Ethiopic Sinodos

Ethiopic Sinodos — Horner 1904 English translation of the Statutes — sourcepage 249

202 STATUTES OF THE APOSTLES Statute 55. Concerning those who confessed. The confessor shall not be ordained. This is a thing ^ of his own will. He is worthy of great honour, for he confessed God, and he confessed before peoples and kings. If he 5 had a call for this he shall be ordained bishop ; or as presbyter let him be ordained : and likewise this ordina- tion is because of his confession. If he did not finish (his course), but turned back and denied, he shall be deposed ; * because not only did he deny Christ, but lo became an enemy as one of the unbelievers. Statute 56. Concerning the Virgins and Widows. And he shall not lay hand upon virgins, because this thing is not a commandment from God, for it is concerned 15 with the character of a man ; and it is not that (the virgin) despises marriage, but that he may have time for the service of God. And concerning Widows. He shall not lay hand upon a widow, but if she lives alone, and her husband has been dead many years, being a widow ao of long time, and if she has lived industriously, and if no accusation is found against her, and if she was able to order properly the men of her own house like Yudit, and if she loved all good things like Yudit, then she shall be put (lit. ordained) into the Order of Widows. And 25 if her husband was dead a short time, and not long, she shall not be trusted nor put into the Order of Widows, but shall remain a long time, with good works, with fasting and prayer, keeping apart, that she may subdue ^ Lit * commandment.' The Arabic word means both * thing ' and ' commandment' ^ The passage is corrupt.