Ethiopic Sinodos

Ethiopic Sinodos — Horner 1904 English translation of the Statutes — sourcepage 231

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