Tizaz (The Commandment)

Statute 31. Concerning the time during which they shall hear instruction after (they have left off their) occupations. The catechumens shall remain three years hearing the word of instruction : yet if he was a good lo scholar and one who knows good conduct, no length of time need be required of him (to hear), but the conduct alone shall decide for him. Statute 32. Concerning the prayer of him who hears 15 instruction and his kiss. When the teacher has finished the admonition the catechumens shall pray alone, apart from the believers. And the women shall stand in their place in the church ; and the women believers shall pray alone and the women catechumens. And if the pnayer ao is finished, the catechumens shall not kiss one another with the believers, because their kiss is not yet pure. And the believers shall kiss one another ; man shall kiss man and woman shall kiss woman, and males shall not kiss females. And all the women shall have their heads 3 veiled with a pallium or with a mantle, and not with sindon only, because this is not what is allowed to them. Statute 33. Concerning the laying hand upon the catechumen. And after the prayer, when the teacher and dismiss them. And if it was one belonging to the TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT ISI church who teaches, or a layman, he shall do likewise. And if a catechumen was arrested for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, he shall not be doubtful about the testimony (which he gives) ; because if they overpower and injure him and kill him before he receives baptism for the for- 5 giveness of his sin, he shall be justified ; because he was baptised in his own blood. Statute 34, Concerning him who is baptised. When one has been chosen or who is ready for baptism they lo shall examine their life ; if they lived in the fear of God before they are baptised, if they honoured the widow, or if they visited the sick, or if they did all good, and if there is witness in their favour from those who bring them ; and if they have done thus they shall hear the 15 Gospel from the time that they were set apart, and they shall lay hand upon them and every day instruct them. And when the day draws near on which they shall be baptised, the bishop binds every one of them by oath, that he may know if they are pure. And if one was found who was not pure, they shall put him aside by himself; for he has not hearkened to the word of instruction with faith ; because it is not proper to baptise (. do to) an utter alien. And they shall instruct those who shall be baptised that they should 25 wash and be exorcised on the fifth day of the week (sabbath) ; and if there was a menstruous woman among them, she shall be put aside, that she may be baptised on another day. And those who desire to be baptised shall fast on Friday, and the bishop shall 30 assemble all those who shall be baptised on Saturday into one place, and shall command all of them (to make) prayer and prostration ; and when he has laid his hand upon them, let him exorcise the unclean spirit that he may 5 flee away from them and not enter into them again. And when he has finished his exorcising, he shall breathe upon them, and they shall read to them the Scriptures, and exhort them. And they who shall be baptised shall not bring with them any ornament of gold, nor ring nor lo gem of any kind ; but every one of them shall give thanks, and it is fitting for them whom it beseems to bring their Oblations also at the time. Statute 35. Concerning the order of Baptism, and the iS profession of the Faith, and the confession of sin at baptism and the Oblation ; and concerning the milk and honey. At the time of cock-crow they shall first pray over the water. And it shall be either such as flows into the tank of baptism or is caused to flow down upon 20 it And it shall be thus unless there is a scarcity of water ; but if there is a scarcity they shall carry water to the tank, having drawn (it from a well). And they shall put off their garments and be baptised naked. And they shall baptise the little children first ; and if 25 they can speak for themselves, let them speak. But if they cannot, their parents shall answer the word instead of them, or one of their relatives. And after- wards they shall baptise the grown-up men. And after- wards all the women shall loose their hair ; and they 50 shall be forbidden to wear their ornaments and their gold, when they are baptised, and none of them shall go TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT 153 down having anything alien with them into the water. And whenever they baptise, the bishop shall give thanks over the oil which is in a vessel, and it is named mystic oil ; and he shall take other oil and exorcise Satan in it, and it is named oil which has been exorcised 5 from every unclean spirit. And there shall be a deacon who will carry the oil in which (Satan) was exorcised, and he shall stand on the left of the presbyter ; and another deacon shall take the mystic oil, and shall stand on his right And let the presbyter, having taken every one of 10 those who shall be baptised, bid them renounce and say : I renounce thee, Satan, and all thine angels and all thine unclean works. And when he has professed this, he shall anoint him with the oil which he made pure from all evil, . saying : All unclean spirits shall depart from him. Thus 15 he shall deliver to the bishop him who shall be baptised, naked, or to the presbyter to him who stands at the . water of baptism. Let the deacon go down with him to the water, and he shall say and instruct him : I believe in one God, the Father almighty, and in his only Son, our ao Lord and our Saviour Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, giver of life to all creation, the Trinity equal in Godhead, one Lord, and one Kingdom and one Faith and one Baptism, in the holy Church Catholic, and life eternal Amen. And he who shall be baptised shall also say 25 again thus : Yea, I believe. And thus he shall baptise him and lay his hand upon him, and upon him who answers for him. And he shall dip him three times; and he who is baptised shall make declaration every single time that he is dipped, and afterwards he shall say to him again : Dost thou believe in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God the Father, that he became man, in an incomprehensible miracle by 5 the Holy Spirit and by our lady Maryam, the virgin, without seed of man, and he was crucified in the time of Pilatos Pantnawi : and he died by his own will for our salvation, and rose from the dead on the third day, axkl released the captives, and ascended into the heavens, and 10 sat down at the right hand of the Father, and he shall come to judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom : and dost thou believe in the Holy Spirit, the good and the sanctifier, and in the holy Church : and dost thou believe the resurrection of the body which 15 shall happen to all men, and the kingdom of the heavens, and eternal judgment. And he who is baptised shall answer concerning all this, saying : Yea, I believe in thia And then when he has come up from the water the presbyter shall anoint him with the mystic oil, saying : 3o I anoint thee with holy oil. And afterwards they shall put on their garments. And afterwards they shall enter the church, and the bishop shall lay his hand upon them and pray and say : God, who hast made these worthy of the washing of new birth, and of the forgiveness of sin, as make them worthy to be filled with the Holy Spirit ; and speed forth and send upon them the grace of the Holy Spirit, that they may serve thy will. Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit in the holy Church henceforth unto age of age. And afterwards the 30 presbyter, having poured into his hand the mystic oil, shall pour on the head of them all, saying : I anoint TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT 1 55 thee with holy oil in the name of God the Father almighty and in Christ Jesus his only Son and the Holy Spirit. And having sealed all in their forehead, he shall kiss them, and say : The Lord (be) with you all. And he who was signed shall answer again, and say : With s thy spirit. And after this, when everything has been finished, let them pray with all the people: and they shall not before pray with the fiiU lit. elder) Christians, but only after they have done the thing which we say. And after they have finished praying they shall lo gve the salutation one to another with their mouths. And the deacons shall bring the Oblation to the bishop, and he shall give thanks over the bread and the cup ; and the bread that it may become the Body of our Lord Christ, and the cup, the wine mixed, that it may become 15 the Blood of our Lord Christ, this which was shed for us and for all of us indeed who believe in him. And the milk and honey (shall be) mingled together, and he shall make them drink of them, because of the fulfilment of the promise which he promised to our fathers, saying : I 20 will give to you the land which floweth with milk and honey : this is the Body of our Lord Christ which he gave to us who believe in him, like food of young children, who were begotten of him, those who believe in him, that he may make every bitter heart sweet as by the sweetness of his word. All this the bishop shall go through to those who are baptised. And the water also of the Oblation he shall show in the bread like the inward part of man, who is soul as well as body. And all this explanation is what the bishop shall give to all who are baptised. And the bishop therefore having broken the bread of life, shall give a piece of it to each one and say : This is heavenly bread, the Body of our S Lord Christ And he who receives shall answer and say : Amen. And if there are not sufficient presbyters the deacons shall take the cups and stand in order ; the first he who has the honey, and the second he who has the milk : and he who administers shall say : God, the 10 Father almighty: and the third he who has the wine. He who administers shall say : This is the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. And he who receives shall say : Amen and Amen. And when he receives the Body he shall say : Amen ; and at the Blood he shall say : Amen 15 and Amen : a trinity this is therefore that it shall be. And each one (of them) shall be careful to do good works which please God, living in the right way and united to the Church, performing this instruction, and pro- gressing in the service of God. This we have taught 20 you to be said openly concerning Baptism and the ordinance of the Oblation ; and behold, we have finished the instruction which we give to you concerning the resurrection of the body, and the rest as it was written. And if there is anything else which is right to be told, as then the bishop shall tell it and give it to those who are communicated. And they shall accept (it), and none shall know it except the believers, but only after they have communicated. And they shall first receive this holy blessing, which Yuhanes speaks of that there was referring to Revelation ii. 17. TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT 1 57 written upon it a new name (which) no one knows except him who receives the blessing. And on the sabbath and on the first day of the week if it be possible the bishop himself with his own hand shall deliver to all the people while the deacons break the bread. And the 5 presbyters also shall break the delivered bread. And whenever the deacon approaches the presbyter, he shall hold out his robe, and the presbyter himself shall take (the bread) and deliver to the people with his hand. And on other days they shall give (it) according to the com- 10 mandment of the bishop. Statute 36. Concerning Widows and Virgins, and at what time the bishop should fast. And they shall do as we have often said. The widows and virgins shall fast, 15 and pray in the church. And the presbyters and the deacons shall fast at any time they will. And likewise shall the people fast. And the bishop ought not to fast, except at the time when all the people fast ; because if they bring that which is proper to bring into the church, 20 and no (one) can be refused ; and (the man) having broken his own bread, he shall taste and eat with the other believers who are with him ; and they shall receive from the hand of the bishop a piece of delivered bread before they partake. It is Eulogia (awlogiya) everyone 25 shall receive the bread which has been offered. For this is bread of blessing, and not the Oblation as the ‘Body of our Lord Christ. Statute 37. Concerning the time at which it is seemly to eat It is not proper for the catechumens to eat with the believers. Before any taste and drink anything whatsoever, it is proper for them to take the cup and give thanks over it, and (then) drink and eat, for (then) they 5 are pure. To the catechumens let them give the bread of blessing and the cup. The commandment concerning the impropriety of the catechumens eating with the believers, and of the catechumens sitting down with the believers at the table of the Lord. And it is right for lo him who eats to remember him who invited him and gave him all the food, every time that he eats ; for this cause he asked them to come into his house : for this cause it is seemly that they should eat with caution (lit. fear) and moderation what is sufficient and not be drunken. 15 And they shall eat and drink with regularity and not drink until they are drunken ; that men may not deride them ; and that he who invited them be not pained because of their folly. But rather shall they pray that the holy ones may enter the house. For he said : Ye 20 are the salt of the earth. Behold, he gave to you the last of them all with him, that ye might take from him your portions : but eat with moderation and drink with moderation, that there may be some left ; and that that . which is left from you may be sent by him who invited 25 you to whom he will ; and he shall say that this meat and this drink are the leavings of the holy ones. And they shall rejoice at your going to them ; and they shall eat what ye leave, and he shall say this meat is the leavings of the holy ones. And they shall rejoice at 30 your coming as they eat : and further, those who are invited shall eat without conversing, but when the bishop TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT 159 allows, they shall speak, and ask what is suitable, and they shall answer. And when (one) has finished saying all the things which are suitable which he wished to ask, then again they shall be silent with modesty, until the bishop again asks them at the supper. If the believers 5 shall be without the bishop at the supper, either from the presbyter or the deacon they shall take the Euloga with the hand. And likewise the catechumens shall receive a piece of the mystic bread. And if there are any laity among them, they shall eat in silence : and the lo laity are not allowed to make the Eulogia. And having gfiven thanks, every one shall eat in the name of the Lord and drink with moderation, having called upon the name of God. Because thus is it due to God, that we should be zealots among the peoples, all of us equal and 15 quiet and pure and without fault For God the Father rejoices in his work, and we indeed (are) his work, if we are pure. Concerning the gift to the sick. The deacon in time of adversity shall give the sealing to the sick with ao diligence. If there is no presbyter to give that which was distributed, as much as ought to be received, (the deacon) shall give thanks and shall take count there of them who take (it) away, that they minister with care and give the Eulogia. If there is any who takes it away, 25 let them bear it to widows and the sick. Concerning the bringing in of lamps at the supper of the congregation. When the evening has come, the bishop being there, the deacon shall bring in a lamp, and standing in the midst of all the Faithful, being about 30 to give thanks, the bishop shall first give the salutation, II !- l6o STATUTES OF THE APOSTLES thus saying: The Lord (be) with you all. And the people also shall say : With thy spirit. And the bishop shall say : Let us give thanks to the Lord. And the people shall say: Right and just, both greatness and 5 exaltation with glory are due to him. And they shall not say: Lift up your hearts, because that shall be said at the time of the Oblation. And he prays thus, saying: We give thee thanks, God, through thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, because thou hast enlightened us 10 by revealing the incorruptible light, we having therefore finished the length of a day and having come to the beginning of the night, and having been satiated with the light of the day which thou hast created for our satisfaction, and now since we have not been deficient 15 of the light of the evening by thy grace, we sanctify thee and we glorify thee through thine only Son our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom to thee with him (be) glory and might and honour with the Holy Spirit now, etc. And they shall all say : Amen. And having 20 risen up therefore after supper, the children and virgins having prayed, they shall say the psalms : and after- wards the deacon, holding the mingled cup of the Pres- fora, shall say the psalm from that in which (is) written Hale luya, [and] after that the presbyter has com- as manded : And likewise from those psalms.’ And after- wards the bishop having offered the cup, as is proper for the cup, he shall say the psalm Hale luya ; and all of them as he recites the psalms shall say Hale luya, which is to say : We praise him who is God most high : 30 glorified and praised is he who founded all the world with one word. And likewise, the psalm having been TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT l6l completed, he shall give thanks over the cup, and shall give of the fragments to all the Faithful. And as they are eating their supper the believers shall take a little bread from the hand of the bishop before they partake of their own bread, for it is Eulogia and not Eucharist 5 as of our Lord. Statute 38. And when the bishop speaks let every one be silent And if the bishop is not present they shall receive the bread of blessing from the presbyter or 10 from the deacon. And when the bishop speaks let all be silent, nor shall one answer another a word, for the bishop shall ask them. And if (not) the bishop but only the Faithful are present at the meal, they shall take the Eulogia from the hand of the presbyter if he 15 is there, and if the presbyter is not there, they shall take from the hand of the deacon ; and the catechumens also shall take their portion of the mystic bread. And if there are laymen only they shall eat quietly : and for the laymen it is not proper that they should make the 10 Eulogia. Statute 39. Concerning the meal of the widows. And if there is anyone who desires at any time to invite the widows and those who are aged, he shall satisfy them 25 (with food) and send them away before it shall be evening. And if it is not possible because of the clergy who have been invited, he shall give to them food and wine, and having given then send them away immediately, and each of them shall do as they wish 30 (with it) in their houses. l62 STATUTES OF THE APOSTLES Statute 40. Concerning the ordinance of the gift which is of the Apostles, according to the orthodox statement (Jit. word). We have written concerning graces so far as God our Lord has granted to us of his 5 own counsel. Formerly he gave grace lit it) to man, while bringing near to him that which had gone astray in type ; and now (he gave) the beloved Son who is in all the holy ones. Having come to the source of the proper tradition in the churches, we have attained that 10 (men) should learn well what has been (received) until now ; they handed them on and kept them as our ordin- ances : yet, though they knew that they were quite firm concerning that which had been found for them, now unawares they slipped away. And those indeed who 15 knew not, (to them) the Holy Spirit is giving the perfection of grace. For them who believe rightly as they know, how seemly it is that they should hand on and keep those things which are established in the Church. Concerning the ordinance of baptism. Those 20 who shall be baptised shall do thus lit. thus it is). They shall come into the baptistery, and they shall give their names. And then first they shall examine their lives as to whether they are fit for baptism, and if they read the Scriptures, and also if they have learnt the 3 psalm. And likewise there shall be sponsors for him who shall be baptised, and thus he who is sponsor shall know that he shall give account at the day of judgment for it And they shall cause therefore the prayer to follow after the examination, saying thus: [The prayer con- TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT 163 cerning those who gave their names] Lover of man and merciful author of blessing, merciful and whose habit is goodness, and the fountain of all blessing, thou who madest that which was not into that which was, with each one which was made thou gavest size and place : 5 thou art able remove it and take it away. Now, Lord, take away and remove this thy servant from wickedness into goodness. Grant that he may inherit the blessed sonship which is in the heavens, that he may then no longer be one born of flesh, but may abide truly in thine 10 obedience: through thy only Son our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom to thee with him and with the Holy Spirit (be) glory and might now, etc. The prayer for those who gave their names. And again we beseech God the almighty, the Father of the 15 Lord and our Saviour Jesus Christ, for those who gave their names, that he may open the ear of their heart and enlighten the eyes of their mind, and give to them the light of knowledge, he who has authority over mercy, the Lord our God ao And the deacon shall say : Pray ye for those who gave their names. And the bishop shall say : God the almighty, thou who calledst thy servants, who gave their names, from dark- ness into light, and from ignorance into the knowledge 25 of the truth : blot out all the vestige of error from their thought; place thy law and thy commandment within their heart : and give to them knowledge which is seemly, impart to them, both men and women, the l64 STATUTES OF THE APOSTLES washing of regeneration for the forgiveness of sin ; make them the temple of the Holy Spirit, through our Lord Christ, through whom to thee with him and with the Holy Spirit (be) glory and might now, etc. 5 The prayer of consecration for those who bring the bread and water or oil to be blessed in the holy forty (days), after the examination of those who are to be baptised. God, my Lord Jesus Christ, lover of man, who alone hast made oblation. And thou knowest and lo to them indeed who are able thou speakest the great- ness of the honour of the Father and of thy creation. Thou, the Mediator, the Chief Priest for every soul, and the healing for those who are suffering. Thou whose name is sanctified by the holy ones, may the power 15 which enlightens thy name lighten upon the oil and water and bread, and make them to become safety and healing and purification for those who offered in faith, for thy name is restoration to us, and redemption, revela- tion, and sanctification. And to thee be glory and to ao thy holy Father now, etc. And he who comes to baptism shall learn the com- mandment as he receives (baptism) : how seemly it is that he live carefully, as he to whom will be imparted the holy atonement of grace by eating. At early 25 morning the bread and water shall be blessed, and he shall be anointed with the oil, until (the time) when shall be imparted that holy grace of baptism. When therefore he will come to baptism, he who will baptise him shall take him, and having turned him then to the west, with TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT 1 65 his right hand or both his hands outstretched, and his face opposite towards the east without fear -‘and if he was a full-grown man he shall speak : but for the children who cannot speak, and if it was a weak person, the believing father and believing mother shall speak, s or relatives likewise (being) believing men and believing women. And he shall anathematise, being naked, in the water without fear, saying thus : [The first prayer for baptism, over the water] God, my Lord almighty, who madest heaven and earth and lo sea and all that is in them, who madest man in thine own form and likeness, who mingledst and unitedst the im- mortal with the mortal, who madest living man a com- bination of the two, and gavest to that which was made body a soul also, which thou causest to dwell within : iS stir this water and fill it up with thy Holy Spirit, that it may become water and Spirit for regeneration to those who are to be baptised : work a holy work and make them to become sons and daughters of thy holy name : wash them with water, and instruct them by the Holy ao Spirit, through the coming of our Lord Christ thy Son, through whom to thee with him be glory and might now and always and with the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen. The prayer of the consecration of the water. Eternal iS God, who knowest what is secret, we pray and beseech thee, send thy Holy Spirit and his power upon this water and change it and sanctify it and bless it and set it against., all that opposes, cause it to be against all divination and potions, both those which are drunk, and those which are 50 sprinkled, or (used) in any other way ; cause it to be for 1 66 STATUTES OF THE APOSTLES healing and for life to him who shall receive of it in faith, and in the glory of thy only beloved Son, for to thee is glory and might with the Holy Spirit now, etc. The prayer for the holy waters of the Yurdanos, which 5 are mingled with sweet scent. As the priest stands towards the east with the proper vestment, and while the clergy stand in their several orders of sequence, he shall say, having first finished the ordinary form of prayer : God, my Lord almighty, thou madest heaven and earth and lo sea and all that is in them ; and thou madest man in thy form and in thy likeness ; and thou placedst him in the garden, that he might live an immortal life ; but he, having fallen into error by Satan, the enemy of our kind, became the cause of death upon us all : yet thy goodness did not 15 therefore desert us, but thou sentest thine only Son our Lord Jesus Christ into the world, and not to judge the world, but to save the world by him. He therefore having come, changed our birth into the new (birth) which is by this water and Spirit of regeneration. And for this ao cause I call upon thee, my Lord, maker of all, who mingledst and unitedst mortal with immortal, having made living man a combination of the two, giving move- ment to the created body, and soul which thou causedst to dwell (in it) : stir this water and fill it up with that 25 which is of the Holy Spirit, that it may become water and also Spirit of regeneration to those who shall be baptised in it Cause, my Lord, that they may become little sons and daughters of the holy name ; and purify them and wash them with water and instruct them with 30 the Holy Spirit, through the coming of our Lord Christ with the Holy Spirit May it be to all who shall be TRANSLATIOH OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT 167 baptised in it a washing of regeneratioa for cleansing from all sin. And prqare tlio whom the Holy Spirit chose, to come upon them; that (dot hed) with incorinptible vesture they may rise at the resurrectioo of the dead; and may every evfl spixit be removed from thenu havii s been expelled according to thy hcdy indfible promise of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom to thee widi him and with the Holy Spirit (be) glory and might and great- ness from before the age now and always and to geneia tion of infinite generation, and to age of age. Amen. wo And then the priest shall go down into die water of the Yurdanos, taking hold o( the head of him who shall be baptised, and saying to him : I baptise thee in die name of the Father and the Son and die Holy Spirit, and at each of the names of the Holy Trinity, he 15 who is baptised also saying Amen. And then having come up from the water, they who promise for him shall receive him, and he uriio was bytised shall find then a dean linen doth, that with it the water may be wiped off, and that he may be kept with great ao care. And if he who shall be baptised is weak, he shall stand up naked in the eariy morning as soon as one can see, and thus he who bises shall pour water upon his head, saying : I baptise thee in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Sfnrit, and at 25 each name of the Holy Trinity he pours forth once, and not afterwards as to alL’ And after they have clothed him with the baptismal (robe), the Chief Priest shall make prayer for the men, and if not, the priest r. l68 STATUTES OF THE APOSTLES before the unction with the chrism of him who was thus sanctified. The prayer of the holy oil of chrism with which the catechumens lit. new ones) are anointed, and for full 5 Christians who are sick. God, my Lord almighty, the Father of our Lord and our Saviour Jesus Christ, stretch out thy hand invisible upon the fruit of this olive with which thou anointedst the Priests and Prophets ; and thou hast given power to it with thine lo own hand, that for those who shall be anointed there- with, it may be for healing and safety and benefit in all diseases and sicknesses, and for extermination of every Satanic adversary ; make an unction by thine own grace, really for them to whom it is given, the Holy 15 Spirit, through the name and through the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom to thee with him and with the Holy Spirit (be) glory and might now, etc. And breathe on his face thrice. The prayer of the holy oil for anointing him who 30 is to be baptised. God, my Lord almighty, God of hosts [lit. powers), we call upon thy great name and powerful in all things and the Holy Spirit and thy universal name. We pray thee and we beseech thee to send upon this oil spirit and power, and cause it to 25 become a breastplate of the faith against all work of Satan, and make (it) for the perfection of all piety and knowledge, through, etc. The prayer of the holy oil for unction with the chrism of those who are baptised. Thus in giving thanks TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT 169 shall the bishop speak and say : The Lord (be) with you all. And the people who stand by shall say : With thy spirit. And the bishop shall say : Lift up your hearts. And they who stand by shall say : (We have them) with the Lord our God. And the bishop shall 5 say : Let us give thanks to the Lord. And those shall say: Right and just, it is meet And then the Chief Priest, to whom alone it belongs to consecrate the chrism, having taken it, standing rightly, shall offer up the prayer and shall complete the invocation of the ” coming of the Holy Spirit, and say thus : Right it is and just. We praise thee and glorify thee and confess thee and worship thee and give thanks to thee for all the mercy which thou hast done for us and all thy benefit : when the world was gone astray thou savedst J 5 (it), having sent thine only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, not to judge the world, but to save the world, and gather together our dispersion, that we may assemble, and confess thee the one true God who sentest our Lord Jesus Christ ; through whom we offer this chrism which thou hast gven to us for healing and for using in other necessities, that thou wilt be willing and wilt send the Holy Spirit upon it, through our Lord Jesus Christ ; and that it may become an unction of holiness and seal of the Holy Spirit upon every person 25 of those who receive the washing of regeneration and forgiveness, as far as thou hast given to them : and may it be to them redemption and sure grace and a holy seal of unction and communion of their nature with the Holy Spirit ; and cause that they may be named (his) temple, 30 through the name of our Lord and our Saviour Jesus I70 STATUTES OF THE APOSTLES Christ, through whom to thee with him and with the Holy Spirit (be) glory and might from before the age and unto the age, now, etc. The prayer of the holy oil, the oil with which he 5 who is baptised is to be anointed on the place of anointing. My Lord, almighty, who wast to the Prophets God, and to the Apostles God, the Father of our Lord and our Saviour Jesus Christ, who from the beginning by the Prophets preachedst the coming of 10 our Lord Christ, who sentest Yuhanes ,the Prophet before his coming, give power to this holy oil and bless it for baptism, may it sanctify thy servants and handmaids and prepare them lU. him) for thee, while they lit. he) call upon thee ; and cause it to destroy 15 all poison and expel every evil and unclean spirit, and may all unclean lust remove away by this unction, through the name of thy only Son ; and may it be sanctified by thine own grace, and be to all who are baptised oil of healing and safety and power for ao planting the good olive tree and for (bearing) fruit toward thee and to Christ, through the Holy Spirit, by the faith in the name of our Lord and our Saviour Jesus Christ, through whom to thee with him and with, etc. as And breathe into the oil thrice. And with it he shall anoint him who is baptised on his breast and on his shoulders and all his body, saying : The oil of holy unction against every adversary, operate for grafting into thine own good olive tree, the Church, and 30 work blessing. And he shall answer and say : Amen. And if it is a man (this is done) by him who ministers. TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT 171 or by the priest who is there ; or (if) a woman, by a female believer who is perpetually virgin. Further (the prayer) for the laying hand upon the catechumens. God the almighty, the Father of the Lord and our Saviour Jesus Christ, to thee have humbled 5 their heads thy servants the catechumens, and to thee they have subdued the hardness of heart and flesh, look down from thy worthy dwelling-place, bless them, male and female, and may thine ear hearken to them and hear their prayer. Give them to know the power of the 10 word with which they are instructed as a sure utterance ; and in due time impart to them, male and female, the washing of regeneration for the forgiveness of sin ; make them the temple of the Holy Spirit through Christ : for to thee is glory and power and might, now, etc 15 Concerning the oil of chrism for those who are baptised. The bishop shall speak thus in giving thanks after the several bishops and presbyters and deacons are ready. The Chief Priest being present shall celebrate, saying : The Lord (be) with you alL 30 They who stand by shall say : With thy spirit And the bishop shall say : Lift up your hearts. They who are present shall say : We have (them) with the Lord our God. And the bishop shall say : Let us give thanks to the Lord. And they who are present shall 25 say : Right and just, it is meet And then the Chief Priest, to whom alone it be- longs to consecrate the chrism, having taken it, and standing in front carefully, shall offer up the prayer and say the invocation of the coming of the Holy 30 Spirit, [the bishop] thus saying: Right it is and just We praise thee and glorify thee and confess thee and give thanks to thee in all that thou hast done to us blessings and all thy benefit : for thou savedst the lost world, thou sentest thy Son Jesus Christ our 5 Lord, not to judge the world, but to save the world by him, and he gathered together our dispersion ; and we know that thou alone art the true Lord who sentest Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we offer to thee this chrism, which thou hast given us for healing lo and using in other necessities, that thou wouldst be willing to send thy Holy Spirit upon it, through our Lord and our Saviour Jesus Christ, and may it become an unction of holiness and seal of the Holy Spirit for those who shall receive of it, and the washing of 15 regeneration to them to whom was given redemption and sure grace ; may it seal them with the seal of unction and washing of their nature ; cause that they may be named the temple of the Holy Spirit, through the name of our Lord and our Saviour Jesus Christ, through 20 whom, etc. And breathe thrice into his face, and then anoint him with the holy chrism on his forehead and breast, saying to each : I give to thee the holy unction and the seal of grace of the Holy Spirit. And he who 25 is sealed shall say : Amen. If it is a presbyter who baptises, let him take the chrism from the bishop, and anoint them after they have put on the baptismal (robe); and then he proceeds to pray, and having finished the prayer of the holy oil, they cause 30 three little children to come near to him, and their elders likewise, and having turned them towards the TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT 1 73 west, first they shall anathematise Satan, saying thus : I anathematise thee, Satan, and all thy wicked angels and all thy work and all thy errors and all thy orders. And then turning himself again towards the east and stretching out his hands, he confesses God, saying : I 5 believe in one God, the Father above all, almighty, and in the only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Spirit, and in the resurrection of the body, and in the holy assembly, the one Catholic Church. And then he shall say thrice : Amen. And he shall say thus w stretching out his hands and humbling his head in fear, saying as he hears from him who baptises him thus, this . faith in the Trinity : I believe in thee, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in thine only Son Jesus Christ our Lord and our Saviour, and in the Holy Spirit, and in the i5 resurrection of the body, and the holy, one. Catholic, Apostolic Church. And they shall ask him thrice, saying : Dost thou believe ? And thrice he shall say : I believe, I believe, I believe. And if it was a man fully grown he shall speak : and concerning children who have no word or a dumb person or sick, the believing father and believing mother, or relatives knowing (them), being likewise believers, shall speak instead of that child or instead of him who has no word or instead of the sick, saying each of their names. And after the confession of 25 faith he says thus : (The prayer) of the laying on of hand. My Lord almighty, the Father of our Lord and our Saviour Jesus Christ, to whom thy servants and handmaids have humbled themselves ; and to thee they have subdued 30 the hardness of heart and flesh, look down from the heaven thy sanctuary, stretch out thine invisible hand upon them. Lord of heaven and earth, who through thine only Son hast made known knowledge of thee in the earth, and hast prepared for them with a heavenly calling. 5 Confirm these persons, that they may obtain thy power, and confirm their faith, that nothing shall ever separate them (from it), but let them be united in thine only Word, through whom to thee (be) glory and might with the Holy Spirit now, etc. lo And breathe thrice. And thus shall they be anointed with the holy oil on the place of unction, anoint his heart and his breast and on his back and on all his body, saying thus : May the unction of holy oil operate against every adversary and for the planting 15 firmly of the faith in the good olive tree, the Catholic Church, and do good. And he who is anointed shall say : Amen. The prayer after the unction. Father of thine only Son Jesus Christ, the root which is not cut off, 30 redeemer of the sold, cause not to remain any trace of the old state in those who are converted to thy faith ; who are obeying thee. Cause that they may be in purity of soul, children of regeneration, those who share in thy grace; and impress upon them the living 25 character, through thine only Son, through whom, etc And then the priest shall take him and go down into the Yurdanos and baptise him, and as he baptises him he shall look toward the east, (being) in the proper vest- ment And the clergy also standing in their orders, 30 The presbyter shall first baptise the children, and further, the Chief Priest being down in the Yurdanos shall TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT 1 75 baptise, laying his hand upon him whom he baptises and saying thus : I baptise thee, N or M, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. And he who is baptised shall say : Amen. And then after he has baptised he shall go forth to the Table as if for the Eucharist : and after they have prepared it (sc. the Table) for each, the bishops, presbyters, and deacons being present, the Chief Priest shall sanctify with the chrism, saying thus : The prayer of blessing and of laying hand on those lo who have been baptised, before the anointing with the chrism which has been sanctified, the bishop or the presbyter who baptised saying thus : Eternal God, almighty. Father of the Lord and our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hast regenerated us thy servants and thy 15 handmaids by water and the Holy Spirit in the wash- ing of regeneration which thou grantedst to them for the forgiveness of sin, send now upon them the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, that therefore he may impart to them an entering into thy heavenly kingdom, according to thy holy infallible promise, through our Lord and our Saviour Jesus Christ, through whom with him and with the Holy Spirit be glory and honour and might now, etc. And breathe thrice, and then anoint them with the 25 holy chrism on the forehead and on his breast, saying to each one : The holy unction and the seal of the grace of the Holy Spirit. And he who is sealed shall say : Amen. And if it is a presbyter who baptises, let him take the chrism from the bishop and anoint them, 30 after they have been clothed with the baptismal (robe). And then (comes) the order lit. sequence) of the Presfora. The (prayer of) unction of oil which the Chief Priest consecrates for those who receive the washing, and for 5 sick believers. God, my Lord, almighty, the Father of our Lord and our Saviour Jesus Christ, stretch out thine invisible hand upon the fruit of this olive with which thou anointedst the Priests and the Prophets ; and thou hast given power with thy hand that it may become to 10 those who shall be anointed with it for healing and benefit, and for every disease nd every sickness. Destroy every adversary, and make (it) the unction of thy grace for remission of sin to those to whom has been gven the Holy Spirit, through the name and 15 through the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom to thee with him and with the Holy Spirit (be) glory and might from before the age now, etc. And breathe therefore thrice. Before the Presfora and after the departure of the catechumens there shall 20 be prayer of three kinds, for peace one, for the con- gregation one, and for the Patriarch (papas) one. And then the deacon shall say with a loud voice : Those who are not admitted to communion depart And none of the catechumens shall stand here within. 25 And further, the subdeacon shall open the doors; and further he shall say ; Those who are not admitted to communion depart. And then further, the deacon shall say to the people : Kiss one another with a kiss of holiness. And then when they have severally given TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT 177 the salutation, the chief deacon shall say : Shut the doors, O subdeacons. This indeed as it was said at the prayer of the congregation. And if the bishop administers the baptism, or one ordained, he shall not say : There is not here a catechumen who is not one 5 of the congregation, nor is there any adversary here. On the day alone on which they receive baptism, after the Presfora he shall offer the cup and the milk and honey with the bread and the cup of wine : and they shall bless (them) together, and those alone who o receive for the first (time) shall receive of it And then the bishop shall say the thanksgiving of the milk : We give thanks to thee, God, almighty, the Father of our spirit, who hast begotten us again by water and the Spirit through Christ Jesus our Lord, 15: whom thou gavest. He instituted the holy washing (of baptism) for the forgiveness of sin to our race. Because we are thy flock which is in secret, born of the word, and we are nourished with the milk of nourishment of thy grace in the bosom of our holy ao mother by the voice of the consolations of the Holy Spirit And thou, O Lord, always hast given to us food and nourishment of thy sons, milking out the milk of life. According to the form and command of creation we offer to thee this milk and honey which 25 flows from the holy Church, our mother, who caused us to grow by her breasts, which were sanctified by thee. O Lord, bless it with blessing and sanctify it with sancti- fying, that it may become to them who partake of it incorruptible communion, nourishment and washing ; let it be for instruction in thy fear and in soberness, and for measure of stature, because thine all honourable name has been glorified for ever and ever. Amen. 5 And thou shalt give of his Body, and say : This is the Body of Christ. And he who receives shall say : Amen. And thou shalt give the cup, and say : This is the Blood of Christ And he who receives shall say : Amen and Amen. 10 And afterwards thou shalt pray thus, having laid thy hand upon their head, and say : I bless thee, O Lord, because thou hast imparted to thy servants and thy hand- maids the washing of regeneration for the forgiveness of sin, (and) that which is the grace of the Holy Spirit, the 15 Body and Blood of Christ. We pray thee and we beseech thee, surround thy servants and thy handmaids with the power of thine Angels, and be to them protection by thy divinity, cause them to obtain the heavenly mystery, through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom, etc. 30 The ordinance of Baptism is finished. Statute 40. Concerning the fruit which it is seemly to offer. All shall give, and be careful to offer the first fruits of the crops to the bishop, and he shall offer, while 25 blessing and naming him who offers, saying : We give thanks to thee, God, and we present to thee the first fruit of that which thou hast gven to us as good things, having been pleased and by thy word hast commanded the earth to bear its various fruit, for satiety of food TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT 1 79 for men and all the animals, that we may glorify thee, O God, in all the profit which thou causest to all creation by various fruits, through thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom to thee with him (be) glory, and with the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen. 5 Concerning the fruits. The priest shall bless these fruits: grapes and figs and pomegranates, and fruit of olive, apples, plums, quinces, peaches, tamarinds, almonds. And they shall not bless Egyptian figs nor garlic nor onions nor any kind of gourds nor any vegetables : nor lo shall they offer any other fruits except flowers of rose. And all which they shall eat, they shall eat with thanks- giving to God, to whom be glory. Give thanks to him while ye take the fruits. Statute 41. Concerning that it is not fitting for any man to eat during the fasts of the Pascha (Fasika), ex- cept at the time in which it is proper to eat. For the following persons the fast shall not be reckoned, either the pregnant or the sick. They who cannot fast the 90 two days shall fast on the sabbath, for it is necessary then that they should fast with bread and water. And if there is one on board ship or one who by some mischance mistook the day; being aware of it, after Pentakoste he shall fast in compensation. It is not the 35 Pascha which he keeps, but a likeness of it after it has passed by : therefore in the second month he shall not omit (to fast), and having returned from his journey he shall do it knowing the certainty. Statute 42. Concerning that it is seemly for the deacons l8o STATUTES OF THE APOSTLES to wait upon the bishop. And every one of the deacons with the subdeacons shall turn to the bishop and tell him concerning the sick, that he may visit them, for if the Chief Priest visits the sick diligently they shall be 5 consoled ; for he has remembered them. Statute 43. Concerning the time in which it is proper to pray. Believers at the time they awake, having risen from sleep, before they do any work, shall wash 10 their hands and pray to God ; and after that they shall go to their work. And if there should be the word of instruction delivered, they shall choose to go thither where is the word of instruction, that is, the word of God, which strengthens the soul. And they shall 15 hasten to go to the church, where is the Spirit, and they shall bear fruit there. Statute 44. Concerning that it is seemly to receive of the Eucharist early at the time when they offer (it) up, 90 before that they taste anything. All believers shall accept the admonition that they should receive of the Mystery before that they taste anything. And if he who receives has faith, then if one gave to him deadly poison it shall not hurt him. Statute 45. Concerning that it is proper to guard the Mystery carefully. It is not seemly that any should be poured from the cup ; but everyone shall be most care- ful lest any beside believers receive of the Mystery ; and 5 that none of it fall or be thrown away ; because it is the Body of Christ : and all believers shall eat of it, and it is TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT l8l not proper to neglect it : [because] it is not seemly that any should be poured from the cup ; because the cup was blessed in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that thou shouldst receive of it, because it is the Blood of Christ. But ye shall therefore take the greatest care that none of 5 it be poured out or dropped, lest an alien spirit lick it up, and lest it should be that thou thyself should deny and despise the precious Blood of Christ, with which he redeemed thee, and became to thee the means of his mercy towards thee : and thou shalt be as having denied 10 Christ If a little of his Body has fallen, or if (any) has dropped from the cup, thou shalt find judgment in that thing with which he redeemed thee. Statute 46. Concerning the Deacons and Presbyters. 15 It is seemly that they should assemble every day with the bishop in the place where he is, that he may command them according to order. And the deacons and pres- byters shall not neglect to assemble with the bishop every day, unless sickness of body prevents them. And 20 having assembled together they shall instruct those who are in the churches ; and likewise having prayed, they shall turn each to their own work. Statute 47. Concerning the grave. No man shall 25 compel by his command to bury a man in a grave which is made for all the poor ; but they shall give wages to the hired man who digs, and to him who guards that place, and to him who has the care of those things. And the bishop shall sustain him with what they offer to the 30 churches. – ‘ — 1 82 STATUTES OF THE APOSTLES Statute 48. Concerning the times at which it is seemly to pray, and to hear instruction ; and the sealing the forehead with the sign of the Cross. All believing men and women, having risen at dawn, before they do any 5 work, should wash their hands and pray to God ; and then turn to their works : and if they tell them where is the word of instruction, everyone shall choose to go thither to the place of instruction : and he shall know this in his heart, and consider all which he heard, that 10 God speaks by the mouth of him who instructs, and it is he who dwells in the church, and he shall cause to pass away from him all wickedness in the day ; and it shall be reckoned great loss to him who fears God, if he goes not to where is the place of instruction, and especially 15 for him who can read. And if there is an instructor he shall not defer (from going) to the church and the place where is the instruction. Then indeed to him who speaks shall be gven the word which he speaks. This is profit for everyone, (viz.) what he shall hear; 30 and thou shalt hear that which thou thought not there, and thou shalt profit by that which the Holy Spirit gave to thee by h’im who instructs : and thus thy faith shall become firm because of what thou hearest And further, they shall tell thee in that place what it 35 is proper for thee to do in thy house: and therefore all men shall hasten to go to the church and to the place wherein the Holy Spirit rises (like the sun). And if there is a day on which there is no instruction, every one shall stay in his house, and shall take the holy 50 Scripture and read as well as he can, for it is good And if thou wast in thy house, pray at the third hour TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT 1 83 and glorify God : and if thou wast in another place, and if that hour has come to thee, pray in thy heart to God ; because in that hour they stripped Jesus Christ and nailed him upon the wood of the cross : and therefore the ancient law commanded to give the bread which 5 they offer at the third hour, as a type of the Body of Christ and his precious Blood ; and they sacrificed the Iamb which was a type of the perfect Lamb, for Christ is the Shepherd, and he is the Bread which came down from the heavens. And again pray at the sixth hour ; for 10 at that hour was the hanging of our Lord Christ upon the wood of the cross, and the day was divided and darkness came : and they shall pray at that hour a strong prayer ; and they shall be like the word which our Lord Christ prayed, and made all the world darkness : and 15 the catechumens shall make a great prayer. And at the ninth hour they shall be long in prayer, and a prayer with glorifying, that ye may join in glorifying with the soul of the righteous ones, glorifying the living God who faileth not, who remembered his righteous 20 ones, and sent to them his Son, that is, his Word to enlighten them : because in that hour the side of Christ was pierced, and the blood and water flowed out : and then the rest of the day shone when the evening came. And therefore thou also as thou makest beginning of 25 another day, as a likeness of the Resurrection, pray before thou restest thy body in thy bed. And at midnight having risen from thy bed, and having washed thy hand with water, pray. And if thou hast a wife, both of you pray. And if she has not yet 30 become a believer, go aside from her and pray alone. 1 84 STATUTES OF THE APOSTLES and return again into thy bed. Because thou art bound by marriage thou shalt not leave off praying; because ye are clean, and it is not for you (to be as) unclean. Those who have been baptised require not 5 to be washed again, because they are clean. And if thou breathedst into thy hands and sealest thee with thy spittle which goes forth from thy mouth, thou wilt be clean all over. This is from the Holy Spirit, and the drop of the water of baptism ascends from lo the out-gashing which is the heart of the Faithful, and purifies the believers. At this hour, therefore, they shall pray carefully, because the presbyters who handed down to us thus instructed us, that at this hour all creation prays to God. The stars and the plants stand 15 up, and the waters stand up at that hour, and all the hosts of the heavens, the angels, ministering at that hour, with the soul of the righteous, glorify God. And there- fore it is seemly for all who believe to be careful to pray at that hour. To this our Lord also is being witness, ao thus saying : Behold there was a cry (at) midnight, saying. Behold, the bridegroom has come, rise, go forth to meet him. And he repeated it, saying : Watch, because ye know not in what hour your Lord will come. And at the time of the cock-crow, having 25 risen, likewise pray ; because at this hour, cock-crow, the children of Esrael denied our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom by faith we know how to trust as the eternal light, and while we hope for the resurrection of the dead. All of you of the Faithful therefore doing all 30 this, and looking forward and reminding one another, teach ye this wisdom to the catechumens, having TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT 18 first built up (their faith) ; and ye shall not go astray or be lost while ye always remember Christ And always be careful to seal thy forehead, for this sign then of the Passion is manifest against Satan, and signifies that thou makest it in faith. Not for 5 men alone is it made manifest, but know thou that thou puttest on a breastplate of righteousness, and the adversary sees what is in the heart, the rational strength of the inner man, for he was sealed inwardly and outwardly with the seal of the Word. He trembles 10 and flees away in haste (chased) by the Holy Spirit, who indeed is in the man that makes within him an abiding place. This is that which Muse before taught us of the lamb of the Pascha (Fasika) which was slain, and he commanded to smear the blood on the 15 lintel of the door and the door-posts. And the smear- ing declared therefore the faith which now we have, which dwells in us, which He gave us in the pure and perfect Lamb. And for this cause, if we have our foreheads thus sealed with the hand, then we shall 30 be safe from those who wish to kill us. And this if ye learn with thanksgiving and with right faith ye will be indeed strengthened, and He will give you eternal life. This is the ordinance for you that ye may keep it, ye who have sense, if ye heard and kept 35 all, He who keeps the teaching of the Apostles will not be hindered by any heretics. Those are the perverse who went astray and corrupted the teaching of the Apostles. And if men come to them they teach 1 86 STATUTES OF THE APOSTLES them in this manner : and these heretics increased, and of course they who listened to them are not willing to learn the commandment of the Aposdes, but do only their own will, that which they chose, and that : which sufficed for them as suiting their heart. And if there is any doctrine that we have diminished, brethren, God will reveal (it) to those who are worthy, while he steers the holy Church into quiet and a harbour. lo Statute 49. Concerning the gift and the office. If any- one has obtained a gift and office he shall not glory over anyone. Our God and Saviour Jesus Christ (is) he who gave us this great mystery of the religion of God, calling the Jews and Gentiles that they might know the one 5 God and Father in truth. As he said himself in the Gospel when giving thanks for the salvation of those who believe on him : I have manifested thy Name to the men : the work which thou gavest me I have finished. And concerning himself he said to the Father : Holy Father, the world indeed knoweth thee not, but I know thee, and these also know thee. Since then we have all been thus made perfect, he said concerning the Spirit of grace which should be given from him : This sign, then, to them who believe (is) that which shall be done in my 25 Name. They shall cast out demons, and they shall speak with tongues, and they shall take serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not affect them, and upon the sick they shall lay their hand and they shall recover. TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT 1 87 And this grace, then, was first given to us, the Apostles, that in his name we might preach the Gospel to all creation ; and next, to those who believed by us, as is seemly that they should be given to them ; not for the sake of benefiting those who work, but for the sake of s unbelievers, to make them believe : that those who by the Son did not believe in him, the power of the signs might put to shame. For signs are liot for the faithful but for unbelieving, for Jews and Gentiles. Casting out demons is no gain for us, but is done by the working of our Lord lo Christ To those who believe this grace shall be gfiven, as the Lord himself teaches and shows us when he said : Rejoice not because the demons submit to you, but rejoice because your names are written in the heavens. Since the power is his, and ours the faith and diligence, 15 it is clear that we work by him. It is not necessary therefore that a believer should cast out demons, and raise the dead, and speak with tongues, but he who gave the gce (gave it) for that which is seemly, for salvation of unbelievers. Though most men are put to shame, not by the demonstration of the word, but by the working of the signs which is connected with salvation, yet all the wicked are not put to shame by a plague. And God himself testified to this, as he said in the Law : With other tongues I will speak to 5 this people and with other lips, and they will not believe. For neither did the Egyptians believe God, when Moses the prophet worked so many signs and miracles, nor did the Jews, through their malice, believe him, though our Lord Christ for the Jews like Moses healed all infirmity 30 and all sickness among them. Nor again did it put those 1 88 STATUTES OF THE APOSTLES to shame, nor did they believe in it, when the rod became transformed as a serpent, nor the hand when it was made white, nor the river when it became blood, neither by this again did they believe him : nor again were these 5 satisfied when the blind saw and the lame ran and the dead rose. And moreover lyanes and lyanbares opposed that one, and this also Hana and Kayafa insulted. But this one was not sufficient for them, and they ijit, he) were not put lo to shame when he did signs and wonders, but only those of good character with whom God is well pleased, and he only exercises power for them as a wise ordainer, not according to the power of a man, but his own will. This therefore we say that they who received such a grace 15 may not boast over those who received not the grace. I speak therefore about a grace accompanied by a sign, for there is no man who believed in Christ the Son of God, who does not receive a grace of the Holy Spirit. For indeed he who has been transformed from the religion 20 of many evil gods and believed in God the Father and in Christ his Son ; this (in itself) is a grace from God. If he believed in God and cast away the unbelief of the Jews, and confesses (that) according to the will of God who was before the world, the only Son in the last days was 25 bom of a virgin without intercourse of man, and lived with men without sin, fulfilling all the righteousness of the Law, and that by the will of God he was crucified and was buried and rose the third day, and after the resurrec- tion from the dead (for forty days) having been with the 30 Apostles, and having made an end of all his ordinance (to them), he ascended in their presence to him TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT 1 89 who sent him, God the Father. To know this in truth then, not vaguely but as certain, he received a grace from God. So also he who has been transformed from all heresy. Let not therefore any who do a sign and miracle 5 despise any of the believers to whom a working was not imparted. His own are the graces of God which are given through Christ. Thou indeed hast received this, and any of thy neighbours that ; either the word of wisdom, or knowledge, or discerning of spirits, or the word of 10 prescient instruction, or endurance, or lawful continence. Because Moses the man of God, in Egypt, when he worked signs did not magnify himself above the people Esrael, and though he was named god he did not magnify himself nor boasted over his prophet Aaron. 15 Neither did (the son) of Newe lyasu when he was leading the people after him, and while he fought with (the people of) the lyabusewon, and made the sun to stand towards Gabaon and the moon towards the valley of Ailon, because the day was not sufficient for the 20 victory, he did not magnify himself above Fenehas and above Kaleb. Nor did Samuel, though he wrought so many signs, contemn David the beloved of God, both being prophets, the one chief priest and the other king. And the seven thousand who were in Esrael, the holy ones 25 who would not worship Ba’al in bowing the knee, Elyas only amongst them and his assistant Eleseos were workers of a miracle. Neither did Elyassa despise Abdeyu keep- ing the law and fearing God, and he did no signs. And Elesewon did not neglect his assistant when he was 30 afraid of the enemy, but attended to him. And Daniel again, the wise, who was twice saved from the mouth of the lions; and the three children who went forth from the furnace of fire did not despise the others who were another people, because they knew that by their own 5 power they did not overcome the trial, but by the strength of God they both did a sign, and they were saved from the trouble. Therefore let none of you magnify himself above his brother, if he is a prophet or worker of a miracle. If lo indeed it was granted that there should not be any who believed not, superfluous then (would be) all working of signs. For the fearing of God is a matter of faith, and the doing of a sign is of him whose power worked. As regards the first indeed we looked to ourselves, 15 and in the second God works, concerning which we have already spoken. Statute 50. Therefore also let not the king despise any of those who are below him, the magistrates, nor the ao officers who obey him. For if there were not subjects, magistrates would be useless, and if there were not magistrates, the kingdom would not exist for the king. And let not the bishops magnify themselves above the deacons, nor the presbyters again above the 25 people who are below them, because of them consists the constitution of the assembly ; nor shall they say : The bishops and presbyters are taken out of the people. And to be Christians is of ourselves, but (to be) Aposde or bishop or whatever other (order) there TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT I9I may be is not of ourselves but of God who gives grace. As much as this then we ourselves say concerning those who have graces imparted to them, and this further we say, going on in speaking. Statute 51. That not everyone who prophesies is righteous, nor everyone who casts out demons is holy. ” Because Bala’am even, the son of Bl’or, prophesied by divination, (being) wicked, and ]ayafas with false name of Chief Priest prophesied. And Satan even lo foretold, and the demons who are with him, but not on account of this have they so much as a spark of fear of God, in ignorance they are trusting to the will of the malice of their thoughts. It is clear then that the impious if they prophesy do not reveal their wickedness 15 in their prophesying. Nor do those who cast out demons (belong) to the righteous by their casting them out. They lead one another astray : like the teaching of laughter, (they who do it) and they who consort with them go to ruin. And a lawless king was not a king, but is a tyrant Statute 52. And the bishop who is persuaded by error or by evil thought is not a bishop, but one with a false name. And he was not ordained by God, but 5 by man. Like Ananyas and Samyas in Israel ; and Sedekyas and Akiya, who were false prophets in Babilon. And Bala’am indeed the diviner was punished with punishment for corrupting the people of Israel with Be’el 1 ‘Saytan.’ Fegor ; and Kayafa at last was a self-murderer ; and the sons of Askeva also, devising to expel demons, having been wounded by them, fled away suffering pains. And the kings of Esrael and of Juda when they all sinned were 5 punished with punishment. It is clear then that bishops and presbyters with false names shall not escape from the punishment of God, and therefore it is said to them : Now, O ye priests who disgrace my Name, I will deliver you to the slaughter, as Sadeka and Akiya whom the lo king of Babilon roasted, as said Eremyas the prophet. This then we say, and we do not despise true prophecy, because we know that for prophecies the mind of God was upon righteous men, working (with them). But we are removing the audacity of the 1 5 boastful ; and we are bringing this near, (that) in the case of those who are such God removes their grace. For God resisteth the boastful, and giveth grace to the humble. Silas and Agabos amongst ourselves, when they prophesied, therefore did not make themselves equal to ao the Apostles nor overstepped their own measure, though they were lovers of God. And women have prophesied : first, the sister of Muse and sister of Aron, Maryam, and after this, Dobira, and after her, Ela, Aster, and Yudit : the one was with Yusyes and the other with Daryus. 2 And the Mother of our Lord prophesied, and Elesabet also who was of her family, and Hana, and amongst our- selves also the daughters of Filepos ; but these did not magnify themselves above men, but they kept their own measure. Therefore amongst you also, whether they 30 are men or women, and they obtained any such gace, let them humble themselves, that God may delight in TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT I93 them, for he indeed said : To whom shall I look except to the humble and gentle and quiet one, and who trembleth at my word. But keep yourselves from the religion of demons and from gods, and from dead things keep, and from blood and 5 things strangled, and further, a bone shall not be broken. But concerning Apostles and Prophets according to the ordinance of the Gospel thus do ye. Every apostle who comes to you shall not remain except one day or the next ; and if he has need, the third also ; and if he 10 stayed longer he is a false prophet. And every prophet who speaks in the spirit shall be proved, and he shall be examined that there may be no sin (in him). And everyone who speaks in the spirit is a prophet : if he lives the life of God, he is a true 15 prophet : by his life hitherto shall be known every false prophet, or a (true) prophet And every prophet who orders a table in the spirit shall not eat of it : otherwise he is a false prophet And every prophet then who teaches, but does not the truth, is a false prophet. And every prophet proved in truth, who acts in the assembly of men and acts unlawfully, shall not be judged by you, for his judgment is from God ; because thus did the ancient prophets. 25 And he who says in the spirit. Give to me gold or anything else, ye shall not listen to him. And if he speaks for another, give to him; there is no one who shall examine him. And ye shall receive everyone who comes to you in the name of our Lord, and then having proved him ye shall know, for ye have wisdom, and so (to speak) on the right hand and on the left. If he is a passer-by, help him as much as ye can, and let him not remain with you beyond the next day and the third day. And if he had need and 5 wished, he may remain with you, if he has a trade to work at ; but if he works not he shall not be supported, and if he has no trade and works not, according to your wisdom devise for him that he shall not remain with you idle. And if he is unwilling to do thus, he is a seller of ‘o the name of Christ, and ye shall beware of such. Every true prophet then who wishes to remain with you is worthy of sustenance, then support him ; and therefore all first-fruits of the wine-press and the threshing-floor, of oxen, of sheep, give the first-fruits of it to the prophets, ‘5 because they are your Chief Priests. And if ye have not a prophet, give to the poor. And if thou makest bread, give the first-fruit of it according to the commandment. And likewise an earthenware vessel of wine or of oil, and of honey, having opened it, having taken the first-fruit of thing, having taken the first-fruit of it, which thou wishedst, give it according to the commandment of the Lord. Your fast also shall not be as the hypocrites, because fifth. But ye, fast on the fourth and the sixth lit. the evening). And ye shall not pray as the hypocrites, but as the Lord commanded in the Gospel. And in your churches, ye presbyters and deacons, and 3 all the congregation (on) the sabbaths, make a place for the brethren, having ordered it with all diligence and care. TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT I95 If one is found sitting out of his order he shall be rebuked, because he has spoiled the holy Church, the dwelling of God. And it is like as we see the animals which speak not, oxen and horses and goats and sheep according to the existing kinds, if they are awake, they ruminate, and then s do not separate themselves one from another (of their own kinds), thus also in the church the youths shall sit by themselves, if there is room, and if there is not room they shall stand. The elders shall sit by themselves, and if they have children let them hold them in their arms. lo Further, the virgins also shall sit by themselves ; if there is not sufficient room, they shall stand in front of the other women. Those who have children with them and are married shall sit by themselves. Also the widows (of the church) and the (other) widows shall sit by 15 themselves. If brothers or sisters of (other) districts should come in, the deacon having come shall make inquiry. If one has a husband or is a widow, he shall cause them to enter and make them sit in separate places. 30 The presbyters also shall sit in their own several places. And if another presbyter should come of the (other) districts, they shall receive him into the place which is seemly for him. And if any other man or woman comes in lay dress, 25 either a man of the district or from other districts, being brethren, thou, presbyter, while thou speakest the word which is concerning God, or while thou hearest or readest, thou shalt not respect persons, nor leave thy ministering to command places for them, but remain 30 quiet, for the brethren shall receive them, and if they have no plax:e (for them) the lover of brothers or of sisters, having risen, will leave place for them. If (there are) youths, while the elder men remain sitting, having risen up, they shall leave their places. Thou, 5 deacon, hast thou observed among those who sit a young man or a virgin, having risen up, cause to sit down that man or that woman who left (a place), then having made her rise up outside the church, cause her to stand at the door, that others may learn a lesson and leave place for 10 their elders. Desire to make large churches lit. houses). And if a poor man or woman either of the district or of the (other) districts should come in and there is no place for them, thou, presbyter, make place for such with all 15 thy heart, even if thou wilt sit on the ground, that there should not be respecting the person of man but of God. And if then we have omitted anything, our brethren, God will reveal (it) to those who are worthy, while he 90 steers the holy Church into quiet and a harbour. And this word shall not be hidden concerning the gifts which God gave to the youths as they wished, and as they acquire the similitude of those who dwell in falsehood, and are moved because of alien spirits. And God appointed 25 impious men to be such as either prophesied or did signs. And now the word will guide us to that which is better for the ordinance of the Church : that ye indeed, the bishops whom we ordained and sent from ourselves by the commandment of our Lord Jesus Christ if ye know TRANSLATION OF THE ETHIOPIC TEXT 1 97 this ordinance from us that ye might do all and not neglect anything, as our Lord Jesus Christ commanded, as the ordinance which we gave to you. And ye know that he who heard from us is he who heard from Christ, and he who heard from Christ heard from God the S Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 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 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 reference to the prayer. ‘ 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 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 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 ‘ commandment’ 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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. 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 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. 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.