Didascalia Apostolorum

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DID ASC ALIA. 75 Reproof of rebellious Wido^vs. But thou, O widow who art without discipline, thou seest the widows thy companions, or thy brethren, in sicknesses, and thou carest not to fast and pray for thy members, to put thy hand and to visit them ; but thou makest thyself as if thou wert not in health, or as if thou wert not sufficient, and with others who are in sins or who have gone out from the Church, because they give much, thou art ready to go joyfully and to visit them. Therefore ye ought to be ashamed, ye who are such, ye who wish to be wiser and more intelligent not only than men, but also more so than the Elders and the Bishops. Know then, O sisters ! that in obeying all that the Pastors command you, with the Deacons, ye are obeying God, and in all that ye take part by the order of the Bishop ye are blameless before God, as also every brother of the laity, when he obeyeth the Bishop and submitteth unto him, because they will give account on behalf of all men, but if ye obey not the mind of the Bishops and the Deacons, they will be clear from your faults, and you will give account of all that you have done of your own will, or of yours, O ye widows ! It is not proper to pray with one who is ceimired (S. separated]. For every one who prays or takes part with any one who has gone out of the Church, is justly reckoned with him, for these things lead to the dissolution and the destruction of souls. For if any one take part and pray with him who is censured and is put out of the Church, and doth not obey the Bishop, he obeyeth not God, and is polluted along with him. Also he f. 53 a alloweth him not to repent. For if a man doth not take part with him he repenteth, and weepeth, and prayeth, and imploreth to be received, and turneth from what he hath done and is saved. It is not permitted to a woman to baptize. We do not advise a woman to baptize or to be baptized by a woman, Ap. con. for that is a transgression of the commandments, and there is great danger to her who baptizeth and also to him who is baptized ; for if it were lawful to be baptized by a woman, our Lord and Teacher would have been baptized by Mary His mother ; but He was baptized by John, as also others of the people. Therefore do not bring danger on yourselves, brothers and sisters, acting beyond the law of the Gospel. About the jealousy of false Widows towards one another. About jealousy, Ap. Con. or envy, or about calumny and murmurings, and about strife and vain talking, or about contention, we have spoken to you before ; it is not suitable that these things should be in a Christian ; nor is it fitting that one of them should even be named among the widows. But because the