Abtilis

Statute 53. Concerning the ordination of Bishops and the ordinance of the Oblation (Kuerban). It is seemly that the bishops should be ordained, as we lo said before, and we command all the people in common, that he may be a man choice and honest and holy in everything, who has been chosen from the people. When they have named (him) and are content (with him) all the people shall assemble ; the presbyters, and 15 the deacons, and the bishops (also), who shall assemble on the day of the sabbath. And he who is greatest shall ask of the presbyters and deacons who are among them, saying : Is this one he who pleased you that he should be your chief? If they say altogether : Yes, he to shall ask them again and say to them again : Is this one worthy of the honourable office, and has he done rightly with all honesty, and has he virtue before lit. from) God, and did he observe justice with man ? Is he able to order the men of his own house well, and has he conducted his 25 life in truth ? Has nothing been found against him ? And if all of them should answer together and say : Yes, thus (it is) in truth and not in partiality, and God the Father and Christ his Son and Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Lit ‘ ordained,’ but by transposing two letters it can mean named.’ righteousness, the Paraklltos, (being) judge of all ; he shall ask them again even a third time, and say : Is this one worthy in truth and in right of this office ; from the mouth of two or lit. and) three every word shall be established. 5 And if they say three times : Yes, he is worthy, they shall all spread forth their hands, and if they do thus with one consent, there shall be silence, and one great one of the great bishops shall rise up, and two other bishops with him, with the rest of the bishops all standing, and the presbyters 10 also at the altar, praying quietly, and the deacons bearing the holy Gospel spread open upon the head of him who is to be ordained. And the bishops shall sit down upon seats and they shall say : He is worthy of it And then all shall salute him with the kiss of the Lord, and they shall 15 read the Holy Scriptures. And when they have finished the reading from the Gospel, the bishop who was sealed ‘ shall salute lit kiss) all the Church and say : May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. And 30 all shall say : With thy spirit. When he has finished saying, then all the people shall say the words of joy, and when it is finished, then he shall give them instruction and speak, (and the deacon) shall go up on a high place, and cry and say : Let not any stand here except the Faithful. 25 Likewise when the bishop has finished all the prayer which it is proper for him to say for the sick (and) the rest, the deacon shall say to them : Kiss one another with a holy The construction of the sentences indicates the omission of a reference to the prayer. This sentence is over an erasure. ‘ Ut ‘ has sealed,’ but without object. TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT I99 kiss. And all the priests shall kiss the bishop : and of the lay people, man shall kiss man, and woman shall kiss woman : and the young children shall stand just below the bema, and another deacon shall stand with them, that they may not quarrel with one another ; and s other deacons shall go to guard the men and women, that there may be no disturbance among them, and that they may not beckon one to another, nor look about, nor go to sleep. The subdeacons shall stand at the door of the women, and other deacons shall stand at the door of lo the men ; that no one may go out, and that they let not the door be opened at the time of the holy Oblation (uerban), nor enter the doors of the Faithful, And the subdeacon shall bring water to the priests, that they may wash their hands as a likeness of those who 15 are holy in their souls, and (that) we lifted (them) up to God. And the deacons shall close the gates, and no other shall come in, and he shall say : Let none of the catechumens stand here, or be here at all, lest they should hear the word and partake of the Mystery, and ao let there not stand any except the Faithful, nor let any of the heretics stand here. O ye women, guard lest your children should run about here and there, or be dis- orderly, or lest their days should be few. And let not any bear malice in his heart against another, nor any 25 stand here who is not worthy of God : and they shall stand in fear and trembling, that they may be worthy of this work. And after this the deacon shall bring the bread of the sacrifice to the bishop into the house of the sanctuary, and the presbyters shall stand on the left hand, 3 as the likeness of the Apostles who stood with their Teacher. The deacons shall stand on either side at the altar, and they shall hold the flabella made of anything of beautiful appearance, or of feathers of peacock, or of cotton fabric of beautiful appearance, that they may drive 5 away little flying creatures, lest any of them should fall into the cup. And thus the chief priest shall pray over the sacrifice, that the Holy Spirit may descend and dwell upon them ; upon the bread that it may become the Body of Christ, and upon the cup that it may become lo the Blood of Christ. And then the bishop shall say the coming of the Holy Spirit, and when he has finished the prayer which is proper to be said thus, the bishop himself shall first communicate, and after him the presbyters, and after- 15 wards the deacons, and afterwards likewise the sub- deacons, and after them the readers, and after them all the people shall receive. The bishop shall administer, saying : This (is) the bread which came down from the heavens, this is the Body of Christ. And he who receives shall say : Amen. And then the deacon shall administer the cup and say : This is the Blood of Christ, and this is the cup of life. And he who receives shall say : Amen and Amen. They shall sing psalms until all have received the 25 Oblation, and when all the people have received, after- wards they shall administer to the women. And after the singers have finished singing the psalms, then the deacon shall chant, saying : We have received of the precious Body which is the Body of Christ, and we Reading the variant of r., etc. TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT 20I thank him that he makes us worthy to partake of the precious and holy Mystery. After this the bishop shall give thanks and pray for those who have eaten the Body of Christ and for those who have drunk of the Blood of Christ And when he has finished praying, the s deacon shall say : Bow your head before God, that he may bless you. And when further he has done that with which they are blessed, the deacon shall say : Go away in peace. And as for the fragments, if any are left, the presbyters and deacons shall take care that lo nothing is left of the Oblation, and they shall take great care that not much should be left, lest they be guilty of great error and sin, like the sons of Aaron and the children of Ela whom the Holy Spirit destroyed, because they profaned the sacrifice of God ; how much more they 5 who profane the Body of Christ and his precious Blood, and esteem it temporal food of flesh, whereas it is spiritual to those who receive it in purity. And this we command you, bishops, presbyters, and deacons, concerning the service of the holy Mystery. Statute 54. Concerning the ordination of Presbyters and Deacons. Concerning Subdeacons, and concerning Deaconesses and Subdeaconesses and female Readers. And thou, bishop, ordain the presbyter, and lay hand 25 upon his head, while the presbyters and all the deacons stand by. And pray and ordain. Again, for the deacons, lay hand also upon them, while the presbyters and all the deacons stand by. Concerning the Deaconesses and Subdeaconesses and 30 female Readers, we have already spoken concerning them. Statute 55. Concerning those who confessed. The confessor shall not be ordained. This is a thing of his own will. He is worthy of great honour, for he confessed God, and he confessed before peoples and kings. If he 5 had a call for this he shall be ordained bishop ; or as presbyter let him be ordained : and likewise this ordina- tion is because of his confession. If he did not finish (his course), but turned back and denied, he shall be deposed ; because not only did he deny Christ, but lo became an enemy as one of the unbelievers. Statute 56. Concerning the Virgins and Widows. And he shall not lay hand upon virgins, because this thing is not a commandment from God, for it is concerned 15 with the character of a man ; and it is not that (the virgin) despises marriage, but that he may have time for the service of God. And concerning Widows. He shall not lay hand upon a widow, but if she lives alone, and her husband has been dead many years, being a widow ao of long time, and if she has lived industriously, and if no accusation is found against her, and if she was able to order properly the men of her own house like Yudit, and if she loved all good things like Yudit, then she shall be put (lit. ordained) into the Order of Widows. And 25 if her husband was dead a short time, and not long, she shall not be trusted nor put into the Order of Widows, but shall remain a long time, with good works, with fasting and prayer, keeping apart, that she may subdue Lit commandment.’ The Arabic word means both thing ‘ and ‘ commandment’ The passage is corrupt. TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT 203 herself patiently. The horse indeed and the mule are not controlled except by a strong rein. Concerning male Virgins. They shall not ordain male virgins, because this thing is from the will of the heart alone by the grace of God and by the love of Christ s Jesus; for when the Holy Spirit makes abode with a man, he obtains grace and healing, being known by the grace which he has, which will be known to all men. And if he had a call for this work (of the ministry), that he should be ordained bishop or lo presbyter or deacon, they shall lay hand upon him lit. them). Statute 57. Concerning that it is seemly that the bishop who is with you should be ordained by bishops. 15 It is seemly that a bishop should be ordained by three bishops or by two. If one bishop alone laid hand upon htm, he shall be deposed, and he also who ordained him. If it was because of the ferocity of men (that it was done) by a bishop alone, because it was not w possible to gather an assembly on account of the ferocity of men, and not through pride and unbelief : if it was thus, he shall take authority from many bishops, and it shall be proper for him, and it shall be by their commandment, and he shall not be deposed, nor he who 35 ordained him. Statute 58. The bishop shall bless, and they shall not bless him. And (the bishop) shall bless the first-fruits himself. And he shall ordain men. And he shall offer 30 the Oblation, and he shall administer the Eulogia (awlogiya) and take it from a bishop, never from a presbyter. The bishop shall depose all the ordained (clergy) whom it is right to depose, except a bishop, for he alone 5 is not able to do that The presbyter shall bless and shall be blessed, and he shall take the Blessing (barakat) from the bishop and from a presbyter like himself, and he administers to a presbyter like himself. He shall ordain, but shall not lo depose. Further, he shall inhibit those who sin, if they are worthy of such punishment The deacon shall not bless nor give the Blessing. He shall take the Blessing from the bishop or from the presbyter. He shall not baptise or offer (the Oblation), 15 but when the bishop has offered, or the presbyter is alone, then he administers to the people, not as (one of) the priests, but as minister of the priests. Statute 59. And of the different ordained (clergy), the 20 presbyters shall not do the work of the deacons, nor anything which is not theirs lit. his). The deaconesses shall not bless, and they shall not do any work which the presbyters and deacons do, but they shall keep the gates of the church. Except this 25 there is no other work which they do, except the ministering to the presbyters when they baptise the women, for this is that which is proper for them. The deacon shall inhibit the subdeacon and the readers and the singers and the deaconesses. Thus indeed it Perhaps referring to co-operation with the bishops, or to minor orders. TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT 20 is suitable for him, if the presbyter is not present. It is not suitable for the subdeacons to inhibit either the readers or the server of the Scripture and the deaconesses, neither those in orders nor the (lay) people, because they are the servants of the deacons. 5 Statute 6a Concerning the first-fruits and tithes. All the first-fruits [and tithes] they shall bring to the bishops and presbyters and deacons for their support. But all the tithes they shall bring for the support of the rest of lo those in orders, and for the virgins and the widows, for those are afflicted by poverty, because the first-fruits are for the priests and their ministers. Statute 6i. Concerning that which is left of the 15 Oblations. The Eulogia which is left of the Mystery besides lit from) that which they offered, the deacons shall distribute among the priests, with the knowledge of the bishop or presbyter. Four parts shall be given to the bishop, and three shall be given to the presbyter, 20 and to the deacon two parts, and to the others, to the subdeacon and to the reader and to the singers and to the deaconesses, one part. This then is good and acceptable before God ; every- one shall perform his ordinance. And there is not in the 25 church one who did a sign, except he performed the ordinance in the good and honourable (manner) in which it should be done. Statute 62. Concerning him who desires to partake of The passage is probably comipt. the Holy Mystery. He who desires to partake of the mysteries of holiness, which are of the service of God, shall be brought by the deacons to the bishop, or by the presbyters : and they shall examine them as to 5 what was the cause by which they were called to stand and hear for the first time the word of God, And they who bring them shall bear testimony to them. And they shall examine them thoroughly with firmness concerning their works. lO Statute 63. Concerning trades and occupations. Let them examine them with firmness concerning their works and the life of their men, whether they are slaves or free. And if there is one who is a slave, let them 15 examine his master whether he can bear testimony to him concerning his work. If he can bear good testimony he shall be received, and if he cannot bear testimony to him he shall be sent away, that he may make himself worthy of testimony being borne to him by his master, 30 and if he should bear testimony he shall be received. If there is a slave and a handmaid, let them be taught to live according to the will of their masters, that the word of God should not be blasphemed. If there is one who has wife or husband, they shall 25 be taught not to commit adultery and to abstain (from others). If there is one who is not married, they shall be taught not to commit adultery, but to be married accord- ing to law. If his master is a believer, and if he knows 30 that his slave or his handmaid commits adultery, he shall give them in marriage according to law, and if he does TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT 207 not give in marriage according to law that servant and that handmaid, that master of slaves shall be rejected from the church, because he made them impure. If there is a man who has a devil, let him be taught that he should be cured, and that he should not come into 5 the church to partake of the Mystery until he is purified. If he was at the point of death, they may bring him to receive the Oblation. If there is a man who eats of the house of the heretics and the adulterers and drinks with them, let him leave 10 off and remove from the place of the unclean and wicked, or he shall be rejected. A harlot, if she wishes to come in, shall leave this habit or be rejected. If there is a man who makes idols, if he wishes 15 to come in, he shall leave his former works or be rejected. If there is a man or woman and they come from another people, if they wish to come into our law, they shall leave their former work or be rejected. 20 If there is a man or woman of the people of the games, or providers (of the games), or painter, or drunkard, or diviner with earth and ashes, and fruit of trees, and anything else with which heathen sorcerers work, they shall not do it. Or he who plays the harp, or he who 25 sings to an instrument, or one who teaches singing, or who guides to fornication and the games, let them leave their works or be rejected. Or the circus-men who play in the circus ; and in like manner if there is a witch, or woman who guides to 30 fornication, or makes sport, or a piper, or a dancer, or 14 I a singer, or teacher of this kind, she shall leave off or be rejected. Or one who inspires men with wickedness and hatred, or slanderers, or one of those who do the like of any of 5 those things, they shall leave off and repudiate and be converted and repent They shall walk in the way of the believers, or they shall not be accepted. If there is a man of the army, and if he wishes to come in and know (the Faith), and if he came into our law, let lo him leave his robbery and violence and calumny and transgression and folly, and he shall be content with his pay, and if he left that occupation he shall be received, otherwise he shall be rejected. If there is a man who married a believing woman and 15 did wickedly with his body or adultery, or is a soothsayer and an interpreter of unlucky hours and of good days, wishing to turn the hearts of men by this, and to corrupt their thoughts and their heart, and seduce them from the way of God. Or a shameless man, or a magician, or a 20 charmer, or one who calls together spirits, or a star-gazer, or a fascinator, or lascivious, or drunkard, or who is evil in deed and word, or who speaks with a sign and his face to lead astray, or who divines by a bird, or who seals his hands and feet with a needle, who makes little marks 25 with black and red, and wrote nonsense upon himself, or (who divines) with beans, (or divines) about a noise which he hears or words of men, that might be signs for him, or (divines) by what he sees or hears, or in suspicion he will not do what is known to be good. 3c Because all this is of the profane and fraudulent and impious. And they have writings, and they are like TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT 209 those who know concerning life and death, and they shall not be received into our law, until they have examined them and proved them concerning their occupations, if they repented of their conduct ; and if they turned and left (the occupations) they shall be accepted, otherwise 5 they shall be rejected. Statute 64. If there is a concubine of an unbeliever, if she kept herself to him alone she shall be received, and if she took another she shall be repudiated. 10 And if there is a man who became like us, and if he comes into our law, having a concubine or a handmaid, he shall keep himself, and refrain from her, because he is a Christian, and he shall marry according to law, as we have commanded. If he loves her he shall first 15 write for her a writing of manumission, and afterwards let him marry her. If she is free he shall marry her according to law, and if he does not do thus he shall be rejected. And if there is a man among us, and he did wickedly, 20 or who persuades with the fables of the heathen, and who does like them, let him leave off and turn himself, otherwise he shall be rejected. And he who requests of the believers in Christ that he may be in the number of those who do virtuously, 25 and devote themselves in quietness and purity, shall prove himself in virtue three years. If he was a man who has spiritual gift and goodness and purity, he shall be received (sooner), because this thing shall not be quickly (or slowly) in its time, but it shall be (a matter) 30 of good mind and devotion and prudence. 2IO STATUTES OF THE APOSTLES And if there is a layman who teaches men aright, he shall be quiet in word and virtuous in his body. He shall not boast, but be correct in his speecL Then he shall teach men, and afterwards he shall be teacher of 5 all of them by God. The prophet says : They shall be all taught by God. Statute 65. Concerning the washing of their hands at the time of prayer. Every believing man and woman 10 at daybreak, having risen from sleep, before they do any work, shall wash their hands and pray. And if there is the word of exhortation, they shall prefer above (every) thing the good word of religion. Believing men and women shall keep their servants 15 in fairness of service, as we have already ordered in the Scripture, and we instructed concerning honest slaves. Statute 66. Concerning the resting on both the 20 sabbaths. Every believing man and woman shall rest on the sabbath and First day. They shall be kindly disposed towards their servants, as we have already taught. And we also commanded thus in our Epistle. Ye and your slaves and your 25 servants, do your works five days. And on the sabbath and First day ye shall not do any work in them ; but they shall have opportunity for (going to) church, and for instruction in religion of God, and the teaching of the Holy Spirit, which gives inheritance of the kingdom of 30 the heavens in the world which is to come, and which in the present world keeps them in much honour and TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT 211 blessings, on them who fear God, and those who honour his sabbaths and rest on them. For on the sabbath day God rested from all his work, when he had made and finished the heaven and all that is in it, and the earth and all that is in it, the night and s the day, the sun and the moon and the stars, and the times and the quantities; when he had gathered the waters into their receptacles. And having done all this on all the days and finished his work, God rested on the seventh day, and named it the Sabbath, and hallowed it, lo and magnified it above all the days and blessed it. And see and understand that it is a memorial of his glory and a memorial of his work, and he made it a rest. And he said : God rested from all his work. He revealed it, that he might grant to us, that we also is should honour his sabbath and say that when he had created all creation and finished, he rested on it, (even) on the seventh day, and made it the sabbath holy and blessed and honourable and pure. And therefore he said in the (book of the) Law which (is about) the creation : ao And God blessed the seventh day which is the sabbath, and he hallowed it, because on it he rested from all his work which God began to do. And see that as sacred to God the rest was named Sabbath. Hear and learn the honour of the sabbaths, as that the sabbath was not first honoured by men, but by God, its maker and creator, was it honoured. And he honoured it and blessed it, and it was instituted as a rest for man and beast, and chiefly for a memorial of his glory and his work, that he might be known that he 30 is the maker and creator of aU. And he said : Keep my sabbath, because it is my sign between me and you and your children, that ye may know that I am he who sanctifieth you. Then the First day is the day of the Resurrection of 5 our Lord Jesus Christ. And the First (day) was named sabbath, and both were named sabbaths. And in the prophets also he plainly declares that both are sabbaths, and says : Honour my sabbaths and continue in my law and in my statutes. Thus said God to those who xo gather to him from other people and serve him and love the Name of God : Verily those become to me servants and handmaids. And all of those who honour my sabbaths, and profane them not, and continue in my ordinances, I will bring to my holy mountain, and make 15 them rejoice in my house of prayer ; and my sacrifices and my Oblations from them shall be acceptable and pleasing, my house also shall be named the house of prayer for all peoples, saith God. And if they keep my command- ments and my sabbaths, and choose that which I wish, 20 and continue in my ordinances, I will give them the house of my sanctuary, and in my court a place which he nameth, and which is better than sons and daughters and I will give them a name which is for ever, and which shall not pass away nor perish. 2 Attend and understand when he said. My sabbaths, he said (it) of both days. When he said : Those who gathered together from another people, he said (it) of the Christian people and not concerning Esrael alone. And therefore observe both for our Lord Christ and 30 honour both with great care. And having fulfilled all the law, ye shall find honour and glories and blessings which TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT 213 God has prepared for them that love him in this world and in that also which is to come. Statute 67. And further, they shall not do work in the week (sabu’a) of the Pascha (Fasika). The first 5 week (samun), the great one which is of the Passion, in which our Lord was crucified ; and that which comes after it, the week (samun) of Fasika, which is the feast of the Resurrection of our Lord and our Saviour. And the first week (samun) because our Lord and our God 10 was crucified in it ; and the second week (samun) because he rose in it from the dead. They shall not do any work on those days, and they shall know that he died and rose again from the dead. And further, they shall not do work on the day of the feast of the fortieth, 15 which is the day of the feast of the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, and he made an end on it And further, they shall not do work on the day of the feast of the fiftieth, because the Holy Spirit, the Paraklltos, was manifested, he who came down upon the believers in our 20 Lord Christ. And further, they shall not do work on the day of the Nativity, which is of the Birth of our Lord Christ, because the grace of God was given quickly to men, when God was born, the Word, who is our Lord Jesus Christ, of our Lady Mary, the Saviour of the 25 world. And further, they shall not do work on the feast of the day of the Epifanya, because on that day the Divinity of our Lord Christ was shown, and the Father bore testimony to his Son in the baptismal place, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him like the form of a 30 dove, and he was shown before all the people ; and those who Stood by bore testimony to him, saying : This is God in truth, the Son of God in truth. And further, they shall not do work on the day of the feast of the Apostles, because they are those who became teachers 5 of you to know our Lord Jesus Christ, and made you worthy to partake of the gift of the Holy Spirit And further, ye shall not do work on the day of Estifanos, the chief deacon and the first of martyrs, and (the days of) the other righteous and holy martyrs, all those who lo loved Christ our Lord more than their lives, and preferred him, honour them as much as ye can. Statute 68. Concerning the times of prayers. When ye rise at daybreak, pray. And pray at the third hour, IS and pray at the sixth hour, and pray at the ninth hour, and pray in the evening, and pray at the time of sleep, and pray at the time of midnight and at cock-crow. At daybreak let us give thanks because God causes the light to shine upon us, having turned away for us the ao night, and brought the day. And also at the third hour, because in this hour Pilatos delivered up our Lord. And at the sixth hour our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified. And at the ninth hour he gave up his spirit, and the world was disturbed, and when they pierced his side 35 blood and water came forth from him. And when they crucified our Lord all creation was afraid and trembled before him concerning that which the impious Jews did, and they could not look upon the mocking of the Lord. And also at the time of evening let us give thanks 30 because he has given rest to us at night from the toil of the day. And also at cock-crow, because at that TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT 21 hour he announces the coming of the day to do the work of the day. Statute 69. And if ye cannot go to the church because of unbelievers, thou, bishop, make prayer in 5 thy house, that the servants of God mingle not with the assembly of the impious ; because it is not the place which sanctifies the man, but the man sanctifies the place. And if the impious seize the place, flee from it, because they pollute it As the pure man sanctifies the church, so it 10 is defiled by the unclean. And if ye cannot assemble together in a house or in the church, each one shall sing psalms where he is by himself, and shall read the Scripture and pray. If there are two and three they shall pray, because our Lord said : Where 15 there are two and three gathered together in my Name, there am I in their midst. And the believers shall not pray with a catechumen in the (same) house, because it is not right that he who partakes of the holy Mystery should be defiled. 20 The servants of God shall not pray with the heretics, nor in the house (of any) Who would join light with darkness, and believers with doubters ? Believing men or women, if they live with slaves, shall be excommunicated and go out of the church. 25 Statute 70. Concerning the memorial of those who have fallen asleep. The third day shall be observed with psalms and prayers, because of the resurrection of our Lord the third day. Further, they shall observe seven 3 days for a memorial of the living and the dead. And 2l6 STATUTES OF THE APOSTLES further, they shall observe the completion of a month in likeness of the old ordinance, even as the people mourned for Moses thirty days. And further, they shall observe the completion of forty days ; and they shall observe half 5 a year. And further, they shall observe the completion of a year in likeness of their memorial. And they shall give to the poor of the goods of those who die as propitiation for their soul, for their memorial. This we say only concerning the servants of God. As lo for the wicked indeed, if they gave the riches of all the world to the poor there would be no profit to them : for if being alive he was an enemy of God, the thing (lit. his word) is clear that he was his enemy when he went out of the world. He finds no mercy, because there is no 15 respect of persons with him (sc. God), for God is righteous and loves righteousness, and lo ! the man (is judged) from his work, and lo ! the man who is good they say his work is also (good). And if ye are invited, eat moderately and in the fear of 20 God, because it is seemly to pray for those who departed from this world. And ye presbyters and deacons who are in our Lord Christ, it is seemly that ye should be temperate at all times, ye and others also, that ye may be able to do what 25 the Scripture says : The strong and angry shall not drink wine, lest they should be drunken and should for- get wisdom, and not be able to judge rightly. Because as administrators under God the almighty and the only Son our Lord Jesus Christ are the presbyters and the 30 deacons, and the powers of the church. And we say this, not forbidding them to drink wine, TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT 217 because we cannot despise what God has created for the joy of man, but that they should not drink for drunken- ness. And the Scriptures do not say ; They shall not drink wine, but they say : They shall not drink wine for drunkenness. And again he says : Drunkenness causeth thorns to spring up in the hand of a man. This which we say is not for the priests alone, but for all Christian people, who are named with the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who spoke concerning them and said : To whom (shall be) sorrow and indignation and blackness of eyes lo and fighting and breaking of bones to whom shall they be except to those who exceed in drinking wine, and to those who ask and go where there is drinking. Statute 71. Concerning those who are persecuted for 15 the Faith. And those who flee from city to city for the Faith and in remembrance of the word of our Lord : and they know that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak, and they flee from place to place, and they patiently endure being spoiled of their goods that they might keep the name of Christ and not deny him ; help them and give them all that they desire, and fulfil the commandment of God, our Lord. And all this we command you in common. And every- one shall stay in the Order which was given to him, and as shall not step out of the commandment which they ordained for him. And this commandment is not our own, but that of God the Father, for he said : He who heard you heard me, and he who heard me heard him who sent me. And he who rejected you rejected me, y and he who rejected me rejected him who sent me. 2l8 STATUTES OF THE APOSTLES Do not those created things which have no soul keep the commandment which was given to them, day and night, sun and moon and stars and winds and changes of moons and weeks and hours and days ? and they perform 5 the work which was ordained to them : as it was spoken at the beginning. And he said : He gave them command- ment and they do not transgp-ess. And concerning the sea he said : I have placed for it an ordinance, and I have placed against it a bar and a gate, and I said : Thus far lo come, and thou shalt not pass beyond. How much more ought ye not to be moved at all in that which is ordained to you according to the will of God. And there are some who make this as nothing, and confuse ordina- tions, and (yet) offices which have been assigned to each IS shall not be confused, and ye shall not seize for your own selves an ordination which was not given to you, and ye shall not pass beyond by force to possess that which is not yours, but belongs to others, over which ye have no authority. Because of this (offence) ye provoke God like the children of Kore and king ‘Ozyan who grasped the priestly work without the will of God : the former indeed were burnt with fire, and of the latter his face was changed by leprosy. For they provoked God, Jesus 35 Christ, who commanded that it should be thus, and they caused to be pained the heart of the Holy Spirit, and they rejected his testimony, and despised him, and they fear not his judgpnent which is prepared for them who do this thing, and the carelessness which they commit with regard 30 to the Oblation, and the bread of the Blessing, whenever they are offered by those who are not worthy, who TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT 219 think to do the honourable work of the priesthood, which is in the likeness of the great Chief Priest, Christ ; and there are some who make this (work) to be foolishness. And we indeed desired to teach them this, but hence- forth we speak of Moses, the servant of God, with whom s God spoke face to face, as one speaks with his neighbour ; who said : I know thee above all men, with whom Gkxl spoke face to face, (not) with signs and miracles and visions and angels and interpretations this in the day on which he commanded the holy Law. And he ordained this lo ordinance, and as was proper that they should fulfil it, con- cerning the ordination of the priesthood, and what was suitable for the priests, and what was suitable for the levites : and he separated each as was proper for him and as was right for his service ; that which the chief priests 15 were commanded to do and which was not proper to be done by the priests, and not by the decree of the law to be done ; and that which the priests were commanded, the levites could not approach (to do) ; but each one should keep to the service of God which he received, and should not step out of it. And when anyone transgressed and stepped out of his service which he received, he should be condemned to death. And this is abundantly plain to us from what happened to Saol, when he thought to offer sacrifice of his own 25 will, before that the prophet and chief priest Samuel came, and caused to come upon himself sin and a curse, for ever. The prophet was not afraid because of the anointing with which he anointed him to be king. And God has made known to us by the declaration of 30 the great thing which happened to king ‘Ozyan. Not long tarried the vengeance for the perverseness with which he acted, and made him an alien from his kingdom, because of the ordination of the priesthood to which he aspired. 5 Statute 72. Concerning the Order of the Priesthood. Each one of you knows what we have ordained for you, and further ye know that there are some whom we name bishops, and others whom we name presbyters, and others are named deacons. With prayer we laid hand 10 upon them, and we appointed to each an Order according to its different name. And among us there is no one who desires a filling of our hand, nor will he receive from us that which he wishes for of priesthood, as the priests of the oxen of lyurebe am, which were made as an 15 abomination to God. Unless there had been a special Order for each accord- ing to law, one name would have sufficed for all the world ; but having been taught by God a guidance for all func- tions, we have separated for the bishops the ordination 20 of the priesthood, for the presbyters the priesthood, for the deacons the service …. that the work of the service might be completed withal. It is not seemly for the deacons to offer the Oblation, or to baptise, or to give the Eulogia to small or to great. And the 25 presbyter shall not ordain anyone, because he was not worthy (of anything) beside his Order. For God is not a God of confusion, so that the inferiors may not grasp (at office) with audacity. What work then will be com- pleted by the imperfect And they make a new law to ‘The service of that to which man comes,’ probably confusion from the Arabic insan,’ man,’ being read for etnain,’ two.’ TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT 221 their own destruction, and do not know that it is a small thing which is in their power lit. with them) ; and they kick with their feet in the net And if thus, they do not oppose us, but they oppose the Bishop of all the world, the Son of God, the Chief Priest Jesus Christ our Lord, j A chief priest, priests, and levites were ordained by Moses, the lover of God, and we the twelve Apostles were ordained by our Lord and our Saviour Jesus Christ, and we ordained for us Klementos and Ya’ekob and others with them, that we might send ‘ each one of them, lo and further, we all of us ordained withal presbyters and deacons. And the first Presbyter, the only true Chief Priest, is our Lord Jesus Christ, who did not grasp for himself the honour, but the Father ordained him. And as he is the Chief Priest for us, so he offered spiritual 15 sacrifice to God the Father before he was crucified, and he commanded us to do likewise. And there were others with us who believe in him, but he does not grant to all who believe in him to be priests, nor to obtain the Order of ordination of priesthood like us. And after his 20 Ascension we offered according to the ordinance of the holy bloodless Oblation. And we ordained bishops and presbyters and deacons in number seven, and amongst them Estifanos, the first martyr, who was not the least of us in his love of God : but he showed his service of God aj by faith and love of Jesus Christ our Lord, so much that he gave his life up for his sake ; and the wicked Jews, the murderers of the Lord, stoned him with stones for his name and killed him. But he was a man of such fervent This reading is probably the corrected Ethiopic, which translated th unpointed Arabic ‘send’ instead of describe.’ spirit that he saw our Lord Christ at the right hand of God, and he saw the open gates of the heavens. And it is nowhere found that he did what was not suitable for him as deacon, that he offered sacrifice or laid hand upon 5 anyone, but he kept to his Order of deacon unto the end. For thus it was proper for the martyr of our Lord Christ to fulfil the duties of his Order. And if there are any who blame Filepos the deacon and Hananya the faithful brother because the one lo baptised the eunuch and the other baptised even me, Pawlos, they are deluded as to what we say ; for we say that no one should take by force the ordination of priesthood, but he obtained it from God, as Malkasedek and Ya’ekob; or from the chief priest, as Aron from IS Muse ; therefore that Filepos and Hananya themselves took not ordination from themselves, but from our Lord Christ. They believed in the Chief Priest of God, with whom there is none to be compared. PRAYER OF EARLY MORNING 20 And again we beseech the almighty God, the Father of our Lord and our Saviour Jesus Christ, while thank- ing him because he has kept us throughout the night, and brought us from darkness into light, from corruption 25 into that which is incorruptible, and from ignorance into the knowledge of the truth, that throughout the day also he may cause us to be in all peace and health, and pro- tect his people with the power of his angels, who has authority over all work of blessing, the Lord our God. The Father, etc. is put afterwards for the usual form, the Father of the Lord, etc’ TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT 223 The deacon shall say : Pray. O Lord the almighty, do thou cause us to be in all peace and health throughout the day, for thou hast kept us throughout the night Thou, Lord, the almighty, send to us thine angel the good guide. And have mercy upon 5 us according to the greatness of thy mercy, and accord- ing to the multitude of thy clemency blot out our wicked- ness. And none of us is an alien and a backslider, put us not away from thy favour, because of thy name which was named over us. Be forgiving to us and forsake us 10 not. Grant us to obtain favour before thee and before Christ thy Son, through, etc. PRAYER FOR THE SICK 15 And again we beseech the almighty God, the Father, etc., for the sick brethren, that he may remove all sick- ness and all suffering from them. Having taken away the spirit of disease, may he who has authority for all healing give to them life, the Lord our God. 20 The deacon shall say : Pray for the sick. God the almighty, the Father, etc., we pray thee and we beseech thee for the sick brethren. Grant to them life. Take away the spirit of sickness. Cause to pass away from them all disease and all suffering. Speedily 35 let thy mercy find us, O Lord. The deacon shall say : Let us all say. The people shall say : Have mercy upon us. Physician of the soul and physician of the body, thou art the overseer of all flesh, and of those who are troubled 50 with unclean spirits; deliver every tormented and IS oppressed soul, give health and give rest, drive away all disease from this house, and from those who call upon thy holy and blessed name. Having healed the disease of all of our souls, grant perfect soundness, through, etc. 5 PRAYER FOR THOSE WHO MAKE A JOURNEY And again we beseech the almighty God, the Father, JO etc, for those our brethren who make a journey, and also for those who are about to make a journey, whether by sea, or by rivers, or by the deeps, or by road, in whatever journey they may travel, that he may bring all into the safe harbour, the almighty Lord our God. IS The deacon shall say : Pray. Lord our God the almighty, we pray thee and we beseech thee for our brethren who make a journey, and also for those who are about to make a journey abroad ; direct (them) as fellow (traveller) though we are many. 20 Speedily let thy mercy find us, O Lord. The deacon shall say : Let us all say. The people shall say : O Lord, have mercy upon us. Bring them into the safe harbour. Restore them to their people with joy and with peace, rejoicing and 25 causing to rejoice, through, etc PRAYER FOR RAINS And again we beseech the almighty God, the Father, 30 etc, for rains, that he may send his rain into the place where it is needed, the almighty Lord our God. TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT 225 The deacon shall say : Pray. Lord our God the almighty, we pray thee and we beseech thee, send thy rains into the place where they are needed. Make to rejoice the face of the earth, and water its furrows. Bring the sowing and the harvest, 5 and bless the circle of the year with thy goodness. Speedily let thy mercy find us, O Lord. The deacon shall say : Let us all say. The people shall say : O Lord, have mercy upon us. For the poor of thy people, and for all those who hope 10 in thee, work with us according to thy clemency, and nourish our mind with the doctrine of the Godhead, and with understanding which is from thee, through, etc. PRAYER FOR THE FRUIT OF THE EARTH 15 And again we beseech the almighty God, the Father etc., for the fruit of the earth, that he may increase the fruit of the earth, and that he may be pleased to bring the sowing and the harvest. May he grant rich favour, 20 the Lord our God. The deacon shall say : Pray for the fruit of the earth. Lord our God the almighty, we pray thee and we beseech thee, increase the fruit of the earth, and be pleased (and) bring the sowing and the harvest, which 25 is from thy goodness. Speedily let thy mercy find us, O Lord. The deacon shall say : Let us all say. The people shall say : O Lord, have mercy upon us. For the poor of thy people and for all who call upon 30 thy holy and blessed name, through, etc. PRAYER FOR THE WATERS OF THE RIVERS 5 And again we’ beseech the almighty God, the Father, etc, for the waters of the rivers, that he may cause (them) to rise up to their (proper) measure. Make to rejoice the face of the earth. May he bring the sowing and the harvest May he grant rich favour, the Lord lo our God. The deacon shall say : Pray for the waters of the rivers. God the almighty, we pray thee and we beseech thee, cause to rise the waters of the rivers up to their (proper) 15 measure. Make to rejoice the face of the earth, and water its furrows. Multiply food, and bless the circle of the year with thy goodness. Speedily let thy mercy find us, O Lord. The deacon shall say : Let us all say. ao The people shall say : O Lord, have mercy upon us. For the poor of thy people, and for all who call upon thy holy and blessed name, through, etc. PRAYER FOR THE KING as And again we beseech the almighty God, the Father, etc., for the lover of God, our king, lyasu, that he should keep his kingdom without trouble, in peace and righteous- ness, the almighty Lord our God. 30 The deacon shall say : Pray for the king. Lord our God the almighty, we pray thee and we TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT 22 beseech thee for the king of this land, the lover of God, our king, lyasu, and grant to him what is useful for him. Cause to submit his enemy, the peoples who are against his wall And speak in his heart for thy holy Church. Speedily let thy mercy find us, O Lord. 5 The deacon shall say : Let us all say. The people shall say : O Lord, have mercy upon him. Grant him without error to keep (his) understanding concerning the faith in the excellence of thy Godhead, through, etc. lo PRAYER FOR THOSE WHO OFFER AN OFFERING And again we beseech the almighty God, the Father, is etc., for those who offer an offering in the holy, one, catholic lit. which is over all) Church, a scurrifice, first fruits, tithes, a thanksgiving, a memorial, whether much or little, secret and open. And as for those who have nothing and wish to give, (though) they have nothing to to give, accept their desire, and having accepted the longing of every one of them, grant to them the heavenly Spirit And as for those who have somewhat and do not wish to give, soften their heart to do good, thou (lit. he) who hast authority for all work of blessing, the Lord our sj God. The deacon shall say : Pray for those who offer an offering. God the almighty, we pray thee and we beseech thee for those who offer an offering to the holy, one, catholic 50 Church, to the honour of thy name, an offering and a thanksgiving of first-fruits and of tithes, of much and of little, of secret and of open. And as for those who have nothing (yet) who wish to give, accept their desire as the offering of Abel : and as the Hebrew woman who offered 5 the two mites, and as the sacrifice of the forefathers. And thus accept into the heavenly altar. Repay them with a reward of blessing, heavenly in return for earthly, and much in return for little, and open in return for secret, and life everlasting in Christ in return for food lo and drink, through, etc PRAYER FOR THE CATECHUMENS And again we beseech the almighty God, the Father, 15 etc., as regards his servants the catechumens, that he may impart to them in due time the washing of reneration for the forgiveness of sin, the almighty Lord our God. The deacon shall say : Pray for the catechumens, ao God the Lord almighty, the Father, etc., we pray thee and we beseech thee, have mercy upon thy servants the catechumens. Be kind, (and) remove from them all the remains of the idols. Impose upon their hearts thy law and thy commandment, and thy righteousness and thine 35 ordinance. Speedily let thy mercy find us. The deacon shall say : Let us all say. The people shall say : O Lord, have mercy upon us. In proper time (impart to them) the washing of regeneration for the forgiveness of sin. Make them the 30 shrine of the Holy Spirit, through our Lord and our Saviour Jesus Christ, through whom, etc. TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT 229 PRAYER FOR THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN ASLEEP And again we beseech the almighty God, the Father, etc., Lord of the living, Life of the dead, and Hope 5 of the desperate, Helper of the afflicted, Cleanser of sinners, who hast abolished death and burst the bonds of Satan (Sayetan). Thou hast granted life to the race of men, thee we pray and beseech, who wilt not die for ever and ever, with whom is the treasure of life, for 10 those who have fallen asleep and rested in the faith ; the forefathers, the bishops, (papasat), presbyters and deacons, and readers (anaguenestis), and monks, and virgins, and widows (of the order), infants, widows and orphans lit. offspring of the dead) ; and for the soul of 15 thy servant N(egale) and for the soul of all those who are there in that place, whom thou calledst from among thy people in righteousness and in uprightness. Give rest to their soul in the place of pasturage by the water of rest, in the bosom of Abreham, Yeshak, and Ya’ekob, in the 20 garden of joy, among the guides of light, thine angels, having united (them) with thy holy ones. And raise up their body in the day which thou hast appointed, accord- ing to thy holy unlying promise of thy heavenly kingdom ; for there is no death to thy servants, but 25 rather a passing, and although one has sinned, and the law of man was hidden from them, be indulgent; for thou, God, art good and the lover of man ; for there is none pure from uncleanness before thee, even though he lived one hour upon the earth. Do thou grant passings 30 to their soul freely, without hindrance. Send the Spirit of the Comforter, and who gives consolation to their people. Comfort them, cause them to rejoice in Christ, through, etc. PRAYER FOR PEACE 5 And again we beseech the almighty God, the Father, etc, for the peace of the holy, one, catholic Church, that he may grant much peace upon all rulers lit. shepherds) and peoples and upon all flocks, he who has authority lo for all peace, the Lord our God. The deacon shall say : Pray for peace. Lord our God the almighty, we pray thee and we be- seech tliee for the peace of the holy, one, catholic Church. King of peace, give to us peace, because thou gavest to IS us everything. Possess us, God, and reward us, for beside thee there is no other whom we know. And thy holy name we name and we invoke. Do thou impart thy heavenly peace upon us all. Preserve (our) life lit. soul) and our condition of this world peacefully. Give peace ao to the king of this land, and through thy holy name give counsel to the rulers of the neighbouring peoples. Guard our coming in and our going out in peace, that living in a quiet and tranquil life we may be found in all piety, in the fear of God and virtue in Christ, through, etc. 25 PRAYER FOR THE CONGREGATION And again we beseech the almighty God, the Father, etc., for the congregation, this as well as all our congre- 30 gations, that he may grant that it may be according to his holy will, the almighty Lord our God. TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT 23 1 The deacon shall say : Pray for our congregation. God the almighty, we pray thee and we beseech thee for this our congregation as well as all our congregations. Grant that it may be according to thy holy will, where we do this service of our congregation and other congre- s gations also. And make it a house of prayer and a house of blessing. Vouchsafe to bestow upon us, and upon those who (come) after us, the everlasting salvation. Rise up, O Lord, and let all thine enemies be scattered, and let all flee away from before thy face who hate lo thy holy and blessed name, and make thy people ten thousand of ten thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand, through, etc PRAYER FOR THE PAPAS ‘ And again we beseech the almighty God, the Father, etc., for the blessed and holy Papas, Aba N(egale), that thou wilt in keeping keep him for us during many years and during times of peace, while he fulfils the priesthood ao which has been entrusted to him by thee. May the Lord our God grant rich favour. The deacon shall say : Pray for Papas N. Lord our God the almighty, we pray thee and we beseech thee for the blessed Papas N. In keeping keep 25 him for us during many years, during times of peace, while he fulfils the priesthood which was entrusted to him by thee, together with all the bishops, presbyters, and deacons, and with all the fulness of the holy, one, catholic Church. And the prayer which they make for y us and for all thy people hear (it), and accept them ; and open to them the treasury of thy clemency ; and further, pour down upon him abundantly thy grace of thy Holy Spirit, thy heavenly blessing, that he may bless thy people ; and moreover, cause to submit every enemy, visible or invisible, and bruise (them) under his feet ; and himself indeed keep for thy Church in glory, through thine only Son, through whom to thee with him and with the Holy Spirit (be) glory and might, now and ever and for ever and ever. Amen.