composed hymns in the meter used by Ambrose.cc [.  .  .] He also wrote carefully worded prefaces and prayers for the sacraments. [.  .  .] liii. Symmachus [498–514], born in Sardica [.  .  .] decreed that on every Lord’s Day or birthday of the martyrs the Gloria in excelsis hymn be sung.dd [.  .  .] liv. Hormisdas [514–23], born in Campania, [.  .  .] taught the psalms to the clergy. [.  .  .] 164. Synod of Rome (595)†

Held under the presidency of Gregory I (WEC 4:165) on July 5, 595, this synod of twenty-three bishops and numerous priests and deacons approved by acclamation six canons. Hefele (1905) 3.1:235–36 * Hefele (1871) 4:426–27 * DCA 1:1816–17

Canon 1. It has long been customary in the Roman church to ordain cantors as deacons, and, furthermore, to use them for singing rather than for preaching and caring for the poor. As a result at divine services a good voice is more appreciated than a good life. Consequently no deacon may henceforth sing in the church except for the gospel at Mass. The remaining lessons and psalms shall be sung by subdeacons or, if necessary, by those in minor orders. 4227 Canon 4. The custom has developed at the funeral of a pope to cover his body with dalmatics, which are then torn into pieces by the people and are held in great honor and preserved as relics, whereas clothes with which the apostles and martyrs were covered are less honored. This is to be corrected. 4226

aa. Confer WEC 4:4204. bb. The initial words of the addition still remain in the Supra quae section of the Roman Canon. cc. See WEC 2:53-T. dd. Confer WEC 4:4202. † Translation (modified) from Hefele (1871) 4:426–27.

165. Gregory I, Pope  59 1 6 5 . G r e g o ry I , P o p e

Gregory (“the Great”), born ca. 540 in Rome of a patrician family, became prefect of that city in 572/573. After his father’s death, he devoted himself to the monastic life and consequently established seven monasteries on family land, six in Sicily and one in Rome (Saint Andrew). In 579 Gregory was sent by Pope Pelagius II to Constantinople as a type of emissary. Returning to Rome in 585/586, he became an advisor to Pelagius, whom he reluctantly succeeded as bishop of Rome in 590. As a pope who understood the power of diplomacy, Gregory did much not only on a religious level but also politically. He organized the possessions of the Roman Church; developed relations with the Lombards, the Franks, and the Visigoths; and sent missionaries to the Anglo Saxons in Britain. Advancing the claims of the Roman See as being the ultimate authority in the Church, he strongly objected to the patriarch of Constantinople calling himself the “Ecumenical Patriarch,” and referred to himself as the servus servorum Dei. Gregory died in 604. Gregory initiated certain liturgical reforms of the Roman Mass. And although some formulas in the Gregorian Sacramentary may reflect his literary hand, the actual redaction of this book seems to have occurred under Pope Honorius I (625–38). It has been proposed that Gregory instituted a reform of the Roman schola. However, there is no evidence that he played a role in developing the chant that traditionally has been called “Gregorian.” CPL nos. 1708ff. * Altaner (1961) 556–64 * Altaner (1966) 466–72 * Bardenhewer (1908) 650–57 * Bardenhewer (1910) 559–65 * Bardenhewer (1913) 5:284–302 * Bardy (1930) 197–201 * Bautz 2:296–304 * Hamell 160–62 * Jurgens 3:308–25 * Labriolle (1947) 2:804–15 * Steidle 229–33 * CATH 5:229–32 * CE 6:780–87 * DACL 6.2:1753–76 * DCB 2:779–91 * DHGE 21:1387–1420 * DictSp 6:872–910 * DPAC 2:1698–1707 * DTC 6.2:1776–81 * EC 6:1112–26 * EEC 1:365–68 * EEChr 1:488–91 * LTK 4:1010–13 * NCE 6:766–70 * NCES 6:478–84 * ODCC 706–7 * PEA (1894) 7.2:1868–70 * PEA (1991) 4:1216–17 * RACh 12:930–51 * TRE 14:135–45 Liturgical Texts/Sacramentary L. Beauduin, “La Pentecôte,” QL 3 (1912/13) 241–53. * B. Capelle, “Les préfaces du missel romain: la préface de Noël,” QLP 18 (1933) 273–83. * B. Capelle, “La main de s. Grégoire dans le sacramentaire grégorien,” RB 49 (1937) 13–28. * C. Callewaert, “Texte liturgique composé par s. Grégoire,” EphL 52 (1938) 189–91. * B. Capelle, “Note sur le lectionnaire romain de la messe avant s. Grégoire,” RHE 34 (1938) 556–59. * C. Callewaert, “S. Grégoire, les scrutins et quelques messes quadragésimales,” EphL 53 (1939) 191–203; repr. in Sacris erudiri (Steenbrugge, 1940) 659–71. * F. Vandenbroucke, “La collecte pour la fête de s. Michel: son sens, son origine,” QLP 25 (1940) 163–69. * C. Callewaert, “Les étapes de l’histoire du ‘Kyrie’: S. Gélase, s. Benoît, s. Grégoire,” RHE 38 (1942) 20–45. * L. Brou, “Les oraisons du troisième dimanche de Carême,” ParL 32 (1950) 111–18. * H. Ashworth, “Did St. Gregory the Great Compose a Sacramentary?” SP 2 = TU 63 (1957) 3–16. * H. Ashworth, “Did St. Augustine Bring the Gregorianum to England?” EphL 72 (1958)

60  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West 39–43. * H. Ashworth, “The Liturgical Prayers of St. Gregory the Great,” Tra 15 (1959) 107–61. * B. Fisher, “Die Lesung der römischen Ostervigil unter Gregor der Grosse,” in Colligere Fragmenta, Texte und Arbeiten 2, Beiheft (Beuron, 1962) 144–56. Mass C. Lambot, “Le Pater dans la liturgie apostolique d’après s. Grégoire,” RB (1930) 265–69. * T. Michels, “Woher nahm Gregor der Grosse die Kanonbitte ‘diesque nostros in tua pace disponas’?” JL 13 (1933) 188–90. * C. Callewaert, “Les étapes de l’histoire du ‘Kyrie’: s. Gélase, s. Benoît, s. Grégoire,” RHE 38 (1942) 20–45. * C. Coebergh, “La messe de s. Grégoire dans le sacramentaire d’Hadrien: essai d’explication d’une anomalie notoire, suivie de remarques sur la Mémoire des Défuncts et le développement du culte des saints confesseurs à Rome du Ve au VIIIe siècle,” SE 12 (1961) 372–404. * R. Chéno, “‘Ad ipsam solummodo orationem’: comment comprendre la lettre de Grégoire à Jean de Syracuse,” RSPT 76 (1992) 443–55. * E. Gridde, “S. Grégoire le Grand et Mgr. Duchesne à propos de la récitation du Pater à la messe,” BLE 55 (1954) 164–66. Penance J. Tixeront, “La doctrine pénitentielle de s. Grégoire le Grand,” BALAC 2 (1912) 241–58. * A. Lagarde, “La doctrine pénitentielle du pape Grégoire,” RHL, n.s., 8 (1922) 118–26. Orders J.A. Eidenschink, “The Election of Bishops in the Letters of Gregory the Great, with an Appendix on the Pallium,” diss., Catholic University of America Canon Law Studies 216 (Washington, D.C., 1945). * S.L. Greenslade, “‘Sede vacante’ Procedure in the Early Church,” JThSt, n.s., 12 (1961) 210–26. * L.J. Patsavos, “The Image of the Priest according to the Three Hierarchs,” GOTR 21 (1976) 55–70. Music: Plainsong G. Morin, “Le rôle de s. Grégoire le Grand dans la formation du répertoire musical de l’Eglise latine, à propos d’un récent discours de M. Gevaert,” RB 7 (1890) 62–70. * G. Morin, “En quoi consista précisément la réforme grégorienne du chant liturgique,” RB 7 (1890) 193–204. * G. Morin, “Les témoins de la tradition grégorienne,” RB 7 (1890) 289–323. * E. Soullier, “Causeries sur le plain-chant. II. S. Grégoire,” Etudes religieuses, philosophiques, historiques et littéraires 50 (1890) 272–86. * P. Batiffol, “L’origine du ‘Liber responsalis’ de l’église romaine,” RQH 55, n.s., 11 (1894) 220–28. * W. Corney, “The Gregorian Tradition,” DR 23 (1904) 44–60. * G. Lefebvre, “S. Grégoire et le chant grégorien,” Bulletin paroissial liturgique 2 (1920) 29–31. * R. van Doren, “S. Grégoire le Grand et le chant romain,” QLP 12 (1927) 35–44, 264–66. Music: Use of Alleluia C. Callewaert, “L’oeuvre liturgique de s. Grégoire: la septuagésime et l’alleluia,” RHE 33 (1937) 306–26. * J. Froger, “L’alleluia dans l’usage romain et la réforme de s. Grégoire,” EphL 62 (1948) 6–48. * E. Wellesz, “Gregory the Great’s Letter on the Alleluia,” Annales musicologiques 2 (1954) 7ff. Music: Other Topics S.J.P. van Dijk, “Gregory the Great, Founder of the Urban Schola Cantorum,” EphL 77 (1963) 345–56. Other Topics G. Gassner, “Das Selbstzeugniss Gregors des Grossen über seine liturgischen Reformen,” JL 6 (1926) 218–23. * L.J. Crampton, “St. Gregory’s Homily XIX and the

165. Gregory I, Pope  61 Institution of Septuagesima Sunday,” DR 86 (1968) 162–66. * J.M. McCulloh, “The Cult of Relics in the Letters and ‘Dialogues’ of Pope Gregory the Great: A Lexicographical Study,” Tra 32 (1976) 145–84. * R.A. Markus, “The Sacred and the Secular: From Augustine to Gregory the Great,” JThSt, n.s., 36 (1985) 84–96. * P. Jounel, “Le culte de s. Grégoire le Grand,” EOr 2 (1985) 195–209.

165-A. Letters Approximately 850 of Gregory’s letters and official documents, many written by Gregory himself and others penned by the Roman bureaucracy, have come down to us. Most are found in the Register of Letters (Registrum Epistolarum), formed from three independent collections, which in turn were extracted from the official Roman archives. The Register is divided into fourteen books, one for each year of Gregory’s pontificate. Abbots, monks, bishops, deacons, monarchs (male and female)—all were recipients of Gregory’s advice and direction.

165-a-1. book i. letter 41. to leander, bishop of spain†ab [.  .  .] As to the triple immersion at baptism, I can give no truer response 4228 than what you believe in the same faith, namely, that diverse customs do not harm the holy Church. By being immersed a third time we signify the sacrament of being buried for three days; and so when the infant leaves the water for the third time, what is expressed is the resurrection after three days. But should anyone perhaps believe that by a triple immersion we venerate the highest Trinity, there is nothing against immersing only once the person being baptized since there is only one substance in three substances, and so no one can be blamed for immersing the infant at baptism either three times or only one time since a triple immersion signifies the persons of the Trinity, one immersion signifying the singleness of God. But if till now heretics when baptizing immerse an infant three times, I believe that you should not do likewise since heretics, dividing the immersions, also divide the Divinity. And when one does what they do, they can only boast that they have changed your custom. [.  .  .]

165-a-2. book i. letter 45. to virgil of arles and to theodore, bishop of marseilles, in gaul††a [.  .  .] It has been brought to our attention that a large number of the Jews living in that district have been taken to the font of baptism more † Translated from Registre des lettres. Grégoire le Grand, vol. 1, ed. P. Minard, SChr 370 (Paris, 1991) 198–99. a. Written in April 591. Leander: bishop of Seville 579–600. b. Dates are those found in The Letters of Gregory the Great, 3 vols., trans. and ed. J.R.C. Martyn (Toronto, 2004). †† Translated from SChr 370:228–29. a. Written in June 591.

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62  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West by the use of force than by preaching. I believe that the intent of this type of action is, to be sure, praiseworthy. I also agree that it flows out of love for our Lord. Yet unless this same intention is accompanied by a suitable display of Holy Scripture, I fear (God forbid) that either no reward will be given or else losses may follow regarding some of the souls we desire to be saved. When anyone approaches the baptismal font not because of the attractiveness of the preaching but under constraint, that person returns to his or her former superstition from which he or she appeared to receive new birth, thus dying in a worse state. [.  .  .]

165-a-3. book ii. letter 31. to john, bishop of squillace†a 4230

[.  .  .] We command you not to ordain anyone unlawfully. Do not permit a bigamist to receive holy orders. The same is true for a man whose wife was not a virgin. Do not accept an illiterate person, one infected on any part of his body, a penitent, a person bound to a court or to any form of subjection. Should you find any of these, I beg you not to ordain them. For no reason receive Africans indiscriminately or any unknown strangers who desire ecclesiastical ordination. Some Africans are Manichaeans;b others have been rebaptized;c and it has been shown that most foreigners, even when in minor orders, are only seeking more glory. [.  .  .]

165-a-4. book ii. letter 35. to felix, bishop of agropolis [.  .  .]††a 4231

Since the churches of Velia, Buxentum, and Blanda, which are situated close to you, lack, as we understand it, any control by a bishop, we enjoin Your Fraternity to visit them. [.  .  .] As to the sacred vessels of these churches, carefully inquire as to where they are located. Finding them, hasten to inform us so that we, with God’s help, might arrange them with proper knowledge.

165-a-5. book ii. letter 38. to john, bishop of ravenna†††a 4232

[.  .  .] When you state that an ordained person should be again ordained, this is quite ridiculous and contrary to what, I believe, you really Translated from Registre des lettres. Grégoire le Grand, vol. 2, trans. and ed. P. Minard, SChr 371 (Paris, 1991) 376–79. a. Written in July 592. Squillace: a town in southern Italy. b. Manichaeans: followers of Mani (ca. 216–76), who preached a dualistic doctrine based on an ancient conflict between light and darkness, between good and evil. c. Namely, the Donatists: a schismatic Christian group in Africa whose members emphasized the Church as being one holy body and who rejected sacraments celebrated by those outside Donatism. †† Translated from SChr 371:382–83. a. Written in July 592. Felix: otherwise unknown. Agropolis: a town located in southern Italy on the Gulf of Taranto. ††† Translated from SChr 371:390–93. a. Written in July 592. †

165. Gregory I, Pope  63 know. [.  .  .] Just as someone who has already been baptized is not to be baptized again, so a person once consecrated is not to be consecrated again in the same order. Should a person come to the priesthood with a lesser fault, he should receive penance for this fault, and yet his status should be preserved. [.  .  .]

165-a-6. book iii. letter 7. to john, bishop of larissa†a [.  .  .] The second point brought against him [Stephen, a deacon at Thebes] seems to concern infants who were forbidden by his order from receiving holy baptism and who thus died in darkness, with the filth of sin not washed away. But not a single witness who testified against him claimed that he knew that anything of this kind had been brought to the attention of Bishop Hadrian. They said they learned this from the mothers of infants, mothers whose husbands had been excommunicated, as they say, because of their crimes. But they admitted that those children had not approached the time of death unbaptized, as the insidious suggestion of the accusers had implied, since it was determined that the infants had been baptized in the city of Demetrias.b

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165-a-7. book iv. letter 9. to januarius, bishop of caralis††a [.  .  .] Bishops are not to presume to seal [signare] children to be baptized [baptizandosb] twice on the forehead with chrism. Rather, presbyters are to anoint those to be baptized on the breast so that afterwards bishops may anoint them on the forehead. [.  .  .]

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165-a-8. book iv. letter 18. to maurus, abbot at saint pancras†††a [.  .  .] We have learned that the Church of Saint Pancras, which was entrusted to the care of presbyters, has been frequently neglected. The people going there on Sunday to celebrate Mass [missarum sollemnia] return home, complaining that no priest was present there. For this reason and after much consideration we have determined to remove the presbyters and with God’s grace establish for this church a monastic congregation of monks. We do this so that the abbot who is in charge may give thorough care and attention to this church. We have also deemed it fitting Translated S. Gregorii Magni Registrum Epistularum, vol. 1, ed. D. Norberg, CCL 140 (Turnhout, 1982) 154. a. Written in October 592. Larissa: a town in Thessaly, a region in eastern Greece. b. Demetrias: a city in Thessaly. †† Translated from CCL 140:226. a. Written in September 593. Caralis: today Cagliari in Sardinia. b. Some manuscripts read baptizatos, namely, “those who have been baptized.” ††† Translated from CCL 140:236–37. a. Written in March 594. Church of Saint Pancras: located on the Via Aurelia in Rome. †

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64  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West to appoint you, Maurus, as abbot over this monastery. [.  .  .] You are to see to it that the work of God [Opus Dei] is celebrated each day over the body of Saint Pancras. [.  .  .]

165-a-9. book iv. letter 26. to januarius, bishop of cagliari†a 4236

[.  .  .] I have heard that some have been offended by the fact that we have forbidden presbyters to anoint with chrism those who have been baptized. We did so in accord with the ancient practice of our church. But if any are completely disturbed by this, we allow, where bishops are lacking, even presbyters to anoint with chrism the foreheads of those who have been baptized.

165-a-10. book v. letter 5. to venantius, bishop of luni††a 4237

[.  .  .] It has come to our attention that, after being removed from his priestly order because of his sinful lapse in faith, he has presumed to return to practicing his priestly ministry and to offering the Body of Christ to almighty God. If you find that this is what took place, you must deprive him of the holy Body and Blood of our Lord and force him to do penance in such a way that right up to the day of his death he remains in the same state of excommunication, and receives the last rites only at the time of his death. But if you discover that he is doing such penance, he is to be pardoned so as to receive Communion with the laity before he dies. [.  .  .]

165-a-11. book v. letter 57a. gregory’s decree to the clergy in the basilica of saint peter the apostle In the perpetual reign of our Lord Jesus Christ .  .  .a

165-a-12. book v. letter 61. to marinianus, bishop of ravenna†††a 4238

[.  .  .] We have agreed to allow you to use the pallium.b [.  .  .] You will remember to use it in no other way except in your own church in the city, once the laity arrive, and as you go from the sacristy for the celebration of Mass. Once this is finished, you will carefully replace it in the sacristy. You are not permitted to wear it outside the church except four times a year during the litanies. [.  .  .] Translated from CCL 140:245–46. a. Written in May 594. Cagliari: today the capital of Sardinia. †† Translated from CCL 140:270. a. Written in September 594. Luni: a town in Etruria in northwest central Italy. a. Some collections include this letter, which publishes the canons endorsed at the Synod of Rome in 595 (WEC 4:164). ††† Translated from CCL 140:363. a. Written on August 15, 595. b. Pallium: a white woolen band worn over the chasuble as a sign of episcopal authority. †

165. Gregory I, Pope  65

165-a-13. book vii. letter 17. to sabinian, bishop of zara†a [.  .  .] By means of this letter we urge you not to share Communion with 4239 Maximusb and not to mention his name during Mass. [.  .  .]

165-a-14. book viii. letter 23. to fantinus††a [.  .  .] We have learned that many Jews, inspired by God’s grace, desire to be converted to the Christian faith; someone must go to them at our command. And so we enjoin you, by reason of the authority given you and with no excuses, to hurry to them. With God’s help nurture their desire by means of your exhortations. But should the period before the paschal solemnity be long and dreary, and if you discover that they want to be baptized now, then speak to our brother, the bishop of that area, so that—God forbid—a long delay may not cause them to change their minds. Speak to him so that they, having done penance and abstained as prescribed for forty days, may be baptized by him under the protection of the mercy of the Almighty God on the Lord’s Day or on any other feast that may occur. The times are perilous. Danger threatens. And so may we not delay the fufillment of their desires. In addition, if you ascertain that any of them are too poor to buy garments for themselves, we desire that you supply them with clothing for their baptism; the expense is to be charged to your accounts. But should they choose to wait for the holy season of the Pasch, speak again to the bishop that they may be placed among the catechumens; may he often visit them, care for them, and motivate them by his admonitions so that the more distant is the anticipated feast, the more they may prepare themselves for it and fervently desire it. [.  .  .]

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165-a-15. book viii. letter 28. to eulogius, bishop of alexandria†††a [.  .  .] Other than what Eusebiusb has in his books pertaining to the acts of the martyrs, I am not aware that our church’s archives contain any collections. The same holds true for libraries located in the city of Rome with the exception of a few things found in a single manuscript. We indeed know the names of almost all the martyrs, with their passions being Translated from CCL 140:468. a. Written in April 597. Zara: a town in Dalmatia, a region bordering on the Adriatic Sea. b. Namely, Maximus of Salona (today Split on the Dalmatian coast), a bishop with whom Gregory was often in conflict. †† Translated from S. Gregorii Magni Registrum Epistularum, vol. 2, ed. J. Norberg, CCL 140 A (Turnhout, 1982) 543–44. a. Written in 598. Fantinus: bishop of Catane in Sicily. ††† Translated from CCL 140 A:549–50. a. Written in July 598. Eulogius: bishop of Alexandria 580–607/608. b. Eusebius of Caesarea (ca. 260–ca. 340): church historian (WEC 2:81). †

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66  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West gathered together in one volume and assigned to be read on particular days. On these days we commemorate them as we celebrate Mass. Yet in this volume there is nothing indicating who the martyr was, how the martyr suffered; all that we find are the martyr’s name together with the place and day of his or her passion. Consequently, as I said, many countries and provinces are known to have been crowned with martyrdom on their particular days. But we believe you have these. However, we have searched for what you wanted to be sent to you. Even though we have not found it, we will continue to search and, if it can be found, we will send it to you. [.  .  .]

165-a-16. book viii. letter 37. augustine’s questions to gregory the great and his replies†a 4242

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First Question of Augustine My first question, most blessed father, concerns [.  .  .] the offerings of the faithful which are received at the altar. Into how many sections are they to be divided and how shall the bishop distribute them in the church? Answer of Blessed Gregory, pope of the city of Rome. [.  .  .] It is the Apostolic See’s custom to enjoin bishops at the time of their ordination that each gift received be divided into four portions: one for the bishop and his household for purposes of hospitality and entertainment; another for the clergy; a third for the poor; and a fourth for repairing churches. [.  .  .] Third Question of Augustine Since there is only one faith, why do various customs exist in the churches, for example, one way of celebrating Mass followed by the church at Rome and another by those of Gaul? Answer of Blessed Pope Gregory Your Fraternity is acquainted with the practice of the church at Rome, the church that gave you nourishment. I approve of your selecting carefully whatever may be found to be more agreeable to Almighty God, whether in the Roman church or that of Gaul, or in any church whatsoever, and of your introducing by a special institution whatever you have been able to gather from many churches into the church of the English, a church still new in the faith. We are not to love things for places but places for things. Accordingly, choose from each church whatever is godly, religious, and righteous. Collecting them, as it were, into a small Translated from PL 76:1183ff. a. Presumably written soon after 600. Augustine (d. between 604 and 609), who was sent by Gregory as a missionary to the Anglo-Saxons in Britain, became the first archbishop of Canterbury. Many doubt the authenticity of this letter. †

165. Gregory I, Pope  67 pot, put them on the table of the English so that they also may become accustomed to them. Eighth Question of Augustine When great distances prevent bishops from easily assembling, may a bishop be ordained without other bishops being present? Answer of Blessed Pope Gregory Indeed in the church of the English, where till now you are the only bishop, it is impossible for other bishops to be present. But when bishops come from Gaul, they will assist you as witnesses at the episcopal ordination. However, it is our desire that you ordain bishops in England so that long distances may not separate them from one another; in this way there will be no reason why they cannot gather when any one bishop is to be ordained. It is very useful that other pastors be present when they can come together without difficulty. And so when, God willing, bishops are ordained not far from one another, no bishop is then to be ordained unless three or four bishops are present [.  .  .] so that they may rejoice at the promotion of him who is ordained bishop and may together pray to the Almighty Lord for his protection.

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Tenth Question of Augustine Is a pregnant woman to be baptized or if she has already given birth, how 4245 much time should pass before she is allowed to enter a church? Or, so that her child may not die unexpectedly without baptism, how many days must pass before it is baptized? [.  .  .] Or, if she is having her period, may she enter a church or receive the sacrament of Holy Communion? Or may a man who has had intercourse with his wife enter a church before being washed with water or even approach the mystery of Holy Communion? [.  .  .] Answer of Blessed Pope Gregory [.  .  .] Is there any reason why a pregnant woman should not be baptized since bodily fruitfulness is not sinful in the eyes of Almighty God? [.  .  .] As to the number of days that must pass before a woman after delivery may enter a church, you have learned from the Old Testament that she should refrain for thirty-three days if the child is a male, sixty-six days if a female.1 [.  .  .] In danger of death it is permitted to baptize without delay a woman who is giving birth, even during the birth itself. The same is true for the child, even while it is being born. [.  .  .] 4246 Do not forbid a woman who is menstruating from receiving the sacrament of Holy Communion. However, if out of great reverence she refrains from doing so, she is to be praised; but should she receive, she is not to be judged. [.  .  .] A man sleeping with his wife should not enter a church unless he has washed himself with water; even if he washes, he should not enter immediately. [.  .  .] 1. See Lev 12:3–5.

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165-a-17. book ix. letter 26. to john, bishop of syracuse†a 4247

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Someone coming here from Sicily told me that some of his friends—I don’t know whether they were Greeks or Latins—were, as if moved by zeal for the holy Roman church, complaining about the way I arranged [the divine services]. They said, “How can he restrain the church in Constantinople when in every way he follows that church’s usages?” And when I asked, “What practices of theirs do we follow?”, he replied, “It is due to you that the Alleluia is sung during Masses outside the season of Pentecost. You made a decision that the subdeacons process without liturgical garb, that the Kyrie eleison be said, and that the Lord’s Prayer be recited immediately after the canon.” My answer was, “In none of these things have we followed the practice of another church.” As to the Alleluia being sung here, this is said to come from the church at Jerusalem through the tradition of blessed Jeromeb at the time of Pope Damasusc of blessed memory. And so in this matter we have somewhat limited a former tradition, one handed down to us from the Greeks. Furthermore, as to my being responsible for subdeacons walking in procession without wearing liturgical garb, this was the Church’s ancient tradition. But one of our popes—I don’t know which one—had them process while wearing linen tunics. Have your churches received their usage from the Greeks? If not, then what is the origin of the custom of having subdeacons process in linen tunics unless this practice has been received from their mother, namely, the church at Rome? Furthermore, we neither have said nor do we now say the Kyrie eleison as it is done by the Greeks; they say it together, but among us it is said by the clerics with the people responding. As often as the Kyrie eleison is said, the Christe eleison is also said, a practice in no way found among the Greeks. Additionally, in daily Masses we suppress some things that are usually said, and we say only Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison so as to devote ourselves a little more to these words of petition. The Lord’s Prayer we say immediately after the [eucharistic] prayer since it was the custom of the apostles to consecrate the offering by that same prayer only. It seemed to me highly unsuitable that we should say over the offering a prayer composed by a scholastic and not say over his Body and Blood the very prayer composed by our Redeemer. Yet among the Greeks the Lord’s Prayer is said by all the people; with us by the priest only. In what way, then, have we followed the practices of the Greeks since we have either restored our own ancient practices or instituted

Translated from CCL 140 A:186–87. a. Written in October 598. Syracuse: a city in southeast Sicily. b. Jerome. See WEC 3:145. c. Damasus. See WEC 2:52. †

165. Gregory I, Pope  69 new and profitable ones? In these, can anyone show that we are imitating others? [.  .  .]

165-a-18. book ix. letter 148. to secundinus, an anchorite monk†a [.  .  .] At the end of your letter you asked what reply should be given to those who ask you about the souls of little babies who die without the grace of baptism. Your question was, “If the body is held by original sin, how will a soul given by God be guilty, a soul that still has not consented to sin in its actual body?” But on this matter, your Charity, so very charming to me, should know that among the holy fathers there has been no small inquiry over the origin of the soul, but it remains uncertain whether it descended from Adam or is in fact given to individuals, and the fathers have admitted that the question is insoluble in this life. [.  .  .] What is not uncertain is that unless one has been reborn with the grace of baptism the chains of original sin bind every soul. On this it is written that “He is not clean in his sight, not even an infant of one day on earth.”1 Here David says, “I was conceived in iniquities and my mother gave birth to me in sin.”2 On this, truth itself says, “Unless one is born again from the water and the Holy Spirit he or she will not enter the kingdom of God.”3 Here the apostle Paul says, “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”4 Why therefore cannot an infant who has done nothing be pure in the sight of almighty God? Why was the psalmist, born of a legitimate marriage, born in wickedness? Why is a man not clean unless he has been purified by the water of baptism? Why do all die in Adam if the chains of original sin do not hold them? But because the human race became rotten to its very roots in its first parents, it drew aridity in its branches, and thus everyone is born with sin since the first man was unwilling to remain without sin. [.  .  .]

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165-a-19. book ix. letter 209. to serenus, bishop of marseilles††a 4255 [.  .  .] I have learned that your Fraternity saw some people adoring images, and that you smashed these images and threw them out of the churches. We certainly applaud you for having had the zeal not to allow anything made by human hands to be adored, but we judge that you ought not to have smashed such images. Pictures are provided in churches for the reason that those who are illiterate may at least read by looking at the walls, what they cannot read in books. Therefore your Fraternity should † Translated from S. Gregorii Magni Registrum Epistularum, vol. 2, ed. D. Norberg, CCL 140 A (Turnhout, 1982) 703–4. a. Written in May 599. 1. See Job 14:1–5.  2. See Ps 51:5.  3. John 3:3. Gregory added the words “from .  .  . the Holy Spirit.”  4. 1 Cor 15:22. †† Translated from CCL 140 A:768. a. Written in July 599.

70  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West have preserved them and should have prohibited the people from adoring them, so that the illiterate might have a way of acquiring a knowledge of history and so that the people would in no way sin by adoring a picture.

165-a-20. book ix. letter 220. to aregius, bishop in gaul†a 4256

[.  .  .] You asked that we allow you and your archdeacon to use the dalmatic.b [.  .  .] By the tradition of our authority we grant your request and allow you and your archdeacon to wear the dalmatic; such we have sent to you, carried by our most beloved son and abbot Cyriacus. [.  .  .]

165-a-21. book xi. letter 3. to bishop ecclesius††a 4257

[.  .  .] Your Fraternity must carry out the office of visitor for churches so that you can reach without too much effort those being baptized there. [.  .  .]

165-a-22. book xi. letter 21. to marinianus, bishop of ravenna†††a 4258

[.  .  .] Furthermore, I neither encourage nor warn you but strictly command that you do not presume to fast at all, since the doctors say that this is totally unsuitable for such an ailment unless perhaps some major religious festival demands fasting. I allow it on five occasions each year. You must also refrain from nightly vigils. Let someone else recite the prayers that are usually said over the wax-tapers in the city of Ravenna or the expositions of the Gospel that are given by priests during the solemn feast of Easter. [.  .  .]

165-a-23. book xi. letter 27. to theoctista, a patrician††††a 4259

[.  .  .] But if there are those who suggest that sins are removed by baptism only in a superficial manner, then what is more lacking in faith than such a claim? In this way they hasten to destroy the very sacrament of faith by which the soul is chiefly bound to the mystery of heavenly purity, so that when completely absolved from all sins, it may cling to him alone, about whom the prophet says, “But it is good for me to draw near to God.”1 For certainly the crossing of the Red Sea was a form of holy baptism, in which the enemy was dead in the rear but others were found Translated from CCL 140 A:792. a. Written in July 599. b. Dalmatic: a liturgical garment with wide sleeves and two stripes, worn on special occasions. †† Translated from CCL 140 A:861. a. Written in September 600. ††† Translated from CCL 140 A:892. a. Written in February 601. †††† Translated from CCL 140 A:910–12. a. Written in February 601. 1. Ps 73:28. †

165. Gregory I, Pope  71 opposite them in the wilderness. Likewise, the past sins of those who are bathed in holy baptism are all remitted since these sins die behind them like the Egyptian enemy. But in the wilderness we find other enemies because while we live this life, before we reach the promised land, many temptations wear us out and hasten to obstruct our way as we travel through the land of the living. Therefore, anyone who says that sins are not completely removed by baptism should say that the Egyptians were not truly dead in the Red Sea. But if one admits that the Egyptians were truly dead, then one has to admit that sins are totally dead through baptism because in our absolution truth certainly is stronger than a shadow of truth. In the Gospel the Lord says, “He that is washed does not need to wash, but is totally clean.”2 And so if sins are not totally removed by baptism, how is one that is washed totally clean? For a person cannot be called totally clean if something remains from his or her sins. [.  .  .] There are some who say that penance for a sin should be done for any three-year period, and after three years one should live a life of pleasure. These have not yet learned the message of true faith nor the precepts of Holy Scripture. [.  .  .] Great is the virtue of penitence against sin but only if one perseveres in that penitence. [.  .  .] To show true penance is to lament one’s sins and to avoid those sins that have to be lamented once again. [.  .  .]

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165-a-24. book xi. letter 31. to all the bishops in sicily†a [.  .  .] We know that our enemyb is in a hurry to invade Sicily with every 4261 effort. But so that the multitude of our sinners may not provide them with success as they undertake this invasion, let us turn with all our hearts to the remedies of our Redeemer, and as we cannot resist our enemies with courage, let us meet them with tears. [.  .  .] And so, my dearest brethren, I exhort you to proclaim a litany for every week, each Wednesday and Friday, without any excuse and to beg for the help of heavenly protection against the assaults of barbaric cruelty. But to open a path for your prayers to the ears of God, you must show more vigilant concern that your voices be supported by your actions. [.  .  .]

165-a-25. book xi. letter 52. to bishop quiricus and the other bishops of the catholic church in spain††a [.  .  .] We have learned from the ancient teaching of the fathers that when heretics who were baptized in the name of the Trinity return to the 2. John 13:10. † Translated from CCL 140 A:919–20. a. Written in February 601. b. Namely, the Lombards. †† Translated from CCL 140 A:952–53. a. Written on July 1, 601.

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72  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West Holy Church, they are to be reconciled to the bosom of Mother Church either by anointing with chrism, by the laying-on of the hand, or simply by a profession of faith. And so the West reconciles Ariansb to the Church through the imposition of the hand, whereas the East does so through anointing with the holy chrism. The Monophysitesc and others are received solely through a true confession when the holy baptism they received among the heretics receives the power to cleanse them, doing so either when they accept the Holy Spirit through the imposition of the hand or when through the profession of the true faith they are united with the holy and universal Church. There are also the true heretics who were in no way baptized in the name of the Trinity, like the Bonosiansd and the Cataphrygians,e the former not believing that Christ is the Lord, the latter perversely believing that an evil man named Montanusf was the Holy Spirit. Many others are like them. When they come to the holy Church, they are baptized because what they received when they were in error was not given in the name of the holy Trinity.

165-a-26. book xi. letter 56. to mellitus, abbot in france†a 4263

[.  .  .] Tell Bishop Augustine that I have long been giving consideration to the case of the Angles, namely, that the pagan temples in that country should not be torn down even though the idols found in these temples should be destroyed. May water be blessed and sprinkled in these places. Build altars and deposit relics in them since, provided these same temples are well constructed, we must change them from being places where idols are worshiped to places where the true God is served. In this way when the people see that these temples are not being destroyed, they may remove error from their hearts and, knowing and adoring the true God, they may hasten with more familiarity to their

b. Arians: followers of Arius (ca. 260–336), a priest in Alexandria who denied the unity and consubstantiality of the three persons of the Trinity and consequently the full divinity of Christ; the teaching of Arius was condemned by the Council of Nicaea (WEC 2:71-C). c. Monophysites: followers of a heresy holding that in Christ there is only one nature, not two; a heresy condemned by the Council of Chalcedon (WEC 3:137). d. Bonosians: followers of Bonosus, a late fourth-century bishop of Sardica in Illyrium. e. Cataphrygians: an alternative name given to the Montanists; it refers to the place where the movement originated, namely, Phrygia. f. Montanus: a native of Phrygia; during the years 155–60 he founded a movement that stressed the imminence of the parousia. Fasting, almsgiving, and in general a strong ethical rigorism were practiced as a preparation for the end. † Translated from CCL 140 A:961–62. a. Mellitus: sent by Gregory to Britain in 601 to assist Augustine, he eventually became the third archbishop of Canterbury.

165. Gregory I, Pope  73 accustomed places. Since they habitually slay many oxen as a sacrifice to the demons, they should also have some solemnity of this kind, even though altered, so that on the day of dedication or on the anniversaries of the holy martyrs whose relics are placed there, they may fashion for themselves tents of the tree branches around these churches that were formerly temples. [.  .  .]

165-a-27. book xii. letter 6. to john, subdeacon at ravenna†a 4264 [.  .  .] I have not been at all pleased about what some have told me, namely, that my most reverend brother and fellow-bishop Marinianus is having my commentary on blessed Job read in public at vigils. This treatise is not for the public, and it hinders rather than assists poorly educated listeners. Tell him that he should have a commentary on the psalms read during the vigils; this would especially teach the laity who are listening on how to live correctly. [.  .  .]

165-a-28. book xiii. letter 1. to his beloved children, the citizens of rome††a [.  .  .] On the Lord’s Day earthly toil should cease. All attention is to be given to prayer so that if anything is done poorly during the previous six days, by prayers expiation may be made on the day of the Lord’s resurrection. [.  .  .]

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165-a-29. book xiv. letter 2. to vitalis, defender of sardinia†††a [.  .  .] You wrote that our brother and fellow-bishop, Januarius, during the time when he celebrates the sacrifice of the Mass, frequently suffers such great distress that he is barely able to return to the passage in the Canon where he just left off. From this you say that many doubted as to whether they should receive Communion from what he consecrated. But they must be advised that they should in no way be afraid, but should receive with full faith and security since a person’s sickness neither changes nor pollutes the blessing of the holy mystery. And yet that brother of ours should be secretly exhorted in every way not to continue whenever he feels an attack coming on so that he does not thereby make people despise him and does not tempt the weak to sin. [.  .  .]

Translated from CCL 140 A:975–76. a. Written in January 602. †† Translated from CCL 140 A:992. a. Written in September 602. ††† Translated from CCL 140 A:1068. a. Written in September 603. †

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165-a-30. appendix 4. concerning the greater litany in the basilica of saint mary†a 4267

The solemnity of the annual devotion, most beloved, advises us that we should celebrate that litany known by all as the greater one, with concerned and devoted minds, and with the Lord’s help through which we may deserve to be purged to some extent of our errors as we request his pity. It is indeed right for us to consider, most beloved children, with what diverse and continuous calamities we are afflicted for our sins and offenses; also to consider how the medicine of heavenly piety comes to our rescue afterwards. Therefore, when next Friday arrives, may we depart the Church of Saint Lawrence the Martyr, called Lucina, and hurry to the Church of Saint Peter, prince of the apostles, praying to our Lord with hymns and spiritual songs, so that we may celebrate the holy mysteries there and deserve to offer him thanks, insofar as we are able, for his benefits, both past and present.

165-a-31. appendix 9. declaration for the sevenfold litany††a [.  .  .] Dearest brethren, tomorrow at first light let us come together with contrite hearts and emended lives as with tears we celebrate the sevenfold litany in accordance with the plan shown below. None of you must go out into the fields for work on the land; none must presume to do any business at all so that gathering at the Church of the Holy Mother of God, may we who have all sinned together now all weep together for our evil deeds. So may the strict Judge himself, as he sees that we are punishing our own faults, spare us from the sentence of condemnation pronounced against us. 4269 There follows: “Let the procession of clergy go out from the Church of Saint John the Baptist; that of the men, from the Church of the blessed martyr Marcellus; that of the monks from the Church of the Blessed Martyrs John and Paul; that of the nuns from the Church of the Blessed Martyrs Cosmas and Damian; that of the married women from the Church of the Blessed Protomartyr Stephen; that of the widows from the Church of the Blessed Martyr Vitalis; and that of the poor and infants from the Church of the Blessed Martyr Cecilia.” [.  .  .] 4268

165-B. Dialogues††† Gregory’s Dialogues (Dialogi de vita et miraculis patrum Italicorum) were written to show that Italy was not devoid of holiness. In four books the author uses visions, miracles, and prophecies to present models of Translated from CCL 140 A:1096. a. Written in September 591. †† Translated from CCL 140 A:1103–4. a. On an occasion when the Tiber overflowed. ††† Translated from Dialogues. Grégoire le Grand, vol. 2, trans. and ed. A. de Vogüé and P. Antin, SChr 251 (Paris, 1978) 206ff.; vol. 3, SChr 265 (Paris, 1980) 188ff. †

165. Gregory I, Pope  75 excellence in the spiritual life: Book II is devoted completely to Benedict of Nursia (WEC 4:155); Book IV focuses on the immortality of the soul. II.xxiii.2–5. Not far from his [Benedict’s] monastery two religious women of noble birth resided in their house. A certain godly man took care of their daily needs. As is often true, nobility of birth too often leads to vulgarity of soul. [.  .  .] Having endured their insults for quite some time, the man went to blessed Benedict and told him how the religious women treated him. At once the man of God warned the women to curb their sharp tongues, adding that he would excommunicate them should they fail to do so. In fact, he did not pass a sentence of excommunication properly so-called on them; he was just threatening them. But they made no change in their conduct. A few days afterwards the two nuns died and were buried in the church. When Mass [missarum sollemnia] was celebrated there and when the deacon pronounced the customary, “If there are any who will not receive, let them depart,” the nurse, who was accustomed to bring for them offerings to the Lord, saw them rise from their tombs and leave the church. Having often seen them depart when the deacon gave this invitation, she remembered what the man of God told them while they were still alive when he said that he would refuse them Communion if they did not correct their speech and actions. Then with great sorrow she made all this known to the servant of God, who immediately with his own hands gave an offering, saying, “Go and have this offered to the Lord for them, and no longer shall they remain excommunicated.” When the deacon as customary cried out that non-communicants should depart, they were no longer seen exiting the church. Since they did not leave with those who did not receive Communion, it was certain that they had received Communion from the Lord through the Lord’s servant. III.xxxvi.1–3. [.  .  .] When I was at the royal court of Constantinople as a papal envoy, Maximian and his monks, moved by friendship, came to visit me. When he was returning to my monastery in Rome, a violent storm arose on the Adriatic Sea. [.  .  .] The waves roared high in the tempest, threatening them with destruction. [.  .  .] The passengers were terrified. Death was not just close; it was imminent. After exchanging the sign of peace, they received the Redeemer’s Body and Blood, and each recommended himself to God, asking that God kindly receive their souls, the God who had handed over their bodies to such a frightening death. IV.lvii.1–7. Can anything benefit souls after death? Although sins cannot be pardoned after one has died, the offering of the salutary victim aids many souls even after death to such an extent that at times the very souls of the deceased are seen to require this. Bishop Felix, of whom I spoke above, says that he learned the following from a holy priest. Till his death two years ago this priest resided in the

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diocese of Centumcellaea where he was in charge of the Church of Saint John in Tauriana. Considering it beneficial for his health, he bathed in the hot springs of Tauriana. One day upon entering the baths he discovered a man he did not know who was most helpful by unlatching his shoes, caring for his clothing, and providing him with towels after the bath, in short, providing the utmost service. This happened frequently. One day this priest, going to the bath, said to himself, “This attendant is so devoted to me; I must repay him in some way.” Accordingly, he brought with him two crown-shaped loaves of bread. When the priest arrived at the bath, the attendant served him as usual. Afterwards, once the priest was again fully dressed and about to depart, he offered the man the bread as a gift, asking that the attendant accept it as a blessing, for he offered it as an expression of his appreciation. But the man, sad and upset, answered, “Father, why are you giving me this bread? It is holy. I cannot eat it. I who stand before you was once in charge of this place. But because of my sins I was sent back here to be a servant. Now if you desire to help me, then offer this bread to almighty God and intercede on my behalf, I who have sinned.” [.  .  .] The priest spent the whole week praying and supplicating. Daily he offered the saving victim. When he returned to the bath, he could not locate the man. This demonstrates how beneficial to souls is the offering of the sacred victim. The spirits of the dead seek this from the living and give signs indicating that pardon is obtained through it. IV.lvii.8–16. [.  .  .] There was a monk named Justus, skilled in medicine, who took care of me in my monastery and sat with me during my frequent illnesses. Now when Justus became gravely ill, he was cared for by his brother Copiosus, who still practices medicine here in Rome. Justus, seeing that his final hour had arrived, told his brother that he had hidden away for himself three gold pieces. This deed could not be concealed from the brothers. Carefully searching among the entire supply of drugs, they discovered the gold pieces buried among the medicines. As soon as I learned that a monk living in common with us had perpetrated such an evil deed, I could not simply overlook this misdeed since our monastic rule required the brothers to follow a strict common life. No monk was to have any personal possessions. Greatly pained, I asked myself what I might do to correct the dying man and to give an example that could guide the living. I sent for Pretiosus, the monastery’s prior, and said to him: “See that no brother visits the dying man or speaks any words of consolation to him. When Justus, at the point of death, clamors for the brothers, let his natural brother Copiosus tell him that all the brothers consider him to be an abomination because of the three gold pieces he had hidden. At least at a. Centumcellae: today Civitavecchia, an Italian port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea.

165. Gregory I, Pope  77 the time of death his soul will experience bitter compunction for his sin, and he will be cleansed from the sin he has committed. When he has died, do not bury him in the monastery’s cemetery. Rather, make as you wish a trench in a manure pile and throw his body into it. Fling the gold pieces into the grave after him and have all the brothers cry out together, ‘May your money perish with you.’1 Then cover him with earth.” My goal was twofold: to benefit both the dying man as well as the brothers who were living. The bitterness of his death was to bring him forgiveness; such a condemnation of avarice was to deter others from ever surrendering to this sin. And it worked. When this brother was about to die, he anxiously attempted to commend himself to the brothers, but none would listen or speak to him. Copiosus explained the reason for such treatment, and so Justus began to lament abundantly for his sin. Thus it was that Justus, truly contrite, died. He was buried as I had prescribed. Terrified by such a sentence, the brothers, one by one, began to bring to the monastery’s storeroom the smallest and most ordinary articles, even those allowed by the monastery’s rule. They were very much afraid of keeping anything that might cause them to be reproached. Thirty days passed after his death when I began to feel great sympathy for the deceased Justus. Deep was the sorrow I felt when considering his punishment. So I searched for a way to ease his suffering. I summoned Pretiosus, the prior of our monastery, and said to him with sadness, “Justus, your deceased brother, has now been suffering the pain of fire for a long time. We must extend our love to him. We must do all we can to gain his release. Beginning today, offer the holy sacrifice for his intention, doing so for thirty consecutive days. Not a single day is to pass without the sacrifice being offered for his pardon.” Immediately the prior agreed and left. Immersed in other affairs, we lost count of the days. One night the deceased Justus appeared in a dream to his brother Copiosus, who asked him, “How are you, my brother?” Justus answered, “Till now things have been very miserable, but at present I am well because today I received Communion.” Copiosus quickly hurried off to tell this to his monastic brothers who, exactly counting the days, discovered that this was the thirtieth consecutive day on which the sacrifice had been offered for him. Copiosus did not know that the brothers were offering the sacrifice for Justus, nor did the brothers know that Copiosus had seen Justus in a vision. And so at the very moment when all became aware of what had occurred, they understood that the vision and the completion of the thirty Masses occurred simultaneously. It was obvious that the deceased brother had escaped punishment because of the salutary offering. 1. Acts 8:20.

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78  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West V.lix.6–lxi.2. [.  .  .] We must remember that the benefits of the holy victims are useful only for those deceased who, having led good lives, merit assistance even after death through the good deeds others perform for them. 4292 However, it is much safer to do for oneself during life the good we hope others will do for us after our death. It is better to depart the world as a free person rather than to seek liberty after being in chains. Consequently we should completely despise the present age, considering it to be already lost, and offer our sacrifice of tears to God each day as well as daily offer his sacred Body and Blood. 4293 In a unique way this sacrifice has the power to save the soul from eternal death since it mystically renews for us the death of the only-begotten Son. Although “risen from the dead and dying no more, death having no more power over him,”2 yet in himself immortal and incorruptible, he is again offered for us in the mystery of the holy sacrifice. Where his Body is eaten, there his flesh is distributed for the salvation of the people. No longer is his blood poured into the hands of the pagans but into the mouths of his faithful followers. 4294 May we consider how the sacrifice offered for us even imitates in itself the passion of the only-begotten Son for the pardon of our sins. Can any of the faithful doubt that at the precise moment of the offering, at the voice of the priest, the heavens open and choirs of angels are present at the mystery of Jesus Christ? At the altar the lowliest is united with the highest; earth is united to heaven; the visible and the invisible become one. 4291

165-C. Homilies on the Gospels Divided into two books, Gregory’s forty homilies on the gospel pericopes were probably written in 590–91.

165-c-1. book i. homily 16. on matthew 4:1–11 (1st sunday of lent)† 4295

5. [.  .  .] This reading is appropriate for the present days when we begin the forty days of Quadragesima. We have heard of our Redeemer’s fast of forty days. We must first consider why this fast is observed for forty days. Moses fasted forty days to receive the law for the second time.1 Elijah fasted forty days in the desert.2 And the Creator of the human race, coming to us, refrained from taking any kind of food for forty days. As far as possible we also use the period of Quadragesima to afflict our bodies by fasting. Why do we observe the number forty when we fast except that the power of the Decalogue is completed in the four books of the Gospel? Four times ten is forty; we complete the ten commandments when we truly observe the four books of the holy Gospel. 2. Rom 6:9. † Translated from Homiliae in Evangelia. Gregorius Magnus, ed. R. Etaix, CCL 141 (Turnhout, 1999) 113–14. 1. See Exod 34:28.  2. See 1 Kgs 19:8.

165. Gregory I, Pope  79 The number “forty” can have another interpretation. Our mortal bodies are supported by four elements. Through bodily pleasure we go against the Lord’s commandments. These are received in the Decalogue, and it is fitting that we, who reject these commandments through bodily desires, should afflict our bodies forty times. There is something else that we can understand about the forty days of Quadragesima. There are six weeks—forty-two days in all—between the present day and the joyous paschal celebration. Now if we subtract the six Sundays from this time of fasting, there remain only thirty-six days. Since there are 360 days in a year, when we afflict ourselves for thirty-six days, we give, as it were, a tithe of the year to God. We, living for ourselves during the year we have received, can by fasting mortify ourselves for our Creator during a tenth of this time. Beloved, since we are instructed to offer him a tithe of what we own, hasten to offer him a tithe of your days also. [.  .  .]

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165-c-2. book ii. homily 8. on luke 2:1–14 (christmas)† 1. Because, the Lord willing, we will celebrate three Masses today, we cannot speak at length on the gospel reading. Yet the birth of our Redeemer compels us to say a few words. [.  .  .]

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165-c-3. book ii. homily 26. on john 20:19–31 (octave of the pasch)†† 4. [.  .  .] And so at the very giving of the Holy Spirit it is said, “Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven, and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.”1 It is a pleasant task to meditate on these disciples, on such humble labors to which they were called, and on the highest glory to which they were led. See how they are not only personally made safe but how they receive the power of binding and of loosing others; and how they share in the sovereignty of the heavenly tribunal so that taking the place of God for some they retain sins and for others they remit sins. [.  .  .] 5. Certainly it is the bishops who hold the place [of the first disciples] in the Church today; those who have obtained the office of ruling receive authority to bind and to loose. It is a great honor, and yet its weight is heavy. It is difficult for a person who does not know how to regulate his own life to judge the life of another. It often happens that one may hold the rank of a judge here below, and yet that person’s life hardly agrees with such a position. Frequently one condemns the innocent or frees others while he himself is bound. Often in binding and loosening one’s subjects, a person follows his personal desires and not the merits of the case. Consequently, those exercising authority in accord with their own likes and not Translated from CCL 141:54. Translated from CCL 141:221–23, 226. 1. John 20:23. †

††

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80  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West according to the conduct of one’s subjects, deprive themselves of the very power of binding and of loosening. Often a pastor will give evidence of prejudice, showing hatred toward, or bestowing favor upon, one or the other neighbor. But those who rely on their personal likes or dislikes are unable to judge their subjects in a just manner. [.  .  .] 6. As a consequence, cases must first be carefully weighed, and only 4301 then is the power of binding and loosening to be used. First to be considered is the sin that preceded, or the nature of the penance that followed this sin so that the priest’s sentence may absolve those visited by the allpowerful God through the grace of compunction. The absolution given by the presider is only valid [vera] when it follows the judgment of the internal judge. This is shown by the raising of the man who was dead for four days, clearly demonstrating that the Lord first calls and gives life to the dead person by saying, “Lazarus, come forth.”2 After he came forth alive, he was loosened by the disciples, as is written, “And when the one who was bound with bandages had come forth, he said to the disciples, ‘Untie him and let him go.’”3 10. [.  .  .] We have completed the paschal solemnities, but we are to live 4302 so that we may merit to reach the eternal feasts. Every temporal feast is transitory. Being present at these solemnities, you must take care not to be separated from the eternal solemnity. What does it profit you if you are present at human festivals and yet happen to be absent from the feasts of the angels. The present solemnity is a shadow of those to come. Each year we celebrate it so that we may be brought to the solemnity that is celebrated not yearly but continually. When celebrated at its appointed time, today’s feast refreshes our memories with a desire for the feast that is yet to come. [.  .  .]

165-c-4. book ii. homily 37. on luke 14:25–33 (feast of a martyr)† 4303

8. [.  .  .] It is said that not long ago a man was captured by his enemy and was then taken away to a distant location. For quite a long time he was held in chains. When he failed to return from captivity, his spouse believed that he had died. Every week she had the sacrifice offered for him as if he were deceased. As often as she did this, he was freed from his chains in captivity. Much time passed. But upon his return he related all this to his wife since he wondered why it was that his chains were removed on particular days and at particular times. His wife then realized that this took place on the days and at the times the sacrifice was offered. Beloved, consider this and realize that the holy sacrifice can free the bonds of our hearts because when one person offered it for another, it was able to loosen chains on the body.

2. John 11:43.  3. John 11:44. † Translated from CCL 141:354–55.

167. Avitus of Vienne  81 10. Beloved, many of you know of Cassius, bishop of the city of Narni.a Each day he offered sacrifice to God so that scarcely a day of his life went by without his presenting the propitiatory victim to God. His life was in harmony with the sacrifice. Having given away all his possessions as an alms, when it was time to sacrifice, he was overcome with tears and offered himself with great sorrow of heart. [.  .  .]

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Gaul 1 6 6 . O r i e n ta l R u l e

†

This Rule was probably redacted ca. 515 in the monastery of Condat, a foundation established by Romanus (ca. 390–ca. 460). The text, borrowing from the Rule of Saint Pachomius (WEC 2:86-A) and the Second Rule of the Fathers, seems to have had a limited diffusion. CPL no. 1840 * CPG no. 2403

12. No one will find a pretext to dispense himself from going to the gatherings for the office and for psalmody. Whether one is in the monastery, in the field, on a voyage, or doing whatever type of service, the time for prayer and psalmody is not to be neglected. 1 6 7 . Av i t u s o f V i e n n e

Avitus (Alcimus Ecdicius Avitus) was born ca. 450 of a noble Roman family at Vienne. Succeeding his father, Hesychius (Isychius), Avitus was ordained bishop of that city sometime between 490 and 494. He had good relations with King Gundobad, whose son, Sigismund, Avitus won over to orthodoxy from Arianism. A rigid opponent of heretical teaching, he was no less a strong defender of the primacy of the bishop of Rome. The year of Avitus’s death is usually placed between 518 and 523. Avitus wrote both prose and poetry. Among the latter are his On Virginity, written for his sister, and a long poem entitled De spiritualis historiae gestis. Most notable among his prose works are the various letters that still prove to be a valuable source for understanding the early period of Merovingian history. CPL nos. 990ff. * Altaner (1961) 568–69 *Altaner (1966) 475 * Bardenhewer (1908) 609–11 * Bardenhewer (1910) 526–27 * Bardenhewer (1913) 5:337–45 * Bardy (1930) 176–77 * Bautz 1:311 * Labriolle (1947) 2:748–52 * Labriolle (1968) 487–89 * Steidle 242–43 * Tixeront 334–35 * CATH 1:1134–35 * CE 2:161 * DCB 1:233–34 * DHGE 5:1205–8 * DPAC 1:459–60 * DTC 1.2:2639–44 * EC 2:552–53 * EEC 1:105 * EEChr 1:157–58 * LTK 1:1320 * NCE 1:1138 * NCES 1:946–47 * ODCC 139 a. Narni: a city in Umbria south of Spoleto. † Translated from Les règles des saints Pères, vol. 2, ed. A. de Vogüé, SChr 298 (Paris, 1982) 469.

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167-A. Letters The corpus of Avitus’s ninety-six letters treats a variety of political, ecclesiastical, and social topics.

167-a-1. letter 3. to king gundobad† 4306

[.  .  .] In the churches of the major cities [found in the East] supplication is customarily made during the initial rites of the Mass. With such devotion and spirit the cry of the harmonious people rises up. [.  .  .]

167-B. Homilies Although a collection of Avitus’s homilies once existed, it has been lost. All that survive are three complete sermons together with various extracts and fragments.

167-b-1. homily on the rogations†† Like a well-traveled footpath there runs, not only through Gaul but through almost the whole world, the refreshing river of the rogational observance. The earth, so infected by sin, is cleansed by a fruitful stream of yearly satisfaction. 4308 We have a special reason for joyfully keeping this observance since early on it began here as a fountain that benefits all. [.  .  .] 4309 I know that many of us remember why people were terrified at that time. Frequent fires, continuous earthquakes, nocturnal noises—all seemed to threaten the whole world with utter destruction. Wild animals from the forest joined domestic ones in populous areas. Only God knows whether this was an optical illusion or the persuasion of exaggeration. Whatever the case, the people considered each to be equally grotesque, whether taming the hearts of the beasts, whether the optical illusions so horribly produced for the eyes of those who were so terrified. 4310 This resulted in various feelings and opinions among the people and among those of various social classes. Some, hiding their true feelings, attributed to natural disasters what they refused to relinquish because of their sorrow. Others, in a more healthful way, interpreted the new evils as fitting signs of their own perversity. Who would not fear in the repeated fires the storm that afflicted Sodom?1 Who would not fear in the trembling planets either the collapse of the city’s roofs or the threatening destruction of the earth? Who seeing—or believing that one saw—the naturally timid deer entering the courtyard through the narrow gates would not fear the imminent judgment of being forsaken? 4307

Translated from PL 59:210–11. Translated from PL 59:289–92. 1. See Gen 19:24. †

††

167. Avitus of Vienne  83 And what else? Both in public and in private people were fearfully discussing all this till the night of the solemn vigil during which, as annual custom requires, the Lord’s resurrection was to be celebrated. With one spirit all awaited the wealth of labor, the end of evil things, the safety of those afflicted by fear. And so the venerable night arrived, one whose solemn prayer would lead to public forgiveness. But soon a more striking noise was heard—akin to the snapping sound of a whip. Since the people had experienced almost everything possible, they thought that complete chaos would follow. During the evening the main public building, located on the city’s summit, began to burn. The flames were terrible. And so the joy of the feast was interrupted by news of the approaching crisis. Terrified, the people fled the church since all feared that the flames from the burning citadel would strike their own property and homes. The invincible bishop remained before the festive altars and, kindling the power of his faith, by the flood of his tears restrained the power of the fire, now held in check. No longer in despair, the people returned to the church where, now that the fires were extinguished, the beauty of the tapers could be seen. Certainly there was no further delay in obtaining the medicine of sorrow. It was then during the night of the Pasch that the priest Mamertus,a my predecessor, my spiritual father by baptism—whom my father succeeded not many years ago after the death of Mamertus—conceived the Rogations. It was then and there that Mamertus, silently and with God, determined what the world today loudly implores by means of psalms and prayers. Once the paschal solemnity was over, it was in a secret meeting that Mamertus discussed not what should be done but how and when it should be done. Some believed that the senate of Vienne, composed at that time of numerous illustrious members, was incapable of adopting what was new since it could hardly agree on things that were old. But the godly and solicitous pastor, abounding with the salt of wisdom, first prayed in order to soften the souls of his flock, souls that needed to be tamed. He did this rather than employing speech to soothe the ear. And so he explained the arrangement of the observance, indicating its order and showing how fruitful it would be. For someone who by nature was both religious and clever, it was not enough to propose this institution that would favor the obedient, without from its very beginning giving it the bond of custom. God inspired the hearts of the sorrowful, and so Mamertus was heard, supported, and exalted by all. The present period of three days was selected between the feast of the Ascension and its Sundayb as if the solemnities on both sides formed an appropriate border. The bishop, testing the initial fervor of the people, a. Mamertus: bishop of Vienne (d. ca. 475). b. Actually, the Sunday before the Ascension is meant.

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84  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West feared that the observance would at its very beginning be held in contempt by those hesitating to observe it. He indicated that the prayer of the first procession was to occur at the basilica which at that time was closer to the city walls. [.  .  .] Afterwards the churches in Gaul followed this commendable example. 4317 Yet the observance is not celebrated by all on the same days when it was established among us. Nor was it of great concern as to which days were selected provided that the psalmody was performed with the annual shedding of tears. However, with growing love for the Rogations and with increasing agreement among the priests, concern for a universal observance resulted in a unified time, namely, the present days. [.  .  .] 168. Caesarius of Arles

Caesarius of Arles (ca. 470–542) was surely the most important bishop in southern Gaul during the early sixth century. Born in the Burgundian diocese of Chalons-sur-Sâon, he entered the island monastery of Lérins when he was twenty years old. Leaving Lérins for health reasons, he went to Arles (called the “Gallic Rome”), where, while continuing to live the spirit of the monastic life, he was ordained a priest. Before being made a bishop, he was superior of the monastery of Trinquetaille in a suburb of Arles. As archbishop Caesarius played a significant role in several local councils, e.g., that of Agde (WEC 4:176-A), which devoted itself to reforming church discipline, and that of Orange in 529, which condemned Semipelagianism. Caesarius was not a great theologian in the line of Augustine but a true shepherd interested in the religious welfare of his flock. The archbishop’s lifestyle, we are told, was simple, and his sermons evidence a special love for the poor. Although a somewhat substantial corpus of writings are ascribed to him, Caesarius is most noted for his numerous homilies. The famous Statuta ecclesiae antiqua (WEC 3:125) was once, and incorrectly, attributed to him. CPL nos. 1008ff. * Altaner (1961) 569–71 * Altaner (1966) 475–77 * Bardenhewer (1908) 611–13 * Bardenhewer (1910) 527–28 * Bardenhewer (1913) 5:345–56 * Bautz 1:842–43 * Jurgens 3:282–85 * Labriolle (1947) 2:773–76 * Labriolle (1968) 497–99 * Steidle 243–44 * Tixeront 333–34 * CATH 2:841–43 * CE 3:135–37 * DCB 1:376–78 * DHGE 12:186–96 * DictSp 2.1:420–29 * DPAC 1:653–55 * DTC 2.2:2168–85 * EC 3:1353–54 * EEC 1:138–39 * EEChr 1:202–3 * LTK 2:878–79 * NCE 2:1046–48 * NCES 2:848–49 * ODCC 261–62 * PEA (1894) 3.1:1302–4 * PEA (1991) 2:926 * TRE 7:531–36 G. Morin, “Les ‘Statuta ecclesiae antiqua’ sont-ils de s. Césaire d’Arles?” RB 30 (1913) 334–42. * G. Morin, “Le symbole de s. Césaire d’Arles,” RB 46 (1934) 178–89. * A. Chavasse, “L’onction des infirmes dans l’église latin du IIIe siècle à la réforme carolingienne: les textes,” RevSR 20 (1940) 64–122, 290–364. * K. Berg, “Die Werke des hl. Caesarius von Arles als liturgiegeschichtliche Quelle,” diss. (Rome, 1946). * H.G.J. Beck, The Pastoral Care of Souls in South-East France during the Sixth Century, Analecta Gregoriana 51 (Rome, 1950). * J. Gaudemet, “La discipline pénitentielle en Gaule du IVe au VIIe siècle,” RDC 3 (1953) 233–38. * R. Metz, “La consécration des

168. Caesarius of Arles  85 vierges en Gaule, des origines à l’apparition des livres liturgiques,” RDC 6 (1956) 321–39. * C. Gindele, “Die Satisfaktionsordung von Caesarius und Benedikt bis Donatus,” RB 69 (1959) 216–36. * M.C. McCarthy, The Rule for Nuns of St. Caesarius of Arles: A Translation with a Critical Introduction, Studies in Mediaeval History, n.s., 16 (Washington, D.C., 1960). * C. Vogel, “La paenitentia in extremis chez Césaire évêque d’Arles,” SP 5, TU 80 (Berlin, 1962) 416–23. * C. Vogel, “Un problème pastoral au VIe siècle: la paenitentia in extremis au temps de Césaire, évêque d’Arles,” in Parole de Dieu et Sacerdoce (Paris, 1962) 123–37. * A. Voog, “Le péché et la distinction des péchés dans l’oeuvre de Césaire d’Arles,” NRTh 84 (1962) 1062–80. * H. Angles, “S. Césaire d’Arles et le chant des hymnes,” LMD, no. 92 (1967) 73–78. * A. de Vogüé, “La règle de S. Césaire d’Arles pour les moines: un résume de son règle pour les moniales,” RAM 47 (1971) 369–406. * S. Felici, “La catechesi al popolo di s. Cesario di Arles,” in Valori attuale della catechesi patristica (Rome, 1979) 169–86. * C. Munier, “La pastorale pénitentielle de s. Césaire d’Arles,” RDC 34 (1984) 235–44. * R. Taft, The Liturgy of the Hours in East and West: The Origins of the Divine Office and Its Meaning for Today (Collegeville, 1986) 100–113, 150–56, 180–82. * R.M. Leikam, “‘Psallentes et orantes’: la doctrina espiritual sobre la oración de la igelesia en los Sermones de s. Cesáreo de Arlés,” EOr 11 (1994) 153–80.

168-A. Monastic Rules Caesarius is credited with writing two rules for religious, one for monks and another for virgins or nuns. A relationship exists between the two, although not all agree as to its exact nature. The documents depend much on the Rule of Saint Augustine (WEC 3:98-V), the writings of John Cassian (WEC 3:118), and the monastic customs at Saint Lérins. Although rather strict and pedantic, the two rules by Caesarius well reflect the monastic spirituality of the time.

168-a-1. rule for monks† This Rule is shorter than that for nuns. It appears to have been written over the course of a number of years, perhaps 534–42. xx. During vigils,a from the month of October till the Pasch, there are two nocturns and three missae. At each a brother is to read the lessons and pray; he is to read another three and pray; he is to read three more and stand. xxi. Chant [dicite]b an antiphon, a response, and another antiphon; the antiphons are to follow the order given in the Psalter. Matins is next: on a direct † Translated from Oeuvres monastiques, vol. 2, trans. and ed. A. de Vogüé and J. Courreau, SChr 398 (Paris, 1994) 218–20, 223. a. For an explanation of the terminology (e.g., antiphona, vigil, missa, response, directaneus, Duodecima, etc.) used in this Rule as well as in that for nuns or virgins, see R. Taft, The Liturgy of the Hours, as noted above; also M.C. McCarthy, The Rule for Nuns of St. Caesarius of Arles, 70–80. b. Here and in other instances the Latin dicitur or psallitur does not necessarily mean “said” or “recited” in our sense of the term. It can also mean “sung” or “chanted.”

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86  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West tone [directaneus] is sung “My God and my King, I will extol you.”1 Then all the morning psalms are said in order, together with their antiphons. 4320 Each Sunday there are six missae. During the first the account of the Resurrection is read during which no one is to be sitting. When the missae have been concluded, Matins is said. On a direct tone you say the psalm “My God and my King, I will extoll you.”2 Then the “Give thanks.”3 Then the “Let us sing”4 and the “Praise the Lord, my soul.”5 Next the Canticle of Blessing,6 the “Praise the Lord in the highest”7 the Te Deum laudamus, the Gloria in excelsis Deo8 and the verse. This is done each Sunday. 4321 xxii. From the holy Pasch till the month of September there is only a Wednesday and Friday fast. From the month of September to Christmas one fasts every day. Again, during the two weeks preceding Lent, one will fast each day except on Sunday when because of the Lord’s resurrection, all fasting is strictly forbidden. Whoever fasts on Sunday sins. From Christmas to the second week before Quadragesima there is a fast on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. From there to the Pasch one fasts on all days except on Sundays. Whoever fasts on Sunday sins. [.  .  .] 4322 xxv. Each Saturday, each Sunday, and all feasts have twelve psalms, three antiphons, and three lessons: one from the prophets, one from the apostle, and the third from the Gospels.

168-a-2. rule for virgins† The final draft of this Rule, composed for the nuns of the monastery of Saint John the Baptist in Arles, dates from 534. Caesarius’s sister was a member of this community. xv. During the vigils,a so that there be no drowsing off through inactivity, effort will be made to prevent distractions while listening to the lessons. If a sister begins to fall asleep, she will be told to stand while the others are seated; in this way she can ward off the languor of sleep so that she not be found to be either lukewarm or negligent in doing the Work of God [Opus Dei]. 4324 xxii. When you pray to God with psalms and hymns, may the words of your voice be those of your heart. Whatever work you are undertaking, when you are not reading always reflect on a text of holy Scripture. [.  .  .] 4325 lxvi. With God’s help “sing with wisdom.”1 Also, being principally inspired by the rule of the monastery of Lérins, we have judged it good to insert in this booklet a directive on how to chant the psalms. 4323

1. Ps 145:1.  2. Ibid.  3. Ps 118:1.  4. Exod 15:1.  5. Ps 146:1.  6. See Dan 3:32–90.  7. Ps 148:1.  8. See Luke 2:14. † Translated from Oeuvres monastiques, vol. 1, trans. and ed. A. de Vogüé and J. Courreau, SChr 345 (Paris, 1988) 190ff. a. See note a under Caesarius’s Rule for Monks. 1. Ps 47:7, LXX.

168. Caesarius of Arles  87 On the first day of the Pasch there are twelve psalms at Terce with their Alleluias and their antiphons; there are three lessons, the first from the Acts of the Apostles, the second from the Apocalypse, and the third from the Gospel; then the hymn Iam surgit hora tertia. At Sext there are six psalms with an antiphon; the hymn Iam sexta sensim volvitur; and the lessons. Likewise at None are saidb six psalms with an antiphon, the hymn Ter hora trina volvitur, the lesson, and the versicle. At the lucernarium [Vespers] there is the short psalm which is said directly, three antiphons, and the hymn Hic est dies verus Dei. This hymn is sung throughout paschal week at Matins and at Vespers. And at the Duodecima the Sol cognovit occasum suum2 comes first; then eighteen psalms; three antiphons; and the hymn Christe precamur annue. On the next day at the Duodecima hour the hymn Christe qui lux es et dies is said. Furthermore, these two hymns are always said in turn. As to the lessons during this paschal office at Duodecima, one lesson on the Resurrection is from the apostle, the other from the Gospels. During the nocturns eighteen psalms are sung, the minor antiphons with their Alleluias; then two lessons; a hymn; and a versicle. In this way all seven days are celebrated. After the Pasch these same nocturns are said till the calends of October; up to the calends of August vigils take place only on Fridays and Sundays. After the Pasch till Pentecost only one meal is taken on Friday; after the Duodecima there are six missae, namely, eighteen readings are said by memory; then eighteen psalms; and then three antiphons. The nocturns are followed by three missae taken out of the book, this lasting till daybreak. lxvii. Fasting. From Pentecost till the calends of September decide for yourselves the manner in which you will fast. In other words, the monastery’s mother superior, who is to take into account what is feasible according to each one’s health, will endeavor to act with restraint in this matter. From the calends of September to the calends of November a fast is observed on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; there is also a fast from the calends of November to the Lord’s Nativity except on feasts and Saturdays. A fast of seven days is observed before the Epiphany. From the Epiphany to the week before Quadragesima there is a fast on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. lxviii. On Christmas and on the Epiphany a vigil is kept from the third hour of the night till dawn. Preceding the nocturns are six missae from the prophet Isaiah; after the nocturns six missae from the Gospel. On the Epiphany before the nocturns there are six missae from Daniel and after the nocturns six missae from the Gospels. On weekdays at Terce, Sext, and None there are six psalms with antiphons, hymns, lessons, and versicles. On Sunday and Saturday there are six psalms at Terce; these are followed by three lessons, one from the prophet, another from the apostle, and the third from the Gospels. After b. See note b under Caesarius’s Rule for Monks. 2. Ps 104:19.

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the lessons there are six psalms, one antiphon, a hymn, and a versicle. On all feasts one adds three antiphons to the twelve psalms said at Terce; the lessons are related to the subject matter, namely, to the feast. lxix. From the calends of October till the Pasch a second nocturn is added, namely, eighteen psalms, two lessons, and a hymn. Added at the beginning of the first nocturn is the Miserere mei Deus secundum magnam misericordiam tuam,3 and at the end Rex aeterne domine. At the second nocturn is the Magna et mirabilia.4 On the following night at the first nocturn is sung the Media noctis tempus est; and on the next night Aeterne rerum conditor. Begin the second nocturn with the Miserere mei Deus miserere mei.5 After the nocturns three prayers are read; an antiphon is sung; a response; and another antiphon. Then up to dawn there are four missae. If possible, this number is not to be reduced. Never should the sisters be awakened earlier, never later. Then are said the canonical morning psalms, on ordinary days with antiphons, on feasts with the Alleluia. On all Sundays there are six missae followed by Matins. First say the small psalm in a direct fashion, the Confitemini6 with an antiphon, Cantemus domino7 and all the psalms of Matins with the Alleluias. On Saturdays and on all feasts a vigil is observed. On these solemnities, once Matins is finished, the hymn Te Deum laudamus is sung. One goes to the outer oratory and says the small psalm in a direct fashion, then the canticle Cantemus domino,8 then the blessing of the three young men.9 After the blessing there is the hymn Gloria in excelsis.10 Then Prime is said with its six psalms, the hymn Fulgentis auctor aeteris, two readings, one from the Old Testament and the other from the New Testament, and the versicle. This is the procedure for Sundays, Saturdays, and major feasts. At Vespers the same is done: in the outer oratory a short psalm is sung in a direct fashion. This is followed by three antiphons; then the hymn—on one day the Deus qui certis legibus, on the following day the Deus creator omnium. On all Sundays the gospels are read during the vigils, but during the first missa the gospel of the Resurrection is always read, on the following Sunday another Resurrection text; likewise for the third and fourth Sundays. And when this first missae on the Resurrection is read—the first missa always concerns the Resurrection—no one is allowed to sit. But during the next five missae all sit as is customary. When the feasts of the martyrs are celebrated, the first missa is from the Gospel, the others from the passions of the martyrs. On ordinary days at vigils the books of the New and Old Testaments are read according to their order. In winter there are three missae after the nocturns. Above all else, the lessons during the vigils are to be regulated in such a way as to always desire more. This is why at each oration only two, three 3. Ps 51:1.  4. Rev 15:3–4.  5. Ps 51:1.  6. Ps 117:1.  7. Exod 15:1.  8. Ibid.  9. Dan 3:52–90.  10. See Luke 2:14.

168. Caesarius of Arles  89 at the most, pages are to be read aloud. Should it happen that the nuns arrive later for the vigils, only one page is read or whatever the abbess judges appropriate. She is to make the decision, and when she gives the sign, the nun who is to read immediately rises in order to complete the appointed missae. Curb the length of the vigil so that those in good health may not become sleepy afterwards. At all times the sisters will read after Matins till the second hour. Then 4340 they will go about their tasks. lxx. When one among you dies, some of the sisters will keep watch 4341 over her till midnight, reading from the apostle. After midnight those who have kept vigil will go to bed where they remain till Matins; those who will keep vigil for the rest of the time will read one missa from the Gospels, the others from the apostle. This is the procedure for an elderly nun who has departed this light [de hac luce] on earth. Should the nun be a young person, the missae are from the apostle and last till Matins. 4342 Above all, at the death of a sister take care to inform the holy bishop of this so that he and the clerics of Saint Mary might bring her, with psalmody and holy devotion, to the basilica where she is to be interred.

168-B. Sermons Attributed to Caesarius are 238 sermons (Dom Germain Morin, OSB, spent his life preparing the definitive edition of these pieces, now available in CCL 103 and 104), some, however, of uncertain authenticity. These homilies are simple, popular in style, at times relying on the writings of others, and show that Caesarius indeed merits to be called the “greatest moral preacher since Augustine.”

168-b-1. sermon 1. the humble advice of a sinner† xv. Perhaps it is difficult for some of my lords, the bishops, themselves to preach. If so, why should they not introduce the ancient custom of the holy ones, a custom which up to the very present is in a salutary way maintained in areas of the East, namely, to have for the salvation of souls the homilies of the ancient fathers read in the churches through the ministry of the holy priests? Should we think that some refuse to entrust this to their fellow-presbyters? May God not suffer that we suspect, much less believe, this. Rather, let us believe that all the bishops, filled with a holy zeal according to the example of blessed Moses, might say with a free conscience, “May he grant us that all the people were prophets.”1 In truth, I say that even if priests capable of doing this are lacking, it is neither inconsistent nor unfitting that a deacon be instructed to read aloud in church the homilies of the holy fathers; if it is appropriate for a deacon † Translated from Sermons au peuple, trans. and ed. M.-J. Delage, SChr 175 (Paris, 1971) 254–56. 1. Num 11:29.

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90  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West to read the words of Christ, it should not be judged unfitting for a deacon to read what Saint Hilary [WEC 2:58], Saint Ambrose [WEC 2:53], Saint Augustine [WEC 3:98], or the other fathers preached. [.  .  .]

168-b-2. sermon 6. people should be eager to hear the holy readings† 4345

iii. Someone might say, “I am a farmer and so I am always occupied with working the land; I can neither listen to nor read the holy text.” Now how many men and women in rural areas know by heart and sing aloud diabolical and shameful love songs! They can remember what the devil teaches them; they cannot remember what Christ shows them. How much more easily and preferably and better it would be for the unlettered, both men and women, to learn the creed, to memorize and frequently say the Lord’s Prayer, some antiphons, Psalms 51 and 91, thereby joining their spirits to God and freeing them from the devil? In fact, just as evil songs send one into the darkness of the devil, so holy songs show forth the light of Christ. Let no one say, “I cannot remember what I heard read in church.” Surely if you wish to do so, you can; begin by wishing it, and you will immediately understand. [.  .  .]

168-b-3. sermon 12. an exposition of faith†† 4346

3. [.  .  .] At baptism we are asked whether we renounce the devil, his pomps, and his works; freely we answer that we do renounce them. Since infants cannot promise this by themselves, their parents stand as guarantors for them. [.  .  .]

168-b-4. sermon 13. on the full practice of the christian life††† i. My brothers and sisters, let us now reflect more deeply on why we are Christians and on why we bear Christ’s cross on our foreheads. It is not sufficient for us to have received the name Christian and then fail to do the things Christians do. [.  .  .] If you repeat a thousand times that you are a Christian and over and over again sign yourself with the cross of Christ and yet do not bestow alms as you are able, [.  .  .] then the name Christian will avail you nothing. 4348 ii. [.  .  .] As I already said, give alms to the poor as you are able. Present the offerings that are to be sanctified on the altar. A person who is well-off should be ashamed to receive Communion from another’s offering. Those capable of doing so ought to present candles or the oil to be placed in the lamps. Learn the creed and the Lord’s Prayer and teach these to your children. I do not understand how any can call themselves Christians by 4347

Translated from SChr 175:324. Translated from SChr 175:402–4. ††† Translated from SChr 175:416–28. †

††

168. Caesarius of Arles  91 signing their foreheads and then neglecting to learn the few brief lines of the creed or the Lord’s Prayer. [.  .  .] iii. Attend church every Sunday. Now if the unhappy Jews observe the Sabbath with such great devotion that they refrain from bodily work on that day, so all the more should Christians have time for God alone on the Lord’s Day and gather at church for the salvation of their souls! When you meet at church, pray for your sins, do not quarrel, cause neither disputes nor scandals; those who quarrel or cause disputes or scandals when they come to church harm their souls by arguing in a place where they could have been cured through prayer. When standing in church do not make small talk but patiently listen to the reading of the holy texts; whoever wants to chatter in church will have to give an account for this sin in regard to themselves and others, for they, not listening to God’s word, prevent others from doing so. Give the church a tenth of your fruits. [.  .  .] When some infirmity unexpectedly occurs, the sick should receive Christ’s Body and Blood; may they humbly and faithfully seek the blessed oil from the presbyters and with it anoint their sick bodies so that what Scripture says might be fulfilled in them: “Are any of you sick? May they have the presbyters come and pray over them, anointing them with oil; and may the prayer of faith save the sick person and may the Lord raise them up; and anyone who has sinned will be forgiven.”1 My brothers and sisters, notice that those who hasten to church when they are sick deserve to receive both bodily health and the pardon of sins. Since we can find a twofold benefit in church, why do some miserable people try to bring numerous evils upon themselves by recourse to charmers, springs, trees, diabolic phylacteries, magicians, diviners, or soothsayers? iv. [.  .  .] Continually admonish your neighbors and relatives always to strive to say what is good and proper lest by slandering, by speaking evil, by leading choirs on holy feastdays, by publicly singing dissolute and shameful songs, they appear to wound themselves by means of their tongues with which they should be praising God. These unfortunate and miserable people who neither are afraid nor blush to dance or do pantomime before the very churches of the saints, even if they come to church as Christians, depart as pagans. Just notice what kind of Christians are those who, coming to church in order to pray, neglect prayer and are not ashamed to speak the sacrilegious words of the pagans. Reflect, then, my brothers and sisters, on whether it is right that the mouth of a Christian, into which the Body of Christ enters, should sing dissolute songs, which are like the poison of the devil. [.  .  .] v. Although I believe that due to divine inspiration and thanks to your admonitions, this evil custom, a vestige of the profane practice of the 1. Jas 5:14–15.

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92  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West pagans, has disappeared from these areas, yet if you know any people who still engage in this most scandalous and shamelessness custom of disguising themselves as old women or stags, reprove them strongly so that they may repent for having committed this sacrilege. And if at the eclipse of the moon, you notice that some people, even now, are emitting loud cries, you should admonish them. Show them what a great sin they are guilty of when they by a bold sacrilege strongly believe that their cries and evil deeds can protect the moon which in fact is darkened at certain times by God’s will. And if you still see people worshiping springs or trees and, as I have already said, if they are also consulting magicians, diviners, or charmers, if they wear or have their own family members wear devilish phylacteries, magic marks, herbs, or charms, severely reproach them since those who sin in this way forfeit the sacrament of baptism. We have heard that the devil has so seduced certain men and women 4354 that the men do not work on Thursday nor do the women spin wool on this day; so do we solemnly declare before God and the angels that all who willingly observe this practice, if they do not correct their ways through a long and arduous penance, will themselves be condemned to burn with the devil. These poor unfortunate ones who in honor of Jupiter refrain from working on Thursday are neither ashamed nor do they fear, as I surely believe, to do this same work on the Lord’s Day. This is why you should admonish all whom you recognize as being guilty of acting in this manner. If they do not wish to repent, do not speak or eat with them. Furthermore, as to those who are subject to you, you might even whip them so that they will at least fear bodily punishment even if they do not think about the salvation of their souls. [.  .  .]

168-b-5. sermon 16. the qualities of good and bad christians† ii. [.  .  .] A good Christian is a person who, coming to church, presents an offering which is to be placed on the altar and gives to the poor—according to his or her means—either some money or a slice of bread. [.  .  .] That man is a good Christian who at the approach of each holy feast, so that he might more safely receive Communion, observes for many days chastity with his wife. In this way having a free and certain conscience, he can presume to approach the Lord’s altar with a chaste body and a clean heart. Also good Christians are those who know by heart the creed and the Lord’s Prayer and have taught them to their sons and daughters so that these also may faithfully retain them. 4356 iii. [.  .  .] Indeed can those who hardly ever come to church call themselves Christians and, when they do come, do not remain standing in order to pray for their sins but make excuses for themselves or while there incite quarrels or fighting? 4355

†

Translated from SChr 175:454–56.

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168-b-6. sermon 19. on the christian life and sacraments† iii. [.  .  .] When the holy solemnities occur, observe chastity even with your own wives for many days beforehand so that you may approach the Lord’s altar with a safe conscience. When you come to church do not stir up quarrels or scandals. Do not become intoxicated. Do not sing impure songs for dancing since it is not right that your mouth, into which the Eucharist of Christ enters, should utter diabolical words. Standing in church, faithfully make petition because of your sins. Silently and quietly listen to the divine lessons that are read. Do not gossip in church because those who desire to engage in harmful tales will be held guilty for their own sins and for those of others since they are not listening to, nor do they allow others to listen to, God’s commands. Give to your church a tenth of all your fruits since it is right that God, who has given you everything, should receive a tenth for the poor through almsgiving, for he said, “Whatever you have done to the least of these you have done unto me.”1 Above all, learn by heart the creed and the Lord’s Prayer and teach them to your children, for I do not believe that we should call someone a Christian who has failed to learn by heart the few lines of the creed. But perhaps some say that they cannot remember this. How great is the wretchedness of the human race if we are unable to learn just a few words whereas men and women are able to learn lewd songs and sing them without shame. iv. Upon coming to the church, present the offerings that will be consecrated on the altar. If you have something and yet bring nothing, how will you rightfully receive Communion from the offering brought by a poor person? Above all, show honor to your priest. Speak no evil regarding one another since it is written, “The detractor will be snatched from the land of the living.”2 May no one be persuaded to worship an idol or to drink what is offered to idols. The baptized must avoid profane things. No one is to marry his maternal aunt, his cousin, or his wife’s sister, for it is wrong that we be lost through such vile dissipations coming from diabolical gratifications. May no person take wicked delight in presuming to have recourse to or to pose questions to sorcerers, magicians, diviners, or enchanters regarding any kind of sickness. Whoever acts in this evil way and does not do penance forfeits the sacrament of baptism. May no one presume to observe Thursday in honor of Jupiter by refraining from work. My brothers and sisters, I swear that no one, be it a man or a woman, should ever follow this evil custom lest he or she be judged by the Lord on the day of judgment to be among the pagans, not among Christians, for they sacrilegiously transfer to the day of Jupiter what should be done on the Lord’s Day. Translated from SChr 175:486–90. 1. Matt 25:40.  2. Prov 20:13, LXX. †

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v. In addition, as often as any type of sickness befalls anyone, they should hasten to the church, receive the Body and Blood of Christ, and be anointed with the oil blessed by the presbyters. They are to request that these presbyters and the deacons pray over them in the name of Christ. If they do this, they will receive not only bodily health but also the forgiveness of sins. As the Lord graciously promised through the apostle James, “Are any of you sick? May they have the presbyters of the Church come and pray over them, anointing them with oil; and may the prayer of faith save the sick person.”3 Why should anyone kill his or her soul by having recourse to magicians, diviners, enchanters, and diabolical phylacteries when both soul and body can be cured by the prayer of the presbyter and the blessed oil? Bodily sickness is linked to the health of the soul; in this world God scourges those whom he loves.4

168-b-7. sermon 33. on tithes† iv. As is also true for other feasts, it is with joy that we desire to celebrate the birth of Saint John the Baptist. Since this very illustrious solemnity is close at hand, may all of us during the several days preceding it observe perfect chastity and virtue so that all of us can celebrate this feast with joy, meriting to approach the Lord’s altar with a conscience that is unencumbered and pure. I plead with you, and I adjure you by the terrible day of judgment, to warn all your neighbors, all your family members, and all who are subject to you; may you most severely reprimand them out of zeal for God. May none be so bold during the feast of Saint John as to bathe in springs or in pools or in rivers, whether at night or early in the morning since this unhappy custom still endures to the present from pagan rites. In fact, not only souls but—and this is worse—also bodies most frequently die in that sacrilegious bath so that such people, unconcerned about saving the soul, do not fear even the death of the body. Nevertheless, we trust in God’s mercy that only a very few, or perhaps none at all, will dare permit this evil action in the future. 4364 My brothers and sisters, take care that your household members do not sing evil or licentious songs since it is not right that from their mouths, into which the Eucharist of Christ has entered, should come forth an impure or amorous song. [.  .  .] 4363

168-b-8. sermon 50. on the task of desiring more ardently health of soul rather than health of body, and on avoiding soothsayers†† 4365

i. [.  .  .] Many grieve when their bodies begin to grow weak; yet if their souls are not merely wounded but are dead, they are not aware of this and 3. Jas 5:14–15.  4. See Heb 12:6. † Translated from Sermons au peuple, vol. 2, trans. M-J. Delange, SChr 243 (Paris, 1978) 178–80. †† Translated from SChr 243:416–20, 422.

168. Caesarius of Arles  95 do not complain. And when they are sick in body, if only they would hasten to church and seek the medicine of Christ’s mercy; yet some, no matter what kind of sickness it may be—and this is most deplorable—seek out soothsayers, diviners, and enchanters, and wear diabolical phylacteries and magic signs. 4366 Often they receive these charms from clerics and religious, who in reality are not clerics or religious but helpers of the devil. My brothers and sisters, see how I beseech you not to accept these evil things even if offered by clerics because Christ’s healing is not in these objects, only the devil’s poison. The body is not healed by them; the unfaithful soul is destroyed by the sword of unfaithfulness. Even if you are told that the phylacteries themselves contain holy things and holy verses, may no one think, may no one expect that health will come from them because even if some are cured because of these phylacteries, this is due to the cunning of the devil. If at times the devil removes bodily infirmity, it is because he has already brought the soul to ruin. 4367 The devil hopes to kill not so much the body as the soul; it is to test us that he is permitted to afflict our body with some infirmity so as to kill our soul when afterwards we agree to hand over our bodies to magicians and phylacteries. This is why on occasion phylacteries appear to be effective and useful since when the devil has struck a consenting soul, he no longer goes after the body. In fact, those who make phylacteries, those who request that they be made, and those who consent to them, show that they are pagans. If they fail to do an appropriate penance, they cannot escape punishment. But you, my brothers and sisters, you are to request health from Christ, who is the true light. Hurry to church, anoint yourselves with the blessed oil, receive the Eucharist of Christ. If you do this, you will receive not only health of the body but also that of the soul. 4368 iii. My brothers and sisters, [.  .  .] when you stand in church do not spend your time in telling useless stories. There are—and this is worse— certain men and especially women who talk in church to such a degree that they themselves do not hear God’s word and do not allow others to hear it. On the day of judgment they will have to answer for this, both in regard to themselves and in regard to others. [.  .  .]

168-b-9. sermon 55. a sermon reprimanding those who on feasts sin through drunkenness [.  .  .]† i. My dear brothers and sisters, I am overjoyed and I thank God that on the holy feasts you come to church with pious devotion. Even though we, by God’s grace, rejoice at your devotion, yet there are many concerning whose ruin we are sad. I have in mind those who, upon arriving in

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Translated from SChr 243:466–68, 470–72.

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96  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West church, desire more to argue than to pray. Whereas they should be attentively listening in church to the divine lessons with the utmost of piety, they plead their cases outside the church and attack one another with various calumnies. At times—and this is even worse—there are those who are inflamed with extreme anger so that they argue with the greatest intensity and most shamefully injure and accuse one another. It is not even rare that they attack one another with their fists and feet. It would have been better for these people not to have come to church rather than to call down God’s anger upon themselves by such evil deeds. They arrive at church with only minor sins; they leave for home with many major sins. And so, even though my soul rejoices because of your devotion, nonetheless, I ask you, who are upright and sober, who follow righteousness, who love chastity, and who are merciful, I ask you to pardon me and to be patient with me, for it is necessary that I reprimand these negligent and tepid individuals who come to the feast so that they can pass the time with harmful gossip, not receiving there in the church the holy reading with a faithful heart. 4370 ii. There are also others who come to the feasts of the martyrs only to become intoxicated, to dance, to sing evil songs, to lead choirs, and to dance in a diabolical fashion; by doing so they bring ruin upon themselves and others. Those who should be doing the work of Christ attempt to do that of the devil. Not love of God but a love for debauchery usually brings them to the feast. They apply themselves not to giving an example of good works, not to the medicine of the faith, but to the poison and snares of the devil; those who await or imitate such as these condemn their own souls to perpetual punishment. 4371 iv. When you gather at church, do not become involved with things that can increase your sins. Pass your time not with disputation but with prayer, thus obtaining God’s grace by supplication rather than offending him by your quarreling. Do not drink to excess; do not erase your names from heaven by drinking toasts. What is worse is that many not only make themselves drunk but even encourage others to drink more than they should. And what is still more serious, there are even some clerics who do this. [.  .  .] 4372 When you come to church or gather for the feasts of the martyrs, by almsgiving store up in heaven what you would customarily waste because of gluttony and intoxication. When present for a feast or a Mass, listen with faith and joy to the holy readings; what you hear you should commit to memory and with God’s help strive to carry out. Do not busy yourselves with idle gossip in church; do not chatter with one another. This, in fact, occurs often enough, especially among women who, in church, chatter idly to such a degree that they themselves do not hear the holy readings and do not permit others to do so. As such, they will have to render an unfavorable account both for themselves and for others. [.  .  .]

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168-b-10. sermon 64. a warning not to be negligent in having recourse to the healing of penance in the case of serious sins† ii. My brothers and sisters, consider this: even if we do not allow ourselves to be snatched away by serious sins, there are the small sins to which, so much the worse, we pay no attention or which we surely count as nothing. Now if we group all these together, I know not how many good works would be required to outweigh them. May we consider what we have done since we have reached the age of reason, namely, swearing, lying, cursing, uttering calumnies, speaking evil, hatred, anger, envy, evil desires, gluttony, sleeping to excess, thinking evil things, concupiscence of the eyes, pleasure of the ears, afflicting the poor; let us remember that we have been tardy in visiting Christ in prison or have rarely done so, that we have been negligent in welcoming strangers, that we have neglected to wash the feet of our guests as we promised to do at baptism, that we have visited the sick less frequently than we should have, that we have failed to use all our resources in calling those at discord back to harmony, that we desired to eat while the Church was fasting, that while standing in church during the reading of the holy lessons we concerned ourselves with frivolous stories, that while chanting the psalms or while at prayer we have at times been distracted, that at banquets we have not always spoken holy words but at times have uttered indecent ones. Suppose we gather together these and similar sins, sins that can hardly be numbered, sins committed from the time we reached the age of reason, even if we exclude major sins, how many armies of good works and of what quality would redeem them if God’s severity and justice were not mitigated by the divine mercy made powerful by reason of a humble and sincere penance added to the giving of alms according to our means? Since the sins I have just mentioned—sins that no one can escape— greatly oppress us, and since crimes and capital sins perhaps entangle us, I do not know how we can conscientiously assume a false security by failing through deadly negligence to seek the remedy of penance. Tossed about on the sea of this world by innumerable waves, we long delay seeking out the port of penance, not understanding that despair is born from a multitude of sins, a despair from which the reins of sin are shamelessly released. And so are fulfilled the words, “The evil person upon reaching the depth of sins condemns.”1 iii. Someone says, “Once I reach old age or find myself seriously ill, then I will request penance.” To be sure, such penance is not useless; certainly it is helpful if accompanied by generous almsgiving, by pardoning one’s enemies, by requesting the forgiveness of all whom one has

† Translated from Sermons au peuple, vol. 3, trans. M.-J. Delange, SChr 330 (Paris, 1986) 96–102. 1. Prov 18:3, LXX.

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98  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West wronged. Now if such people recover, they should humbly and faithfully perform this penance for as long as they live, doing so with all their strength, with cries and groans, and by joining it to liberal almsgiving. 4377 Being wise, you should reflect in the midst of all this whether it is right that you, who were at the service of vices and sins during your whole life, should when being half-dead rise up to seek life. Would you want your servant to act in this fashion toward you, your servant who as long as he is strong and young, is at the service of your enemies, and as soon as old age approaches, then wishes to return to your service? And so it is not right that you do to your Lord what you do not wish to endure from your servant. Indeed, we know many who when in good health frequently say that they wholeheartedly desire penance but yet do not want penance immediately and so depart life lacking this remedy. Sinners are also afflicted by the punishment of being forgetful of themselves when dying since they were forgetful of God when they were in good health. In fact, it is doubtful whether those not desiring to seek the remedy of their souls when this was possible will afterwards merit to receive it, even if at that time they so desire. 4378 iv. And so, my dear brothers and sisters, may we think wisely and beneficially of the time of judgment and of the day when we must render an account; may we show sorrow for the rest of our lives, doing so with groaning and sighing because of our major crimes and sins. As to our small sins, whether those committed in the past or those we continue to commit, let us atone for them by assiduous prayer and more generous almsgiving. Just as the daily wounds of sin are not lacking, so the remedies of almsgiving and prayer are never lacking. In fact, if we punish ourselves with our own severity, we will ward off the sentence of the judge to come. Those who do not spare themselves because of their sins are immediately granted pardon by God. Those who separate themselves for a time from Communion because of their guilt will not be rejected from the heavenly altar since it is written, “Be the first to admit your iniquities so that you may be justified.”2 [.  .  .]

168-b-11. sermon 67. concerning those who in public request penance† 4379

i. Beloved, each time that we see some of the brethren make a public request to do penance, we can and should, under God’s inspiration, stir up in ourselves the deep feeling of divine fear. Who, in fact, would not rejoice, would not delight, would not give thanks with all one’s strength to see sinners becoming angry at their sins, proclaiming them aloud, so that what they were accustomed to defend most shamelessly, they begin to accuse themselves of for their salvation?

2. Prov 18:17, LXX. † Translated from SChr 330:124–35.

168. Caesarius of Arles  99 They henceforth begin to associate themselves with God, and therefore they no longer want to be the defenders of their sins but to be the accusers. Since God abhors sins, as soon as people, abandoning them, begin to hate them and separate themselves from sin, they are joined to God. Those who receive penance in public could have done so in private. Yet in light of the vast number of their sins, they lack sufficient strength to cope with them by themselves. For this reason they desire to seek the assistance of all the people. [.  .  .] Beloved, notice that it is no little matter that the person who receives penance is clothed with a hairshirt, which is made from the hair of goats. Because goats resemble sinners, those who receive penance in public declare that they are not lambs but goats, saying and affirming this by what they are wearing. They say: “Look at me, all of you, and pour forth all your dutiful tears for me, a miserable sinner; what I am outwardly, that I am inwardly; henceforth I no longer desire to appear externally as if I were a righteous person and to hide iniquities and plundering within. Henceforth, like the bent-over publican, I do not dare look upward toward heaven but humbly offer the wounds and deformities of my sins to the heavenly doctor so that he might heal them. This is why I ask that all of you request his mercy on my behalf so that he might completely cure the decay of my sins and call me back to true health.” “I fear, in fact, that what the Lord said of the hypocrites may also be said of me, ‘They come to you dressed like sheep but inwardly there are ravenous wolves.’1 This is why, as I already said, what I am within, so I show myself without. Till now I adorned myself outwardly with precious clothing; yet internally my soul was covered with the leprosy of sins. Consequently, clothed with a hairshirt and requesting penance with my whole being, I ask that through your prayers I might merit to be freed from the paralysis of my sins. Again and again I implore you—since under God’s inspiration you know how to weep with those who weep—that your piety be moved to cry and to lament for the remission of my sins. I believe that with this infinitely merciful judge your holy prayers will be able to obtain for me the pardon of sins.” ii. [.  .  .] My brothers and sisters, notice that when people request penance, they ask to be excommunicated. When they are received into penance, each is covered with a hairshirt and is then placed outside. They request excommunication because they deem themselves unworthy to receive the Lord’s Eucharist. Additionally, they desire to be excluded from that altar for a period of time so that they might merit to reach the heavenly altar with a clear conscience. Furthermore, they want to be separated from Christ’s Body and Blood so that they, now guilty and ungodly, may by their humility deserve to receive Communion at the holy altar.

1. Matt 7:15.

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100  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West iii. Beloved, even those who so faithfully request penance with a contrite and sorrowful heart should place their trust in the intercession of all the people; and yet, with God’s assistance, they themselves should not fail to be totally concerned with their own salvation. They are not to say in their hearts, “Look at all the people who have prayed for my iniquities. Already I can and should feel safe.” May no one who does penance think, much less express, this. But with God’s help may penitents, insofar as they are able, trust in the prayers of others as they strive to devote themselves to fasting, almsgiving, prayer, humility and love, holy works; may they visit the sick, bring together those who are in conflict with one another, welcome strangers, humbly wash the feet of venerable travellers, refrain from calumny and slander. Unless allowed by sickness, they are not to drink wine. But if due to old age or an ailment of the stomach, this is not possible, may they listen to the apostle who says, “Use a little wine for the sake of your stomach.”2 4385 Some penitents, so that they can eat meat, wish to be reconciled immediately. To be sure, those who desire or presume to eat meat without being compelled by sickness certainly do not receive penance with true sorrow. And so penitents, even after being reconciled, are not to eat meat at any time, whether when eating alone or with others. Let them find potherbs or beans or fish. They are not to partake of other foods. I mention this because, and what is worse, some penitents are eager to eat meat and to drink wine, perhaps at times even to excess. [.  .  .] 4384

168-b-12. sermon 72. ephrem’s admonition on prayer and harmful speech† i. [.  .  .] My dear brothers and sisters, with joy I thank God that you faithfully hasten to church in order to hear the holy readings. Yet if you want to fully complete your progress and our joy, arrive there earlier. When the nights are so long, those who are not restrained by sickness harm their souls by coming late to church. Beloved, if merchants, goldsmiths, blacksmiths, and other artisans awake early to provide for material necessities, should we not arise early before daybreak to hurry to church in order to merit the forgiveness of our sins. 4387 If people in business are accustomed to rise early for monetary gain, why don’t we do likewise out of love for eternal life? There are those who at times expose themselves to winds and storms, who suffer numerous dangers, who on occasion endure severe hunger and thirst. If they patiently bear all this because of what is perishable, then why does it bother us to keep watch for the sake of eternal life? 4388 So this is why I ask you to arrive earlier, and once there, to occupy yourselves with praying and chanting the psalms rather than with idle or 4386

2. 1 Tim 5:23. † Translated from SChr 330:178–82.

168. Caesarius of Arles  101 harmful gossip. As to those who come to church for the purpose of useless conversation, it would have been better for them not to have come at all. Those busy with gossiping do not themselves chant the psalms, do not permit others to do so, nor do they listen to the holy readings. Because of this those who come to church with small sins return home with greater ones; by idle talk they harm themselves in the very place where through prayer and psalmody they should have been able to provide remedies for themselves and others. ii. Above all, my dear brothers and sisters, when we devote ourselves to prayer, we should supplicate silently and quietly; those desiring to pray aloud seem to forcefully remove the fruit of prayer from all those standing nearby. Only sobs, sighs, and groans should be heard. [.  .  .]

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168-b-13. sermon 73. an admonition in which all the people are urged to faithfully remain in church till the divine mysteries have been celebrated† i. My dear brothers and sisters, with paternal kindness I ask and remind 4390 you that no one, whenever there is a Mass on Sunday or on another major feast, is to leave the church before the divine mysteries have ended. Even if there are many whose faith and devotion cause us to rejoice, nonetheless, more numerous are those who, less concerned about their soul’s salvation, depart the church immediately after the holy readings; there are others who during these readings are so concerned with harmful and worldly stories that they themselves do not hear the readings and do not allow others to do so. We would blame these less if they had not come to church, for they are convicted of offending God in the place where they should have merited the pardon of their sins. ii. So I ask you, my beloved, to receive our humble suggestion not only 4391 patiently but also willingly. If you notice closely, you will understand that the Mass does not take place when the holy lessons are read in church but when the gifts are offered and when the Lord’s Body and Blood are consecrated. You can hear the prophets, the apostles, and the gospels read at home, either by yourselves or by others. Therefore it is only in the house of God that you can see and hear the consecration of Christ’s Body and Blood. This is why those desiring to participate in the whole Mass for a spiritual gain should remain in church with a humble attitude and a contrite heart till the Lord’s Prayer has been said and the people have been blessed. 4392 When, in fact, most people or, worse yet, almost all of them leave the church after the readings, to whom will the priest say, “Lift up your hearts”? Or how will these people reply that they have lifted them up on high when they go out into the streets in both body and heart? Or how will they exclaim with both joy and fear, “Holy, holy, holy, blessed is he †

Translated from SChr 330:190–98.

102  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West who comes in the name of the Lord”? Or when the Lord’s Prayer is said, who will humbly yet truthfully cry out, “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us”?1 Surely even those who remain in church, if they do not forgive those who sin against them, say aloud the Lord’s Prayer more unto judgment than for a remedy since they do not put this prayer into practice and since it is useless for them to say, “Deliver us from evil,” considering that they themselves do not cease doing evil. Now if those within the church are in danger when they are unwilling to carry out what they promise, what about those whom either insatiable desire or love for this world keep so entangled that they cannot spend a single hour in church? It is not enough that throughout the whole week they concern them4393 selves with the necessities of life or perhaps, and more likely, with what they simply desire: furthermore, after an hour or two during which they seem to be present in the church more in body than in soul, and turning their backs to the sacrifices and priests of God, they immediately return to embrace the pleasures of this world without knowing what awaits them or what they have left behind. They follow the darkness and desert the light; they embrace the shadows and despise the truth; they reject the sweetness of Christ and seek the bitterness of the world, loving vanity and pursuing falsehood.2 In truth, those who are in a hurry to leave the church are ignorant of the good that is found in the celebration of the Mass. iii. Now if a king or some other powerful person should invite these to 4394 a meal, I would like to know whether they would dare depart before the meal has ended. Even if no person restrains them, their gluttony does. Why do we not leave a banquet given by a human person before it is completely finished if it is not because we wish to fill up our stomachs, perhaps more than is fitting, and also because we fear giving offense? Now why do we so quickly depart the spiritual and divine banquet? I fear saying this lest some become angry, but I will do so anyway because of the danger to myself and to you: we act in this way because we do not care about feeding the soul, because we neither fear God nor respect others. Certainly, by God’s mercy, all are not guilty. On the contrary, there are 4395 many who with great devotion do not leave church till the people have been blessed and who do not fail to pray humbly, not only for themselves but for others as well. God rewards those to whom he has granted such great devotion that they remain in church. But his just judgment condemns those who are negligent. This is why, my brothers and sisters, you are to admonish those who do not wish to say the Lord’s Prayer and to receive the blessing; do not cease to reprimand them by telling them and most assuredly threatening them that it profits them nothing to hear the holy readings if they depart before the end of the divine mysteries. Yet we cannot nor should we blame those who must attend to public necessities 1. Matt 6:12.  2. See Ps 4:2.

168. Caesarius of Arles  103 or are unable to stay because of some illness. However, these should look to their own consciences as to whether they leave because of necessity or simply because they want to depart. iv. Again and again I ask and beseech you: may no one on Sunday and 4396 especially on major feasts depart the church till the divine mysteries have been completed except perhaps those mentioned above whom serious sickness or public duty hinder from staying longer. My brothers and sisters, truly do I say that it is very harmful and al4397 most totally ungodly for Christians to lack respect for the Lord’s Day, a respect with which we see the Jews observing the Sabbath. In fact, if these unfortunate ones so observe the Sabbath that on this day they dare do no earthly work, so much the more should those who have been redeemed “not with gold or silver but with the precious blood of Christ”3 pay attention to their price, dedicate to God the day of the Resurrection, and most attentively care for the salvation of their souls. Finally, if on Sunday we neglect to engage in reading and prayer to God, we do not sin lightly against him; the evil is greater if for a space of one or two hours during the celebration of the divine mysteries we lack the patience to remain standing in church. But what is worse is that the love of this world so intoxicates us that its changing shadows and the delights of worldly desires constantly drag us to those vain and false joys which give rise to true grief. v. And so I again ask that none of you leave church before the divine 4398 mysteries have been completely celebrated; so act in church that none of you pass the time by engaging in idle words or gossip. [.  .  .]

168-b-14. sermon 74. an admonition that the people remain for the whole mass† i. My dear brothers and sisters, if you wish to discover and diligently see how much sorrow and how much bitterness afflict me when I see that you do not desire to remain at Mass till its end, you might take pity both on yourselves and on me. Those who understand what happens in church during the celebration of the divine mysteries recognize the great amount of evil done by those who without any great necessity leave church before the Mass is finished. This is why, if you wish to free me from sorrow of the spirit and if you wish to deliver yourselves from sin, you should not disregard my plea; you should fear what the Lord said to his priests, “Whoever hears you hears me, and whoever despises you despises me.”1 Those who neither fear nor are ashamed to hasten out of church before the end of Mass surely sin twice: by not assisting at the divine mysteries, and by distressing and expressing disdain for the priest who is concerned about them. 3. 1 Pet 1:18–19. † Translated from SChr 330:200–206. 1. Luke 10:16.

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If we would humbly ask you to perform some worldly and difficult task, we believe that you would lovingly obey. Yet when we call you not to earthly activities but to those of heaven, not to temporal things but to those that eternally profit the soul, we are not seeking any transitory gain but are calling you to the treasures of heaven. Reflect, then, on the danger in which remain those who fail to heed us. My dear brothers and sisters, what causes me so much distress is that when you leave church, it is not that you are causing me bodily harm but, desiring that you be perfect, I know that you have seriously sinned against God. ii. And so again and again I ask—even though I am completely unworthy to extend the Lord’s invitation—that when you come to church, you remember that you come not to an earthly banquet in which is served food destined for human consumption, but you come to a heavenly and spiritual banquet in which the bread of angels is served. Do not reject or despise the Lord’s banquet so that he not despise you in the joy of his kingdom. You should, in fact, fear the words of the Gospel in which he himself has declared unworthy of his banquet those who refused the invitation to come to the wedding feast, and so he commanded that others be invited.2 It should not be considered as something indifferent but as something to be feared that those who refused to come because of the impediments of the world were judged unworthy of it by the Lord’s own mouth. This is why, so that the same not also be said of us, we, as I have already asked, are to be patient for one or two hours till the food of souls is placed on this spiritual table, till the sacramental and spiritual gifts be consecrated. When the Lord’s Prayer has ended, you are not blessed by a man. Yet it is through a man that you receive with a thankful and godly spirit, with a humble body and a contrite heart, the dew of the divine blessing so that according to the Lord’s promise “the fountain of water flowing unto life eternal”3 exists in you. iii. Diverse and varied occupations do not allow all to remain in church; bodily infirmity afflicts some; for others public necessity calls; as to others, their own desires bind and hold them like prisoners. Right now how many are out in the streets or in the courtyards of the churches where they are engaged in legal disputes or business dealings! How many at church entrances or in sacristies are engaged in calumnies or hateful speech. Among them we usually find a good number of clerics. What benefit can these people obtain from the Holy Scriptures when they do not even allow the sound of the Scriptures to reach their ears? Yet what Scripture says is fulfilled in them, for “like deaf asps they close their ears so that they do not hear the voice of the charmers.”4 This is why you—having received God’s fear and love and coming to church with great devotion—should most frequently admonish those who 2. See Matt 22:1–10.  3. John 4:14.  4. Ps 58:4–5.

168. Caesarius of Arles  105 have not desired to do so or were unable to do so. Warning them, you should advise them to fear what has been written, “The burdens of the world have made them unhappy.”a We do not say that they should not be concerned about what to eat or what to wear. What we ask is that for one or two hours, during which the lessons are being read and the divine mysteries are being celebrated, they do not leave the church. May they labor as much for their souls as they do for their bodies. May they provide for the soul’s needs more than for those of the body since what has been created in God’s image is better than what has been formed from the mud of the earth. [.  .  .] iv. Therefore, my dearest brothers and sisters, I ask that you carefully 4405 carry everything you have heard, everything you have freely received under the Lord’s inspiration from my preaching, that you carry it to wherever you go, to your neighbors and friends who cannot come to church with you or, even worse, perhaps do not even wish to; bring it to those who accompany you only to leave immediately. Just as I would be guilty if I neglected to tell you this, so you also, if you do not remember what you have heard in order to teach others, should fear that you will have to give an account for them. [.  .  .]

168-b-15. sermon 75. praise of psalmody and an invitation to perseverance† i. Words fail me when I try to express the joy the Lord has given me because of your holy and faithful devotion. For a number of years I desired and wholeheartedly longed for the good Lord to inspire you with this custom of chanting the psalms. And so I praise my God and, as best I can, I continue to thank the God who graciously granted my desire. In fact, when I desired that you chant the psalms as was done in other nearby towns, God so prepared your spirit that you with the Lord’s help did so even better. What should we now do in the midst of our joy if not to petition the Lord with all our strength to graciously allow us to complete what he graciously allowed us to begin? May he deign to grant a happy perseverance to those whom he has given such a holy devotion to psalmody. Because it is not the person who begins but “whoever perseveres to the end that will be saved,”1 you also, insofar as you are able, should by the sorrow of your heart light the flame of love, which began to burn faithfully within you so that it may not cool through any negligence. ii. Above all, apply yourselves not only through prayer but also through holy meditation to make your own the words of the psalms you sing and to allow the Holy Spirit, who speaks to you through your lips, to a. Visio Pauli 10 and 40, James, Apocrypha Anecdota, p. 14, line 25; p. 33, line 15. † Translated from SChr 330:210–14. 1. Matt 10:22.

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106  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West dwell in your hearts. Truly it pleases and is greatly agreeable to God when the mouth faithfully chants the psalms. If one’s life agrees with one’s lips, then the psalmody is truly good. May what we say agree with what we do. In this way our words will not bear testimony against bad conduct, and what we say will not contradict us. If what we say differs from what we do, then our evil conduct immediately destroys what the mouth is seen to build up. May you, my brothers and sisters, be occupied not only with the sweet4409 ness of the chant but also by the meaning of the words so that, just as the melody of the chant may charm the ears, so may the words be sweet to the heart, for as Scripture says, “How sweet are your words to my mouth, O Lord.”2 Also, “The words of the Lord are more to be desired than gold or any precious stone, and sweeter than honey or the honeycomb.”3 As to those who when chanting the psalms pay attention only to the beauty of the chant and the harmony of its sound and are not as attentive as they should be to the meaning contained therein, their ears receive transitory food; God’s word does not reach their souls. Doing this is like chewing on the wax and not at all tasting the sweetness of the honey. iii. But you, my brothers and sisters, as I suggested above, are to pay 4410 special attention to the power found within the psalms. When you chant a psalm verse that reads “May the proud be put to shame because they have unjustly done evil against me,”4 you should try to flee pride so as to escape eternal confusion. And when we chant “You put an end to those who are disloyal to you,”5 we should attempt to flee from all evil desires. When we sing “Blessed are those who day and night meditate on the law of the Lord,”6 may we reject as if they were the devil’s poison useless undertakings and biting jests, hateful and even wanton conversations; may we frequently read again the holy lessons or, if we cannot read, may we eagerly and often listen to those who do read them. [.  .  .]

168-b-16. sermon 76. an admonition to kneel for prayer and to bow at the blessing† 4411

i. Beloved, I petition and with paternal affection exhort you that at the beginning of each prayer you should immediately bend down or bow the head, except those whom infirmity perhaps restrains from kneeling. What is to be gained by faithfully chanting the psalms when, once the psalmody has ended, you do not wish to supplicate God? May each of us, then, when the psalmody has been completed, most humbly petition the Lord so that with God’s assistance we might merit to put into practice the words we have uttered. Beloved, chanting the psalms is like sowing a field; saying a prayer is to labor once again by burying and then covering over the seed. In fact, if someone sows in a field yet fails to entirely cover 2. Ps 119:103, LXX.  3. Ps 19:10.  4. Ps 119:78.  5. Ps 73:27.  6. Ps 1:2. † Translated from SChr 330:218–22.

168. Caesarius of Arles  107 up the seed, then the birds will come—that is, the fleeting, vain, and useless thoughts of this world—to seize what was sown in the heart. No one should cease praying as soon as the chanting of the psalms has ended, not if one wishes that the harvest of divine mercy be of profit in the field of that person’s heart. ii. My brothers and sisters, I ask that as often as you pray at the altar 4412 you bow your heads. Doing so, you will avoid what was written about the Pharisee1 who, standing erect, praised his own merits. Take care, dearly beloved, that while some are at prayer, others are not occupied with useless tales so that the latter not wound themselves with what should have been remedies and not perish in the place where they should have been saved. Those acting in this way will have to give an unfavorable account on the day of judgment, both in regard to themselves and in regard to those whom they impeded. This also, my brothers and sisters, I both exhort and request: each time you are told to bow down for the blessing, you should not find it difficult to incline your heads, for you are not bowing to another human being but to God. iii. Surely, dearly beloved, I rejoice at your fervent devotion; and yet 4413 there are some, indeed quite a few, who arrive late for the vigils, and as soon as God’s word is read they immediately leave. I ask that you exhort them, and by your holy and salutary counsel to rouse them to imitate you as they should. For how long, my brothers and sisters, do we seem to keep them occupied? You yourselves see that it is hardly for half an hour. We do not want the poor and all the workers to be late for work. So each time there is a sermon, Psalm 50 is to be said more quickly. In this way the people will not depart the church later than usual; they will always leave at the accustomed time. [.  .  .]

168-b-17. sermon 78. an admonition to observe silence in church† 4414 i. A few days ago and motivated by paternal affection I suggested something regarding those with sore feet or those suffering from sickness of any kind. I requested that when the long passions [of the martyrs] are read or at least when there are some particularly long readings, those unable to stand should humbly and silently sit in order to listen attentively to the reading. But at present some of our daughters—all or at least most of them being in good health—believe that they should frequently act likewise. In fact, when someone begins to read aloud the word of God, they want to stretch out as they would in bed. If only they would be content to lie down and with thirsting hearts silently receive the word of God. May they not be so occupied with gossiping that they fail to hear what is being preached and do not allow others to hear it. This is why, my dear daughters, I ask and exhort you by paternal affection that when either the

1. See Luke 18:10–14. † Translated from SChr 330:238–40.

108  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West lessons are read or God’s word is being preached no one is to lie down unless perhaps constrained to do by a very serious sickness; in such a case do not lie down but rather sit and, listening attentively to what is being preached, receive it with an eager heart. ii. My brothers and sisters, tell me, I ask you, what do you believe has 4415 more value, the word of God or the Body of Christ? If you wish to respond truthfully, you should indeed answer that the word of God is not worth less than the Body of Christ. We take such great care when Christ’s Body is given to us so that nothing of it might fall from our hands onto the ground. We are to be just as careful that God’s word, which is given us, not perish from our hearts while we are thinking or speaking about something else. Those who hear the word of God with negligence will be no less guilty than those who through negligence allow Christ’s Body to fall to the ground.

168-b-18. sermon 80. an exhortation to the people that each one is to strive harder to pray in church† i. My dear brothers and sisters, whenever you gather in church, refrain from silly speech and worldly stories; with an eager and thirsting heart listen to the holy readings. Whoever comes to church and neglects to pray or chant the psalms would have done better by not coming at all. Whoever behaves improperly in church seems to be bodily present, and yet the heart is far distant. And what is worse, a person does not sin alone or in only one thing by not listening to the holy readings and by not allowing others to hear them; surely one must be punished for all those to whom an occasion of sin was given. 4417 And this, my beloved, I say to both men and women, to religious and to the laity, to those who are placed among the faithful as well as to those at the altar. Should someone want to converse with a friend, there is sufficient time to do this after departing from the church. Do not pass your time with useless stories; do not seek death in the house of life. Do not inflict wounds on yourself in the very place where you should receive remedies; rather, faithfully prepare the holy receptacles of your heart for the streams of living water, that is, faithfully prepare for the Lord’s lessons so that his words may be fulfilled in you: “Whoever believes in me, living waters will flow from within him.”1 4418 ii. My dear brothers and sisters, may we now cry out in the church so that afterwards we will not have to cry out in vain in Gehenna. Let us listen to what the prophet says, “Sing, sing psalms to our God.”2 May those who are able to sing psalms do so; those unable to do so are to praise God within themselves, doing so in their hearts and rejoicing with those who are chanting the psalms. Furthermore, may they keep silent so that their talking not 4416

Translated from SChr 330:254–58. 1. John 7:38.  2. Ps 47:6. †

168. Caesarius of Arles  109 impede those who are chanting the psalms. “Cry out,” says the prophet, “cease not. Lift up your voice like a trumpet.”3 We also should cry out so that our psalmody and our prayer in church drive off our adversary the devil, who is troubled by our holy cry. The devil customarily inserts himself, if not in the behavior at least in the thoughts and words of those who are silent or who converse about frivolous and meaningless things. Those whom the devil sees chanting the psalms and praying, those who engage the heart as well as the voice in praising God, these he cannot surprise by any cunning. And so, my dear brothers and sisters, when we enter the church we should fight for Christ rather than for the adversary; we should serve God rather than the world. In fact, whoever faithfully prays and sings psalms in church is proven to offer God an odor of sweetness from the holy thurible of the heart. [.  .  .]

4419

168-b-19. sermon 86. on the maternity of holy rebecca† 4420 5. [.  .  .] My brothers and sisters, I especially ask and invite you to try to rise earlier for the vigils; faithfully come to Terce, Sext, and None. Especially throughout Lent and up to the end of the Pascha observe chastity even with your wives. Distribute to the poor what you would have eaten at noon. Be at peace with one another and reconcile those whom you know to be at discord. Welcome strangers. Be not ashamed to wash their feet. May a Christian not blush to do what Christ deigned to do. Freely give alms to the poor as you are able, “for the Lord loves a joyful giver.”1 4421 As to the impediments of the world, if you cannot completely remove them, at least somewhat diminish them so that you can devote yourselves to the readings and to prayer, thereby abundantly filling the holy receptacle of your heart with spiritual wine, namely, with the word of God. Once all your crimes and sins have been repudiated, it is with a free and sincere conscience that you can serve God. And when the paschal feast arrives, having faithfully and joyfully extended charity not only toward those who are good but also toward those who are bad, may you with a pure heart and chaste body approach the table of the Lord in joy and exultation. May each of you merit to receive the Lord’s Body and Blood not unto judgment but for healing the soul. [.  .  .]

168-b-20. sermon 130. on eliseus and the axe†† v. The time is approaching when we will hand over the creed to the catechumens. Receiving them as sons or daughters in baptism, you know 3. Isa 58:1. † Translated from Sermons sur l’Ecriture, trans. J. Courreau, SChr 447 (Paris, 2000) 164–66. a. To the end of Easter week or the end of the Easter season. 1. 2 Cor 9:7. †† Translated from Sermons, vol. 1, ed. G. Morin, SChr 103 (Paris, 1953) 537–38.

4422

110  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West that we will be responsible for them before God. Therefore instruct them to prepare the creed so that those who are older may recite it back by themselves; as to the little children who will receive the creed, it may be given back either by you or by others. [.  .  .] Above all, have not only your children but also your whole household memorize the creed; those failing to do so show that they are tepid and negligent Christians. Let no one give excuses, saying that they cannot memorize, for there are many, men and women, who have learned indecent songs by heart for their own destruction and that of others. Can any dare say that they cannot retain the few lines of the creed? [.  .  .]

168-b-21. sermon 136. on what is written: the sun knows the hour of its setting† 4423

i. Dearly beloved, this psalm [Psalm 104], which is said throughout the whole world in churches and monasteries at the twelfth hour, is so wellknown that almost all people are acquainted with it, the vast majority of them knowing it by heart.

168-b-22. sermon 147. an explanation of the lord’s prayer†† vi. The prayer continues, “Give us this day our daily bread.”1 Whether we petition the Father for what is necessary to sustain the body—bread signifying all that is necessary for us—or whether we understand this to be the daily bread you will receive from the altar, we rightly ask that God give it to us. What is it that we ask for unless it is that we do no evil that can separate us from this bread? The word of God, preached daily, is bread; and since it is not bread for the stomach, it is, therefore, bread for the soul. Once life has ended, we will not seek the bread sought by those who are hungry, nor will we have to receive the sacrament of the altar because we will be there with the Christ whose Body we receive; nor will the words we address to you have to be said; nor will the Scriptures have to be read as we will see him since he himself is the Word of God. [.  .  .] 4425 vii. In this life we petition for what follows, namely, “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.”2 In baptism all our debts, namely, all our sins, are forgiven us. But no one can live on earth without sin, even though one may live without having committed serious faults that separate us from the [eucharistic] bread. Since no one can live on this earth without sins and since we can be baptized not twice but only once, in this prayer we have the daily washing by which our sins are forgiven each day, yet only if we do what follows, namely, “As we forgive those who sin against us.”3 4424

Translated from CCL 103:560. Translated from Sermons, vol. 2, ed. G. Morin, CCL 104:603–4. Much of this sermon is not by Caesarius. 1. Matt 6:11.  2. Matt 6:12.  3. Ibid. †

††

168. Caesarius of Arles  111

168-b-23. sermon 156. on the ten virgins† iv. [.  .  .] Virgins should [.  .  .] occupy themselves with reading and 4426 keeping vigil. Unless sickness prevents, they should arise as quickly as possible in order to keep vigil. Whether in church or at table or in any place whatever, they should take 4427 pains to demonstrate what pertains to obedience and humility. If they see someone who is sad, they should offer consolation; if they see disobedience, they should not cease to rebuke.

168-b-24. sermon 170. on the samaritan woman and on not delaying baptism†† 4. [.  .  .] Not all know God’s gift because not all desire the living water. Those desiring this water would never delay the sacrament of baptism. Consequently, those who postpone baptism so that they can commit many crimes and sins judge themselves and give testimony concerning their lives. My people, do not delay the remedy of your salvation because you do not know when you will be asked for your soul. [.  .  .]

4428

168-b-25. sermon 179. an admonition on the gospel text “whose work abides will be rewarded [.  .  .].”††† ii. Even though the apostle has mentioned numerous capital sins, we—so that we not appear to despair—will briefly list what they are: sacrilege, murder, adultery, false witness, theft, robbery, pride, envy, avarice, and—if it persists—anger, drunkenness, as well as slander. Those who know that they are guilty of these sins and do not rightly perform a long penance, provided time for this is permitted them, and who are not generous in almsgiving, and who do not refrain from these sins, cannot be cleansed in that transitory fire spoken of by the apostle but will be tortured without relief by eternal flames. iii. All of us, however, know what the lesser sins are. Since there is not enough time to list all of them, we mention only some. Those eating or drinking more than necessary know that this is a less serious sin; those who say more than is fitting or remain silent for longer than they should; those who are rude to a poor beggar; those in good health who desire to eat while others are fasting; those who oversleep and thus arise late for church; a man who has relations with his wife and yet does not desire to have children—surely such are sins. [.  .  .] There can be no doubt that these and similar acts are lesser sins. As I already said, sins like these are

Translated from CCL 104:638. Translated from CCL 104:698. Not all sections of this sermon appear to be the work of Caesarius. ††† Translated from CCL 104:724–26. †

††

4429

4430

112  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West without number, afflicting not only the whole Christian people but even all the saints. [.  .  .] 4431 iv. [.  .  .] If we, being sorrowful, do not thank God, if we fail to redeem our sins by our good works, then we will remain in that purifying fire [in igne purgatorio] till these lesser sins are consumed like wood or straw or hay. [.  .  .]

168-b-26. sermon 187. a homily to be given on the tenth or fifteenth day before the lord’s nativity† i. Dearly beloved, close is the day on which we joyfully celebrate the birth of the Lord our Savior. Consequently I ask and admonish that insofar as possible we, with God’s assistance, work so that with a pure and sincere conscience and with a pure heart and a chaste body we may approach the altar of the Lord and merit to receive his Body and Blood, not unto judgment but as spiritual remedy. [.  .  .] 4433 iv. Therefore, just as you should always abstain from adultery and from most pitiable concubines, so you should abstain from your wives for a number of days in order to prepare yourselves to celebrate the Lord’s birth and the other feasts. [.  .  .] 4432

168-b-27. sermon 188. a homily to be given before the nativity of the lord†† iii. As I have often advised, when the Lord’s nativity or any other feast is celebrated, you are not only to avoid consorting with concubines but are also, for a number of days beforehand, to abstain from your wives. Put aside all anger. Past sins are forgiven through almsgiving and penance. Feel hatred toward none. [.  .  .] 4435 iv. Although it is always proper to give alms, it is especially on the holy solemnities that we should do so more generously. More frequently summon the poor to the banquet, for it is not right that on a holy solemnity some of the Christian people—all of whom belong to the same Lord— should have much to eat while others suffer from the danger of hunger. We and all the Christian people are servants of the one Lord. One price has been paid for all of us. We have all entered the world in the same condition. We will all exit the world in the same way. If we all act well, we will all arrive at the same happiness. Why should not the poor person, who will join you in attaining the state of immortality, not receive your old tunic? Why should the poor person, who with you merited to receive the sacrament of baptism, be unworthy to receive your bread? Why should the person who comes with you to the banquet of the angels be unworthy to receive your leftover food? [.  .  .] 4434

†

Translated from CCL 104:763–65. Translated from CCL 104:768–69.

††

168. Caesarius of Arles  113

168-b-28. sermon 192. on the calends of january† i. My dear brothers and sisters, the day of calends, called the calends of 4436 January, receives its name from a certain wretched and irreligious man by the name of Janus, once the leader and chief of the pagans. The ignorant and unlearned, fearing him as if he were a king, began to worship him like a god. They gave him unlawful honor while dreading his royal power. Surely the foolish and the ignorant at that time believed that the more exalted human beings ranked among the gods; and so the worship of the one true God was transferred to the many names of the gods or rather to those of the demons. And so, as I already said, they named the day of today’s calends from the name of Janus, desiring to confer divine honor on this man. They assigned him the end of one year and the beginning of the next. And because for them the calends of one year was said to complete one year and begin the next, they placed this Janus, as it were, at the year’s beginning and ending, so that one would believe that he ended one year and initiated the next. This is why the ancient worshipers of idols gave him a form having two faces, one looking straight ahead, the other looking directly behind. The former was understood as to be facing the past year, the latter facing the approaching year. And so these foolish people by assigning him two faces, while desiring to make him a god, turned him into a monster; for what is monstrous in animals they wished to be a prominent feature of their god. [.  .  .] ii. This is why the pagans, having perverted the order of things, pres4437 ently cover themselves with obscene disfiguring; in this way those who worship turn themselves into what is being worshipped. Throughout these days miserable people and, even worse, some of the faithful assume corrupt forms and terrible appearances; I don’t know whether I should laugh or cry on their account. Can any wise person believe that those willing to turn themselves into small stags or wild beasts are of sound mind? Some clothe themselves with animal skins; others put on the heads of wild animals, making merry and delighting in the fact that they look so much like animals that they do not appear to be human. [.  .  .] iv. Our venerable forebears saw that most members of the human race 4438 were slaves to gluttony and dissipation during these days, raging as they were with drunkenness and evil dancing. Consequently our ancestors decreed for the whole world that a public fast be declared throughout all the churches. They did this so that these poor individuals might realize that the evil they had committed was so great that all the churches had to observe a fast because of their sins. [.  .  .]

168-b-29. sermon 196. on the beginning of lent†† i. My dear brothers and sisters, the season of Lent draws near through God’s mercy. And so I ask you, beloved, that with God’s help we may †

Translated from CCL 104:779–81. Translated from CCL 104:792–93.

††

4439

114  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West celebrate these days, which are healthful for the body and medicinal for the soul, in such a holy and spiritual way that our observance of this holy Lent may bring us not to judgment but to perfection. If we act negligently, if we become involved in too many activities, if we do not wish to be chaste, if we do not participate in fasting, vigils, and prayer, if we do not read or listen to others reading the holy Scriptures, then what should have been our medicine is turned into our wounds; what should have been our remedy becomes our judgment. ii. And so I ask you, my brothers and sisters, to rise up at an early 4440 hour for the vigils; gather especially for Terce, Sext, and None. May none remove themselves from this holy work unless sickness, public need, or what is clearly a great necessity occupy them. Nor is it enough that you hear the holy readings only in church; read them at home or have them read by others and gladly listen to them. Recall, my brothers and sisters, what our Lord said, “What will it profit them if they gain the whole world but give up their life?”1 Especially remember and constantly fear what is written: “The world’s burdens have made them miserable.”a And so when at home act in such a way that you do not neglect your soul. Should you be incapable of more, at least try to labor as much for your soul as you do for your body. iv. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, it is by fasting, reading, and 4441 prayer that we during these days of Lent should store up food for our souls as if for the whole year. For although you frequently and faithfully hear with God’s help the holy lessons throughout the whole year, during these days we should rest from the waters and waves of this world and have recourse to the port of Lent. Silently and quietly we should receive the holy readings into the receptacle of our hearts. [.  .  .]

168-b-30. sermon 197. a homily of saint faustus on the fast of lent† 4442

iii. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, during these few days may the “burdens of the world” disappear, burdens which according to the Scriptures make many negligent persons miserable; may bodily joys vanish; may the many poisonous allurements of this world cease. May joys of the body diminish so that spiritual gains may be prepared for the soul since Scripture says, “Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will be hungry.”1 Also, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be consoled.”2 May holy reading replace the time you squandered by your mad addiction to table games. May discourses on Holy Scripture replace harmful stories, biting jokes, and poisonous slander. During the time when we once used a. Visio Pauli 10 and 40, James, Apocrypha Anecdota, p. 14, line 25; p. 33, line 15. 1. Matt 16:26. † Translated from CCL 104:800–801. 1. Luke 6:25.  2. Matt 5:4.

168. Caesarius of Arles  115 to hunt—and this to the loss of our souls—may we visit the sick, inquire about those in prison, welcome travellers, and call to harmony those at odds with one another. Beloved, if we do this, we can then provide medicines from what we utilized to inflict wounds upon ourselves. iv. Especially on fast days may we expend on the poor what we were accustomed to eat at noon; in this way may no one prepare extravagant meals or delicious banquets and seem to have changed rather than to have removed from the body an abundance of food. Nothing is gained if the fast is prolonged throughout the day, and then afterwards the soul is destroyed by food that is sweet and abundant. A mind that has been filled immediately becomes sluggish, and the drenched earth of our body spouts forth thorns of unlawful pleasure. Therefore may food be moderate, and may the stomach never be overly satisfied. May we always think more of food for the soul than of food for the body. [.  .  .] v. As is customary, willingly listen to the holy readings in church and do so again at home. If some are so busy as to be unable to attend to the Holy Scriptures before eating at noon, they should not hesitate to read again something of them when they take a bit of food by themselves in order that just as the body is nourished with food, so the soul is refreshed with the word of God. [.  .  .]

4443

4444

168-b-31. sermon 199. on the discourse in which it is said, “share your bread with the hungry”† i. My dear brothers and sisters, I ask that during this proper and most holy time of Lent no one presume to take food except on Sundays. To fast at other times is either a remedy or a reward; not to fast during Lent is a sin. May forgiveness be granted to those who fast at other times. May those who are able to fast during this season but who fail to do so be punished. [.  .  .] ii. Fasting, my dear brethren, is good; almsgiving is better. For those who can do both, both are good. Yet if one cannot fast, it is better to give alms. If fasting is impossible, almsgiving without fasting suffices. Fasting without almsgiving in no way suffices. Therefore if someone cannot fast, almsgiving without fasting is good; if a person can fast, then fasting with almsgiving is a double good. Fasting without almsgiving is not good unless perhaps it is done by a poor person who has nothing to give. If one has nothing from which to give, then good will suffices. [.  .  .] vi. As we suggested above, my dear brothers and sisters, the abundance of our almsgiving is like a lamp lacking oil. For just as a lamp that is lighted without oil can emit smoke but cannot give light, so fasting without almsgiving certainly punishes the body but does not illuminate the soul with the light of charity. Meanwhile, as to what we should now do, my brothers and sisters, may our fast be such that we use for the poor the †

Translated from CCL 104:803–4, 806–7.

4445

4446

4447

116  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West food that we would have eaten at noon. Doing this, we do not store up in our purses what we could have eaten but rather store up in the stomachs of the poor. The treasury of Christ is the hand of the poor. [.  .  .] 4448 vii. [.  .  .] I believe that through God’s inspiration you always observe chastity with your wives several days before the approaching feasts. [.  .  .] If with God’s help you do this all through Lent till the end of the Pasch, then, clothed with the light of charity on that most holy solemnity of the Pasch, purified by almsgiving, adorned with prayer and vigils and fasts as if with heavenly and spiritual pearls, being at peace not only with your friends but also with your enemies, approaching the Lord’s altar with a free and sincere conscience, you will be able to receive his Body and Blood not unto judgment but as a remedy.

168-b-32. sermon 207. on the litanies†a i. My dear brothers and sisters, approaching are the holy and spiritual days which are medicine for our souls. Those desiring to heal the wounds of their sins should not despise this salutary medicine. [.  .  .] So that we may be able to conquer God’s enemy, we should provide ourselves with the arms of fasting, vigils, and prayers. 4450 ii. Although we always have need of fasting, vigils, and prayers, especially during these three days which the Church regularly celebrates throughout the whole world, none are to absent themselves from the holy assembly; may no one, occupied with worldly affairs, leave the church, which is the school of heavenly medicine; may none desert the spiritual camp. As you know, those who fight on behalf of a worldly king and, on the eve of battle, desert the army because of fear, not only fail to receive glory and the prize but also fail to evade the danger of the present life. Those who do not frequent the church during these three days will be considered like deserters from the royal army. Except for those who are sick or who must do a necessary task, all who desert God’s people on these days should know that they will receive from the heavenly king not a reward but a reproach, not glory but shame. To be sure, those who desert and flee the heavenly camp will receive eternal confusion. [.  .  .] 4451 iii. Throughout the whole year the wounds of sin destroy us. For this reason we should faithfully hurry to church on these three days so that with a contrite heart and a bowed body we may seek God’s mercy, so that on these three days we may recall the wounds of our sins—the medicine of sorrow being received as a spiritual antidote for restoring original health. Not only during these days but at all times flee as if they were a 4449

Translated from CCL 104:828–31. a. Sermons 207, 208, and 209 were given on or shortly before what are called Rogation Days, celebrated on the three days before the Ascension. Called “minor litanies,” these observances of prayer and fasting were established in 470 by Mamertus, the bishop of Vienne (see WEC 4:4314–16). †

168. Caesarius of Arles  117 school of sin, table games, which are contrary to the health of the soul. May no one intentionally be preoccupied with other things. May none busy themselves with hateful tales so as not to turn what could have been medicine into wounds. During these three days may no one either take blood or accept a potion unless a very serious illness requires this. Except for the sick, for whom a chicken is always permitted, may our meals be akin to those taken during Lent; and by reading, psalmody, and prayer may we seek spiritual food for the soul rather than delights of the body. In this way may we, completely free for God and requesting divine mercy, merit to be cured of all infirmities, to be saved from sins, and to be freed from frequent floods of water through God’s mercy. [.  .  .] iv. Again and again I ask that those who hurry to the beehive of the church, as if to the most sweet honeycomb of Christ, be like most prudent bees and prepare within themselves cells from the various readings of the Holy Scriptures where they receive the holy and heavenly honey. As to those who come late and leave early, neither are they content to wait till the divine mysteries are finished nor are they reputed to be among the swarm of bees belonging to Christ. They do not make spiritual honey from good works, but through pride and contempt they impede it for themselves, and by the example of evil conduct they cause others to fall. Those who truly love God, those who hurry to church and leave late persevere in good works. Rejecting hateful and worldly fables like a deadly poison, they sing psalms and pray. Contemptuous of the bitterness of the world, they need to be in the church where they receive the sweetness of Christ. Neglectful are those who not only come late to church but also leave before the divine mysteries are completed and while there, engaging in worldly and poisonous fables, they do not pray, neither chanting the psalms nor allowing others to do so. May these amend their ways so that they do not prepare for themselves death where they could have found life. [.  .  .]

4452

168-b-33. sermon 208. on the litanies† i. We should know and understand that these days are to be days of compunction and penance. Consequently it is not fitting for us to indulge in merriment or in any reckless and inappropriate guffawing, fearing what the Lord says in the Gospel, “Woe to you who laugh, for you will cry and mourn.”1 Also, “The end of joy may be sorrow.”2 It should not seem harsh that we urge you on to sorrow and mourning rather than to happiness and joy. [.  .  .] iii. May none seek any occupation for themselves that causes them to be absent from the assembly in the church. Surely the wounds of sin are loved by those who during these three days fail to gain spiritual medicine Translated from CCL 104:832–33. 1. Luke 6:25.  2. Prov 14:13. †

4453

4454

118  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West for themselves by means of fasting, prayer, and psalmody. Abundant are the sins we have accumulated during the space of one year. Therefore during these three days may we strive to do what pertains to the purgation and brilliance of the soul. Do not absent yourselves from gathering in church; the time we spend there is not so long that we cannot endure it. Just as those who do not withdraw themselves from the Church’s assembly during these six hours are known to provide a greater remedy for the soul, so those who for purposes of greed or for doing what is less necessary do not wish to be present, inflict wounds upon themselves out of what could have been salutary medicine; they burden themselves with what could have lifted them up. [.  .  .]

168-b-34. sermon 209. on the litanies† 4455

iv. Approaching are days that are medicinal for the soul, namely, the litanies. During these days the wounds of sin, wounds human frailty is wont to incur throughout the rest of the year, are with God’s help completely cured by means of prayer, vigils, fasting, and almsgiving. My brothers and sisters, I ask you, I warn you, and I call upon you to witness that during these three days, from Wednesday to Friday, none should absent themselves from gathering in church unless prevented by sickness. It is enough that during the year we concern ourselves with what is necessary and useful for the body; but during these days may we more attentively reflect on our soul’s salvation. All are to eat as we customarily do during Lent. These fasts are beneficial to the soul since what is saved through fasting is given to the poor and to travellers. Those who willingly hear me and desire to carry out what I humbly suggest will quickly rejoice over the condition of their wounded souls. Those who do otherwise will be doubly guilty: they despise a father who humbly admonishes, and they do not seek the remedy for their souls. [.  .  .]

168-B-35. sermon 229. on the feast of a church†† 4456

vi. No one, my brothers and sisters, is to be refused the sacrament of baptism, especially if such a person seems to be close to death due to bodily sickness. However, it is good and permitted that those in good health be allowed to postpone baptism till Easter; yet according to the Church’s rule they are to fast and keep vigil during the days of Lent and are to come forward for the anointing and the imposition of the hand. Those who desire that their children be baptized on another feast should come to the church seven days beforehand and there fast and keep vigil; as I said above, they should have their children come for the anointing and the imposition of the hand, and in this way baptism is received in its rightful order. Those who do this not only obtain baptism for their children but also gain for themselves the forgiveness of sins through fasting †

Translated from CCL 104:836–37. Translated from CCL 104:910.

††

170. Cyprian of Toulon  119 and keeping vigil. As I said, those not wishing to do this and who bring the children to be baptized immediately before the baptism itself should know that they have committed no small sin because they have failed to bring the children for the anointing and the imposition of the hand. Dearly beloved, know that before God you are the guarantors of the children you have brought to be baptized. May you, therefore, always strive to counsel and admonish them so that they may live chastely, justly, and soberly. Above all, teach them the creed and the Lord’s Prayer, by word and example encouraging them to do good works. [.  .  .] 1 6 9 . T h i r d R u l e o f t h e Fat h e r s †

This Rule, written shortly after 533 and borrowing from the legislation of Caesarius of Arles (WEC 4:168) and various local councils, e.g., Agde (WEC 4:176-A), Orleans I (WEC 4:176-B), and Orleans II (WEC 4:176-G), comes from southern Gaul. CPL 1859b * CPG 2403

vi. At the time for prayer and once the signal has been given, whoever does not immediately lay aside whatever he is doing—for nothing is to be preferred to the Work of God [Opus Dei]—will be reprimanded by the abbot or the dean, and if he does not prostrate himself to request pardon, he will be excommunicated. 170. Cyprian of Toulon

A native of Marseilles, a close friend and a disciple of Caesarius of Arles (WEC 4:168), Cyprian was ordained bishop by Caesarius. He was present at the Council of Orange (529) and other Merovingian councils, where he was a strong opponent of Semipelagianism. Cyprian’s death occurred before 549. CPL nos. 1020ff. * Altaner (1961) 569 * Altaner (1966) 476 * Bardenhewer (1913) 5:356 * Tixeront 338 * CATH 3:402–3 * CE 4:582–83 * DCB 1:756 * DHGE 13:1161 * DPAC 1:683 * EC 3:1692 * EEC 1:212 * LTK 2:1366–67 * NCE 4:566 * NCES 4:460 * ODCC 442 * PEA (1894) 4.2:1942

170-A. Life of Caesarius of Arles†† At the request of Caesaria, the sister of Caesarius, several disciples of the bishop of Arles collaborated in writing this biography, Cyprian alone probably being responsible for all or most of Book I. † Translated from Les règles des saints Pères, vol. 2, trans. and ed. A. de Vogüé, SChr 298 (Paris, 1982) 537. †† Translated from PL 67:1016–17, 1022.

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120  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West I.iv.31. From there [Rome] he returned to Arles where psalm-singing accompanied his entrance into the city. [.  .  .] On this day he went to the church where he was to bestow the blessing at Vespers. All of a sudden one of the women—she was trembling, wailing, foaming at the mouth— rushed forward into the church where she terrified all. Apprehended by members of the crowd, the unfortunate woman was taken to the holy man before the altar. The people implored that her affliction be taken away and that she be restored to good health. Then, as customary, he prostrated while praying for her. Placing his hand on her head, he anointed her face and all her senses with the holy oil. This being done, the affliction was expelled in the name of Christ, never again to return. 4459 I.iv.45. As customary, the holy man was engaged in prayer, reading, and almsgiving. On Sundays and feasts he constantly preached. Frequently he gave homilies at Matins and Vespers for the benefit of those coming from the outside so that no one could plead ignorance. [.  .  .] He also decreed that those who have just married are not—out of reverence for the blessing given in the basilica—to consummate their marriage till after three days.1 [.  .  .] 4458

170-B. Letter to Maximus, Bishop of Geneva† a 4460

[.  .  .] But in the hymnb which the whole Church throughout the world has received and sings, daily do we profess, “You are Christ, the King of glory; you are the eternal son of the Father.” [.  .  .] 171. Aurelian of Arles

Ordained bishop of Arles in 546, Aurelian established in his diocese a monastery for men and a convent for women. Influenced by the directives of Caesarius of Arles (WEC 4:168), he wrote rules for each congregation. A great lover of the martyrs and confessors, Aurelian enriched the oratories of these foundations with many relics, including, we are told, a relic of the True Cross. Referring to himself as “Aurelian the Sinner,” he assisted at the Council of Orleans in 549. Aurelian died in Lyons ca. 550. CPL nos. 1844ff. * Bardenhewer (1913) 5:356 * Tixeront 337 * CATH 1:1070 * DHGE 5:741 * DPAC 1:446 * EC 2:407–8 * EEC 1:102 * LTK 1:1253 * NCE 1:1079 * NCES 1:895 R. Taft, The Liturgy of the Hours in East and West: The Origins of the Divine Office and Its Meaning for Today (Collegeville, 1986) 100–113. 1. See Tob 6:18. † Translated from Epistolae Merowingici et Karolini Aevi, vol. 3 (Berlin, 1892) 436. a. Written between 524 and 533. b. Namely, the Te Deum.

171. Aurelian of Arles  121

171-A. Rule for Monks† Aurelius wrote this Rule for the Monastery of the Holy Apostles and Martyrs, a foundation he established in 547. xx. No one will become the godfather of an infant. xxii. In every service, whether it be singinga the psalms or reading or working, the brothers will take turns, except for the holy abbot, the elderly, and small children. Also the sick who are absolutely incapable of getting up from bed; they will not be forced to do what they lack the strength to do. xxviii. No one will be allowed to return to bed after Matins; but once Matins is completed, Prime is said immediately; then all engage in reading till the third hour. xxix. At vigils during which there is a reading, work with your hands [by weaving] bulrushes, hemp, or anything similar, in order to avoid sleeping. But if it is a Sunday or a feast, whoever is overcome by sleep will be told to stand, the others remaining seated, so that he might chase away the torpor of sleep and not show that he is tepid or negligent during the Work of God.1 xxx. When the signal is given, all put aside their work and hasten like very shrewd bees flying to the beehive. Whoever arrives late will be subject to correction. xxxi. During the psalmody may your holy souls be careful not to be distracted in spirit; furthermore, may they not allow themselves to speak or work but to sing with wisdom,2 for as the prophet says, “I will sing and understand.”3 Also, “I will sing with the spirit but also with understanding.”4 Fearing this evil, “Cursed be the one who undertakes God’s work with negligence.”5 lvi. We have judged it fitting to insert in this booklet the following ordinance according to which you should sing the psalms. On the first day of Easter, at Terce, the Kyrie eleison is said three times, and there are twelve psalms: namely, four brothers take turns each saying two psalms plus a third Alleluia psalm. After the psalms there is the Kyrie eleison followed by six antiphonal psalms;b then three readings, the first taken from the Acts of the Apostles, the second from the Apocalypse, and the third from the Gospel; then the hymn Iam surgit hora tertia and the capitulum; then the Kyrie eleison. Likewise, at every divine office the Kyrie † Translated from Règles monastiques d’Occident: IVe–VIe siècles, d’Augustin à Ferréol, trans. and ed. V. Desprez, Vie monastique 9, Collection spiritualité orientale et vie monastique (Bégrolles-en-Mauges, 1980) 234ff. a. Here and in other instances the Latin dicitur or psallitur does not necessarily mean “said” or “recited” in our sense of the term. It can also mean “sung” or “chanted.” b. For an explanation of the terminology (e.g., antiphona, vigil, missa, response, directaneus, Duodecima, etc.) used in this Rule, see R. Taft, The Liturgy of the Hours. 1. See Jer 48:10.  2. See Ps 47:8.  3. Ps 101:2.  4. 1 Cor 14:15.  5. Jer 48:10.

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eleison is said three times: before the office begins, after the psalms, and after the capitulum. Sext has the same number of psalms; the hymn [the invitatory] Iam sexta sensim volvitur, the reading from the Gospel; and the capitulum. The same pattern is followed at None where the hymn is the Ter hora trina volvitur. At the lucernarium [Vespers] a small section of the psalm is sung indirectum, namely, Regna terrae, cantate Deo, psallite Domino,6 and on the following day: Laudate, pueri, Dominum;7 three antiphonal psalms; the hymn Hic est dies verus Dei; and the capitulum. This hymn is sung throughout Easter week at Matins and at the lucernarium. At the Duodecima a small section of the psalm is sung indirectum: Sol cognovit occasum suum.8 Then six brothers will take turns reciting two psalms with their Alleluia psalms; three antiphonal psalms; two readings, one from the Apostle, the other from the Gospel. At the nocturns of paschal week all the elements of the office follow the number that we indicated for the Duodecima. At Matins, first of all, in the direct mode: Exaltabo, Deus meus et Rex meus.9 Next the Judica me, Deus10 and the Deus, Deus meus, ad te de luce vigilo11 with the Alleluia. Then the Cantemus Domino12 with the Alleluia followed by the Cantemus Domino13 in the same manner. Then: Lauda, anima mea, Dominum. Laudate Dominum quoniam bonus est psalmus. Lauda, Jerusalem, Dominum:14 all three with the Alleluia. Then the Blessing [of the Three Infants]15 is said. After the Blessing: Laudate Dominum de coelis; Cantate Domino canticum novum. Laudate Dominum in sanctis ejus,16 with the Alleluia. Magnificat anima mea Dominum17 with antiphons or with the Alleluia; the hymn Gloria in excelsis Deo and the capitulum. Throughout all Easter week Matins is concluded in this manner; likewise on Sundays and on all the principal feasts when there is no work. On ordinary days at the nocturns there is first said the Miserere mei, Deus, secundum magnam misericordiam tuam18 in the direct mode; then eighteen psalms; three small antiphonal psalms; two readings, from the Apostle or from the Prophets; and the capitulum. Once the nocturns have been completed, Matins is said. In summer, namely, after Easter and up to the calends of October, the same pattern is followed. On Saturday after the nocturns two missae are said during the summer, three in winter. For on Sunday in every season, summer as in winter, the nocturns are followed by six missae. Should any rise late for the vigils, only what the abbot has decided will be read. Once the abbot gives the signal, the reader will immediately stand so that the canonical number of missae can be assured.

6. Ps 68.  7. Ps 113:1.  8. Ps 104.  9. Ps 145.  10. Ps 43.  11. Ps 62.  12. Ps 118.  13. Exod 15:2–18.  14. Pss 145–47.  15. Dan 3:57–88.  16. Pss 148–50.  17. Luke 1:46–55.  18. Ps 51.

171. Aurelian of Arles  123 Beginning with the calends of October, other nocturns will be added. At the first nocturn the Miserere mei, Deus, secundam magnam misericordiam tuam;19 at the second the Miserere mei, Deus, miserere mei20 is sung directly; then Psalm 19, two readings from the Prophets or Solomon. The hymn for the first nocturn is Rex aeternae Domine; for the second nocturn Magna et mirabilia. After the nocturns and as the night becomes longer, each day is to have four missae taken from the book. A brother will read three or four pages, according to the size of the book. If the writing is fine or the size of the book is large, three pages are read; if small, four pages; then one prayer. He will again read so much, and then all stand and say an antiphonal psalm taken in sequence from the Psalter; then a response; then an antiphonal psalm. Another brother will take his turn doing the reading; and once the three missae have been completed, the canonical psalms of Matins follow, namely, first the canticle sung antiphonally; then in a direct manner the Judica me Deus,21 the Deus, Deus meus ad te de luce vigilo,22 the Laudate Dominum, quoniam bonus es,23 and the Lauda Jerusalem, Dominum.24 Then antiphonally the Laudate Dominum de coelis, the Cantate Domine canticum novum,25 and the Laudate Dominum in sanctis ejus.26 Then the hymn Splendor paternae gloriae which is replaced on the following day by the Lucis conditor; then the capitulum and the Kyrie eleison twice. This is how the office concludes on all ordinary days. After Matins two psalms are said at Prime; then the hymn Fulgentis auctor aetheris; two readings, one from the Old Testament, the other from the New Testament; and the capitulum. After this all read till the third hour; the rest of the day they will do their work according to what the Lord says, “My Father works till now, and I also am working.”27 Also the Apostle: “I work with my own hands.”28 Also, “Whoever does not work is not to eat.”29 For it is written, “The way of the lazy is overgrown with thorns.”30 Also, “Throw the useless servant into the darkness without.”31 At Terce on ordinary days twelve psalms are sung; one antiphonal psalm; the hymn Iam surgit hora tertia; the reading; and the capitulum Fiat, Domine.32 Sext has the same number of psalms with an antiphonal psalm; the hymn Surgit hora tertia; the reading; and the capitulum. The same pattern is followed at None but with the hymn Tera hora trina volvitur. At the lucernarium, in every season, on feasts, and on ordinary days, first the psalm is sung directly; then two antiphonal psalms; the third is always said with the Alleluia. On one day the hymn will be the Deus qui certis legibus; the next day it will be the Deus creator omnium; the capitulum follows. 19. Ibid.  20. Ps 57.  21. Ps 43.  22. Ps 63.  23. Ps 147:1–11.  24. Ps 147:12–20.  25. Pss 148–49.  26. Ps 150.  27. John 5:17.  28. 1 Cor 4:12.  29. 2 Thess 3:10.  30. Prov 15:19.  31. Matt 25:30.  32. Ps 33:22.

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124  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West At the Duodecima there are eighteen psalms; one antiphonal psalm; the hymn; the reading; and the capitulum. 4481 When you go to bed, you will say Compline in the place where you are. First Psalm 91 is said in the direct way; then the usual capitulla. 4482 lvii. At Christmas and on the Epiphany all rise at the third hour of the night and recite a nocturn and [at Christmas] do six missae from Isaiah the prophet; there is also a second nocturn, and there may be six other missae from the Gospel. Likewise at the Epiphany: first a nocturn; and then six missae from Daniel the prophet; and the nocturns; and likewise six missae taken from the Gospel. Matins follows the pattern we have described for Easter and Sundays. On the feasts of the martyrs there are three or four missae. The first missa is from the Gospel; the others are passions of the martyrs. Each Saturday, after the Duodecima there are six missae from the book and three missae after the nocturns. Each Saturday at Matins there is the Sing to the Lord33 and the Te Deum laudamus. At Terce there are three readings, one from the Prophets, one from the Apostle, and the third from the Gospels. Each Sunday after the nocturns during the reading of the first series of readings, namely, the narrative of the Resurrection, no one is allowed to sit but all remain standing. On the following Sunday another narrative of the Resurrection is read; thus Sunday after Sunday all four narratives of the Resurrection are read. After Terce the Our Father is said, and all receive Communion while singing the psalms. Act in like manner on feasts. As to what pertains to the Mass, it will take place when the holy abbot judges it to be opportune. 4483 lviii. When a brother dies, several brothers will keep vigil in the oratory up to midnight, and there will be a number of missae from the Apostle. After midnight, those keeping vigil will take their rest, and others will keep vigil in turn. Inform the holy bishop of this death so that he might give the order to transport the body to the place of burial. Should the bishop decline to do so, ask the clerics from any church to lead the procession and give them the eulogia. 4480

171-B. Rule for Virgins† Aurelius wrote this Rule for the nuns of Saint Mary Monastery. 4484 4485 4486

xvi. No one will become [.  .  .].a xviii. In every service [.  .  .].b xxiii. At vigils no one is to sleep, but if it is Sunday or a feast, she who is overcome with sleep will stand, the others remaining seated so as to be 33. Exod 15. † Translated from Desprez, Règles monastiques, 253ff. a. This paragraph is the same as no. xx in Aurelian’s Rule for Monks (WEC 4:4461). b. This paragraph is the same as no. xxii in Aurelian’s Rule for Monks (WEC 4:4462).

172. Gregory of Tours  125 able to chase away the numbness of sleep and show that she is not tepid or negligent during the Work of God. xxiv. When the signal is given [.  .  .].c xxv. During the psalmody [.  .  .].d xxxviii. The community will recite the day and the night cursus of the office, namely, Matins, the vigils, the nocturns, Vespers, and the office of Duodecima, in the basilica of Saint Mary. If the winter is harsh, in the basilica say only Matins, Vespers, and the office of the twelfth hour; but the second hour, Terce, Sext, and None are in the interior oratory because of those who desire to engage in prayer or wish to meet the abbess or visit with their parents. xli–xlii. We have judged it [.  .  .]e 1 7 2 . G r e g o ry o f T o u r s

Son of a distinguished family which produced several bishops, Gregory was born on November 30, 538, in Clermont (today Clermont-Ferrand). He was ordained bishop of Tours in 573. At that time Tours was the religious center of Gaul. Living conditions, however, were unsettling, for the town saw a succession of political masters; the times were often lawless with bands of Teutonic tribes roaming the countryside; social structures were disintegrating. Nevertheless, Gregory received a good religious education. However, the study of rhetoric and profane literature was not stressed, this unfortunately being reflected in his writings. As a historian, albeit one who preferred to relate what he saw and heard rather than explore the why and the wherefore, he has left us an excellent picture of religious and civic life in Merovingian Gaul. CPL nos. 1023ff. * Altaner (1961) 571–72 * Altaner (1966) 477–78 * Bardenhewer (1908) 643–47 * Bardenhewer (1910) 553–57 * Bardenhewer (1913) 5:357–66 * Bardy (1930) 205–8 * Bautz 2:339–40 * Jurgens 3:305–6 * Labriolle (1947) 2:791–98 * Labriolle (1968) 509–15 * Steidle 244–45 * Tixeront 338–41 * CATH 5:262–65 * CE 7:18–21 * DACL 6.2:1711–53 * DCB 2:771–76 * DHGE 22:47–48 * DictSp 6:1020–25 * DPAC 2:1721–22 * EC 6:1158–59 * EEC 1:365 * EEChr 1:498–99 * LTK 4:1026–27 * NCE 6:798–99 * NCES 6:522–23 * ODCC 714 * PEA (1894) 7.2:1867–68 * PEA (1991) 4:1217 * RACh 12:895–930 * TRE 14:184–88 P. de Puniet, “La liturgie baptismale en Gaule avant Charlemagne,” RQH 72, n.s., 28 (1902) 382–423. * J. des Graviers, “La date du commencement de l’année chez c. This paragraph is the same as no. xxx in Aurelian’s Rule for Monks (WEC 4:4465). d. This paragraph is the same as no. xxxi in Aurelian’s Rule for Monks (WEC 4:4466). e. The order of the office is, at least for the most part, the same as that for monks, nos. lvi–lvii (WEC 4:4467–68), the only difference being that the nuns say six psalms rather than twelve at Prime, Terce, Sext, and None.

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126  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West Grégoire de Tours,” REF 32 (1946) 103–6. * “Les rites de la dédicace en Gaule (‘Miraculorum libri III’ 1, 46; ‘Miraculorum libri VIII’ 8, 20),” LMD, no. 70 (1962) 146–48. * D. Aupest, “L’observation du repos dominical d’après Grégoire de Tours,” Imp, n.s., 4 (1967) 19–33.

172-A. History of the Franks† This history, in ten books, begins with the creation of the world and ends with the death of King Guntram in 591. II.vii. [.  .  .] One night a poor man, intoxicated with wine, was asleep in a quiet corner of the basilica of Saint Peter the Apostle. When, as customary, the doors were closed, he was not observed by the watchman. Rising during the night, the poor man, terrified by lights shining brightly throughout the whole building, searched for a means of escape to the outside. He pulled the bars of one door, then another, but soon came to realize that everything was locked. So he laid down on the floor and fearfully waited for a time to escape when the people would gather for the morning hymns. [.  .  .] 4492 II.xxii. Holy Sidoniusa was so gifted in speech that he often improvised. One day it happened that he went to the church of the monastery we mentioned previously [Saint-Cyr in Clermont], being invited there for a feast. Someone maliciously had removed the book customarily used for the holy rites. Sidonius was so prepared that he correctly carried out the whole ritual of the feast. All were amazed and those present believed this feat was carried out by an angel, not by a man. I described all this in greater detail in the preface of the book I wrote concerning the Masses composed by him.b 4493 II.xxiii. When Sidonius was devoting himself to the things of the Lord and was leading a holy life in the world, two presbyters rose up against him and took away from him all power regarding church property, thus reducing him to a very impoverished way of life and submitting him to the greatest insult. The merciful God did not long allow him to endure such unpunished injustice. On the previous night one of these two most evil men—a man who was unworthy to be called a priest—threatened to remove Sidonius from his own church. Rising from sleep the next morning, this man heard the bell that called to Matins. [.  .  .] 4494 II.xxxi. [.  .  .] Remigiusc commanded that the baptismal pool be prepared. The streets were adorned with colored banners; the churches were 4491

Translated from Gregorii Episcopi Turonensis Libri Historiarum X., ed. B. Krusch and W. Levison, Scriptores Rerum Merovingiarum, vol. 1, part 1, 2nd ed. (Hanover, 1951) 49ff. a. Sidonius: namely, Sidonius Apollinaris (WEC 3:122). b. This is now lost. c. Remigius: bishop of Rheims in northeastern France; little is known of his life. †

172. Gregory of Tours  127 decorated with white cloths; the baptistery was prepared; the aroma of balsam spread everywhere; aromatic candles burned brightly; and the whole temple of baptism was filled with a divine aroma. God filled those who were present with such grace that they thought they were favored with the scent of paradise. The king, Clovis,d asked that the bishop baptize him first. Like some new Constantine, Clovis proceeded to the pool in order to wash away the sore of his old leprosy and by flowing water to be purified from the filthy stain he bore for so long. [.  .  .] Clovis, confessing that he believed in the all-powerful triune God, was baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and marked with holy chrism in the sign of Christ’s cross. At the same time more than threethousand of his soldiers were baptized. Also his sister, Albofled. Shortly thereafter she died and went to the Lord. [.  .  .] Another sister, Lanthechild, converted from the Arian heresye and, having confessed that the Son was equal to the Father and the Holy Spirit, received the chrism. II.xxxiv. [.  .  .] In his holy homily written on the Rogations that are cele- 4495 brated before the Lord’s triumphant ascension, Avitusf says that these were established by Mamertus,g the bishop of Vienne. When he wrote this homily, Avitus was bishop of the same town. At the time of Mamertus the people were frightened by numerous unnatural events. There were frequent earthquakes; savage packs of stags and wolves entered through the city gates; and, according to what he wrote, these animals, fearing nothing, took over the whole city. Such events lasted the whole year. When the days of the paschal solemnity arrived, all the people looked forward to God’s mercy. Their hope was that the days of the great solemnity would bring an end to the terror. But on the very vigil of the holy night when holy Mass was being celebrated, the royal palace, situated within the city, was burning with divine fire. People were terrified. They exited the church, believing that the whole town would be incinerated or that the earth would open up, thus devouring them. The holy bishop lay prostrate before the altar, with tears and pleas imploring God’s mercy. What else is there to say? The prayer of this renowned bishop ascended to heaven on high, and his tears extinguished the fire burning in the palace. Meanwhile the feast of the Ascension was approaching, as I already said. Mamertus instructed the people to fast; he established a manner for praying, a period of time for making requests and for giving alms to the poor. Thereupon the terrors came to an end. Notice of what happened spread throughout d. Clovis: Frankish king 481–511 of the Merovingian dynasty. e. Arianism: a doctrine propagated by Arius (ca. 260–336), a priest in Alexandria, who denied the unity and consubstantiality of the three persons of the Trinity and consequently the full divinity of Christ. Arianism was condemned by the Council of Nicaea (WEC 2:71-C). f. Avitus of Vienne (WEC 4:167). g. Mamertus: fifth-century bishop of Vienne in Narbonne.

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all the provinces with bishops everywhere imitating what this bishop did out of faith. Up to the present time and in the name of God this is celebrated in all the churches with compunction of heart and spiritual sorrow. III.xxxi. Audofleda and Amalasunthah were both members of the Arian sect. As was customary among the Arians, royalty when approaching the altar received from one cup, with ordinary people receiving from another cup. [.  .  .] IV.xvi. [.  .  .] Saint Tetricusi was at that time the bishop of Langres. [.  .  .] His priests placed three books upon the altar, namely, the Prophets, the Apostles, and the Gospel. [.  .  .] They agreed that at Mass each would read whatever was found where the book was opened. [.  .  .] VI.xl. [.  .  .] The Spanish envoy arrived in Tours for the holy Pasch. I inquired whether he was of our religion. He answered that he believed what Catholics believe. Then, going with us to the church, he was present at Mass but neither exchanged the peace with us nor received Communion from the sacred sacrifice. [.  .  .] VIII.iii. [.  .  .] Once the meal was half-over, the king ordered my deacon, who chanted the responsorial psalm at Mass on the previous day, to sing. [.  .  .] VIII.iv. [.  .  .] On the holy day of the Pasch, when my brother Sigibert was standing in the church, the deacon came forth with the holy book of the gospels. A messenger from the king arrived. The messenger and the deacon who was reading the gospel said the same thing, “A son is born to you.” The people responded to both when they replied, “Glory to God almighty.” The child was baptized on the holy day of Pentecost and at Christmas was made king. [.  .  .] X.i. [.  .  .] While preparations were being made for his blessing, a plague devastated the people, causing Gregoryj to exhort the people to do penance in the following words. The Oration of Pope Gregory to the People “[.  .  .] Beloved, with contrite hearts and with amended lives may we gather at dawn on Wednesday to observe the sevenfold litanies. [.  .  .] Let the clergy with the presbyters of the sixth region go from the Church of the Holy Martyrs Cosmas and Damian. Let all the abbots with their monks proceed from the Church of the Holy Martyrs Protase and Gervase with the presbyters of the fourth region. May all the abbesses with their nuns depart from the Church of the Holy Martyrs Marcellinus and Peter with the presbyters of the first region. All the children should proceed from h. Audofleda and Amalasuntha: Audofleda (d. 526) was the sister of Clovis and the wife of Theodoric, King of Italy; Amalasuntha was the daughter of Audofleda and Clovis. i. Tetricus: bishop of Langres in eastern France (d. 572/573). j. Gregory: bishop of Rome (WEC 4:165-A-31).

172. Gregory of Tours  129 the Church of the Holy Martyrs John and Paul with the presbyters of the second region; all the laity from the Church of the Protomartyr Stephen with the presbyters of the seventh region; all the married women from the Church of the Holy Martyr Clement with the presbyters of the third region so that going forth from the individual churches with prayers and tears they might gather at the Basilica of Blessed Mary Ever Virgin, the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, and there with many tears and lamentations may they supplicate the Lord, requesting that our sins be pardoned.” Having said this, Gregory gathered together various groups of priests and enjoined them to sing psalms and seek the Lord’s mercy for three days. At the third hour all the choirs of the psalm-singers came to the church, singing the Kyrie eleison, which they had sung throughout all the streets of the city. My deacon, who was present for this, relates that while the people were uttering supplications to the Lord, eighty of them fell down and expired. But Gregory continued to preach to the people who did not cease praying. X.xxx. [.  .  .] In the town of Limogesk many people were destroyed by the divine fire because they did harm to the Lord’s Day by carrying out public business on that day. Sunday is a holy day because in the beginning it was the first day to see light created, and it shined forth as a witness of the Lord’s resurrection. For this reason Sunday should be most faithfully observed by Christians with no public business being done on it. [.  .  .] X.xxxi.1. At times Gatianus,l the first bishop [of Tours] [.  .  .] secretly celebrated the solemn mysteries with just a few Christians, concealing himself in various hiding places. [.  .  .] X.xxxi.5. Perpetuusm instituted fasts and vigils to be observed throughout the year and which are still observed by us today. Their order is as follows: Fasts After Pentecost, Wednesday, and Friday till the Nativity of Saint John;n From 1 September to 1 October, two fasts each week; From 1 October to the burial of Saint Martin,o two fasts each week; From the burial of Saint Martin till the Lord’s Nativity on earth, three fasts each week; From the birth of Saint Hilaryp till the middle of February, two fasts each week. k. Limoges: city in southwestern France. l. Gatianus: most historians consider Litorius (337/338–70) as the first bishop of Tours. m. Perpetuus: bishop of Tours 458/459–488/489. n. Nativity of Saint John: June 14. o. Burial of Saint Martin: November 11. p. Birth of Saint Hilary: January 13.

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130  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West 4508

Vigils At Christmas, in the cathedral; At Epiphany, in the cathedral; On the Nativity of Saint John, in the Basilica of Saint Martin; On the anniversary day of the episcopate of Saint Peter,q in his basilica; On 27 March, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, in the Basilica of Saint Martin; On the Pasch, in the cathedral; On Ascension, in the Basilica of Saint Martin; On Pentecost, in the cathedral; On the Passion of Saint John,r in the baptistery of the basilica; On the feast of the holy apostles Peter and Paul,s in their basilica; On the feast of Saint Martin,t in his basilica; On the feast of Saint Simphorian,u in the Basilica of Saint Martin; On the feast of Saint Litorius,v in his basilica; Likewise on the feast of Saint Martin,w in his basilica; On the feast of Saint Bricius,x in the Basilica of Saint Martin; On the feast of Saint Hilary,y in the Basilica of Saint Martin. [.  .  .]

172-B. Eight Books of Miracles (Octo Miraculorum Libri) This is the title given to a collection, compiled by Gregory himself, of eight previous works.

172-b-1. glory of the martyrs (in gloriam martyrum)† Written ca. 590, this work relates the miracles of the Lord, of the apostles, and of various Gallican martyrs. 4509

xxiv. On the plain of Osseta is located a very ancient pool, sculpted from various types of marble and built in the form of a cross. Over this pool Christians constructed a tall and gleaming building. When the holy day after the circle of the year was approaching—the day on which the Lord, having dismayed the one who would hand him over, and the day on which he gave his disciples the mystical supper—the people and q. Episcopate of Saint Peter: February 22. r. Passion of Saint John: August 29. s. Feast of Peter and Paul: June 29. t. Feast of Saint Martin: July 4. u. Feast of Saint Simphorian: August 22. v. Feast of Saint Litorius: September 13. w. Feast of Saint Martin: November 11, second feast of this saint. x. Feast of Saint Bricius: November 3. y. Feast of Saint Hilary: January 13. † Translated from PL 71:725–26, 781–82. a. Osset: located near Seville in Spain.

172. Gregory of Tours  131 the bishop gathered there; they had already detected the scent of a holy aroma. After a prayer by the bishop there was a command that the temple’s doors be immediately sealed. On the third day, namely, on [Easter] Saturday, the people gathered for baptism. Coming with his citizens, the bishop inspected the seals and opened the doors. Behold! The pool which was empty when they left, was found to be full. [.  .  .] Once the water had been sanctified by means of an exorcism and sprinkled with chrism, the people drank from it to manifest their devotion. Then for the sake of its salvation each family took home a vessel full of this water in order to protect its fields and vineyards by sprinkling them. No matter how many jars were filled, the amount of water never decreased. As soon as the first child was immersed, the amount of water began to decrease. And once all had been baptized, the water receded. Just as the water flowed from an unknown source, so it disappeared in a way unknown to me. lxxxvi. We weep and mourn for our sins since we do not know whether we are indeed sinless when we approach the altar of the Lord. [.  .  .] I recall what happened when I was a young man. It was the day when we were recalling the suffering of Polycarp,b the great martyr, and Mass was being celebrated in Rion, a village near the city of Clermont. His passion together with the other readings contained in the priestly canons were read. The time for offering the sacrifice arrived, and the deacon, taking the tower in which the [soon to be] mystery of the Lord’s Body is contained, began to carry it toward the door. He entered the temple in order to place the tower on the altar. But the vessel, escaping from his hands, flew into the air. As he advanced toward the altar, the deacon could not grab hold of the vessel. The reason why this happened is, I believe, that his conscience was stained. Some say that the deacon was guilty of adultery. This event was observed by one priest and three women, one of whom was my mother. I confess I was present at the time of this feast but I did not merit to see what happened. lxxxvii. The priest Epachius,c rashly presuming to do what he was unworthy of doing, was struck by God’s judgment and fell down. He went to the church in order to celebrate the vigils of the Lord’s birth. At each of these hours he left God’s temple and returned home where he wantonly drank from intoxicating vessels; many stated that he was drinking on that night after cockcrow. But since he was of senatorial origin and since no one in that town of Riom was of more noble rank according to worldly standards, it fell upon him to celebrate Mass. This poor man, already inebriated with wine, did not hesitate to do what a person could not do without fear, without a frightened conscience. Indeed, having pronounced the sacred words, having broken the sacrament of the Lord’s Body, he took b. Polycarp of Smyrna (WEC 1:13). c. Epachius: probably a priest who lived at Clermont toward the end of the fifth century.

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132  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West and distributed it to others so that they might eat it. Soon, neighing like a horse, he fell down, his mouth foaming and spitting out the portion of the sacred mystery that he could not break apart. He was carried from the church by his servants.

172-b-2. miracles of saint julian (de virtutibus s. juliani)† Written between 581 and 587, this piece is, as it were, a catalog of some fifty miracles attributed to Saint Julian, who was martyred in 304 and buried at Brioude, some forty miles south of Clermont. The basilica containing his relics was a popular pilgrimage destination. xx. The feast of Saint Julian had arrived, and a certain man who was present noticed that the holy basilica was aglow with numerous decorations. Evil in mind, he desired what, once obtained, he could not conceal. Therefore as the people were departing the church after Vespers [post gratiam vespertinam], he, lingering in a corner of the basilica, hid himself. [.  .  .] 4513 xxiv. Much later it was the feast of Saint Julian, and my father together with his whole family was hastening to this joyful solemnity. During the journey Peter, my older brother, was afflicted with a burning fever, so much so that he was unable to eat or to do anything else. He suffered throughout the whole trip. No one knew whether he would recover or expire. We arrived at the place and upon entering the basilica we venerated the tomb of the holy martyr. My sick brother knelt on the pavement and requested a cure from the glorious martyr. Completing his prayer, he returned to the place where we were staying. Once there the fever somewhat lessened. When night came, we hurried to the vigils. Peter requested that he also be brought there. He laid down before the tomb and spent the whole night praying to the martyr. When these night vigils came to an end, he requested that the dust surrounding the tomb be collected and be given to him in a drink or be suspended from his neck. Once this was done, his burning fever disappeared. [.  .  .] 4512

172-b-3. miracles of saint martin (de virtutibus s. martini)†† Martin, born ca. 315/336, was elected bishop of Tours ca. 371. He died in 397. This listing of miracles attributed to him contains four books (the last never having been completed). 4514

II.xiv. [.  .  .] Palatina, a young girl, was stricken with paralysis, thus being unable to walk. [.  .  .] Her father brought her to Tours where he placed her at the feet of blessed Martin. Lying there three months, she sought alms from those passing by. On the feast of this illustrious saint and while I was saying Mass, she was faithfully praying in the location I mentioned above. While I was engaged in carrying out the holy †

Translated from PL 71:813, 815–16. Translated from PL 71:946ff.

††

172. Gregory of Tours  133 ceremonies—I was saying the preface [contestationem] concerning the wonders of our holy Lord—she suddenly began to cry aloud and weep, indicating that she was in pain. But when the preface was completed and all the people were proclaiming the Sanctus in praise of the Lord, the nerves that were bound were loosened; she stood up and thus, before all the people and with the Lord’s help, she on her own power approached the holy altar to receive Communion. She remains in good health up to the present day. II.xxix. Two blind men arrived from Bourges. Their eyelids were closed, joined together by a liquid. They fell down, praying at the feet of the holy lord Martin. This occurred on his feast when all the people were present and while the stories of miracles were being read from his Life. [.  .  .] II.xxx. [.  .  .] On Sunday during the celebration of Mass this [mute] woman was standing in the church with the rest of the people. While the Lord’s Prayer was being said, her mouth was opened and she began to sing this holy prayer with the others. [.  .  .] II.xlvii. [.  .  .] A cripple came to Tours shortly before the feast of the bishop [4 July]. Praying, he was kneeling before the tomb. Toward the end of Massa [expletis missis] the people began to receive the most holy Body of the Redeemer. Suddenly his knees were set free, and he stood up. With all looking on, he gave thanks and on his own walked to the holy altar. [.  .  .] II.xlix. It was the feast of Saint Martin, a day when all the people had gathered. Among them was a man with a crippled arm. He kissed the holy tomb with his lips, moistened it with his tears, and with his voice requested the help of the blessed confessor; his faith remained strong as he awaited the customary assistance. Then the priests arrived to carry out the solemn rites of the Mass; there was a reader whose task it was to read, and who took the book and began reading the life of the holy confessor. Immediately the man’s arm was healed. [.  .  .]

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172-b-4. lives of the fathers (liber vitae patrum)† This, the most well-known of Gregory’s hagiographical works, was written soon after 593. The book treats twenty-three notables of Gaul, some being Gregory’s own relatives. vi.7. Let us come to the time when the Lord commanded that Gallusa be 4519 taken from this world. Ill health had confined Gallus to bed where an internal fever consumed all his members; as a result he had lost both his hair and his beard. The Lord revealed to him that he would expire after three days. So Gallus gathered his people, broke the [eucharistic] bread for all, and in a holy and pious manner distributed Communion. The third day a. Some would translate expletis missis as “At the end of the consecratory prayer.” † Translated from PL 71:1034ff. a. Gallus: Gregory’s uncle and a bishop of Tours (d. 554).

134  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West arrived, this being the Lord’s Day, and the people of Auvergne began to mourn deeply. As day dawned Gallus asked what was being sung in the church. He was told that they were singing the blessing [the Benedicite]. When Psalm 50b and the Blessing had been sung, and when the Alleluia with the capitulum were finished, he completed all of Matins. When the office was finished, he said, “Farewell, my beloved!” He then extended his arms and sent to the Lord his spirit, which was intent upon reaching heaven. [.  .  .] viii.4. One morning Saint Nicetiusc rose early for Matins. He waited for 4520 the two antiphons and then entered the church where, after he sat down, the deacon began to sing the response. But Nicetius, being disturbed, said, “Be silent! Be silent! O friend of injustice, do not presume to sing.” No sooner had he said this than the deacon’s mouth closed and he was silent. And the holy man, having ordered that the deacon come before him, said, “Did I not forbid you to enter God’s church? Why have you heedlessly presumed to do so? Why did you sing the Lord’s songs?” All present were astounded, for they knew nothing of the deacon’s evil. However, the demon in the deacon cried out, saying that the holy man was greatly tormenting him. He had indeed presumed to sing in church. Although not recognized by the people, his voice was recognized by the holy one whose harsh words condemned the demon, not the deacon. The holy man, imposing hands, chased out the demon and restored the deacon to his senses. xiii.3. [.  .  .] After Lupicinusd died, a certain lady took his body, washed 4521 it, and clothed it with fitting garb. She wanted to take it to the town of Trézelle.e The people of Lipidiacum,f however, were opposed to this, saying, “Our soil nourished him; so his body should belong to us.” [.  .  .] The woman took away the holy body of Lupicinus by force and began to carry it on a bier to Trézelle. She placed crowds of psalm-singers with crosses, candles, and sweet-smelling incense along the route. Seeing this, the people, moved with penance, told the woman, “We have sinned by opposing you, for we truly know that this is God’s will; we request that we not be excluded from the burial service but be allowed to participate in it.” The woman permitted them to follow; both groups of people came together and went to Trézelle where Mass was celebrated. It was there that they buried the body with the greatest honor and joy. [.  .  .] xvi.2. One Sunday when Saint Venantiusg was invited to celebrate Mass, 4522 he said to his brothers, “My eyes, being very weak, I am unable to see the b. Psalm 50, LXX. c. Nicetius: bishop of Tours 525/526–ca. 569. d. Lupicinus: bishop of Lyons in the late fifth century. e. Trézelle: located in the province of Auvergne. f. Lipidiacum: located in the region of Aquitaine in southwest Gaul. g. Venantius: namely, Venantius Fortunatus (WEC 4:173).

172. Gregory of Tours  135 book. For this reason have another presbyter do all this.” The presbyter did so, with the holy man standing close beside him. The moment arrived when the holy offering was, following Catholic custom, to be blessed by the sign of the cross. Venantius saw that a ladder was, as it were, placed at one window of the apse, and upon it was an elderly man descending, a man venerable with the honor of a cleric. With his right hand he blessed the sacrifice offered on the altar. This occurred in the basilica of Saint Martin and was observed only by Venantius. [.  .  .] One Sunday the same Venantius, having completed his prayers and supported by a little staff, was returning from the basilica of the saints. In the middle of the courtyard of the blessed confessor he stopped to listen, eyes wide open and ears intent upon heaven. Then, moving forward, he began to groan and sigh. Questioned by his companions as to what was wrong or whether he had seen something divine, he said, “Woe to us who are unskillful and lazy. Behold! In heaven the Mass is well in progress, and we, slothful as we are, have not begun [to celebrate] the sacrament of this mystery. Truly I have heard the voices of the angels in heaven proclaiming the Sanctus, Sanctus in praise of the Lord.” And Venantius ordered that Mass be immediately celebrated in the monastery. [.  .  .]

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172-b-5. glory of the confessors (de gloria confessorum)† This is the counterpart to Gregory’s In Gloria Martyrum. The work, treating saints who were not martyrs, dates from 587. xx. [.  .  .] Under God’s inspiration I decided to faithfully dedicate a very elegant room, one used by Saint Eufroniusa as a storeroom. The chamber was to be used for prayer. It was beautifully decorated with an altar located in the customary place. One night I observed a vigil in the holy basilica, and early in the morning I went to the little room so that I might bless the altar I had set up. Returning to the basilica, I moved Martin’s holy relics together with those of the martyrs Saturninusb and Julianc and those of blessed Illidius,d doing so with brightly shining candles and crosses. Present were many presbyters, deacons in white vestments, a large number of distinguished citizens, together with people of lesser rank. [.  .  .] xxii. [.  .  .] Maximuse desired to cross the Saône, but his boat was swamped and it sank. This priest was in the water. He had around his Translated from PL 71:812ff. a. Eufronius: bishop of Tours 556–73. b. Saturinus: an early martyr at Toulouse. c. Julian: martyred in 304 and buried at Brioude, some forty miles south of Clermont. d. Illidius: late fourth-century bishop of Clermont. e. Maximus: abbot of a monastery in Lyons. †

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136  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West neck the book of the gospels used for the weekly liturgy as well as the dish and the cup. But the divine goodness did not permit God’s own to perish. At God’s command Maximus was rescued from this peril. [. . .] xlvii. Two presbyters were buried in one and the same basilica but on 4526 opposite walls: the tomb of one was on the south, that of the other on the north. The clerics began to sing psalms as they celebrated the office. Doing so, they formed two choirs, each choir singing psalms to the Lord; each presbyter’s voice joined the communal singing of the psalms. Thus one choir was enlarged by the assistance of one presbyter’s voice, the other choir strengthened by the voice of the other presbyter. So great was the sweetness of this harmony that it delighted those listening. [.  .  .] xlviii. [.  .  .] Not far from here is the village of Rion in which there was 4527 a Catholic church. When the Goths came, they took possession of this church. Next door to the church was a large house. When the Paschal Vigil arrived, the heretical priests baptized the infants in our church so that the people might more easily be associated with this sect, the [Catholic] priest not being allowed to enter this building. This priest, however, came up with a clever idea. While the heretics were baptizing in our church, he, ready to serve, began to baptize in their house. God’s punishment followed. The infants whom the heretics baptized—twenty infants in all—all died by the end of the Pasch. Seeing this, the heretics, fearing that their house was becoming a church, returned the church to the presbyter. Those whom the presbyter baptized did not die with the exception of one infant who was called by the Lord after having attained a proper age. lxv. In Lyons there once lived two people, a man and his wife, members 4528 of an influential senatorial family. Being childless, they named the church as their heir. The husband, being the first to die, was buried in the Basilica of Saint Mary. The woman visited the church for a whole year where she diligently prayed, every day being present for Mass. Making offerings in memory of her husband, she was confident that through the Lord’s mercy her deceased husband would enjoy rest on each day she made an offering for his soul. For this reason she always presented some wine from Gazaf to be used for the sacrifice in the holy basilica. The subdeacon was a worthless fellow, reserving the wine from Gaza for himself. In the cup he presented [what seemed to be] most bitter vinegar. The woman, however, did not always come forward to receive the gift of Communion. And so it pleased God to reveal this deception. The husband appeared to his wife [in a dream] and said, “Alas, alas, my dearest wife, why has my labor in this world so come to naught that now at the offering I taste vinegar?” She replied, “I have not forgotten your love. I have always obtained the most exceptional Gaza wine to be offered in God’s sanctuary for your repose.” She then awoke, marveled at what she had seen, and did not forget it. As f. Gaza wine: a wine produced in Gaza (Palestine) and highly esteemed by the Gauls.

174. Columbanus  137 was customary, she rose for Matins. When this was completed and when Mass had been celebrated, she approached the saving cup. Tasting the vinegar contained in it, she thought her teeth would have fallen out had she not so quickly swallowed the liquid. She then reproached the subdeacon. What had been done sinfully and deceitfully was corrected. [.  .  .] 1 7 3 . V e n a n t i u s F o rt u n at u s

Born ca. 530 at Trevisio near Venice, Venantius was educated at Ravenna, where he was well instructed in the classical authors as well as in the Scriptures. After frequent travels (e.g., a pilgrimage to the tomb of Saint Martin of Tours), he eventually was ordained, becoming chaplain of a community of nuns. In 596 he was elected bishop of Poitiers, dying there shortly after the turn of the century. A prolific writer, Venantius has left us numerous prose and poetic compositions. But he is especially known for his poetry, being called the “first of the medieval poets.” CPL nos. 1033ff. * Altaner (1961) 601–3 * Altaner (1966) 499–501 * Bardenhewer (1908) 647–50 * Bardenhewer (1910) 557–59 * Bardenhewer (1913) 5:367–77 * Bardy (1930) 178–81 * Labriolle (1947) 2:756–61 * Labriolle (1968) 491–94 * Steidle 204–5 * Tixeront 344–45 * CATH 4:1458–60 * CE 6:149 * DACL 5.2:1892–97 * DCB 2:552–53 * DPAC 2:3556–58 * DTC 6.1:611–14 * EC 12:1177 * EEC 2:862–63 * EEChr 2:1158 * LTK 10:582–83 * NCE 5:1034–35 * NCES 5:823 * ODCC 1685 B. Capelle, “‘Regnavit a ligno,’” QLP 7 (1922) 92–95. * J. Szövérffy, “‘Crux fidelis .  .  .’: Prolegomena to a History of the Holy Cross Hymns,” Tra 22 (1966) 1–41. * B.K. Braswell, “Kleine textkritische Bemerkungen zu frühchristlichen Hymnen,” VC 29 (1975) 222–26. * D. Norberg, “Le ‘Pange Lingua’ de Fortunat pour la croix,” LMD, no. 173 (1988) 71–79.

173-A. Life of Queen Radegunde† Radegunde (d. 587), of royal birth and the wife of King Lothar I (a man of a decidedly unsavory character), eventually fled the court, became a nun, and established a monastery for female religious outside Poitier. Here she lived a life of good works and became a friend of Venantius, who, more interested in edification than in factual accuracy, wrote her biography. 16. [.  .  .] Making the offerings with her own hands, she never failed to distribute these in the holy places. [.  .  .] 1 7 4 . C o l u mb a n u s

Columbanus (Columban), born ca. 543, was a monk of the monastery of Bangor, located in County Down in northeastern Ireland. Saint Comgall †

Translated from PL 88:370.

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138  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West was abbot of this community. With twelve companions and with the abbot’s permission, Columbanus departed Ireland for Gaul ca. 585/590, where he established several monastic foundations, first at Annegray, then at Luxeuil and Fontaines. Well received by the king, Guntram, this missionary monk had less than cordial relations with the local clergy, especially since he adhered to various Irish religious customs, for example, observing the Celtic date of Easter. Imprisoned and then banished in 610 for condemning the immoral activity of the king, Thierry II, Columbanus went to Switzerland, then to Milan, and finally to Bobbio in northern Italy, where he founded a monastery in 614, only to die a year later in 615. CPL nos. 1107ff., 1117ff. * Bautz 1:1104–5 * CATH 2:1317–21 * CE 4:137–40 * DCB 1:605–7 * DDC 3:1005–24 * DHGE 13:313–20 * DictSp 2:1:1131–33 * DPAC 1:736–37 * DTC 3.1:370–76 * EC 3:1996–98 * EEC 1:186–87 * EEChr 1:270–71 * LTK 2:1268 * NCE 3:1036–37 * NCES 3:863–64 * ODCC 379–80 * TRE 8:159–62 C. Gindele, “Die Satisfaktionsordung von Caesarius und Benedikt bis Donatus,” RB 69 (1959) 216–36. * A. Verheul, “La prière monastique chorale avant Benoît: son influence sur le culte en occident: la prière des heures avant la Règle et dans la Règle de s. Benoît,” QL 62 (1981) 227–42. * A. Verheul, “Les psaumes dans la prière des heures: hier et aujourd’hui,” QL 71 (1990) 261–95.

174-A. Rules Two monastic rules are attributed to Columbanus. The first, the Regula Monachorum, probably redacted in Ireland and then in Gaul, is more concerned with the internal aspects of monastic life, although attention is paid to the prayer life of the monks. Corporal punishment is often called for, even in cases of minor fractions of the monastic way of life. The second rule, the Regula Coenobialis—Columbanus seems to be responsible for only its first nine chapters—complements the general principles given in the Regula Monachorum. It has been suggested that primitively these two rules formed but one document.

174-a-1. regula monachorum† 4530

vii. As to the synaxis, namely, the canonical order of the psalms and prayers, a number of distinctions are to be made since what is done has been handed down to us from various sources. Therefore according to the nature of a person’s life and the rotation of the seasons, the same will be reflected in my writing. Given the changing of the seasons, there will not be any uniformity. The office should be longer for long nights, shorter Translated from Sancta Colombian Opera, ed. G.S.M. Walker, Scriptores Latini Hiberniae, no. 2 (Dublin, 1957) 128, 130, 132. †

174. Columbanus  139 for short nights. And so—and here we concur with our elders—from 24 June on and as the night grows longer, the office begins to increase from twelve chora,a the shortest number of psalms being on Saturday and Sunday up to the beginning of winter, namely, 1 November. On such days twenty-five antiphonal psalms are sung. [.  .  .] These always follow third after the non-antiphonal psalms so that in this way the whole psalter is sung within the course of these two nights. The remaining nights during the winter are less burdensome, with only twelve chora. At the conclusion of winter and gradually during each week of spring the number of psalms is reduced by three so that there are only twelve antiphonal psalms on the holy nights, namely, the daily winter curses of thirty-six psalms, with twenty-four during spring and summer, this extending to the autumn equinox, namely, 24 September. Then the synaxis is like that of the spring equinox, 25 March, when with its alternating changes it slowly increases and decreases. It is in this way that we keep vigil according to our abilities, especially since the Author of our salvation commands that we watch and “pray always.”1 And Paul commands that we “pray without ceasing.”2 But since the manner of canonical prayer is to be known by all who assemble at the appointed hours for common prayer— the monk praying in his own cell afterwards3—our elders determined that there be three psalms at each of the day’s hours, work being interrupted for this. Versicles are to be added, the first being for our own sins, then for the whole Christian people, then for the priests and others of the holy people who are consecrated to God, then for those who give alms, then for peace among kings, and finally for our enemies so that God not count it as a sin that they persecute and disparage us because “they know not what they do.”4 At night’s beginning there are twelve psalms; likewise twelve are sung at midnight; toward morning there are twenty-four psalms, as we have said, during the time when the night is short; more, as already indicated, during the night of the Lord’s Day and on the Sabbath vigil—on these occasions seventy-five psalms are individually sung during a single office. There are certain Catholics for whom the canonical number of psalms 4531 is twelve, whether it be during long nights or short nights. They observe this rule four times during the night: at night’s beginning, at midnight, at cockcrow, and at morning. During the winter a curse like this seems small to some; during summer it is found to be rather burdensome and oppressive since with its frequent rising and retiring it results not so much in exhaustion as it does in weariness. During the most holy nights, those of the Lord’s Day and of the Sabbath, three times this number of psalms is prayed in the morning, namely, thirty-six psalms. [.  .  .] a. Chora: as explained by Columbanus, a unit of three psalms, the first two being without antiphons, the third being antiphonal. 1. Luke 21:36.  2. 1 Thess 5:17.  3. See Matt 6:6.  4. Luke 23:34.

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174-a-2. regula coenobialis† ix. [.  .  .] All, once they have heard the sound that begins each day’s assemblies, are to wash before entering the oratory unless they have done so previously. To be appointed is a cantor who leads the psalmody; also a subcantor. The monks do not kneel but only bow. Those having seniority are in the middle of the oratory, with the others standing on the right and the left except the presider and his assistant. At each Sunday’s solemnity as well as on the day that begins the Easter season a hymn to the Lord may be sung. When a monk approaches the altar to receive the Eucharist, he is to prostrate himself three times. Novices, not having been instructed, as well as all others who lack instruction, are not to approach to receive from the cup. And when the offering takes place, no one, other than when necessary, is to be forced to receive the Eucharist. On every Lord’s Day and solemnity those who for some necessity have not prayed to the Lord are to pray individually. During the offering all movement is to be kept to a minimum. [.  .  .] All the brethren when they pray during the day and night should kneel 4533 for prayer at the conclusion of each psalm provided bodily infirmity does not hinder them from doing so. In silence they are to say, “O God, deliver me. O Lord, come to my assistance.”1 Once they have silently prayed this verse three times, they are to stand. However, during the psalmody on the Lord’s Day and on the first day of the Easter season and up to the fiftieth day, although they bow slightly, they are to diligently pray to the Lord without bending their knees. xv.a If someone has misplaced the Eucharist and does not know where 4534 it is, there is to be a year’s penance. If someone has in such a way neglected the Eucharist that it has dried out and is consumed by worms, becoming, as it were, nothing, a half year’s penance is to be performed. If someone has so neglected the Eucharist that a worm is found within it and yet it remains entire, the worm is to be burned by fire and its ashes placed next to the altar; for this there is to be a penance of forty days. [.  .  .] 4532

174-B. Penitential†† This penitential, namely, a book for confessors that lists various types of sins and their respective penalties, is modeled upon a text by the monk Finnian (WEC 4:181-A). Here three classes of people are considered: 2–13, the monks; 15–26, the clergy; 27–44, the laity. Translated from Sancta Colombian Opera, 155ff. a. Chapters x and following appear to be later additions to the text. 1. Ps 70:2. †† Translated from Le Pénitentiel de Saint Columban, trans. and ed. J. Laport, Monumenta Christiana Selecta, no. 4 (Tournai, 1958) 91ff. †

174. Columbanus  141 1. True penance consists in no longer committing those actions calling for penance as well as regretting sins already committed. But many—I do not say all—because of human weakness act contrary to this rule. For this reason it is necessary to know the system of penance. The general principle, stated by our holy elders, is to determine the length of the fast according to the gravity of the sin. 2. If a monk sins by thought, namely, has desired to kill, fornicate, steal, eat in secret, become intoxicated, strike another, deceive, or commit whatever action of this kind or was disposed to commit such an action, he will fast on bread and water for six months or forty days according to the gravity of the action he intended to commit. 3. If anyone has allowed himself to be carried away to actually commit actions such as homicide or sodomy, there is to be ten years of fasting. If he fornicates only once, three years of penance. If he does so more often, seven years of penance. If a monk abandons the monastic state and breaks his vows but quickly returns, he will fast for three Lents. If he returns only after many years, he will do penance for three years. 7. Anyone who is so intoxicated that he vomits or, being fully satiated, vomits the Eucharist, forty days of fast. If he does this due to sickness, seven days of fast. If the Eucharist is allowed to fall or is lost on a voyage, one year of fasting. 14.+ Different sins require different penances. Doctors of the body also adapt their medicines to various types of illnesses. Differently do they cure wounds, diseases, tumors, bruises, gangrene, blindness, fractures, burns. In like manner the doctor of the soul should cure, by remedies appropriate to the wounds of the soul, its maladies, its sins, its sorrows, its weariness, its infirmities. Since there are but few doctors who are perfectly conversant as far as healing and restoring the health of the soul, we here propose several counsels, partly according to the traditions of the elders, partly according to our own judgment, “for imperfect is our prophecy, imperfect also is our science.”1 15. [.  .  .] A cleric who commits murder and kills another will be exiled for ten years. He will then be allowed to re-enter his country on condition that he has regularly fasted on bread and water, as attested by the bishop or the priest who has supervised his penance and to whom he has confided. [.  .  .] 29. A laic who has committed sodomy, namely, uniting with a man as one would with a woman, will fast seven years, the first three being on bread and water, with salt and dry vegetables only. The other four years he will abstain from wine and meat. In this way his sin will be pardoned, and the confessor will pray for him and will readmit him to Communion.

= later additions to the primitive text. 1. 1 Cor 13:9. +

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142  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West 33. A laic who is a thief, namely, someone who steals an ox, a horse, a sheep, or a domestic animal, will first of all return the stolen goods to its owner and, if it is his first or second such offense, will fast for three Lents on bread and water. But if the theft is habitual and if the sinner cannot return what was stolen, then there will be a fast of one year plus three Lents together with a promise not to steal again. This person will be able to receive Communion at Easter of the following year, namely, after two years, alms taken from one’s labor being given to the poor and a meal being provided for the confessor. In this way the sin contracted by one’s evil habit will be forgiven. 4543 39.+ If through ignorance a laic has entered into communion with the Bonosiansa or with other heretics, he or she will be placed among the catechumens, namely, will be separated from other Christians, and this for forty days. For two other Lents such will expiate the crime of having been in communion with the followers of an absurd heresy by placing himself or herself in the lowest rank of the faithful, namely, among the public penitents. If the guilty one has acted out of contempt, namely, after having been warned by a priest and after having received the prohibition not to soil oneself by such communion with the outcast, there will be a fast for one year and three Lents; for two years the person will abstain from wine and meat. Only after the imposition of hands by a Catholic bishop will he or she be again allowed to approach the altar. 4544 44.+ We enjoin that all confess promptly, especially acknowledging the disturbances brought about by the passions. They are to do so before going to Mass so that no one unworthily approaches the altar, that is, not having “a clean heart.”2 It is better to delay Communion so that the heart be clean, free from self-conceit and haste, rather than to rashly approach the tribunal. Christ’s altar is, in fact, a tribunal, and his Body and Blood judge those who approach unworthily. It is necessary to guard against grave and carnal sins before receiving Communion. We must also avoid internal sins and spiritual apathy before participating in the peace and in eternal salvation. 4542

175. Ferreolus of Uzès

A native of Narbonne and first mentioned by Caesarius of Arles (WEC 4:168) in his History of the Franks (6:7), Ferreolus was bishop of Uzès, where he established a monastery, in southern France. Little is known of his life. He died in 581. CPL 1849 * Cath 4:1199–1200 * DHGE 16:1242–43 * EEC 322 * LTK 3:1244 G. Holzherr, Regula Ferrioli (Einsiedeln, 1961). a. Bonosians: a heretical group denying, among other things, the divinity of Christ. 2. Ps 51:10.

176. Synods  143

175-A. Rule of Ferreolus† xii. The psalms are always sung in sequence up to the end of the Psalter. However, in secret and in view of one’s own personal profit, each may offer each day praise apart from the psalms that are recited in public to the Lord. This is done in private, for one’s own personal profit. God alone is aware of this silent pondering. Also at night it is fitting to keep vigil by reciting numerous psalms followed by prayers. In this way one fulfills the words of the Lord, “Day and night I cry out before you.”1 Also, “Day and night I will meditate on your law.”2 xiii. No monk who is present [in the monastery] is to absent himself from the night vigils during which prayer to God is sought out of devotion or is fitting due to a feast, the only exception being sickness or necessity. [.  .  .] We remind you, if it is not superfluous to do so, that all are to rise each day for Matins; on all days may all quickly and together rise for the nocturns so that, having assembled together, no one be found to have come late. But indeed whoever is observed acting contrary to this directive, he alone is to fast for as many days as the number of hours he did not keep watch with his brothers. xv. We have judged that what is done in other monasteries be followed, namely, that children are not to be baptized in the monastery. Nor is a monk in any place to receive anyone’s children from the holy bath: so that he not gradually be joined to the child’s parents, as often happens, in illicit or gradually wicked familiarity. Whoever presumes to do this will be corrected as transgressing the rule. xviii. We strongly enjoin that the Acts of the Martyrs, namely, the passions of the holy ones, which have been carefully received and written down, be read in the oratory in the presence of the whole community. And so each day is not to pass unnoticed; it is to be a special day. Just as what was formerly illustrated by the constancy of those who were martyred, so the memory of their passion will now indicate. 176. Synods

176-A. Synod of Agde (506)†† Presided over by Caesarius of Arles (WEC 4:168), this meeting of thirtyfive bishops in Agde (southern France on the Mediterranean) issued fortyseven canons.

Translated from Règles monastique d’Occident: IVe–VIe siècle, d’Augustin à Ferréol, trans. and ed. V. Desprez, Vie monastique 9, Collection spiritualité orientale et vie monastique (Bégrolles-en-Mauges, 1980) 305–8, 310. 1. Ps 88:1.  2. Ps 1:2. †† Canons translated from Concilia Galliae de 314 à 506, ed. C. Munier, CCL 148 (Turnhout, 1963) 200–212. †

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144  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West CPL no. 1784 * Hefele (1905) 2.2:973–1002 * Hefele (1871) 4:76–86 * Cath 1:198 * CE 1:206 * DACL 1.1:871–77 * DCA 1:42 * DDCon 1:7–8 * DTC 1.1:563 * EEC 1:17 * ODCC 28 J. Deligny, “La bénédiction de la fin de la messe,” RevAug 12 (1908) 316–21.

Canon 12. All children of the Church must fast each day during Lent, even on Saturdays,a Sundays alone being the exception.b [.  .  .] 4550 Canon 13. In all churches the priest is to publicly hand over the creedc to the competentes on the same day, namely, eight days before the day of the Lord’s resurrection.d 4551 Canon 14. Altars are not only to be anointed with chrisme but are also to be blessed by the priest. 4552 Canon 15. When sinners seek penance, they shall receive from the priestf the imposition of hands and a haircloth upon the head. However, if they do not cut off their hairg and change their clothes, they are to be rejected, and they are not to be accepted unless they have in truth done penance. Because of the frailty of their age young people must not lightly be admitted to penance.h Viaticum, however, is not to be refused to anyone who is in danger of death.i 4549

a. See Elvira (ca. 300) can. 26 (WEC 2:1276); Dvin (527) can. 38 (WEC 4:4853); Orleans IV (541) can. 2 (WEC 4:4616). b. See Saragossa (ca. 380) can. 2 (WEC 2:1295); Gangra (ca. 345) can. 18 (WEC 2:1955); Statuta (5th c.) can. 77 (WEC 3:3102); Orleans IV (541) can. 2 (WEC 4:4616); Braga I (561) ser. 1 can. 4 (WEC 4:4737); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 57 (WEC 4:4692). c. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 46 (WEC 2:1992); Braga II (572) ser. 1 can. 1 (WEC 4:4755); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 49 (WEC 4:4684). d. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 45 (WEC 2:1991); Irish Synod II (after 456) can. 19 (WEC 3:3180); Auxerre (late 6th or early 7th c.) can. 18 (WEC 4:4641); Gerunda (517) can. 4 (WEC 4:4720); Mâcon II (585) can. 3 (WEC 4:4653); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 49 (WEC 4:4684). e. See Irish Synod I (between 450 and 456) can. 23 (WEC 3:3178); Epaon (517) can. 26 (WEC 4:4581); Orleans III (538) can. 16 (WEC 4:4607); Braga I (561) ser. 2 can. 19 (WEC 4:4752); Braga II (572) cans. 5–6 (WEC 4:4758–59). f. See Elvira (ca. 300) can. 32 (WEC 2:1279); Carthage II (390) cans. 3–4 (WEC 2:876–77); Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 30-b (WEC 2:888); Statuta (5th c.) can. 20 (WEC 3:3077); Toledo III (589) ser. 2 cap. 11 (WEC 4:4766). g. See Barcelona I (ca. 540) can. 6 (WEC 4:4729); Toledo III (589) ser. 2 cap. 12 (WEC 4:4767). h. See Orleans III (538) can. 27 (WEC 4:4608). i. See Elvira (ca. 300) cans. 1, 6, 7, 37, 47 (WEC 2:1270–72, 1284, 1290); Ancyra (314) cans. 16, 22 (WEC 2:1432, 1435); Nicaea I (325) can. 13 (WEC 2:1453); Rome (488) Letter 7, can. 3 (WEC 3:2959); Statuta (5th c.) cans. 20–21 (WEC 3:3077–78); Orange I (441) can. 3 (WEC 3:3125); Vaison (442) can. 2 (WEC 3:3137); Arles II (between 442 and 506) can. 28 (WEC 3:3149); Epaon (517) can. 36 (WEC 4:4587); Orleans III (538) cans. 6, 28 (WEC 4:4605, 4609); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 82 (WEC 4:4699); Gerunda (517) can. 9 (WEC 4:4722); Barcelona I (ca. 540) can. 9 (WEC 4:4732).

176. Synods  145 Canon 17. No metropolitan is to ordain a presbyter or a bishop who is not yet thirty years old, that is, before maturity is reached.j No blame is to be imputed if, as has happened several times, an error has been made regarding age. Canon 18. The laity who do not receive Communion at Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost are not to be considered Catholics,k nor are they to take their place among Catholics. Canon 19. Virgins, however much their lives and morals may be approved, are not to receive the veil before they are forty years old.l Canon 21. We grant permission to anyone who, outside parishes in which the rightful and ordinary gathering takes place, wishes to have an oratory in the country so that Mass is celebrated there on other feasts because of the fatigue of the household. On Easter, Christmas, Epiphany, the Ascension of Christ, Pentecost, the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, or on other great feasts Mass is to be held only in the cities and parishes.m Clerics who on these feasts and without the bishop’s command or permission hold Mass or wish to continue doing so are excommunicated. Canon 30. Because it is fitting that the arrangement of the Church’s prayer be followed by all equally,n we should strive that after the antiphons, as is done everywhere, the collects are said in order by the bishop or presbyters each day; that the morning and evening hymns be sung on all days, that at the close of Matins and Vespers, after the hymns, verses [capitella] from the [Book of] Psalms are to be said, and that the people after evening prayer be dismissed by the bishop with a blessing. Canon 34. If Jews wish to become Catholics—their faithlessness frequently having them return to their vomit—for eight months they are to enter the church among the catechumens. When they are recognized as coming with pure faith, then at last they merit to receive the grace of baptism. But if for some reason they should within the appointed period of time become seriously and hopelessly ill, then they may be baptized. Canon 39. Priests, deacons, subdeacons, and all who are themselves forbidden to marry are not to attend the marriages of others nor frequent

j. See Neo-Caesarea (ca. 320) can. 11 (WEC 2:1443); Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 1-b (WEC 2:881); Arles IV (524) can. 1 (WEC 4:4589); Orleans III (538) can. 6 (WEC 4:4605). k. See Irish Synod II (after 456) can. 22 (WEC 3:3181). l. See Carthage II (390) can. 3 (WEC 2:876); Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 1-b (WEC 2:881); Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 34 (WEC 2:891); Saragossa (ca. 380) can. 8 (WEC 2:1298); Riez (439) can. 4 (WEC 3:3122). m. See Orleans I (511) can. 25 (WED 4:4570); Epaon (517) can. 35 (WEC 4:4586); Clermont (535) can. 15 (WEC 4:4604); Orleans IV (541) can. 3 (WEC 4:4617); Lyons IV (583) can. 5 (WEC 4:4650). n. See Vannes (between 461 and 491) can. 15 (WEC 3:3164); Braga I (561) ser. 2 can. 1 (WEC 4:4739).

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146  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West gatherings where love songs are sung and where wicked and indecent gestures are used at dances.o In this way those who are appointed for the holy mysteries may not be polluted by the infection of what they see and hear. 4560 Canon 43. According to the synodal decrees of our holy fathers no one is to be ordained a cleric from among the penitents;p and if one has already been ordained through ignorance, he will be considered like those who have married twice or have married widows. If he is a deacon, he is not to serve. If he is a presbyter, he is not to consecrate at the altar. 4561 Canon 44. The presbyter must not bless the people or the penitents in the church. 4562 Canon 47. On Sundays the laity must be present at the whole Mass so that they do not depart before the priest’s blessing.q Should they do so, they shall be publicly rebuked by the bishop.

176-B. Synod of Orleans I (511)† This meeting, summoned by Clovis, king of the Franks, brought together thirty-two bishops on July 10, 511. They issued thirty-one canons. Hefele (1905) 2.2:1005–15 * Hefele (1871) 4:87–92 * CE 11:318 * DDCon 3:245–47 * EEC 1:555

Canon 10. The following is to be observed regarding heretical clerics who conscientiously and voluntarily come to the Catholic faith and regarding churches that the perverse Goths owned till the present. If clerics are converted and integrally confess the whole Catholic faith and if they live an upright life in regard to what they do and how they act, they may, by being blessed with the imposition of the hand, receive the office for which the bishop deems them worthy. Their churches may be consecrated in the same way that our churches are customarily consecrated.a 4564 Canon 11. Penitents who forget the obligations of their state and return to the secular lifeb are to be excluded from Communion and from all dealings 4563

o. See Neo-Caesarea (ca. 320) can. 7 (WEC 2:1439); Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 53 (WEC 2:1999); Vannes (between 461 and 491) can. 11 (WEC 3:3162). p. See Toledo I (400?) can. 2 (WEC 3:3168); Statuta (5th c.) can. 84 (WEC 3:3106); Epaon (517) can. 3 (WEC 4:4575); Arles IV (524) can. 3 (WEC 4:4591); Orleans III (538) can. 6 (WEC 4:4605); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 23 (WEC 4:4679). q. See Antioch (341) can. 2 (WEC 2:1948); Orleans I (511) can. 26 (WEC 4:4571); Orleans III (538) can. 32 (WEC 4:4612); Narbonne (589) can. 12 (WEC 4:4659). † Canons translated from Concilia Galliae de 511 à 695, ed. C. de Clercq, CCL 148 A (Turnhout, 1963) 7–12. a. See Epaon (517) can. 33 (WEC 4:4585); Saragossa II (592) can. 3 (WEC 4:4771). b. See Angers (453) can. 5 (WEC 3:3153); Tours I (461) can. 8 (WEC 3:3159); Vannes (between 461 and 491) can. 3 (WEC 3:3160); Epaon (517) can. 23 (WEC 4:4579); Orleans III (538) can. 28 (WEC 4:4609); Toledo III (589) ser. 2 cap. 11 (WEC 4:4766).

176. Synods  147 with Catholics. Whoever after this prohibition eats with them is deprived of Communion. Canon 12. A deacon or a presbyter who has sinned and is removed from Communion at the altar in order to do penance may, nevertheless, baptize anyone requesting baptismc provided no other ministers are present or if there is a case of true necessity. Canon 14. Renewed are the ancient canons whereby the bishop appropriates for himself half of the offerings placed on the altar [in the cathedral]; half is to be distributed to the various ranks of clerics.d [.  .  .] Canon 15. The decrees of the ancient canons are to be observed concerning what is given to the parishes from the fields, vineyards, private property, and possessions [outside the episcopal city]. These fall under the authority of the bishop. As to what is placed upon the altar [in the parish], a third is always given to the bishop.e Canon 16. To the extent that he is able, the bishop shall present food and clothing to the poor and to the sick who because of weakness can no longer do manual labor. Canon 24. Before Easter a Quadragesimaf and not a Quinquagesima is to be observed. Canon 25. No one is to observe Easter, Christmas, or Pentecost on one’s own estate [villa] unless forced by illness.g Canon 26. When they gather in the name of God to celebrate Mass, the people must not leave the church before the end of Massh and, when a bishop is present, till they have received his blessing. Canon 27. All churches will celebrate the Rogations, namely, the litanies, before the Lord’s Ascension so that the three-day fast concludes at the feast of the Ascension.i During these three days all male and female servants will be excused from labor so that all the people may easily assemble [for liturgical prayer]. Furthermore, on these three days all abstain and eat as they do during Lent.

c. See Elvira (ca. 300) can. 77 (WEC 2:1294); Dvin (527) can. 18 (WEC 4:4845). d. See Orleans I (511) can. 15 (WEC 4:4567); Braga I (561) ser. 2 can. 21 (WEC 4:4754); Braga II (572) can. 6 (WEC 4:4759); Mâcon II (585) can. 4 (WEC 4:4654). e. See Orleans I (511) can. 14 (WEC 4:4566); Braga I (561) ser. 2 can. 21 (WEC 4:4754); Braga II (572) can. 6 (WEC 4:4759); Mâcon II (585) can. 4 (WEC 4:4654). f. See Saragossa (ca. 380) can. 2 (WEC 2:1295); Dvin (527) can. 29 (WEC 4:4851); Orleans IV (541) can. 2 (WEC 4:4616). g. See Agde (506) can. 21 (WEC 4:4556); Epaon (517) can. 35 (WEC 4:4586); Clermont (535) can. 15 (WEC 4:4604); Orleans IV (541) can. 3 (WEC 4:4617); Lyons IV (583) can. 5 (WEC 4:4650). h. See Antioch (341) can. 2 (WEC 2:1948); Agde (506) can. 47 (WEC 4:4562); Orleans III (538) can. 32 (WEC 4:4612); Narbonne (589) can. 12 (WEC 4:4659). i. These three days are called the “minor litanies,” an observance of fasting and prayer established by Mamertus, bishop of Vienne, in 470; see WEC 4:4314.

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148  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West Canon 28. Clerics who fail to be present for this holy work [the Rogations] will be punished according to the judgment of the bishop. 4574 Canon 31. Unless he is ill, the bishop must be present [for worship] in the church that is nearest him. 4573

176-C. Synod of Epaon (517)† Thirty-four bishops, including Avitus of Vienne (WEC 4:167), were present for this meeting, which probably began on September 6, 517, and lasted till September 15 of the same year. Forty canons were enacted at this gathering, which many consider as the most important French synod of the century. The precise location of Epaon, apparently somewhere in the Rhone Valley, cannot be determined. CPL no. 1068 * Hefele (1905) 2.2:1031–42 * Hefele (1871) 4:107–14 * Cath 4:281–82 * DCA 1:614 * DDCon 2:45–46 * DHGE 15:524–45 * EEC 1:555

Canon 3. A person who has done penance cannot become a cleric.a Canon 16. Due to the salvation of souls, a salvation we desire for all, we permit presbyters to aid with the chrismationb those hopeless and fallen heretics who seek immediate conversion. But if they are in good health, they should obtain this from the bishop. 4577 Canon 21. Widows are not to receive the consecration given to those who are called deaconesses since this consecration is henceforth abolished throughout our region.c They can receive the blessing given to penitents if they become such. 4578 Canon 22. If a presbyter or a deacon commits a mortal sin, he is to be deposed from his office, confined to a monastery where, for as long as he lives, he will receive Communion [as a lay person]. 4579 Canon 23. Should a sinner have been admitted to the order of penitents and, forgetful of the good that has been received, return to worldly affairs, this person is not to be admitted to Communion unless he or she returns to the penance that was wrongfully interrupted.d 4575 4576

Canons translated from CCL 148 A:25–34. a. See Toledo I (400?) can. 2 (WEC 3:3168); Statuta (5th c.) can. 84 (WEC 3:3106); Agde (506) can. 43 (WEC 4:4560); Arles IV (524) can. 3 (WEC 4:4591); Orleans III (538) can. 6 (WEC 4:4605); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 23 (WEC 4:4679). b. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 7 (WEC 2:1960); Orange I (441) can. 1 (WEC 3:3123); Arles II (between 442 and 506) cans. 17, 26 (WEC 3:3145, 3148). c. See Nicaea I (325) can. 19 (WEC 2:1456); Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 11 (WEC 2:1964); Nîmes (394) can. 2 (WEC 2:1226); Statuta (5th c.) can. 100 (WEC 3:3119); Orange I (441) can. 25 (WEC 3:3136); Chalcedon (451) can. 15 (WEC 3:3379); Dvin (527) can. 17 (WEC 4:4844); Orleans II (533) can. 18 (WEC 4:4600). d. See Angers (453) can. 5 (WEC 3:3153); Tours I (461) can. 8 (WEC 3:3159); Vannes (between 461 and 491) can. 3 (WEC 3:3160); Orleans I (511) can. 11 (WEC 4:4564); Orleans III (538) can. 28 (WEC 4:4609); Toledo III (589) ser. 2 cap. 11 (WEC 4:4766). †

176. Synods  149 Canon 25. The relics of the saints are not to be placed in private chapels unless there are clerics from a neighboring parish who can frequently sing psalms over the holy remains. If such are lacking, none are to be appointed for this task till provision has been made for their adequate food and clothing. Canon 26. Only altars constructed of stone are to be dedicated, and this by anointing them with chrism.e Canon 27. The bishops of the province are to follow the metropolitans in the arrangement of the divine offices.f Canon 28. If a bishop dies before he has absolved those whom he has excommunicated, his successor can do so provided such persons are amending their ways or are doing penance.g Canon 29. As to the lapsed, that is, those who were baptized in the Catholic Church and who through detestable deceit have become heretics, antiquity has deemed that it is only with great difficulty that they return. We, however, shorten the number of years and impose a penance of two years providing they observe the following: for two years they are to observe a strict fast on Tuesdays; they are to eagerly gather in church; they are to practice humility by standing among and praying with the penitents; they are to leave the church when the catechumens are bidden to do so. If they wish to do this, the appointed time before being admitted to the altar will then be relaxed. But if they believe that this is too arduous and difficult, then they should observe the precepts of the former canons.h Canon 33. So greatly do we detest the churches of the heretics that we consider them incapable of being purified; they must never again be used for sacred purposes. We can, however, reconcile churches that have been taken from us by violence.i Canon 35. Well-to-do citizens, no matter in which city they find themselves, are to obtain the bishop’s blessing at the Easter Vigil and at the feast of the Lord’s birth.j

e. See Irish Synod I (between 450 and 456) can. 23 (WEC 3:3178); Agde (506) can. 14 (WEC 4:4551); Orleans III (538) can. 16 (WEC 4:4607); Braga I (561) ser. 2 can. 19 (WEC 4:4752); Braga II (572) cans. 5– 6 (WEC 4:4758–59). f. See Vannes (between 461 and 491) can. 15 (WEC 3:3164); Gerunda (517) can. 1 (WEC 4:4717); Braga I (561) ser. 2 can. 4 (WEC 4:4742). g. See Elvira (ca. 300) can. 53 (WEC 2:1293). h. See Elvira (ca. 300) can. 1 (WEC 2:1270); Ancyra (314) cans. 1–12 (WEC 2:1422–30); Nicaea I (325) cans. 8, 11, 14 (WEC 2:1449, 1451, 1454); Valence (374) can. 3 (WEC 2:1225); Arles II (between 442 and 506) cans. 10–11 (WEC 3:3141–42). i. See Orleans I (511) can. 10 (WEC 4:4563); Saragossa II (592) can. 3 (WEC 4:4771). j. See Agde (506) can. 21 (WEC 4:4556); Orleans I (511) can. 25 (WEC 4:4570); Clermont (535) can. 15 (WEC 4:4604); Orleans IV (541) can. 3 (WEC 4:4617); Lyons IV (583) can. 5 (WEC 4:4650).

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150  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West 4587

Canon 36. No one is to be excluded from the Church without a remedy or a hope of forgiveness. No one who has done penance or has undergone conversion is to be denied access to the grace of returning. But if perhaps the danger of death is imminent, the appointed time of penance is to be shortened. If the sick person, having received Viaticum,k should recover, it is appropriate that the appointed time [for doing penance] be observed.

176-D. Synod of Lyons II (between 518 and 523)† Under Archbishop Viventiolus eleven bishops gathered at Lyons sometime between 518 and 523. They issued six canons. CPL no. 997o * Hefele (1905) 2.2:1042–46 * Hefele (1871) 4:114–16 * DDCon 2:283–84 4588

Canon 6. Following the view of the most glorious king, we have authorized this lenient modification, namely, that Stephen together with Palladiaa may remain praying in church up to the prayer over the people, which is said after the gospel.

176-E. Synod of Arles IV (524)†† Held on June 6, 524, this synod was attended by thirteen bishops. Only four canons were enacted. Hefele (1905) 2.2:1060–62 * Hefele (1871) 4:131–32 * Cath 1:838 * CE 1:727 * DCA 1:142 * DDCon 1:36 * EC 1:1950 * EEC 1:555 4589

Canon 1. [.  .  .] No bishop is to ordain a deacon before the latter is twentyfive. No layman is to be ordained a bishop or a presbyter unless his conversiona has preceded or he is thirty years old.b

k. See Elvira (ca. 300) cans. 1, 6, 7, 37, 47 (WEC 2:1270–72, 1284, 1290); Ancyra (314) cans. 16, 22 (WEC 2:1432, 1435); Nicaea I (325) can. 13 (WEC 2:1453); Rome (488) Letter 7, can. 3 (WEC 3:2959); Statuta (5th c.) cans. 20–21 (WEC 3:3077–78); Orange I (441) can. 3 (WEC 3:3125); Vaison (442) can. 2 (WEC 3:3137); Arles II (between 442 and 506) can. 28 (WEC 3:3149); Agde (506) can. 15 (WEC 4:4552); Orleans III (538) cans. 6, 28 (WEC 4:4605, 4609); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 82 (WEC 4:4699); Gerunda (517) can. 9 (WEC 4:4722); Barcelona I (ca. 540) can. 9 (WEC 4:4732). † Canon translated from CCL 148 A:40. a. After the death of his wife, Stephen, an official in Burgundy, married his wife’s sister Palladia. For this Stephen was excommunicated. †† Canons translated from CCL 148 A:43–44. a. Conversion: undertaking a life of asceticism or celibacy? b. See Neo-Caesarea (ca. 320) can. 11 (WEC 2:1443); Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 1-b (WEC 2:881); Agde (506) can. 17 (WEC 4:4553); Orleans III (538) can. 6 (WEC 4:4605).

176. Synods  151 Canon 2. [.  .  .] No metropolitan is to confer the dignity of the episcopacy upon a layman; other bishops are not to confer the honor of the presbyterate or the diaconate upon anyone who has not undergone conversion for at least a whole year. Canon 3. No one should dare ordain to the above honors any person who has done penance,c anyone who has married twice, or any man who has married a widow.d [.  .  .]

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176-F. Synod of Vaison II (529)† The eleven or twelve bishops who attended this meeting on November 5, 529, reviewed previous canons and issued five new ones. Hefele (1905) 2.2:1110–15 * Hefele (1871) 4:169–70 * DCA 2:2010 * EEC 1:555 * ODCC 1674 E. Bishop, “‘Kyrie eleison’: A Liturgical Consultation I,” DR 18 (1899) 294–302. * L. Beauduin, “Le concile de Vaison (529),” QLP 6 (1924) 177–85. * E. Griffe, “Trois textes importants pour l’histoire du canon de la messe,” BLE 6 ser. 59 (1958) 65–72.

Canon 1. According to a very worthwhile custom which we know is followed throughout Italy, the presbyters appointed to rural parishes receive young readers who are unmarried. There they reside. The presbyters, spiritually nourishing them like good spiritual fathers, teach them the psalms, have them meditate on the holy readings, and instruct them in the law of the Lord so that they, the presbyters, might provide for themselves worthy successors and from the Lord receive eternal rewards. Upon reaching maturity, those readers who due to weakness of the flesh desire to marry may do so. Canon 2. For the building up of all the churches and for the advantage of all the people, not only in the cities but in rural areas, presbyters have the power to preach [God’s] word. If due to sickness a presbyter cannot preach, deacons can read aloud homilies written by the holy fathers; for if deacons are worthy to read what Christ spoke in the Gospel, why should they be considered unworthy to read in public the writings of the holy fathers? Canon 3. Both in the Apostolic See [Rome] as well as throughout the provinces of the whole East and of Italy the pleasing and very salutary custom has been introduced that the Kyrie eleison is often said with great devotion and feeling. It pleases us that in all our churches such a holy custom be introduced at Matins, at Mass, and at Vespers. At all Masses, whether in c. See Toledo I (400?) can. 2 (WEC 3:3168); Statuta (5th c.) can. 84 (WEC 3:3106); Agde (506) can. 43 (WEC 4:4560); Epaon (517) can. 3 (WEC 4:4575); Orleans III (538) can. 6 (WEC 4:4605). d. See Angers (453) can. 11 (WEC 3:3156). † Canons translated from CCL 148 A:78–80.

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4594

152  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West the morning or during Lent or at those commemorating the deceased, the “Holy, holy, holy” is to be said in the same arrangement as found in public Masses because such a holy, pleasing, and desirable utterance, even if it could be said day and night, is not able to cause disdain. 4595 Canon 4. The name of the pope—that is, whoever holds the apostolic chair—is to be read aloud in our churches. 4596 Canon 5. Because of the cunning of the heretics who deny that God’s Son was not always with the Father but blasphemously hold that the Son had a temporal beginning, the Sicut erat in principio is said in all conclusions after the Gloria not only in Rome but also throughout the whole East and throughout Africa and Italy.a And so we desire that this be done in all our churches.

176-G. Synod of Orleans II (533)† The twenty-one bishops and five metropolitans who gathered on June 23, 533, in Orleans enacted twenty-one canons. Hefele (1905) 2.2:1130–35 * Hefele (1871) 4:185–88 * CE 11:318 * DDCon 3:247–48 * EEC 1:555

Canon 3. No bishop is allowed to receive anything, under no pretext whatsoever, for ordaining bishops and other clerics.a [.  .  .] 4598 Canon 14. Clerics who neglect to carry out their office or who refuse to come to church when it is their turnb will be deposed of their dignity. 4599 Canon 16. No one is to be ordained as a priest or as a deacon who is illiterate or who does not know how to baptize.c 4600 Canon 18. Henceforth the diaconal blessing will not be conferred upon women because of the weakness of their condition.d 4597

a. See Narbonne (589) can. 2 (WEC 4:4656); Toledo III (589) ser. 1 can. 14 (WEC 4:4763). † Canons translated from CCL 148 A:99–101. a. See Chalcedon (451) can. 2 (WEC 3:3378); Braga II (572) can. 3 (WEC 4:4756); Barcelona II (599) can. 1 (WEC 4:4772). b. See Statuta (5th c.) can. 35 (WEC 3:3083); Toledo I (400?) can. 5 (WEC 3:3169); Irish Synod I (between 450 and 456) can. 7 (WEC 3:3173); Vannes (between 461 and 491) can. 14 (WEC 3:3163); Tarragona (516) can. 7 (WEC 4:4714); Orleans III (538) can. 15 (WEC 4:4606). c. See Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 1-c (WEC 2:881); Narbonne (589) can. 11 (WEC 4:4658). d. See Nicaea I (325) can. 19 (WEC 2:1456); Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 11 (WEC 2:1964); Nîmes (394) can. 2 (WEC 2:1226); Statuta (5th c.) can. 100 (WEC 3:3119); Orange I (441) can. 25 (WEC 3:3136); Chalcedon (451) can. 15 (WEC 3:3379); Epaon (517) can. 21 (WEC 4:4577); Dvin (527) can. 17 (WEC 4:4844).

176. Synods  153

176-H. Synod of Clermont (535)† Held on November 8, 535, in Clermont-Ferrand under the presidency of Honoratus, the archbishop of Bourges, this synod was attended by fifteen bishops and issued sixteen canons. Hefele (1905) 2:1139–42 * Hefele (1871) 4:190–92 * DDCon 1:292–93 * EEC 1:555

Canon 3. The bodies of the deceased are not to be wrapped in linen or in other sacred cloths. Canon 7. The body of a bishop when being taken for burial is not to be covered with the cloth that is used for the Body of the Lord; a holy veil used for this purpose, although honoring the body, soils the altar. Canon 8. Objects used for divine worship are not to be handed over for use at weddings; being soiled by contact with corrupt people and by the display of worldly dissipation, they appear unworthy of use during the holy mysteries. Canon 15. If a presbyter or a deacon has no canonical position, whether in the [episcopal] city or in a [rural] parish but resides on an estate, and if he leaves the oratory where he celebrates the holy mysteries, he is not to celebrate the principal feasts—Christmas, Easter, Pentecost, and the other major feasts—other than with his bishop in the city. Furthermore, all the more wellto-do citizens are to come into town to join the bishop on these feasts.a [.  .  .]

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4603

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176-I. Synod of Orleans III (538)†† The nineteen bishops present at this meeting in 538, probably on May 7, renewed former legislation and issued thirty-three new canons. Hefele (1905) 2.2:1155–62 * Hefele (1871) 4:185–88 * CE 11:318 * DCA 2:1527 * DDCon 3:249–51 * EEC 1:555

Canon 6. A layman must not be ordained until a year after his conversiona nor until he has attained the legitimate age, twenty-five years for a deacon, and thirty years for a presbyter.b Constant care is to be taken regarding those to be ordained clerics. Not to be promoted to the orders listed Canons translated from Les canons des conciles mérovingiens, vol. 1, trans. and ed. J. Gaudemet, SChr 353 (Paris, 1989) 212–19. a. See Agde (506) can. 21 (WEC 4:4556); Orleans I (511) can. 25 (WEC 4:4570); Epaon (517) can. 35 (WEC 4:4586); Orleans IV (541) can. 3 (WEC 4:4617); Lyons IV (583) can. 5 (WEC 4:4650). †† Canons translated from CCL 148 A:116–26. a. Conversion: undertaking a life of asceticism or celibacy? b. See Neo-Caesarea (ca. 320) can. 11 (WEC 2:1443); Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 1-b (WEC 2:881); Agde (506) can. 17 (WEC 4:4553); Arles IV (524) can. 1 (WEC 4:4589). †

4605

154  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West above is a man who has married twice, or has married a widow,c or has done penance,d or whose body is deformed, or who at one time or another has been tormented [by the demons] in public. But if a bishop has acted contrary to these canons, the person who was ordained will be deprived of his office. And the bishop, because of his recklessness in ordaining, will not be allowed to celebrate the [holy] office for six months. Yet if the bishop dares to ordain within this period of time, he will be excluded from the love of all the brethren for a whole year. If a cleric or lay person has given false testimony concerning promotion to orders, and if due to the bishop’s ignorance an illicit ordination was celebrated, that cleric or lay person is to be denied Communion for a year. However, Viaticum is not to be denied in the case of very serious sickness.e 4606 Canon 15 (14). Concerning the celebration of [the pontifical] Mass, at least on major feasts it is to begin at the third hour [9:00 a.m.] so that the priests, once Mass has concluded, might more easily gather at a suitable hour for Vespers, that is, during the evening since it is neither fitting nor proper that on such feasts priests be absent from the church during the evening offices.f 4607 Canon 16 (15). A bishop is not to rush into a diocese of another bishop to ordain clerics that are not his owng or to consecrate altars.h Should he do this, the person he has ordained is to be deposed; altars, however, remain as they are. Whoever transgresses this canon will not celebrate Mass for a year. 4608 Canon 27 (24). The blessing of penance is not to be granted to those who are youngi nor to those who are married without the consent of the spousej and only to those advanced in years. c. See Angers (453) can. 11 (WEC 3:3156); Arles IV (524) can. 3 (WEC 4:4591). d. See Toledo I (400?) can. 2 (WEC 3:3168); Statuta (5th c.) can. 84 (WEC 3:3106); Agde (506) can. 43 (WEC 4:4560); Epaon (517) can. 3 (WEC 4:4575); Arles IV (524) can. 3 (WEC 4:4591). e. See Elvira (ca. 300) cans. 1, 6, 7, 37, 47 (WEC 2:1270–72, 1284, 1290); Ancyra (314) cans. 16, 22 (WEC 2:1432, 1435); Nicaea I (325) can. 13 (WEC 2:1453); Rome (488) Letter 7, can. 3 (WEC 3:2959); Statuta (5th c.) cans. 20–21 (WEC 3:3077–78); Orange I (441) can. 3 (WEC 3:3125); Vaison (442) can. 2 (WEC 3:3137); Arles II (between 442 and 506) can. 28 (WEC 3:3149); Agde (506) can. 15 (WEC 4:4552); Epaon (517) can. 36 (WEC 4:4587); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 82 (WEC 4:4699); Gerunda (517) can. 9 (WEC 4:4722); Barcelona I (ca. 540) can. 9 (WEC 4:4732). f. See Statuta (5th c.) can. 35 (WEC 3:3083); Toledo I (400?) can. 5 (WEC 3:3169); Irish Synod I (between 450 and 456) can. 7 (WEC 3:3173); Vannes (between 461 and 491) can. 14 (WEC 3:3163); Tarragona (516) can. 7 (WEC 4:4714); Orleans II (533) can. 14 (WEC 4:4598). g. See Angers (453) can. 9 (WEC 3:3154). h. See Irish Synod I (between 450 and 456) can. 23 (WEC 3:3178); Agde (506) can. 14 (WEC 4:4551); Epaon (517) can. 26 (WEC 4:4581); Braga I (561) ser. 2 can. 19 (WEC 4:4752); Braga II (572) cans. 5–6 (WEC 4:4758–59). i. See Agde (506) can. 15 (WEC 4:4552). j. See Arles II (between 442 and 506) can. 22 (WEC 3:3147).

176. Synods  155 Canon 28 (25). A person who after receiving the blessing of penance presumes to return to a worldly lifek or to military service is to be punished by excommunication till the time of death when Viaticum is granted. Canon 29 (26). According to the statutes of the Apostolic See no slave or farmer is to be admitted to ecclesiastical honors unless it is first evident by testimony or writing that he has obtained his freedom. A bishop who knows the condition of the one ordained and still proceeds with the ordination is not to celebrate Mass for a whole year. Canon 31 (28). The people have been told that on the Lord’s Day no trip is to be taken by means of horses or oxen or vehicles, that they are not to prepare food, that they cannot do anything related to the cleanliness of the person’s house. Surely this pertains more to Judaism than to Christianity. We decree that on the Lord’s Day it is allowed to do what was formerly permitted. As to work in the country, that is, ploughing, caring for the vineyards [.  .  .], this is not to be donel so that people may more easily come to church for the grace of prayer. Those engaging in such forbidden works are to be punished not by lay authority but by the bishop. Canon 32 (29). No member of the laity is to leave Mass before the Lord’s Prayer has been said.m If a bishop is present, his blessing is to be awaited. No one bearing weapons for war is to attend the morning or evening sacrifice of the Mass. Whoever dares to do so is to be subject to the power of the bishop as to the manner of punishment. Canon 33 (30). Because, God willing, we come under the power of Catholic kings, from Holy Thursday up to Easter Monday, that is, for four days, Jews shall not dare to show themselves among Christians nor for any reason associate with Catholics.n Canon 34 (31). Subject to a year’s excommunication is the judge of a city or place who knows that a heretic or a follower of Bonosiuso or a priest from any other heresy has rebaptized a person who is Catholic,p and who does not immediately restrict the rebaptizer and—seeing that we have Catholic kings—bring this person to the king where justice will thereupon be administered, namely, a year’s excommunication. k. See Angers (453) can. 5 (WEC 3:3153); Tours I (461) can. 8 (WEC 3:3159); Vannes (between 461 and 491) can. 3 (WEC 3:3160); Orleans I (511) can. 11 (WEC 4:4564); Epaon (517) can. 23 (WEC 4:4579); Toledo III (589) ser. 2 cap. 11 (WEC 4:4766). l. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 29 (WEC 2:1980); Auxerre (late 6th or early 7th c.) can. 16 (WEC 4:4640); Mâcon II (585) can. 1 (WEC 4:4651); Narbonne (589) can. 4 (WEC 4:4657). m. See Antioch (341) can. 2 (WEC 2:1948); Agde (506) can. 47 (WEC 4:4562); Orleans I (511) can. 26 (WEC 4:4571); Narbonne (589) can. 12 (WEC 4:4659). n. See Mâcon I (581/583) can. 14 (WEC 4:4649). o. Bonosius: a fourth-century bishop of Sardica whose followers were accused of various trinitarian and christological errors. p. See Carthage (345–48) can. 1 (WEC 2:874–75); Toledo III (589) ser. 1 can. 15 (WEC 4:4764).

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156  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West

176-J. Synod of Orleans IV (541)† A wide representation of Gallican bishops was present for this meeting, which occurred on May 14, 541. Thirty-eight canons, several recalling past legislation, were enacted. Hefele (1905) 2.2:1164–74 * Hefele (1871) 4.2:210–15 * CE 11:318 * DCA 2:2527 * DDC 3:251–53 * EEC 1:556

Canon 1. Easter is to be celebrated by all bishops at the same timea and according to the table of Victorius.b Each year on Epiphany the date of Easter is to be announced to the people in church.c As often as there is any doubt regarding the feast, the metropolitan shall consult with the Apostolic See as to a decision. 4616 Canon 2. In all churches Lent is to be observed in the same manner;d no bishop is to allow a Quinquagesima or a Sexagesima before Easter. On Saturday all who are not sick are to observe the Lenten fast;e only on Sunday may one eat.f The statutes of the fathers have especially decreed this. Those breaking this rule will be rebuked by the bishop as transgressors of discipline. 4617 Canon 3. Should any of the more well-to-do members of the laity desire to observe Easter outside the [bishop’s] city, they should know that the synod forbids this.g They are to observe the principal feasts in the presence of the bishop where there is a [cathedral] church. However, if necessity does not allow this, they can request leave from the bishop [to be absent]. [.  .  .] 4615

Canons translated from CCL 148 A:132–34. a. See Nicaea I (325) (WEC 2:1459); Antioch (341) can. 1 (WEC 2:1947); Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 1 can. 1 (WEC 2:880); Carthage V (401) can. 73 (WEC 3:2747); Statuta (5th c.) can. 78 (WEC 3:3103). b. Victorius of Aquitaine in 457 composed a table for determining the date of Easter. It is found in Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Auctores Antiquissimi, 9, 1, 677–735. c. See Auxerre (late 6th or early 7th c.) can. 2 (WEC 4:4630); Braga II (572) can. 9 (WEC 4:4761). d. See Saragossa (ca. 380) can. 2 (WEC 2:1295); Orleans I (511) can. 24 (WEC 4:4569); Dvin (527) can. 29 (WEC 4:4851). e. See Elvira (ca. 300) can. 26 (WEC 2:1276); Agde (506) can. 12 (WEC 4:4549); Dvin (527) can. 38 (WEC 4:4853). f. See Saragossa (ca. 380) can. 2 (WEC 2:1295); Gangra (ca. 345) can. 18 (WEC 2:1955); Statuta (5th c.) can. 77 (WEC 3:3102); Agde (506) can. 12 (WEC 4:4549); Braga I (561) ser. 1 can. 4 (WEC 4:4737); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 57 (WEC 4:4692). g. See Agde (506) can. 21 (WEC 4:4556); Orleans I (511) can. 25 (WEC 4:4570); Epaon (517) can. 35 (WEC 4:4586); Clermont (535) can. 15 (WEC 4:4604); Lyons IV (583) can. 5 (WEC 4:4650). †

176. Synods  157 Canon 4. In the offering of the holy chalice only wine mixed with water will be offered because it is judged sacrilegious to offer anything other than what the Lord established by his most holy commands.h Canon 5. A bishop is to be consecrated in the city in which his election to ordination took place and in the church over which he is to be in charge. Clearly if the necessity of time does not allow this, although it is better for him to be ordained in his own church, yet either in the presence of the metropolitan or certainly with his authority, he is at least to be ordained within his own province and by his fellow bishops. Canon 8. As to those who, after receiving the sacrament of baptism, yield to bodily desires, fall into heresy, and, recognizing their guilt, wish to return to the unity of the Catholic faith, it is within the power of the bishop, once he sees that they have done a fitting penance, to determine when and how they are to be restored to their former communion.

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4619

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176-K. Synod of Lyons III (between 567 and 570)† This meeting, attended by two metropolitans and six bishops, produced six canons. Hefele (1905) 3.1:182–84 * Hefele (1871) 4:387–88 * DDCon 2:284–85

Canon 6. During the first week of the ninth month [November], before its first Sunday, all churches and parishes shall henceforth observe the litaniesa just as, according to the decree of the fathers, they are observed before the feast of the Ascension.b

4621

176-L. Synod of Tours II (567)†† Nine bishops, meeting on November 17, 567, in the Basilica of Saint Martin in Tours, issued twenty-seven canons. Hefele (1905) 3.1:184–93 * Hefele (1871) 4:388–94 * DCA 2:1990 * EEC 1:556

Canon 3. The Lord’s Bodya shall be placed on the altar not in a figurative fashion but in the form of a cross. Canon 4. Whether during vigils or during Mass the laity should not presume to stand among the clergy next to the altar where the holy mysteries h. See Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 23-a (WEC 2:886); Auxerre (late 6th or early 7th c.) can. 8 (WEC 4:4633). † Canon translated from CCL 148 A:202. a. See Gerunda (517) can. 3 (WEC 4:4719). b. See Orleans I (511) can. 27 (WEC 4:4572). †† Canons translated from CCL 148 A:178–92. a. Namely, the various parts of the consecrated bread that has been broken.

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158  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West are being celebrated.b The space between the railings [cancellis] is for the choir of clerics who chant the psalms. As is customary, for prayer and for [receiving] Communion the sanctuary [sancta sanctorum] is open to men and to women. 4624 Canon 18 (17). As to the fasts observed by the monks, the old regulations shall continue. From Easter to Pentecost, with the exception of the Rogations, a prandiumc shall be prepared daily for them. After Pentecost they will fast completely for one whole week, and then till 1 August they will fast three times a week, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, except for the sick. In August there shall be a prandium daily because each day there are Masses of the saints. Throughout September, October, and November, they will fast three times a week as was said before, but in December there is to be a daily fast till Christmas.d From Christmas to Epiphany there shall be daily prandium because every day is a feast except during the three days at the beginning of January, during which our fathers, to oppose heathen customs, ordered special litanies so that psalms are sung in church, and at the eighth hour on the calends the Mass of the circumcision, God willing, is celebrated. From Epiphany to Lent they are to fast three times a week. 4625 Canon 19 (18). Out of honor and reverence to Saint Martin in this holy basilica as well as in all our churches, the following pattern for singing the psalms will be followed: during summer there will be six antiphons with two psalms each; during August there will be manicationes [quicker formulas?] since there are feasts and Masses; in September there are seven antiphons with two psalms each; in October eight antiphons with three psalms each; in November nine antiphons with three psalms each; in December ten antiphons with three psalms each; the same number in January and February till Easter; but according to individual abilities, there may be more or less. Furthermore, at least twelve psalms are appointed for Matins as prescribed by the fathers. At the sixth hour there are six psalms with Alleluias, and at the twelfth hour [Duodecima] there are twelve psalms also with Alleluias, which was known to the fathers through the revelation of an angel. If there are twelve psalms at the twelfth hour, why not at least twelve at Matins? Whoever says less than twelve psalms at Matins should fast till evening; he is to remain on bread and water; no other food may be taken. Whoever fails to do this is to fast for one week, every day till evening when bread and water may be taken. 4626 Canon 20 (19). [.  .  .] A priest who has intercourse with his wife, or a deacon with his wife, or a subdeacon with his wife, is excommunicated for a year, deposed from his clerical office, and placed among the laity. b. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 44 (WEC 2:1990); Braga I (561) ser. 2 can. 13 (WEC 4:4748); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 42 (WEC 4:4681). c. Namely, a meal taken at midday. d. See Mâcon I (581/583) can. 9 (WEC 4:4647).

176. Synods  159 With permission he may take a place among the readers in the choir of singers. [.  .  .] Canon 23 (22). [.  .  .] There are those who on the feast of the chair of Saint Peter offer food to the dead and, returning home after Mass, revert to the errors of the heathens;e after having received the Lord’s Body they receive the devil’s consecrated food. [.  .  .] Canon 24 (23). Although we have ambrosian works [hymns] in our canon, there are, however, others which in form are worthy to be sung; we wish to freely receive them, the names of their authors having been written down with their titles. Style is not to exclude what comes from faith.f

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176-M. Synod of Auxerre (late 6th or early 7th century)† This diocesan synod, presided over by Bishop Aunacarius and occurring sometime between 561 and 605, issued forty-five canons. Hefele (1905) 3.1:214–21 * Hefele (1871) 4:409–14 * CE 2:145 * DCA 1:154 * DHGE 5:958 * DTC 1.2:2622 * EC 2:504 * EEC 1:556

Canon 1. On the calends of January [1 January] no one is to dress like a cow or a stag, nor is anyone to engage in diabolical practices;a on this day one may give only what is given on other days. Canon 2. Before Epiphany all presbyters are to send their messengers [to the bishop]; they will inform the presbyters as to when Lent will begin; on Epiphany this will be indicated to the people.b Canon 3. It is not permitted to sacrifice in private homesc or to hold vigils [in church] on feasts of the saints. [.  .  .] Canon 6. About the middle of Lent presbyters are to ask for the chrismd and, if illness prevents one from doing this, the task is entrusted to the archdeacon or to the archsubdeacon. The chrism is carried in a chrismarium with a linen cloth just as one carries the remains of the saints. e. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 39 (WEC 2:1988); Auxerre (late 6th or early 7th c.) can. 1 (WEC 4:4629). f. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 59 (WEC 2:2002); Braga I (561) ser. 2 can. 12 (WEC 4:4747); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 67 (WEC 4:4696). † Canons translated from CCL 148 A:265–69. a. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 39 (WEC 2:1988); Tours II (567) can. 23 (WEC 4:4627). b. See Carthage V (401) can. 73 (WEC 3:2747); Orleans IV (541) can. 1 (WEC 4:4615); Braga II (572) can. 9 (WEC 4:4761). c. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 58 (WEC 2:2001); Dvin (527) can. 16 (WEC 4:4843). d. See Statuta (5th c.) can. 87 (WEC 3:3108); Toledo I (400?) can. 20 (WEC 3:3172); Vaison (442) can. 3 (WEC 3:3138); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 51 (WEC 4:4686); Braga II (572) can. 4 (WEC 4:4757); Barcelona II (599) can. 2 (WEC 4:4773).

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160  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West 4633

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4637 4638 4639 4640 4641

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Canon 8. At the divine sacrifice on the altar it is not permitted to offer wine mixed with honey, which is called mulsa, or any liquid other than wine mixed with water because it is a great sin for a presbyter to offer anything other than wine consecrating Christ’s Blood.e Canon 9. It is not permitted for choirs of the laity or of young girls to sing in church; nor are banquets to be prepared in church, for “My house will be called a house of prayer.”1 Canon 10. It is not permitted to celebrate two Masses on the same day at the same altar. Nor is a presbyter, once a bishop has celebrated, allowed to celebrate Mass on the same day and at the same altar. Canon 11. On the vigil of Easter it is not permitted to complete the vigil before the second hour of the night [7:00 p.m.] because on that night it is not permitted to drink [till] after midnight; the same is true for the Lord’s Nativity and other feasts.f Canon 12. Neither the Eucharistg nor the kiss may be given to the deceased; nor are their bodies to be covered with a veil or a cloth [pallas]. Canon 13. The deacon is not to cover his shoulders with a veil or a cloth [pallas]. Canon 14. No dead body may be buried in the baptistery.h Canon 16. On Sunday it is forbidden to harness oxen and do other such labor.i Canon 18. It is not permitted to baptize at any time other than on the feast of Easter;j the only exception would be those who are seriously ill or in danger of death, those called grabatorii. But if some carry their infants into another district to have them baptized there, they [parents and children] are not to be received in our churches; any presbyter who receives them without our permission will be separated from communion with the Church for three months. Canon 19. A presbyter, deacon, or subdeacon who has taken food or drinkk is not to serve at Mass or to be in the church during Mass. e. See Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 23-a (WEC 2:886); Orleans IV (541) can. 4 (WEC 4:4618). f. The meaning of this canon is not clear; see Hefele (1871) 2:411–13. g. See Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 4 (WEC 2:883). h. See Dvin (527) can. 21 (WEC 4:4848); Braga I (561) can. 18 (WEC 4:4751). i. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 29 (WEC 2:1980); Orleans III (538) can. 31 (WEC 4:4611); Mâcon II (585) can. 1 (WEC 4:4651); Narbonne (589) can. 4 (WEC 4:4657). j. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 45 (WEC 2:1991); Irish Synod II (after 456) can. 19 (WEC 3:3180); Agde (506) can. 13 (WEC 4:4550); Gerunda (517) can. 4 (WEC 4:4720); Mâcon II (585) can. 3 (WEC 4:4653); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 49 (WEC 4:4684). k. See Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 28 (WEC 2:887); Dvin (527) can. 24 (WEC 4:4850); Braga II (572) can. 10 (WEC 4:4762); Mâcon II (585) can. 6 (WEC 4:4655). 1. Isa 56:7; Matt 21:13.

176. Synods  161 4643 Canon 25. No abbot or monk is to be a godfather at baptism. Canon 36. Women are not to receive the Eucharist with an uncovered hand. 4644 4645 Canon 37. Women are not to touch the Lord’s pall.l

176-N. Synod of Mâcon I (581/583)† The twenty-one bishops attending this meeting on November 1 in either 581 or 583 enacted nineteen canons. Hefele (1905) 3.1:202–5 * Hefele (1871) 4:403–5 * CE 9:507 * DACL 10.1:751 * DCA 2:1070 * DDCon 3:2

Canon 6. An archbishop may not celebrate Mass without the pallium.a Canon 9. From the feast of Saint Martin till the Nativity of the Lord a fast is to be observed on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.b Mass is to be celebrated as during Lent. [.  .  .] Canon 10. Presbyters, deacons, and all other clerics are to be devotedly subject to the bishop and are not to hold or celebrate feasts other than in the service of the bishop. [.  .  .] Canon 14. According to a decree of the fondly remembered King Childebert, from Holy Thursday till Easter permission is denied the Jews to walk on the streets or in the squaresc as if to insult us Christians. [.  .  .]

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4649

176-O. Synod of Lyons IV (583)†† Under the presidency of Priscus, the archbishop of Lyons, seven bishops gathered on May 22, 583, and issued six canons. Hefele (1905) 3.1:206–7 * Hefele (1871) 4:406 * DDCon 2:285–86

Canon 5. Unless afflicted with illness or having been ordered otherwise by the king, the bishop will always celebrate the Nativity of the Lord and Easter in his own church.a

176-P. Synod of Mâcon II (585)††† Forty-three bishops gathered in Mâcon on October 23, 585, in a type of French national council and issued twenty canons. l. Pall: a cloth placed on the altar and used to cover the bread and cup. † Canons translated from CCL 148 A:224–26. a. Pallium: a woolen band worn over the shoulder; see DACL 13:1 (1937) 935–36. b. See Tours II (567) can. 18 (WEC 4:4624). c. See Orleans III (538) can. 33 (WEC 4:4613). †† Canon translated from CCL 148 A:232. a. See Agde (506) can. 21 (WEC 4:4556); Orleans I (511) can. 25 (WEC 4:4570); Epaon (517) can. 35 (WEC 4:4586); Clermont (535) can. 15 (WEC 4:4604); Orleans IV (541) can. 3 (WEC 4:4617). ††† Translated from CCL 148 A:239–42.

4650

162  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West Hefele (1905) 3.1:208–14 * Hefele (1871) 4:406–9 * Cath 8:123 * CE 9:507 * DACL 10.1:751–52 * DDCon 3:2–6 * EEC 1:556 L. Beauduin, “La liturgie pascale,” QLP 2 (1911–12) 293–304.

Canon 1. We see the Christian people rashly treating with contempt the Lord’s Day; they do what they are accustomed to do on other days. Therefore by means of this synodal letter we have decided that each one of us should, in our holy churches, warn those who are subject to us. Those who heed our warning will profit; but if they do not listen, they will be subject to the penalties defined by us under divine inspiration. Therefore all of you, being Christians who do not bear this name in vain, listen to our warning, knowing that it is our responsibility to watch out for your welfare and to keep you from doing what is evil. Observe the Lord’s Day, a day that has given us rebirth and has freed us from our sins. May no one of you stir up disputes; may no one of you bring anyone to court; may no one imagine a necessity that requires you to put a yoke on the necks of oxen.a Pay attention in soul and in body to God’s hymns and praises. If you find yourself close to a church, hurry there, and on the Lord’s Day devote yourself to prayer and tears. On that day may your eyes and hands be lifted up toward God. The Lord’s Day is the perpetual day of rest that was signified by the Law and the prophets under the figure of the seventh day. And so it is right that we celebrate this day together, a day through which we have become what we were not. Once we were slaves of sin; thanks to this day we have become children of justice. May we show our free servitude to the Lord by whose mercy we know we were saved from the prison of error, not that our Lord requires us to celebrate Sunday with bodily abstinence; he seeks obedience through which, our earthly actions crushed underfoot, he mercifully leads us to heaven. If any of you think little of this exhortation or hold it in disdain, then, as you know, you will first be punished by God as you merit, and then, implacably, you will be subject to the wrath of the bishop. If such a person is a lawyer, may he forever lose his argument. If he is a country person or a slave, he will be whipped severely. If he is a cleric or a monk, for six months he will not associate with his brothers. All these, on the one hand, render God’s spirit favorable toward us and, on the other hand, remove and repel the blows of sickness and sterility. Even the night which leads us to the inaccessible light inspired from above, we use for spiritual vigils, and at that time we do not sleep as do those who are Christians in name only, but we pray and watch in holy doings that we be found worthy to inherit the kingdom of the Savior. 4652 Canon 2. Therefore our Pasch, on which our sinless high priest and pontiff was sacrificed for our sins, we are all to celebrate as a great feast. We are to 4651

a. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 29 (WEC 2:1980); Orleans III (538) can. 31 (WEC 4:4611); Auxerre (late 6th or early 7th c.) can. 16 (WEC 4:4640); Narbonne (589) can. 4 (WEC 4:4657).

176. Synods  163 venerate it most zealously in every way so that during these six most holy days no one dares to do any work, but, gathered as one and intent upon singing the paschal hymns, we will assiduously be present at the daily sacrifice, praising our Creator who gave us rebirth, giving praise in the evening, in the morning, and at midday. 4653 Canon 3. We learn from our brethren that some Christian people, not observing the appointed day for baptism,b baptize their children on other days and on the feasts of martyrs so that on the holy day of Easter there are only two or three who will be regenerated by water and the Holy Spirit. Consequently we have decided that no one shall henceforth be permitted to commit such an abuse. Exceptions are parents desiring to have their children baptized because of a child’s serious illness or approaching death. For this reason we require that all parents, now urged to leave behind their errors and ignorance, are to be present in church on the first Sunday of Lent with their children; having received the imposition of the hand on appointed days and having been anointed with holy oil,c may these children rejoice in the festivities of the appointed day and be regenerated by holy baptism which, if their lives be good, allows them to do priestly things and participate at each solemn celebration. Canon 4. Participating in this holy council, we have learned from the report 4654 of our brothers that in some places certain Christians are so removed from God’s law that none of them wish to carry out the legitimate obligation of obeying God in that they bring no offering to the holy altar. For this reason we decree that on all Sundays the offering upon the altar be presented by all, men and women, both the bread and the wine, so that by these sacrifices they may be freed from the burden of their sins and merit to be associated with Abel and with others who rightly present an offering. [.  .  .] 4655 Canon 6. We likewise decree that no priest gorged with food or drunk with wine be allowed to touch the consecrated species [sacrificia] or celebrate Mass on ordinary days or on feasts; it is not right that bodily food be preferred to spiritual good. Whoever attempts to violate this rule will lose his dignity and rank. In fact the councils of Africa have already made a decision in similar matter, and we have judged it appropriate to join their decision to our own: “Except on Holy Thursday the sacraments are only celebrated by those who are fasting.”d As to the remains of the consecrated species that remain in the sacristy once Mass has been completed, on b. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 45 (WEC 2:1991); Irish Synod II (after 456) can. 19 (WEC 3:3180); Agde (506) can. 13 (WEC 4:4550); Gerunda (517) can. 4 (WEC 4:4720); Auxerre (late 6th or early 7th c.) can. 18 (WEC 4:4641); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 49 (WEC 4:4684). c. See Rome (ca. 400?) can. 11 (WEC 3:2958). d. Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 28 (WEC 2:887). See also Dvin (527) can. 24 (WEC 4:4850); Auxerre (late 6th or early 7th c.) can. 19 (WEC 4:4642); Braga II (572) can. 10 (WEC 4:4762).

164  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West Wednesday and Friday some young boys [innocentes] are led to the church by the person in charge, and having observed the fast, they receive what remains, this being moistened with wine.

176-Q. Synod of Narbonne (589)† Held on November 1, 589, at Narbonne in southern France, this Visigothic synod issued fifteen canons. Hefele (1905) 3.1:228–30 * Hefele (1871) 4:422–23 * DACL 12.1:830–31 * DCA 2:1377–78 * DDCon 3:153 * EEC 1:556 4656

4657

4658

4659

4660

Canon 2. It is decreed that in singing the psalms the Gloria Patri is to be said after each psalm; longer psalms are to be divided, and the Gloria Patri is to be sung after each section.a Canon 4. No one, whether a slave or free, [.  .  .] will do any work on the Lord’s Day or will yoke oxen other than in cases of necessity.b Whoever presumes to do so will, if a free person, pay the city judge six gold pieces; if the culprit is a serf, a hundred lashes will be administered. Canon 11. The bishop is not to ordain any illiterate person to the diaconate or the presbyterate, but if such a person was ordained, he is to be forced to learn.c [.  .  .] Canon 12. [.  .  .] When Mass is being celebrated, no presbyter or deacon, except in cases of illness, is to leave the altar till Mass is completed.d Neither a deacon nor a subdeacon nor a reader is to remove the alb before the end of Mass. [.  .  .] Canon 13. According to the canons, subdeacons, doorkeepers [ostiarii] and other ministers are to carry out their ecclesial duties with zeal. They are to raise the curtains at the door for their superiors. [.  .  .] 1 7 7 . I n s c r i p t i o n . M a i n z B a p t i s t e ry † †

This inscription, found among the works of Venantius Fortunatus (WEC 4:173), decorated a baptistery in Mainz. Canons translated from CCL 148 A:254–56. a. See Vaison II (529) can. 5 (WEC 4:4596); Toledo III (589) ser. 1 can. 14 (WEC 4:4763). b. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 29 (WEC 2:1980); Orleans III (538) can. 31 (WEC 4:4611); Auxerre (late 6th or early 7th c.) can. 16 (WEC 4:4640); Mâcon II (585) can. 1 (WEC 4:4651). c. See Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 1-c (WEC 2:881). d. See Antioch (341) can. 2 (WEC 2:1948); Agde (506) can. 47 (WEC 4:4562); Orleans I (511) can. 26 (WEC 4:4571); Orleans III (538) can. 32 (WEC 4:4612). †† Translation from J. Daniélou, The Bible and the Liturgy (London, 1960) 36. The original citation is found in L. de Bruyne, “La décoration des baptistières paléochrétiens,” in Miscellanea Liturgica in Honorem L.C. Mohlberg, vol. 1 (Rome, 1948) 198ff. †

178. Braulio of Saragossa  165 The hall of holy baptism, so difficult to enter, now is shining. Here it is that Christ washes away in the river the sin of Adam.

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Ib e r i a 178. Braulio of Saragossa

Braulio, a student, friend, and correspondent of Isidore of Seville (ca. 560–636), was bishop of Saragossa 631–51. Among his forty-four letters is one that concerns the liturgy of Christian initiation. It is a response to a letter written to Braulio by Eugene, once Braulio’s archdeacon, who became bishop of Toledo 646–57. CPL nos. 1230ff. * Altaner (1966) 497 * CATH 2:234–36 * CE 2:744–45 * DCB 1:333 * DHGE 10:441–53 * DictSp 1:1925–26 * DPAC 1:557 * DTC 2.1:1123–24 * EC 3:47 * EEC 1:127 * LTK 2:658–59 * NCE 2:760 * NCES 2:585–86 C. Lynch, Saint Braulio, Bishop of Saragossa (631–651): His Life and Writings (Washington, D.C., 1938). * T.C. Akeley, Christian Initiation in Spain c. 300–1100 (London, 1967) 75–76.

178-A. Letters 178-a-1. letter from eugene to braulio† i. Two things have occurred in my church that greatly distress me, and all I can do is seek your counsel. We have learned that there is a man who acts as if he were a priest even though he has not received this office. To apprise you of the particulars, I now present the details. This man was most troublesome to my lord Eugene.a The king asked Eugene to ordain this man a presbyter. Since the bishop could not refuse the monarch’s request, he came up with a deception. Eugene led the man to the altar but did not impose his hand. While the clerics were vigorously singing, he pronounced a malediction rather than a blessing. This the bishop later acknowledged to some of his dear and trusted friends, entreating them to remain silent about this during his lifetime. Now I ask that you immediately tell me what I should do. Is he to be considered a priest? Are those whom he has baptized and anointed with chrismb rightly called Christians? ii. [.  .  .] I have learned that in some places deacons anoint with the chrism. I am at a loss as to what we should do regarding those who have been anointed by such deacons. Is the anointing with the holy chrism to Translated from PL 87:403. a. Eugene: namely, Eugene I, bishop of Toledo 636–46. b. The precise nature of this postbaptismal rite is debated. See C. Lynch, Saint Braulio, 89–94. †

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166  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West be repeated? If not repeated, is the oil to be considered as chrism, something perhaps done under pressure or out of ignorance. I request that your piety inform me as to what action I should take here. 4666 iii. Furthermore, some presbyters, contrary to the law and the ancient canons, presume to sign the baptized with the chrism—if it can be called “chrism”—that they themselves have prepared. To be sure, I do not know what remedy to apply or how to correct the situation in regard to those who have been so signed. Consequently I ask you to enlighten me in this matter. [.  .  .]

178-a-2. letter of braulio to eugene† 4667

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ii. [.  .  .] In your letter you wrote that in your church there are two situations that disturb you and concerning which you don’t know what to do. You wrote about a certain man who, not having received the presbyteral rank, nonetheless functions as a presbyter. Explaining this, you say that he was troublesome to your predecessor who, asked by the king to ordain him a presbyter, did so because he did not wish to refuse this royal request. And so, to use your words, he devised this deception. Leading the man to the altar, your predecessor did not impose the hand upon him. During the loud singing by the clerics the bishop said a malediction, not a blessing. Your predecessor later acknowledged this to some of his dear and trusted friends, entreating them to remain silent about this. And so you requested that I consider what you should do in these circumstances since you do not know whether he should be considered a presbyter and whether those whom he anointed with chrism should rightly be called Christians. iii. You requested that I, despite my ignorance in practical matters, might solve the question. [.  .  .] Inquire of the man over whom the malediction was spoken whether he ever carried out the presbyteral office in the presence of the bishop. Or was he prohibited from doing so by the bishop? Ask whether he baptized, anointed with chrism, offered the sacrifice—being allowed to do so by the bishop who gave the malediction. In my opinion the person to be blamed is not the presbyter but the bishop who engaged in deceit by acting fraudulently. And so it seems to me that whoever acts badly “will bear the burden.” Your holiness will be exempt from this sin because you allow all to remain in the calling in which you found them.1 Why should he not be considered a presbyter if he who did not want him to be a priest recognized him as a priest? Or why should those whom he anointed with chrism not be called Christians because even if the one who gives the anointing is unworthy, nonetheless, they have still been anointed with true chrism? Translated from PL 87:407–10. 1. See 1 Cor 7:20. †

179. Martin of Braga  167 4672 Your prudence is aware that according to the ancient canons a presbyter was not allowed to anoint with chrism. This, as we know, has been observed in the East and throughout Italy. Later on, however, presbyters were permitted to anoint with chrism but only with chrism blessed by the bishop. The reason here is that the presbyters not appear to have as their own the privilege of consecrating God’s people. They do so with the blessing and permission of the bishop acting, as it were, by the hand of the bishop. Since this is so, is there any reason why those anointed by such a priest, although unworthy, not be considered Catholics, being anointed as if by the hand of the bishop since, as I said, they were anointed by the holy and true chrism made holy by the bishop? Obviously baptism given in the name of the Trinity is not to be repeated. Yet we are not prohibited from using chrism to anoint heretics whom we learn did not receive a true chrismal anointing. As I said, this priest anointed them with real chrism. I do not believe that what he did is useless. iv. Even more, the bishop who allowed him to function never spoke out 4673 against him. The bishop did not hesitate to hand over to him the chrism that he himself sanctified. And thus the bishop himself did what was done by the other. What difference does it make whether something is done as circumstances permit or as truth requires? Because the anointing was given in the Catholic Church, it is not to be repeated. 4674 vii. [.  .  .] There is also the matter of certain priests who prepare the chrism—if it can be called “chrism”—and presume to sign the baptized with it. I indeed confess that what, contrary to law and the ancient canons, seems to have been consecrated by presumptuous presbyters and not by any bishop is doubtfully consecrated. For if the heavenly Teacher and Lord gave us bishops as his substitutes, then what they established is established by the spirit of Christ, as the apostle says.2 If any reject their precepts, they reject Christ’s precepts. And so it seems to me that those who have fraudulently been anointed should again be signed with the holy and true chrism. The punishment of the guilty is left to your discretion; it is one thing to correct those who err, another to condemn those who are guilty. [.  .  .]

1 7 9 . M a rt i n o f B r a g a

Born in 515 in the Roman province of Pannonia, Martin spent his early years as a monk in Palestine. Ordained a presbyter ca. 550, he went to Gallaecia (today in northwest Spain), where he established a monastery at Dumio, becoming its first abbot and eventually bishop of the place. Before 572 he was made bishop of Braga (Bracara) in northern Portugal, where he undertook to convert the Suevians from Arianism to orthodoxy. Well educated in the writings of the Church Fathers and an admirer of the Roman philosopher Seneca (ca. 4 b.c.–65 a.d.), Martin, who 2. See Acts 20:28.

168  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West presided at the Council of Braga (WEC 4:180-G), has left us only a relatively small number of literary and pastoral works, including some catechetical tracts, various moral and spiritual treatises together with two poems. CPL nos. 1079ff. * Altaner (1961) 592–93 * Altaner (1966) 492–93 * Bardenhewer (1908) 658–60 * Bardenhewer (1910) 566–67 * Bardenhewer (1913) 5:379–88 * Bardy (1930) 209–10 * Bautz 5:915–19 * CATH 8:741–42 * Labriolle (1947) 2:816–17 * Steidle 245–46 * Tixeront 368 * CE 9:731–32 * DCB 3:845–48 * DDC 6:835–36 * DictSp 10:678–80 * DPAC 2:2129–30 * DTC 10.1:203–7 * EC 8:220–21 * EEC 1:530–31 * EEChr 2:723 * LTK 6:1423 * NCE 9:303 * NCES 9:219 * ODCC 1044 * PEA (1991) 7:965 * TRE 22:191–94

179-A. Capitula Martini† Written after 561, the Capitula Martini—also known as the Collectio Orientalium Canonum—is a collection of eighty-four canons selected from both Eastern (Greek) and Western sources. The canons, at times rewritten, treat the ordination and functions of clerics (sixty-eight canons) and then focus on the laity (sixteen canons). Canon 1. The selection of those appointed to the priesthood shall not rest with the people.a This judgment belongs to the bishops who test the candidates to see whether they have been instructed in word, in faith, and in the spiritual life. 4676 Canon 2. It is especially fitting that the bishop be appointed by the whole council; but if this should be difficult due to a long distance to be traveled, then three of the bishops gather. With those who are present together with the absent, all giving their endorsement, the ordination then takes place. In every province it is the metropolitan bishop who is in charge of this. 4677 Canon 3. No bishop is to be ordained without the consent and presence of the metropolitan bishop. It is fitting that all the priests in the province be present. These the bishop should call together by letter. If all can gather, so much the better. But should this prove difficult, then as many as possible are to meet. Whoever cannot come should be present by means of a letter. In this way consent is given to the episcopal ordination. 4678 Canon 22. Those of an appropriate age and who were recently baptized should not be immediately promoted to an ecclesiastical order because it is fitting that they first be taught what they can learn. Such a person is to 4675

† Translated from Opera Omnia, ed. C.W. Barlow, Papers and Monographs of the American Academy in Rome, vol. 12 (New Haven, 1950) 124ff. a. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 13 (WEC 2:1965); Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 20 (WEC 2:884); Statuta (5th c.) can. 10 (WEC 3:3072).

179. Martin of Braga  169 spend much time after baptism being tested so that, well examined, he may be made a cleric according to the precept of the Apostle, who says, “Not a neophyte, lest being puffed up with pride, one fall into the judgment of the devil.”b1 If afterwards he should be overcome by serious sin two or three times, he is to be deposed from his rank and cease being a cleric. [.  .  .] Canon 23. If necessity or need requires that a penitent be first counted among the doorkeepers or readers, he is not to read the gospel or the epistle. If, however, he has been ordained, then he is to be placed among the subdeacons so that there be no imposition of the hand, nor is he to touch holy things.c [.  .  .] Canon 41. No one is allowed to touch the Lord’s sacred vessels other than the subdeacon or the acolyte; these may do so in the secretarium.d Canon 42. Women are not permitted to enter the sanctuary.e Canon 45. No one is allowed to read or sing the psalms from the pulpit unless ordained as a reader by the bishop.f Canon 48. During Lent no anniversaries of the martyrs are to be celebrated; only on Saturday and Sunday are offerings presented that commemorate these martyrs. Neither a birthday nor a wedding is permitted to be celebrated during Lent.g Canon 49. It is not permitted to receive anyone for baptism later than the third week before Easter.h On these days it is fitting that those to be baptized learn the creed and on Thursday of the last week recite it to the bishop or priest.i Canon 50. The fast is not to be relaxed on Thursday of the last week of Lent. Doing so dishonors the whole season. With sincerity we are to fast during the whole period of Lent, eating in a frugal manner.j

b. See Nicaea I (325) can. 2 (WEC 2:1448); Arles II (between 442 and 506) can. 1 (WEC 3:3139). c. See Toledo I (400?) can. 2 (WEC 3:3168); Statuta (5th c.) can. 84 (WEC 3:3106); Agde (506) can. 43 (WEC 4:4560); Epaon (517) can. 3 (WEC 4:4575); Arles IV (524) can. 3 (WEC 4:4591); Orleans III (538) can. 6 (WEC 4:4605). d. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 21 (WEC 2:1973). e. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 44 (WEC 2:1990); Braga I (561) ser. 2 can. 13 (WEC 4:4748); Tours II (567) can. 4 (WEC 4:4623). f. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 15 (WEC 2:1967). g. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) cans. 51–52 (WEC 2:1997–98). h. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 45 (WEC 2:1991); Auxerre (late 6th or early 7th c.) can. 18 (WEC 4:4641); Irish Synod II (after 456) can. 19 (WEC 3:3180); Gerunda (517) can. 4 (WEC 4:4720); Mâcon II (585) can. 3 (WEC 4:4653). i. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 46 (WEC 2:1992); Agde (506) can. 13 (WEC 4:4550); Braga II (572) can. 1 (WEC 4:4755). j. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 50 (WEC 2:1996). 1. 1 Tim 3:6.

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Canon 51. The bishop is always allowed to confect the chrism that is designated for his diocese.k Before Easter a deacon or a subdeacon is sent from the individual churches to the bishop in order to obtain the chrism.l Canon 52. When the bishop is present, the presbyter may not sign infants unless the bishop has directed him to do so.m Canon 53. A priest is not to enter the baptistery before the bishop; he always enters with the bishop unless the latter is absent or sick.n Canon 54. A pregnant woman desiring the grace of baptism may be baptized whenever she so desires. The mother of an infant who is born in no way shares in the child’s baptism since each person must express his or her own will by a confession [of faith].o Canon 55. It is not permitted to offer in the sanctuary anything other than the bread, wine, and water,p which are blessed as a type of Christ; while he hung upon the cross blood and water flowed from his body. In Christ Jesus these three are one, this victim and offering to God unto a sweet odor. Canon 56. When the bishop or the presbyter of the town is present, priests from the countryside are not allowed to minister to the people except when the former are absent.q Canon 57. If a presbyter because of public penance received from a priest or because of another necessity fasts on Sunday as do the Manichaeans,r let him be anathema.s Likewise, the ancient canon handed down from the apostles holds this: on all Sundays and from Easter to Pentecost we are not to kneel or bow low; rather, we are to stand erect, looking at the Lord, for on this day we celebrate the joy of the Lord’s resurrection.t Canon 63. Should any presbyter, deacon, or any cleric attached to a church, if he is within the city or place where the church is located, not k. See Toledo I (400?) can. 20 (WEC 3:3172); Carthage II (390) can. 3 (WEC 2:876); Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 34 (WEC 2:891); Braga I (561) ser. 2 can. 19 (WEC 4:4752). l. See Toledo I (400?) can. 20 (WEC 3:3172); Elvira (ca. 300) can. 77 (WEC 2:1294); Statuta (5th c.) can. 87 (WEC 3:3108); Vaison (442) can. 3 (WEC 3:3138); Auxerre (late 6th or early 7th c.) can. 6 (WEC 4:4632); Braga II (572) can. 4 (WEC 4:4757); Barcelona II (599) can. 2 (WEC 4:4773). m. See Toledo I (400?) can. 20 (WEC 3:3172). n. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 56 (WEC 2:2000). o. See Neo-Caesarea (ca. 320) can. 6 (WEC 2:1438). p. See Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 23-a (WEC 2:886). q. See Neo-Caesarea (ca. 320) can. 13 (WEC 2:1445). r. Manichaeans: followers of Mani (ca. 216–76), who preached a dualistic doctrine based on an ancient conflict between light and darkness, between good and evil. s. See Gangra (ca. 345) can. 18 (WEC 2:1955); Saragossa (ca. 380) can. 2 (WEC 2:1295); Statuta (5th c.) can. 77 (WEC 3:3102); Agde (506) can. 12 (WEC 4:4549); Orleans IV (541) can. 2 (WEC 4:4616); Braga I (561) ser. 1 can. 4 (WEC 4:4737). t. See Nicaea I (325) can. 20 (WEC 2:1457); Statuta (5th c.) can. 67 (WEC 3:3099).

179. Martin of Braga  171 meet for the daily sacrifice of psalmody at the morning and evening hours, he is to be deposed from the clerical state unless, making amends, he shows that he has merited to be pardoned by the bishop.u Canon 64. No cleric, no matter who he is, is to absent himself from church on Sunday but is to be present at Mass and observe the [pre-Communion?] fast.v Canon 65. Neither clerics nor religious are to begin eating before the third hour of the day, nor are clerics at any time to eat bread without having sung a hymn and, after eating, without giving thanks to God the author [of all things]. Canon 67. Not to be said in church are [privately] composed or common psalms.w Nor are the noncanonical works to be read; only the canonical books of the Old and New Testaments.x Canon 69. Christians are not to carry food to the tombs of the deceased and to offer it on their behalf. Canon 70. Clerics and the Catholic laity are not to receive eulogiaey from heretics because the eulogiae are evils rather than blessings. Nor are they to pray with heretics or schismatics.z Canon 82. Not to be refused are those departing the body who desire the final and necessary Communion, namely, Viaticum.aa But if they, having regained health and having received Communion, are again placed in a grave state of health, they are to be prayed over since they are not to receive the Sacrament till they have carried out the appointed time of penance. Canon 83. As to those who enter the church of God and due to talking do not hear the sacred Scriptures or due to dissipation fail to receive sacramental Communion, or do not follow the disciplinary rule regarding the mysteries, we decree that they are to be ejected from the Catholic Church u. See Toledo I (400?) can. 5 (WEC 3:3169). v. See Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 28 (WEC 2:887). w. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 59 (WEC 2:2002); Braga I (561) ser. 2 can. 12 (WEC 4:4747); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 67 (WEC 4:4696); Tours II (567) can. 24 (WEC 4:4628). x. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 59 (WEC 2:2002); Hippo (393) Cod. Ver. can. 5, Brev. Hipp. can. 36-a (WEC 2:879, 892). y. For a listing of the meaning of eulogiae (literally, “to speak well” or “to bless”), see EEC 1:297. z. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) cans. 32–33 (WEC 2:1982–83); Statuta (5th c.) can. 82 (WEC 3:3105). aa. See Elvira (ca. 300) cans. 1, 6, 7, 37, 47 (WEC 2:1270–72, 1284, 1290); Ancyra (314) cans. 16, 22 (WEC 2:1432, 1435); Nicaea I (325) can. 13 (WEC 2:1453); Rome (488) Letter 7, can. 3 (WEC 3:2959); Statuta (5th c.) cans. 20–21 (WEC 3:3077–78); Orange I (441) can. 3 (WEC 3:3125); Vaison (442) can. 2 (WEC 3:3137); Arles II (between 442 and 506) can. 28 (WEC 3:3149); Agde (506) can. 15 (WEC 4:4552); Epaon (517) can. 36 (WEC 4:4587); Orleans III (538) cans. 6, 28 (WEC 4:4605, 4609); Gerunda (517) can. 9 (WEC 4:4722); Barcelona I (ca. 540) can. 9 (WEC 4:4732).

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172  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West till they do penance and show the fruit of penance, asking that, Communion having been received, forgiveness might be merited.bb cc

179-B. On Triple Immersion† Here Martin responds to Boniface, a Spanish bishop, who believes that the triple baptismal immersion is a response to the Arian heresy. From Bishop Martin to Bishop Boniface. [.  .  .] ii. According to what you have written, some of our people traveling in your lands have told you that the priests of this province confer baptism not in the one name of the Trinity but in the names of the Trinity. This, as you must know, is completely false. For in my mind whoever wanted you to believe this has either not seen bishops baptizing or certainly wanted to recall what was formerly the practice here. But I have most certainly learned that some years ago the metropolitan of this province requested from the See of blessed Peter the formula having the utmost authority.a Upon most carefully reading a copy [of the reply], I found it written that the person being baptized is to be dipped or immersed three times. 4702 iii. You say, “Invoking the name three times and immersing three times is most certainly a practice of the Arians.”b I reply that to be immersed three times in the one name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is the ancient and apostolic tradition, a tradition the priests of this province have from the authority of the bishop of Rome in written form. The bishop of Constantinople observed this practice on the very feast of Easter and in the presence of this court’s delegates who were sent to the imperial court. There is also the letter from Paul the blessed Apostle which says, “There is one God, one faith, one baptism.”1 There is also Saint Jerome’s treatise in which he confirms that the baptized are immersed three times with the one name being invoked only once.c Should you so desire, you can find this most ancient papyrus in the possession of our venerable and holy brother the priest Ausentius. Furthermore, in the Acts of Saint Sylvester Constantine, in a vision, was ordered to be immersed three times.d Many, upon hearing the Apostle say “one baptism,” wish to 4701

bb. See Antioch (341) can. 2 (WEC 2:1948). cc. Some suggest that the text “deprecans ut possit communione percepta indulgentiam promereri” may be, at best, just unclear. † Translated from Opera Omnia, ed. C.W. Barlow, 256–58. a. See WEC 4:4190. b. Arians: followers of Arius (ca. 260–336), a priest in Alexandria who denied the unity and consubstantiality of the three persons of the Trinity and consequently the full divinity of Christ, a doctrine condemned by the Council of Nicaea in 325. c. Jerome, Dialogue between a Luciferian and an Orthodox Christian (WEC 3:3929). d. See Edictum Constantini Magni (PL 8:572). 1. Eph 4:5.

179. Martin of Braga  173 understand this as pertaining to the one immersion rather than to the one Catholic faith with baptism being everywhere celebrated in one way. And then, attempting to distance themselves from the practice of the Arians, who practice triple immersion but use a single name—as is our custom— they altered the formula found in ancient tradition so that there would be only one immersion given under one name. They did not understand that a single name shows the unity of substance and that the triple immersion shows the distinction of the three persons. For if under one name there would be only a single immersion, then only the divine unity in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit would be shown, not the difference in persons. iv. Now when they distance themselves from the Arians, they fail to 4703 realize that they come close to the Sabellianse who under one name have only a single immersion, who say that the Father is identical to the Son and the Holy Spirit, and hold that the Holy Spirit is identical to the Father. Although it does not demonstrate a distinction of the three persons in the sacrament of baptism, the impious use of three words deceitfully implies one person. As a result some of the Spaniards, “not knowing,” as is written, “what they say nor concerning what they assert,”2 and attempting to flee the Arians, unknowingly fall into another error. The Arians practice psalmody, read the letters of the apostles and the Gospels, and do many other things that Catholics do. But does this mean that we, for our part, are to reject all these things out of a desire to flee their error? Far from it! They have departed from us, as it is written, but they retain all we observe except that they diminish the divinity of God’s Son and the Holy Spirit. v. Yet as we said, there are some who do not follow this reasoning and 4704 desire that there be only a single immersion. To somewhat bolster their presumptuous thinking, they claim that several councils established this practice in order to avoid any similarity with the Arians, something that is patently false. For no council, whether general or local, ever legislated as to one immersion. Now, if any claim that the contrary is true, let them produce the writing showing where, by whom, and by how many of our elders this was done. If they are unable to demonstrate this, let them confidently join us in regard to what has been handed down by the authority of the Roman See, in regard to what the ancient institution of the eastern provinces demonstrates, and what is written in the treatises of the ancient fathers and in the writings that give instruction for celebrating the sacraments, so that just as in the one name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, which names one God, just as we declare that the three are of one substance, so we show the distinctions between the three persons when we three times immerse believers. [.  .  .] e. Sabellians: followers of Sabellius, an early third-century Roman theologian who held that in the Divinity there is a succession of modes or operations. 2. 1 Tim 1:7.

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179-C. On the Pasch† This treatise—not all agree that Martin is its author—explains why the Pasch is celebrated at variable periods between the xi Calends of April (March 22) and the xi Calends of May (April 21). i. Many have attempted to explain the mystery of the Pasch. They likewise desire to make it intelligible by calculating the month, the moon, and the day, but they have left the matter somewhat obscure, either because of the impossibility of knowing or because of the impossibility of speaking; it is as if they had said nothing. I know that many are accustomed to seek more detail as to why we celebrate the Pasch on different days by following Jewish custom according to a computation of the moon. They say that it would seem better if the commemoration of the Lord’s passion were celebrated in the same manner as we observe one anniversary day of our birth—a custom followed by the Gallican bishops not all that long ago—and so we should always celebrate the Pasch on the viii Calends of April [March 25], the day on which Christ’s resurrection is said to have occurred. For this reason I have decided to thoroughly investigate and clearly explain the practice of our ancestors. 4706 ii. The passion of Christ redeems the creature. Concerning this the apostle said, “It was made subject to slavery not willingly but because of him who made it subject, in hope. Because it also shall be delivered from the slavery of corruption unto the freedom of the glory of God’s children.”1 This creature is the spirit of life which brought all earthly and corporeal things into being. This creature is subject to the hope that it might be freed from the corruptibility of the tomb and given the freedom of the children of glory; it was made subject to slavery on the day of the world’s creation, the world Christ came to save through his passion. This he did so that at that time it would be revealed that the day on which the creature had been made subject to slavery would become a day of joy. Because the sacrament of this lamb was so great that even the shadow of truth would profit for salvation by freeing the Jews from slavery under the Pharaoh—as if already prefigured was the liberation of the creature from the slavery of corruption—so the image of Christ’s future passion was involved in the coming of salvation. Thus God said that during the first month of the fourteenth day of the moon the year-old spotless lamb was to be sacrificed, its blood being sprinkled on the doorsteps2 so that the people might fear the angel of death. And during the night when the lamb was being eaten in their homes, namely, at the celebration of the Passover, they might accept freedom through the figure of slavery. That Christ was 4705

† Translated from Opera Omnia, ed. C.W. Barlow, 270–75, with assistance from Iberian Fathers, vol. 1, trans. and ed. C.W. Barlow, Fathers of the Church 62 (Washington, D.C., 1969) 103–9. 1. Rom 8:20–21.  2. See Exod 12:3–11.

179. Martin of Braga  175 prefigured by the spotless lamb is easy to understand; no less obvious is that his sacrifice was intended to free us from the slavery of death. We are marked by the sign of his cross as well as by the sprinkling of his blood. For this reason at the end of the world we will be saved from the angels of death. [.  .  .] iii. This is what our ancestors asked: “According to what has been written, what is the first month, what is the first day, and on what day does the fourteenth day of the moon occur, the day on which the Passover meal was to be eaten?” When the Jews began this tradition, the meaning of the names of the month had not yet been determined by the movement of the moon. But once our elders had determined the time and the day of the Lord’s passion and resurrection, they were able to know when the first month of the year would occur, what the first day of the month would be, when the fourteenth day of the moon would occur, and why they ought to observe the mystery of the Pasch according to the moon and the day. This was judged to be of primary importance, namely, as the years progressed, the time of the Pasch no longer coincided with the moon and the day. So it was judged better to extend the time rather than not observe the moon and the day: first, because two things would be more rightly retained; also because both of these appeared to be more preferable in their observance. Let us now show how each was determined. iv. Let us first explain what we mean by the first month of the year; then what we mean by its first day. We say that our ancestors took their reasoning from the time of the Lord’s passion and resurrection. It is handed down that the Lord rose on Sunday, the viii Calends of April [March 25], and that he ate with his disciples on the preceding Thursday, namely, on the xi Calends of April [March 22]. The reason for this, as our elders believed, was that the creature, whom the Lord was freeing by his blood, was at the same time subjected to slavery. Consequently, we must show that the world began at this time. v. Genesis teaches that the world began during the spring. When the dry land—called the “earth” by God—appeared, he said, “Let the earth produce every kind of vegetation: seed-bearing plants and every kind of fruit-bearing trees that bear fruit from their seeds.”3 It is during the spring that we see all things germinate, and thus the world certainly began during this season. Since spring has three months, the world’s beginning is found within the middle month. Not only during the middle month but also during the middle days of this month. From the v Ides of February [February 9, the beginning of spring] there is one month till the Ides of March [March 11]. However, there are fifteen days from the v Ides of March [March 11], till the viii Calends [March 25], namely, half a month. Thus a month and a half precede this day; a month and a half follow. As we read in Genesis, night and day were equal since “God divided the 3. Gen 1:11.

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176  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West light from the darkness, calling the light ‘day’ and the darkness ‘night.’”4 The two are equally divided. And so where we find day and night being equally divided, there we find the beginning of the world. Yet there was a reason why our ancestors subtracted three days from the viii Calends of April [March 25] in order to discover the first day of the world. According to our ancestors the xi Calends of April [March 22] was the first month and the first day of the world because three days had passed before the sun was established to govern the world. Genesis tells us that the sun and the moon were created on the fourth day.5 And so we find that Christ rose on the viii Calends of April [March 25] and had begun the Passover with his disciples on the xi Calends of April [March 22], the day when the creature was subjected to slavery, a slavery Christ had come to abolish by means of his passion. vi. There can be no doubt that Sunday was the first day of the world 4710 because Scripture says, “The world was made in six days and God rested on the seventh.”6 The seventh day God called the Sabbath. Consequently it is evident that Sunday was the first day of the world. We know that the moon was made full because it was created at the beginning of the night and its rule. But this, as the computation shows, cannot be repeated each year in order that, for example, the xi Calends of April [March 22] and the twenty-fourth day of the moon always fall on a Sunday. During subsequent years, however, the xi Calends of April [March 22] is the twentyfifth day of the moon, a Monday. And so when both the moon and the day are found to be changed, it seemed correct to observe the xi Calends of April [March 22] as the world’s birthday. vii. This is why our ancestors decided that a full month should be ob4711 served for celebrating the world’s birthday and that the Pasch should be celebrated in whatever part of the month the day and the moon coincided. Nor did this lack scriptural authority. Moses said, “This month shall stand at the beginning of your calendar, and you shall count it as the first month of the year.”7 Saying this, he consecrated a whole month as the day of the world’s birth. And so our ancestors, who established the xi Calends of April [March 22] as the birth of the world, defined the xi Calends of May [April 21] as the limit of the first month. Thus the Pasch may not be celebrated before the xi Calends of April [March 22] nor after the xi Calends of May [April 21]. But when in this month both the moon and the day coincide, namely, the fourteenth day of the moon and Sunday, then the Pasch is to be celebrated at this time. But since it often happens that the fourteenth day of the moon does not coincide with Sunday, they chose to have the moon lengthened by seven days provided that Sunday be observed with the joy of the Resurrection. So when the day occurs in this manner, we always defer the Pasch up to the twenty-first day of the moon for the sake of Sunday so that we celebrate the Pasch neither before the xi 4. Gen 1:4–5.  5. See Gen 1:16, 19.  6. Gen 2:2–3.  7. Exod 12:2.

180. Synods  177 Calends of April [March 22] nor after the xi Calends of May [April 21]. In this way the month and the day and the moon are maintained when celebrating the Pasch. viii. When considering the world’s birthday it is prudent that we direct 4712 our attention to the moon and the day rather than to the xi Calends of April [March 22] since a full moon sheds its light upon all night’s darkness and since Sunday is the resurrection of the days of the week, returning as it does to the beginning of these days and refreshing their end. It is better that these days should be observed for the happiness of the birthday and of the liberation of the creature, especially since they are kept within the confines of the first month. Furthermore, our ancestors considered the day to have more religious importance than the moon since we pass beyond the fourteenth day of the moon but not the day of the week, our whole salvation being in the resurrection of the day. Sunday is both the beginning of days and the day of the Resurrection since it was on this day that the Lord rose. The moon, however, even though it does not fill up the whole night till the twenty-first day, still sheds its light on most of the night, leaving the darkness behind and conquering the darkness that lies ahead. For this reason our elders desired to have it extended till the twenty-first day rather than to have the Pasch celebrated before the fourteenth day since it is preferable to leave the darkness behind one’s back rather than being unable to overcome the darkness that is ahead. ix. Our elders concluded that the Pasch should be celebrated neither 4713 before the xi Calends of April [March 22] nor after the xi Calends of May [April 21]. [.  .  .] 180. Synods

180-A. Synod of Tarragona (516)† On November 6, 516, ten bishops gathered at the port city of Tarragona, where they issued thirteen canons. Hefele (1905) 2.2:1026–29 * Hefele (1871) 4:102–4 * DCA 2:1949 * EEC 2:814

Canon 7. If a priest and a deacon are appointed to a rural parish [ecclesia 4714 diocesana] together with other clerics, these two shall alternate weeks. During one week the priest, during the other the deacon, shall provide for divine service, which must consist daily of Matins and Vespers. However, on Saturday all the clerics must appear at Vespers.a This makes it easier for all to be present at the Sunday solemnity. On all days Vespers and Matins Canons translated from CV:36–37. a. Irish Synod I (between 450 and 456) can. 7 (WEC 3:3173); Vannes (between 461 and 491) can. 14 (WEC 3:3163); Orleans II (533) can. 14 (WEC 4:4598); Orleans III (538) can. 15 (WEC 4:4606). †

178  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West are to be celebrated because if a cleric is not present—and this is even worse—there is no one to light the lamp in the church. [.  .  .] 4715 Canon 8. Since it is known that many rural churches are in a bad condition, the bishop in accordance with ancient practice should visit these churches every year. If they are in disrepair, they should be repaired since, in accord with ancient custom, the bishop receives the third part [of all the offerings] from rural churches.b 4716 Canon 9. Should a reader marry an adulteress or continue in marriage with her, he must be excluded from the clergy unless he leaves the adulteress woman. The same is true for an ostiarius.

180-B. Synod of Gerunda (517)† On June 8, 517, seven bishops gathered at Gerunda in northeastern Spain and there enacted ten canons. Hefele (1905) 2.2:1029–30 * Hefele (1871) 4:105–6 * DCA 1:726–27 * DDCon 2:115–16 4717

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4720 4721

Canon 1. The order of Mass as well as the manner of church song and of ministry at the altar shall in the whole province of Tarragona be the same as in the metropolitan church.a Canon 2. During the week after Pentecost, on the three days from Thursday to Saturday, the litanies are to be celebrated with fasting. Canon 3. The second litanies will begin on 1 November. If, however, one of these three days is a Sunday, then the litanies are transferred to another week.b They begin on Thursday and end on Saturday evening after Mass. On these days all refrain from meat and wine. Canon 4. [.  .  .] Catechumens are to be baptized only at Easterc and Pentecost.d The sick, however, may be baptized at any time. Canon 5. When newborn children are sick, as they often are, and do not seek their mother’s milk, they should be immediately baptized on the same day they are born.e b. See Orleans I (511) cans. 14–15 (WEC 4:4566–67); Braga I (561) ser. 2 can. 21 (WEC 4:4754); Braga II (572) can. 6 (WEC 4:4759); Mâcon II (585) can. 4 (WEC 4:4654). † Canons translated from CV:39–41. a. See Vannes (between 461 and 491) can. 15 (WEC 3:3164); Epaon (517) can. 27 (WEC 4:4582); Braga I (561) ser. 2 can. 4 (WEC 4:4742). b. See Lyons III (between 567 and 570) can. 6 (WEC 4:4621). c. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 45 (WEC 2:1991); Irish Synod II (after 456) can. 19 (WEC 3:3180); Agde (506) can. 13 (WEC 4:4550); Auxerre (late 6th or early 7th c.) can. 18 (WEC 4:4641); Mâcon II (585) can. 3 (WEC 4:4653); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 49 (WEC 4:4684). d. Some manuscripts read “the Nativity of the Lord” for “Pentecost.” e. See Carthage V (401) can. 72 (WEC 3:2746); Milevis (416) can. 2 (WEC 3:2749).

180. Synods  179 Canon 9. If any sick person has received the benedictio poenitentiae,f called Viaticum,g by receiving Communion and if, after recovery, has not been required to do public penance in the church, he may be received into the clergy if he has otherwise had no irregularity. Canon 10. Each day after Matins and Vespers the Lord’s Prayer is to be said by the priest.

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180-C. Synod of Valence (524)† Six bishops, gathering on December 4, 524 (there are those who place the meeting in 549), in Valence on the Mediterranean, issued six canons in addition to renewing previous ones. Hefele (1905) 2.2:1067–68 * Hefele (1871) 4:137–38 * NCE 14:515

Canon 1. [.  .  .] The holy gospel is to be read before the gifts are presented or before the catechumens are dismisseda or after the epistle so that not only the faithful but also the catechumens, the penitents, and all others may hear the word of God and the preaching of the bishop. As everyone knows, many have been drawn to the faith by hearing what the bishop preaches.

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180-D. Synod of Barcelona I (ca. 540)†† Six bishops gathered ca. 540 in Barcelona, where they enacted ten brief canons whose meanings are not always clear. Hefele (1905) 2.2:1163–64 * Hefele (1871) 4:209–10 * DCA 1:178 * DDCon 1:139 * DHGE 6:715 * EC 2:835–36 * EEC 1:110

Canon 1. Psalm L [the Miserere] is to be said before the canticle. Canon 2. The faithful are to be blessed at Matins as well as at Vespers. Canon 4. A deacon is not to sit when presbyters are present.a Canon 5. In the presence of the bishop priests are to connect the prayers in proper order. f. See Barcelona II (599) can. 4 (WEC 4:4775). g. See Ancyra (314) can. 22 (WEC 2:1435); Nicaea I (325) can. 13 (WEC 2:1453); Statuta (5th c.) cans. 20–21 (WEC 3:3077–78); Arles II (between 442 and 506) can. 28 (WEC 3:3149); Orange I (441) can. 3 (WEC 3:3125); Rome (488) Letter 7, can. 3 (WEC 3:2959); Agde (506) can. 15 (WEC 4:4552); Epaon (517) can. 36 (WEC 4:4587); Orleans III (538) can. 6 (WEC 4:4605); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 82 (WEC 4:4699). † Canon translated from CV:61. a. See Orange I (441) can. 17 (WEC 3:3133). †† Canons translated from CV:53. a. See Nicaea I (325) can. 18 (WEC 2:1455); Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 20 (WEC 2:1972); Arles II (between 442 and 506) can. 15 (WEC 3:3144).

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180  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West Canon 6. Penitents are to shave their heads,b wear monk’s clothing, and dedicate their lives to prayer and fasting. 4730 Canon 7. Penitents are not to attend banquets nor engage in business affairs; they are to lead a simple life in their homes. 4731 Canon 8. If the sick request and receive penance from the bishop, they must upon recovering live on as penitents. Hands, however, are not to be laid upon them. They are not to receive Communion till the bishop has found their life confirmed. 4732 Canon 9. The sick will receive the benedictio viatica.c 4729

180-E. Synod of Lerida (546)† In 546 (not 524 as is sometimes stated) seven bishops gathered for a provincial meeting in Lerida (Ilerda) in northeast Spain, where they passed sixteen canons. Hefele (1905) 2.2:1063–66 * Hefele (1871) 4:132–37 * CE 9:188 * DCA 1:979 * DDCon 2:251–52 * EEC 1:483 * NCE 8:673

Canon 4. Concerning those who pollute themselves through incest: as long as they persist in that detestable and illicit intimacy, they will be allowed to remain in church only till the dismissal of the catechumens. [.  .  .] 4734 Canon 9. Concerning those who have received sinful baptism without being forced to do so by compulsion or fear of martyrdom, the decrees of the Synod of Nicaea on sinners shall apply, namely, they must pray for seven years among the catechumens and two years among the faithful and then, through the moderating kindness of the bishop, may assist at the offering and the Eucharist.a 4735 Canon 13. The offerings of Catholics who allow their children to be baptized by heretics will not be received in the church.b 4736 Canon 14. The faithful must not eat with the rebaptized. 4733

b. See Agde (506) can. 15 (WEC 4:4552); Toledo III (589) ser. 2 cap. 12 (WEC 4:4767). c. See Elvira (ca. 300) cans. 1, 6, 7, 37, 47 (WEC 2:1270–72, 1284, 1290); Ancyra (314) cans. 16, 22 (WEC 2:1432, 1435); Nicaea I (325) can. 13 (WEC 2:1453); Rome (488) Letter 7, can. 3 (WEC 3:2959); Statuta (5th c.) cans. 20–21 (WEC 3:3077–78); Orange I (441) can. 3 (WEC 3:3125); Vaison (442) can. 2 (WEC 3:3137); Arles II (between 442 and 506) can. 28 (WEC 3:3149); Agde (506) can. 15 (WEC 4:4552); Epaon (517) can. 36 (WEC 4:4587); Orleans III (538) cans. 6, 28 (WEC 4:4605, 4609); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 82 (WEC 4:4699); Gerunda (517) can. 9 (WEC 4:4722). † Canons translated from CV:56–59. a. See Nicaea I (325) cans. 8–12 (WEC 2:1449–52). b. See Elvira (ca. 300) can. 28 (WEC 2:1277); Statuta (5th c.) cans. 49, 69 (WEC 3:3087, 3100).

180. Synods  181

180-F. Synod of Braga I (561)† Meeting on May 1, 561 (the date is sometimes given as 563), in Braga, a city in northwest Portugal, the eight bishops at this provincial gathering issued two sets of canons. CPL no. 1790 * Hefele (1905) 3.1:176–93 * Hefele (1871) 4:381–86 * CE 2:729 * DCA 1:246 * DDCon 1:207–8 * EEC 1:127 * LTK 2:625–26

Series 1 The first series of twenty-two canons condemned several aspects of the doctrine of Priscillianism, a spiritual renewal movement apparently containing various trinitarian, christological, and other errors. Canon 4. If any do not honor Christ’s birthday but fast on this day and on Sundaya because they do not believe that Christ was born in true human nature [.  .  .] let them be anathema. Canon 16. Anathema are those who on the Thursday before Easter—the day called the Coena Domini—do not while fasting celebrate Mass at a proper hour after None but, like the Priscillianists break the fast and celebrate the day from the third hour with Masses for the dead.

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Series 2 The Braga synod also issued a series of twenty-two disciplinary rules, most pertaining to liturgical celebration. Canon 1. One and the same type of psalmody is to be used in the morning and evening offices everywhere; neither monastic custom nor private usage is to be intermingled with ecclesiastical norms.b Canon 2. At the vigils and Masses of festal days the same and not different lessons are to be read everywhere in church. Canon 3. Bishops are to greet the people in the same manner as do the priests, with Dominus vobiscum as is read in the Book of Ruth so that the people respond Et cum spiritu tuo. This has been the practice in all the East since the time of the apostles. The change introduced by the perverse Priscillianists is not to be adopted. Canon 4. The same order of Mass must be celebrated by all in accordance with the formulary sent in writing from Rome and received by Profuturus, formerly the metropolitan of Braga.c Canons translated from CV:67–76. a. See Saragossa (ca. 380) can. 2 (WEC 2:1295); Gangra (ca. 345) can. 18 (WEC 2:1955); Statuta (5th c.) can. 77 (WEC 3:3102); Agde (506) can. 12 (WEC 4:4549); Orleans IV (541) can. 2 (WEC 4:4616); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 57 (WEC 4:4692). b. See Vannes (between 461 and 491) can. 15 (WEC 3:3164); Agde (506) can. 30 (WEC 4:4557). c. See Vannes (between 461 and 491) can. 15 (WEC 3:3164); Agde (506) can. 30 (WEC 4:4557); Epaon (517) can. 27 (WEC 4:4582); Gerunda (517) can. 1 (WEC 4:4717). †

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Canon 5. None are to disregard the order of baptism as was formerly observed by the metropolitan church of Braga and which, to remove all doubt, was received by Profuturus in writing from the see of the most holy apostle Peter. Canon 9. Deacons are not to wear the orariond under the tunic but over the shoulder so that they can be distinguished from the subdeacons. Canon 10. Not the reader but only the subdeacons ordained by the bishop are allowed to carry the holy vessels used at the altar. Canon 11. Readers are not allowed to sing psalms in church in secular garb nor are they allowed to have long hair. Canon 12. As the holy canons prescribe, no poetical compositions are to be sung in church other than the psalms of the Bible’s Old and New Testaments.e Canon 13. No lay person, whether male or female, may enter the church’s sanctuary to receive Communion; only clerics may do so.f Canon 16. The names of those who committed suicide by means of the sword or poison, by jumping from a high cliff or by hanging themselves, are not to be commemorated in the sacrifice, nor is the singing of the psalms to take place while their bodies are brought for burial, as many through ignorance have done. The same is true for those punished [by execution] for their crimes. Canon 17. The names of the catechumens who died before baptism are not to be mentioned during the offering, nor is the singing of the psalms to take place, as is done through ignorance. Canon 18. In no way are corpses to be interred within the churches of the holy ones.g If necessary, it is not unfitting to do so outside and around the walls of the church. For if cities till now have strongly forbidden that corpses be buried within them, how much more should reverence for the venerable martyrs require this? Canon 19. A priest who, after being forbidden to do so, dares to bless the chrismh or who consecrates churches or altarsi shall be deposed from his office since the ancient canons forbid this.

d. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) cans. 22–23 (WEC 2:1974–75). e. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 59 (WEC 2:2002); Tours II (567) can. 24 (WEC 4:4628); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 67 (WEC 4:4696). f. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) cans. 19, 44 (WEC 2:1971, 1990); Tours II (567) can. 4 (WEC 4:4623). g. See Auxerre (late 6th or early 7th c.) can. 14 (WEC 4:4639); Dvin (527) can. 21 (WEC 4:4848). h. Carthage II (390) can. 3 (WEC 2:876); Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 34 (WEC 2:891); Toledo I (400?) can. 20 (WEC 3:3172). i. See Irish Synod I (between 450 and 456) can. 23 (WEC 3:3178); Agde (506) can. 14 (WEC 4:4551); Epaon (517) can. 26 (WEC 4:4581); Orleans III (538) can. 16 (WEC 4:4607); Braga II (572) cans. 5–6 (WEC 4:4758–59).

180. Synods  183 Canon 20. No lay person is to be made a priest until he has learned the ecclesiastical discipline for a whole year as a reader or a subdeacon and has risen through all the grades up to the priesthood.j Canon 21. What is presented by the faithful either on the feasts of the martyrs or at commemorations of the deceased is to be faithfully gathered by a cleric.k At a determined time, either once or twice a year, this is to be divided among all the clergy. If each cleric is allowed to retain for himself what has been presented during the week, then there exists no little inequality from which discord arises.

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180-G. Synod of Braga II (572)† This meeting, attended by the bishops of three ecclesiastical provinces and presided over by Martin of Braga (WEC 4:179), issued ten canons. Hefele (1905) 3.1:194–95 * Hefele (1871) 4:395–97 * Cath 2:230 * CE 2:729 * DCA 1:246 * DDCon 1:208 * EEC 1:127 * LTK 2:625–26

Canon 1. The bishops are to visit the individual churches of their diocese 4755 and examine how the clergy celebrate the order of baptism, of Mass, and whatever services they have in their church; if the bishop finds that the clergy do everything correctly, then give thanks to God; if they do not, the bishop is to instruct the ignorant; he is to command, as the ancient canons so order, that the catechumens come twenty days before baptism for the purifying exorcism;a during these twenty days the catechumens are to receive special instruction on the creed, which is the “I believe in God the Father almighty.”b After the bishop has examined or instructed the clergy, then on another day, having called together the people of the church, he should instruct them to flee the errors of idols and various sins. [.  .  .] 4756 Canon 3. As to clerical ordinations, the bishop is to accept no gift for it is written that what is freely accepted is to be freely given.1 The imposition of the hands is not to be sold, no matter what the price.c [.  .  .] j. See Barcelona II (599) can. 3 (WEC 4:4774). k. See Orleans I (511) cans. 14–15 (WEC 4:4566–67); Tarragona (516) can. 8 (WEC 4:4715); Braga II (572) can. 6 (WEC 4:4759); Mâcon II (585) can. 4 (WEC 4:4654). † Canons translated from CV:81–85. a. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 26 (WEC 2:1978); Constantinople I (381) can. 7 (WEC 2:1460); Rome (ca. 400?) can. 11 (WEC 3:2958); Statuta (5th c.) cans. 64, 95 (WEC 3:3096, 3114). b. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 46 (WEC 2:1992); Agde (506) can. 13 (WEC 4:4550); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 49 (WEC 4:4684). c. See Chalcedon (451) can. 2 (WEC 3:3378); Orleans II (533) can. 3 (WEC 4:4597); Barcelona II (599) can. 1 (WEC 4:4772). 1. See Matt 10:8.

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Canon 4. Nothing is to be requested for the small portion of balsam blessed and sent throughout the churchesd for use during the sacrament of baptism.e [.  .  .] Canon 5. When a bishop is invited by one of the faithful to consecrate a church,f he is not to require that the person inviting him give any kind of gift. But if something is voluntarily offered, it will not be rejected. [.  .  .] Canon 6. In some places, so it is said, there are those who for reasons of personal gain and not for purposes of devotion have churches built where [only] half the gifts collected from the people are given to the clergy.g Thus no bishop is to dare consecrate a churchh that has been established not to obtain the protection of the saints but for the purpose of obtaining personal wealth. Canon 7. Each bishop is to enjoin that those bringing children to be baptized and who voluntarily give an offering be received by the church. If poverty does not allow this offering to be made, no such gift will be demanded by the clergyi since many poor people, in view of this, do not bring their children for baptism. [.  .  .] Canon 9. The date of the next Pasch will be announced so that the other bishops and the rest of the clergy might each in his own church make this known by a short announcement after the gospel.j In this way no one can be ignorant of the beginning of Lent. At its beginning all gather in the neighborhood church and for three days process through the churches of the saints while singing the psalms and celebrating the litanies. On the third day, Mass being celebrated at the ninth or tenth hour, the people are dismissed. They are enjoined to observe the forty day fast and on the twentieth day to present the infantsk to be cleansed by the exorcism. d. See Statuta (5th c.) can. 87 (WEC 3:3108); Vaison (442) can. 3 (WEC 3:3138); Toledo I (400?) can. 20 (WEC 3:3172); Auxerre (late 6th or early 7th c.) can. 6 (WEC 4:4632); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 51 (WEC 4:4686); Barcelona II (599) can. 2 (WEC 4:4773). e. See Elvira (ca. 300) can. 77 (WEC 2:1294); Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 48 (WEC 2:1994); Toledo I (400?) can. 20 (WEC 3:3172); Rome (ca. 400?) can. 11 (WEC 3:2958); Riez (439) can. 3 (WEC 3:3121); Orange I (441) can. 2 (WEC 3:3124). f. See Irish Synod I (between 450 and 456) can. 23 (WEC 3:3178); Agde (506) can. 14 (WEC 4:4551); Epaon (517) can. 26 (WEC 4:4581); Orleans III (538) can. 16 (WEC 4:4607); Braga I (561) ser. 2 can. 19 (WEC 4:4752). g. See Orleans I (511) cans. 14–15 (WEC 4:4566–67); Tarragona (516) can. 8 (WEC 4:4715); Braga I (561) ser. 2 can. 21 (WEC 4:4754); Mâcon II (585) can. 4 (WEC 4:4654). h. See note f above. i. See Elvira (ca. 300) can. 48 (WEC 2:1291). j. See Carthage V (401) can. 73 (WEC 3:2747); Orleans IV (541) can. 1 (WEC 4:4615); Auxerre (late 6th or early 7th c.) can. 2 (WEC 4:4630). k. See Carthage V (401) can. 72 (WEC 3:2746); Milevis (416) can. 2 (WEC 3:2749); Gerunda (517) can. 5 (WEC 4:4721).

180. Synods  185 Canon 10. [.  .  .] We know that some priests, corrupted by the stench of the Priscillianist heresy, are so audacious as to consecrate the offering in Masses for the dead after having taken some wine. Therefore, to be deposed from his office by the bishop is any presbyter who after this decree is caught in this madness—that is, who is not fastingl and has taken some food—and who has consecrated the offering on the altar.

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180-H. Synod of Toledo III (589)† Summoned by King Reccared to commemorate the conversion of the Visigoths from Arianism to orthodoxy, sixty-two bishops (some of whom were themselves Arians) gathered in Toledo and began their deliberations on May 8, 589. Hefele (1905) 3.1:222–28 * Hefele (1871) 4:416–22 * DCA 2:1968 * DTC 15.1:1177–78 * EEC 2:844 * NCE 14:190 * NCES 14:100

Series 1 The bishops first issued twenty-three anathemas against Arianism and those rejecting the teachings of the councils of Nicaea (WEC 2:71-C), Constantinople (WEC 2:71-D), Ephesus, and Chalcedon (WEC 3:137). Canon 14. Those who do not say “Gloria et honor Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto”a are to be anathema. Canon 15. Those who believe or have believed that the sacrilege of rebaptism is something good or who practice or who have practiced itb are to be anathema.

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Series 2 In a further series the bishops issued twenty-three decrees [capitula] on various disciplinary matters. Capitulum 2. Out of respect for the holy faith and to strengthen the weak understanding of the faithful, at the decision of Recared the most holy and glorious lord and king, this holy synod has determined that throughout the churches of Spain, Gaul, and Gallaecia, the creed of the Council of Constantinople is—according to the formula of the Eastern Churches, that is, of the 150 bishops—to be recited so that before the Lord’s Prayer it is

l. See Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 28 (WEC 2:887); Dvin (527) can. 24 (WEC 4:4850); Auxerre (late 6th or early 7th c.) can. 19 (WEC 4:4642); Mâcon II (585) can. 6 (WEC 4:4655). † Canons and capitula translated from CV:119–33. a. See Vaison II (529) can. 5 (WEC 4:4596); Narbonne (589) can. 2 (WEC 4:4656). b. See Carthage (between 345 and 348) can. 1 (WEC 2:874–75); Orleans III (538) can. 34 (WEC 4:4614).

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said aloud by the people so that purified by the witness of faith the hearts of the people might approach to receive the Body and Blood of Christ. Capitulum 11. We have discovered that in certain churches of Spain the canons are not followed; people do penance for their sins so that as often as they desire to sin, so often do they request the presbyter to reconcile them.c Therefore, in order to restrain such a cursed presumption, this holy council has ordered that penance be given according to the ancient canonical form, namely, that first the penitent is excluded from communion and is placed among the other penitents in order to return often for the imposition of the hand. When the time of expiation has ended, the bishop as it seems good may restore the person to communion. Those who return to their previous sins either during the time of penance or after their reconciliation will be punished according to the severity of the early canons.d Capitulum 12. Whenever someone, whether sick or in good health, requests penance from the bishop or a presbyter, the bishop or presbyter first sees to it that, if the person is a man, he first cuts his haire and then is admitted to penance. If the person is a woman, she will not begin penance till she has changed her clothing, for it can often happen that after performing an easy penance, the laity again return to their sins, the very sins they were lamenting after being admitted to penance. Capitulum 22. The bodies of all the religious who have been called by God from this life are to be carried to burial only with voices singing the psalms. We totally forbid the funeral songs that are ordinarily sung to the deceased and which friends and servants accompany with a striking of their breasts. Christians, with their hope of rising, are to honor the remains by means of the divine canticles since the apostle forbids us to mourn the deceased when he says, “I do not want you to grieve over those who have fallen asleep as do the others who lack hope.”1 The Lord did not cry over the dead Lazarus but requested that he be raised up from the hardships of the present life. The bishop, if he can do so, is to prohibit all Christians from doing this, and religious should not, we believe, act any differently; it is fitting that throughout the world the bodies of the deceased Christians be buried in this manner. Capitulum 23. To be completely eliminated is the irreligious custom whereby the people on the feasts of the saints—the people who should be present at the divine services—occupy themselves with dancing and c. See Carthage II (390) cans. 3–4 (WEC 2:876–77); Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 30-b (WEC 2:888); Elvira (ca. 300) can. 32 (WEC 2:1279); Statuta (5th c.) can. 20 (WEC 3:3077); Agde (506) can. 15 (WEC 4:4552). d. See Angers (453) can. 5 (WEC 3:3153); Tours I (461) can. 8 (WEC 3:3159); Vannes (between 461 and 491) can. 3 (WEC 3:3160); Orleans I (511) can. 11 (WEC 4:4564); Epaon (517) can. 23 (WEC 4:4579); Orleans III (538) can. 28 (WEC 4:4609). e. See Agde (506) can. 15 (WEC 4:4552); Barcelona I (ca. 540) can. 6 (WEC 4:4729). 1. 1 Thess 4:13.

180. Synods  187 singing lewd songs. So doing, they not only harm themselves but also intrude upon the offices of the religious. [.  .  .]

180-I. Synod of Saragossa II (592)† On November 1, 592, eleven bishops met for a provincial synod at Saragossa in northeast Spain to solve several problems resulting from the conversion of the Visigoths to Catholicism. Hefele (1905) 3.1:234–35 * Hefele (1871) 4:426–27 * CE 13:469 * DCA 2:1842 * EEC 2:755

Canon 1. A presbyter who comes to the holy Catholic Church from Arianism, whose faith is holy and strong, and who has led a chaste life, may, having been ordained as a presbyter, continue in this office, doing so in a pure and holy manner. Those who do not desire to live such a life will be deposed from the clerical office. This applies to both presbyters and deacons. Canon 3. To be consecrated anew are those churches consecrated by bishops converting from Arianism to the Catholic faith and who performed these consecrations before they themselves were ordained as Catholic bishops.a

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180-J. Synod of Barcelona II (599)†† The bishops who met for this provincial synod in Barcelona on November 1, 599, enacted four canons. Hefele (1905) 3.1:237 * Hefele (1871) 4:428–29 * DCA 1:178 * DDCon 1:140 * DHGE 6:715–16 * EC 2:836 * EEC 1:110

Canon 1. When clerics are promoted to an ecclesiastical office, namely, when subdeacons or deacons or presbyters are blessed, neither the bishop nor any of his clerics may ask for anything. They are to remember what the Lord Jesus said: “Freely give what you have freely received.”a1 Canon 2. Likewise, when the chrism is given to the diocesan presbyters for confirming the neophytes,b nothing is to be accepted as payment for Canons translated from CV:154. a. See Orleans I (511) can. 10 (WEC 4:4563); Epaon (517) can. 33 (WEC 4:4585). †† Canons translated from CV:159–60. a. See Chalcedon (451) can. 2 (WEC 3:3378); Orleans II (533) can. 3 (WEC 4:4597); Braga II (572) can. 3 (WEC 4:4756). b. Statuta (5th c.) can. 87 (WEC 3:3108); Vaison (442) can. 3 (WEC 3:3138); Toledo I (400?) can. 20 (WEC 3:3172); Auxerre (late 6th or early 7th c.) can. 6 (WEC 4:4632); Capitula Martini (after 561) can. 51 (WEC 4:4686); Braga II (572) can. 4 (WEC 4:4757). 1. Matt 10:8. †

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188  Chapter XI. Sixth Century. West this; otherwise God’s grace, spoiled by paying for the blessing, will bring destruction to those who appear to be associated with Simon Magus in buying and selling.c 4774 Canon 3. As determined by the early canons and the prescriptions of the episcopal synodal letters, no layman is to aspire to or is to be promoted to ecclesiastical orders unless the times prescribed by the canons are followed.d [.  .  .] Now if two or three, agreed upon by clergy and people, are presented for judgment to the metropolitan and his co-bishops, the one on whom the lot falls after a preceding fast by the bishops will, Christ designating, be consecrated. Yet if any, God forbid, act differently, both those ordaining and those ordained will be deposed. 4775 Canon 4. If a virgin has freely laid aside her lay clothing, has put on the garments of a religious, and has promised to observe chastity, or if anyone of either sex upon asking receives from the bishop the blessing of penance,e then, if that person voluntarily marries, he or she, expelled from the church, will be separated from communion with all Catholics and even deprived of the pleasure of speaking with them.

British Isles 181. Finnian

Sixth-century Ireland appears to have known two Finnians. One, and perhaps the most famous, is Finnian of Clonard (d. 549), the founder of a monastery in Leinster in eastern Ireland. The other is Finnian, bishop of Moville (d. 579). Some ascribe to the former the Penitential of Finnian, whereas others ascribe the work to the latter. It has even been suggested that the two Finnians are one and the same person. CATH 4:1313–14 * CE 6:77 * DCB 2:518–19 * EEChr 1:430 * LTK 3:1294–95 * NCE 5:929 * NCES 5:735–36 * ODCC 612–13 L. Fleuriot, “Le ‘saint’ breton Winniau et le pénitentiel dit ‘de Finnian,’” Etudes celtiques 15 (1976–78) 607–14.

181-A. Penitential† This, the oldest of such books to be used by confessors, was composed toward the middle or in the latter half of the sixth century. 4776

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. c. See Braga II (572) can. 4 (WEC 4:4757). d. See Braga I (561) ser. 2 can. 20 (WEC 4:4753). e. See Gerunda (517) can. 9 (WEC 4:4722). † Translated from C. Vogel, Le pécheur et la pénitence au Moyen Age (Paris, 1969) 52–62.

181. Finnian  189 1. Those who sin in thought and immediately repent are to strike the breast, request God’s pardon, and perform any appropriate penance in order to be cured. 2. Those who often sin in thought but hesitate to carry out their thoughts or do not know whether consent was given to such evil thoughts will request God’s pardon by means of prayer and fasting, doing so day and night till their evil thoughts subside. Then they will be cured. 3. As to those who have thought about or have desired to engage in evil but lacked any possibility of doing so, the sin is the same [as if the deed were actually committed], but the penance will be different. Thus those who desired to commit an act of impurity or homicide but did not carry out this desire have already sinned within. Provided penance is done immediately, there can be a cure. The penance will consist of six months of fasting, and for one year there will be abstaining from meat and wine. 4. Those who sin through harmful words and then immediately repent—should there be no premeditation—must submit to penance. There will be a prolonged fast [i.e., of two days], and care will be taken not to sin in the future. 5. Those who argue with a cleric or with a minister of God will fast for a week on bread and water. They will humbly and sincerely seek God’s pardon and that of their neighbors, and thus they will be reconciled with God and with others. 6. Should a cleric have had the scandalous intention of striking or killing his neighbor, he will fast for six months on bread and water and abstain from wine and meat. In this way he will be permitted to return to the altar [in order to offer and receive Communion]. 7. If a laic should do this, he or she is to fast for seven days because the guilt of a person of this world is less serious in this world, and so one’s reward will be less in the world to come. 8. If a cleric has struck a brother or a neighbor and has thereby shed blood, the sin is the same as if he had committed murder. The penance, however, is different. He will fast for one year on bread and water and will not exercise his ministry; he will pray with tears and lamentation so as to obtain God’s pardon, for Scripture says, “Whoever hates his brother is a murderer,”1 so how much more guilty is he who strikes his brother. 9. A lay person who strikes his or her brother [or sister] will do penance for forty days and give a fine as determined by a priest or a monk. Clerics, however, neither give nor receive money [in regard to penance]. 10. A cleric who falls into the sin of impurity and forfeits his innocence one time only and without the people being aware of this—but not without God knowing—will fast for a year on bread and water; for two years he will abstain from wine and meat and will not exercise any ecclesiastical

1. 1 John 3:15.

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function. We declare that his sins can be absolved, in secret, by penance and by a serious effort. 11. A cleric who habitually sins by impurity—without the people being aware of this—will do penance for three years on bread and water and will forfeit his office; for an additional three years he will abstain from wine and meat. 12. A cleric who falls so low as to kill his own child is guilty of both the sin of fornication and the sin of murder. These sins, however, can be atoned for by means of penance and good works. The guilty will do three years of penance on bread and water. In tears, lamentations, and prayers, both day and night, the cleric will request God’s pardon in order to obtain the forgiveness of his sins. For three years he will abstain from wine and meat. He will forfeit his clerical office, and for the last three Lents he will fast on bread and water. Being an outcast in his own country for seven years, he will then be restored to his duties according to the judgment of the bishop or priest. 13. If the cleric has not killed his child, the sin is less grave. The penance, however, is the same. 14. If a cleric is friendly with a woman but has done nothing sinful, neither remaining with her nor immodestly embracing her, his penance will be as follows: for as long as he has an affection for the woman in question, he will refrain from Communion; he will do penance for forty days and forty nights till he has removed from his heart the love he has for the woman. He will then be readmitted to the altar. 15. But if a cleric is friendly with many women, taking pleasure in their company, indulging in their endearments, but avoids—as he says—definite dishonor, he will do six months of penance on bread and water and will refrain from wine and meat. He will not lose his clerical office, and after a year of fasting he will be readmitted to the altar. 16. The cleric who only once carnally desires a virgin or any other woman, without acting upon this, will fast for seven days on bread and water. 17. The cleric who for a long time harbors evil desires but does not act upon them, either because the woman spurns him or because he is ashamed to make such advances, has already committed adultery in his heart. The sin remains in his heart, but the penance is not the same [as if he would have acted upon his desires]. The guilty cleric will fast forty days on bread and water. 18. If a cleric or a woman who engages in sorcery misleads anyone by this sorcery, he or she commits a very serious sin. However, they can be saved through penance: six years of fasting, the first three on bread and water, the other three without wine or meat. 19. If the sorcerer or sorceress in question has not used sorcery to end someone’s life but only to arouse carnal desire, there is one year of fasting on bread and water.

181. Finnian  191 20. A woman who kills another woman’s infant by means of evil spells is to fast for six months on bread and water, go two years without wine and meat, and endure six Lents on bread and water. 21. If a female religious gives birth to a child and her sin is known by all, she will fast on bread and water for six years, as was said for a cleric; the seventh year she will be reconciled and will then be allowed to renew her religious profession, to be garbed with white garments, and once again she can be called a “virgin.” The cleric who falls in the same way may regain his office after a fast of seven years since Scripture says, “The just fall seven times and again arise,”2 namely, after seven years of penance the fallen monk can again be called a “religious.” He will henceforth take care not to lapse again since Solomon says, “The dog that returns to its own vomit is odious.”3 The same is true for a cleric who through weakness returns to his sins. 22. A false oath is a sin that can be atoned for only with great difficulty. And yet it is better to do penance than to despair since God’s mercy is great. The penance for this is as follows: never again to swear falsely during one’s life since those doing so will not be justified, with evil descending upon them. A spiritual remedy promptly administered will ward off future punishment: seven years of penance and doing good the rest of one’s life, giving freedom to a male or female serf, or distributing to the poor what has been received as a legal compensation. 23. A cleric guilty of murder will undergo ten years of exile and will do seven years of penance, three years on bread and water, and will observe a more severe fast for three periods of forty days; he will abstain from wine and meat for another four years. After ten years, provided the cleric has lived a good life according to the testimony of an abbot or a priest to whom the sinner has been entrusted [in order to fulfill the penance], he can return to his native land. He will give the victim’s parents compensation, placing himself in the service of the victim’s mother and father and saying to them, “I will take the place of your son in whatever you order me to do.” If the guilty cleric fails to make sufficient amends, he will never be received into eternity. 24. But if a cleric has committed murder without premeditation, without hatred, and if he was a friend of the victim, and then giving way to the devil and the devil’s instigation, has murdered, he will fast for three years on bread and water and will abstain from wine and meat for three years. His penance will be done far from his native country. 25. If a cleric has once or twice committed theft, e.g., by stealing a sheep, a pig, or another animal, he will fast for a year on bread and water and return fourfold what he has taken. 26. If a cleric habitually steals, he will do penance for three years. 27. If a deacon or a cleric in orders lives with his sons, with his daughters, and with the woman he married before entering into orders and, as 2. Prov 24:16.  3. Prov 26:11.

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a result of carnal desire conjugally cohabits with his wife and produces a child, he is to understand that he has sinned greatly. His sin is no less than if—being a cleric from youth [and not married]—he had sinned with the woman. Consecrated to God, they have sinned after their promise of continence and have violated their vows: the cleric and his wife will fast for three years on bread and water. During three other years they will refrain from wine and meat, but each will do penance in his or her own way. After seven years they will be reunited, and the cleric will be restored to his office. 28. The avaricious cleric sins greatly since avarice is a type of idolatry. It can be corrected by charity and almsgiving. Penance consists in removing this sin by practicing its opposite virtue. 29. Anger, spite, calumny, unkindness, and envy, especially for a cleric, are capital sins, vices that kill the soul and plunge it into the abyss below. Penance is carried out as follows: till these vices are pulled up and removed from the human heart with the Lord’s help and with our perseverance, we will request that the Lord be merciful and grant us victory over our sins. We will continue to do penance, day and night, in tears and lamentation for as long as these sins remain within us. To cure the sickness we will use remedies that are the opposite. We will cure our vices by the opposite virtues: anger by being kind and by loving God and neighbor; calumny by self-control in the way we think and act; discouragement by spiritual joy; avarice by generosity. The Scriptures say that whoever utters calumny against one’s neighbors “will be uprooted from the land of the living.”4 Sorrow destroys and consumes the soul. “Avarice is the root of all evil,” says the Apostle.5 30. If a cleric is convicted of stealing from a monastery or a church, doing so under the false pretext of ransoming captives, and if he reforms, he will fast for one year on bread and water; his ill-gotten goods will be distributed and, as it were, lent to the poor. 31. We order that such goods be used to ransom captives and, following the teaching of the Church, be placed at the disposition of the poor and destitute. 32. If a guilty cleric does not make amends, he will be excommunicated and banished from living among Christians. He will be exiled from his own country. He will be beat unmercifully till he sincerely and definitively repents. 33. As to our own goods, we should use them to assist the churches dedicated to the saints and to help all who are in need. We should receive pilgrims into our homes, for it is written that “we are to visit the sick and aid prisoners.”6 We must obey God’s commandments in their least detail. 34. When a sinner—it matters not whether it be a man or a woman— requests Communion at the end of life, the Body of Christ [nomen Christi] 4. Ps 52:5.  5. 1 Tim 6:10.  6. See Matt 25:44.

181. Finnian  193 is not to be refused if the person promises to make amends and if he or she is doing good and meeting one’s obligations. If such fail to carry out their promises [i.e., to amend], punishment will again fall upon them. As to ourselves, we will not refuse to give what we ought to give. We should never cease to snatch the prey from the mouth of the lion or dragon, namely, from the clutches of the devil, who himself never ceases to snatch away our souls. We are to assist those who are at the point of death. 35. When a layman turns back to the Lord after having sinned— whether it be impurity or murder—he will do three years of penance and will no longer bear arms except for a rod. He will leave his spouse during the first year of fasting on bread and water. After these three years he will give the priest a sum of money in order to redeem his soul, and he will provide the monks with a meal. During this meal he will be reconciled and received into communion. He can then return to his wife and be admitted to Communion. 36. A layman who has had carnal relations with another man’s wife or with a [consecrated?] virgin will do penance for one year on bread and water and will cease having relations with his own wife. After a year he will receive Communion. He will pay a fine for the redemption of his soul and will not fornicate in the future. 37. The layman who violates a female religious, namely, deflowers her and makes her pregnant, will fast for three years, the first year doing so on bread and water. He will refrain from bearing arms and having relations with his wife. During the following two years he will abstain from wine and meat and will in no way approach his spouse. 38. If the layman in question has not impregnated a virgin but only deflowered her, he will fast for one year on bread and water; for six months he will abstain from wine and meat and will refrain from having sexual relations with his spouse prior to the conclusion of his time of penance. 39. A married layman who has relations with his female slave will sell her and for a year will refrain from relations with his wife. 40. If a married layman makes pregnant a slave and one or more children are born, the slave is to be given her freedom, the master not being allowed to sell her. The two partners [in sin] will be separated, and the guilty man will fast one year on bread and water. As to the future, he will forsake his concubine slave and be content with his wife. 41. A married man will not dismiss his wife because she is barren. They should remain together in continence, and they will be happy if they stay this way till God pronounces a just judgment upon them. If they remain like Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, like Anna the mother of Samuel, or like Elizabeth the mother of John, they will be happy till the last day. The apostle says, “May those who have spouses live as if they had none, for what is visible in this world will pass away.”7 7. 1 Cor 7:29, 31.

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42. A wife should not leave her husband; should she do so, she is to remain single [without remarrying] or be reconciled with her spouse. 43. If a wife has committed adultery and lives with a man to whom she is not married, her husband does not have the right to marry another woman while his adulteress wife is still alive. 44. If an adulterous wife does penance, her husband is bound to take her back provided she freely and clearly requests that he do so. The husband will not give her a dowry, and she will serve him as long as she lives like a slave, completely submissive and with full devotion. 45. A wife dismissed by her husband will not marry another while her husband is still alive. She will wait alone, with patience and in continence, till God calms the heart of her husband. The penance for an adulterous husband or wife is one year on bread and water. The spouses will carry out their penance separately and not share the same bed. 46. We prescribe continence in marriage since a marriage without continence is not a true marriage but a sin. Marriage is not given by God for the purpose of pleasure but for that of procreation. It is indeed written, “They will be two in one flesh,”8 namely, in bodily unity for the purpose of begetting children and not for that of bodily pleasure. Each year the spouses will observe continence three times, doing so with mutual consent for a period of forty days so that they might be able to pray for the salvation of their souls. They will likewise abstain from relations from Saturday night till Sunday. Also, a man will not approach his wife if she is pregnant. But after she gives birth, they can again unite as the Apostle says.9 47. If through negligence on the part of the parents an infant dies without baptism, this is a great sin since a soul is lost. This sin can be atoned for by penance: one year of fasting on bread and water for the parents; during this time they are not to share the same bed. 48. A cleric attached to a parish who refuses to baptize a small child will fast for a year [if through his own fault the child dies without baptism]. 49. Whoever is incapable of baptizing is not to be called a cleric or a deacon, nor is he to receive the clerical dignity or be ordained. 50. Monks are neither to baptize nor receive the offerings [for the Eucharist]. If they would be allowed to receive such gifts, then why can they not baptize? 51. The man whose wife is an adulteress will not have relations with her till she has done penance, as previously stated, namely, for the period of a whole year. Likewise, a wife will not have relations with her adulterous husband till he has performed the same penance. 52. Whoever loses something blessed by God will do seven days of penance. 53. It is forbidden to receive Communion before the time of penance has concluded. The end. Thanks be to God! 8. Gen 2:24.  9. See 1 Cor 7:5.

181. Finnian  195 And so, my dear brothers, these are several points relative to the remedies of penance. They agree with the teaching of the Scriptures and with the opinions of learned individuals. Inspired by my love for you, I have attempted to put these in writing, although doing so exceeded my ability. There are other teachings on these remedies and on the diversity of sins to be healed which we cannot list here due to lack of space and also due to my shortcomings. If anyone having a greater knowledge of the Scriptures should find more, we will agree to follow him. End of the book compiled by Finnian for his children so that sins might disappear from among those on earth.

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Chapter XII Sixth Century. East Armenia 1 8 2 . S y n o d o f Dv i n ( 5 2 7 ) †

Dvin (or Dovin), the capital of Armenia, was the site of several synods during the sixth century. Thirty-eight canons were passed at a meeting that took place in 527 (date disputed). Hefele (1905) 2.2:1077–80 * Hefele (1871) 4:145–48

Canon 1. Gifts for priests must be brought into the church and not into the house of any priest.a Canon 2. Priests must receive these gifts and presents without selfishness at the sacrifice of the Mass.b Canon 6. Priests who do not officiate on festivals are to be deprived of their income for that day. Canon 7. Priests must not lessen the Communion chalice because of the poverty of their church. Canon 8. Nor are they to use new wine at Communion. Canon 9. The tabernacle curtain must not be brought to the house of a bride or bridegroom. Canon 10. Priests must not give baptismal water to other people, especially not to women,c for the baptism of their children. Canon 12. Lacking a priest, the other servants of the Church must not officiate at divine services. Canon 15. The furniture of the church shall be preserved by the archpriest, who is to live in the church. Canon 16. Baptism is to be celebrated in the church and only when necessary in a private home.d

Translation based on a summary of these canons in Hefele (1871) 4:146–48. a. See Mâcon II (585) can. 4 (WEC 4:4654). b. Ibid. c. See Elvira (ca. 300) can. 38 (WEC 2:1285); Statuta (5th c.) can. 41 (WEC 3:3086). d. See Laodicea (between 343 and 381) can. 58 (WEC 2:2001); Auxerre (late 6th or early 7th c.) can. 3 (WEC 4:4631). †

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Canon 17. Married women are not to assist as deaconessese at baptism. Canon 18. No deacon may baptizef except in cases of necessity. Canon 19. No priest must receive money for the sacrament of penance. Canon 20. A priest who violates the secrecy of confession must be anathema. Canon 21. There must be no common place of burial in the church.g Canon 23. The agape destined for the poor may not be given away by the priests at their pleasure, but must be divided immediately among the poor in the presence of the givers. Canon 24. No one must partake of anything before Communion;h and if the clergy know that anyone has already done so, he must not give that person Communion. Canon 29. All are required to observe the Lenteni and other fasts. Canon 30. On the great Sabbath of the kindling of lightsj no one must communicate before the sacrifice of the Mass. Canon 38. Every month there shall be a day of fast on a Saturday.k

Asia Minor 183. Theodore Lector

Living in the early sixth century, Theodore ministered as a reader in the Church of Sancta Sophia in Constantinople. He has left us two works: the Tripartite History, based on the histories of Socrates (WEC 3:133), Sozomen (WEC 3:144), and Theodoret of Cyr (WEC 3:139); and his Church History. CPG 3: nos. 7502ff. * Altaner (1961) 276 * Altaner (1966) 228–29 * Bardenhewer (1908) 552–53 * Bardenhewer (1910) 477–78 * Bardenhewer (1913) 5:117–18 * Bautz 11:867–69 * Steidle 256 * Tixeront 302 * CATH 14:988 * DCB 4:954 * DPAC 2:3381 * DTC 15.1:232–33 * EC 11:1934 * EEC 2:827 * LTK 9:1413 * NCE 14:17–18 * NCES 13:873–74 * ODCC 1598 * PEA (1894) 5.2 (n.s.) 1869–81

e. See Nicaea I (325) can. 19 (WEC 2:1456); Statuta (5th c.) can. 100 (WEC 3:3119). f. See Elvira (ca. 300) can. 77 (WEC 2:1294); Orleans I (511) can. 12 (WEC 4:4565). g. See Braga I (561) can. 18 (WEC 4:4751); Auxerre (late 6th or early 7th c.) can. 14 (WEC 4:4639). h. See Hippo (393) Brev. Hipp. ser. 2 can. 28 (WEC 2:887); Auxerre (late 6th or early 7th c.) can. 19 (WEC 4:4642); Braga II (572) can. 10 (WEC 4:4762); Mâcon II (585) can. 6 (WEC 4:4655). i. See Orleans I (511) can. 24 (WEC 4:4569); Orleans IV (541) can. 2 (WEC 4:4616). j. Namely, Holy Saturday. k. See Elvira (ca. 300) can. 26 (WEC 2:1276); Agde (506) can. 12 (WEC 4:4549); Orleans IV (541) can. 2 (WEC 4:4616).

185. Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite  199

183-A. Church History† The Church History, in four books of which only fragments remain, extends from the last days of Theodosius the Younger (450) to the reign of Julius I (d. 518). 32. Timothiusa ordered that the Creed of the 318 Fathersb was to be recited at each [liturgical] gathering, certainly out of the disdain for Macedonius,c who did not, as it were, accept this creed. It was formerly recited only once each year, namely, on Good Friday, the day of the Lord’s suffering, when the bishop instructs those to be baptized.

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1 8 4 . E u t i c h i u s o f C o n s ta n t i n o p l e

Eutichius, born in Phrygia ca. 512, was patriarch of Constantinople, where he presided at the Second Council of Constantinople in 553. Deposed by the emperor in 565, he was restored to the patriarchal office twelve years later, dying shortly thereafter. CPG 1:6937–40 * CE 5:639 * DHGE 16:94–95 * EEC 1:305 * NCE 5:643 * Tixeront 301

184-A. Sermon. On the Pasch and on the Eucharist†† 3. [.  .  .] The fullness of the divinity of God’s Word substantially dwells in 4855 the Lord’s Body. To be sure, the breaking of the bread to be venerated stands for death. This is why the Pasch was called desirable, providing us, as it were, with salvation, immortality, and a perfect knowledge of God. [.  .  .] 8. They act foolishly who, when the bread to be offered and the recently 4856 mixed cup are ceremonially brought forward in procession to the holy altar, say that they carry the King of Glory, even employing these words to name what they bear. Yet the bread and the cup, lacking consecration through the bishop’s invocation, have not been wonderfully sanctified. Perhaps the hymns of those who do this have a meaning that is unknown to me. The great Athanasius in his sermon to the newly baptized said, “You will see the levites .  .  .”a

Syria 1 8 5 . D i o n y s i u s t h e P s e u d o - A r e o pa g i t e

It is in the sixth century that mention is first made of a corpus of writings ascribed by the collection’s redactor to Dionysius the Areopagite, the convert of Saint Paul and who appears in Acts 17:34. Translated from PG 86:201–2. a. Timothius: bishop of Constantinople 511–17. b. Creed of the 318 Fathers: namely, the Nicene Creed. c. Macedonius: Timothius’s predecessor as patriarch of Constantinople. †† Translated from PG 86:2394–95, 2399–2401. a. See WEC 2:2424. †

200  Chapter XII. Sixth Century. East Following the sequence of the manuscript tradition, the collection includes: (1) The Celestial Hierarchy, (2) The Ecclesiastical Hierarchy, (3) The Divine Names, (4) Mystical Theology. There are also ten letters as well as several works mentioned by the author, but they are now lost. As early as the sixth century the authorship of these pieces was disputed. But within relatively recent years scholars generally agree that the collection does not date from apostolic times. Rather, the author uses a literary device to show that his instruction has its roots in the history and tradition of the Church. Today most believe that the author, a Syrian and perhaps a monk, had close ties with the Church at Athens. Pseudo-Dionysius, whose language, while poetic, is at times simply obscure, endeavored to give a Christian perspective to the pagan Neoplatonism of his day. Doing so, he greatly influenced Christian reflection during the Middle Ages. As to philosophy, his influence is seen, for example, in Alcuin (730–806), Thomas Aquinas (1125–74), and Bonaventure (1221–74). His mystical thought is reflected, for example, in Bernard of Clairvaux (1091–1153), Catherine of Sienna (1347–80), and John of the Cross (1515–82). CPG 3: nos. 6600ff. * Altaner (1961) 604–9 * Altaner (1966) 501–5 * Bardenhewer (1913) 4:282–99 * Bardenhewer (1910) 462–67 * Bardenhewer (1908) 535–41 * Bardy (1929) 183–85 * Bautz 1:1320–22 * Campbell 75–82 * Jurgens 3:300–302 * Steidle 207–8 * Tixeront 287–90 * CATH 3:620–27 * CE 5:13–18 * DCB 1:841–48 * DHGE 14:265–310 * DictSp 3:244–429 * DPAC 1:971–80 * DTC 4.1:429–36 * EC 4:1662–68 * EEC 1:238–40 * EEChr 1:335–36 * LTK 3:242–43 * NCE 11:943–44 * NCES 11:800–802 * ODCC 485 * PEA (1894) 5.1:996–98 * PEA (1991) 3:647–48 * RACh 3:1075–1121 * TRE 8:772–80 C. Pera, “‘Eucharistia Fidelium,’” Sal 3 (1941) 81–117. * A. Grabar, “Le témoignage d’un hymne syriaque sur l’architecture de la cathédrale d’Edesse au VIe siècle et sur le symbolique de l’édifice chrétien,” CA 2 (1947) 41–67. * P. Schepens, “La liturgie de Denys le Pseudo-Aréopagite,” EphL 63:4 (1949) 357–75. * O. Rousseau, “Le sens du culte et son unité dans l’église d’orient,” Ire 23 (1950) 37–51. * E. Boularand, “L’eucharistie d’après le pseudo-Denys l’Aréopagite,” BLE 6 ser. 58 (1957) 193–217. * E. Boularand, “L’eucharistie d’après le pseudo-Denys l’Aréopagite,” BLE 6 ser. 59 (1958) 129–69. * R. Roques, “Le sens du baptême selon le Pseudo-Denys,” Ire 31 (1958) 427–49. * I.P. Sheldon-Williams, “The Ecclesiastical Hierarchy of PseudoDionysius,” DR 82 (1964) 293–302; 83 (1965) 20–31. * J. Moing, “Caractère et ministère sacerdotal,” RSR 56 (1968) 563–89. * G. S. Bebis, “‘The Ecclesiastical Hierarchy’ of Dionysius the Areopagite: A Liturgical Interpretation,” GOTR 19 (1974) 159–75. * W. Strothmann, Die Sakrament der Myron-Weihe in der Schrift De Ecclesiastica Hierarchia des Pseudo-Dionysius Areopagita, Götting Orientforschungen, 1st ser., 15 (Wiesbaden, 1977–78). * A. Schmemann, “Symbols and Symbolism in the Orthodox Liturgy,” in Theology and Diakonia: Trends and Prospects in Honor of His Eminence Lakovos on the Occasion of His Seventieth Birthday, ed. D.J. Constantelos (Brookline, MA, 1981). * J. Thekeparampil, “Weihrauchsymbolik in den syrischen Orientfor­ schungen,” in Typus, Symbol, Allegorie bei den östlichen Vätern und ihren Parallelen in Mittelalter, ed. M. Schmidt, Eichstätten Beiträge 4 (Regensburg, 1981) 131–45. * P.

185. Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite  201 Rorem, Biblical and Liturgical Symbols within the Pseudo-Dionysian Synthesis, Texts and Studies 71 (Toronto, 1984). * S.P. Brock, “An Early Syriac Commentary on the Liturgy,” JThSt, n.s., 37 (1986) 387–403. * A. Louth, “Pagan Theurgy and Christian Sacramentalism in Denys the Areopagite,” JThSt, n.s., 37 (1986) 432–38. * P. Wesche, “Christological Doctrine and Liturgical Interpretation in Pseudo-Dionysius,” St. Vladimir’s Theological Quarterly 33 (1989) 53–73. * E.J.D. Perl, “Symbol, Sacrament, and Hierarchy in St. Dionysius the Areopagite,” GOTR 39 (1994) 311–56. * L.M. Harrington, Sacred Place in Early Medieval Neoplatonism (New York, 2004).

185-A. The Ecclesiastical Hierarchy† The Ecclesiastical Hierarchy examines the various orders and liturgical celebrations that lead to God. It is through the hierarch, namely, through the bishop who is the symbol of Jesus Christ, that we come to possess divine life. The work begins by introducing the origins of the ecclesiastical hierarchy (Chapter i). It then treats: the rite of illumination or baptism (Chapter ii); the synaxis or the Eucharist (Chapter iii); the rite of the anointing (Chapter iv); the three clerical orders—hierarch or bishop (taking the place of Jesus), presbyter, and deacon (Chapter v); those approaching to be initiated as well as the order of monks (Chapter vi); and rites for the deceased and the initiation of children (Chapter vii). Chapter ii 2. The mystery of illumination 4857 ii.2.2. When someone is inflamed by the love of things that are beyond the present world and strongly desires to share in them, he or she first approaches a person who is already baptized, requesting to be led to the hierarch [the bishop] and promising to obey all that the hierarch requires. The hierarch requests the person who has already been baptized to take charge of the candidate’s formation and of all that pertains to his or her future life. [.  .  .] 4858 ii.2.3. The hierarch, joyfully receiving these two as if carrying sheep on his shoulders,1 first expresses his gratitude. With a grateful heart and by means of bodily prostrations he sings the praises of the one and only Source by which those who are invited are called,2 by which those who are being saved are saved. 4859 ii. 2.4. Gathering together in the holy place, all the members of the assembly are enjoined to cooperate in saving this person, in celebrating together this individual’s salvation, and in giving thanks to the Divine Forgiveness. With all the clergy he reverently sings a hymn taken from the Scriptures. Then, kissing the holy table, the hierarch approaches those who are standing before him and asks why each has come. † Translated from Oeuvres complètes du Pseudo-Denys l’Aréopagite, ed. M. de Gandillac (Paris, 1942) 253ff. 1. See Luke 15:5.  2. See Matt 22:3.

202  Chapter XII. Sixth Century. East ii.2.5. The candidates, full of love for God and following the instruction of the sponsors, repudiate their own ungodliness, their ignorance of what is truly beautiful, and their complete lack of all divine life. They ask the hierarch to pray that they might participate in God and in the divine mysteries. Then the hierarch says that the candidates are to give the total gift of themselves and are to approach God in a most perfect manner, one that is beyond reproach. Having taught the candidates the rules of living a life in God and having asked them whether they have decided to live according to these rules, the hierarch places his hands upon each candidate, thus marking him or her with the holy sign. He then tells the priests to enroll each candidate’s name as well as that of each sponsor. 4861 ii.2.6. Once this enrollment has been completed, the hierarch says a prayer. All the clergy recite it with him. Then the hierarch enjoins the deacons to untie each candidate’s belt and remove all clothing. Next, he has the candidates face the west with hands extended in this same direction as a gesture of abjuration. He orders the candidates to breathe upon Satan and to consent to the abjuration. Three times the hierarch pronounces the formula, the aspirants repeating it each time. He has them turn toward the east, eyes upraised and hands extended upwards, ordering them to submit to Christ as well as to all God’s teachings. 4862 ii.2.7. After this ceremony the hierarch calls for the novices to make a triple profession of faith. When the candidates have finished this triple profession, the hierarch prays, blesses the candidates, and again imposes hands. Then the deacons completely disrobe the candidates, and the priests bring in the holy oil to be used for the anointing. The hierarch begins the anointing with three holy signings, leaving it to the priests to complete the anointing of each person’s body while he himself goes to the womb of all adoption [the baptistery]. The hierarch sanctifies the water with holy prayers and consecrates it by pouring the holy oil into it three times, all being done in the form of the sign of the cross. Each time he pours the holy oil, he chants the sacred canticle inspired by God’s Spirit in the prophets.a He then has the novices led back to him. One of the priests says aloud each candidate’s name together with that of each sponsor as found written in the register. Then the candidates are led by the priests to the water and handed over to the hierarch, who is standing in a higher place. At each immersion the priests repeat the name of each candidate, whom the hierarch plunges into the water while invoking the three Divine Persons each time the candidate goes into and emerges from the water. The priests then take charge [of the newly baptized] and lead them, each to his or her sponsor, namely, to the promoter of the initiation. Together with the sponsors the priests robe the newly-baptized and lead them to the hierarch. With the sacramental oil he signs each and proclaims that each is worthy to share in the sanctifying act of giving thanks. 4860

a. Namely, the “Alleluia.”

185. Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite  203 3. Contemplation ii.3.7. Notice with me and carefully observe how appropriate are the symbols that express the holy mysteries. For us death is not—as others imagine it to be—a total dissolution of being. Rather, it is the separation of two united parts, a separation that leads the soul into what for us is an invisible world. It is here that the soul is, as it were, forever deprived of the body. The body, so to speak, is hidden under the earth where it undergoes another change, one that modifies its bodily form. And so all human form is dissolved. Thus it is right that those seeking initiation be completely immersed into the water. This signifies the death and burial whereby all form is lost. By this symbolic lesson whoever is baptized and is thrice plunged into the water learns by way of mystery to imitate this divine death, which was the burial of Jesus, the source of life, a burial lasting three days and three nights.3 We imitate God insofar as possible when according to a deep and secret tradition of Scripture the prince of this world found nothing.4 ii.3.8. White clothing is then placed on the newly-baptized. Their courage and divinization have made them impervious to all that belongs to the realm of opposites. This is due to their vigorous thrust toward the One God. Order now replaces disorder, form replaces formlessness, and their lives now shine with the fullest of light. The consecration with the oil perfumes the initiates with a sweet odor, for the holy perfection of God’s birth within them joins them to God’s Spirit. But this outpouring remains inexpressible, for its work of perfuming and perfecting remains in the domain of the mind. How to intelligently understand this I entrust to those who have merited to enter into communion, on the level of the mind and in a holy and divine way, with the Spirit of God. Once these rites are completed, the bishop invites those initiated to a very holy act of thanksgiving [the Eucharist] and allows them to share in the mysteries that will make them perfect. Chapter iii 1. What occurs during the synaxis iii.1. Let us continue. Since we have alluded to the synaxis,b it would be completely wrong to pass over this and begin by praising any other activity of the hierarchy. The synaxis, in fact, is according to our illustrious teacher the sacrament of sacraments. After having presented—thanks to the divine wisdom given us by the Scriptures and the hierarchy—the holy description of it, we, guided by inspiration and the Holy Spirit, must uplift ourselves to contemplate what truly is. Let us begin in a godly fashion by considering what is especially characteristic about this sacrament and yet is no less proper to all the other b. Namely, the liturgical gathering. 3. See Matt 12:40.  4. See John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11.

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204  Chapter XII. Sixth Century. East hierarchic sacraments. It is quite simply called “communion” since every sacramental action indeed consists in bringing together our separate lives into a life that is divine, in gathering together in divine conformity all that divides us, thus having us enter into communion and union with the One God. Yet we hold that participation in the other symbols of the hierarchy is only completed by the divine and perfecting gift of communion. It is nearly impossible that any hierarchic sacrament be celebrated without the divine thanksgiving as the major element of each particular rite; by its divine action it brings about the spiritual unification of those who receive the sacrament, without which God’s mystical perfecting powers are not given, without which we cannot attain divine communion. Each of the hierarchic sacraments is imperfect in that it does not complete our communion with the One God; in itself each is imperfect since it cannot make us totally perfect. Nonetheless, the purpose of all the sacraments as well as their major element always consist in having those receiving them participate in the divine mysteries. Also, priestly learning has seen to it that the word “communion” truly signifies the very essence of what is happening. 4868 The same is no less true for the holy sacrament that produces God’s birth within us since God is the Creator of light and the basis of all divine illumination, and so it is correct for us to praise this sacrament according to its proper functioning under the name of illumination. Although all hierarchic actions transmit light to the faithful, it is indeed this sacrament which first opens our eyes, its original light allowing us to view the light diffused by the other sacraments. [.  .  .] 2. The synaxis mystery iii.2. The hierarch, once he has finished praying at the foot of the altar, begins by incensing the altar. He then walks around the holy place where the assembly gathers. Returning to the altar, he intones the singing of the psalms, and the whole assembly with its ordered ranks unites as its members join him in the psalmody. Immediately afterwards the deacon reads from the holy Scriptures. This is when the catechumens depart from the holy place, the possessed and the penitents doing likewise. Remaining are only those who are worthy of initiation into and sharing in the divine mysteries. Some of the deacons go to the doors of the church to make sure they are closed. Others carry out the various functions proper to them. Those higher in dignity together with the priests place the holy bread and the cup of blessing on the altar. This is done after the whole assembly has sung a hymn of the Catholic faith.c 4870 At this time the hierarch says a prayer and extends the peace to all. Those assisting exchange the ritual kiss. Then there is a reading from the holy tablet. Once the hierarch and the priests have purified their hands with water, the hierarch takes his place at the middle of the altar. 4869

c. Opinions differ as to the nature of this hymn, with some suggesting the creed.

185. Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite  205 Surrounding him are those deacons who are greater in rank, these being joined by the priests. The hierarch praises the works of God and then reverently carries out the most holy mysteries. It is in this way that he publicly expresses, under the veil of sacred symbols, the divine work he came to perform. Having thus shown the gracious works of God, he prepares to receive Communion in a reverent fashion, exhorting others to imitate him. After receiving and distributing Communion, he concludes the ceremony with a prayer of thanksgiving. Although the people attend to the divine symbols alone, he, on the other hand, inspired by God’s Spirit, does not cease to uplift his soul toward the holy Source of the sacramental rite, doing so in blessed and intelligible contemplation, conforming to the laws of the hierarchy and in the customary purity that should characterize his whole life in God. 3. Contemplation iii.3.1. [.  .  .] The chanting from the Scriptures and the readings [taken 4871 from the tablets] teach the precepts of a virtuous life and especially the necessity of completely purifying oneself of all destructive evils. The distribution, shared and done peacefully, of the same bread and of the same wine requires that the people, nourished with the same food, become one by living completely in God. It also calls to mind the memory of the Last Supper, which is the primitive symbol of every sacrament and from which the very Creator of these symbols has rightly excluded those who present themselves at the holy banquet unworthily and without having been reconciled to him. And so in a very holy and godly manner it teaches that by truly developing the custom of approaching the divine mysteries one deserves to be assimilated to them, to enter into communion with them. iii.3.4. The psalmody that accompanies almost all the hierarchic myster- 4872 ies is not to be absent in the most hierarchic mystery of them all. What the holy scriptural tablets teach to those who are capable of being divinized, what the Scriptures implant in them by the holy sacramental mysteries and by the spiritual exhortations that lead them to follow a godly life—it is these whereby God himself grants substance and orderd to all that exists, including the hierarchy and public order as prescribed by the Law.e These tell of the divisions by lot, the distribution and sharing that concern God’s people.f They impart knowledge of the holy judges,g of the wise kings,h of the priests who live according to God. They relate the powerful and resolute philosophy that enabled our ancestors to endure various and d. Genesis. e. Leviticus and Deuteronomy. f. Numbers. g. Judges. h. Kings and Chronicles.

206  Chapter XII. Sixth Century. East numerous misfortunes.i There are the wise precepts for living,j the song that divinely depicts God’s love,k prophecies regarding the future,l the divine works of Jesus who was made man,m the activities and teachings of his disciples in regard to both profane and sacred things, with God inspiring them to imitate him.n There is also the secret and mystical vision of the inspired one who was the most beloved among the apostles.o Finally there is the theological explanation of the mysteries concerning Jesus, mysteries that transcend this world,p an explanation designed for those who are fitting for divinization and are strengthened by the holy sacraments they have received and who live in conformity to God. Then there are the divine chants whose purpose is to praise God’s revelation and activity and to retell all that has been said of God and all that the people of God have done with divine help; they constitute the complete historical poem of all the divine mysteries and confer upon all who reverently hear them the lasting power of receiving and distributing all the sacraments of the hierarchy. 4873 iii.3.5. Thus when the chants, which sum up the most holy truths, have harmoniously prepared our souls for the mysteries that we will soon praise, when they have brought us to unity not only with the divine realities but also with ourselves and among ourselves so that we form a single and homogenous choir of holy people, then what the psalmody first abbreviated or rather outlined is enlarged by the more numerous and clearer images and explanations found through the reading of the scriptural texts. In reflecting upon these sacred writings with a holy eye, we will see there the unity and uniqueness of an accord whose very foundation is the unity of the divine Spirit. So it is that the custom of proclaiming the New Testament after the Old Testament is justified. In fact, it seems to me that this sequence, coming as it does from God and prescribed by the hierarchy, indicates how the works of Jesus were foretold by one Testament and how the other Testament presents their realization; how one Testament has depicted the truth by means of images and how the other shows the present reality; for what is announced by one Testament is declared authentic by the events related by the other. The works of God are the culmination and completion of the words of God. 4874 iii.3.6. There are those who are completely deaf to the teaching of the holy sacraments. Such do not understand images, for they have foolishly i. Job. j. The Wisdom Books. k. The Canticle of Canticles. l. The Prophetic Books. m. The Synoptic Gospels. n. The Epistles and the Acts of the Apostles. o. The Book of Revelation. p. The Fourth Gospel.

185. Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite  207 refused saving initiation and the birth of God in their souls. They have rejected Scripture by the deadly words, “I do not desire to know your ways.”5 But the catechumens and the possessed as well as the penitents should, according to the regulations of the holy hierarchy, listen to the psalmody and the reading of the holy Scriptures. However, they are not to be admitted to the celebration of the mysteries that follow nor to the contemplation that is reserved to the perfect eyes of those who are perfect. The hierarchy, conforming as it does to God, is full of holy righteousness. According to the merits of each person and in view of each person’s salvation, it distributes a share of the mysteries that is proper and fitting for each, measuring out and proportioning gifts according to particular circumstances. The catechumens, however, have obtained only the lowest rank; not having been initiated, they do not share in the hierarchic sacrament. [.  .  .] iii.3.7. The crowd of the possessed is itself profane. These occupy a rank 4875 above the catechumens, who are last in rank. As I understand it, a person still to be initiated and who has yet to share in the most holy sacraments is not equal to a person who has already taken part in some of these sacraments but has fallen—due to weakness or an excess of emotion—into a state at odds with the effect of the sacraments. These also, like the catechumens, are not to gaze upon the holy mysteries and share in them. [.  .  .] This is why I believe—or rather why I clearly know—that in their perfectly sound judgment the members of the hierarchy are in no way unaware that those who fail to conform their lives to the divine example and instead adopt the feelings and actions of the detested demons are exposed to the most miserable of conditions. [.  .  .] The deacon in charge of excluding the people separates these first and foremost rather than the others, for it would be sacrilegious for the former to be present for any other part of the sacrifice other than when the Scriptures are read, the Scriptures whose purpose is to convert them to better things. The divine liturgy, which transcends the present world, rejects even the 4876 penitents, those who were formerly present for the mysteries. It allows only those who are completely holy to participate in them. In its perfect purity it proclaims, “I am invisible to those who have any imperfection that impedes them from reaching the highest summit of divine conformity, and I reject them from my communion.” This saying, totally pure, rejects those who are not united to those who are worthy to share in the divine sacraments. And so there is all the more reason why the crowd of the possessed, who are slaves to their passions, is considered as profane and is excluded from every vision of and participation in the holy mysteries. 4877 The first to be sent forth from the church and excluded from the sacred celebration for which they are unworthy are those who are not yet 5. Job 21:14, LXX.

208  Chapter XII. Sixth Century. East initiated or have not yet been sacramentally consecrated. Then there are those who refuse to lead a holy life. Finally there are those who feebly submit to the enemy’s terrors and fantasies. Unable to be firm and constant, they have not attained a conformity with the things of God that would allow them to attain a stable and lasting divinization. Next to be excluded are those who have renounced a sinful life but still remain to be set free from evil imaginations, for they have not yet acquired as permanent a tender and pure desire for God. The last to be excluded are those who have not totally succeeded in making themselves as one, those who, to use the words of the Law,6 are neither totally blameless nor totally sinful. 4878 In this way the ministers and godly assistants, the holy ones among those who are holy, with eyes reverently upraised toward the most sacred of the sacraments, sing the universal song of praise in honor of that source who is the origin and giver of all that is good and who has instituted for us the life-giving sacraments that purify all who take part in them. At times this chant is called a song of praise, a symbol of adoration, or in a way I believe to be more accurate, the hierarchic thanksgiving since it summarizes all the gifts bestowed on us by God. In fact, it seems to me that this song praises all that God has done for us. First, it recalls that we owe our very being and life to God’s goodness, that God has fashioned us in his image by using the eternal model of Beauty, that God has given us a share in the divine condition so that we are capable of being raised up spiritually. It then recalls that we through our own imprudence were once deprived of the gifts we received from God, who then took care to lead us by the gift of Redemption to our original state, granting us, by assuming for himself the fullness of our own nature, the most perfect participation in his own. In this way he allows us to enter into communion with God and with the things of God. 4879 iii.3.8. Once God’s love for us has been praised in such a holy fashion, the divine bread and the cup of blessing, with a veil covering them, are placed on the altar. The kiss of peace is exchanged, this being followed by the mystical proclamation from the holy tablets, a proclamation not of this world. It is impossible to be gathered in the One God and to share in the peaceful union with God if we remain divided among ourselves. But if, thanks to the light that comes to us from contemplating and knowing the One God, we gather together and attain unity in a truly divine manner, no longer will we succumb to the various covetous desires that bring about corporeal and impassioned dissension among equals. [.  .  .] 4880 iii.3.9. By reading from the holy tablets—this reading follows the kiss of peace—we announce the names of those who lived holy lives and whose constant effort won for them the perfect completion of a virtuous life. In this way we are exhorted and motivated to follow their example and to adopt a manner of life that will ensure us greater happiness, one that 6. See Exod 29:1; Lev 1:3; 3:1; Num 6:14.

185. Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite  209 results from conforming to God. The reading of the tablets proclaims them as if they are living, as those who are not dead but have, as theology instructs us, passed from death to a perfect divine life. [.  .  .] iii.3.10. Once these rites have been carried out, the hierarch, standing before the holy symbols, washes his hands with water; the venerable priests do likewise. According to Scripture “those who have already bathed need wash only the head and the feet.”7 Thanks to the purification of the feet they retain their pure perfection of conforming to God and will be able to generously proceed to secondary tasks while remaining safe from any attacks of impurity. They do this because they are now completely united to God. [.  .  .] iii.3.11. I must now explain as best I can the divine actions that pertain to us. To be sure, I am unable to praise all of them, even to understand them clearly and to explain them to others. Having implored the inspiration of the hierarchy to assist us, we can at least explain what the hierarchs—namely, those men of God—carry out in their liturgy according to the Scriptures. [.  .  .] iii.3.12. [.  .  .] The hierarch, a man of God, stands before the altar and praises the holy works that have just been recalled, the works that Jesus divinely carried out while exercising for us his holy Providence. Jesus did this for our salvation and with the assent of the holy Father and in the Holy Spirit, as the Scriptures tell us.8 Having thus praised the mysteries and knowing intellectually and seeing with the eyes of the spirit their holy contemplation, the hierarch then proceeds to the symbolic holy action according to the rules instituted by God himself. This is why just as he praised God’s deeds so he modestly apologizes as is fitting for a hierarch who is performing a liturgy that transcends him. He reverently cries out, “It is you who said, ‘Do this in memory of me.’”9 The hierarch then prays that he, imitating God, might be worthy to carry out this divine work. He prays that he be made worthy of the divine mysteries and like Christ to reverently distribute them. He likewise prays for all who will share in the mysteries, that they may do so without sacrilege. Next he consecrates the divine mysteries and shows to all the mysteries that he has just praised under the species that are symbolically present. The bread that was veiled and undivided he uncovers and divides into numerous parts; likewise he divides the one cup among all the assistants, thus multiplying and symbolically distributing the One God. This is the holiest part of the whole liturgy. [.  .  .] iii.3.14. Having himself partaken of and having distributed Communion, the hierarch concludes the ceremony with a holy thanksgiving, which he sings with the whole sacred assembly. Just as it is fitting to receive before 7. John 13:10.  8. See Matt 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22.  9. 1 Cor 11:24ff.; Luke 22:19.

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210  Chapter XII. Sixth Century. East giving, so participating in the mysteries always precedes their mystical distribution. Such is the universal rule and harmonious disposition fitting to divine things. The holy leader begins by himself receiving the fullness of the holy gifts that God has commissioned him to distribute to others. [.  .  .] 4887 iii.3.15. Once all those in holy orders have come together according to their rank, and after having received the divine mysteries, they conclude the liturgy by giving thanks, each doing so as best he can, for the graces given by the divine action. Those who in no way received the divine mysteries and who in no way confessed them are quite naturally not to give thanks even though the very nature of God’s infinite gifts merits that thanks be given. [.  .  .] Chapter iv 1. What the holy oils effect and the consecrations for which they are used 4888 iv.1. Such, then, is the greatness of the holy synaxis. Such are the beautiful visions by which, as I have often recalled, elevate our understanding to the One God, doing so through the hierarchic rites which have us enter into community and communion with God. There is, however, another rite that belongs to the same order; our teachers call it the sacrament of the anointing. [.  .  .] 4889

2. Mystery of the sacrament of the anointing As is true for the synaxis, those in less perfect orders are to be sent out as soon as the members of the hierarchy have spread the holy perfume throughout the whole sacred place, and after all have reverently sung the psalms and after the most Holy Scriptures have been read. The hierarch then takes the holy oil, covered by a cloth having a dozen folds, and places it upon the altar. Meanwhile, the whole assembly enthusiastically sings the holy hymn which God himself inspired in the prophets.q Having consecrated the oil by means of a very holy prayer, he uses the ointment for the liturgical consecrations during almost all the hierarchic ceremonies.

3. Contemplation iv.3.1. I believe that the spiritual teaching given by this rite of the blessing of oils instructs us to show that godly people secretly preserve the good odor of holiness in their souls. God himself forbids his holy ones to display, by some vain care for glory, the beauty and good odor of the virtuous effort by which they strive to become like the hidden God. [.  .  .] 4891 iv.3.2. [.  .  .] Those standing around the hierarch rightfully assist at the consecration of the holy oil since they are not forbidden to partake of it or to look upon it. This sacrament is celebrated in their presence because they can view what the people in general cannot view. These ministers, however, are to conceal this consecration from the people. They are to eject the multitude [from the church] as determined by the hierarchy. [.  .  .] 4890

q. The “Alleluia”?

185. Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite  211 iv.3.3. As already said, the holy liturgical rite, which we presently praise, possesses such great power that it is used for the hierarchic consecrations. In that its dignity is equal to and its power identical to those of the holy mysteries of the synaxes, our holy leaders have used almost the same imagery for it, the same mystical ceremonies, and the same sacramental prayers. It is thus that we likewise see the hierarch depart from the sanctuary, spread the pleasing fragrance to the least holy areas of the building, and then return to his point of departure, doing so to teach that the divine gifts are communicated to all the holy ones according to their proper merits without undergoing any diminution or change. In this way they retain the fullness of their characteristics within the divine immutability. Likewise, the singing and the scriptural reading bring about in the souls of the imperfect the life-giving Sonship. In a holy way they convert sinners who have succumbed to evil, delivering from the adversary’s evil curses those who sin due to human weakness, showing each how, according to that person’s strength, to live a life that is pleasing to God. [.  .  .] iv.3.4. [.  .  .] The oil, a mixture of aromatic substances, has a multitude of pleasant aromas that perfume those who experience it, doing so according to the strength of the fragrance that descends upon those present. Thus we learn that the transcendent aroma of Jesus spreads its gifts of the mind over our own intellectual strength, filling us with divine pleasure. [.  .  .] iv.3.5. [.  .  .] The twelve folds represent the order of the seraphim. These enjoy a very high rank at the head of the heavenly beings who surpass us in their joy. They stand around Jesus, looking at him as intently as possible without being guilty of sacrilege so as to contemplate him with joy, to receive in the infinitely pure receptacles of their souls the fullness of his spiritual gifts, and to repeat—to use language drawn from the world of the senses—with one voice, never silent, the well-known hymn of divine praise. [.  .  .] iv.3.10. [.  .  .] The holy oil is used for all liturgical consecrations, thus clearly showing that according to Scripture he who consecrates what is consecrated10 remains forever the same throughout all the activities of his divine goodness. For this reason the divine consecration of the holy oil completes in us the freely-given and sanctifying gift of our holy birth in God. It is in such a way, I believe, that we are to explain the rite when in the sanctifying baptistery the hierarch pours the holy oil so that it forms a cross. This shows to all who are able to understand this that Jesus, in his greatest and most divine descent, consented to die on the cross so that we might become like God. Jesus graciously snatches from the ancient abyss of destructive death those who, according to the mystical expression of Scripture, have been “baptized into his death.”11 10. See Heb 2:11; 13:8; John 17:19.  11. Rom 6:3; John 1:17.

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212  Chapter XII. Sixth Century. East iv.3.11. Let us add that we, being initiated into that sacrament whereby God is born in us, receive God’s Spirit through the sanctifying anointing with the holy oil. This holy symbol signifies, I believe, that he who in human form was consecrated by the divine Spirit, while conserving unchanged the essence of his divinity, now sees to it that we receive the outpouring of the same Holy Spirit. 4898 iv.3.12. Also notice that the regulations of the hierarchy prescribe that the altar be consecrated with the holy oil. The meaning here is revealed to us as being beyond heaven, beyond that source, that essence, that sanctifying power wrought by God in us. It is, in fact, on Jesus himself, as on the altar of our sacrifices, that the consecration of rational beings takes place. According to the Scriptures it is through Jesus that we have gained access12 to the consecration and are mystically offered as a sacrifice. This is why we with eyes that are not of this world are to look upon the altar of divine sacrifice, for it is there that the holy victim is sacrificed and consecrated. Let us learn how this sacred oil consecrates this altar. Indeed it is the most holy Jesus who offers himself for us, who distributes to us the fullness of his own consecration, and who offers to us, as to God’s children, the fruits of his sacrifice. 4899 In my opinion the divine leaders of the human hierarchy have received from God himself an understanding of the hierarchic symbol. They call this liturgical rite of anointing the “perfecter” since it makes perfect. It is called the sacrament of God and in a double way we praise its perfecting action. We do so first because God, having become human, was sacrificed for us; also because this divine action is the source of all perfection and sanctification. 4900 As to the sacred song God revealed to the prophets, who were inspired when God visited them, those who know Hebrew translate it as “Praise to God” or “Praise the Lord.”r Almost all holy apparitions and all God’s activities can be portrayed symbolically. It is fitting to recall here the hymn that God himself revealed to the prophets; it teaches us in a clear and holy fashion that God’s gracious gifts merit being praised in a holy way. 4897

Chapter v 2. Mystery of priestly ordinations 4901 v.2. Before receiving episcopal ordination the future hierarch kneels on both knees before the altar. On his head rest the Scriptures, which have been revealed by God himself. Also placed on his head is the hand of the ordaining hierarch, who carries out the ordination ceremony by saying three prayers. 4902 The future priest likewise kneels on both knees before the altar. The hierarch lays his right hand upon the candidate’s head, in this way ordaining him by a sanctifying prayer. r. The “Alleluia”? 12. See Rom 5:2; Eph 2:18; 3:12.

185. Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite  213 The candidate for the diaconate kneels on only one knee, doing so at the foot of the altar. The hierarch places his right hand on the candidate’s head and in this way ordains him by means of a prayer that speaks of the diaconal functions. The hierarch traces the sign of the cross upon the head of the person who is ordained. For each of these he makes an announcement and proceeds to the kiss of ordination, which is extended to all the clergy present at the ceremony. These share it with the man who has been ordained into one of the clerical orders mentioned above. 3. Contemplation v.3.1. The rites common to the ordination of a hierarch, a priest, and a deacon are the presentation before the altar, the kneeling, the hierarch’s imposition of hands, the sign of the cross, the announcement, and the kiss. The particular and distinctive rite for the ordination of the hierarch is the imposition of the holy Scriptures—something not done for the lower orders; for priests it is the kneeling on both knees, something not done during the diaconal ordination, for, as already said, the deacon kneels on one knee only. v.3.2. The presentation and the kneeling before the altar teach all who receive clerical orders to submit their lives completely to God, who is the source of every sacrament. These rites teach them to offer God minds that are completely holy and pure, souls that are akin to his, souls that are as worthy as possible of this holy and sacred altar, an altar where those who are akin to God are ordained to the priesthood. v.3.3. The hierarch’s imposition of hands indicates that it is under the protection of the source of every sacrament that the ordained, like pious infants subject to their father, receive the strength and power of the priesthood at the same time they are being freed from the snares of the enemy. This rite also teaches them to perform all priestly tasks as if having been ordered by God himself to do so and in all their undertakings to act with God as their leader. v.3.4. The sign of the cross indicates the renunciation of all bodily desires. It symbolizes a life that imitates God, a life constantly turned toward the divine life of Jesus incarnate, of Jesus who, sinless in that he is God, humbled himself so to be crucified and to undergo death, Jesus who marks with the sign of his own sinlessness all who imitate him. v.3.5. The hierarch’s holy proclamation concerning the rites of ordination and those to be mystically ordained signifies that the person who ordains, in his love for God, manifests what God has chosen; it is not of the hierarch’s own accord that he summons the candidates to ordination, rather, it is God himself who inspires him in all hierarchic ordinations. [.  .  .] v.3.6. The kiss at the conclusion of priestly ordination also has a spiritual meaning. Not only do all the assistants, garbed with sacred dignity, extend the kiss to the one ordained, but the ordaining hierarch also does so. [.  .  .] The kiss symbolizes both the holy community constituted by like souls

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when these people gather as well as the joy of the mutual love which fully ensures for the whole hierarchy the glory of conforming to God. v.3.7. These rites are common to all sacerdotal ordinations. But only the hierarch reverently bears the holy Scriptures on his head. Since, in fact, the perfecting power and understanding of the whole priesthood were by God’s goodness, which is the foundation of every sacrament, granted to the hierarchs, these being men of God, it is right that the Scriptures be place on the hierarch’s head. The Scriptures contain the words of God himself, and they reveal to us all that we can know about God, all God’s works, manifestations, all his sacred words and holy actions, in brief, all that the Divinity desired to pass on to the human hierarchy, everything that God made and said. The hierarch, living in conformity to God and fully and totally participating in God’s power, is not merely content to receive by divine illumination an authentic understanding of all the ritual words and of all the hierarchic sacraments; he is to pass this on to others according to their hierarchic rank. Because the hierarch is endowed with the most divine knowledge and with the highest power for uplifting someone spiritually, it is he who performs ordinations within the hierarchy. As to the priests, what characterizes their ordination rite is that they kneel on both knees; the deacons, however, kneel on only one knee when being ordained by the hierarch. v.3.8. Kneeling shows that the candidate is approaching the sacrament with humility and is calling upon God to protect this undertaking. [.  .  .] It is natural that the deacons, whose function is only one of purification, should be content to reverently escort in and station at the foot of the altar those who have been purified. It is at the altar that we are stripped of all stain and made holy in a way that surpasses this world. Priests kneel on both knees because their role is not limited to purifying those whom they reverently present for consecration. After having spiritually elevated souls thanks to the sacred rites that they perform and after having purified these from all sin, the priests sacramentally perfect them so that they may continue to contemplate. The hierarch, having knelt on both knees, receives on his head the book of the Scriptures which have been transmitted by God. It is the hierarch who instructs those whom, according to their respective powers, the deacons have purified and whom the priests have enlightened, doing so according to each one’s abilities and understanding of the mysteries into which each has been initiated. Finally, it is the hierarch who, thanks to this understanding, perfects those who are initiated. In this way the sanctification they have received may become as complete as possible.

Chapter vi 1. The orders of those being initiated 4916 vi.1.1. [.  .  .] We must now say something about the three orders of the initiates who are subordinate to the clergy.

185. Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite  215 4917 The order of those being purified includes all who are excluded from holy ministry and from the sacramental actions we have previously mentioned. First, there are those whom the deacons have not yet finished instructing and forming so that the teaching of the holy Scriptures, like a mid-wife, might produce life in them. Then there are those who continue to receive excellent formation in the Scriptures, this being intended to lead them to the holy life they rejected. Next are the faint-hearted, those who are still afflicted by the terrors of the enemy and whom the power of the holy Scriptures is still strengthening. After these come those who are still on a journey, moving from sin to holiness. Finally, there are those who, even though converted, are not yet completely following a holy and permanent way of life. [.  .  .] 4918 vi.1.3. Of the baptized the highest order is that of the holy monks, who have been completely purified of all sin. [.  .  .] The holy institutions have given them a grace that perfects them and sees them as worthy of a certain consecratory prayer. This prayer is not said by the hierarch, whose role is to confer priestly ordination; it is the priest who is entrusted with this secondary rite of the hierarchic liturgy.

2. Mystery of monastic profession The priest stands in front of the holy altar and recites the prayer that consecrates a monk. Behind the priest is the candidate, who does not kneel, whether on two knees or on one knee. The Scriptures, containing the deposit of divine Revelation, are not placed upon his head. The candidate stands before the priest, who pronounces the words that mystically join the candidate to the monastic life. Finishing this prayer, the priest approaches him and asks whether he renounces not only actions but also any thoughts that might introduce discord into his way of life. Then the priest reminds him of the rules that govern a completely perfect life, stating aloud that the candidate must exceed all the virtues so characteristic of a mediocre way of life. Once the candidate has formally promised to do so, the priest marks him with the sign of the cross and cuts his hair while invoking the three persons of the divine Goodness. Removing the candidate’s clothing, the priest gives him a new garb. Next, the priest, followed by all the other priests present at the ceremony, gives him the kiss of peace and grants him the power to take part in the divine mysteries.

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3. Contemplation 4920 vi.3.1. During these rites the candidate does not kneel. The Scriptures containing the deposit of divine Revelation are not placed on his head, and he remains standing while the priest says the words of consecration. All this signifies that monks do not have the task of directing others. Remaining firm in holy unity, monks obey the priestly commands and follow them like faithful companions on a voyage that leads them to a divine understanding of the mysteries permitted to them.

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vi.3.2. The candidate is obliged to renounce all actions and even thoughts that can disturb his life, and so this rite signifies the perfect understanding whereby the monk truly knows the precepts that give unity to life. [.  .  .] vi.3.3. As we have already said, the sign of the cross signifies the death of all bodily desires. The cutting of the hair stands for a pure and completely unsullied life, one free from ugly appearances brought about by the mind, a life that freely improves thanks to beauties that exceed what is human, beauties that unify the soul and are suitable to the monastic state whereby there is complete conformity to God. vi.3.4. The removal of the old garments and the donning of new clothing represent the passage from a life of lukewarm holiness to one of greater perfection. We have already seen that the ceremony by which God is born in souls also entails a change of apparel. Here the change of clothing signifies a spiritual ascent from a state of purification to the higher state of contemplation and illumination. As to the kiss given by the priest who consecrates him and by all the other priests who are present, it is a sign of the holy community composed of those who conform to God by joyful bonds and wherein all share in mutual love and support. vi.3.5. Once these ceremonies have concluded, the priest calls the new monk to share in the divine Communion. When done in a reverent manner, this shows that the new monk, provided he reaches spiritual unity by following the law of the monastic state, will not only contemplate the holy mysteries shown to him and share with those in the middle order in the very holy symbols, but, thanks to the divine knowledge of the mysteries in which he will share, he will be admitted to divine Communion in a way that differs from that of the holy people. It is for the same reason that, at the time of their ordination and as the high point of their ordination, those in priestly orders receive Communion from the hands of the hierarch who has just ordained them. This is not only because the reception of God’s mysteries is the crown of all hierarchic participation but because all those in holy orders, as they spiritually ascend and are ordained, become, as it were, godlike, each proportionally sharing in the divine gift of this same Communion. Summing up, the holy sacraments bring about purification, illumination, and perfection. Deacons form the order that purifies; priests, the order that gives light; hierarchs, living in conformity with God, the order that makes perfect. [.  .  .]

Chapter vii 1. The funeral rites 4927 vii.1.3. [.  .  .] When the just come to the end of their earthly struggle, they are full of joy, and it is with much happiness that they proceed further on the path of holy rebirth. Those who were close to the deceased, those who were the deceased’s neighbors in God and whose manner

185. Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite  217 of life resembled that of the deceased, greet them—no matter who they might be—for having gained victory since they have obtained all that they desired. Songs of thanksgiving are sung in honor of the author of this victory, requesting that the deceased and all the people be granted the grace of such a repose. Then the body is taken and, as if the crown [of victory] being laid upon it, it is brought to the hierarch. Joyfully he receives the body and, following what is required, performs the holy rites to honor those who have died a holy death. 2. The mysteries for those who have died a holy death Having gathered the holy assembly, the hierarch proceeds as follows. If the deceased was a priest, his body is placed at the foot of the altar. Then the hierarch begins a prayer of thanksgiving to God. But if the deceased was a holy monk or a member of the faithful, the hierarch places the body in front of the sanctuary at the door to the holy place which is reserved for the priests; it is here that the hierarch says the prayer of thanksgiving. The deacons then read the text of the true promises contained in the divine Scriptures regarding our resurrection. They also sing psalms pertaining to the same subject. The principal deacon then dismisses the catechumens and announces the names of those who have died previously, adding that the person who has just completed life on this earth is worthy to be commemorated with them. He exhorts all to pray that the deceased might obtain divine happiness in Christ. The hierarch, a man of God, says a prayer over the body. Once this is concluded, he kisses the remains of the deceased; those assisting do likewise. When all have exchanged the kiss of peace, the hierarch anoints the body with holy oil. He then prays for all the deceased and places the remains in the earth next to those of others belonging to the same order. 3. Contemplation vii.3.1. [.  .  .] Should those who lead a holy life fall short of the highest conformity with God, they will be rewarded according to each person’s merits. It is to acclaim this divine justice that the hierarch says the prayers of thanksgiving and praises the venerable Deity who will deliver all of us from the oppression of the unjust tyrant in order to subject us to the perfect equity of his own just judgments. vii.3.2. The songs and the readings of the divine promises first inform us as to the extent that happiness and peace always play in the lives of those who attain divine perfection. Those who die in holiness are an example to the living, encouraging, as they do, the living to strive after the same perfection. vii.3.3. Notice this. Rather than all in the purified orders being dismissed, in this ceremony only the catechumens are sent forth from the assembly. These, in fact, have not yet celebrated any of the sacraments, and so they should not assist at any liturgical ceremony. The God who is the

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218  Chapter XII. Sixth Century. East source and maker of the stars has not yet been born within them. Thus in no way are the catechumens to behold the mysteries. On the other hand, the purified have already been initiated into the reception of the sacred gifts. It is true that in their foolishness they are eager to return to sin rather than uplifting themselves, as they should, to higher perfection. This is why it is not wrong to exclude them from initiation and from Communion, manifested under the sacramental symbols. If they were to participate unworthily in such holy ceremonies, they would be the first victims [of their own foolishness], and they would increase their disrespect for divine realities and for themselves. However, it is still quite proper to admit them to the funeral rite since this ceremony clearly instructs us regarding the unpredictability of the time of death, the rewards promised the holy ones by the unerring Scriptures, and the continual punishment promised to the impious. This is why it is useful that they be present for the solemn proclamation whereby the deacon affirms that those who die in God are indeed admitted into the community of the saints. Perhaps they will then experience such a desire. By listening to the deacon may they learn that the blessed are truly those who die in the peace of Christ. 4932 vii.3.4. The hierarch, coming forward, prays over the deceased. He then kisses the body as do all the others. This prayer is addressed to the gracious God, asking divine pardon for all the deceased’s sins, sins for which human weakness is responsible, and to situate the deceased in the light and in the place of the living,13 in the bosom of Abraham,14 Isaac, and Jacob, “a place where sorrow, sadness, and lamentation are unknown.”15 4933 vii.3.8. Let us now return to the rites that follow the prayer concerning which we have just spoken. When this prayer has been concluded, the hierarch, followed by all assisting, gives the kiss of peace to the dead person. It is permissible and reasonable that all living a life in conformity to God do this for someone who has led a godly life. After the kiss the hierarch pours holy oil upon the remains of the deceased. Let us recall that in the ceremony through which God is born in the soul—before the most divine baptism—it is by the anointing with holy oil that the candidate is permitted to participate for the first time in the holy symbols immediately after the old garments have been exchanged for new apparel. Now, on the other hand, it is at the end of the ceremony that the holy oil is applied to the mortal remains. Formerly the holy anointing called the initiate to holy combat; now the anointing with the oil signifies that the deceased has actually been victorious in this struggle. 4934 vii.3.10. As to the consecratory prayers, it would be sacrilegious to explain them in writing, thus revealing to all their mystical meaning and the power given them by God. As our holy tradition teaches, it is by learning them in private, by uplifting ourselves spiritually, by living a more 13. See Ps 56:13; 116:9.  14. See Luke 16:22; 13:28; Matt 8:11.  15. See Isa 35:10; 51:11.

186. Evagrius Scholasticus  219 holy life, by increasing our love for God and God’s holy works, that we, enlightened by the source of every sacrament, will gain the highest understanding of the divine mysteries. vii.3.11. What seems to merit the derision of the ungodly is that infants, even though incapable of understanding the divine mysteries, are admitted to a sacrament that brings about a divine birth in the soul and are admitted to the very sacred symbols of divine Communion. [.  .  .] In this regard we say what is said by those who initiated us—those who themselves were initiated according to the most ancient traditions. They say, in fact—and it is true—that if infants are raised according to holy prescriptions, they will act in a holy way and be free from all error and from all temptation to lead a sinful life. Knowing this truth, our teachers judged it fitting to admit infants to the sacraments on condition that the parents of such children entrust them to upright instructors who themselves have been initiated to the sacred mysteries, who can impart religious instruction as spiritual parents, as sponsors. Speaking to those who undertake to instruct a child on how to lead a holy life, the hierarch requests that they themselves assent to the rite’s renunciations and that they themselves make the holy promises. It is false, as those who mock [infant baptism] pretend, that the sponsors take the place of the infants in the initiation to the divine secrets, for the sponsors do not say that they abjure or that they are bound rather than the infants. Indeed, it is the infants themselves who abjure and promise. This is to say, “I promise that when these infants can understand the holy truths, we will form them and uplift them by our instruction in such a fashion that they will renounce all the enemy’s seductions, that they will make the divine promises, and that they will in fact keep these promises.” In my opinion there is nothing absurd if infants are admitted to the sacraments that spiritually benefit them provided that teachers or sponsors instruct them on how to lead a godly life and caution them against the snares of the enemy. If the hierarch allows the infants to participate in the holy symbols, it is to feed them so that thanks to this nourishment their whole lives may pass in continually contemplating the divine mysteries, in entering into communion with these mysteries as they progress in holiness, in acquiring saintly and lasting habits, all leading to holiness under the direction of holy sponsors who themselves live in a way that is pleasing to God. [.  .  .] 1 8 6 . Eva g r i u s Sc h o l a s t i c u s

Born ca. 536 in Epiphania in Syria and educated at Apamea, Evagrius Scholasticus (Scholasticus being a surname applied at that time to a lawyer) was a highly regarded citizen in Antioch, where he held several public offices. As a friend and advisor of Bishop Gregory of Antioch (d. 592/593), Evagrius accompanied Gregory to Constantinople, where the bishop

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220  Chapter XII. Sixth Century. East was summoned to defend his good name. The only surviving work of Evagrius (d. after 594) is his Church History. CPG 3: no. 7500 * Altaner (1961) 277 * Altaner (1966) 229 * Bardenhewer (1908) 554 * Bardenhewer (1910) 479 * Bardenhewer (1913) 5:119–21 * Bautz 1:1576 * Steidle 256 * Tixeront 302–3 * CATH 4:747–48 * CE 5:639–40 * DCB 2:423–24 * DHGE 16:1495–98 * DPAC 1:1311–12 * DTC 5.2:1612–13 * EC 5:878–79 * EEC 1:305–6 * EEChr 1:406 * LTK 3:1028 * NCE 5:645 * NCES 5:465–66 * ODCC 578

186-A. Church History† Covering the years 431 (the Council of Ephesus) to 594 (the twelfth year of the emperor Maurice [582–610]), this work, in six books, was intended to continue previously written histories. Using a wide variety of sources and preserving several documents that otherwise would have been lost, the author provides valuable information on the controversies of the time, especially the Nestorian (two persons in Christ) and Monophysite (only one nature in Christ) heresies. Not a theologian, Evagrius was a historian, yet one not afraid to reveal his love for pious legends. I.xiii.When this man [Dommus, the bishop of Antioch] came to him [Symeona], he was astounded by the [latter’s] stance and lifestyle and yearned for what was more mystical. And so the two came together and after consecrating the unbroken body they gave a share of the life-giving Communion to each other. [.  .  .] 4939 IV.xxxvi. [.  .  .] According to ancient custom in the imperial city, when a substantial quantity of the holy parts of the immaculate of Christ our God remain, uncorrupted boys are sent for from among those who are pupils of an elementary teacher, and they consume these. [.  .  .] 4938

187. Pseudo-Eusebius of Alexandria

A collection of homilies on various topics has come down to us under the name of Eusebius of Alexandria. There is, however, no record of a Eusebius being the bishop of this city previous to the eleventh century. The pieces appear to be from the same hand, and yet the name of their author remains unknown. Scholars believe that these homilies date from the late fifth or early sixth century, perhaps originating in Syria or Palestine. CPG 3: nos. 5510ff. * Altaner (1966) 473 * Bardenhewer (1908) 370 * Bardenhewer (1913) 4:588–89 * CATH 4:708 * DHGE 15:1434 * DictSp 4.2:1686–87 * DTC 5.2:1526–27 * EEC 1:298–99 * LTK 3:1006 * ODCC 575

† Translation (modified) from The Ecclesiastical History of Evagrius Scholasticus, trans. M. Whitby (Liverpool, 2000) 34, 241. a. Symeon, namely, Simeon Stylites (ca. 390–459).

187. Pseudo-Eusebius of Alexandria  221 G. Lafontaine, “Le sermon ‘sur le dimanche’ d’Eusèbe d’Alexandrie,” Mus 87 (1974) 23–44.

187-A. Homily 16. On the Lord’s Day† 1. After the Church’s gathering on a certain Sunday and when the holy bishop Eusebius was seated, Alexander said to him, “I ask you, my lord, why must we observe the Lord’s Day, a day when we are to refrain from labor?” The holy man rose and said, “Listen attentively, my son, for I will explain to you what tradition has handed down in regard to observing the Lord’s Day and refraining from work.” When the Lord gave the mystery to his disciples, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “‘Take, eat, this is my Body which is broken for you unto the forgiveness of sins.’1 Likewise he gave them the cup saying, ‘This is my Blood of the new covenant which is poured out for you unto the forgiveness of sins. Do this in memory of me.’”2 And so this holy day commemorates our Lord. It is called the Lord’s as if it were the lord of days. Yet it was not called the Lord’s before his passion; rather, it was known as the “first day.” On this day the Lord began the fruits of the resurrection and of the world’s creation. On this day he gave the world the first fruits of his resurrection. As we said, he commanded that the holy mysteries be celebrated on this day. This day, therefore, gives you the beginning of all grace, the beginning of the world’s creation, the beginning of the resurrection, the beginning of the week. This day, embracing three beginnings, fully shows forth the preeminence of the most holy Trinity. 2. The week has seven days, six of these being given by God as days for labor, one day for prayer, for rest, and for expiating our sins so that if we have committed sins for six days, we are reconciled to God on the extra day, namely, on the Lord’s Day. Therefore in the morning gather in the church of God, hasten to the Lord, confess your sins to him, do penance with prayers and a contrite heart, continue doing what is divine and holy, be faithful to your prayers, and never depart before the assembly is dismissed. Contemplate your Lord who is distributed, handed over, and yet never used up. If your soul is pure, then come forth to receive the Lord’s Body and Blood. But if your conscience condemns you as being guilty of forbidden and evil actions, you are to refrain from Communion till you have been healed through penance; yet assist at the prayers and do not leave the church till dismissed. [.  .  .] 3. There is no reason for observing the Lord’s Day other than to interrupt our labors and to be free for prayer. But if you cease working and fail to go to church, you gain nothing, even harming yourself to no small Translated from PG 86:415–22. 1. 1 Cor 11:24.  2. Luke 22:20. †

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222  Chapter XII. Sixth Century. East degree. Many look forward to the Lord’s Day but not all for the same reason. Those who fear God look forward to this day so that they may pour forth their prayers and refresh themselves with the Lord’s Body and Blood. The lazy and the negligent, ceasing work, look forward to the Lord’s Day so that they might indulge in evil works. The facts themselves attest the truth of what I say. Just go out at any time and on any other day and there is nothing to be seen. Go out on the Lord’s Day and you can find lute players, noisemakers, dancers; some people sitting and jesting; some reviling their neighbors; others wrestling; some fighting among themselves; others with a nod calling one another to evil deeds. And if anywhere there is the lute or the dance, all immediately hasten to it. The herald summons all to the church; all plead sleep or infirmity. Heard is the sound of the lute, that of the flute, or that of the dance. All, as if carried by the wind, hasten to see and hear this. But entering the church, what do they see? I tell you: Christ the Lord upon the holy table; the seraphim thrice singing their holy hymn; the coming and the presence of the Holy Spirit; the sound of David, prophet and king; Paul the blessed apostle impressing his teaching upon the ears of all; the hymn of the angels; the continuous Alleluia; the voices of the evangelists; the Lord’s admonitions; the instruction and exhortation given by the venerable bishops and presbyters; all types of spiritual and heavenly things; whatever gives us salvation and the kingdom of God. Whoever enters the church hears these things, sees these things. What is seen upon entering a theater? Whores, diabolical songs, voices full of baseness and perversity, female dancers, indeed those taking pleasure in what is evil. [.  .  .] 4944 4. [.  .  .] Woe to any priest who does not offer prayers to God at the appointed hour. If any lay person takes food before the liturgy, he or she is to be judged seriously and punished. If after taking food one also shares in the Mysteries, that person’s fate will be that of the traitor Judas. I know that many take food on the holy paschal day and receive Communion. Woe to their souls, especially if they are of a mature age! Rather than expiating sins, they increase sins. No less condemned is the practice whereby a person, conscious of being an evildoer and before washing away one’s sins through penance, receives the Eucharist. The greater the day, the greater the sin. But those who are free from sin are to fast till the time of the liturgy during which they receive Communion. But woe to those who on the Lord’s Day play the lute or dance. Or institute and execute legal proceedings. Or work in the fields or give or demand oaths. Doomed as they are to an unquenchable fire, their fate will be that of the hypocrites.3 This day is given to us for prayer and the expiation of sins, for penance and deliverance, for giving our servants and paid employees a time to rest. 4945 5. “This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”4 Let us not rejoice out of drunkenness and intoxication but by meditating, 3. See Matt 24:57.  4. Ps 118:24.

188. Canons of Mar Išo’yahb I  223 seeking the delights of the divine Scriptures. God gave us this day on which he began to create the world, on which he broke the power of death, and he called it the Lord’s Day so that, influenced by reverence for his name, we might keep the Lord’s precepts. The paid employee enters your house, carrying out the tasks you assign; for six days this person hardly dares to raise his or her eyes and see in which direction the sun rises or sets. Fatigued, he or she is worn out by the work you have assigned. Such pitiable people weep loudly. Sweaty and dirty, they are incapable of breathing deeply or of resting. All they can do is to look forward to the Lord’s Day when at last they might wash away the dirt from their bodies. And often enough you do not even grant them this. What, I ask, will be your excuse? There are those who, for the sake of kindness, say on Sunday, “Come now, let us today help the poor with their work.” These people fail to realize that what they could have done well becomes for them even more of a sin. Do you wish to assist the poor? Then do not steal the day consecrated to God. [.  .  .] Do not transgress the Lord’s command; do not steal his day; do not take away the day of rest given to your servants and employees; do not forget to pray; do not hinder others from attending church. [.  .  .] 6. [.  .  .] Do you wish to avoid evil? Then do not profane the Lord’s Day; 4946 refrain from evil deeds; devote yourselves to prayer; forgo bad words; gather with religious people and join them in giving thanks to God and in proclaiming his praise. [.  .  .]

Persia 1 8 8 . C a n o n s o f M a r I š o ’ ya h b I †

These canons are contained in a letter written in 585 and sent as a reply to certain questions previously asked by James, bishop of Darai, an island in the Persian Gulf near present-day Bahrain. Išo’yahb I was elected metropolitan of Nisibis ca. 582; he died in 594/595. 4947 Canon 2. The priest who is designated as the minister of the awesome offering of the sacrifice should receive Communion before the bishop and before all the gathered priests, for this is required by ecclesiastical law. It is to be done for two reasons. First, as is written, “it belongs to those who toil to nourish themselves with the first fruits.”1 There is another reason. Even though this priest is the intermediary of the sacrament, it does not follow that he has no need of this sacrament; on the contrary, he has greater need of this gift, of the reconciliation brought by the mysteries. Accordingly, he more than all the faithful, more than all the other priests, should be eager to receive. He is like the poor person who desires to receive assistance. † Translated from Synodicon Orientale, trans. and ed. J.B. Chabot (Paris, 1902) 429–30, 445. 1. 2 Tim 2:6.

224  Chapter XII. Sixth Century. East The bishop, if present, gives Communion to him. But if the bishop is not present, the senior priest in order of precedence does so. And then the consecrating priest gives Communion to the priest who gave it to him. The same is true for the Lord’s cup. The consecrating priest gives Communion to the priests and deacons who are within the sanctuary. Standing on the steps and after those who will distribute the mysteries come to the bottom of the stairs, he blesses the people and recites these words from the apostle: “May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always. Amen.”2 Then the priests distribute Communion. If the consecrating priest does not go down to distribute Communion, he turns, adores, greets the altar, and then stands to its right, facing south. But if a small number of priests requires it, he also distributes Communion while a priest or a deacon carries a flat plate [with the consecrated bread] before him. If he does not distribute, he goes up and sits by the entrance into the diaconicona where the people, gathering around him receive the peace. 4949 The priest who will consecrate is not appointed beforehand for this task; only when the bishop and the priests receive the peace from the altar and exchange it among themselves does the archdeacon designate which priest will consecrate. If the archdeacon is not present, then his replacement or whoever is officiating at the bemab will, with the bishop’s permission, designate which priest will consecrate. 4950 Canon 3. The divine and synodal canons have decreed that a deacon is not to give Communion to a priest.c They give the reason for this. If there is no other priest to give Communion other than the priest who desires to receive it, and if a deacon is present, then all should be done according to the praiseworthy custom that is current among those who have been instructed. The priest takes a portion from the altar and gives it to the deacon; he then comes forward, prostrates, and adores the Body of the [Divine] Majesty. Next the priest himself takes the portion with his right hand, raises it on high with his left hand, and holds it with his right hand while the deacon says, “May the Body of Christ .  .  .” Once the priest has consumed [the consecrated bread], he turns, bows his head, takes the cup from the altar and gives it to the deacon. The priest adores, takes the cup from the deacon; he consumes some [of the consecrated wine], turns, and gives the cup back to the deacon who returns it to the altar. 4951 If no deacon is present, the priest takes Communion from the altar in the same way he would take it from a deacon in the case of necessity. This is to be done if there is a shortage of ministers. Otherwise, it is not 4948

a. Diaconicon: a room in the church and under the supervision of a deacon containing the vessels and garments used for worship. b. Bema: in the church a raised platform from which, for example, the Scriptures are proclaimed. c. See Council of Nicaea I (325), can. 18 (WEC 2:1455). 2. Rom 16:24.

188. Canons of Mar Išo’yahb I  225 permitted for the priest to consecrate by himself, doing so without the participation of a deacon or another priest. How, in fact, would it be permissible to consecrate without the presence of him who receives the offerings [from the people?], who is the herald of the Church, who stirs up the attention of the people by his words, and who invites them to pray? Canon 4. Remember, my lord, you did not request that I write you concerning all the rules governing the ordination of those who are to be ordained. You asked only this: “Is the gospel book to be placed on the altar during ordinations?” Earlier I instructed you that divine [functions] are to take place with the gospel book being present. This is true not only at ordinations but also when the divine sacrifice is offered and when the baptismal oil is consecrated. When the bishop or the priest prepares himself to consecrate the baptismal waters, the archdeacon holds the large book, and a priest does likewise for the vessel containing the oil. They stand around the water with the priest or bishop who will consecrate it. During ordinations when the gospel book is placed on the altar, the bishop speaks to the ordinands on the greatness and dignity of the ministry to which they will be called. He speaks to them on the chaste and pure life to be led by those ministers of divine things who stand around the holy altar. Immediately the candidates wash their hands as a sign that their spirit is pure and free from all evil. [.  .  .] Canon 5. Christ, who gives us life, brings an end to our death by means of his death; by his cross he has slain human enmity. He has come to announce peace both to those who are afar and to those who are near.3 [.  .  .] Some of the faithful are afflicted by the evil of anger and are at odds with their neighbors. This is even true when they are in church at the time of reconciliation; they refuse to share the peace and to be healed from the evil of the hatred afflicting them. [.  .  .] At the moment when the Church’s herald cries out, “Share the peace with one another,” they either scorn this notice and depart like strangers who in no way share in the mysteries, or they are so bold as to stay and trample underfoot the Lord’s law of peace. [.  .  .] Canon 17. According to universal tradition the holy oil used for the anointing is reserved in the church. It mystically symbolizes the garment of adoption as children and of indestructibility as well as the promise of the Holy Spirit’s anointing which those worthy of baptism receive and by which they through divine power are reborn unto immortality. This is why it has been determined and established that this oil will be used for no other purpose other than for divine baptism, for which this oil is and should be preserved. Those who give it or receive it for any purpose other than baptism will be excommunicated till they have done penance and have been absolved. Just as it is forbidden to use for other purposes the sacred cup, plates, and other vessels employed by the holy minister, the same is forbidden in regard to the oil for the anointing according to 3. See Eph 2:17.

4952

4953

4954

4955

226  Chapter XII. Sixth Century. East the prohibition which has always existed and which shall continue to exist forever.

Pa l e s t i n e 189. John Moschus

Born ca. 550 John Moschus (John Eukratas, son of Moschus) was a monk of the monastery of Saint Theodosius near Jerusalem. After spending twenty-five years in Palestine, John with his disciple and good friend Sophronius (later to become archbishop of Jerusalem) engaged upon a life of travel, visiting and often residing at various monastic establishments, e.g., Egypt, Mount Sinai, Antioch, Cyprus. Eventually John and his companion reached Rome in 614, where he died in 619/634. CPG 3: nos. 7376ff. * Altaner (1961) 258–59 * Altaner (1966) 241–42 * Bardenhewer (1908) 559–61 * Bardenhewer (1910) 483–84 * Bardenhewer (1913) 5:131–35 * Steidle 263 * Tixeront 305 * CATH 6:614 * CE 10:591 * DACL 7.2:2190–96 * DCB 3:406–8 * DHGE 27:321 * DictSp 8:632–40 * DPAC 2:1572–73 * DTC 10.2:2510–13 * EC 8:1468–69 * EEC 1:443–44 * EEChr 1:624 * LTK 5:938 * NCE 10:7 * NCES 10:6 * ODCC 1117–18 * PEA (1894) 9.2:1810 * PEA (1991) 5:1067–68 * TRE 17:140–44

189-A. The Spiritual Meadow† The Spiritual Meadow (Pratum Spirituale) is a collection, written at Rome, of more than three hundred sayings and anecdotes either experienced by or told to John Moschus during his monastic wanderings. Its purpose is one of edification. xxx. In Cyprus there is a market town called Tadai where there is a monastery known as the monastery of Philoxenos. Arriving there, we met a monk by the name of Isidore, a native of Melitene.a We noticed that he was constantly weeping and lamenting. When any person attempted to have him lessen his mourning, he stood fast and said to all, “No sinner has been greater than I from the time of Adam till the present day.” We said to him, “To be sure, your Reverence, only God is without sin.” He replied, “Believe me, my dear brothers, I have not encountered on earth any sin that I have not committed, whether it be written or not. If you think that I am wrong in thus accusing myself, listen to me so that you might pray for me.” 4957 “When I was in the world, I had a wife. Both of us were Severans.b One day upon returning home I was unable to find her, and I learned that she 4956

Translated from Le pré spirituel, ed. M.-J. Journel, SChr 12 (Paris, 1946) 70–71. a. Melitene: a city in Cappadocia. b. Severans: followers of Severus (ca. 465–538), bishop of Antioch and a prominent Monophysite theologian. †

191. Cosmas Indicopleustes  227 had gone to a neighbor in order to receive Communion. Since my neighbor was in communion with the holy Catholic Church, I immediately ran to stop her. Immediately upon entering my neighbor’s house, I found my wife who had just received a portion of the holy Communion. Grabbing her by the throat, I had her spit out the holy portion which I then took and threw down into the mud. Immediately I saw something shining at the very place where the holy Communion fell.” 1 9 0 . J o h n o f Sc y t h o p o l i s

Little has come down to us regarding the life of this writer (bishop?) who lived in the early sixth century. A strong defender of the Council of Chalcedon (WEC 3:137), he was a fearless adversary of Monophysitism. CPG 3: nos. 6850ff. * Altaner (1961) 614–15 * Altaner (1966) 508–9 * Bardenhewer (1913) 5:16 * Tixeront 290 * DCB 3:427 * DHGE 27:617–19 * DPAC 2:1577 * EEC 1:446 * EEChr 1:627 * LTK 5:969 * NCE 7:1074 * NCES 7:986 * PEA (1991) 5:1061

190-A. Scholion on Pseudo-Dionysius† Although most of John’s works have been lost, there survives his Scholion on Pseudo-Dionysius, a series of explanatory notes written after 532 on the works of Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite (WEC 4:185). In collected form these notes acquired great popularity during the Middle Ages. iii.2. This custom flourishes in Romea where only seven deacons serve at the altar. These, I believe, are called “selecti”; others carry out other ministries, this indicating the old age of the bishop; the priests present the bread with the deacons. Such is done wherever deacons are few in number. I believe that this is especially true for Rome where only seven deacons are selected to serve at the altar. Perhaps, however, these seven are selected from among the others by reason of their lives.

Eg y p t 191. Cosmas Indicopleustes

Cosmas Indicopleustes, namely, Comas the “Indian navigator,” was an Egyptian merchant, probably from Alexandria, who for business reasons sailed many waters (the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf) and visited countries like India and Ceylon. There is reason to believe that Cosmas eventually embraced the monastic life. Translated from PG 4:135–36. a. The practice referred to here is that of placing the bread and cup on the altar before the consecratory invocation by the bishop as mentioned in Dionysius’s The Ecclesiastical Hierarchy (WEC 4:4879). †

4958

228  Chapter XII. Sixth Century. East CPG 3: no. 7468 * Altaner (1961) 624 * Altaner (1966) 517 * Bardenhewer (1908) 555–56 * Bardenhewer (1910) 480–81 * Bardenhewer (1913) 5:95–98 * Steidle 224 * Tixeront 303–4 * CATH 3:226 * CE 4:404–5 * DACL 8:820–49 * DCB 1:692–94 * DPAC 1:793–94 * DTC 3.2:1916–17 * EC 4:684–85 * EEC 1:203 * EEChr 1:295 * LTK 6:393 * NCE 4:359–60 * ODCC 421 E.O. Winstedt, “A Note on Cosmas and the ‘Chronicum Paschale,’” JThSt 8 (1906–7) 101–3. * E. Peterson, “Die alexandrinische Liturgie bei Kosmas Indicopleustes,” EphL 40 (1932) 56–74.

191-A. Christian Topography† Apparently written over the course of several years and the only work of Cosmas to survive, the twelve books constituting this opus intend to show that the universe is not spherical but rather cuboid, namely, having the same form as the tabernacle of Moses. Those opposing such a view were, in the thinking of Cosmas, nothing less than heretics. Although reflecting the scientific errors of its time, the work provides much geographical data, some obtained from the author’s personal experience, others the result of secondhand accounts given by various merchants he met along the way. V.10. [.  .  .] Those in Jerusalem apparently rely on what blessed Luke said, namely that the Lord, beginning his work, “was baptized when he was about thirty years old.”1 And so they celebrate his nativity on the Epiphany. What the evangelist and those in Jerusalem say is correct. However, they are not accurate. Certainly the Lord was baptized on his birthday; something both Luke and those in Jerusalem affirm. 4960 V.11. But already in ancient times the Church ordered that twelve days be placed between these two feasts, twelve being the number of the apostles. It did this so that neither feast would be overlooked by celebrating both of them on the same day; thus was instituted the feast of the Epiphany. In like manner the Church ordered that at the time of the Lord’s Resurrection a forty day fast is to be observed, a fast akin to that kept by the Lord as he was preparing to struggle against the devil. The Church did this so that we, following the Lord’s example, might struggle and imitate him as best we can, thereby sharing in his passion and resurrection although Christ did not fast on the days when these occurred. And so the Church ordained that the Lord’s Epiphany should take place twelve days after his nativity. 4961 V.12. Only Christians in Jerusalem, guided by similar yet inexact calculations, celebrate [Christ’s birth] on the day of the Epiphany. On the other hand, on Christ’s birthday they commemorate David and the apostle 4959

† Translated from Cosmas Indicopleustès. Topographie chrétienne, vol. 2, trans. and ed. W. Wolska-Conus (Paris, 1970) 22–24. 1. Luke 3:23.

193. Manchester Papyrus  229 James, doing so not because these two illustrious men died on this very day but, as I believe, so that they may not continue to exclude the rest of Christ’s kinsmen, whose memory all observe, thereby glorifying God in all things. Amen. 1 9 2 . L o u va i n Pa p y r u s †

Located in the Louvain Library (no. 27), this papyrus contains remnants of a sixth-century eucharistic prayer used in the Coptic Church. L.Th. Lefort, “Coptica lovanensia,” Mus 53 (1940) 22–24. * P. Devos, “Un témoin copte de la plus ancienne anaphore en grec,” AB 104 (1986) 126. * Jasper 81.

[Sanctus] .  .  . earth your glory.

4962

[Epiclesis I] Heaven and earth are full of the glory by which you glorified us through Jesus Christ, your only-begotten Son, the first-born of all creatures, sitting at the right hand of your majesty in heaven, who will come to judge the living and the dead, whose death we recall as we offer to you this bread and this cup, your creatures. We ask and implore you to send upon them from heaven your Holy Spirit, the Paraclete .  .  . [to change?] the bread into the Body of Christ, the cup into Christ’s Blood of the new covenant.

4963

[Institution Narrative] And so the Lord, about to be handed over, took bread, gave thanks over it, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to his disciples and said to them, “Take, eat, for this is my Body, which will be given for you.” Likewise, after the meal he also took the cup, gave thanks over it, and gave it to them, saying, “Take, drink, for this is my Blood, which will be poured out for many unto the remission [of sins].” [.  .  .] 1 9 3 . M a n c h e s t e r Pa p y r u s † †

This fragment, dating from the sixth century, comes from an early version of the Alexandrian Anaphora of Saint Mark the Evangelist. The papyrus (no. 465) is found in the John Rylands Library in Manchester, England. H. Engberding, “Zum Papyrus 465 der John Rylands Library zu Manchester,” OC 42 (1958) 68–76. †

Translated from Hänggi 140. Text in brackets is added from other sources. Translated from Hänggi 120–23.

††

4964

4965

230  Chapter XII. Sixth Century. East [After the Sanctus] 4966

Truly heaven and earth are filled with your glory through Jesus Christ, our Lord, God, and Savior. [Epiclesis I]

4967

O God, also fill this sacrifice with the blessing that comes from you through your Holy Spirit. [Institution Narrative]

4968

Because Jesus Christ, our Lord, God, Savior, and highest King, on the night when he handed himself over for our sins and died for all, took bread into his holy, immaculate, and undefiled hands, looked up to you in heaven, up to you, his divine Father. He blessed, sanctified, broke, and gave it to his holy disciples and apostles, saying, “All of you, take and eat from this. This is my Body of the New Testament which is given for many unto the forgiveness of sins. Do this in memory of me.” Likewise, after eating he took the cup, gave thanks, and shared it with his disciples and apostles, saying, “All of you, drink from this. This is my Blood which is shed for you and for many and is given for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in memory of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim my death and resurrection.” [Anamnesis]

4969

O God, all-powerful Father, announcing the death and resurrection of your only begotten Son, our Lord, God, and Savior, and his ascension into heaven and his sitting at your right hand and looking forward to his glorious second coming when he will judge the earth with justice and reward each according to one’s merits, whether good or evil, we proclaim your gifts before you. [Epiclesis II]

We ask and beseech you to send your Holy Spirit upon these gifts which are seen by our eyes, upon this bread and upon this cup, and may the Spirit truly make this bread the Body of Jesus Christ and the cup of the Blood of the new covenant, and of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ, our highest king. Amen. 4971 So that they be for all of us who share in them for faith, for moderation, for healing, for joy, for sanctification, for renewal of soul, body and spirit, for fellowship in eternal life, for wisdom and immortality, for [.  .  .] 4970

[Doxology] 4972

So that in this your holy and honored name may also be glorified, celebrated, and sanctified everywhere .  .  . for the forgiveness of sins.

Index to Volume Four Numbers in bold and within parentheses are subhead numbers, which indicate particular authors/documents in this volume. All other numbers refer to marginal paragraph numbers. account of institution. See Eucharistic Prayer/anaphora: institution account acolyte(s), 4169, 4680 Aeterne rerum conditor, 4333 Africa, 4167, 4196, 4214, 4223, 4596, 4655 Africans, 4230 Agde, Synod of (506). See councils/ synods: Agde (506) alb worn by deacon, 4659 worn by reader, 4659 worn by subdeacon, 4659 Alexander, Pope (ca. 110), 4200 Alleluia meaning of, 4171, 4900 monastic use during Daily Offices, 4051–56 passim, 4093, 4097, 4103–4, 4328, 4334–35 sung at Easter Vigil, 4076 sung continuously, 4943 sung during Mass outside Easter/ Pentecost season, 4247 almsgiving, 4348, 4355, 4358, 4372, 4420 fasting, related to, 4443, 4446–47, 4455. See also fasting/fasts forgiveness of sins and, 4429, 4434 See also poor: care for altar(s) blessing/consecration of, 4524, 4551, 4581, 4607, 4752, 4898 incensing, 4869 as table, 4943. See also Eucharist: as meal/banquet veil/cloth, 4215 See also Eucharist: as sacrifice

Ambrose of Milan (d. 397), 4014, 4195, 4223, 4344 anamnesis. See Eucharistic Prayer/ anaphora: anamnesis (memorial) anaphora. See Eucharistic Prayer/ anaphora Anastasius, Pope (399–401), 4217 angel(s) “bread” of, 4401 singing Sanctus, Sanctus in heaven, 4523 anointing body of a deceased priest, 4928, 4933 postbaptismal. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: anointing(s), postbaptismal prebaptismal. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: anointing(s), prebaptismal reconciliation of heretics and, 4262, 4576 See also chrism/myron; oil: blessing of Antioch, 4938 antiphonal psalmody. See psalms/ psalmody: singing, methods of Apollinaris, Sidonius. See Sidonius Apollinaris archdeacon(s), 4256, 4949, 4952 archpriest, 4842 Arianism, 4770–71 Arian(s), 4187, 4215, 4262, 4496, 4702–3 Arius, 4168 Arles IV, Synod of (524). See councils/ synods: Arles IV (524) Ascension, feast of, Mass celebrated in parish church on, 4556

231

232  Index to Volume Four assembly absenting oneself from, 4769 armed soldier not to enter, 4612 arriving early, 4386–87 arriving late, 4413 church, held outside a, 4505 clergy and laity, place for, 4623 departing early, 4391–98 (168-B-13), 4399–4405, 4562, 4571, 4612, 4942 improper behavior in, 4352, 4356, 4358, 4368–72, 4388, 4416–17 Athanasius (ca. 296–373), 4856 Augustine of Canterbury, 4263 Augustine of Hippo (354–430), 4013, 4158, 4344 Aurelian of Arles (d. ca. 550), 4461–90 (171) Auxerre, Synod of (late 6th or early 7th century). See councils/synods: Auxerre (late 6th or early 7th century) Avitus of Vienne (d. between 518 and 523), 4306–17 (167), 4495 baptism/initiation of children. See children/infants: baptism of Christ and, 4186 Church and, 4004 day(s) for celebrating, 4196, 4240, 4456, 4500, 4509, 4527, 4641, 4653, 4684, 4720. See also Pasch/Easter: baptism during devil and. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: the devil, renunciation of faith and, 4168, 4175 fasting before, 4456. See also fasting/ fasts of heathens, 4205 heresy, of those converting from, 4168, 4203 heretics conferring, 4007–8, 4527, 4734–35 of Jews, 4203, 4229, 4240 martyrdom and, 4004 minister(s) of, 4565 necessity of, 4006 Old Testament types, 4259 ordo to be followed, 4743, 4755

parents of children and, 4346, 4840 Pelagius and, 4218 place for, 4843 postponing, 4428, 4456 of pregnant women, 4245 repeated, not, 4004, 4232, 4614, 4764 of the sick, 4456, 4641, 4720–22 sponsors/godparents, 4461, 4643, 4857–59, 4936–37 See also Holy Spirit: baptism and; water, baptismal baptism/initiation, effects of as enlightenment/illumination, 4868 death/life, 4863 forgiveness of (washing away/ cleansing) sin, 4181, 4254, 4259, 4494, 4661. See also sin, forgiveness of members of Christ’s body, 4013 rebirth, 4004, 4160, 4170, 4183, 4218, 4868 baptism/initiation, liturgy of anointing, 4955 anointing(s), postbaptismal (confirmation/chrismation), 4164, 4172, 4184, 4215, 4234, 4236, 4494, 4664–65, 4672, 4773, 4862, 4864, 4897. See also chrism/myron; Holy Spirit: baptism and anointing(s), prebaptismal, 4161–62, 4175–78, 4653, 4862 catechesis immediately after. See mystagogical catechesis clothing, removal of, 4163, 4861 cross, signing with. See signing with the cross the devil, renunciation of, 4180, 4346, 4861 Eucharist and, 4865–67 exorcisms, 4160, 4755, 4761. See also oil: blessing of exsufflation/insufflation, 4160, 4861 facing east, 4861 facing west, 4861 formulas, 4190, 4494, 4701–4 immersion/going down into/coming out of water, 4163, 4183, 4228, 4701–4, 4862 inscription of names, 4684, 4860, 4862

Index to Volume Four  233 instruction of candidates, 4860 milk and honey, 4170 mystagogical catecheses. See mystagogical catechesis profession/handing over of the creed, 4161, 4182, 4422, 4550, 4684, 4755 scrutinies, 4161 white garment/linen cloth, 4164, 4240, 4864 See also bishop(s)/hierarch(s): baptism and; catechumens; feet, washing of; hand(s), imposition/ laying on of; Holy Spirit: baptism and; oil: blessing of; signing with the cross; hands, washing of; water, baptismal baptismal oil. See chrism/myron; oil baptistery no burial within, 4639 entrance into by bishop and priest, 4688 preparation of, 4494 Barcelona I, Synod of (ca. 540). See councils/synods: Barcelona I (ca. 540) Barcelona II, Synod of (599). See councils/synods: Barcelona II (599) bema, 4949 Benedict of Nursia (ca. 480–543), 4090– 4150 (155) bishop(s)/hierarch(s) age for ordination, 4553 baptism and, 4234, 4257 blessing given by, 4586 catechumens and, 4240 celebrating in his own church, 4650 church, presence in closest, 4574 churches to be visited by, 4715, 4755 consecration of an altar and, 4607 dismissals from liturgy and, 4571 gifts brought by the faithful, dividing, 4196, 4242, 4566–68, 4715. See also Eucharist, Liturgy of: bringing/presenting/distributing/ praying over gifts greeting the people, 4741 metropolitans and, 4582 ordaining, not to accept anything for, 4597

ordaining for money, 4756, 4772 ordaining unlawfully, 4605 ordaining within his own district, 4607 ordination of, 4244, 4619, 4677, 4901, 4911, 4915 penance and, 4767 preaching and, 4343, 4724 presbyterate, selecting candidates for the, 4675 presbyters and, 4166–67 reconciliation of heretics and, 4215, 4620 reconciliation of the excommunicated and, 4583 selection of, 4589–91, 4676 veil not to wrap dead body of, 4602 visiting various churches, 4257 See also chrism/myron: preparation by bishop; clerics; hand(s), imposition/laying on of blessings bowing at, 4412 in church, 4561, 4600 at Matins and Vespers, 4726 Boniface I, Pope (418–22), 4220 Bonosians, 4262, 4543, 4614 Book of Heresies, 4168 book of the Gospels. See gospel book bowing, 4412 Braga, 4742–43 Braga I, Synod of (561). See councils/ synods: Braga I (561) Braga II, Synod of (572). See councils/ synods: Braga II (572) Braulio of Saragossa (631–51), 4662–74 (178) bread, offered with wine and water, 4690 burial baptistery, not in, 4639 churches, not in, 4751, 4848 of a just person, 4927–30 of Lupicinus, 4521 of a monk, 4483 of a nun, 4341 of a pope, 4227 of a priest, 4928 procession, 4342, 4521, 4768

234  Index to Volume Four psalmody during, 4342, 4483, 4521, 4768, 4928 no psalms during, 4749 of a religious, 4768 Caesarius of Arles (ca. 470–542), 4318– 4456 (168) Caius, Pope (283–96), 4212 Callistus, Pope (217–22), 4207 Campania, 4221, 4225 candles, 4019, 4524 canonical readings. See Word, Liturgy of: canonical readings Canons of Mar Išo’yahb I, 4947–55 (188) cantor(s)/singer(s) monastic practice and, 4532 ordained as deacons, 4226 Cassiodorus (ca. 490–ca. 583), 4194–95 (161) Cataphrygians, 4262 “catechesis,” meaning of, 4160 catechumens, 4159–63 bishop and, 4240 burial of, 4750 “conceived in womb of Church,” 4161 dismissal of, 4173, 4724, 4733, 4869, 4874, 4931 dying before baptism, 4750 imposing hands upon, 4160. See also hand(s), imposition/laying on of Jews as, 4558 preparation of, 4755 salt received by, 4160 See also elect (competentes); secret, discipline of; signing with the cross Celestine I, Pope (422–32), 4221 cemeteries. See burial Centumcellae, 4277 chalice. See cup chant. See singing children/infants baptism of, 4006, 4159, 4165, 4228, 4233, 4245, 4254, 4346, 4456, 4461, 4527, 4547, 4641, 4653, 4687, 4721, 4735, 4760–61, 4935–37 mistakes during Office, 4131

teaching them the creed and the Our Father, 4348, 4355 choir(s) leading on feast days, 4351, 4370 not to sing in church, 4634 chrism/myron anointing altar with, 4551, 4581 aroma of, 4494 blessing of, 4166, 4666, 4672–74, 4752, 4757. See also oil: blessing of deacon to obtain, 4686 no money to be given for, 4773 obtained from a presbyter’s own bishop, 4632 preparation by bishop, 4166, 4215, 4686 preparation by presbyter, 4167 subdeacon to obtain, 4686 See also baptism/initiation, liturgy of: anointing(s), postbaptismal chrismarium, 4632 Christ. See Jesus Christ, baptism and Christe precamur annue, 4327 Christe qui lux es et dies, 4327 Christian, name of, 4000, 4347 Christian prayer. See Office, Daily (cathedral)—west; Office, Daily (monastic)—west Christians, 4356 Christmas. See Nativity of the Lord church(es) choirs not to sing within, 4634 construction of, 4196 decoration within, 4512 dedication/consecration of, 4188, 4263, 4563, 4752, 4758, 4771, 4892 entering after intercourse, 4246 furniture within, 4842 of heretics, 4585 pagan temples, replacing, 4263 pictures on walls, 4255 place for prayer, 4634. See also oratory reconciliation of, 4585 restoration of, 4188, 4242 visited by bishop, 4715 See also oratory church practice, diversity in, 4171, 4228, 4243

Index to Volume Four  235 clerics not allowed to become, those, 4575 chanting psalms, 4623 church, not to live far distant from the, 4016 Daily Office and, 4714 fasting and, 4016 fasting before Communion, 4694 gifts brought by the faithful, receiving, 4242 Mass on Sunday, present at, 4694 ministry, refusing to carry out, 4598 penance, admitted/not admitted to, 4578 relics of saints and, 4580 Clermont, 4510 Clermont, Synod of (535). See councils/synods: Clermont (535) collection for poor. See almsgiving collobium, 4211 Columbanus (d. 615), 4530–44 (174) Communion dismissal of those not receiving, 4271 to the dying/Viaticum, 4216, 4237, 4552, 4587, 4609, 4699, 4722, 4732 fasting before, 4642, 4655, 4694, 4762, 4850, 4944 married persons and, 4355, 4357, 4363. See also married couple, refraining from intercourse miracles associated with. See Eucharist: miracles associated with monastic order for receiving, 4149 prayer after, 4870 preparation for receiving, 4544 prostrating before receiving, 4532 receive, not being forced to, 4532 receive, obligatory times to, 4554 received outside the liturgy, 4957 reverence toward. See Eucharist: reverence toward to the sick, 4350, 4362, 4367, 4732 unity of hearts, 4871 worthy/unworthy, reception of, 4157, 4448, 4871, 4942 See also Eucharist: frequency of reception/celebration

Communion rite cup, receiving from, 4496. See also wine, at Eucharist disposal of what remains, 4655, 4939 failure to receive, 4498 formulas, 4519, 4622, 4855, 4885 minister of, 4206, 4886 order of receiving, 4028–29, 4149 Our Father during, 4247, 4612 presbyter receiving the “consecrated crown,” 4206 singing during distribution of, 4482 standing while receiving, 4028–29 See also eulogia; kiss of peace competens, 4161, 4550 concluding rites. See Mass/Divine Liturgy: rites, concluding Confirmation. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: anointing(s), postbaptismal Constantine, 4702 Constantinople, 4247, 4702 Cosmas Indicopleustes (6th century), 4959–61 (191) councils/synods Agde (506), 4549–62 (176-A) Arles IV (524), 4589–91 (176-E) Auxerre (late 6th or early 7th century), 4629–45 (176-M) Barcelona I (ca. 540), 4725–32 (180-D) Barcelona II (599), 4772–75 (180-J) Braga I (561), 4737–54 (180-F) Braga II (572), 4755–62 (180-G) Clermont (535), 4601–4 (176-H) Constantinople I (381), 4765 Dvin (527), 4834–53 (182) Epaon (517), 4575–87 (176-C) Gerunda (517), 4717–23 (180-B) Lerida (546), 4733–36 (180-E) Lyons II (between 518 and 523), 4588 (176-D) Lyons III (between 567 and 570), 4621 (176-K) Lyons IV (583), 4650 (176-O) Mâcon I (581/583), 4646–49 (176-N) Mâcon II (585), 4651–55 (176-P) Narbonne (589), 4656–60 (176-Q) Nicaea I (325), 4171, 4734 Orleans I (511), 4563–74 (176-B)

236  Index to Volume Four Orleans II (533), 4597–4600 (176-G) Orleans III (538), 4605–14 (176-I) Orleans IV (541), 4615–20 (176-J) Rome (595), 4226–27 (164) Saragossa II (592), 4770–71 (180-I) Tarragona (516), 4714–16 (180-A) Toledo III (589), 4763–69 (180-H) Tours II (567), 4622–28 (176-L) Vaison II (529), 4592–96 (176-F) Valence (ca. 524), 4724 (180-C) creed/profession of faith Divine Liturgy, during the, 4765, 4854 handing over. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: profession/handing over of the creed people memorizing, 4345, 4348, 4355, 4359, 4422 teaching to children, 4348, 4355, 4359, 4422, 4456 cross, signing with. See signing with the cross cup Maximus, hanging from neck of, 4525 monks not receiving from, 4532 receiving Communion from. See Communion rite: cup, receiving from Cyprian of Toulon (d. before 549), 4458–60 (170) Cyprus, 4956 dalmatic(s), 4211, 4215, 4227, 4256 Damasus I, Pope (ca. 366–84), 4248 dancing, 4352, 4370, 4943 Day of the Lord. See Sunday/Lord’s Day: names for Day of the Sun. See Sunday/Lord’s Day: names for daybreak, prayer at. See Office, Daily (cathedral)—west: Morning Prayer (Matins); Office, Daily (monastic)— west: Morning Prayer (Matins) deaconess(es) at baptism, not to function as such, 4844 imposition of hands, not to receive the, 4577

deacon(s) age for ordination of, 4605 alb worn by, 4659 baptizing/not baptizing by, 4565, 4845 blessing women, 4600 chrism and, 4665 Communion, assisting at, 4948 continence and, 4626 eucharistic prayer, watching over bishop during the, 4199 fasting before Mass, 4642 leave Mass early, not to, 4659 number of, 4958 ordination of, 4903, 4912–13 preaching and, 4344 presbyters and, 4950–51 presbyters, not to give Communion to, 4950 presbyters, not to sit in presence of, 4727 psalmody and, 4520 reading homilies of the Fathers, 4593 reading Scriptures, 4869 residing on an estate, 4604 role at Mass/Divine Liturgy, 4199, 4226, 4344, 4499, 4869–70, 4875 Roman regions divided among, 4208 selection of, 4589–91, 4658 seven at altar in Rome, 4958 singing and, 4226, 4499, 4520 as teachers, 4917 vesture of, 4215, 4638, 4659, 4744 See also clerics deceased bodies not to be wrapped in linen, 4601–2, 4637 burial of. See burial commemorating, 4754 Eucharist, not to be given, 4637 offering on behalf of, 4276–94, 4697 tombs of, 4697, 4751 Deus creator omnium, 4336, 4479 Deus qui certis legibus, 4336, 4479 devil, renunciation of the. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: the devil, renunciation of diaconicon, 4948

Index to Volume Four  237 Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite (ca. 500), 4857–4937 (185) direct psalmody. See psalms/psalmody: singing, methods of dismissals of the unbaptized and of sinners, 4877 See also Word, Liturgy of: dismissals from; catechumens: dismissal of; energumens, dismissal of; penitent(s): dismissal of Dominus vobiscum, 4741 doorkeeper(s) functions, zealously carrying out, 4660 marry an adulteress, not to, 4716 penitents as, 4679 raising curtains at the door, 4660 Doxology, Great. See Eucharistic Prayer/anaphora: conclusion of Duodecima. See Office, Daily (cathedral)—west; Office, Daily (monastic)—west Dvin, Synod of (527). See councils/synods: Dvin (527) dying reconciliation of. See reconciliation: dying, of the See also Communion: to the dying/ Viaticum Easter. See Pasch/Easter Easter vigil. See Pasch/Easter: vigil Egyptians, 4259 eighth day of the week. See Sunday/ Lord’s Day: names for elect (competentes), 4161 Eleutherius, Pope (ca. 175–89), 4205 Ember Days, 4621, 4761 fasting on, 4207 wearing of pallium on, 4238 emergency baptism. See baptism/initiation: of the sick energumens, dismissal of, 4869, 4874–75 Ennodius, Magnus Felix (473/474– 521), 4017–18 (152) Epaon, Synod of (517). See councils/ synods: Epaon (517)

epiclesis. See Eucharistic Prayer/ anaphora: epiclesis/invocation of the Holy Spirit Epiphany celebrated twelve days after Christ’s nativity, 4960 Daily Office on, 4060 day for announcing beginning of Lent, 4630 day for announcing date of Easter, 4615 day for celebrating Christ’s nativity, 4959, 4961 Mass celebrated in parish church, 4556 vigil on, 4331 episcopal ordination. See bishop(s)/ hierarch(s): ordination of Eucharist adoration of, 4950 angels in heaven celebrating, 4523 “bread for the soul,” 4424 bread, wine, and water offered, 4690 frequency of reception/celebration, 4304. See also Mass/Divine Liturgy: frequency of celebration Januarius becoming sick during, 4266 as meal/banquet, 4401, 4421. See also altar(s): as table minister(s) of, 4949 miracles associated with, 4270–2, 4274, 4514, 4517, 4522–23 offered for the deceased, 4276–81, 4303, 4528, 4738 Real Presence, 4391, 4424 reservation of, 4077, 4957 reverence toward, 4415, 4510–11, 4534, 4538, 4957 as sacrifice, 4005, 4011–12, 4015, 4237, 4303–4, 4633, 4762 as thanksgiving/praise, 4015, 4883–84 unity and, 4011–12 See also Communion Eucharist, Liturgy of blessing fruits of the earth, 4211 bringing/presenting/distributing/ praying over gifts, 4196, 4242,

238  Index to Volume Four 4348, 4355, 4360, 4528–29, 4566–68, 4654, 4715, 4735, 4834–35, 4856, 4879 hymn before bread and wine are placed on altar, 4869 mixed cup. See wine, at Eucharist: mixed with water preparation for. See Communion: preparation for receiving See also Communion rite; Eucharist; Eucharistic Prayer/anaphora; hands, washing of Eucharistic Prayer/anaphora, 4856, 4883–85, 4934, 4962–65 (192), 4966–72 (193) anamnesis (memorial), 4222, 4293–94, 4409, 4969 conclusion of, 4972 epiclesis/invocation of the Holy Spirit, 4012, 4943, 4963, 4967, 4970–71 institution account, 4200, 4964–65, 4968 intercessions/supplications/reading of names/commemorations, 4017, 4019–20, 4191, 4193, 4239, 4241, 4595, 4749–50, 4754, 4759 preface, 4223, 4392, 4514 See also Holy, holy, holy/Trisagion eulogia, 4483, 4698 Eusebius, Pope (310), 4213 Eutichius of Constantinople (ca. 512–78), 4855–56 (184) Eutychianus, Pope (275–83), 4211 Evagrius Scholasticus (ca. 536–after 594), 4938–39 (186) Evaristus, Pope (ca. 100), 4199 Evening Prayer. See Office, Daily (cathedral)—west: Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers); Office, Daily (monastic)—west: Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers) exomologesis. See penance/ reconciliation exorcisms. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: exorcisms exorcist(s), differing from acolytes, 4169 exsufflation. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: exsufflation/insufflation

Fabian, Pope (236–50), 4208 faith, profession of. See creed/profession of faith faithful, united to bishop. See laity fasting/fasts almsgiving and, 4443, 4446–47, 4455 baptism, before. See baptism/initiation: fasting before Christmas, immediately before or after, 4330 Communion, before. See Communion: fasting before on Ember Days. See Ember Days: fasting on Epiphany, before the, 4330 on five occasions each year, 4258 on Friday(s), 4016, 4321, 4330 Lent, before, 4330 Mass, before, 4642 in monasteries/convents, 4073, 4122, 4321, 4330, 4624 on Monday(s), 4321, 4330 on the Nativity of the Lord, 4737 Pasch, before the (i.e., during Lent), 4073, 4202, 4240, 4295–97 (165C-1), 4442–44 (168-B-30), 4549, 4569, 4616, 4685, 4761, 4851, 4960 Perpetuus and, 4506–7 poor, to benefit. See poor: care for on Rogation Days, 4572 in Rome, 4171, 4258 Saturdays, on/not on, 4171, 4218, 4549, 4616, 4853 Sundays, on/not on, 4214, 4321, 4445, 4549, 4616, 4692, 4737 Thursdays, on/not on, 4214 Wednesdays, on/not on, 4016, 4321, 4330 See also Communion: fasting before feast(s) eternity and, 4302 priests who fail to officiate on, 4836 of saints, Daily Offices on, 4063 feet, washing of, 4075, 4185 Felix III, Pope (269–71), 4210 fermentum, 4214, 4216 Ferrandus of Carthage (first half of 6th century), 4016 (151)

Index to Volume Four  239 Ferreolus of Uzès (d. 581), 4545–48 (175) Finnian of Clonard (d. 549), 4776–4833 (181) Finnian of Moville (d. 579), 4776–4833 (181) Fortunatus, Venantius. See Venantius Fortunatus frequency of Communion. See Eucharist: frequency of reception/ celebration Fridays, fasting on. See fasting/fasts: on Friday(s) Fulgence of Ruspe (468–533 or perhaps ca. 462–527), 3998–4015 (150), 4016 Fulgentis auctor aeteris, 4335, 4475 funerals. See burial Gatianus, Bishop, 4505 Gaul, 4243–44, 4307 Gelasius, Pope (492–96), 4223 genuflecting. See kneeling/ prostrating/genuflecting Gerunda, Synod of (517). See councils/ synods: Gerunda (517) gifts, bringing/presenting of. See Eucharist, Liturgy of: bringing/presenting/distributing/praying over gifts Gloria et honor Patri, 4763 Gloria in excelsis Deo, 4202, 4224, 4320, 4335, 4471, 4943 Gloria Patri, 4039–40, 4066, 4092, 4095, 4100, 4107, 4128–29, 4146, 4186, 4656 godparents. See baptism/initiation: sponsors/godparents Good Friday consuming sacrament of the altar on, 4077 monastic practices, 4076–77 reciting Creed on, 4854 gospel book, 4525, 4952–53 grabatorii, 4641 Gregory I, Pope (590–604), 4228–4304 (165), 4501 Gregory of Tours (ca. 538–94), 4491– 4528 (172)

hand(s), imposition/laying on of baptism, after, 4905, 4907 catechumens, upon. See catechumens: imposing hands upon children, upon, 4653 diaconal ordinations, during, 4903, 4905 episcopal ordinations, during, 4901, 4905 penitents, upon, 4552 presbyteral ordination, during, 4901, 4905 reconciliation of heretics, during, 4187, 4213, 4216, 4262–63 hands, washing of, 4026, 4870, 4881, 4953 heathens. See pagans heretics baptism conferred by, 4007–8, 4228, 4527, 4734–35 churches of, 4585 eulogiae of, 4698 no prayer or psalmody with, 4698 reconciliation of, 4168, 4187, 4213, 4262, 4494, 4563, 4576, 4620 Hermas, Pastor. See Pastor Hermas Hic est dies verus Dei, 4326, 4469 Hilary of Poitiers (ca. 315–67), 4344 Holy, holy, holy/Trisagion, 4201, 4392, 4514, 4523, 4594, 4943, 4962 Holy Saturday. See Pasch/Easter: vigil Holy Spirit anointing and. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: anointing(s), postbaptismal baptism and, 4181, 4653. See also baptism/initiation, liturgy of: anointing(s), postbaptismal church, present in, 4943 Eucharist and, 4009. See also Eucharistic Prayer/anaphora: epiclesis/invocation of the Holy Spirit reconciliation of heretics and, 4262 Holy Thursday eucharistic celebrations on, 4738 fasting on, 4738 monastic practices, 4074–75 honey, 4633

240  Index to Volume Four Hormisdas, Pope (514–23), 4019–20 (153), 4225 Hours. See Office, Daily (cathedral)— west; Office, Daily (monastic)—west hymns Ambrosian, 4014, 4628 at blessing of oil, 4889 bread and cup are placed on the altar, before, 4869 composed by Pope Gelasius, 4223 composed by various authors, 4628 dismissals, after, 4878 at meals, 4695 morning, 4491

Christ, seeking out, 4077 Sabbath, observing the, 4397 show themselves from Holy Thursday till Easter Monday, not to, 4613 slavery, freed from, 4706 John the Baptist, 4363 Mass celebrated in parish church on feast of, 4556 John the Deacon (middle of 6th century), 4159–72 (157) John Moschus (ca. 550–619/634), 4956–57 (189) John of Scythopolis (early 6th century), 4958 (190)

Iam sexta sensim volvitur, 4326, 4469 Iam surgit hora tertia, 4326, 4468, 4476 imposition of hands. See hand(s), imposition/laying on of incensation, during liturgy, 4869 incense, women not to use in church, 4220 infants, baptism of. See children/infants: baptism of Innocent I, Pope (402–17), 4218 innocentes, 4655 inpositiones, 4037–38, 4047–48 institution account. See Eucharistic Prayer/anaphora: institution account intercessions. See Eucharistic Prayer/ anaphora: intercessions/supplications/reading of names/ commemorations introductory rites. See Mass/Divine Liturgy: rites, introductory invocation of Holy Spirit. See Eucharistic Prayer/anaphora: epiclesis/ invocation of the Holy Spirit Italy, 4596

kiss of peace eucharistic liturgy, during, 4028, 4870, 4880, 4954 funerals, during, 4928, 4933 monks exchanging, 4149 ordinations, during, 4910 Spanish envoy and, 4498 kneeling/prostrating/genuflecting monastic practice, 4533 at ordinations, 4901–3, 4905–6, 4912–15 psalmody, after, 4411 Kyrie eleison at Compline, 4110 at Mass, 4594 at Matins, 4474 at Prime, 4107 in Rome, 4247, 4250, 4594 special attention paid to, 4251 sung during the litania septiformis, 4503 sung in Rome by clerics and people, 4250 at Terce, 4468 at Terce, Sext, and None, 4108 at Vespers, 4594

January, calends of, 4436, 4629 Jerome (ca. 345–420), 4248, 4702 Jerusalem, 4248, 4959 Jesus Christ, baptism and, 4186 Jews baptism of, 4229, 4240 as catechumens, 4558

labor, forbidden on Sunday. See Sunday/Lord’s Day: no/less labor on laity not to enter sanctuary for Communion, 4748 ordinations and, 4206

Index to Volume Four  241 lamps lighting of. See Office, Daily (cathedral)—west: Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers); Office, Daily (monastic)—west: Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers) removed from monastery on Good Friday, 4078 lapsed, penance/reconciliation, 4584 laying on of hands. See hand(s), imposition/laying on of lectionary, 4901, 4911, 4915. See also gospel book lectors. See reader(s)/lector(s) Lent (Quadragesima), 4295–97, 4439–41 (168-B-29) anniversaries of martyrs during, 4683 chastity during, observing, 4420, 4448 churches to observe in same manner, 4616 Daily Offices during, 4440 fasting during. See fasting/fasts: Pasch, before the forty days, 4296 forty-two days, 4297 length of, 4616 marriages not celebrated during, 4683 monastic practices during, 4073, 4075, 4141 prayer between monastic offices during, 4071–72 prayer during, 4448 scriptural types, 4295 Leo I, Pope (440–61), 4020, 4222 Lerida, Synod of (546). See councils/ synods: Lerida (546) Lérins, 4325 levite(s). See deacon(s) Liber diurnus, 4196–97 (162) Liber pontificalis, 4198–4225 (163) Linus, Pope (ca. 70), 4198 litania septiformis, 4268, 4502–3 litaniae majores. See Rogation Days litaniae minores. See Rogation Days Liturgy of the Eucharist. See Eucharist, Liturgy of

Liturgy of the Hours. See Office, Daily (cathedral)—west; Office, Daily (monastic)—west Liturgy of the Word. See Word, Liturgy of Lord’s Day. See Sunday/Lord’s Day Lord’s Prayer. See Our Father Louvain Papyrus, 4962–65 (192) Lucis conditor, 4474 Lyons II, Synod of (between 518 and 523). See councils/synods: Lyons II (between 518 and 523) Lyons III, Synod of (between 567 and 570). See councils/synods: Lyons III (between 567 and 570) Lyons IV, Synod of (583). See councils/ synods: Lyons IV (583) Macedonians, 4854 Mâcon I, Synod of (581/583). See councils/synods: Mâcon I (581/583) Mâcon II, Synod of (585). See councils/ synods: Mâcon II (585) Magna et mirabilia, 4474 Magnus Felix Ennodius. See Ennodius, Magnus Felix Mainz Baptistery, inscription in, 4661 (177) Mamertus, bishop of Vienne, 4313–15, 4495 Manchester Papyrus, 4966–72 (193) Manichaeans, 4196, 4214, 4216, 4230, 4692 marriage/wedding adulterous woman, to an, 4716 clerics not to attend, 4559 doorkeepers and, 4716 readers and, 4716 relative, not to a, 4360 sacred vessels not to be used at, 4603 married couple, refraining from intercourse, 4459. See also Communion: married persons and Martin of Braga (515–79), 4675–4713 (179) Martin of Tours, 4514–18, 4524, 4625 martyrdom, baptism and. See baptism/ initiation: martyrdom and

242  Index to Volume Four martyrs acts of, 4241, 4338, 4414, 4548 anniversaries of, 4683 baptism and. See baptism/initiation: martyrdom and burial of, 4211 commemoration of, 4683 feasts of, 4224, 4338, 4754 Mass celebrated at memorials of, 4210 See also relics of the saints; saints Mass/Divine Liturgy blessings during, 4402 dismissal from. See catechumens: dismissal of; penitent(s): dismissal of frequency of celebration, 4292, 4652 good order during, 4349, 4717 gospel book present at, 4952 order to be followed, 4742, 4755 place of celebration, 4631. See also oratory psalmody during, 4872–73 rites, concluding, 4395, 4887 rites, introductory, 4306 texts composed by Sidonius, 4492 texts on special feasts, 4189 on thirtieth day after death, 4290 time of celebration, 4606 not two on same day at same altar, 4635 See also assembly; assembly: departing early; Eucharist, Liturgy of; Word, Liturgy of Matins. See Office, Daily (cathedral)— west: Morning Prayer (Matins); Office, Daily (monastic)—west: Morning Prayer (Matins) Maximus of Turin, Pseudo-. See Pseudo-Maximus of Turin meal(s) not with the rebaptized, 4736 prayer at, 4695 meal/banquet, Eucharist as. See Eucharist: as meal/banquet memorial, prayer of. See Eucharistic Prayer/anaphora: anamnesis (memorial)

midnight, prayer at. See Office, Daily (cathedral)—west: nocturnal prayer (vigils); Office, Daily (monastic)— west: nocturnal prayer (vigils) Miltiades, Pope (310/311–14), 4214 missae, 4318, 4320, 4329, 4331, 4334–35, 4337–39, 4341, 4473–74, 4482–83 mixed cup. See wine, at Eucharist: mixed with water monasticism/monks/nuns baptism of children and, 4547 baptized, highest of the, 4918 Daily Offices, arriving late for, 4084–88, 4127–29, 4339 Daily Offices, mistakes during, 4131 daily work and, 4134–40, 4142–43 fasting. See fasting/fasts: in monasteries/convents hours and, 4079–83, 4235, 4323, 4462, 4465 incense, not to burn, 4204 journey, those on a, 4144, 4150 Lent and, 4141 Office, giving signal for, 4457 oratory, 4145 pall, not to touch, 4204 penance and, 4130, 4146 profession, 4146, 4918–25 reading, 4125–26 silence and, 4125–26 work to pray, omitting, 4457, 4465 See also Office, Daily (monastic)— west Monophysites, 4262 Montanus, 4262 Morning Prayer. See Office, Daily (cathedral)—west: Morning Prayer (Matins); Office, Daily (monastic)— west: Morning Prayer (Matins) mulsa, 4633 myron. See chrism/myron mystagogical catechesis, 4174 names, reading of, 4870, 4880. See also Eucharistic Prayer/anaphora: intercessions/supplications/reading of names/commemorations Narbonne, Synod of (589). See councils/synods: Narbonne (589)

Index to Volume Four  243 Nativity of the Lord bishop to celebrate in his own church, 4650 bishop’s blessing on, 4586 not celebrated on one’s own estate, 4570 chastity observed before, 4433–34 Communion to be received on, 4554 Daily Office till the Epiphany, 4060 Mass celebrated on, 4202, 4556, 4586 presbyters and deacons to celebrate with bishop, 4604 three Masses on, 4298 vigil observed, 4331 Nestorians, 4168 night, prayer during. See Office, Daily (cathedral)—west: nocturnal prayer (vigils); Office, Daily (monastic)— west: nocturnal prayer (vigils) noncanonical readings. See Word, Liturgy of: noncanonical readings None. See Office, Daily (monastic)— west: prayer at ninth hour (None) Office, Daily (cathedral)—west Duodecima, 4625 Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers), 4016, 4459, 4512, 4557, 4606, 4714, 4723, 4726 Morning Prayer (Matins), 4016, 4459, 4491, 4493, 4519, 4528, 4557, 4625, 4714, 4723, 4726 nocturnal prayer (vigils), 4016, 4197, 4258, 4264, 4413, 4506, 4508, 4513, 4631 prayer at sixth hour (Sext), 4625 times for prayer, 4420 Office, Daily (monastic)—west all to attend, 4305 Duodecima, 4327, 4329, 4480, 4482 Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers), 4043, 4047–49, 4053, 4066, 4114, 4326–27, 4336, 4469, 4479 Morning Prayer (Matins), 4035–36, 4038, 4045, 4051, 4066, 4099–4101, 4319–20, 4463, 4469, 4471–72, 4546 nocturnal prayer (vigils), 4033–41, 4053, 4066, 4070, 4090–98, 4102,

4318, 4328–29, 4331, 4333, 4338–39, 4464, 4472, 4474, 4486, 4545–46 prayer at bedtime (Compline), 4050, 4053–58, 4110, 4115, 4481 prayer at dawn (Prime), 4043–44, 4046–47, 4052, 4066, 4107, 4112, 4155, 4319, 4463, 4475 prayer at ninth hour (None), 4046–47, 4052, 4066, 4108, 4112–13, 4326, 4469, 4478 prayer at sixth hour (Sext), 4046–47, 4052, 4066, 4108, 4112–13, 4326, 4469, 4477 prayer at third hour (Terce), 4046–47, 4052, 4066, 4108, 4112–13, 4326, 4332, 4468, 4476 times for prayer, 4042, 4105, 4195, 4489 oil blessing of, 4162, 4889–91, 4952 symbolism/meaning of, 4894, 4955 See also chrism/myron orarion, 4744 oratory, 4145, 4556. See also church(es): place for prayer orders imposition of hands. See hand(s), imposition/laying on of stages of, 4212, 4215, 4753 ordinations age of candidates, 4605 approval by bishop, 4909 approval by clergy and people, 4774 approval by copresbyters and people, 4215 bishop not to receive anything for, 4597 day(s) for, 4192–93, 4196 delay required for the recently baptized, 4678 faithful and clergy to be present at, 4206 of farmers, 4610 fasting before, 4774 gospel book on altar during, 4952–53 heretical, 4196 impediments to, 4605, 4722

244  Index to Volume Four kiss of peace during, 4904 obtained by money, 4756, 4772 ordain, those not to, 4230 penitents and, 4560, 4605 signing with cross, 4904 sinners present at, 4931 slaves and, 4610 See also bishop(s)/hierarch(s): ordination of; deacon(s): ordination of; presbyter(s)/priest(s): ordination of Oriental Rule, 4305 (166) orientation for prayer. See baptism/ initiation, liturgy of: facing east; baptism/initiation, liturgy of: facing west Orleans I, Synod of (511). See councils/ synods: Orleans I (511) Orleans II, Synod of (533). See councils/synods: Orleans II (533) Orleans III, Synod of (538). See councils/synods: Orleans III (538) Orleans IV, Synod of (541). See councils/synods: Orleans IV (541) ostiarius(ii). See doorkeeper(s) Our Father forgiveness of sins and, 4425 Matins and Vespers, after, 4723 people memorizing, 4345, 4348, 4355, 4359 people singing/saying aloud, 4392, 4395, 4516 prayed after Terce, 4482 prayed after the canon, 4247, 4252 prayed aloud at morning and evening offices, 4101 teaching to children, 4348, 4355, 4359, 4456 See also Communion rite: Our Father during pagans baptism of, 4205 Christians not to imitate, 4352, 4361, 4363, 4365–67 fasting on Sundays and Thursdays, 4214 feasts of, 4437–38 people following practices of, 4353–54

temples of, 4263 pall, 4204, 4220, 4645 pallas, 4637–38 pallium, 4238 Paraclete. See Holy Spirit Pasch/Easter baptism during, 4196, 4720. See also baptism/initiation: day(s) for celebrating bishop to celebrate in his own church, 4650 bishop’s blessing on, 4586 candle used, 4219 celebrated on one’s own estate, not to be, 4570 celebrated outside the bishop’s city, not to be, 4617 Communion on, receiving, 4554, 4852 date of, announcing, 4761. See also Epiphany: day for announcing date of Easter date of (Quartodeciman controversy), 4205, 4615, 4705–13 Jews not to show themselves during, 4613 observance of, 4652 presbyters and deacons to celebrate with bishop, 4604 each Sunday as, 4203, 4205 vigil, 4636 paschal season. See Pentecost/Easter season Passover Christian. See Pasch/Easter Jewish, 4707 Pastor Hermas (2nd century), 4203 paten, 4206 Paul and Stephen, Rule of. See Rule of Paul and Stephen peace, 4274 kiss/sign of. See kiss of peace Pelagians, 4168 Pelagius, British theologian teaching in Rome, 4218 Pelagius I, Pope (556–61), 4191–93 (160) penance/reconciliation, 4374–78 books for, 4535–44 (174-B)

Index to Volume Four  245 candidates for, 4608 children and, 4027 clergy and, 4578, 4767, 4846–47 community support, 4022, 4024, 4381–84 death, at time of, 4587, 4699 heretics and, 4216 homilies on, 4379–85 (168-B-11) lapsed and, 4584 length of, 4260, 4587, 4699, 4831 Manichaeans and, 4216 monks and, 4021–27, 4130 necessity of, 4001–3 old canonical form of celebrating to be followed, 4766 practices of, 4552, 4767 sick and, 4376–77, 4731 sins confessed/not confessed in public, 4379–80 in Spain, 4766 ways of doing, 4378, 4384, 4425, 4777–4833 See also lapsed, penance/reconciliation; reconciliation penitent(s) banquets, not to attend, 4730 clerics, not to become, 4560, 4575, 4591 dismissal of, 4724, 4869, 4876. See also Word, Liturgy of: dismissals from elderly as, 4608 engaged in business, 4730 Eucharist, not to receive, 4383 imposition of hands upon, 4552 married persons becoming, 4608 meat, not to eat, 4385 relapse, those who, 4564, 4579, 4609, 4767, 4775 shaving the heads of, 4729, 4767 wearing hairshirt, 4381–83, 4552 young people as, 4552, 4608 Pentecost baptism, day for, 4196, 4500 not celebrated on one’s own estate, 4570 Communion on, receiving, 4554 Mass celebrated in parish church on, 4556

presbyters and deacons to celebrate with bishop, 4604 Pentecost/Easter season Daily Office during, 4060 no kneeling during, 4692 Pius I, Pope (ca. 140–ca. 154), 4203 Polycarp of Smyrna (ca. 69–ca. 155), 4510 poor care for, 4435 Eucharist and, 4435 portion of gifts given to, 4196, 4242, 4568, 4849 See also almsgiving; fasting/fasts: almsgiving and pope(s) funerals of, 4227 name mentioned at Eucharist, 4017, 4191, 4193, 4595 prayer(s) connected in proper order, 4728 meals, at. See meal(s): prayer at seven times a day, 4195 special rooms in the church for, 4524 preaching. See Word, Liturgy of: preaching preface. See Eucharistic Prayer/ anaphora: preface presbyter(s)/priest(s) baptism and, 4234, 4236, 4565 bishops, differing from, 4166–67 blessings in church, not to give, 4561 chrism and, 4167, 4632, 4752 consecrate altars, not to, 4752 continence and, 4626 converting from Arianism, 4770 from countryside, ministry of, 4691 deacons and. See deacon(s): presbyters and departing liturgy early, 4659 divine services, necessary for, 4841 episcopal signation, not to give, 4236 Eucharist, distributing the, 4948 Eucharist, receiving the, 4947–48 fasting and, 4692 fasting before Mass, 4642 festivals, failing to officiate on, 4836 funeral of, 4928

246  Index to Volume Four heretics, reconciling, 4215 Mass, remaining till end of, 4206 as minister of the Eucharist. See Eucharist: minister(s) of monastery, as members of a, 4148 monastery, living in a, 4147 money for penance, not to receive, 4846 ordination, age required before, 4553, 4605 ordination of, 4902, 4912, 4914 ordination (pretended) of, 4662–64, 4668–71 penance and, 4767 postbaptismal anointing by, 4215, 4672–74 preaching and, 4593 present at Evening Prayer, 4606, 4693 present at Morning Prayer, 4693 residing on an estate, 4604 seal of confession and, 4847 selection of, 4589–91, 4658, 4675 sick, visiting the, 4350, 4362 standing during the gospel, 4217 See also clerics Priscillianism, 4762 Priscillianists, 4738, 4741 processions, burial. See burial: procession profession of faith. See creed/profession of faith prostration. See kneeling/prostrating/ genuflecting The numeration of the following psalms is indicated by (LXX) for the Greek and by (Heb) for the Hebrew. Psalm 1 (LXX), sung at Monday Morning Prayer, 4112 Psalm 2 (LXX), sung at Monday Morning Prayer, 4112 Psalm 3 (LXX), sung at night office, 4092, 4094 Psalm 4 (LXX), sung at Compline, 4115 Psalm 5 (LXX), sung at Monday Morning Prayer, 4100 Psalm 6 (LXX), sung at Monday Morning Prayer, 4112 Psalm 9 (LXX), sung at weekday Morning Prayer, 4112

Psalm 17 (LXX), sung at weekday Morning Prayer, 4112 Psalm 19 (Heb), sung at the nocturns, 4474 Psalm 19 (LXX), sung at weekday Morning Prayer, 4112 Psalm 20 (LXX), sung at Sunday night office, 4112 Psalm 35 (LXX), sung at Monday Morning Prayer, 4100 Psalm 42 (LXX), sung at Tuesday Morning Prayer, 4100 Psalm 43 (Heb), sung at Matins, 4471, 4474 Psalm 50 (LXX) sung at Sunday Morning Prayer, 4099 sung at weekday Morning Prayer, 4100 Psalm 51 (Heb) people memorizing, 4345 sung at the nocturns, 4472, 4474 sung before canticle, 4725 Psalm 56 (LXX), sung at Tuesday Morning Prayer, 4100 Psalm 57 (Heb), sung at the nocturns, 4474 Psalm 62 (Heb), sung at Matins, 4471 Psalm 62 (LXX), sung at Sunday Morning Prayer, 4099 Psalm 63 (Heb), sung at Matins, 4474 Psalm 63 (LXX), sung at Wednesday Morning Prayer, 4100 Psalm 64 (LXX), sung at Wednesday Morning Prayer, 4100 Psalm 66 (LXX) sung at Sunday Morning Prayer, 4099 sung at weekday Morning Prayer, 4100 Psalm 75 (LXX), sung at Friday Morning Prayer, 4100 Psalm 87 (LXX), sung at Thursday Morning Prayer, 4100 Psalm 89 (LXX), sung at Thursday Morning Prayer, 4100 Psalm 90 (LXX), sung at Compline, 4115 Psalm 91 (Heb), people learning by heart, 4345

Index to Volume Four  247 Psalm 91 (LXX), sung at Friday Morning Prayer, 4100 Psalm 94 (LXX), sung at night office, 4092, 4128 Psalm 104 (Heb), people to learn by heart, 4423 Psalm 109 (LXX), sung at Vespers, 4114 Psalm 115 (LXX), sung at Vespers, 4114 Psalm 116 (LXX), sung at Vespers, 4114 Psalm 117 (LXX), sung at Sunday Morning Prayer, 4099 Psalm 118 (Heb), sung at Matins, 4471 Psalm 118 (LXX) sung at Monday Terce, Sext, and None, 4113 sung at Sunday Prime, 4113 sung at Sunday Prime, Terce, Sext, and None, 4112 Psalm 119 (LXX), sung at Terce on Tuesday–Saturday, 4113 Psalm 127 (LXX), sung at None on Tuesday–Saturday, 4113 Psalm 133 (LXX), sung at Compline, 4115 Psalm 138 (LXX), sung at Vespers, 4114 Psalm 142 (LXX), sung at Saturday Morning Prayer, 4100 Psalm 143 (LXX), sung at Vespers, 4114 Psalm 145 (Heb), sung at Matins, 4471 Psalm 146 (Heb), sung at Matins, 4471 Psalm 146 (LXX), sung at Vespers, 4414 Psalm 147 A (Heb), sung at Matins, 4471 Psalm 147 B (Heb), sung at the nocturns, 4474 Psalm 147 (LXX), sung at Vespers, 4414 Psalm 148 (Heb), sung at the nocturns, 4471, 4474 Psalm 149 (Heb) sung at Matins, 4471 sung at the nocturns, 4474 Psalm 150 (Heb) sung at Matins, 4471 sung at the nocturns, 4474 psalmists. See cantor(s)/singer(s) psalms/psalmody, 4416–19, 4545 clergy, taught to, 4225 clerics singing, 4526, 4623 all commanded to sing, 4194 composed privately, 4696, 4747

at end and beginning of each day, 4739 at funerals, 4749 Gloria Patri added, 4656 linking together, 4040 liturgy, during, 4943. See also Word, Liturgy of: psalmody during monastic order for intoning, 4149, 4151 monastic practice, 4039, 4041, 4051–70 passim, 4117, 4151–58, 4530, 4625 number of, 4530–31 people singing in church, 4388 praise of, 4406–10 (168-B-15), 4411 prayed in private, 4545 prayer said after singing, 4545 processions, during, 4458 reader reading or singing from pulpit, 4682 reverence when praying, 4118–20 sections, dividing into, 4656 singing, 4194 singing, methods of (e.g., antiphonal, responsorial, direct), 4032, 4051–56, 4059–62, 4064, 4108, 4133, 4197, 4319, 4326–36 passim, 4468–72, 4474–77, 4479–81, 4526 sung before the sacrifice, 4221 sung everywhere, 4305 uniform method, 4152–53, 4739 union of voice and heart, 4324, 4408, 4418 unity and, 4151, 4873 words, attention to, 4016, 4409 Psalter, 4319, 4545 Pseudo-Eusebius of Alexandria (late 5th or early 6th century?), 4940–46 (187) Pseudo-Maximus of Turin (ca. 550), 4173–85 (158) pulpit/ambo. See bema Quadragesima. See Lent (Quadragesima) Quartodeciman controversy. See Pasch/Easter: date of Quartodecimans. See Pasch/Easter: date of Quinquagesima, 4569, 4616

248  Index to Volume Four Ravenna, 4258 reader(s)/lector(s), 4518 adulteress, not to marry an, 4716 alb worn by, 4659 appointment of, 4682 Epiphanius as, 4018 hair, length of, 4746 penitents as, 4679 preparation of, 4592 presbyterate, step toward, 4753 psalmody and, 4682, 4746 sacred vessels, not to touch, 4745 singing in church, 4746 vesture of, 4746 reading, place from which proclaimed. See bema reading Scripture at home, 4324 reconciliation always possible, 4587 dying, of the, 4587 of heretics. See heretics: reconciliation of of penitents, 4587 role of priest/bishop, 4620 sick, of the, 4587 See also penance/reconciliation; penitent(s) Red Sea, 4259 redditio symboli. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: profession/handing over of the creed relics of the saints, 4263, 4580. See also martyrs responsorial singing/psalmody. See psalms/ psalmody: singing, methods of Rex aeternae Domine, 4474 Rogation Days, 4267, 4307–17 (167B-1), 4449–52 (168-B-32), 4453–54 (168-B-33), 4455 (168-B-34), 4495, 4572–73, 4718–19 Rome, 4213, 4215, 4217, 4241, 4243, 4596, 4702, 4742, 4958 Rome, Synod of (595). See councils/ synods: Rome (595) Rule of Paul and Stephen, 4151–58 (156) Rule of the Master, 4021–89 (154) Sabellians, 4703

sacraments, prayers for composed by Pope Gelasius, 4223 sacrifice, Eucharist as. See Eucharist: as sacrifice saints feasts of, 4769 vigils in honor of, 4631 See also relics of the saints salt added to water for blessing homes, 4200 received by catechumens, 4160 sanctuary, 4623, 4748 sanctum sacrificium, 4222 Saragossa II, Synod of (592). See councils/synods: Saragossa II (592) Saturday fasting/no fasting on. See fasting/ fasts: Saturdays, on/not on vigil observed on, 4070 Scriptures importance of, 4415 instruction by, 4871–72 instruction in, 4917 listening to, 4345, 4349, 4369, 4372–73, 4388, 4390, 4403, 4416, 4440–41, 4700 proclaiming Old Testament before New Testament, 4873 reading of in private, 4391, 4440, 4444 as Word of God, 4424 See also gospel book; lectionary; Word, Liturgy of: canonical readings scrutinies. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: scrutinies secret, discipline of, 4934 secretarium, 4680 selecti, 4958 Sexagesima, 4616 Sext. See Office, Daily (cathedral)— west: prayer at sixth hour (Sext); Office, Daily (monastic)—west: prayer at sixth hour (Sext) sick/dying anointing of, 4350, 4362, 4367, 4458 care of, 4568 Communion to. See Communion: to the dying/Viaticum; Communion: to the sick

Index to Volume Four  249 God’s house, entering, 4365 Lenten fast, excused from, 4616 reconciliation of, 4237 visiting, 4373, 4442 See also baptism/initiation: of the sick; oil Sicut erat in principio, 4596 Sidonius Apollinaris (ca. 430–ca. 486), 4492–93 signing with the cross, 4347–48, 4494, 4687, 4904, 4905, 4908 Silvester, Pope (314–35), 4215 sin, forgiveness of, 4299–4301 by the Church, 3998–4003 (150-A) See also baptism/initiation, effects of: forgiveness of (washing away/ cleansing) sin; reconciliation sin, types of, 4373 birth, existing from, 4254 capital, 4429 daily, 4430–31 greater and lesser, 4373 singers. See cantor(s)/singer(s) singing good order in, 4717 See also psalms/psalmody sinners dismissal of, 4931 ordinations, presence at, 4931 reconciliation of. See reconciliation Siricius, Pope (384–99), 4216 Sixtus, Pope (ca. 117–ca. 127), 4201 slaves, ordination of, 4610 Sol cognovit occasum suum, 4327 songs, dissolute, 4352, 4364, 4370 Soter, Pope (ca. 166–75), 4204 Spain, 4766 Spirit, Holy. See Holy Spirit Splendor paternae gloriae, 4474 sponsors/godparents. See baptism/initiation: sponsors/godparents standing during the gospel, 4217 while receiving the Eucharist, 4028–29 See also kneeling/prostrating/genuflecting Stephen I, Pope (254–57), 4209 stole. See orarion

subdeacons alb worn by, 4659 continence and, 4626 cup, presenting, 4528 fasting before Mass, 4642 functions, zealously carrying out, 4660 presbyterate, step toward, 4753 processing without liturgical garb, 4247, 4249 promotion to diaconate or presbyterate, 4169 raising curtains at the door, 4660 sacred vessels, touching, 4680, 4745 singing and, 4226 vesture of, 4744 Sunday/Lord’s Day, 4940–46 (187-A) assembly on, 4349, 4942, 4945–46 behavior on, unacceptable, 4944–46 Daily Office on, 4062, 4335, 4337 fasting on. See fasting/fasts: Sundays, on/not on “Glory to God” sung on, 4224 no kneeling/genuflecting on, 4062, 4692 no/less labor on, 4089, 4265, 4354, 4611, 4640, 4657, 4943, 4945 names for, 4397, 4941 observance of, 4504, 4651 Pasch, as the, 4203, 4205 Surgit hora tertia, 4477 Sylvester, Acts of Saint, 4702 symbolum. See creed/profession of faith Symmachus, Pope (498–514), 4224 synaxis. See assembly table. See altar(s): as table tapers. See candles Te decet laus, 4097 Te Deum laudamus, 4097, 4320, 4335, 4482 Telesphorus, Pope (ca. 127–ca. 137), 4202 Ter hora trina volvitur, 4326, 4469, 4478 Terce. See Office, Daily (monastic)— west: prayer at third hour (Terce)

250  Index to Volume Four theater, place of evil, 4943 Theodore Lector (early 6th century), 4854 (183) Theophany. See Epiphany Third Rule of the Fathers, 4457 (169) Thursday, fasting on. See fasting/fasts: Thursdays, on/not on tituli, 4199 Toledo III, Synod of (589). See councils/synods: Toledo III (589) Tours, 4505, 4514, 4517 Tours II, Synod of (567). See councils/ synods: Tours II (567) traditio symboli. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: profession/handing over of the creed Triduum. See Pasch/Easter Trisagion. See Holy, holy, holy/ Trisagion unity diversity and. See church practice, diversity in Eucharist and, 4011–12 of hearts in Communion, 4871 Vaison II, Synod of (529). See councils/ synods: Vaison II (529) Valence, Synod of (ca. 524). See councils/synods: Valence (ca. 524) veil(s), 4078, 4602, 4638, 4879 Venantius Fortunatus (ca. 530–ca. 600), 4522–23, 4529 (173) Vespers (Evening Prayer). See Office, Daily (cathedral)—west: Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers); Office, Daily (monastic)—west: Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers) vessels, liturgical, 4525 acolytes, carried by, 4169 bishop to locate, 4231 eucharistic tower, 4510 patens held by ministers, 4206 purposes, not to use for other, 4955 sacrament of the altar, containing, 4077 touched only by ministers, 4201, 4680

weddings, not to be used at, 4603 See also cup vestments deacons and, 4524 subdeacons and, 4247, 4249, 4659 worn only in church, 4209 See also dalmatic(s); orarion; pallium Viaticum. See Communion: to the dying/Viaticum Victor, Pope (189–98), 4205 Vigilius, Pope (537–55), 4186–90 (159) vigil(s). See Office, Daily (cathedral)— west: nocturnal prayer (vigils); Office, Daily (monastic)—west: nocturnal prayer (vigils) virgins appointment/blessing/consecration of, 4222, 4555 marry, those who, 4775 vigils, observing, 4426 washing of feet. See feet, washing of washing of hands. See hands, washing of water blessing of, 4509, 4862 miraculous powers of, 4509 salt added for blessing homes, 4200 See also wine, at Eucharist: mixed with water water, baptismal blessing of, 4896 Wednesday, fasting on. See fasting/ fasts: Wednesdays, on/not on widow(s) fasting and, 4016 not ordained, 4577 wine, at Eucharist amount of, not lessening, 4837 bread and water, offered with, 4690 mixed with water, 4618, 4633 new wine, not to use, 4838 women baptism of, 4689 baptize, not to, 4840 blessing of by deacons, 4600 burn incense in church, not to, 4220 Communion, receiving, 4245, 4644 covering head, 4198

Index to Volume Four  251 menstruating, 4246 new mothers entering the church, 4245 pall, not to touch or wash, 4220, 4645 pregnant, 4245 sanctuary, not to enter, 4681, 4748 sitting during the readings, 4414 talking in church, 4368, 4372 See also deaconess(es); virgins; widow(s) Word, Liturgy of canonical readings, 4217, 4414–15, 4497, 4696, 4724, 4740, 4871, 4873 creed/profession of faith, 4765

dismissals from, 4584, 4724, 4733, 4869, 4874, 4943 hymn after dismissal, 4878 noncanonical readings, 4264, 4414, 4510, 4515, 4518, 4548, 4696 prayer after gospel, 4588 preaching, 4258, 4343–44, 4458, 4593, 4724, 4943 psalmody during, 4869 See also Alleluia; kiss of peace Word of God, listening to. See Scriptures: listening to Zephyrinus, Pope (198–217), 4206 Zosimus, Pope (417–18), 4219

Comprehensive Index The numbers preceding colons refer to volume numbers. Numbers in bold and within parentheses are subhead numbers, which indicate particular authors/documents in the volumes. All other numbers refer to marginal paragraph numbers. Abercius, Inscription of, 1:745 (37-A) Abitina, Acts of the Martyrs of. See Acts of the Martyrs of Abitina account of institution. See Eucharistic Prayer/anaphora: institution account acolyte(s), 2:1198. * 3:2788, 2794, 2926, 3113. * 4:4169, 4680 Acts of John, 1:298–303 (18) Acts of the Martyrs of Abitina, 2:862–67 (48) Acts of Paul, 1:304–7 (19) Acts of Peter, 1:308 (20) Acts of Pilate, 2:1920 Acts of Thomas, 1:787–95 (39) Addai and Mari, Anaphora of. See Anaphora of Addai and Mari adiaphoron, 3:3905 Aeterne rerum conditor, 4:4333 Aetheria. See Egeria/Aetheria Africa, 1:450. * 3:2607, 2626, 2783, 2860, 3043, 3973. * 4:4167, 4196, 4214, 4223, 4596, 4655 Africans, 2:1221. * 4:4230 agape, 2:1954, 1979 Agde, Synod of (506). See councils/ synods: Agde (506) alb worn by deacon, 3:3092. * 4:4659 worn by reader, 4:4659 worn by subdeacon, 4:4659 Alexander, Pope (ca. 110), 4:4200 Alexandria, 2:1349, 1458, 2031–32, 2360. * 3:2961, 2984, 3918–19, 3973 Alleluia almsgiving and, 3:2571 no celebration till heard, 2:2444

252

exchanged by newly baptized, 3:3836 meaning of, 3:2567–68, 2665, 2698, 2702–5. * 4:4171, 4900 monastic use during Daily Offices, 4:4051–56 passim, 4093, 4097, 4103–4, 4328, 4334–35 as psalm response, 3:2987, 2997, 3832 as signal for prayer, 3:3967 sung at Easter Vigil, 4:4076 sung by a reader, 3:2740 sung continuously, 4:4943 sung during Easter/Pentecost season, 3:2567, 2623, 2665, 2694, 2700, 2703–4 sung during Mass outside Easter/ Pentecost season, 4:4247 sung everywhere, 3:3954 sung on certain days, 3:2563–74 sung only on Easter, 3:3917 unity and, 3:2558 use of, 1:480, 698 alms, praying for those who give, 2:1723 almsgiving, 1:181, 192, 484, 523–24 (27-D).* 3:2673, 2903–4 (114-A-3). * 4:4348, 4355, 4358, 4372, 4420 Alleluia and, 3:2571 baptism and, 3:2903–4 deceased, benefitting the, 3:2556 box for, 3:3656 cleanses one’s hands, 2:1537 collection for poor, 1:246 fasting, related to, 3:2822, 2868–69, 2873, 2885, 2891. * 4:4443, 4446–47, 4455. See also fasting/fasts

Comprehensive Index  253 forgiveness of sins and, 1:803. * 3:2651, 2657, 2873, 2891, 2903–4, 2964. * 4:4429, 4434 great merit in, 3:2864 Monica and, 3:2510 prayer and fasting, related to, 3:2813, 2866, 2869, 2871 role of deacons in, 1:857. * 2:2248 working with hands and, 2:1355 See also poor: care for altar(s), 2:873, 2454. * 3:3541 blessing/consecration of, 1:808. * 3:3043. * 4:4524, 4551, 4581, 4607, 4752, 4898 only clerics allowed to approach, 2:1971 crowned with beauty, 3:3567 deacons and, 3:3042 decoration of, 3:3513 to God alone, 3:2505–6 incensing, 2:907. * 4:4869 kissing, 3:3555 linen cloth covering, 2:873 location of, 3:3651 one, 1:219 relics of saints under, 3:2796–98 setting up a separate, 2:1949 spiritual and living forever, 2:2425 symbol of Christ, 2:1103. * 3:2796 symbol of Christ’s tomb, 3:3551 symbol of God’s throne, 3:3551 symbol of those gathered for prayer, 1:841 as table, 2:1396, 1500, 2413. * 3:3541, 3964. * 4:4943. See also Eucharist: as meal/banquet tomb, as a type of, 3:3441 veil/cloth, 3:3551, 3561, 3652. * 4:4215 women not allowed to approach, 2:1990 See also Eucharist: as sacrifice Alypius of Thegaste (d. ca. 430?), 3:2498–2500 (97) ambo. See pulpit/ambo Ambrose of Milan (d. 397), 2:901–1184 (53). * 3:2511, 2515, 2607, 2765, 2768–73, 3224, 3516–17, 3521–31, 3897, 3923–24. * 4:4014, 4195, 4223, 4344

Ambrosian Baptistery, Epigraph in the, 2:1213 (57-B) Amen, 1:244, 246, 301, 449. * 3:2521, 2558, 3447 “analempsis.” See deceased: “analempsis” for anamnesis. See Eucharistic Prayer/ anaphora: anamnesis (memorial) anaphora. See Eucharistic Prayer/ anaphora Anaphora of Addai and Mari, 2:1936–46 (79) Anastasis (Jerusalem), 2:2164–2219 passim Anastasius, Pope (399–401), 4:4217 Ancyra, Synod of (314). See councils/ synods: Ancyra (314) “And with your spirit,” 2:1500, 1536, 1596–97. * 3:3449–51, 3461, 3684 angel(s) baptism, present at, 2:951, 1010, 1072, 1553. * 3:2753 baptism, rejoicing at, 3:3947 baptism not in the name of, 2:900 “bread” of, 2:1343. * 4:4401 Communion, distributing, 2:2363 deacons as, 3:3551 deceased rejoicing in company of, 3:2770 descending into the pool, 2:916, 1031–32 Divine Office’s number of psalms, determining, 3:2983–84, 2988 dying, assisting the, 2:1597 Easter season, present during, 3:3980 in harmony with us when sins are remitted, 3:2554 Paschal Vigil, celebrating, 3:2757–58, 2760 praise of God and, 3:2700 prayer and, 1:820, 827, 845–46. * 2:1533 readers numbered among, 3:3040 sacrifice, assisting at, 2:907, 1523, 1596–97. * 3:3569 singing in alternation with the Trinity, 3:3247 singing Sanctus, Sanctus in heaven, 4:4523

254  Comprehensive Index worshiped, not to be, 2:1985 Angers, Synod of (453). See councils/ synods: Angers (453) Anicetus, Pope (ca. 154–ca. 166), 2:2025, 2027. * 3:3230 anointed ones, 2:2123. * 3:2507 anointing, 2:1324 body of a deceased priest, 4:4928, 4933 Holy Spirit and. See Holy Spirit, anointing and of Jesus Christ, 2:871 postbaptismal. See baptism, liturgy of: anointing(s), postbaptismal prebaptismal. See baptism, liturgy of: anointing(s), prebaptismal reconciliation of heretics and, 2:1460, 1960. * 4:4262, 4576 of self, 3:2583 why we are called Christians and, 1:420 See also chrism/myron; oil: blessing of anonymous Roman deacon (4th century), 2:1202–10 (56) Antioch, 1:796. * 2:1238. * 3:3894–95. * 4:4938 Antioch, Synod of (341). See councils/ synods: Antioch (341) antiphonal psalmody. See psalms/ psalmody: singing, methods of antiphons, 2:2164–2218. * 3:2767 Apelleites, 2:1246 Aphraates (early 4th century), 2:1599– 1600 (75) Apocalypse of Peter, 3:3922 Apollinaris, Sidonius. See Sidonius Apollinaris Apophthegmata Patrum (4th–5th centuries), 3:3981–84 (147) Apostles, Epistle of. See Epistle of the Apostles apostles, feasts of baptism on, 2:1193 servants not working on, 2:1820 Apostolic Canons. See Apostolic Constitutions Apostolic Church Order, 1:852–60 (46) Apostolic Constitutions, 2:1608–1911 (77)

aputactitae, 2:2187, 2205, 2208, 2213, 2220 Aquarians, 1:548 (27-E-13). * 2:1185. See also water: replacing wine Aquileia, 2:2407. * 3:2764 Arabia, 3:3915 Arabians, 2:1356 Arcadians, 1:832 Arcadius, 3:3978 archdeacon(s), 3:3112–13, 3116, 3919, 3973. * 4:4256, 4949, 4952 architecture, church. See church(es): architecture of archpriest, 4:4842 Arianism, 4:4770–71 Arian(s), 2:1136, 1171, 1173, 1460, 2399, 2470. * 3:2511, 2740, 2741, 2766, 3145, 3224, 3246, 3926. * 4:4187, 4215, 4262, 4496, 4702–3 Ariminum, Council of. See councils/ synods: Ariminum (359) Aristides of Athens (2nd century), 1:419 (22) Arius, 3:3918, 3979. * 4:4168 Arles I, Synod of (314). See councils/ synods: Arles I (314) Arles II, Synod of (between 442 and 506). See councils/synods: Arles II (between 442 and 506) Arles IV, Synod of (524). See councils/ synods: Arles IV (524) Arnobius “the Younger” (5th century), 3:2736–37 (100) Ascension, feast of, 2:1187–88, 1288, 1643. * 3:2609 Mass celebrated in parish church on, 4:4556 as observed in Jerusalem, 2:2209 observed throughout whole world, 3:2711 servants not working on, 2:1820 assembly, 1:208, 210, 292, 447, 482, 484, 515, 720–21, 770, 840. * 2:1611, 1613, 1657 absenting oneself from, 1:206. * 2:1274, 1289, 1299, 1619, 2349, 2362. * 3:2656, 3082. * 4:4769 admittance to, those allowed, 3:3754 applauding during, 2:1525

Comprehensive Index  255 by Arians, 3:3246, 3926 armed soldier not to enter, 4:4612 arriving early, 4:4386–87 arriving late, 3:3755–58. * 4:4413 bad Christians present within, 3:2689 as Body of Christ, 1:770. * 2:1483, 1487, 1619 celebration, needed for, 2:2444 Christ present within, 2:1476 church, held outside a, 2:1953, 2363. * 3:3927. * 4:4505 church, within a, 2:1952 church space, overflowing, 2:1395 departing early, 4:4391–98 (168B-13), 4399–4405, 4562, 4571, 4612, 4942 on Easter, 2:1933 energumens as members of, 2:2464 Eucharist and, 3:3454 faithful, with the, 1:743 as a feast, 2:1476 on feast of Saint Lawrence, 3:2720 forbidden by government, 2:862 frequency of, 1:193 on Friday, 2:1932 hearers and not bodies required, 2:1477 at home rather than in a church, 3:3219 as house of God, 3:2729 improper behavior in, 2:1341, 1495–96, 1506, 1527. * 3:2699. * 4:4352, 4356, 4358, 4368–72, 4388, 4416–17 Lent, during, 2:1933 members of, uneducated, 3:2807 members showing enmity toward one another, 3:3151 nonbaptized and infidels excluded from, 2:1616 person from another community joining, 1:769 place for clergy and laity, 1:768–69. * 3:3531–32. * 4:4623 place for prayer, 1:827. * 3:2674 place for song, 2:1471, 1496 place of joy, 2:1472 power of, 2:1500

praise for, 2:1526 reduced size of, 3:2656 return to, 3:2801 on Saturday, 2:1644, 1935. * 3:3246 on Sunday, 2:1644, 1932. * 3:3246, 3991 town, held outside the, 2:2076 unity in. See unity: of the faithful visitors, 2:1617–18 on Wednesday, 2:1932 Athanasius (ca. 296–373), 2:2399–2424 (90). * 3:2517, 3217–18. * 4:4856 Athanasius, Canons of Father. See Canons of Father Athanasius Athanasius, Pseudo-. See PseudoAthanasius Augustine of Canterbury, 4:4263 Augustine of Hippo (354–430), 3:2501– 2734 (98), 2735. * 4:4013, 4158, 4344 Aurelian of Arles (d. ca. 550), 4:4461–90 (171) Auxerre, Synod of (late 6th or early 7th century). See councils/synods: Auxerre (late 6th or early 7th century) Avitus of Vienne (d. between 518 and 523), 4:4306–17 (167), 4495 Balai (d. ca. 460), 3:3541 (140) baptism/initiation, 2:1227–34 (60-A), 1350–53 (67-E-3), 1374–83 (68-A-5). * 3:2519–20 (98-F), 2524–38 (98-I), 2901 (114-A-1) Africa or Mauretania, of those coming from, 3:2860 apostles, of the, 1:463 Arians and, 2:2399 baptism cannot be determined, of those whose, 3:2858 bathing in water before, 2:2283. * 3:3794 of catechumens, possessed, 2:2463 of catechumens unable to confess the faith, 2:2465 celebrated with joy, 1:848 of children. See children/infants: baptism of Christ and, 2:1303–4, 1545, 1561, 1599, 2120–28. * 3:2545, 2589, 2710, 2893, 2901, 2903, 3046. * 4:4186

256  Comprehensive Index Church and, 2:1301–2, 1304. * 4:4004 Church, only within the, 1:575–76, 582–83 circumcision and, 2:1935 of converts to the Church, 1:578–80, 586. * 2:1350 danger, of those in, 2:1194 day(s) for celebrating, 1:470. * 2:905, 1189, 1193, 1300, 1342, 1573–76, 2360. * 3:2762, 2830–32, 2862, 3180, 3238, 3781–82, 3789, 3792. * 4:4196, 4240, 4456, 4500, 4509, 4527, 4641, 4653, 4684, 4720. See also Pasch/Easter: baptism during deaconesses, role in, 2:1625 deceased, not conferred upon the, 2:883 devil and, 1:573. * 2:1046–47. See also baptism/initiation, liturgy of: renunciation of the devil dying, of the, 2:1646, 1815, 2463. * 3:2862, 2929 of energumens, 2:2463 faith and, 2:1323, 1498, 1543–44, 1551–77. * 4:4168, 4175 fasting before, 1:184, 848. * 2:1647, 2215, 2283. * 3:2691, 3796, 3943. * 4:4456. See also fasting/fasts fish and, 2:1055 harassed by unclean spirits, of those, 2:1284 of heathens, 2:1286. * 4:4205 heresy, of those converting from, 2:1961, 2037–40. * 3:3052, 3061. * 4:4168, 4203 heretics conferring, 1:260, 588, 590, 593. * 2:1193, 1882. * 3:2520, 2595, 2602, 2708, 2845–47. * 4:4007–8, 4527, 4734–35 of Jews, 4:4203, 4229, 4240 by John the Baptist. See baptism (of Jesus) by John Manichaeans and, 2:2400 martyrdom and, 1:467, 663, 776. * 2:1166, 1269, 1373, 1542, 2102, 2281, 2477. * 3:2648, 2962, 3064, 3789. * 4:4004 no memory of having been baptized, of those having, 3:2859

menstruating women and, 2:2283, 2467. * 3:3795 minister(s) of, 1:304, 468, 577, 607–8, 773. * 2:872, 951, 1294, 1378, 1488, 1559, 1577, 1593, 1595, 1620–22. * 3:2520, 2523, 2542, 2714, 2957, 3614, 3812, 3900, 3930. * 4:4565 names for, 1:243, 793, 830. * 2:1375, 1570, 2353, 2356 necessity of, 1:261, 464. * 2:1065. * 3:2528, 2716, 3064. * 4:4006 new name given, 2:2353, 2356 New Testament and, 1:262, 266, 460, 462. * 2:1064. * 3:2752 Old Testament types, 1:422–39, 460, 573. * 2:945, 955–63, 1016–18, 1024, 1026–27, 1029, 1036, 1039–41, 1170, 1265–68, 1343, 1373, 1599. * 3:2522. * 4:4259 only one, 1:466. * 2:1030, 1500. * 3:3061 ordo to be followed, 4:4743, 4755 outside the Church, by those, 2:1350. * 3:2520, 3061 the power of speech, of those who have lost, 3:3127–28 of pregnant women, 4:4245 parents of children and, 4:4346, 4840 Paul and, 1:465 Pelagius and, 4:4218 Peter baptizing in the Tiber, 1:455 Phrygians and, 2:2400 place for, 4:4843 pool of Siloah and, 2:967, 1031–35 postponing, 1:469. * 2:1377, 1400– 1402 (69-C-4), 1567. * 3:2508–9. * 4:4428, 4456 repeated, not, 1:555, 575, 578, 595–98 (29). * 2:874–75, 896, 1193, 1221, 1883, 2045, 2092. * 3:2523, 2595, 2602, 2708, 2844–47, 3052, 3251–52, 3900. * 4:4004, 4232, 4614, 4764 repeated thrice, 2:1919 Samaria, of those in, 1:584 Samosata, followers of, 2:2400 sick, of the, 1:573–74. * 2:889, 1286–87, 1993. * 4:4456, 4641, 4720–22

Comprehensive Index  257 sinning after, 3:3244 sponsors/godparents, 1:469. * 2:1549–50, 2214, 2286. * 3:2533, 2631, 2634, 3061, 3386, 3617. * 4:4461, 4643, 4857–59, 4936–37 See also Holy Spirit: baptism and; water, baptismal baptism/initiation, effects of, 1:243. * 2:966, 1264, 1343, 1561, 2096. * 3:2752, 2874 adoption as children, 2:915, 1559, 2096, 2121, 2123 death/life, 2:1051, 1394, 1498, 1545, 1558, 1599, 1627, 1647, 2121–22. * 3:2635, 2707, 2831, 3624. * 4:4863 devil, freedom from, 1:573–74 as enlightenment/illumination, 1:243–44, 830. * 2:914, 1302, 1342, 1374–75, 1438, 1570, 1608, 1704. * 3:2531–32, 3976. * 4:4868 forgiveness of (washing away/ cleansing) sin, 1:245, 286, 297, 422, 455, 462, 466, 486, 492, 588, 776, 793, 802–3. * 2:896, 919, 937, 956, 1041, 1047, 1050, 1066, 1102, 1170, 1213, 1344, 1396, 1401–2, 1542, 1558–59, 1571, 1913, 2096, 2101, 2104, 2121, 2476. * 3:2508, 2524–27, 2545, 2595, 2678, 2707, 2752–53, 2891, 2962, 3046, 3053, 3064, 3182, 3943, 3947, 3990. * 4:4181, 4254, 4259, 4494, 4661. See also sin, forgiveness of members of Christ’s body, 4:4013 rebirth, 1:245, 286, 452, 463, 588–89, 793, 810. * 2:894–98, 1004, 1016, 1045, 1052–55, 1233, 1252–53, 1264, 1404, 1570, 1595, 1609, 2096, 2119, 2286, 2458, 2475. * 3:2508, 2524, 2536, 2553, 2591, 2678, 2694, 2751, 2816, 2818, 2862, 2877, 2882–83, 2893, 2960, 3046, 3049, 3383–84, 3414–15, 3947. * 4:4004, 4160, 4170, 4183, 4218, 4868 as sacrament, 3:2609, 3382 as seal, 1:236, 238, 286, 450, 464, 486, 745, 787–88, 790. * 2:913–14, 986–87, 1060, 1132–34, 1344, 1461, 1601, 1608, 1627, 1646, 1943, 2081,

2096, 2101, 2141, 2318, 2476. * 3:3410 as shield, 1:224 strengthening, 3:3053, 3060–61 unity, 1:265–66. * 2:894, 898. * 3:2709–10 baptism/initiation, liturgy of adhesion to Christ, 2:1554, 1583–84, 1646, 1661, 2114 anointing, 1:492. * 2:1600, 1605–6, 1608, 2085. * 3:2676–77, 2754, 3049. * 4:4955 anointing(s), postbaptismal (e.g., confirmation/chrismation), 1:458, 492, 576, 679, 681, 732. * 2:974–75, 1052–53, 1060–62, 1249, 1294, 1394, 1577, 1626, 1646, 1668–69, 1994, 2124, 2290–92. * 3:2539, 2541, 2726, 2786, 3060, 3121–22, 3124, 3172, 3424, 3815–16, 3819, 3944. * 4:4164, 4172, 4184, 4215, 4234, 4236, 4494, 4664–65, 4672, 4773, 4862, 4864, 4897. See also chrism/myron; Holy Spirit: baptism and anointing(s), prebaptismal, 1:668, 674. * 2:1008, 1555, 1557, 1577, 1606, 1626, 2118–33, 2288, 2382. * 3:2548, 2958, 3410, 3416, 3504, 3618–22, 3809–10. * 4:4161–62, 4175–78, 4653, 4862 catechesis immediately after, 2:2106. See also mystagogical catechesis Christ, putting on, 2:2476. * 3:2706 clothing, removal of, 1:672. * 2:1569, 1586, 1598, 2117, 2286. * 4:4163, 4861 cross, signing with, 2:1556, 1584–85, 1913, 2284. * 3:3424, 3612. See also signing with the cross the devil, renunciation of, 1:448, 495, 674. * 2:950, 952, 1009, 1234, 1324, 1552–53, 1579–82, 1628, 1661–63, 2108–15, 2288, 2376. * 3:2533, 2753, 2893, 3398–3408, 3609–11, 3810. * 4:4180, 4346, 4861 elect (competentes), 1:664. * 3:2680, 2694 “ephphetha,” 2:1006–7, 1063–66

258  Comprehensive Index Eucharist and, 1:450, 495. * 2:905, 1072–75, 1563, 2293, 2361. * 3:2690–91, 2893, 3064, 3427–30, 3629–30. * 4:4865–67 exorcisms, 1:665, 668, 674. * 2:1194, 1379, 1460, 1546, 2093, 2099, 2284, 2288. * 3:2533, 2553, 2593, 2691, 2819, 3388–91, 3394–97, 3792–93, 3797–3800, 3810. * 4:4160, 4755, 4761. See also oil: blessing of exsufflation/insufflation, 2:1460, 2093, 2476. * 3:2553, 2593, 2819. * 4:4160, 4861 facing east, 2:2284. * 3:3811. * 4:4861. See also orientation for prayer facing west, 2:2288. * 3:3810. * 4:4861. See also orientation for prayer formulas, 1:184, 243, 260, 263, 457, 464, 499, 565, 596, 676–78, 811. * 2:874, 900, 910, 965, 973, 1038, 1042, 1048, 1050, 1131, 1221, 1323, 1350, 1398, 1404, 1559, 1578, 1626, 1646, 1661, 1885, 1887–89, 2289, 2399–2400. * 3:2545, 2549, 2609, 2690, 2714, 2781, 3061, 3064, 3145, 3381, 3419–22, 3814, 3900. * 4:4190, 4494, 4701–4 immersion/going down into/coming out of water, 1:184, 495, 499. * 2:1324, 1498, 1559, 1627, 1886, 1890, 2119. * 3:2831, 3064, 3418, 3628, 3808, 3900, 3929. * 4:4163, 4183, 4228, 4701–4, 4862 inscription of names, 2:1064, 1194, 1400, 1543, 1991, 2090, 2214, 2467. * 3:2574, 2646, 2666, 3080, 3385, 3387, 3394, 3611, 3618. * 4:4684, 4860, 4862. See also elect above instruction of candidates, 2:2215. * 4:4860 jewelry, rings, etc., removal of, 3:3808 kiss of peace, 1:244, 682–83. * 2:1560, 1587–88, 2292. * 3:3819. See also kiss of peace milk and honey, 1:492, 495, 685. * 2:886, 901, 2293. * 3:3929. * 4:4170 mystagogical catecheses. See mysta­ gogical catecheses

nakedness of the baptized, 3:3614 the Our Father, receiving/reciting back, 2:1628. * 3:2659, 2693, 3394 prayer after, 2:1672–73, 2378 prayer after reception, 2:2377 profession/handing over of the creed/profession of faith, 2:1153–54 (53-N), 1172, 1498, 1664, 1992–93, 2115, 2119, 2216–17. * 3:2592–95 (98-T), 2661, 2678–79, 2692, 2753, 2764, 2893, 3064, 3392, 3394, 3540, 3626–27, 3814. * 4:4161, 4182, 4422, 4550, 4684, 4755 sackcloth and, 3:3615 scrutinies, 3:2958. * 4:4161 sequence in which people are baptized, 3:3804 white garment/linen cloth, 2:897, 979–82, 1110, 1377, 1545, 1558, 2082, 2142. * 3:2688, 2754, 2917, 3250, 3411, 3423, 3628, 3836, 3943, 3978. * 4:4164, 4240, 4864 See also baptismal font/pool/shell; bishop(s)/hierarch(s): baptism and; catechumenate, length of; catechumens; feet, washing of; hand(s), imposition/laying on of; hands, washing of; Holy Spirit: baptism and; oil: blessing of; signing with the cross; water, baptismal baptism (of Jesus) by John, 1:262, 455, 461. * 2:871, 924, 1021, 1216, 1263–64, 1373, 1599, 2121. * 3:2901 feast of, 1:837. * 2:1534. * 3:2961 baptismal font/pool/shell, 2:895, 897, 1053, 1213, 1291, 1500, 2361. * 3:2678, 2960, 3046 baptismal oil. See chrism/myron; oil baptistery, 2:950 no burial within, 4:4639 catechumens forbidden to enter, 3:3134 dimensions of, 3:3648 entrance into by bishop and priest, 4:4688 preparation of, 4:4494 veil, 3:3653

Comprehensive Index  259 baptized, newly, 3:3946–47 the Alleluia, exchanging, 3:3836 Easter Vigil, remaining in church after the, 3:3851 exhortation to, 3:2706 obligations of, 3:3081 prayer for, 2:1724, 2375 Barcelona I, Synod of (ca. 540). See councils/synods: Barcelona I (ca. 540) Barcelona II, Synod of (599). See councils/synods: Barcelona II (599) Bardesane, Philip. See Philip Bardesane Barnabas, Letter of. See Letter of Barnabas Basil the Great (ca. 330–79), 2:1322–65 (67), 1384–85 basilica, architecture of. See church(es): architecture of belief, law of, 3:3047 bells, 3:3539 bema, 2:1383–84, 1515, 1596, 1740. * 3:2587. * 4:4949 Benedict of Nursia (ca. 480–543), 4:4090–4150 (155) Bethlehem, 1:733. * 2:2173–74, 2176, 2205, 2209. * 3:3017 Birkat ha-mazon, 1:13–22 (3) bishop(s)/hierarch(s) admittance to liturgy and, 3:3074 age for ordination, 4:4553 almsgiving and, 2:2431 baptism and, 2:1006–7, 1014, 1249, 1285, 1294, 1622. * 3:3251, 3392. * 4:4234, 4257 blessing given by, 4:4586 care for the poor, 2:2431 catechumens and, 4:4240 celebrating in his own church, 4:4650 Church and, 1:222 church, from another, 1:769 Church, higher place in, 3:3070 church, location in, 3:3678 church, presence in closest, 4:4574 churches to be visited by, 4:4715, 4755 Church’s goods and, 2:1880 common meal, present at, 1:698–99 Communion, first to receive, 3:3486

Communion, receiving, 2:1786 Communion to the dying and, 2:1453 conditions for being considered as, 3:2848 consecration of an altar and, 4:4607 consecration of church and, 3:3178. * 4:4758–59, 4771 consecration of virgins and, 3:3043 continence and, 2:1156 Daily Office, role at, 2:2164–2220 passim. * 3:3671, 3705–21 passim deaconesses and, 2:1625. * 3:3678 deacons and. See deacon(s): bishop(s) and dismissals from liturgy and, 2:1697. * 3:3675. * 4:4571 divorce and, 2:1860 doorkeeper(s) and, 3:3116 episcopal ordinations, assisting at, 3:3664–67 escorted into church, 2:2359 eunuchs ordained as, 2:1870 examining those to be ordained, 2:884 exorcist(s) and, 3:3114 failing to minister after ordination, 2:1877 fasting and, 1:691. * 2:2323. * 3:3672–74 first fruits and, 2:1812, 1859 gathering with the elect on Holy Saturday, 1:668. * 3:3797 gifts brought by the faithful, dividing, 4:4196, 4242, 4566–68, 4715. See also Eucharist, Liturgy of: bringing/presenting/distributing/praying over gifts giving consent to a marriage, 1:223 giving the peace, 2:1532, 2241. * 3:3670 God, taking place of, 1:214 greeting the people, 4:4741 hands, imposition of, and, 3:3679 holding assemblies twice a year, 2:1878 Holy Spirit and, 2:1536 improvising prayer, 1:635 instructing the people, 3:3918

260  Comprehensive Index leading the psalm-singers, 3:3968 leaving his diocese, 2:1299 length of penance, determining, 2:888 metropolitans and, 4:4582 minister of ordination, 3:3072 ministry of, 1:468, 690, 748–50, 757, 760. * 2:953, 1006–7, 1014, 1249, 1279, 1293, 1609, 1615, 1810–11, 1893, 1927, 2320, 2430. * 3:3044, 3071, 3157 number of in one area, 3:3915 obedience to, 1:206, 213, 217, 222 ordain a penitent, not to, 3:3106 ordaining, not to accept anything for, 4:4597 ordaining for money, 3:3378. * 4:4756, 4772 ordaining unlawfully, 3:3107. * 4:4605 ordaining within his own district, 2:1876. * 3:3154. * 4:4607 ordination of, 1:569, 617–20, 747, 852. * 2:1223, 1630, 1679–1793, 1809, 1856, 1908, 2239–40. * 3:2826–27, 2848, 3109, 3663–70, 3974. * 4:4244, 4619, 4677, 4901, 4911, 4915 penance and, 4:4767 penitents and, 3:3901 permission required by presbyters and deacons, 2:1879 prayer(s) for, 2:1540, 1717, 2392 praying for Christian people, 2:1734–36 preaching and, 4:4343, 4724 presbyter, differing from a, 2:1927–28 presbyterate, selecting candidates for the, 4:4675 presbyters and, 1:212. * 3:3070, 3678, 3973. * 4:4166–67 presbyters and deacons, one with, 1:219. * 3:3070 present throughout whole world, 1:204 qualities of, 1:199, 447, 746, 852. * 3:2669, 3671, 3674, 3734, 3736, 3973 reader(s) and, 3:3115, 3678

reconciliation of heretics and, 4:4215, 4620 reconciliation of the excommunicated and, 4:4583 relative, not to ordain a, 2:1904 reverence toward, 1:207, 212, 760. * 2:1608, 1658 rising for gospel, 3:3919 selection of, 1:192, 198, 569, 617, 852. * 2:1658, 1681, 1905–6, 2239. * 3:2848, 3663–64, 3897, 3973. * 4:4589–91, 4676 seven orders in the Church, one of, 2:2426. * 3:3044 sick, care for the, 3:3860 steps before ordination of, 2:1198–99 subdeacons and, 3:3678 successors of the apostles, 3:3973 teaching the people, 3:3676, 3720–21 time between baptism and ordination, determining, 2:1448 traveling to distant places, 3:3930 unity with, 1:212, 215, 224, 758, 765 use of the word, 2:1503. * 3:2669 veil not to wrap dead body of, 4:4602 virgins and, 3:3850 visiting from another church, 2:1617. * 3:3089 visiting various churches, 4:4257 widows and, 2:1624. * 3:3663, 3678 See also chorbishop(s); chrism/ myron: preparation by bishop; clerics; hand(s), imposition/laying on of bishop’s chair/cathedra, 1:532. * 2:868, 1532, 1536, 1611, 2201–2, 2245–46, 2359, 2360, 2412, 2413. * 3:3650–51, 3658 blessings bowing at, 4:4412 in church, 4:4561, 4600 at Matins and Vespers, 4:4726 Boniface I, Pope (418–22), 4:4220 Bonosians, 3:3145. * 4:4262, 4543, 4614 book of the Gospels. See gospel book Book of Heresies, 4:4168 book of Scriptures used at appointment of readers, 1:637

Comprehensive Index  261 books with impious titles, 2:1894 bowing, 3:3581. * 4:4412 Braga, 4:4742–43 Braga I, Synod of (561). See councils/ synods: Braga I (561) Braga II, Synod of (572). See councils/ synods: Braga II (572) Braulio of Saragossa (631–51), 4:4662–74 (178) bread blessing of, 2:2384 breaking of. See Communion rite: fraction/breaking of bread Christ as daily, 1:472, 518. * 3:2502–3, 2815 Jewish blessing over, 1:10 offered with wine and water, 4:4690 warm and fresh, 2:2452 Britain, 3:3973 burial Alleluia at, 3:3962 of Ambrose, 3:2772–73 baptistery, not in, 4:4639 of catechumens, 3:2667 churches, not in, 4:4751, 4848 of Fabiola, 3:3962 hymns/no hymns during, 3:2643, 2738 of Hypatius, 3:3377 of a just person, 4:4927–30 of Lupicinus, 4:4521 of Macrina, 2:1390–93 of a monk, 4:4483 of a nun, 3:3209. * 4:4341 of Paula, 3:3968 of Paulinus of Nola, 3:3167 of a pope, 4:4227 of a priest, 4:4928 procession, 1:419, 449. * 2:1385, 1513, 1645, 2385. * 3:2773, 3167, 3209, 3377. * 4:4342, 4521, 4768 psalmody during, 2:1390–91, 1541, 1645, 2347. * 3:3377, 3962. * 4:4342, 4483, 4521, 4768, 4928 no psalms during, 4:4749 of a religious, 4:4768 Caesarius of Arles (ca. 470–542), 4:4318–4456 (168)

Cainite heresy, 1:452 Caius, Pope (283–96), 4:4212 Callicinius (after 426), 3:3373–77 (136) Callistus, Pope (217–22), 1:734. * 4:4207 Campania, 4:4221, 4225 candles, 2:1281, 2080. * 3:3051, 3113, 3938. * 4:4019, 4524 canonical readings. See Word, Liturgy of: canonical readings Canons of Father Athanasius, 2:2425–61 (91) Canons of Hippolytus, 2:2237–2338 (85) Canons of Mar Išo’yahb I, 4:4947–55 (188) cantor(s)/singer(s), 1:506. * 2:1341, 1356. * 3:3533 appointment of, 3:3117 baptize, not to, 2:1622 books, using only catholic, 2:2432 Claudianus, 3:3050 Communion, receiving, 2:1786 Donatus as a good, 3:3203 function of, 2:1810 greeting to, 2:1421 Holy Spirit and, 2:2428 marry, permitted to, 2:1872 monastic practice and, 3:2987. * 4:4532 orarion, not to wear, 2:1975 ordained as deacons, 4:4226 praying for, 2:1721 readers as, 2:1967 seven orders in the Church, one of, 2:2426 singing alone, 2:1496 singing during Communion rite, 2:2158 singing only from Psalter, 2:2449 taverns, not to frequent, 2:1976 teaching others, 2:2449. * 3:3050 Cappadocia, 2:1920. * 3:3036 Cappadocians, 2:1403 capsa, 3:3132 Carthage, 2:863, 880. * 3:2581, 2652, 2743 Carthage, Synod of (345–48). See councils/synods: Carthage (345–48) Carthage II, Synod of (390). See councils/synods: Carthage II (390)

262  Comprehensive Index Carthage V, Synod of (401). See councils/synods: Carthage V (401) Carthage VI, Synod of (407). See councils/synods: Carthage VI (407) Carthage, Synod of (411). See councils/ synods: Carthage (411) Cassian, John. See John Cassian Cassiodorus (ca. 490–ca. 583), 4:4194–95 (161) casulae, 3:2653 Cataphrygians, 2:1246, 1255. * 4:4262 “catechesis,” meaning of, 4:4160 catechumenate, length of, 1:660. * 2:1287, 1817, 1991, 2274. * 3:3781 catechumens, 4:4159–63 almsgiving on behalf of, 2:1504 Anastasis, not to enter the, 2:2218 baptism, desiring when in danger of death, 2:2463 baptism of, 2:1289. * 3:3781 baptism of those unable to confess the faith, 2:2465 baptistery, not to enter, 3:3134 baptized by a member of the faithful, 2:1285 bishop and, 4:4240 bread sent to, 2:2298 burial of, 3:2667. * 4:4750 Communion and, 2:2462 “conceived in womb of Church,” 4:4161 “conceived yet not born,” 3:2663 dismissal of, 2:1614, 1690–98, 1742, 1823, 1831. * 3:3074, 3783, 3845, 3856. * 4:4173, 4724, 4733, 4869, 4874, 4931 dying before baptism, 4:4750 eulogia, not to receive, 3:3837 exhortation to, 1:609 faithful, numbered among the, 2:2263. * 3:2548 fasting before baptism, 1:668. * 3:3080 forbidden jobs and professions, 1:644–59. * 2:1815–16, 2265–71 gathering in church, 2:2100 gifts for Eucharist not accepted, 3:3680 hands, not to lift up the, 2:1537

hearers, 2:1352, 1437. * 3:3133 imposing hands upon, 2:1660, 2395. * 3:2535, 3791. * 4:4160. See also hand(s), imposition/laying on of Jews as, 4:4558 Lord’s Supper and, 1:701 midwives not to pray with, 2:2276 mysteries, present at, 2:1918 new mothers praying with, 2:2279 Pasch (Eucharist), not to celebrate the, 2:1531 * 3:2535, 2551 Pasch, only salt given to during, 2:882 place for, 3:3649, 3784–85 pray with believers, not to, 2:1821, 2275, 2481 prayer by, 1:661, 683. * 2:1540. * 3:2535, 3946 prayer for, 2:1499, 1971, 2388. * 3:3047 preparation of, 1:451, 471, 485–86, 535, 641–43, 729. * 2:1659, 1814–17, 2091, 2099–2100, 2105, 2215, 2263, 2282, 2319, 2355–56. * 3:2544, 2664, 3776–3801, 3943. * 4:4755 salt received by, 4:4160 slavery and, 2:1816 Sunday and, 3:3180 See also elect (competentes); secret, discipline of; signing with the cross Cathars, 2:1350, 1449, 1460 cathedra. See bishop’s chair/cathedra Catholic, 2:1246–47 Catholic Church, 1:757 Celestine I, Pope (422–32), 3:2808–11 (111). * 4:4221 cemeteries, 1:718. * 2:1645 burial place provided by the Church, 3:3864 churches in, 3:2788 of heretics, 2:1962 offering Eucharist in, 2:1962 women keeping night vigils in, 2:1282 See also burial Centumcellae, 4:4277

Comprehensive Index  263 Chalcedon, Council of (451). See councils/synods: Chalcedon (451) chalice. See cup chant. See singing cheese and olives, blessing of, 1:628 children/infants assembly and, 2:1341, 1481, 1613 baptism of, 1:262, 419, 469, 566–68 (27-E-14), 673, 804, 809–10, 812. * 2:939, 1194, 1376, 1380, 1438, 1562, 2286, 2356, 2458. * 3:2524–28, 2530–34, 2549, 2553, 2591, 2593, 2631–35, 2671, 2694, 2715–17, 2726, 2742, 2746, 2749, 2751, 2771, 2793, 2810, 2861, 3061, 3807, 3976–77, 3996. * 4:4006, 4159, 4165, 4228, 4233, 4245, 4254, 4346, 4456, 4461, 4527, 4547, 4641, 4653, 4687, 4721, 4735, 4760–61, 4935–37 bema, standing near, 2:1740 community and, 3:2631–33 deportment of during Easter Vigil, 3:3843 enrolled among Church’s ministers, 3:2794 mistakes during Office, 4:4131 night vigils and, 2:1487 Palm Sunday, carrying branches on, 2:2192 prayer and, 1:820 praying for, 2:1729 singing hymns, 2:2198 singing Kyrie eleison, 2:2166 singing psalms, 2:1158. * 3:3832, 3861 singing psalms at common meal, 1:697 teaching them the creed and the Our Father, 4:4348, 4355 See also Communion: to children choir(s), 3:2805 heavenly, 1:845–46 leading on feast days, 4:4351, 4370 of psalm-singers, 3:3968 sing in church, not to, 4:4634 unity of voices in, 3:2570, 3942 of young and old, 3:3962 chorbishop(s) and diocesan bishop, 2:1950

limitations of, 2:1431, 1950 chrism/myron, 2:1608. * 3:2552, 2754, 2958, 3049 anointing altar with, 4:4551, 4581 anointing of sick and, 3:2791 aroma of, 4:4494 blessing of, 2:1653–54. * 3:3123. * 4:4166, 4666, 4672–74, 4752, 4757. See also oil: blessing of Christ and, 1:458. * 3:2677 deacon to obtain, 4:4686 no money to be given for, 4:4773 obtained from a presbyter’s own bishop, 3:3108, 3138, 3172. * 4:4632 preparation by bishop, 2:876, 891. * 3:2791, 3043, 3124, 3172. * 4:4166, 4215, 4686 preparation by presbyter, 4:4167 reconciliation of heretics and, 3:3052, 3123, 3145, 3148 sacrament of the Holy Spirit, 3:2691 subdeacon to obtain, 4:4686 symbolism of, 2:1646 See also baptism/initiation, liturgy of: anointing(s), postbaptismal chrismarium, 4:4632 Christ. See Jesus Christ Christe precamur annue, 4:4327 Christe qui lux es et dies, 4:4327 Christian, name of, 1:213, 420. * 2:867, 1246–47, 2085. * 3:2669, 2717. * 4:4000, 4347 Christian prayer. See Office, Daily (cathedral)—east; Office, Daily (cathedral)—west; Office, Daily (monastic)—east; Office, Daily (monastic)—west; Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of) Christians, 1:251, 469, 797. * 2:2129. * 3:2916. * 4:4356 “made, not born,” 3:3965 persecution of to cease, 2:2054, 2073 Christmas. See Nativity of the Lord Chromatius of Aquileia (d. 407), 3:2752–63 (104) Chrysologus, Peter. See Peter Chrysologus Chrysostom, John. See John Chrysostom

264  Comprehensive Index Church formed by blood and water from side of Christ, 3:2682 members of Christ’s body as, 3:2648. See also assembly: as Body of Christ a people called “holy,” 1:840 unity of, 1:254 church(es) architecture of, 2:1611. * 3:2796–2803, 3647–62 building of stimulated, 2:2054–58 choirs not to sing within, 4:4634 construction of, 1:808. * 2:1485–86. * 4:4196 decoration within, 2:2174. * 3:3511–12, 3958, 3960. * 4:4512 dedication/consecration of, 2:2055–58, 2219–20, 2404.* 3:2729, 2798, 2925, 3043, 3178, 3513, 3980. * 4:4188, 4263, 4563, 4752, 4758, 4771, 4892 despoliation of, 2:2413 entering after intercourse, 4:4246 furniture within, 4:4842 of heretics, 4:4585 house of God, 3:3947 invasion of, 3:2740–41, 2766 keys of, 3:3116 many in world, 2:1403 Mary, named after, 3:3992 monks, used by, 3:3207 orientation of, 3:2801, 3239 pagan temples, replacing, 4:4263 panagyric on construction of, 2:2058–71 pictures on walls, 2:1283. * 4:4255 place for prayer, 1:826–27. * 4:4634. See also oratory place for sacrifice, 2:943 place of assembly, 2:1952. * 3:2645 place within for the emperor, 3:3924 reconciliation of, 4:4585 restoration of, 3:3511–12, 3890. * 4:4188, 4242 restrictions on use of, 2:1979 Saint Justus, in honor of, 3:3051 therapeutes and, 2:2004 visited by bishop, 4:4715

women dancing in, 2:1340 See also assembly; oratory; prayer(s): places for church, location of men in, 3:3651 church practice, diversity in, 3:2607, 3204–44, 3922. * 4:4171, 4228, 4243. See also unity: diversity and cincture, 3:2808 circus, not to be held, 3:3250 Claudianus, Epitaph of, 3:3050 Clement of Alexandria (ca. 150–ca. 215), 1:830–48 (44) Clement of Rome (d. 101), 1:194–202 (8). * 2:1854, 1910 Clement, Pseudo-. See Pseudo-Clement clerics not allowed to become, those, 2:1895. * 3:2644, 3088. * 4:4575 altar, allowed to approach, 2:1971 chanting psalms, 4:4623 church, not to live far distant from the, 4:4016 Daily Office and, 3:3163, 3173. * 4:4714 daily sacrifice, not attending, 3:3169 exhortation to, 1:613 fasting and, 2:2323. * 3:3101. * 4:4016 fasting before Communion, 4:4694 gifts brought by the faithful, receiving, 4:4242 heretics, role forbidden to, 2:1881 marry, forbidden to, 2:1872 Mass on Sunday, present at, 4:4694 ministry, refusing to carry out, 3:3155. * 4:4598 night vigils, attendance at, 3:3083, 3211 penance, admitted/not admitted to, 2:1200. * 3:3126, 3150. * 4:4578 relics of saints and, 4:4580 taverns, not to frequent, 2:1976 wives, refraining from, 2:1280. * 3:2850 Clermont, 4:4510 Clermont, Synod of (535). See councils/synods: Clermont (535) collection for poor. See almsgiving collobium, 4:4211 Columbanus (d. 615), 4:4530–44 (174)

Comprehensive Index  265 Commodian (3rd century), 1:609–13 (30) Communion, 2:1349 (67-E-2) to apostates, 2:1224 bad Christians receiving, 3:2689 to children, 2:1786, 2293. * 3:2833 not consuming what is received, 2:1296. * 3:3171 as “daily bread,” 2:1120–22. * 3:2658 deceased, not given to the, 2:883 dismissal of those not receiving, 2:2470. * 4:4271 dying/Viaticum, to the, 2:1197, 1212, 1224, 1284, 1290, 1435, 1597, 2032–36, 2441. * 3:2770, 2779–80, 2844, 2959, 3125, 3149. * 4:4216, 4237, 4552, 4587, 4609, 4699, 4722, 4732 fasting before, 1:475, 483, 714. * 2:2295, 2312. * 3:2616–17, 3853, 3855, 3876. * 4:4642, 4655, 4694, 4762, 4850, 4944 fruits of, 2:1003, 1157, 1510 the “holy may approach.” See Communion rite: invitation to receive layman having a nocturnal emission, 2:2473 married persons and, 1:484. * 2:2466. * 3:3955–56. * 4:4355, 4357, 4363. See also married couple: refraining from intercourse miracles associated with. See Eucharist: miracles associated with monastic order for receiving, 4:4149 monks receiving on Saturday and Sunday, 3:3892 pagans, those who lived with, and were baptized as children, 3:2861 Paschal Vigil and, 3:3181, 3947 prayer after, 2:1650, 1789–90. * 3:3491. * 4:4870 preparation for receiving, 1:766. * 2:1587, 1614, 2145, 2150, 2418. * 3:2654, 3062, 3215, 3492, 3824–25. * 4:4544 prostrating before receiving, 4:4532 receive, not being forced to, 4:4532 receive, obligatory times to, 4:4554

receive, those not to, 2:1270–74, 1281, 1352, 1650. * 3:2734, 3695 received by a catechumen, 2:2462 received outside the liturgy, 4:4957 receiving in the hand, 1:512. * 2:2045, 2159. * 3:3598–3600, 3991 reverence toward. See Eucharist, reverence toward sick, to the, 3:3857. * 4:4350, 4362, 4367, 4732 union with Christ, 2:1484. * 3:2658, 3485 unity of hearts, 3:2693, 3485. * 4:4871 water or bread afterwards, taking, 3:3212 worthy/unworthy, reception of, 1:308. * 2:1236, 1241, 1501, 1518–20. * 3:2612, 2693, 2978. * 4:4157, 4448, 4871, 4942 See also Eucharist: frequency of reception/celebration Communion rite, 1:244, 300 blessing of the people, 2:2370–71 bread sent to catechumens, 2:2298 cantor singing during, 2:2158 clerics failing to receive, 2:1863–64 cup, misusing, 1:256. * 3:3823 cup of blessing, 2:1489 cup, receiving from, 1:511, 548–65 (27-E-13). * 2:1493, 1563, 1589, 1604, 2088, 2160, 2293, 2402. * 3:2691, 2721, 2775, 2933, 2935, 3698, 3823. * 4:4496. See also wine, at Eucharist cup, taking contents to those who are absent, 1:244, 246 disposal of what remains, 2:2454. * 3:3883–88. * 4:4655, 4939 failure to receive, 4:4498 formulas, 1:303, 687, 795. * 2:999, 1092, 1521, 1784–85, 1787–88, 2157. * 3:2712, 2900, 3488–90, 3585–87, 3593–94, 3599, 3697–98, 3822, 3963. * 4:4519, 4622, 4855, 4885, 4950 fraction/breaking of bread, 1:687, 690. * 2:2369, 2439. * 3:3474–80, 3584, 3640. * 4:4519, 4855, 4885 hymns during, 3:2596

266  Comprehensive Index invitation to receive, 2:1652. * 3:3482–84, 3684 minister of, 1:690. * 2:1279, 1455, 1514, 1593, 2320, 2363–64, 2402. * 3:2721. * 4:4206, 4886 order of receiving, 2:1786. * 3:3486–88, 3595, 3696. * 4:4028–29, 4149 Our Father during, 1:515–22 (27-C). * 2:2155–56. * 3:2693, 3588. * 4:4247, 4612 prayer(s) after, 3:3699–3710 presbyter receiving the “consecrated crown,” 4:4206 singing during distribution of, 4:4482 standing while receiving, 4:4028–29 union of bread and wine, 3:3475–76 women receiving, 1:851. * 3:3695 See also eulogia; kiss of peace competens, 4:4161, 4550 conciliabula, 3:3104 concluding rites. See Mass/Divine Liturgy: rites, concluding confession, meanings of, 3:2565, 2662 Confession of Cyprian, 1:796 (40) confessors, ordained/not ordained, 2:1805, 2251. * 3:3762 Confirmation. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: anointing(s), postbaptismal Constantine, 2:1923–25, 1947, 2072, 2075, 2077–82, 2172, 2174–75. * 3:3214–16, 3232, 3889–91. * 4:4702 letter of, 2:1313–21. * 3:3507–12 Constantinople, 3:3902, 3919–21, 3926. * 4:4247, 4702 Constantinople I, Council of (381). See councils/synods: Constantinople I (381) Cosmas Indicopleustes (6th century), 4:4959–61 (191) councils/synods Agde (506), 4:4549–62 (176-A) Ancyra (314), 2:1422–36 (71-A) Angers (453), 3:3152–57 (126-E) Antioch (341), 2:1947–50 (80-A) Ariminum (359), 2:1193 Arles I (314), 2:1220–24 (59-A)

Arles II (between 442 and 506), 3:3139–51 (126-D) Arles IV (524), 4:4589–91 (176-E) Auxerre (late 6th or early 7th century), 4:4629–45 (176-M) Barcelona I (ca. 540), 4:4725–32 (180-D) Barcelona II (599), 4:4772–75 (180-J) Braga I (561), 4:4737–54 (180-F) Braga II (572), 4:4755–62 (180-G) Carthage (345–48), 2:874–75 (50-A) Carthage II (390), 2:876–78 (50-B) Carthage V (401), 3:2746–47 (102-A) Carthage VI (407), 3:2748 (102-B) Carthage (411), 3:2652 Chalcedon (451), 3:3378–79 (137) Clermont (535), 4:4601–4 (176-H) Constantinople I (381), 2:1460 (71-D). * 4:4765 Dvin (527), 4:4834–53 (182) Elvira (ca. 300), 2:1270–94 (62-A) Epaon (517), 4:4575–87 (176-C) Gangra (ca. 345), 2:1951–55 (80-B) Gerunda (517), 4:4717–23 (180-B) Hippo (393), 2:879–93 (50-C) Irish Synod I (between 450 and 456), 3:3173–79 (129-A) Irish Synod II (after 456), 3:3180–82 (129-B) Laodicea (between 343 and 381), 2:1956–2003 (80-C) Lerida (546), 4:4733–36 (180-E) Lyons II (between 518 and 523), 4:4588 (176-D) Lyons III (between 567 and 570), 4:4621 (176-K) Lyons IV (583), 4:4650 (176-O) Mâcon I (581/583), 4:4646–49 (176-N) Mâcon II (585), 4:4651–55 (176-P) Milevis (416), 3:2749–50 (102-C) Narbonne (589), 4:4656–60 (176-Q) Neo-Caesarea (ca. 320), 2:1437–47 (71-B) Nicaea I (325), 2:1448–57 (71-C), 1458–59 (71-C-2), 1925–26, 1947. * 3:2959, 3141, 3245, 3581, 3895. * 4:4171, 4734 Nîmes (394), 2:1226 (59-C)

Comprehensive Index  267 Orange I (441), 3:3123–36 (126-B) Orleans I (511), 4:4563–74 (176-B) Orleans II (533), 4:4597–4600 (176-G) Orleans III (538), 4:4605–14 (176-I) Orleans IV (541), 4:4615–20 (176-J) Riez (439), 3:3121–22 (126-A) Rome (ca. 400?), 3:2957–58 (116-A) Rome (488), 3:2959 (116-B) Rome (595), 4:4226–27 (164) Saragossa (ca. 380), 2:1295–98 (62-B) Saragossa II (592), 4:4770–71 (180-I) Sardica (Serdica) (ca. 343), 2:1299 (63) Tarragona (516), 4:4714–16 (180-A) Toledo I (400?), 3:3168–72 (128-A) Toledo III (589), 4:4763–69 (180-H) Tours I (461), 3:3158–59 (126-F) Tours II (567), 4:4622–28 (176-L) Tyre (335), 3:3513 Vaison (442), 3:3137–38 (126-C) Vaison II (529), 4:4592–96 (176-F) Valence (374), 2:1225 (59-B) Valence (ca. 524), 4:4724 (180-C) Vannes (between 461 and 491), 3:3160–64 (126-G) creed/profession of faith Divine Liturgy, during the, 3:3552. * 4:4765, 4854 explanation of, 2:1153–54 (53-N) handing over. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: profession/handing over of the creed people memorizing, 4:4345, 4348, 4355, 4359, 4422 teaching to children, 4:4348, 4355, 4359, 4422, 4456 cross church’s narthex, above, 3:2800 Constantine and, 3:3891 relic of true, 2:2201. * 3:2796–99 signing with. See signing with the cross veneration of, 2:2201 not worshiped, 1:441 cup deacon holding, 1:511. * 2:2442 Maximus, hanging from neck of, 4:4525 monks not receiving from, 4:4532

received by subdeacon, 3:3112 receiving Communion from. See Communion rite: cup, receiving from Cyprian, Confession of. See Confession of Cyprian Cyprian of Carthage (b. between 200 and 210; d. 258), 1:506–94 (27). * 2:1246, 1256, 1262, 1350. * 3:2519, 2538, 2723, 3203 Cyprian of Toulon (d. before 549), 4:4458–60 (170) Cyprus, 3:3915. * 4:4956 Cyril of Alexandria (d. 444), 3:3985–93 (148) Cyril of Jerusalem (ca. 315–87), 2:2090– 2162 (82) dalmatic(s), 4:4211, 4215, 4227, 4256 Damasus I, Pope (ca. 366–84), 2:900 (52). * 4:4248 dancing, 2:929–30, 1506. * 3:2723–24, 2728, 3162, 3539. * 4:4352, 4370, 4943 spiritual, 2:930–31 Day of the Lord. See Sunday, names for Day of the Sun. See Sunday, names for daybreak, prayer at. See Morning Prayer (Matins) under Office, Daily (cathedral)—east; Office, Daily (cathedral)—west; Office, Daily (monastic)—east; Office, Daily (monastic)—west; Office, Daily������ (pri����� vate/early beginnings of) De septem ordinibus ecclesiae, 3:3038–46 (119) deaconess(es), 1:292 appointment of, 1:774. * 2:1799– 1800, 1931. * 3:3379 at baptism, not to function as such, 4:4844 bishop and, 3:3678 Communion, receiving, 2:1786 Communion to pregnant women, bringing, 3:3859 greeting to, 2:1421 honored, 1:757 imposition of hands, not to receive the, 2:1456. * 4:4577 location of in church, 3:3661

268  Comprehensive Index marry, not to, 3:3379 ministry of, 1:774–75. * 2:1613, 1625, 1629, 1810, 1930–31 ordained, not to be, 3:3136, 3957 deacon(s) age for ordination of, 4:4605 alb worn by, 4:4659 as altars of Christ, 3:3042 baptizing/not baptizing by, 2:1854. * 3:2927, 3828. * 4:4565, 4845 bishop(s) and, 1:712, 759, 765. * 2:1455, 1629–30, 1879, 1928, 1949, 2304, 2336. * 3:3090, 3678, 3746, 3749, 3973 bless, not to, 2:1854 blessing women, 4:4600 chrism and, 3:3172. * 4:4665 Christ, taking place of, 1:757 Communion, assisting at, 4:4948 Communion, distributing, 1:244, 511. * 3:2928, 3042, 3091, 3144, 3827, 3857 Communion, receiving, 2:1455, 1786 continence and, 2:1156. * 3:3158. * 4:4626 correcting others, 2:1850 divorce and, 2:1860 eucharistic prayer, watching over bishop during the, 4:4199 exhorter of the people, 3:3881 fasting before Mass, 4:4642 first fruits and, 2:1812, 1859 gathering each day, 1:717 Gospel, reading, 3:3720, 3919 greeting to, 2:1421 guilty of serious sin, 2:1361 holding cup, 2:2442 honored, 1:218, 222, 757 leave Mass early, not to, 4:4659 liturgical fans and, 2:2443. See also fan(s), liturgical location of in church, 3:3660, 3662 meal prayer and, 3:3974 minister after ordination, who fail to, 2:1877 ministry of, 2:1810, 2322. * 3:3746–47 monks and, 3:3882 number of, 2:1447. * 3:3748, 3916. * 4:4958

observing their proper limits, 3:2927 offer, not to, 2:1222, 1854 older deacons being present, 2:2443 ordain, not to, 2:1630 ordination of, 1:535, 569, 630, 633. * 2:1431, 1630, 1797–98, 1856, 1950, 2247, 2249–50, 2379. * 3:2826–27, 2930, 3111, 3156, 3760–61. * 4:4903, 4912–13 penance, not admitted to, 3:2849 poor and, 2:1629, 2248 praying for, 2:1720, 2392 preaching and, 3:3093. * 4:4344 presbyter, replacing, 2:2324 presbyters and, 2:1630. * 3:2926, 3042, 3090, 3152, 3880, 3973. * 4:4950–51 presbyters, not to give Communion to, 2:1455, 2321. * 3:3042, 3826, 3858. * 4:4950 presbyters, not to sit in presence of, 2:1972. * 4:4727 presbyters, not to sit with, 2:1455, 1972. * 3:2928, 3144, 3973 presence at Morning Prayer, 2:2164 psalmody and, 2:2412. * 3:3042. * 4:4520 qualities of, 1:199, 217, 240, 857. * 3:3753 reading homilies of the Fathers, 4:4593 reading Scriptures, 4:4869 reconciliation and, 1:533 residing on an estate, 4:4604 reverence toward, 2:1658 role at baptism/initiation, 1:468, 775. * 2:953, 1008, 1010, 1014, 1294, 1622, 1814. * 3:2957, 3124, 3809, 3813 role at Mass/Divine Liturgy, 1:526, 631, 767, 769. * 2:1279, 1499, 1524, 1526, 1533, 1540, 1610–15, 1617–18, 1689–1743, 1788, 1791, 1793, 2145–46, 2424, 2433, 2470. * 3:3436–37, 3439–41, 3444–45, 3452, 3456–57, 3481–82, 3551, 3553, 3555, 3558, 3560, 3585, 3603, 3631, 3747, 3749–52, 3754–59, 3821, 3826, 3843. * 4:4199, 4226, 4344, 4499, 4869–70, 4875

Comprehensive Index  269 role at Morning Prayer, 2:1831–32, 1835, 1838. * 3:3706, 3720. role at ordinations, 2:1682 role during prayer for the deceased, 2:1841–42, 1845 role during the lucernarium, 2:1822–24, 1827, 1830, 2326. * 3:3831 role in Jerusalem, 2:2163–2211 passim role of, 1:214, 757. * 2:1613, 1629, 2248. * 3:2626 role on Good Friday, 2:2447 Roman regions divided among, 4:4208 sacred vessels, not to touch, 2:1973 who sacrificed during persecutions, 2:1423 selection of, 1:198–99, 569, 630, 774, 855. * 2:1658. * 3:3745. * 4:4589–91, 4658 seven at altar in Rome, 4:4958 seven orders in Church, one of, 2:2426. * 3:3042 sick and, 1:692, 712. * 2:1629, 2304. * 3:3737 who sin, 1:237. * 2:1442 singing and, 3:3042. * 4:4226, 4499, 4520 striking one another at altar, 2:2434 taverns, not to frequent, 2:1976 as teachers, 4:4917 time spent as, 3:2794 unity, calling to, 3:3205 vesture of, 3:3092, 3438. * 4:4215, 4638, 4659, 4744 virgins, assisting, 3:3850 visiting from another church, 2:1617 See also clerics; diaconate deceased almsgiving on behalf of, 2:1504 “analempsis” for, 2:2327 baptized, not to be, 2:883 bodies not to be wrapped in linen, 4:4601–2, 4637 bodies of, those who care for, 2:1931. * 3:3098, 3863 burial of. See burial catechumens, 3:2667

commemorating, 2:1848–49. * 4:4754 community and relatives of, 2:2460 Eucharist, not to be given, 2:883. * 4:4637 Eucharist offered for, 2:1607. * 3:2515, 2643, 2735, 3079 funeral garment provided for, 3:3865 offering on behalf of, 1:495. * 4:4276–94, 4697 praying for, 2:1169, 1504, 1631, 1645, 1841–47, 1929, 1934, 2153–54, 2385. * 3:2668, 2670, 2713, 2735, 3559 tombs of, 4:4697, 4751 Dêr Balyzeh Papyrus, 2:2484–93 (95) Deus creator omnium, 4:4336, 4479 Deus qui certis legibus, 4:4336, 4479 devil, renunciation of the. See baptism/ initiation, liturgy of: renunciation of the devil diaconate step toward presbyterate, 2:1198–99 women elevated to, 2:1226 diaconicon, 3:3647, 3656. * 4:4948 Didache or The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, 1:178–93 (7) Didascalia of the 318 Fathers (Fides Nicaena), 2:2398 (89) Didascalia of the Apostles, 1:746–86 (38) Didymus the Blind (ca. 313–98), 2:2475–77 (93) Diognetus, Letter to. See Letter to Diognetus Dionysius the Great of Alexandria (d. ca. 264), 1:849–51 (45). * 2:1350, 2032, 2037–46. * 3:3973 Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite (ca. 500), 4:4857–4937 (185) direct psalmody. See psalms/psalmody: singing, methods of dismissals of the unbaptized and of sinners, 4:4877 of those not receiving Communion, 2:2470. * 3:3545–49 See also catechumens: dismissal of; energumens: dismissal of; penitent(s): dismissal of; Word, Liturgy of: dismissals from

270  Comprehensive Index Dokimeion, marble slab from, 2:1461 (72-A) Dominus vobiscum, 4:4741 Donatist(s), 2:893. * 3:2519–20, 2523, 2715, 3253 Donatus, 3:2714, 3203 doorkeeper(s), 2:1613 appointment of, 3:3116 baptize, not to, 2:1622 function of, 2:2429, 2433. * 3:3039, 3960 functions, zealously carrying out, 4:4660 greeting to, 2:1421 marry an adulteress, not to, 4:4716 penance, those who have done, 3:3168 penitents as, 4:4679 raising curtains at the door, 4:4660 role on Good Friday, 2:2447 seven orders in Church, one of, 2:2426. * 3:3039 taverns, not to frequent, 2:1976 Doxology, Great, 2:1675. See also Eucharistic Prayer/anaphora: conclusion of Duodecima. See Office, Daily (cathedral)—west; Office, Daily (monastic)—west Dvin, Synod of (527). See councils/synods: Dvin (527) dying, 2:1567 assisted by angels, 2:1597 Augustine when, 3:2735 reconciliation of. See reconciliation: of the dying See also Communion: dying/Viaticum, to the east, facing at baptism, 2:952, 2115. * 3:3811 during prayer. See orientation for prayer Easter. See Pasch/Easter Easter, octave of, 2:1643 Easter season. See paschal season Easter vigil. See Pasch/Easter: vigil Easter week newly baptized and, 3:2624

as observed in Jerusalem, 2:2205, 2218 servants and, 2:1820 washing of feet during, 3:2625 Ebionites, 2:2009. * 3:3538 Ecclesiastical Canons of the Apostles. See Apostolic Constitutions Egeria/Aetheria, 2:2163–2220 (83) Egypt, 1:8, 25–118 passim, 147, 272, 320–98 passim, 460. * 2:1112, 1349, 1458. * 3:2961, 2981–83, 3920 Egyptians, 1:272, 331–32, 335, 338. * 2:996, 1085, 1356. * 3:2678, 3022, 3910. * 4:4259 Eighteen Blessings (Jewish), 1:151–77 (6) eighth day of the week. See Sunday/ Lord’s Day: names for elderly, sitting in church, 2:1613 elect (competentes), 3:2694. * 4:4161 baptized on the Lord’s Pasch, 1:470 bringing loaf of bread, 3:3803 dismissal of, 2:1704–7, 1831 enrolling names of, 2:1194 gathering with bishop on Holy Saturday, 1:668. * 3:3797 Eleona, 2:2175–2220 passim Eleutherius, Pope (ca. 175–89), 4:4205 Elizabeth, 3:3198, 3200 Elvira, Synod of (ca. 300). See councils/ synods: Elvira (ca. 300) Ember Days, 3:2870–71, 2872. * 4:4621, 4761 fasting on, 3:2866–73, 2900. * 4:4207 ordinations on, 3:2930 wearing of pallium on, 4:4238 emergency baptism. See baptism/ initiation: sick, of the Encratites, 2:1350–51. * 3:3537 energumens, 2:1278, 1481, 1524, 1526 catechumens who are, 2:2463–64. * 3:3180 clerics, not to become, 2:1907. * 3:3131 Communion and, 3:3129 consignation of, 3:2789 dismissal of, 2:1823, 1831. * 4:4869, 4874–75 exorcists, hands laid upon by, 3:3094, 3114

Comprehensive Index  271 exorcists to supply food for, 3:3096 present on Sunday, 2:2464 sweeping church, 3:3095 Ennodius, Magnus Felix (473/474– 521), 4:4017–18 (152) eortae, 2:2178 Epaon, Synod of (517). See councils/ synods: Epaon (517) Ephesus, 1:505. * 2:908 Ephraem the Syrian (ca. 306–73), 2:1601–7 (76). * 3:3518, 3893 epiclesis. See Eucharistic Prayer/ anaphora: epiclesis/invocation of the Holy Spirit Epigraph of Tarcisius. See Tarcisius, Epigraph of Saint Epiphanius of Salamis (ca. 315–403), 2:1912–35 (78). * 3:3982 Epiphany, 2:1186–87, 1368–73, 1463. * 3:2743–44, 2902 (114-A-2), 3945 attending church each day for three weeks before, 2:1297 baptism and, 2:1194. * 3:2830, 3180 Basil and, 2:1384 bishop washing priests’ feet on, 2:2453 blessing of font on, 3:2743 celebrated twelve days after Christ’s nativity, 4:4960 Communion, receiving on, 2:1501 Daily Office on, 4:4060 day for announcing beginning of Lent, 4:4630 day for announcing date of Easter, 4:4615 day for celebrating Christ’s nativity, 4:4959, 4961 Egypt, as celebrated in, 3:2961 no fasting or kneeling on, 2:1932 Gaza, as celebrated in, 3:3975 Jerusalem and Bethlehem, as celebrated in, 2:2173–77 Mass celebrated in parish church, 4:4556 mystagogia on, 3:3724 observing, day and month for, 2:1631. * 3:2733 octave of, 2:2175–77 prayer of widows on, 3:3770

rejoicing, day of, 2:2431 servants not to work on, 2:1820 veiling of virgins on, 3:2931 vigil on, 4:4331 episcopacy, unity of, 1:543 episcopal ordination. See bishop(s)/ hierarch(s): ordination of Epistle of the Apostles, 1:295–97 (17) Eucharist adoration of, 4:4950 angels in heaven celebrating, 4:4523 assembly and, 3:3454 bishop’s relationship to, 1:222 bread, breaking of, 1:298–99 bread called the, 1:818 “bread for the soul,” 4:4424 bread, living, 3:2528 “bread of God,” 1:225 bread, unleavened, 2:1917, 1987 bread, wine, and water offered, 4:4690 “broken bread scattered/gathered,” 1:186, 560, 571. * 2:1650, 2367, 2488. * 3:2691 celebrated by Christians, 2:866–67 celebrated by Thomas, 1:789, 791, 794–95 celebrated everywhere, 1:248, 251, 253 celebrated for a particular person, 1:525. * 2:1167, 1607. * 3:2515 command of Christ, 1:250 defiled by Arians, 3:2741 five loaves and fishes, 1:295 forgiveness of sins and, 1:757. * 2:1095, 1150. * 3:3494–95, 3565, 3641, 3645 frequency of reception/celebration, 2:1121–22, 1150, 1157, 1349, 1486, 1508–9, 1516–21, 2084. * 3:2502, 2547, 2610, 2612, 2774, 2978, 3003, 3062, 3674, 3961. * 4:4304. See also Mass/Divine Liturgy: frequency of celebration Januarius becoming sick during, 4:4266 “many grains,” 2:1490, 1650. * 3:2712, 2775

272  Comprehensive Index as meal/banquet, 2:901, 1109, 1394, 1480, 1493, 1535–36, 2085, 2140, 2413. * 3:2528, 2547, 2550, 2666, 2803, 2900, 2918, 2935, 3541. * 4:4401, 4421. See also altar(s): as a table as medicine of immortality, 1:210 minister(s) of, 2:1514, 1535, 1620–21, 1652, 1655, 1951, 2026. * 3:3043, 3056, 3089, 3179, 3551, 3695. * 4:4949 miracles associated with, 1:512, 792. * 2:1366. * 4:4270–72, 4274, 4514, 4517, 4522–23 offered by heretics, not to be, 2:1882 offered for the deceased, 1:495, 525. * 2:1607. * 3:2515, 2556, 2573, 2578, 3137. * 4:4276–81, 4303, 4528, 4738 offered for the living, 3:3165 offered in private homes, 2:2001. * 3:3993 Old Testament types, 1:247, 550–53, 572. * 2:902, 992–96, 1077–79 pleasing to God, 1:252 Real Presence, 1:221, 245, 274, 280–81, 284–85, 492–93, 551, 557, 571, 807, 817. * 2:904, 943, 995–99, 1081–92, 1097–99, 1108, 1120, 1127, 1129–30, 1217, 1388, 1396, 1490, 1492, 1598, 1602–5, 1912, 2113, 2127, 2134–43, 2158, 2424–25. * 3:2635, 2666, 2691, 2712, 2774, 2900, 2936, 3055–58, 3431–33, 3487, 3534–36, 3551, 3645, 3971, 3987, 3991. * 4:4391, 4424 reconciliation before receiving, 1:181, 191, 766–67. * 3:3546 reservation of, 1:475, 512, 735. * 2:1349, 1366, 1491, 2032–36, 2441. * 3:2803, 3857–59. * 4:4077, 4957 reverence toward, 1:244, 495, 507–8, 715–16, 792, 801, 859. * 2:1382, 1492, 2159, 2313–15, 2402. * 3:3054, 3970. * 4:4415, 4510–11, 4534, 4538, 4957 as sacrament, 3:2609 as sacrifice, 1:191, 248, 251–52, 268–73, 275–79, 515, 547, 561, 564,

769, 817, 841. * 2:907, 1152, 1155, 1173, 1478, 1490, 1516, 1529, 1535–37, 1589, 1607, 1616, 1657, 1971, 2085, 2204, 2210, 2367. * 3:2556, 2575–77, 2640, 2693, 2774, 2811, 3055, 3121, 3373, 3435–36, 3457, 3502, 3505, 3565, 3577, 3928, 3939, 3975. * 4:4005, 4011–12, 4015, 4237, 4303–4, 4633, 4762 salvation, necessary for, 3:2528 as thanksgiving/praise, 1:299, 622–23, 625, 635, 684–85. * 2:1478, 1650–52, 1748, 1940–41, 1946, 2365. * 3:3464–67, 3685. * 4:4015, 4883–84 unity and, 1:219, 222, 246, 560, 571. * 2:1490. * 3:3453, 3985, 3989. * 4:4011–12 women’s dress when present for, 1:491 See also Communion Eucharist, Liturgy of blessing fruits of the earth, 4:4211 bringing/presenting/distributing/ praying over gifts, 1:244, 246, 524, 622, 670, 684, 691, 708–9, 757–58, 761. * 2:1277, 1723, 1743, 1858–59, 2242, 2324–25, 2424. * 3:2510, 2745, 2785, 3087, 3100, 3439–43, 3531, 3550, 3631, 3803, 3821. * 4:4196, 4242, 4348, 4355, 4360, 4528–29, 4566–68, 4654, 4715, 4735, 4834–35, 4856, 4879 hymn before bread and wine are placed on altar, 4:4869 hymns/prayers before Eucharistic Prayer, 3:2596, 3683 Last Supper, relationship to, 1:245, 780. * 2:1602–3 mixed cup. See wine, at Eucharist: mixed with water preparation for. See Communion, preparation for receiving preparatory prayers, 3:3444–47 See also Communion rite; Eucharist; Eucharistic Prayer/anaphora; hands, washing of Eucharistic Prayer/anaphora, 1:186–87, 244, 246, 299, 302, 622–26, 684, 817.

Comprehensive Index  273 * 2:904, 1602, 1744–73, 2365–68. * 3:2540, 2693, 3461–73, 3684–93. * 4:4856, 4883–85, 4934, 4962–65 (192), 4966–72 (193) anamnesis (memorial), 1:296. * 2:1094, 1749–54, 1756–58, 2490. * 3:3383–84, 3578, 3689, 3991. * 4:4222, 4293–94, 4409, 4969 conclusion of, 1:244, 246. * 2:1772, 1946, 2045, 2244, 2368, 2492. * 4:4972. See also Doxology, Great epiclesis/invocation of the Holy Spirit, 2:873, 918, 1324, 1590, 1595, 1761, 1945, 2113, 2151, 2368, 2487. * 3:2934, 3432–33, 3470–72, 3578–80, 3638–39, 3691–92, 3964. * 4:4012, 4943, 4963, 4967, 4970–71 initial dialogue, 2:1745–47, 1936, 2147–49, 2242. * 3:2692, 3461–63, 3684 institution account, 2:1088–93, 1535, 1759, 2134, 2367, 2489. * 3:3301, 3335, 3573. * 4:4200, 4964–65, 4968 intercessions/supplications/reading of names/commemorations, 1:525. * 2:1762–71, 2152–54, 2367, 2484. * 3:2668, 2670, 2785, 3473, 3576. * 4:4017, 4019–20, 4191, 4193, 4239, 4241, 4595, 4749–50, 4754, 4759 offering, 2:1094, 1760, 1942, 2367. * 3:3689–90 people’s participation, 2:1500, 1948, 2045. * 3:3560, 3574, 3634, 3636, 3642–43 preface, 2:1748, 1937–38, 1940–41, 2150, 2366, 2485. * 3:2749–50. * 4:4223, 4392, 4514 See also Holy, holy, holy/Trisagion eulogia, 2:1810, 1813, 1966, 1982. * 3:3837, 3845. * 4:4483, 4698 Eunomians, 2:1460 Eunomius, 3:3900 eunuchs, ordination and, 2:1870–71 Eusebius Pamphilus of Caesarea (ca. 260–ca. 340), 2:2004–89 (81). * 3:3232, 3510, 3907 Eusebius, Pope (310), 4:4213 Eustathius, 3:2834, 3219, 3533, 3894

Eutichius of Constantinople (ca. 512–78), 4:4855–56 (184) Eutychianus, Pope (275–83), 4:4211 Evagrius Scholasticus (ca. 536–after 594), 4:4938–39 (186) Evaristus, Pope (ca. 100), 4:4199 evening hymns, 2:1218 Evening Prayer. See under Office, Daily (cathedral)—east; Office, Daily (cathedral)—west; Office, Daily (monastic)—east; Office, Daily (monastic)—west; Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of) exomologesis. See penance/ reconciliation exorcisms women performing, 1:451 See also baptism/initiation, liturgy of: exorcisms exorcist(s), 2:1546, 1931. * 3:3388 acolytes, differing from, 4:4169 adults as, 3:2794 appointment as, 2:1950. * 3:3114 bishop’s permission required by, 2:1978 energumens and, 3:3094 energumens, supplying food to, 3:3096 greeting to, 2:1421 not ordained, 2:1950 place for in church, 3:3649 step toward ordination, 2:1214 taverns, not to frequent, 2:1976 exsufflation. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: exsufflation/insufflation Fabian, Pope (236–50), 4:4208 faith, profession of. See creed/profession of faith faithful Daily Offices, presence at, 3:3706–20 passim forbidden to associate with the excommunicated, 2:1948 good order among, 1:196. * 2:1851–55 in harmony like a choir, 1:205 a “holy” people, 1:840 meaning of, 2:1577

274  Comprehensive Index one voice of, 1:841 prayers for, 2:1971 Roman use of word, 2:1005 sacraments of the, 3:2551 united to bishop. See bishop, unity with unity of. See unity: with the bishop; unity: of the faithful See also laity fan(s), liturgical, 2:1743, 2443. * 3:3441, 3551, 3567 fasting/fasts, 3:2673, 2907–9 almsgiving and, 3:2813, 2822, 2866, 2868–69, 2871, 2873, 2885, 2891. * 4:4443, 4446–47, 4455 at Ascension, 2:1190 baptism, after, 1:471 baptism, before, 2:1647, 2215. See also baptism/initiation, fasting before bishop and. See bishop(s)/ hierarch(s): fasting and catechumens and, 3:3946 Christmas, immediately before or after, 2:1190. * 4:4330 clergy and, 2:2323. * 3:3101 Communion, before. See Communion, fasting before December, during, 3:2866–67, 2869 Easter (Pentecost) season, during/ not during the, 2:908, 1644, 1932, 2208. * 3:2974–77, 3045, 3768, 3935 on Ember Days. See Ember Days: fasting on Epiphany, before the, 4:4330 Epiphany, not on, 2:1932 feast of Saint Felix, before, 3:2804 feasts, not on, 1:800. * 2:1644, 1892 on five occasions each year, 4:4258 for five whole days, 2:1648 four seasons, during the, 2:1192 on Friday(s), 2:1644, 1648, 1899, 1932, 2236, 2297, 2437. * 3:2787, 2898, 3248. * 4:4016, 4321, 4330 on Good Friday, 1:185, 474, 497, 668, 783. * 3:2606 on Holy Saturday, 1:497, 711, 783. * 2:1648, 2089, 2178 Holy Week, during, 2:1637, 1639, 2417. * 3:2613

hypocrites, not like, 1:185 Jews, not with the, 2:1900 Lent, before, 4:4330 Mass, before, 4:4642 in Milan, 3:2607 in monasteries/convents, 3:3935. * 4:4073, 4122, 4321, 4330, 4624 on Monday(s), 1:185. * 2:1648. * 4:4321, 4330 Montanists and, 3:3953 Nativity of the Lord, on the, 4:4737 neglecting, 3:3219 obligated to do so, those, 1:691 ordinations, before, 3:2827 Pasch, before the (i.e., during Lent), 2:905, 1190, 1381, 1530, 1631, 1899, 1932, 1996, 2178, 2186–87, 2297, 2416–17, 2423. * 3:2546, 2564, 2623, 2665, 2812, 2817–22, 2882–85, 2888, 2890, 2905–6, 2910, 2920–22, 3235, 3932, 3946, 3953. * 4:4073, 4202, 4240, 4295–97 (165-C-1), 4442–44 (168-B-30), 4549, 4569, 4616, 4685, 4761, 4851, 4960 Pasch, during the, 1:711, 778, 780–83, 849–50. * 2:905, 1631, 1639, 1933, 2023, 2302–3, 2447, 2469 penance, as sign of, 2:2221–22. * 3:2651 on Pentecost, 2:1190–91 Pentecost, after, 2:1644, 2213. * 3:2899 Pentecost, not during, 1:495. * 2:908, 1932 Perpetuus and, 4:4506–7 poor, to benefit, 1:419. * 2:1530, 1644. * 3:2909. See also poor: care for prayer and almsgiving, related to, 3:2813, 2869 on Rogation Days, 4:4572 in Rome, 3:3243. * 4:4171, 4258 Saturdays, on/not on, 1:497, 780. * 2:905, 1637, 1896, 1918, 2178, 2213, 2456. * 3:2604, 2606–7, 2610–11, 2630, 2787, 2827, 3030–33, 3243, 3961. * 4:4171, 4218, 4549, 4616, 4853 sick and, 3:2884

Comprehensive Index  275 sin, from, 3:2907, 2909 Sundays, on/not on, 2:905, 908, 1295, 1644, 1896, 1955, 2213, 2236. * 3:2605, 3033, 3045, 3102, 3219. * 4:4214, 4321, 4445, 4549, 4616, 4692, 4737 superpositiones, 2:1275–76 Thursdays, on/not on, 2:1648. * 3:2613. * 4:4214 variation in manner of, 3:3236 virgins and, 2:2323 Wednesdays, on/not on, 1:185. * 2:1644, 1648, 1899, 1932, 2236, 2297, 2437. * 3:2898, 3248. * 4:4016, 4321, 4330 widows and, 2:2323. * 3:3768 See also Communion: fasting before Fausta, basilica of, 2:1176 Faustus of Riez (d. ca. 490), 3:3052–60 (123) feast(s) attending assembly on, 3:3082 eternity and, 4:4302 every day a, 1:497 priests who fail to officiate on, 4:4836 of saints, Daily Offices on, 4:4063 yearly, 2:2431 feet, washing of, 2:976–78, 1056–59, 1291, 1599, 2453. * 3:2625. * 4:4075, 4185 Felix III, Pope (269–71), 4:4210. See also councils/synods: Rome (488) fermentum, 3:2788. * 4:4214, 4216 Ferrandus of Carthage (first half of 6th century), 4:4016 (151) Ferreolus of Uzès (d. 581), 4:4545–48 (175) Fides Nicaena. See Didascalia of the 318 Fathers Filaster of Brescia (d. 397), 2:1185–92 (54) Finnian of Clonard (d. 549), 4:4776– 4833 (181) Finnian of Moville (d. 579), 4:4776– 4833 (181) first fruits, 2:886, 1656, 1812 blessing of, 2:1839–40, 2243, 2333–35. * 3:3839–41

prayer for those who give, 2:1723. * 3:3840 fish (symbol of Christ), 1:736 Flavius Latinus, Epigraph of, 2:1214 (57-C) font/pool, baptismal. See baptismal font/pool/shell Fortunatus, Venantius. See Venantius Fortunatus fraction (breaking of bread). See Communion rite: fraction/breaking of bread frequency of Communion. See Eucharist: frequency of reception/ celebration Fridays assembly on, 2:1932 Communion, receiving on, 2:1349 fasting on. See fasting: on Friday fruits, blessing of, 1:709 Fulgence of Ruspe (468–533 or perhaps ca. 462–527), 4:3998–4015 (150), 4016 Fulgentis auctor aeteris, 4:4335, 4475 funeral meals. See meal(s): funeral funerals. See burial Galerius, Decree of, 2:1307–12 Galerius, Letter of, 2:1313–21 Gangra, Synod of (ca. 345). See councils/synods: Gangra (ca. 345) Gatianus, Bishop, 4:4505 Gaudentius of Brescia (4th–5th centuries), 3:2774–75 (107) Gaul, 3:2783, 3017, 3973. * 4:4243–44, 4307 Gelasius, Pope (492–96), 3:2925–56 (115), 3069. * 4:4223 general intercessions. See Word, Liturgy of: petitions Genesis, 1:550 Gennadius of Marseilles (d. ca. 492– 505), 3:3061–69 (124) genuflecting. See kneeling/ prostrating/genuflecting Gerunda, Synod of (517). See councils/ synods: Gerunda (517) gifts, bringing/presenting of. See Eucharist, Liturgy of: bringing/presenting/distributing/praying over gifts

276  Comprehensive Index Gloria et honor Patri, 4:4763 Gloria in excelsis Deo, 4:4202, 4224, 4320, 4335, 4471, 4943 Gloria Patri, 4:4039–40, 4066, 4092, 4095, 4100, 4107, 4128–29, 4146, 4186, 4656 Gnostic, 1:842–46 godparents. See baptism/initiation: sponsors/godparents Good Friday, 3:2893–96 baptismal candidates and, 2:1579 consuming sacrament of the altar on, 4:4077 fasting on. See fasting: on Good Friday monastic practices, 4:4076–77 observance of, 1:185. * 3:3842, 3932 as observed in Alexandria, 3:3237 as observed in Jerusalem, 2:2198– 2203 passion being read on, 3:2681 priests gathering at third hour, 2:2447 reciting Creed on, 4:4854 refraining from the peace on, 1:474 gospel book, 2:2169, 2194–95, 2255. * 3:3992. * 4:4525, 4952–53. See also lectionary grabatorii, 4:4641 grave diggers an ecclesiastical order, 3:3038 greeting to, 2:1421 “Great Week,” 2:2191–2203, 2217, 2414. See also Holy Week greeting, reader not to extend, 2:881 Gregory of Elvira (d. after 392), 2:1263–69 (61) Gregory I, Pope (590–604), 4:4228–4304 (165), 4501 Gregory of Nazianzus (ca. 329–89), 2:1366–87 (68) Gregory of Nyssa (ca. 330–95), 2:1388– 1420 (69) Gregory Thaumaturgus (ca. 213–ca. 270), 1:740–43 (35) Gregory of Tours (ca. 538–94), 4:4491– 4528 (172) Hallel (Jewish Passover), 1:80, 114 hand(s), imposition/laying on of, 2:1503, 1544, 1810. * 3:2862, 3544

baptism, after, 1:493, 602–3, 680. * 2:1285, 1608, 2373 * 3:2726, 2847, 3059, 3064, 3817–19, 3929–30. * 4:4905, 4907 baptism, before, 1:495, 662, 665, 668, 774, 848. * 2:1626, 2284 catechumens, upon, 2:1660, 2278, 2395. * 3:3720, 3787–88, 3791, 3856. See also catechumens: imposing hands upon children, upon, 4:4653 confessors, not upon, 3:3762 diaconal ordinations, during, 1:630. * 2:2249, 2379. * 3:3111, 3760–61. * 4:4903, 4905 energumens, upon, 3:2789, 3094, 3114 episcopal ordinations, during, 1:617. * 2:2381. * 3:3109, 3665–67. * 4:4901, 4905 healers, not upon, 1:640 laity, not upon, 2:1621 lucernarium, during the, 2:1827–29 at marriage, 3:2806 Morning Prayer, during, 2:1835–37 offerings, upon, 2:2242. * 3:3679 penitents, upon, 3:2697, 3928. * 4:4552 prayers accompanying, approval needed for, 3:2748, 2750 presbyteral ordination, during, 1:631. * 2:1441, 1450, 1795, 2380. * 3:3110, 3727–28. * 4:4901, 4905 presbyters, not given by, 2:1622 readers, not upon, 1:637. * 2:2255 reconciliation, during, 1:531, 589, 599, 604, 764. * 2:870, 888. * 3:2844, 3125, 3145 reconciliation of heretics, during, 2:1193. * 3:2776. * 4:4187, 4213, 4216, 4262–63 sick, upon, 2:922. * 3:3376 subdeacons, not upon, 1:639 virgins, not upon, 1:638 widows, not upon, 1:636 hands, holding, 1:301 hands, upraised, 1:239, 304, 471, 824, 843. * 2:1144–45, 1167, 1474–75, 1511, 1537, 1580. * 3:2730, 3931

Comprehensive Index  277 hands, washing of, 2:1740, 2145. * 3:3455, 3665. * 4:4026, 4870, 4881, 4953 Hanukkah, feast of, 1:20 hearers, 1:486–87. * 3:2959, 3549. See also catechumens: hearers heathens. See pagans hebdomadarii, 2:2186 heretics admittance to liturgy, 3:3074 baptism by, 2:900. * 4:4007–8, 4228, 4527, 4734–35

churches of, 4:4585 Eucharist, when present at, 2:2470 eulogiae of, 2:1982. * 4:4698 excluded from house of God, 2:1959 forgiveness of sins by, 2:921 gathering places of, 3:3104 noncanonical readings used by, 3:2628 objections to singing by, 3:3187 no prayer or psalmody with, 3:3105. * 4:4698 reconciliation of, 1:585. * 2:1193, 1221, 1353, 1456, 1460, 1960–61, 2037–40. * 3:2776, 2959, 3123, 3145, 3148. * 4:4168, 4187, 4213, 4262, 4494, 4563, 4576, 4620 See also baptism/initiation: heretics conferring Hermas, Pastor. See Pastor Hermas Hic est dies verus Dei, 4:4326, 4469 Hilary of Poitiers (ca. 315–67), 2:1216–19 (58). * 4:4344 Hippo, 3:2583 Hippo, Epitaph from, 3:2751 (103) Hippo, Synod of (393). See councils/ synods: Hippo (393) Hippolytus (ca. 170–ca. 236), 1:614–734 (31) Hippolytus, Canons of. See Canons of Hippolytus Hippolytus, Pseudo. See PseudoHippolytus Holy, holy, holy/Trisagion, 2:1471, 1502, 1755, 1939, 2366, 2486. * 3:3466, 3469, 3570. * 4:4201, 4392, 4514, 4523, 4594, 4943, 4962 Holy Saturday, 3:3842. See also Pasch/ Easter: vigil

Holy Spirit, 3:3268–3353 passim anointing and, 1:263. * 2:2123. See also baptism/initiation, liturgy of: anointing, postbaptismal apostles, descended upon, 1:264, 470. * 3:3005–6 baptism and, 1:287, 450, 457, 459, 461, 577, 584, 587, 593, 601–6, 608, 732. * 2:897, 911–19, 956, 964–65, 970–71, 973, 1004, 1019, 1021, 1042–43, 1132, 1135–36, 1216, 1233, 1252–53, 1322–23, 1396, 1398, 1544, 1558, 1588, 1601, 1608, 1627, 1646, 2101, 2123–30, 2291–92, 2475, 2477. * 3:2539, 2631, 2691–92, 2709–10, 2786, 2816, 2847, 2874, 2896, 2905, 3053, 3060, 3064, 3427–28, 3504, 3818, 3930, 3964. * 4:4181, 4653. See also baptism/initiation, liturgy of: anointing(s), postbaptismal bishop and, 2:2254 bishop, present in, 2:1536 cantor(s) and, 2:2428 Christ, promised by, 1:265 church, present in, 1:721. * 4:4943 coming of, 3:2692 Ember Days and, 3:2872 enlightenment and, 3:3260 Eucharist and, 3:2540. * 4:4009. See also Eucharistic Prayer/anaphora: epiclesis forgiveness of sin and, 2:919, 1683 orders and, 2:1589, 1683 Paschal Vigil and, 3:2758 Pentecost and, 1:816. * 3:2897–98 prayer and, 2:1330, 2254 priests, present in, 3:3578 reconciliation of heretics and, 2:1193. * 3:2845. * 4:4262 role in Christian life, 2:2475 sending of, 2:1643. * 3:2701 Holy Thursday bathing on, 3:2613, 2618 eucharistic celebrations on, 3:2613–15, 3167, 3830. * 4:4738 fasting on, 2:887. * 3:2613–15, 2617. * 4:4738 monastic practices, 4:4074–75

278  Comprehensive Index as observed in Jerusalem, 2:2196–97 Paulinus of Nola and, 3:3167 Holy Week concluded at midnight, 3:3833 as observed in Jerusalem, 2:2191– 2203 priests remaining in church, 2:2447 sadness, a time of, 2:2301 servants and, 2:1820 See also “Great Week” Homoousians, 3:3225, 3246 honey, 4:4633 Hormisdas, Pope (514–23), 4:4019–20 (153), 4225 hospitium, 3:3662 Hours. See Office, Daily (cathedral)— east; Office, Daily (cathedral)—west; Office, Daily (monastic)—east; Office, Daily (monastic)—west; Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of) Hydroparastatae, 2:1350. * 3:3537 hymn evening, 2:1676–77 sung by Christians on a fixed day, 1:292, 444 sung while holding hands, 1:301 hymnal, 3:3066 hymns Ambrosian, 2:1181–84 (53-T). * 3:3069. * 4:4014, 4628 Arians and, 3:3246 at blessing of oil, 4:4889 bread and cup are placed on the altar, before, 4:4869 Christian lyrics substituted, 3:3518 Communion, during distribution of, 3:2596 composed by Apollinaris, 3:3899 composed by Ephrem, 3:3893 composed by Pope Gelasius, 4:4223 composed by various authors, 4:4628 as “daily bread,” 3:2658 disagreement regarding singing of, 3:3895 dismissals, after, 4:4878 at Epiphany, 3:2744 Eucharistic Prayer, before, 3:2596

Eustathius, sung by followers of, 3:3894 at evening, 2:1934. * 3:2582 God, accepted by, 2:1464 God, sent up to, 2:1465 God, sung only to, 1:819 in Jerusalem, 2:2164–2218 passim married couples, sung by, 1:484 at meals, 4:4695 Melitians and, 3:3539 in Milan, 3:2767 monastic use of, 2:1505. * 3:2561 morning, 2:944, 2086, 2164. * 3:3163. * 4:4491 morning and evening, 2:1218, 2086 night, during the, 3:2744, 2807 nocturnal, 3:3246 pagan, 1:777 praise of God, 3:2559, 2562, 2569 singing in imitation of angels, 2:1471 singing of, 1:306, 481. * 2:863, 906, 943, 1171, 1347, 1511–12. * 3:3249, 3891 sung at funerals, 2:1513, 1541 sung continually, 2:1355, 2482 sung in harmony, 3:3533 sung throughout whole world, 3:2561 therapeutes and, 2:2005, 2007 usefulness of, 3:3185–3206 virgins and, 2:2482 Iam sexta sensim volvitur, 4:4326, 4469 Iam surgit hora tertia, 4:4326, 4468, 4476 Ignatius of Antioch (ca. 35–ca. 107), 1:203–25 (9). * 3:3247 Ignatius, Pseudo-. See Pseudo-Ignatius Imbomon, 2:2192–2212 passim imposition of hands. See hand(s), imposition/laying on of incensation of altar, 2:907 Anastasis, in grotto of the, 2:2169 liturgy, during, 2:2461. * 3:3567. * 4:4869 incense altar of, 2:1071 bringing in as gift, 2:1858 women not to use in church, 4:4220

Comprehensive Index  279 infants, baptism of. See children/infants: baptism of Innocent I, Pope (402–17), 3:2776–93 (108). * 4:4218 innocentes, 4:4655 inpositiones, 4:4037–38, 4047–48 institution account. See Eucharistic Prayer/anaphora: institution account intercessions. See Eucharistic Prayer/ anaphora: intercessions/supplications/reading of names/ commemorations introductory rites. See Mass/Divine Liturgy: rites, introductory invocation of Holy Spirit. See Eucharistic Prayer/anaphora: epiclesis/ invocation of the Holy Spirit Irenaeus of Lyons (ca. 130–ca. 202/203), 1:254–87 (15). * 2:2024–31. * 3:3229 Irish Synod I (between 450 and 456). See councils/synods: Irish Synod I (between 450 and 456) Irish Synod II (after 456). See councils/ synods: Irish Synod II (after 456) Isidore of Pelusium (d. ca. 440), 3:3994–97 (149) Israel, 1:21–109 passim, 142, 148–50, 162, 163, 166, 172, 177, 321–410 passim. * 3:3257, 3265, 3298, 3300 Italy, 3:2783, 3043. * 4:4596 January, calends of, 3:2918–19 (114A-10). * 4:4436, 4629 January 1st, 3:2672–77 (98-X-16) Jerome (ca. 345–420), 3:3928–74 (145). * 4:4248, 4702 Jerusalem, 1:21–126 passim, 168, 172, 197, 315, 355, 383, 404–5, 603. * 2:967, 985, 1240, 1930, 2012, 2163–2220 (83). * 3:2752, 3039, 3044. * 4:4248, 4959 Jesus Christ adhesion to, 2:1554, 1583–84, 1646, 1661, 2114 altar as symbol of, 2:1103. * 3:2796 anointing of, 2:871 baptism and, 2:1303–4, 1545, 1561, 1599, 2120–28. * 3:2545, 2589,

2710, 2893, 2901, 2903, 3046. * 4:4186 baptism by John, 1:262, 455, 461. * 2:871, 924, 1021, 1216, 1263–64, 1373, 1599, 2121. * 3:2901 chrism and, 1:458. * 3:2677 Communion effecting union with, 2:1484. * 3:3258, 3485 as “daily bread,” 1:472. * 3:2502, 2815 eucharistic command of, 1:250 fish as symbol of, 1:736 forgiveness of sins and, 1:509. * 2:924 Holy Spirit promised by, 1:265 penance and, 1:195. * 3:2836 prayer and, 2:885. * 3:2675, 3514 prayers offered through, 1:759, 815 present within assembly, 2:1476 putting on, 2:2476. * 3:2706 Jewish prayers, 1:1–177 (1–6) Jewish rituals, Christians not to observe, 1:497 Jews baptism by, 2:900, 1030 baptism of, 4:4229, 4240 as catechumens, 4:4558 Christ, seeking out, 4:4077 Christian sacraments and, 2:1015–16, 1027, 1077 “Church,” once called a, 1:757 darkness, remaining in, 1:522 feast with or accept gifts from, not to, 2:1900, 1986 feasts observed by, 1:800 John the Baptist and, 1:601 liturgy, admittance to, 3:3074 the Pasch, not to celebrate with, 2:1947 Paschal Vigil and, 3:2760 penance, refusing to do, 2:931 pray with, not to, 2:1897 Sabbath, observing the, 4:4397 show themselves from Holy Thursday till Easter Monday, not to, 4:4613 slavery, freed from, 4:4706 slaying Stephen, 2:1211 spiritual grace lacking, 1:559

280  Comprehensive Index unleavened bread, eating, 3:3319 unleavened bread, not to accept from, 2:1987 war on Christians, 1:738 John, Acts of. See Acts of John John the Baptist, 1:461–63, 601, 605, 773, 830. * 2:924, 931, 969, 1011, 1019, 1021, 1046, 1056, 1114, 1264, 1402. * 3:3198. * 4:4363 Mass celebrated in parish church on feast of, 4:4556 John Cassian (ca. 360–between 430 and 435), 3:2961–3037 (118) John Chrysostom (ca. 347–407), 2:1464– 1598 (74). * 3:3246, 3926–27 John the Deacon (middle of 6th century), 4:4159–72 (157) John Moschus (ca. 550–619/634), 4:4956–57 (189) John of Scythopolis (early 6th century), 4:4958 (190) Jordan River, 2:996, 1017–18, 1036, 2124. * 3:2901–2, 2922 Justin Martyr (ca. 100–ca. 165), 1:243–53 (14) kiss of peace, 2:1971 abuse of, 1:835 at baptism. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: kiss of peace catechumens exchanging, 3:3786 catechumens, forbidden to, 1:661 at episcopal ordination, 1:621. * 2:1738–39, 2241 eucharistic liturgy, during, 2:1614, 1774, 2146. * 3:2693, 2784, 3448–53, 3503, 3556–58, 3592, 3681, 3995. * 4:4028, 4870, 4880, 4954 faithful, among the, 1:661, 813 funerals, during, 4:4928, 4933 “holy,” called, 1:813 at home, 1:479 monks exchanging, 4:4149 ordinations, during, 3:3729. * 4:4910 Paulinus of Nola and, 3:3166 refraining from, 1:474 Spanish envoy and, 4:4498 women not to give to men, 2:2277

See also bishop(s)/hierarch(s): giving the peace kneelers. See penitent(s): kneelers kneeling/prostrating/genuflecting baptismal candidates and, 2:1580 eucharistic prayer, during, 3:3581 fast, during times of, 1:476 monastic practice, 4:4533 at ordinations, 4:4901–3, 4905–6, 4912–15 penitents and, 3:3099 Pentecost, forbidden during, 1:476. * 2:1932. * 3:3834 praying, 1:825 psalmody, after, 4:4411 Sunday, forbidden on, 1:476 times, at appropriate, 3:3877 times when permitted, 3:3832 Kyrie eleison, 2:1695, 1708 at Compline, 4:4110 at Mass, 4:4594 at Matins, 4:4474 at Prime, 4:4107 in Rome, 4:4247, 4250, 4594 special attention paid to, 4:4251 sung by children, 2:2166 sung during the litania septiformis, 4:4503 sung in Rome by clerics and people, 4:4250 at Terce, 4:4468 at Terce, Sext, and None, 4:4108 at Vespers, 4:4594 Laban, 1:55 labor forbidden on Sunday. See Sunday/ Lord’s Day: no/less labor on not forbidden on Holy Saturday, 3:3844 Lactantius (ca. 250–ca. 325), 2:1305–21 (66) laity, 1:858 allowed to baptize, 1:468 deacons and, 3:2927 enter sanctuary for Communion, not to, 4:4748 functions forbidden to, 2:1621. * 3:3085

Comprehensive Index  281 hands imposed upon, 2:2396 ordinations and, 2:884. * 4:4206 sharing in decisions, 2:1500 See also faithful lamps, 2:1386, 2166, 2429. * 3:3567, 3651 lighting of, 2:1284. See also Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers) under Office, Daily (cathedral)— east; Office, Daily (cathedral)— west; Office, Daily (monastic)—east; Office, Daily (monastic)—west; Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of) removed from monastery on Good Friday, 4:4078 Laodicea, Synod of (between 343 and 381). See councils/synods: Laodicea (between 343 and 381) lapsed catechumens as, 2:1454 Cathars and, 2:1449 certificates of reconciliation, 1:530, 533, 537 penance/reconciliation and, 1:528–30 (27-E-4), 531 (27-E-5), 532 (27-E-6), 536 (27-E-10), 537–44 (27E-11), 595–98 (28). * 2:1225, 1422–29, 1451, 2221–24, 2228, 2231, 2232. * 3:2959, 3141–42, 3221–22. * 4:4584 reconciliation at time of death, 1:534, 536 Last Supper. See Eucharist, Liturgy of: Last Supper, relationship to Lateran Baptistery, inscription in, 3:2960 (117) latria, 3:2506 Lawrence, deacon and martyr, 3:2719–22 laying on of hands. See hand(s), imposition/laying on of lectionary, 1:637. * 3:3068, 3115. * 4:4901, 4911, 4915. See also gospel book lectors. See reader(s)/lector(s) Lent (Quadragesima), 3:2881–92, 2905–6 (114-A-4), 2913–15 (114-A-7), 2920–22 (114-A-11). * 4:4295–97, 4439–41 (168-B-29)

anniversaries of martyrs during, 4:4683 assemblies during, 2:1933 celebrated once a year, 2:1529 chastity during, observing, 4:4420, 4448 church, those absent from during, 2:1295 church tradition, commended by, 3:2624 churches to observe in same manner, 4:4616 Communion, receiving during, 2:1501 Daily Offices during, 4:4440 date when it begins, 3:2961 Eucharist offered only on Saturdays and Sundays during, 2:1995 fasting during. See fasting: before the Pasch feasts during, major, 3:2886 forty days, 4:4296 forty-two days, 3:2921. * 4:4297 length of, 3:3920. * 4:4616 looking forward to, 3:2504 marriages not celebrated during, 2:1998. * 4:4683 monastic practices during, 4:4073, 4075, 4141 Montanists and, 3:3953 as observed in Jerusalem, 2:2182, 2185, 2187 observed in Jerusalem, eight weeks, 2:2178–88 ordinations during, 3:2930 prayer between monastic offices during, 4:4071–72 prayer during, 3:2905, 3801. * 4:4448 priest not to go to a bath during, 2:2437. * 3:2613 reading of synodal minutes during, 3:2652 representing a toilsome life, 3:2698 scriptural types, 3:2818–21, 2906, 2913–15, 2920–22. * 4:4295 tasks of the people during, 3:3801 tribulation and, present, 3:2567, 2702 washing of feet during, 3:2625 See also “Great Week”

282  Comprehensive Index Leo I, Pope (440–61), 3:2823–2900 (113). * 4:4020, 4222 Lerida, Synod of (546). See councils/ synods: Lerida (546) Lérins, 4:4325 “Let us pray,” 2:1499 Letter of Barnabas, 1:421–40 (24) Letter to Diognetus, 1:738–39 (34) levite(s). See deacon(s) Lex supplicandi, lex credendi, 3:3047 Liber diurnus, 4:4196–97 (162) Liber pontificalis, 4:4198–4225 (163) Liberius, Pope (352–66), 2:1193 Libya, 1:255. * 2:1356, 1458. * 3:3920 Licinius, 2:1313, 2072, 2075 Linus, Pope (ca. 70), 4:4198 litania septiformis, 4:4268, 4502–3 litaniae majores. See Rogation Days litaniae minores. See Rogation Days liturgy and good order, 1:196 Liturgy of the Eucharist. See Eucharist, Liturgy of Liturgy of the Hours. See Office, Daily (cathedral)—east; Office, Daily (cathedral)—west; Office, Daily (monastic)—east; Office, Daily (monastic)—west; Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of) Liturgy of the Word. See Word, Liturgy of Lord’s Day. See Sunday/Lord’s Day Lord’s Prayer. See Our Father Louvain Papyrus, 4:4962–65 (192) lucernarium, lighting of lamps, 2:2307, 2326. * 3:3831–32. See also Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers) under Office, Daily (cathedral)—east; Office, Daily (cathedral)—west; Office, Daily (monastic)—east; Office, Daily (monastic)—west; Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of) Lucis conditor, 4:4474 Lupercalia, 3:2935 Lyons II, Synod of (between 518 and 523). See councils/synods: Lyons II (between 518 and 523) Lyons III, Synod of (between 567 and 570). See councils/synods: Lyons III (between 567 and 570)

Lyons IV, Synod of (583). See councils/ synods: Lyons IV (583) Macedonians, 2:1460. * 3:3244. * 4:4854 Mâcon I, Synod of (581/583). See councils/synods: Mâcon I (581/583) Mâcon II, Synod of (585). See councils/ synods: Mâcon II (585) Macrina, 2:1389–93 (69-B) Magi, 2:1186, 1492. * 3:2830 Magna et mirabilia, 4:4474 Magnus Felix Ennodius. See Ennodius, Magnus Felix Mainz Baptistery, inscription in, 4:4661 (177) Mamertus, bishop of Vienne, 4:4313–15, 4495 Manchester Papyrus, 4:4966–72 (193) Manichaeans, 2:1350, 2400. * 3:2605, 2628, 3961. * 4:4196, 4214, 4216, 4230, 4692 manna, 2:993, 1068, 1076, 1091. * 3:2915 mantile, 3:3112 mantle, 3:2808 manutergium, 3:3112 Mark the Deacon (after 420), 3:3975–80 (146) marriage/wedding adulterous woman, to an, 4:4716 bishop and, 1:223. * 2:1387. * 3:2806 Christians attending celebrations of, 2:1999 cleric attending an illicit, 2:2472 clerics not to attend, 3:3162. * 4:4559 couple spending first night as virgins, 3:3120 doorkeepers and, 4:4716 Eustathius, prohibited by, 3:3219 father crowning couple, 2:1387 hands extended at, 3:2806 heretic, not to a, 2:1963, 1981 Lent, not during, 2:1998 person engaged to another, to a, 2:1196 poem celebrating, 3:2805–6 presbyter and, 2:1439. * 3:3120 readers and, 4:4716 relative, not to a, 4:4360 sacraments, 3:2543

Comprehensive Index  283 sacred vessels not to be used at, 4:4603 vows accepted, 2:1201 married couple harmony between, 1:484 refraining from intercourse, 2:2474. * 4:4459. See also Communion: married persons and Marseilles, 3:3068 Martin of Braga (515–79), 4:4675–4713 (179) Martin of Tours, 4:4514–18, 4524, 4625 martyrdom, baptism and. See baptism/ initiation, martyrdom and Martyrdom of Polycarp, 1:242 (13) martyrion, 2:1405–19 (69-D-3), 2170– 2220 passim, 2456 martyrs acts of, 2:879, 892. * 4:4241, 4338, 4414, 4548 anniversaries of, 4:4683 baptism and. See baptism/initiation, martyrdom and baptism on feast of, 2:1194. * 3:2862 burial of, 4:4211 catechumens as, 2:2281 commemoration of, 1:527. * 3:2722, 2728, 3932. * 4:4683 commemoration of during Lent, 2:1997 commemoration of, hymns and psalms at, 2:2083. * 3:2723 dancing at shrines of, 3:2723–24 Eucharist offered in memory of, 2:2083. * 3:2550 false, 2:1984 feasts of, 2:2455. * 3:2722. * 4:4224, 4338, 4754 forgiveness of sins and, 1:505, 509, 530, 533–34 imitating, 3:2727 Mass celebrated at memorials of, 4:4210 nuns and, 2:2456 poor, meals to assist the, 2:2083 praying/not praying for, 2:1645. * 3:2668, 2713 Protasius and Gervasius, 3:2512 relics of, 3:2586, 3063, 3969

shrines to, 2:1175–78. * 3:2723, 3063 tombs of, gathering at, 2:1564. * 3:2723 veneration of, 1:242. * 2:1175–78, 1347. * 3:2505–6, 2512, 2601, 2722, 2742, 2796–97, 3063, 3938, 3969 vigils in honor of, 2:2455. * 3:3939 See also relics of the saints; saints Mår¥tå of Maipherqat (second half of 4th century), 3:3877–88 (143) Mary holding first place among all women, 3:3948 Holy Spirit descending upon, 2:958 Jesus born of, 1:209. * 2:998, 1004, 1079, 1084, 1233 Jesus not baptized by, 1:773 mother of Christ the Lamb, 1:382 Mass/Divine Liturgy blessings during, 4:4402 dismissal from, 1:494. * 2:1533. See also catechumens, dismissal of; penitents, dismissal of frequency of celebration, 1:547. * 3:3169, 3210, 3237. * 4:4292, 4652 good order during, 1:196–97. * 4:4349, 4717 gospel book present at, 4:4952 monks leaving early, 2:2343 order to be followed, 4:4742, 4755 people joining monks for, 2:2344 place of celebration, 1:298–300, 526. * 2:2405–11. * 3:2739, 2765, 2801, 3213. * 4:4631. See also oratory psalmody during, 4:4872–73 repetition of on same day, 3:2828 rites, concluding, 2:1791–93, 2162. * 3:3606–7. * 4:4395, 4887 rites, introductory, 2:1611. * 4:4306 sequence to be followed, 3:3879 Sunday celebration of in Jerusalem, 2:2170 texts composed by Sidonius, 4:4492 texts on special feasts, 4:4189 on thirtieth day after death, 4:4290 time of celebration, 1:562–63. * 2:943. * 3:3051. * 4:4606 not two on same day at same altar, 4:4635

284  Comprehensive Index See also assembly; assembly: departing early; Eucharist, Liturgy of; Word, Liturgy of Matins. See Morning Prayer (Matins) under Office, Daily (cathedral)—east; Office, Daily (cathedral)—west; Office, Daily (monastic)—east; Office, Daily (monastic)—west; Office, Daily: (private/early beginnings of) Maximus of Turin (ca. 380–between 409 and 428), 3:2901–24 (114) Maximus of Turin, Pseudo-. See Pseudo-Maximus of Turin meal(s) angels present at, 3:3980 funeral, 2:1850 Jewish prayer at, 1:6–12 (2), 13–22 (3) lamps for, 1:694–95 moderation at, 1:702 prayer at, 1:506, 845. * 2:903, 1348, 1678, 2328–32, 2479–81. * 3:3035, 3208, 3892, 3974, 3980. * 4:4695 psalms at, 3:3203 rebaptized, not with the, 4:4736 silence during, 1:705 meal/banquet, Eucharist as. See Eucharist: as meal/banquet mediana die, 3:2930 Melchizedek, 1:551. * 2:1077, 1079, 1097–98, 1659, 1683, 1855. * 3:3502 Melitians, 3:3539 Melitius, 2:2428 Melito of Sardis (d. ca. 190), 1:309–418 (21) memorial, prayer of. See Eucharistic Prayer/anaphora: anamnesis (memorial) Methodius of Philippi (d. ca. 311), 2:1301–4 (65) midnight, prayer at. See nocturnal prayer (vigils) under Office, Daily (cathedral)—east; Office, Daily (cathedral)—west; Office, Daily (monastic)—east; Office, Daily (monastic)—west; Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of) midwives number of, 2:2280

purification of, 2:2276 Milan, 2:1314. * 3:2511, 2607, 3897, 3923 Milevis, Synod of (416). See councils/ synods: Milevis (416) milk and honey. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: milk and honey Miltiades, Pope (310/311–14), 4:4214 Minucius Felix (last part of 2nd century or first part of 3rd century), 1:441–42 (25) missae, 4:4318, 4320, 4329, 4331, 4334–35, 4337–39, 4341, 4473–74, 4482–83 mixed cup. See wine, at Eucharist: mixed with water monasticism/monks/nuns baptism of children and, 4:4547 baptized, highest of the, 4:4918 Daily Offices, arriving late for, 4:4084–88, 4127–29, 4339 Daily Offices, mistakes during, 4:4131 daily work and, 4:4134–40, 4142–43 fasting. See fasting: in monasteries hours and, 2:1327–38 (67-B). * 3:3951–52. * 4:4079–83, 4235, 4323, 4462, 4465 incense, not to burn, 4:4204 journey, those on a, 4:4144, 4150 Lent and, 4:4141 Office, giving signal for, 4:4457 omitting work to pray, 2:1327–28, 1331. * 4:4457, 4465 oratory, 4:4145 pall, not to touch, 4:4204 penance and, 4:4130, 4146 profession, 3:3054. * 4:4146, 4918–25 reading, 4:4125–26 silence and, 4:4125–26 See also Office, Daily (monastic)— east; Office, Daily (monastic)— west monasticism, meal prayers, 3:3951–52 after meals, 2:1339 before meals, 2:1339 monazontes, 2:2164 Mondays, fasting on, 2:1648 Monica, 3:2508, 2510, 2513, 2607, 2611 Monophysites, 4:4262

Comprehensive Index  285 Montanists, 3:3913, 3915, 3920 Montanus, 2:1246, 1350, 1460. * 3:2776. * 4:4262 Morning Prayer. See under Office, Daily (cathedral)—east; Office, Daily (cathedral)—west; Office, Daily (monastic)—east; Office, Daily (monastic)—west; Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of) Mount of Olives, 2:2175–2220 passim Mount Sinai, 1:432 mulsa, 4:4633 musical instruments, 1:832. * 2:906, 1470, 1512 myron. See chrism/myron Myrta, 1:306 mystagogical catechesis, 1:689. * 2:946–1004 (53-L), 1005–1152 (53-M), 1543–88 (74-V), 2098–2106 (82-B), 2107–62 (82-C). * 3:2694, 3722–24. * 4:4174 Naaman the Syrian, 2:926, 961–63, 1013, 1017–18, 1036 names place for commemorating, 3:3654 reading of, 3:3456, 3559. * 4:4870, 4880. See also Word, Liturgy of: petitions; Eucharistic Prayer/ anaphora: intercessions/supplications Narbonne, Synod of (589). See councils/synods: Narbonne (589) Narsai of Nisibis (d. ca. 503), 3:3542– 3645 (141) Nativity of the Lord, 1:733. * 2:1187–88. * 3:2874–80, 3945 baptism on, 2:1194 bishop to celebrate in his own church, 4:4650 bishop’s blessing on, 4:4586 not celebrated on one’s own estate, 4:4570 chastity observed before, 4:4433–34 circus not permitted on, 3:3250 Communion to be received on, 4:4554 Daily Office till the Epiphany, 4:4060 date of observance, 2:1631

Egypt, as celebrated in, 3:2961 Mass celebrated on, 4:4202, 4556, 4586 pagan practices, 3:2875, 2878–80 presbyters and deacons to celebrate with bishop, 4:4604 servants not working on, 2:1820 three Masses on, 4:4298 vigil observed, 4:4331 Nazoraeans, 2:1914, 1916 Neo-Caesarea, Synod of (ca. 320). See councils/synods: Neo-Caesarea (ca. 320) neophytes, 3:2917, 3139 heretical, 1:451 Nestorians, 3:3993. * 4:4168 Nestorius, 3:3993 Nicaea I, Council of (325). See councils/synods: Nicaea I (325) Nicetas of Remesiana (d. ca. 414), 3:3183–3206 (130) night, prayer during. See nocturnal prayer (vigils) under Office, Daily (cathedral)—east; Office, Daily (cathedral)—west; Office, Daily (monastic)—east; Office, Daily (monastic)—west; Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of) Nîmes, Synod of (394). See councils/ synods: Nîmes (394) noncanonical readings. See Word, Liturgy of: noncanonical readings None. See prayer at ninth hour (None) under Office, Daily (cathedral)— east; Office, Daily (monastic)—east; Office, Daily (monastic)—west; Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of) Novatian (d. 257/258), 1:543, 595–98 (28), 735 (32). * 2:920, 1193, 1246, 1253, 1255–56. * 3:2649, 2780, 3221–23, 3898 Novatianism, 2:1960. * 3:2776 Novatians, 2:920, 1246, 1261, 1460. * 3:2781, 3220, 3225, 3240–41, 3244, 3898, 3901, 3905, 3908, 3915 Odes of Solomon, 1:238–39 (11) Office, Daily (cathedral)—east, 2:2308

286  Comprehensive Index Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers), 2:1565–66, 1821, 1934, 2086, 2166, 2171, 2350. * 3:3240, 3925 Morning Prayer (Matins), 2:1356, 1467, 1509, 1565, 1818, 1821, 1934–35, 2086, 2164, 2350.* 3:3248, 3705–21, 3925, 3966 nocturnal prayer (vigils), 1:833. * 2:1219, 1471, 1473, 1487, 1566, 2173, 2412. * 3:3744, 3966 prayer at cockcrow, 2:1512, 2164, 2167–69, 2299, 2309 prayer at ninth hour (None), 2:1821, 1970, 2165. * 3:3966 prayer at sixth hour (Sext), 1:821. * 2:2165. * 3:3966 prayer at third hour (Terce), 2:1821. * 3:3966 times for prayer, 1:419. * 2:1474, 1565–66, 1821. * 3:3892, 3966, 3972 Office, Daily (cathedral)—west Duodecima, 4:4625 Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers), 2:903, 943. * 3:2510, 2582, 2603, 2923–24, 3166, 3170, 3173, 3183, 3540. * 4:4016, 4459, 4512, 4557, 4606, 4714, 4723, 4726 Morning Prayer (Matins), 2:906, 944, 1218. * 3:2510, 2814, 3163, 3166, 3173, 3540. * 4:4016, 4459, 4491, 4493, 4519, 4528, 4557, 4625, 4714, 4723, 4726 nocturnal prayer (vigils), 2:1176, 1347. * 3:2511, 2767, 2804, 2807, 2867, 2898, 3083. * 4:4016, 4197, 4258, 4264, 4413, 4506, 4508, 4513, 4631 prayer at sixth hour (Sext), 2:943. * 4:4625 times for prayer, 2:903. * 3:2957. * 4:4420 Office, Daily (monastic)—east arriving late for, 3:3024–25 Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers), 2:1334–35, 1505, 1512, 2174. * 3:2988, 3016, 3035, 3037, 3208, 3506, 3967, 3981, 3984 Morning Prayer (Matins), 2:1329, 1337, 1339, 1505, 1512, 2483. *

3:3013, 3015–23, 3208, 3506, 3967, 3983–84 nocturnal prayer (vigils), 2:1335–36, 1339, 1356, 1511, 2364, 2483. * 3:2988, 3026–29, 3208, 3967, 3984 prayer at cockcrow, 2:1512 prayer at ninth hour (None), 2:1333, 1339, 1505, 1512, 2478. * 3:2983, 3002, 3004, 3009–10, 3016, 3207, 3967 prayer at sixth hour (Sext), 2:1332, 1339, 1505, 1512, 2478. * 3:2983, 3002, 3004, 3007–8, 3016, 3967 prayer at third hour (Terce), 2:1330, 1339, 1505, 1512, 2478. * 3:2983, 3002, 3004–6, 3016, 3967 times for prayer, 2:1327–38, 1339, 1505, 1511–12. * 3:3003, 3018–20, 3375, 3982, 3984 Office, Daily (monastic)—west all to attend, 4:4305 Duodecima, 4:4327, 4329, 4480, 4482 Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers), 3:2499. * 4:4043, 4047–49, 4053, 4066, 4114, 4326–27, 4336, 4469, 4479 Morning Prayer (Matins), 3:2498. * 4:4035–36, 4038, 4045, 4051, 4066, 4099–4101, 4319–20, 4463, 4469, 4471–72, 4546 nocturnal prayer (vigils), 3:2500, 2979. * 4:4033–41, 4053, 4066, 4070, 4090–98, 4102, 4318, 4328–29, 4331, 4333, 4338–39, 4464, 4472, 4474, 4486, 4545–46 prayer at bedtime (Compline), 4:4050, 4053–58, 4110, 4115, 4481 prayer at dawn (Prime), 4:4043–44, 4046–47, 4052, 4066, 4107, 4112, 4155, 4319, 4463, 4475 prayer at ninth hour (None), 3:2499, 2980. * 4:4046–47, 4052, 4066, 4108, 4112–13, 4326, 4469, 4478 prayer at sixth hour (Sext), 3:2499, 2980. * 4:4046–47, 4052, 4066, 4108, 4112–13, 4326, 4469, 4477 prayer at third hour (Terce), 3:2499, 2980. * 4:4046–47, 4052, 4066, 4108, 4112–13, 4326, 4332, 4468, 4476

Comprehensive Index  287 times for prayer, 4:4042, 4105, 4195, 4489 Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of) Evening Prayer (lucernarium), 1:521, 726, 821. * 2:903, 1619, 1821–30. * 3:3831, 3870, 3966 Morning Prayer, 1:482, 521, 713, 719, 821, 844. * 2:903, 906, 1619, 1821, 1831–38. * 3:3872 nocturnal prayer (vigils), 1:482–83, 498, 522, 726, 845. * 2:903. * 3:3871 prayer at cockcrow, 1:728. * 2:1821. * 3:3866 prayer at ninth hour, 1:478, 520, 725, 843. * 2:1821. * 3:3869 prayer at sixth hour, 1:478, 520, 724, 821, 843. * 2:1821. * 3:3868 prayer at third hour, 1:478, 520, 723, 843. * 2:1821. * 3:3867 times for prayer, 1:478, 520–22, 821, 842–43. * 2:903, 936, 1137, 1619, 1821 oil blessing of, 1:576, 627, 674, 847. * 2:1324, 1396, 2118, 2127, 2243, 2287, 2356, 2372, 2383–84. * 3:3620, 3702–3, 3809, 3931. * 4:4162, 4889–91, 4952 bringing as a gift, 2:1858 drinking of, 2:2471 offering at a pagan sanctuary or a Jewish temple, 2:1901 stealing, 2:1902 symbolism/meaning of, 2:1627, 1811, 2118. * 3:3622. * 4:4894, 4955 See also chrism/myron Optatus of Milevis (d. ca. 400), 2:868–73 (49) Orange I, Synod of (441). See councils/ synods: Orange I (441) orarion, 2:1974–75. * 4:4744 oratory, 3:2598. * 4:4145, 4556. See also church(es): place for prayer orders distinctions among, 2:1853–55 imposition of hands. See hand(s), imposition/laying on of

seven in Church, 2:2426. * 3:3038–46 (119) stages of, 2:1198–99, 1214, 1421. * 3:2794, 2826. * 4:4212, 4215, 4753 ordinations an adulterous wife, of a man with, 2:1440 age of candidates, 2:2257. * 4:4605 approval by bishop, 2:1179. * 3:2823. * 4:4909 approval by clergy and people, 4:4774 approval by copresbyters and people, 3:3072. * 4:4215 bishop not to receive anything for, 4:4597 of clergy only, 1:636. * 3:3043 confessors and, 2:1805, 2251 day(s) for, 3:2826–27, 2930, 3664. * 4:4192–93, 4196 delay required for the recently baptized, 2:1957. * 4:4678 examination, after an, 2:884 faithful and clergy to be present at, 4:4206 by false bishops, 3:2848 of farmers, 4:4610 fasting before, 3:2827. * 4:4774 gift of healing, of those with, 2:2259 gospel book on altar during, 4:4952–53 hearers, not to be present at, 2:1958 heretical, 1:451. * 4:4196 impediments to, 2:1867–69, 1922, 1931. * 4:4605, 4722 kiss of peace during, 4:4904 obtained by money, 2:1874. * 3:3378. * 4:4756, 4772 ordain, those not to, 4:4230 penitents and, 4:4560, 4605 prayers of the people, requesting, 2:1500 of priests and deacons returning to the Church, 1:581 signing with cross, 4:4904 who sinned before baptism, of those, 2:1430 sinners present at, 4:4931 slaves and, 2:2253. * 3:2823. * 4:4610

288  Comprehensive Index study of Scriptures before, 2:881 twice, not conferred, 2:1898. * 3:2520 See also bishop(s)/hierarch(s): ordination of; deacon(s): ordination of; presbyter(s)/priest(s): ordination of Ordo Monasterii, 3:2498–2500 (97) Oriental Rule, 4:4305 (166) orientation for prayer, 1:443, 828, 844. * 2:1324, 1326, 1614, 1671. * 3:2501, 2901. See also baptism/initiation, liturgy of: facing east; baptism/initiation, liturgy of: facing west Origen (ca. 185–ca. 254), 1:800–829 (43) Orleans I, Synod of (511). See councils/ synods: Orleans I (511) Orleans II, Synod of (533). See councils/synods: Orleans II (533) Orleans III, Synod of (538). See councils/synods: Orleans III (538) Orleans IV, Synod of (541). See councils/synods: Orleans IV (541) ostiarius(ii). See doorkeeper(s) Our Father, 1:185, 472–81 (26-F), 803. * 2:870, 1114–25, 1502, 1649, 1671. * 3:2502 alternating with psalms, 2:903 before meals, 2:2480 forgiveness of sins and, 3:2579, 2654, 2657, 2678, 2972. * 4:4425 Matins and Vespers, after, 4:4723 people memorizing, 4:4345, 4348, 4355, 4359 people singing/saying aloud, 4:4392, 4395, 4516 prayed after Terce, 4:4482 prayed after the canon, 4:4247, 4252 prayed aloud at morning and evening offices, 4:4101 prayed daily at altar, 3:2660 teaching to children, 4:4348, 4355, 4359, 4456 See also baptism/initiation, liturgy of: the Our Father, receiving/reciting back; Communion rite: Our Father during Oxyrhynchus Hymn, 1:861 (47) Pachomius (ca. 290–346), 2:2339–49 (86)

Pacian of Barcelona (d. before 392), 2:1227–62 (60) pagans, 1:453, 456, 473. * 2:1036, 1988. * 3:2763, 3074 baptism by, 2:900, 1030 baptism of, 4:4205 Christians compared to, 1:799. * 3:2673 Christians not to imitate, 1:798. * 4:4352, 4361, 4363, 4365–67 fasting on Sundays and Thursdays, 4:4214 feasts of, 1:496. * 3:2918–19, 3889. * 4:4437–38 people following practices of, 4:4353–54 rites of, 3:3889 temples of, 4:4263 Palestine, 3:3004, 3036, 3920 Palestinians, 2:1356 pall, 4:4204, 4220, 4645 Palladius of Helenopolis (ca. 363/364– between 420 and 430), 3:3207–12 (131) pallas, 4:4637–38 pallium, 4:4238 Palm Sunday in Jerusalem, 2:2192 Paphnutius (d. ca. 360), 2:2350–64 (87) Paraclete. See Holy Spirit parthene, 2:2164 Pasch/Easter, 1:309–418 (21). * 2:1187. * 3:2609, 2916 (114-A-8), 2917 (114A-9) baptism during, 2:1194, 1300, 1342. * 3:2830–31, 2862, 2893, 2912, 2929, 3180, 3238. * 4:4196, 4720. See also baptism/initiation: day(s) for celebrating bishop to celebrate in his own church, 4:4650 bishop’s blessing on, 4:4586 candle used, 4:4219 catechumens and, 2:882 celebrated each year, 1:497. * 2:1600. * 3:2522, 2619 celebrated on one’s own estate, not to be, 4:4570 celebrated outside the bishop’s city, not to be, 4:4617

Comprehensive Index  289 circus not permitted on, 3:3250 clerics gathering on, 1:613 coming of Christ and, 3:3933 Communion on, receiving, 4:4554, 4852 Constantine and, 2:2080 date of (e.g., Quartodeciman controversy), 1:784. * 2:880, 1459, 1600, 1638, 1862, 1920, 1923, 1925, 1947, 1960, 2010–31, 2048–53, 2416. * 3:2622, 2747, 2835, 2840–42, 2961, 3103, 3214, 3223, 3227–33, 3245, 3507–9, 3898, 3905–14. * 4:4205, 4615, 4705–13 date of, announcing, 4:4761. See also Epiphany: day for announcing date of Easter faithful returning to their homes, 3:3846, 3848 no genuflecting on, 3:3878 as greatest feast, 2:1386. * 3:2687, 2892 happiness and, 2:1530, 2415 homily on, 1:309–418 (21-A). * 3:3254–3372 (135) Jews not to show themselves during, 4:4613 major celebration, 3:2886 meaning of word, 2:902 monks celebrating, 3:3936 mystagogia on, 3:3724 observance of, 1:482, 816. * 2:2205–6. * 3:3932. * 4:4652 pascha, 1:356. * 3:2620, 2916 presbyters and deacons to celebrate with bishop, 4:4604 present event, 3:2895 purpose, 3:2883 sacraments not celebrated during, 3:2787 Scriptures, commanded by the, 3:2624 Sunday after, 2:1643, 2207 each Sunday as, 2:1529. * 4:4203, 4205 unity in celebrating, 3:2558 vigil, 1:783. * 2:894, 1367, 1598, 1641, 1933, 2204, 2338, 2450. * 3:2621, 2683, 2684–85, 2686–87, 2755–60

(104-A-2), 2761–63 (104-A-3), 3167, 3177, 3180, 3927. * 4:4636 washing priests’ feet on, 2:2453 Wednesday before, 3:3237 week after. See Easter week widows, praying during, 3:3770 paschal lamb. See Passover: lamb paschal mystery, 2:1121, 1508, 1529, 1944, 2415. * 3:2522, 2619–22, 2635, 2684, 2736, 2877, 2882, 2887, 2892–93, 2896, 2916, 3384 paschal season, 2:1644, 1966. * 3:2567. See also Pentecost/Easter season paschal week. See Easter week passions of the martyrs. See martyrs: acts of Passover Christian. See Pasch/Easter Haggadah, 1:23–127 (4) Jewish, 1:309–418, 816. * 2:1599. * 3:3265–3321. * 4:4707 lamb, 1:311–415 passim. * 2:902. * 3:3269, 3319 mystical, 3:3255 Pastor Hermas (2nd century), 1:226–37 (10), 473. * 4:4203 paten, 3:3112. * 4:4206 Paul, Acts of. See Acts of Paul Paul and Stephen, Rule of. See Rule of Paul and Stephen Paulianists, 2:1456. * 3:2781 Paulinus of Milan (4th century), 3:2765–73 (106) Paulinus of Nola (ca. 355–431), 3:2795– 2807 (110), 3066, 3165–67 peace, 4:4274 greeting of, 2:1936 kiss/sign of. See kiss of peace prayer for, 2:1494, 1532 Pectorius, Inscription of, 1:736 (33-A) Pelagians, 3:2590, 2793. * 4:4168 Pelagius, British theologian teaching in Rome, 4:4218 Pelagius I, Pope (556–61), 4:4191–93 (160) penance/reconciliation, 1:485–90 (26-H). * 2:920–35 (53-G), 1246–50 (60-C-1). * 3:3498–3501. * 4:4374–78 adulterers and, 2:1359

290  Comprehensive Index allowed once, 1:231–32, 805. * 2:935. * 3:2642, 3253 baptism, after, 1:487–90. * 2:1251, 1253, 1257–58, 1921. * 3:2649 baptism, before, 1:486. * 3:2649–50 bishop/hierarch, role of, 2:1279. * 3:2742, 2836–37, 2959, 3157 books for, 4:4535–44 (174-B) candidates for, 4:4608 certificate of reconciliation, 1:534 children and, 4:4027 Christ, those who have denied, 2:1362 clergy and, 2:2230. * 3:2836–37, 2849, 2863, 3075, 3150, 3175, 3500–3501. * 4:4578, 4767, 4846–47 clerics, forbidden/not forbidden to, 2:1200. * 3:3126 community support, 1:538–39, 743. * 2:925, 934, 1209–10, 1242, 1262, 1357, 1364, 1481. * 3:3901, 3928. * 4:4022, 4024, 4381–84 death, at time of, 1:542, 545–46. * 3:2779–80, 2809, 2852, 3077, 3079. * 4:4587, 4699 exomologesis, 2:1245 fornicators and, 2:1360 heretics and, 3:2732. * 4:4216 homilies on, 2:1202–9 (56-A), 1210 (56-B). * 4:4379–85 (168-B-11) incest, those guilty of, 2:1364 lapsed and, 4:4584 length of, 1:531, 546. * 2:888, 1363, 1365, 1423, 1434, 1436, 1452, 1956. * 3:2844. * 4:4260, 4587, 4699, 4831 the Lord, spoken of by, 1:195. * 3:2836 Manichaeans and, 4:4216 monks and, 3:3054. * 4:4021–27, 4130 murderers and, 2:1357–58 necessity of, 1:226–37 (10-A). * 3:3062. * 4:4001–3 Novatians and, 3:3901 objections to, 3:2732 old canonical form of celebrating to be followed, 4:4766 open to all, 1:194, 231, 540–41, 544. * 3:3157 persecution, those escaping, 2:2225–27, 2232

persecution, those provoking, 2:2229–30 persecution, those who fled, 2:2233 the power of speech, those who suddenly lose, 3:3127 practices of, 2:925. * 4:4552, 4767 robbers and, 2:1420 sacrifice, those forced to, 2:1424 sick and, 3:2851, 2853, 3077. * 4:4376–77, 4731 sins confessed/not confessed in public, 1:181, 191. * 3:2863. * 4:4379–80 soldiers and, 2:1452 in Spain, 4:4766 steps, 2:1357–60, 1362, 1364, 1424–29, 1432–34 thieves and, 3:3176 ways of doing, 2:1537. * 3:2651. * 4:4378, 4384, 4425, 4777–4833 See also lapsed: penance/reconciliation and; reconciliation penitent(s), 2:1235–45 (60-B) banquets, not to attend, 4:4730 clerics, not to become, 2:1200. * 3:2644, 3106, 3168. * 4:4560, 4575, 4591 the dead, caring for, 3:3098 dismissal of, 1:743, 762. * 2:1357, 1364, 1500, 1614, 1708–11, 1742, 1823, 1831, 1971. * 3:2697. * 4:4724, 4869, 4876. See also Word, Liturgy of: dismissals from elderly as, 4:4608 engaged in business, 3:2855. * 4:4730 eternal salvation promised to, 3:2962 Eucharist, not to receive, 1:762. * 3:2612, 2641, 2731, 3901. * 4:4383 exhortation to, 1:610 hearers, 2:1357–60, 1364, 1424–29, 1451–52, 1454. * 3:2959 imposition of hands upon, 3:2697, 3077–78, 3097. * 4:4552 kneelers, 2:1357–60, 1364, 1424–29, 1451–52 kneeling on feast days, 3:3099 legal matters and, 3:2854 marriage and, 3:2857

Comprehensive Index  291 married persons becoming, 3:3147. * 4:4608 meat, not to eat, 4:4385 the military, returning to afterwards, 3:2856 mourners, 2:1357–60, 1362, 1364 Peter as a, 3:2647 presbyters in charge of, 3:3225–26, 3901–3 reception of, careless, 3:3076 relapse, those who, 2:1197, 1272. * 3:2697, 3153, 3159–60. * 4:4564, 4579, 4609, 4767, 4775 shaving the heads of, 4:4729, 4767 standers, 2:1357–60, 1364, 1424–26, 1428–29, 1432, 1451–54. * 3:3901 Viaticum and, 3:3125, 3137, 3143, 3149 wearing hairshirt, 4:4381–83, 4552 young people as, 4:4552, 4608 Pentecost, 1:497, 606. * 2:1043. * 3:2609, 2897–99, 2910–12 (114-A-6) baptism, day for, 1:470. * 3:2831, 2862, 2912, 2929, 3180. * 4:4196, 4500 bishop on, role of, 2:2431 not celebrated on one’s own estate, 4:4570 circus not permitted on, 3:3250 Communion on, receiving, 4:4554 fasting afterwards, 2:1644 a festival, 1:307. * 2:1457, 1643, 2414, 2416. * 3:2897 Mass celebrated in parish church on, 4:4556 mystagogia on, 3:3724 observance of, 1:816. * 2:1288. * 3:2910 as observed in Jerusalem, 2:2210–12 pagans and, 1:496 Pasch, completes the, 3:2831 presbyters and deacons to celebrate with bishop, 4:4604 readings during, 3:2696 Scriptures, commended by the, 3:2624 servants not working on, 2:1820 Sion, people gathering at, 2:2172 washing of priests’ feet on, 2:2453

widows praying on, 3:3770 Pentecost/Easter season Alleluia during, 3:2564, 2623–24, 2665, 2694, 2698–99, 2702 celebrating, 2:908, 1326, 2417. * 3:2504, 2546, 2623, 2665, 2698, 2701, 3932 Daily Office during, 4:4060 days of joy, 3:2702, 3980 no fasting during, 2:908, 1644, 1932, 2208. * 3:2910–11, 2913, 2974–77, 3045, 3768, 3834, 3929, 3961 no kneeling during, 3:3834, 3929. * 4:4692 less labor during, 3:3835 readings during monastic daily prayer, 3:2988 standing during, 2:1457, 1932. * 3:2623, 2910, 2977 ten added to the fortieth/fiftieth day, 3:2504, 2546, 2701, 2910, 2977 veil given to virgins during, 3:2931 Pepuzites, 2:1350. * 3:3913 persecution of Christians, 1:288–93 (16-A), 294 (16-B), 444 Persia, 3:3973 Peter, Acts of. See Acts of Peter Peter of Alexandria (d. probably 311), 2:2221–36 (84) Peter Chrysologus (ca. 380–448/449), 3:2812–22 (112) Philip Bardesane (154–222), 1:797 (41). * 3:3518, 3893 Philostorgius (ca. 368–ca. 425), 3:3213 (132) Phos Hilaron, 1:744 (36) Photinianism, 2:1960 Phrygia, 3:3898, 3915 Phrygians, 2:1246, 1460, 1961, 2400. * 3:3913 Pius I, Pope (ca. 140–ca. 154), 2:2025. * 4:4203 Pliny the Younger (d. ca. 113), 1:288–93 (16) Polycarp, Martyrdom of. See Martyrdom of Polycarp Polycarp of Smyrna (ca. 69–ca. 155), 1:240–41 (12). * 2:1926, 2027. * 3:3230, 3914. * 4:4510

292  Comprehensive Index poor care for, 1:246, 447. * 2:1479–80, 1812. * 3:2890, 3829. * 4:4435 Christ in, recognizing, 3:2865 Eucharist and, 2:1493. * 4:4435 Eucharist, present at, 2:1618 goods of the deceased given to, 2:1848–49 meals to assist, 2:2083, 2326 portion of gifts given to, 4:4196, 4242, 4568, 4849 served by deacons, 2:1629, 2248 wine given to, 2:2436 See also almsgiving; fasting/fasts: almsgiving and pope(s) funerals of, 4:4227 name mentioned at Eucharist, 4:4017, 4191, 4193, 4595 Possidius (ca. 370–ca. 440), 3:2735 (99) Postumius Eutenion, Epigraph of, 2:1215 (57-D) praesidentes, 2:1964 prayer(s) adding Alleluia to, 1:480 almsgiving and fasting, related to, 3:2813, 2866, 2869, 2871 angels sharing in, 1:820 “at the genuflection,” 2:2393 authorized forms of, 2:885. * 3:2748, 2750 bishop, improvised by, 1:635. * 2:2254 catechumens, heretics, or the unbaptized, not with, 2:1821 Christ and, 2:885. * 3:2675, 3514 Christians and, 2:899 Church, for the, 2:2391–92 in church, special rooms for, 3:2800. * 4:4524 churches, in town’s, 3:2795 communal, 2:1539–40 connected in proper order, 4:4728 Constantine and, 2:2080 deceased, for the. See deceased: praying for deposed cleric, not with a, 2:1866 diversity in, 3:3241 energumens, not with, 2:1907

excommunicated, not with the, 2:1865 Father and, 2:885. * 3:2675 forgiveness of sins and, 3:2594–95, 2651 for fruitfulness, 2:2390 heretics, not with, 2:1881, 1897, 1983. * 3:3105 at home, 1:479. * 2:903, 936, 1475, 1511, 1539, 1821, 2307, 2309–10. * 3:3211 Jewish times for, 2:1915 Jews, not with, 2:1897 law of, 3:3047 at marriage, 3:2806 married, not in houses of the, 3:3219 martyrs, not for the, 3:2668 meals, at. See meal(s): prayer at for others, 2:1929 parts of, 1:829. * 2:1148–51 people, for all, 1:516 people, for the, 2:2394 places for, 1:826. * 2:1137–43, 1821. * 3:2811. See also oratory priest and, 2:1596. * 3:2626, 3047–48, 3730, 3733 private, 3:3205 in public, 2:1475 for rulers, 1:202, 446–47. * 2:1509, 1537, 1615 schismatics, not with, 2:1983 seven times a day, 4:4195 of supplication, 3:3047–48 in synagogue, 2:1915 three times a day, 2:1649 types of, 3:2636–40 unity in, 2:1539–40 widows and, 3:3763, 3768–70 without ceasing, 2:2415 women and, 2:1147 See also orientation for prayer preaching. See Word, Liturgy of: preaching preface. See Eucharistic Prayer/ anaphora: preface presbyter(s)/priest(s) acolytes, not to make, 3:2926 anointing, assisting at, 3:2583 apostles, representing the, 1:757, 759

Comprehensive Index  293 arriving after the psalm, 2:2445 assisting at deaconal ordinations, 2:1797 attending a second marriage, 2:1439 baptism and, 2:1622. * 3:2957. * 4:4234, 4236, 4565 baptism, who fail to minister after, 2:1877 bishop(s)/hierarch(s) and, 1:853. * 2:878, 891, 1180, 1879, 1949, 2336, 2453. * 3:2926, 3043, 3073, 3678, 3973 bishops, differing from, 2:1927–28. * 4:4166–67 blessings in church, not to give, 4:4561 cantors and, 3:3117 chrism and, 2:891. * 3:2786, 3108, 3172. * 4:4167, 4632, 4752 consecrate altars, not to, 4:4752 continence and, 2:1156. * 3:3158. * 4:4626 converting from Arianism, 4:4770 correcting others, 2:1850 counsellors of bishop, 1:759 country, in the, 2:1445 from countryside, ministry of, 4:4691 deacons and. See deacon(s), presbyters and departing liturgy early, 2:2446. * 4:4659 deposition, reasons for, 2:1875 divine services, necessary for, 4:4841 divorce and, 2:1860 Easter Vigil, remaining in church after, 3:3850 enter a church before the bishop, not to, 2:2000 episcopal ordination, required before, 2:1198–99 episcopal ordinations, assisting at, 3:3664–65 episcopal signation, not to give, 3:2926. * 4:4236 Eucharist, distributing the, 4:4948 Eucharist, receiving, 2:1786. * 4:4947–48

Eucharist, receiving from deacons, 2:1455 fasting and, 1:691. * 3:3731. * 4:4692 fasting before Mass, 4:4642 festivals, failing to officiate on, 4:4836 first fruits and, 2:1812, 1859 funeral of, 4:4928 gathering each day, 1:717 gifts for, 1:759 gospel, proclaiming, 3:3919 greeting to, 2:1421 heretics, reconciling, 3:3148. * 4:4215 impose hands, not to, 2:1622 imposing hands on gifts for Eucharist, 3:3679 imposing hands on penitents, 3:3097 interval between baptism and ordination, 2:1448 involved in an illicit marriage, 2:1354 living in a foreign place, 2:2261 location in church, 2:1611, 2438. * 3:2926, 3650, 3655, 3660 marriage and, 2:1951, 2260. * 3:2825 married men not to be ordained as, 3:3140 Mass, remaining till end of, 4:4206 as minister of the Eucharist. See Eucharist: minister(s) of ministry of, 1:468, 526, 632, 690. * 2:876, 1279, 1445, 1612, 1810, 1893. * 3:3733, 3950 monastery, as members of a, 4:4148 monastery, living in a, 4:4147 money for penance, not to receive, 4:4846 number of, 3:3748 obedience to, 1:217 occupations, prohibited, 2:2445 ordain, not to, 2:1630, 1854, 2246. * 3:2926 ordained, those not to be, 3:2823–24 those ordained without suitable inquiry, 2:1450 ordination, age required before, 2:1443. * 4:4553, 4605 ordination of, 1:569, 629. * 2:1431, 1443–44, 1630, 1795–96, 1856,

294  Comprehensive Index 1950, 2245, 2380. * 3:2826–27, 2829, 2930, 3110, 3156, 3725–29, 3974. * 4:4902, 4912, 4914 ordination (pretended) of, 4:4662–64, 4668–71 ordination, time required before, 3:2794 penance and, 4:4767 penance, not admitted to, 3:2849 postbaptismal anointing by, 4:4215, 4672–74 prayer for, 2:1719, 2392 preaching and, 3:2608, 2839, 3043. * 4:4593 present at Evening Prayer, 4:4606, 4693 present at Morning Prayer, 2:2164. * 4:4693 present in church on Saturday and Sunday, 2:2445 qualities of, 1:199, 205, 212, 241. * 3:3734–44 reordination of, 2:1456 residing on an estate, 4:4604 respect for, 1:218. * 2:1397 role at baptism, 2:1008 role at Daily Offices, 2:2164–2214 passim. * 3:3706 who sacrificed during persecutions, 2:1422 seal of confession and, 4:4847 selection of, 1:569. * 2:1180, 1658, 1965. * 3:2825, 2829, 3726, 3974. * 4:4589–91, 4658, 4675 serious sin, guilty of, 2:1361, 1441. * 3:2934 seven orders, one of, 2:2426. * 3:3043 sick, visiting the, 3:3043, 3737. * 4:4350, 4362 speak to the people, not to, 3:3242 standing during the gospel, 4:4217 taverns, not to frequent, 2:1976 teaching the people, 3:3721 town, residing in, 2:2445 virgins, not to bless, 2:891 visiting from another church, 2:1617. * 3:3089 See also clerics presbyterae, 2:1964

Priscilla, Inscription in Catacomb of, 1:737 (33-B) Priscillianism, 4:4762 Priscillianists, 4:4738, 4741 processions, burial. See burial: procession profession of faith. See creed/profession of faith prophets, giving thanks, 1:187–88, 190 Prosper of Aquitaine (ca. 403–after 455), 3:3047–48 (120) prostration. See kneeling/prostrating/ genuflecting The numeration of the following psalms is indicated by (LXX) for the Greek and by (Heb) for the Hebrew. Psalm 1 (LXX), sung at Monday Morning Prayer, 4:4112 Psalm 2 (LXX), sung at Monday Morning Prayer, 4:4112 Psalm 3 (LXX), sung at night office, 4:4092, 4094 Psalm 4 (LXX), sung at Compline, 4:4115 Psalm 5 (LXX) sung at Matins, 3:2498 sung at Monday Morning Prayer, 4:4100 Psalm 6 (LXX), sung at Monday Morning Prayer, 4:4112 Psalm 7 (LXX), God accepting our hymns, 2:1464 Psalm 8 (LXX), eighth day and, 3:3948 Psalm 9 (LXX), sung at weekday Morning Prayer, 4:4112 Psalm 17 (LXX), sung at weekday Morning Prayer, 4:4112 Psalm 19 (Heb), sung at the nocturns, 4:4474 Psalm 19 (LXX), sung at weekday Morning Prayer, 4:4112 Psalm 20 (LXX), sung at Sunday night office, 4:4112 Psalm 35 (LXX), sung at Monday Morning Prayer, 4:4100 Psalm 42 (LXX), sung at Tuesday Morning Prayer, 4:4100 Psalm 43 (Heb), sung at Matins, 4:4471, 4474

Comprehensive Index  295 Psalm 49 (LXX), melody giving wings to the soul, 2:1465 Psalm 50 (LXX) sung at midnight, 2:2483 sung at Sunday Morning Prayer, 4:4099 sung at weekday Morning Prayer, 4:4100 Psalm 51 (Heb) people memorizing, 4:4345 sung at the nocturns, 4:4472, 4474 sung before canticle, 4:4725 Psalm 56 (LXX), sung at Tuesday Morning Prayer, 4:4100 Psalm 57 (Heb), sung at the nocturns, 4:4474 Psalm 62 (Heb), sung at Matins, 4:4471 Psalm 62 (LXX) sung in the morning, 2:1467, 1619. * 3:2498 sung at Sunday Morning Prayer, 4:4099 Psalm 63 (Heb), sung at Matins, 4:4474 Psalm 63 (LXX), sung at Wednesday Morning Prayer, 4:4100 Psalm 64 (LXX), sung at Wednesday Morning Prayer, 4:4100 Psalm 66 (LXX) sung at Sunday Morning Prayer, 4:4099 sung at weekday Morning Prayer, 4:4100 Psalm 75 (LXX), sung at Friday Morning Prayer, 4:4100 Psalm 87 (LXX), sung at Thursday Morning Prayer, 4:4100 Psalm 89 (LXX) sung at Thursday Morning Prayer, 4:4100 sung in the morning, 3:2498 Psalm 90 (LXX) sung at Compline, 4:4115 sung at nightfall, 2:1335 sung at sixth hour, 2:1332 Psalm 91 (Heb), people learning by heart, 4:4345 Psalm 91 (LXX) for the Sabbath Day, 3:3941

sung at Friday Morning Prayer, 4:4100 Psalm 94 (LXX), sung at night office, 4:4092, 4128 Psalm 104 (Heb), people to learn by heart, 4:4423 Psalm 109 (LXX), sung at Vespers, 4:4114 Psalm 110 (LXX), praises the Lord’s wondrous deeds, 3:2736 Psalm 114 (LXX), sung by the people, 2:1347 Psalm 115 (LXX), sung at Vespers, 4:4114 Psalm 116 (LXX), sung at Vespers, 4:4114 Psalm 117 (LXX), sung at Sunday Morning Prayer, 4:4099 Psalm 118 (Heb), sung at Matins, 4:4471 Psalm 118 (LXX) sung at Monday Terce, Sext, and None, 4:4113 sung at Sunday Prime, 4:4113 sung at Sunday Prime, Terce, Sext, and None, 4:4112 Psalm 119 (LXX), sung at Terce on Tuesday–Saturday, 4:4113 Psalm 127 (LXX), sung at None on Tuesday–Saturday, 4:4113 Psalm 133 (LXX), sung at Compline, 4:4115 Psalm 138 (LXX), sung at Vespers, 4:4114 Psalm 140 (LXX), sung in the evening, 2:1466, 1619 Psalm 142 (LXX), sung at Saturday Morning Prayer, 4:4100 Psalm 143 (LXX), sung at Vespers, 4:4114 Psalm 144 (LXX), continuously sung by all the faithful, 2:1468 Psalm 145 (Heb), sung at Matins, 4:4471 Psalm 146 (Heb), sung at Matins, 4:4471 Psalm 146 (LXX), sung at Vespers, 4:4414 Psalm 147 A (Heb), sung at Matins, 4:4471

296  Comprehensive Index Psalm 147 B (Heb), sung at the nocturns, 4:4474 Psalm 147 (LXX), sung at Vespers, 4:4414 Psalm 148 (Heb), sung at the nocturns, 4:4471, 4474 Psalm 148 (LXX), sung in the morning, 3:2737 Psalm 149 (Heb) sung at Matins, 4:4471 sung at the nocturns, 4:4474 Psalm 150 (Heb) sung at Matins, 4:4471 sung at the nocturns, 4:4474 psalmists. See cantor(s)/singer(s) psalms/psalmody, 2:1158–60, 1356, 1383–85, 1399, 1600. * 3:2511, 2514, 2558, 2566, 2603. * 4:4416–19, 4545 adding Alleluia to, 1:480 all commanded to sing, 4:4194 appropriate and well-chosen, 2:2172 Arians and, 3:3926 at beginning of the day, 2:2164 clergy, taught to, 4:4225 clerics singing, 4:4526, 4623 Communion, after, 2:2315 conclusions of, 3:3926 a death, immediately after, 3:2514 at dedication of churches, 2:2056 at end and beginning of each day, 2:940. * 4:4739 at end of the day, 3:2923–24 at funerals, 2:1541. * 3:3968. * 4:4749 Gloria Patri added, 4:4656 at home, 2:1346. * 3:3170, 3862, 3954 hymns as, 3:2557 in Jerusalem, 2:2164–2205 passim John Chrysostom and, 3:3926 learning, 2:2478. * 3:3967 lesson read between, 2:1969 linking together, 4:4040 liturgy, during, 2:1612. * 4:4943. See also Word, Liturgy of: psalmody during the Lord’s Prayer, alternating with, 2:903 monastic order for intoning, 4:4149, 4151

monastic practice, 2:1505, 2339–42. * 3:2985–86, 2989–96, 2998–3000, 3207, 3375, 3892. * 4:4039, 4041, 4051–70 passim, 4117, 4151–58, 4530, 4625 number of, 3:2979–80. * 4:4530–31 people singing in church, 3:3218. * 4:4388 praise of, 4:4406–10 (168-B-15), 4411 prayed in private, 4:4545 prayer said after singing, 3:2992–93. * 4:4545 privately composed, 2:2002. * 4:4696, 4747 processions, during, 4:4458 reader reading or singing from pulpit, 4:4682 reader singing, 2:2337 reverence when praying, 4:4118–20 sections, dividing into, 4:4656 singing, 1:306, 481, 494. * 2:863, 906, 1345, 1494. * 4:4194 singing, methods of (e.g., antiphonal, responsorial, direct), 2:1356, 2164–2218. * 3:2499–2500, 2767, 3515, 3861, 3896, 3926. * 4:4032, 4051–56, 4059–62, 4064, 4108, 4133, 4197, 4319, 4326–36 passim, 4468–72, 4474–77, 4479–81, 4526 singing while a martyr’s coffin is being moved, 3:3896 sung before the sacrifice, 4:4221 sung disjointedly, not to be, 3:3174 sung everywhere, 2:2087. * 3:3954. * 4:4305 uniform method, 3:3164. * 4:4152–53, 4739 union of voice and heart, 4:4324, 4408, 4418 unity and, 2:1469, 1494. * 3:2558. * 4:4151, 4873 usefulness of, 3:3185–3206 words, attention to, 4:4016, 4409 Psalter, 3:2514, 2517. * 4:4319, 4545 Pseudo-Athanasius (early 4th century?), 2:2478–83 (94) Pseudo-Clement (3rd or 4th century), 1:798–99 (42)

Comprehensive Index  297 Pseudo-Cyprian (3rd century), 1:595– 608 (28) Pseudo-Eusebius of Alexandria (late 5th or early 6th century?), 4:4940–46 (187) Pseudo-Hippolytus (after 4th century), 3:3254–3372 (135) Pseudo-Ignatius (ca. 400?), 2:1421 (70) Pseudo-Maximus of Turin (ca. 550), 4:4173–85 (158) pulpit/ambo, 2:2337. * 3:3657. See also bema Purim, 1:20 Qaddish, 1:1–5 (1) Qiddush, 1:23–26 Qiddush for Sabbaths and Feasts, 1:6–12 (2) Quadragesima. See Lent (Quadragesima) Quartodeciman controversy. See Pasch/Easter: date of Quartodecimans, 3:3244, 3910–12. See also Pasch/Easter: date of Quinquagesima, 4:4569, 4616 Ravenna, 4:4258 reader(s)/lector(s), 2:1515. * 4:4518 adulteress, not to marry an, 4:4716 adults as, 3:2794 alb worn by, 4:4659 appointment of, 1:637, 854. * 2:1803–4, 1950. * 3:2628, 3115, 3774–75. * 4:4682 baptize, not to, 2:1622 bishop and, 3:3678 children as, 3:2794 Communion, receiving, 2:1786 Daily Office, ministry at, 3:3720 deacons, assisting, 3:3843 destined for orders, 2:1198–99 Epiphanius as, 4:4018 exhortation to, 1:611 gifts for, 1:759 gospel book given to, 2:2255 greeting, not to extend, 2:881 greeting to, 2:1421 hair, length of, 4:4746 hands not laid upon, 2:2255 honor to be given to, 2:2440

instructing others, 2:2448 marry, permitted to, 2:1872 orarion, not to wear, 2:1975 penance, those having done, 3:3168 penitents as, 4:4679 praying for, 2:1721, 2392 preparation of, 4:4592 presbyterate, step toward, 4:4753 psalmody and, 4:4682, 4746 reading Catholic scriptures only, 2:2427, 2432 role of, 2:1612, 1810, 2258 sacred vessels, not to touch, 4:4745 selected from all ranks, 2:1931 seven orders in Church, one of, 2:2426. * 3:3040 singing in church, 2:1967, 2337, 2454. * 3:2740. * 4:4746 speaking alone, 2:1496 subdeacons, not to serve, 2:2440 taverns, not to frequent, 2:1976 understanding what one reads, 2:2448 vesture of, 4:4746 virtues of a deacon required by, 2:2255 reading Scripture at home, 1:722. * 4:4324 readings, 2:1612 listening to, 3:3204–5 place from which proclaimed, 3:2653. See also bema reconciliation of actors, 2:890 always possible, 4:4587 of barbarians, 1:740 Communion at end of penance, 2:1436. * 3:2790 convicted, of those, 1:741–42 dying, of the, 3:2838, 2844, 2959. * 4:4587 of heretics. See heretics: reconciliation of kiss of peace and, 2:2146 liturgy, during, 2:1610 of penitents, 3:2790. * 4:4587 role of Christ, 1:415. * 2:1258. * 3:2962 role of people, 3:2838

298  Comprehensive Index role of priest/bishop/hierarch, 1:806. * 2:877, 888, 1256, 1591–92, 1594–95. * 3:2742, 2790, 2838. * 4:4620 sick, of the, 3:2969. * 4:4587 sorrow and, 3:2965, 2967 See also hand(s), imposition/laying on of: reconciliation, during; penance/reconciliation; penitent(s); sinners: reconciliation of Red Sea, 1:147, 395, 399. * 2:945, 1037, 1161, 1170, 2108. * 3:2522, 2678, 2922, 3315. * 4:4259 redditio symboli. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: profession/handing over of the creed/profession of faith relics of the saints, 3:2580, 2588, 2796, 3051, 3063. * 4:4263, 4580. See also martyrs responsorial singing/psalmody. See psalms/psalmody: singing, methods of Rex aeternae Domine, 4:4474 Riez, Synod of (439). See councils/synods: Riez (439) Rogation Days, 4:4267, 4307–17 (167B-1), 4449–52 (168-B-32), 4453–54 (168-B-33), 4455 (168-B-34), 4495, 4572–73, 4718–19 Roman deacon, anonymous. See anony­ mous Roman deacon Rome, 1:745, 849. * 2:868, 892, 1005, 1057–58, 1175, 1307, 1459, 2012, 2020, 2027. * 3:2607, 2611, 2630, 2720–22, 2764, 2783, 2792, 3901, 3908, 3916–18, 3956, 3961, 3973–74. * 4:4213, 4215, 4217, 4241, 4243, 4596, 4702, 4742, 4958 Rome, Synod of (ca. 400?). See councils/synods: Rome (ca. 400?) Rome, Synod of (488). See councils/ synods: Rome (488) Rome, Synod of (595). See councils/ synods: Rome (595) Rufinus of Aquileia (ca. 345–410), 3:2764 (105) Rule of Paul and Stephen, 4:4151–58 (156) Rule of the Master, 4:4021–89 (154)

rulers, prayer for. See prayer(s): for rulers Sabbath, Christian, 1:432–39. * 2:1619. * 3:2560 Sabbath, Jewish, 1:432–39, 443. * 3:2560 blessing of, 1:6–12 (2) as inheritance, 1:8 observed by Ebionites, 2:2009 replaced by Lord’s Day, 1:216. * 2:1935 rest on, 3:3941 Sabbatians, 2:1460. * 3:3905 Sabbatius, 3:3227, 3905–7 Sabellians, 2:1460. * 4:4703 sacramentary, 3:3066–68 sacraments, 3:2635 Christ’s blood and water and, 3:2682 Church and, 3:3542–43 crimes forbidding participation in, 3:2601 few in number, 3:2609 joining us to God, 3:3997 ministers of, 2:909, 1514. * 3:2521, 2645, 3578 older than those of the synagogue, 2:989–92, 1015, 1077 prayers for composed by Pope Gelasius, 4:4223 preparing for, 2:1568, 1587. * 3:2521 how wonderful, 2:1483 sacrifice, Eucharist as. See Eucharist: as sacrifice sacrifice, God accepting/rejecting our, 1:267–83 sacrifices, spiritual, 1:442 sacristan, 3:3138 Sadducees, 1645 saints feasts of, 4:4769 intercession of forgiving sins, 3:2969 praying for us, 2:1385. * 3:2797 veneration of, 2:1399. * 3:3051, 3063 vigils in honor of, 4:4631 See also relics of the saints Salona, Epitaph at, 2:1300 (64) salt added to water for blessing homes, 4:4200

Comprehensive Index  299 received by catechumens, 4:4160 Salvian of Marseilles (ca. 400–ca. 480), 3:3049 (121) Samosata, followers of, 2400 Samuel, 1644, 1683, 1853 sanctuary, 4:4623, 4748 sanctum sacrificium, 4:4222 Saragossa, Synod of (ca. 380). See councils/synods: Saragossa (ca. 380) Saragossa II, Synod of (592). See councils/synods: Saragossa II (592) Sardica (Serdica), Synod of (ca. 343). See councils/synods: Sardica (Serdica) (ca. 343) Saturday assembly on, 2:2362. * 3:3921 celebrations of martyrs on during Lent, 2:1997 Eucharist celebrated on, 2:1995, 2351, 2457. * 3:2610, 3237, 3674 fasting/no fasting on. See fasting, on/not on Saturdays feast, day of, 2:1648 intercourse, refraining from, 2:2474 the Jews, observed as do, 3:3538 monks receiving Communion on, 3:3892 monks using church on, 3:3207 mystagogia on, 3:3724 ordinations on, 3:2829 readings on, during monastic daily prayer, 3:2988 rest, not a day of, 2:1980 servants and, 2:1820 superpositio observed on, 2:1276 vigil observed on, 4:4070 widows praying on, 3:3770 Saturinus, lector, 2:862, 864, 867 Saturus, made a reader, 1:535 Satyrus, 2:1162 (53-R-1) Scriptures education in before ordination, 2:881 importance of, 4:4415 instruction by, 4:4871–72 instruction in, 4:4917 listening to, 1:771. * 2:1460, 1512, 1515, 1530, 2447. * 3:2692. * 4:4345, 4349, 4369, 4372–73, 4388, 4390, 4403, 4416, 4440–41, 4700

meditating on, 2:2478 monks learning by heart, 2:2348 pagan rulers, sought out by, 2:862 proclaiming Old Testament before New Testament, 4:4873 reading of in private, 2:936, 1482, 2309. * 3:2673, 2803, 3972. * 4:4391, 4440, 4444 as Word of God, 4:4424 See also gospel book; lectionary; Word, Liturgy of: canonical readings scrutinies. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: scrutinies Scythia, 3:3915 seal, baptism as. See baptism/ initiation, effects of: as seal secret, discipline of, 2:1325, 1497, 1500, 2094, 2103, 2217–18, 2318, 2401. * 3:2544, 2677, 2784. * 4:4934 secretarium, 4:4680 selecti, 4:4958 Serapion of Thmuis, bishop (d. after 360), 2:2365–97 (88) servants church attendance on Saturday and Sunday, 2:1820 labor forbidden on certain feasts, 2:1820 to be treated kindly, 1:181. * 2:1819 See also slaves Sexagesima, 4:4616 Sext. See prayer at sixth hour (Sext) under Office, Daily (cathedral)—east; Office, Daily (cathedral)—west; Office, Daily (monastic)—east; Office, Daily (monastic)—west; Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of) Shema< Yi∞ra<el, 1:128–50 (5) Shemoneh Esre, 1:151–77 (6) sick/dying anointing of, 1:803. * 3:2791, 3374, 3931. * 4:4350, 4362, 4367, 4458 care of, 1:692–94. * 2:1629, 2304, 2306. * 4:4568 Communion to. See Communion: to the dying/Viaticum; Communion: to the sick fasting by, 2:2297, 2471

300  Comprehensive Index God’s house, entering, 2:2305. * 4:4365 healing of, 2:1513, 1595, 2300. * 3:2969, 3376, 3986 imposing hands on, 2:922, 1220. * 3:3376 Lenten fast, excused from, 4:4616 penance and, 3:2851–53 praying for, 2:1725, 2304, 2389, 2397 reconciliation of, 3:2969. * 4:4237 visited by bishop, 3:3860 visited by priests, 3:3043, 3737 visited by widows, 3:3763 visited by women, 1:491 visiting, 4:4373, 4442 wine given to, 2:2436 See also baptism/initiation: sick, of the; oil Sicut erat in principio, 4:4596 Sidonius Apollinaris (ca. 430–ca. 486), 3:3050–51 (122). * 4:4492–93 signing with the cross, 1:493, 495, 730. * 2:965, 1133, 1324, 1400, 1460, 1744, 2317, 2480. * 3:2508, 2522, 2535, 2548, 2552, 2581, 2643, 2663, 2718, 2730, 3376, 3581, 3975–76. * 4:4347–48, 4494, 4687, 4904, 4905, 4908. See also baptism/initiation, liturgy of: cross, signing with silence, 2:1614. * 3:3204, 3442–43, 3514, 3567, 3679, 3763 Silvester, Pope (314–35), 4:4215 sin, circumcision from, 2:937 sin, confession of, 2:933, 1522, 1528. * 3:2966 by catechumens, 1:471 Eucharist, before receiving, 1:181. * 3:3498 public, not in, 1:471. * 3:2863 sin, desire to, 1:226 sin, forgiveness of, 1:513–14, 734, 803, 838–39. * 2:870, 920, 922–35, 1123–24, 1163, 1279. * 3:2555, 2579, 2595, 2649, 2883, 2889, 3990. * 4:4299–4301 by amending one’s life, 3:2968 August, in the month of, 3:3937 Communion, by receiving, 2:1150. * 3:2978, 3495

Church, by the, 1:504, 576. * 2:921, 1262. * 3:2555, 2956. * 4:3998–4003 (150-A) by forgiving others, 3:2972 by gift of charity, 3:2970 the Lord and, 1:509. * 2:924 by martyrs, 1:505 saints, through intercession of the, 3:2969 various means of, 2:1530. * 3:2678, 2961–73, 3595 See also baptism/initiation, effects of: forgiveness of (washing away/ cleansing) sin; Eucharist: forgiveness of sins and; reconciliation sin, types of, 2:1236–39. * 3:2594. * 4:4373 birth, existing from, 2:937. * 3:2524–38 passim, 2553–54, 2591, 2631, 2671, 2749, 2960. * 4:4254 capital, 4:4429 common, 1:805. * 3:2554 daily, 2:941. * 3:2554, 2594, 2612, 2654, 2657. * 4:4430–31 deadly, 1:776. * 2:927, 1227–28. * 3:2731, 2956 forgivable and unforgivable, 1:500– 505 (26-R) greater and lesser, 2:935. * 4:4373 singers. See cantor(s)/singer(s) singing, 1:796. * 2:1345–46, 1355, 1512. * 3:2600 in alternation, 3:3247 Apollinaris, hymns of, 3:3899 by the apostles, 1:264 by Arians, 3:3246 benefits of, 2:1465. * 3:2518, 2626–27 danger in, 3:2516–17 expressing what is in the heart, 3:2599, 3186 good order in, 4:4717 Harmonios, melodies of, 3:3893 living well and, 3:2695 love, as sign of, 3:2729 practices of, different, 3:2626 sign of unity. See unity: singing as sign of spouses challenging one another, 1:484

Comprehensive Index  301 usefulness of, 3:3185–3206 what is meant to be sung, 4:4158 women and, 2:2398. * 3:3994 See also psalms/psalmody sinners bishop and, 1:750–56 dismissal of, 4:4931 God’s mercy toward, 1:226 ordinations, presence at, 4:4931 reconciliation of, 1:814. See also reconciliation Siricius, Pope (384–99), 2:1193–1201 (55). * 4:4216 sitting by elderly in church, 2:1613 monastic hymnody, during, 3:2987 at prayer, 1:473, 824 Sixtus, Pope (ca. 117–ca. 127), 4:4201 slaves baptism of, 2:2264 believer having a concubine slave, 2:1816 our brothers and sisters by grace, 3:2908 circumcision of, 2:937–38 ordination of, 2:2253, 2264. * 3:2823. * 4:4610 treated kindly, to be, 3:2909 See also servants Socrates (ca. 380–after 439), 3:3214–49 (133) Sol cognovit occasum suum, 4:4327 soldiers Christians not to voluntarily become, 2:2269 Christians serving as, 2:1565 desiring to become, those, 1:654 faith and, 1:498 kill, never to, 2:2268 returning to military after doing penance, 3:2856 Solomon, Odes of. See Odes of Solomon songs, dissolute, 4:4352, 4364, 4370 soothsayers, visiting, 3:3175 Soter, Pope (ca. 166–75), 2:2025. * 4:4204 Sozomen (early 5th century), 3:3889– 3927 (144) Spain, 1:255. * 3:2783, 3961. * 4:4766

Spirit, Holy. See Holy Spirit Splendor paternae gloriae, 4:4474 sponsors/godparents. See baptism/initiation: sponsors/godparents standers. See penitent(s): standers standing baptism, after, 2:1383 Eucharist, while receiving the, 1:475. * 4:4028–29 Eucharistic Prayer, during the, 1:246. * 2:1742 gospel, during the, 2:1612. * 4:4217 for prayer, 1:519, 824. * 2:1352, 1364, 1671, 1824, 2480. * 3:2501 psalmody, during, 2:2483 on Sundays 2:1326 on Sundays and Pentecost, 2:1457 See also kneeling/prostrating/genuflecting “station,” 1:475–76 Statuta ecclesiae antiqua, 3:3070–3120 (125) Stephen, servants not working on feast of, 2:1820 Stephen I, Pope (254–57), 1:585, 592–93. * 2:2037. * 4:4209 stole, 3:3438. See also orarion Strasbourg Papyrus, 2:2494–97 (96) subdeacons alb worn by, 4:4659 appointment of, 2:1801–2, 1950, 2256. * 3:3112, 3771–73 bishop and, 3:3678 chrism, obtaining, 3:3138 Communion, receiving, 2:1786 continence and, 4:4626 cup, presenting, 4:4528 deacons, assisting, 3:3843 doors, not to leave unattended, 2:1974, 1989 fasting before Mass, 4:4642 functions of, 1:639. * 2:1740, 1810, 1977, 2258 functions, zealously carrying out, 4:4660 greeting to, 2:1421 number of, 3:3748 orarion, not to wear, 2:1974 penance, who have done, 3:3168

302  Comprehensive Index praying for, 2:2392 presbyterate, step toward, 4:4753 processing without liturgical garb, 4:4247, 4249 promotion to diaconate or presbyterate, 4:4169 raising curtains at the door, 4:4660 sacred vessels, touching, 4:4680, 4745 selection of, 1:639 seven orders in Church, one of, 2:2426. * 3:3041 singing and, 4:4226 taverns, not to frequent, 2:1976 time spent as, 3:2794 vesture of, 4:4744 Sunday/Lord’s Day, 4:4940–46 (187-A) absent from assembly on, those, 2:1299 assembly on, 1:191, 205–6, 246, 444, 797. * 2:862, 1485, 1619, 1657. * 3:3921, 3991. * 4:4349, 4942, 4945–46 behavior on, unacceptable, 4:4944–46 bishop on, role of, 2:2431 as celebrated by the Ebionites, 2:2009 Christ’s resurrection, day of, 2:937. * 3:2787, 2910 circus not permitted on, 3:3250 Communion, receiving on, 2:1349, 2089. * 3:2978, 3062 Constantine and, 2:2078–79. * 3:3891 Daily Office on, 3:3034. * 4:4062, 4335, 4337 energumens present on, 2:2464 Eucharist celebrated on, 2:2351, 2457. * 3:2610, 3674 fasting/not fasting on, 1:495. * 2:908, 1295, 1644, 1955, 2178, 2213. * 3:2604–6, 2611, 2977, 3929 feast, day of, 2:1648 first prayer for, 2:2386 “Glory to God” sung on, 4:4224 intercourse, refraining from on, 2:2474 no kneeling/genuflecting on, 1:495. * 2:2236. * 3:2910, 2977, 3001, 3581, 3878, 3929. * 4:4062, 4692

no/less labor on, 2:1980, 2078. * 3:3835, 3891, 3949. * 4:4089, 4265, 4354, 4611, 4640, 4657, 4943, 4945 Lent celebration of martyrs on, during, 2:1997 Lent Eucharist offered only on Saturday and, during, 2:1995 monks going to the church on Sunday, 3:3207, 3967 monks receiving Communion on, 3:3892 mystagogia on, 3:3724 names for, 1:249, 439–40, 496. * 2:937. * 3:2572, 2710, 2910, 3891, 3948–49, 3991. * 4:4397, 4941 observance of, 1:816. * 2:2362. * 3:3932. * 4:4504, 4651 as observed in Jerusalem, 2:2167–72 ordination/appointment, day for, 1:617. * 3:2826–27, 2829, 3664, 3772, 3774 pagans and, 1:496 Pasch, as the, 2:1529, 2088. * 4:4203, 4205 readings on, 2:1968. * 3:2988 rejoicing, day of, 1:443, 777, 784. * 3:2787 servants observing, 2:1820 standing on, 2:1326, 1457. * 3:2910 virgins going to church on, 3:3967 widows praying on, 3:3770 Surgit hora tertia, 4:4477 Sylvester, Acts of Saint, 4:4702 symbolum. See creed/profession of faith Symmachus, Pope (498–514), 4:4224 synaxis. See assembly table. See altar(s): as table tapers. See candles Tarcisius, Epigraph of Saint, 2:1211–12 (57-A) Tarragona, Synod of (516). See councils/synods: Tarragona (516) Te decet laus, 4:4097 Te Deum laudamus, 4:4097, 4320, 4335, 4482 Teaching of the Twelve Apostles. See Didache

Comprehensive Index  303 Tecla, Saint, inscription in baptistery of, 2:1213 Telesphorus, Pope (ca. 127–ca. 137), 2:2025. * 4:4202 Ter hora trina volvitur, 4:4326, 4469, 4478 Terce. See prayer at third hour (Terce) under Office, Daily (cathedral)—east; Office, Daily (monastic)—east; Office, Daily (monastic)—west; Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of) Tertullian (155–220?), 1:443–505 (26), 527. * 2:1262 Testament of Our Lord Jesus Christ, 3:3646–3876 (142) theater, 3:2699 avoiding, 1:449. * 2:2112. * 3:2673, 3081 carrying Eucharist to, 1:735 foolishness of, 2:929 place of evil, 4:4943 Theodore Lector (early 6th century), 4:4854 (183) Theodore of Mopsuestia (350–428), 3:3380–3501 (138) Theodoret of Cyr (ca. 385–ca. 460), 3:3502–40 (139) Theodosius I (379–95), 3:3520–32, 3724, 3923, 3926 Theodosius II (401–50), 3:3248–53 (134), 3904, 3977–78 Theophany. See Epiphany Theophilus of Antioch (later 2nd century), 1:420 (23) theraputes, 2:2004–7 Third Rule of the Fathers, 4:4457 (169) Thomas, Acts of. See Acts of Thomas Thursday, fasting on. See fasting/fasts: Thursdays, on/not on Timothy I of Alexandria (d. 385), 2:2462–74 (92) tithes, 2:1656 tituli, 4:4199 Toledo I, Synod of (400?). See councils/ synods: Toledo I (400?) Toledo III, Synod of (589). See councils/synods: Toledo III (589) Torah, 1:43–44 Tours, 4:4505, 4514, 4517

Tours I, Synod of (461). See councils/ synods: Tours I (461) Tours II, Synod of (567). See councils/ synods: Tours II (567) traditio symboli. See baptism/initiation, liturgy of: profession/handing over of the creed/profession of faith tradition(s), 1:255, 495, 561, 570. * 2:1324–25. * 3:2626, 2782–83, 3929 Trajan the Emperor, 1:294 (16) translator(s), 2:1931, 2218, 2392. * 3:2629 Triduum. See Pasch/Easter Trisagion. See Holy, holy, holy/Trisagion tropes, 3:2979 Tyre, Council of (335). See councils/ synods: Tyre (335) unity baptism, as effect of, 1:265–66, 577. * 2:894, 898. * 3:2709–10 bishop, with the, 1:212, 215, 224, 758, 765. * 2:1483 bishops, among, 1:543 chair of Peter as basis for, 2:868 Church, of the, 1:254, 577–78, 588 Communion, of hearts in, 3:2693, 3485. * 4:4871 deacon calling to, 3:3205 diversity and, 3:2610–18, 2782–83, 2792, 3164, 3245. See also church practice, diversity in Eucharist and, 1:219, 560, 571. * 2:1490. * 3:3453, 3985, 3989. * 4:4011–12 faithful, of the, 1:215. * 2:1483, 1500, 2410. * 3:2558, 2674, 3985 priests sharing in, 2:1246 singing as sign of, 2:1158, 1346, 1356. * 3:2558, 2795, 3202, 3942 singing of Alleluia and, 3:2558 of voices in a choir, 3:2570, 3942 universal prayer. See Word, Liturgy of: petitions unleavened bread, fasting on, 1:443 Uranius (353–431), 3:3165–67 (127) urceolum, 3:3112–13 Vaison, Synod of (442). See councils/ synods: Vaison (442)

304  Comprehensive Index Vaison II, Synod of (529). See councils/ synods: Vaison II (529) Valence, Synod of (374). See councils/ synods: Valence (374) Valence, Synod of (ca. 524). See councils/synods: Valence (ca. 524) Vannes, Synod of (between 461 and 491). See councils/synods: Vannes (between 461 and 491) veil(s), 3:3551, 3561, 3652–53, 3678, 3970. * 4:4078, 4602, 4638, 4879 Venantius Fortunatus (ca. 530–ca. 600), 4:4522–23, 4529 (173) Vespers (Evening Prayer). See Evening Prayer (lucernarium; Vespers) under Office, Daily (cathedral)—east; Office, Daily (cathedral)—west; Office, Daily (monastic)—east; Office, Daily (monastic)—west; Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of) vessels, liturgical, 2:1479–80. * 4:4525 acolytes, carried by, 4:4169 appropriate as one’s own, not to, 2:1903 bishop to locate, 4:4231 deacons not to touch, 2:1973 on Epiphany in Jerusalem, 2:2174 eucharistic tower, 4:4510 former penitents, not to be held by, 2:1200 golden, 3:3513 guards, person who, 2:2435 lesser steward and, 2:2451 patens held by ministers, 4:4206 purposes, not to use for other, 4:4955 sacrament of the altar, containing, 4:4077 spiritual character of, 2:2424 touched only by ministers, 4:4201, 4680 veneration of, 3:3970 weddings, not to be used at, 4:4603 See also cup vestments, 2:1744. * 3:3927 appropriate as one’s own, not to, 2:1903 deacons and, 4:4524 subdeacons and, 4:4247, 4249, 4659

white and washed, 2:2435 worn only in church, 4:4209 not worn to distinguish priest from people, 3:2808 See also alb; cincture; dalmatic(s); orarion; pallium; stole Viaticum. See Communion: dying/ Viaticum, to the Victor, Pope (189–98), 2:1926, 2012, 2014, 2020, 2022. * 3:3229, 3914. * 4:4205 Victor of Vita (d. ca. 486), 3:2738–45 (101) Vigilius, Pope (537–55), 4:4186–90 (159) vigil(s). See nocturnal prayer (vigils) under Office, Daily (cathedral)—east; Office, Daily (cathedral)—west; Office, Daily (monastic)—east; Office, Daily (monastic)—west; Office, Daily (private/early beginnings of) virgins adultery, those caught in, 3:3161 appointment/blessing/consecration of, 1:638. * 2:876, 891, 1298. * 3:2931, 3043, 3118, 3122. * 4:4222, 4555 baptism of, 3:3805 baptism of women, assisting at, 3:3119 Communion, receiving, 2:1786 convent, staying within at night, 2:2459 Daily Offices and, 3:3874 deserting their state of life, 3:3153 Easter Vigil, remaining in church after, 3:3850 fasting by, 2:2323 favored status, 2:1201 greeting to, 2:1421 location in church, 2:1613 marry, those who, 4:4775 not ordained, 2:1806 praying for, 2:1721, 2392 psalmody and, 3:3170, 3861 reconciliation of 2:1273. * 3:2777–78 singing hymns, 2:2482–83 tasks of, 1:691, 697 tithes and, 2:1812 vigils, observing, 4:4426

Comprehensive Index  305 washing of feet. See feet, washing of washing of hands. See hands, washing of water blessing of, 1:686. * 2:2372, 2384. * 3:3704. * 4:4509, 4862 miraculous powers of, 4:4509 replacing wine, 1:548–65 (27-E-13), 836. * 2:1917–18. * 3:3537. See also Aquarians salt added for blessing homes, 4:4200 symbolism of, 2:1100 See also wine, at Eucharist: mixed with water water, baptismal, 1:184, 421–31, 457, 671. * 2:1396 blessing of, 1:575, 671, 847. * 2:916, 1022, 1042, 1324, 1534, 1544, 1666–67, 1811, 2285, 2356, 2374. * 3:2552, 2743, 2816, 3417, 3623, 3964, 3988. * 4:4896 new life and, 3:2876 Old Testament types, 2:955 symbolism of, 1:454–56, 493, 555–56, 588. * 2:1267–69, 1627, 1646 Wednesday assembly on, 2:1932 Communion, receiving on, 2:1349 fasting on. See fasting/fasts: Wednesdays, on/not on west, turning toward, 2:2110, 2115. * 3:3810. See also orientation for prayer widow(s) altar, compared to, 1:757 appointment of, 1:636 baptism of women, assisting at, 3:3119, 3816 bishop and, 1:759, 772. * 2:1624. * 3:3678 care for, 3:3829 Communion, receiving, 2:1786. * 3:3768 deacons and, 2:2248. * 3:3763 Easter Vigil, remaining in church after, 3:3849 exhortation to, 2:1623 fasting and, 1:691. * 2:2323. * 3:3768. * 4:4016 feeding of, 2:2332

greeting to, 2:1421 husbands of and ordination, 3:2824 location in church, 2:1613. * 3:3659, 3748 meal for, 1:707 number of, 3:3748 not ordained, 2:1807, 2262. * 4:4577 prayer and. See prayer(s), widows and prayer on behalf of, 2:1624, 1721 psalmody and, 3:3170 selection of, 1:856 sick, visiting the, 3:3763 silent in church, 3:3763 tithes and, 2:1812 wine, at Eucharist amount of, not lessening, 4:4837 bread and water, offered with, 4:4690 mixed with water, 1:560, 831. * 2:886, 1098–1100. * 3:3065, 3434, 3822. * 4:4618, 4633 new wine, not to use, 4:4838 symbolism of, 2:1104, 1111–13, 1394. * 3:3065 See also water: replacing wine women altar, not to approach, 2:1990 baptism of, 1:667, 774. * 2:1438, 1625, 2283, 2467. * 3:3119, 3806, 3816. * 4:4689 baptize, not to, 1:451, 468, 591–92, 773. * 2:1620. * 3:3086. * 4:4840 behavior of, unruly, 2:1341 blessing of by deacons, 4:4600 burn incense in church, not to, 4:4220 Communion, receiving, 1:851. * 2:1197, 1617, 2468. * 4:4245, 4644 covering head, 1:661. * 2:1616, 2278. * 4:4198 dancing, 2:1340 deportment of, 2:2273 the diaconate, elevated to, 2:1226 dishonoring the bodies of, 1:257 dress, manner of, 1:491, 834 Eucharist, not to preside/serve at, 1:591–92. * 2:1620, 1930. * 3:2932 fasting and, 2:2469. * 3:3859

306  Comprehensive Index keeping night vigils in cemeteries, 2:1282 lighting candles in cemeteries, 2:1281 location in church, 2:1613, 2095, 2277. * 3:3651 men in church, not to gather with, 2:2076 men, not to give peace to, 2:2277 menstruating, 2:2467–68. * 3:3768. * 4:4246 midwives, purification of, 2:2276 ministry and, 3:3904 new mothers entering the church, 2:2279. * 4:4245 pall, not to touch or wash, 4:4220, 4645 praesidentes, 2:1964 prayer and, 2:1147. * 3:3211 praying with catechumens, 2:2279 pregnant, 4:4245 presbyterae, 2:1964 returning home after vigil, 3:3848 sanctuary, not to enter, 4:4681, 4748 seduced by Marcus and his disciples, 1:257–58 singing in church, 3:3994 singing psalms, 2:1158, 1391–93. * 3:3940 sitting during the readings, 4:4414 speak in church, not to, 1:860. * 2:1930, 2095, 2273, 2398. * 3:3940 talking in church, 4:4368, 4372 teach men, not to, 3:3084 teach or exorcise, not to, 1:451 teachers of other women, 2:2076 visiting from another church, 2:1617 visiting the sick, 1:491 See also deaconess(es); midwives; virgins; widow(s) Word, Liturgy of, 1:447. * 3:3649 candles at gospel, use of, 3:3938

canonical readings, 1:246, 494. * 2:879, 892, 1482, 1612, 1686, 1910, 1968, 2002–3, 2202, 2419–20, 2427, 2432. * 3:2586, 2658, 2719, 2725, 3050, 3922. * 4:4217, 4414–15, 4497, 4696, 4724, 4740, 4871, 4873 creed/profession of faith, 4:4765 dismissals from, 1:447, 743, 762, 786. * 2:1614, 1689–1711, 1742, 1971. * 3:3749–50. * 4:4584, 4724, 4733, 4869, 4874, 4943 hymn after dismissal, 4:4878 incensations, 2:2461 leaving immediately after, 2:1948 noncanonical readings, 2:879, 892, 2002, 2422. * 3:2628, 2652. * 4:4264, 4414, 4510, 4515, 4518, 4548, 4696 petitions, 1:244, 447, 494. * 2:1278, 1615, 1713–36, 1775–82. * 3:2937–55 prayer after gospel, 4:4588 prayer after homily, 2:2387 preaching, 1:246, 494, 808. * 2:1612, 1617, 2170. * 3:2586, 2608, 2720, 2735, 2839, 3089, 3959. * 4:4258, 4343–44, 4458, 4593, 4724, 4943 psalmody during, 1:494. * 2:1612. * 3:2719, 3922. * 4:4869 See also Alleluia; kiss of peace Word of God listening to. See Scriptures: listening to living by, 2:942 words, efficacy of, 2:1670 Zeno of Verona (d. ca. 375/380), 2:894–99 (51) Zephyrinus, Pope (198–217), 4:4206 Zosimus, Pope (417–18), 3:2794 (109). * 4:4219