Didascalia Apostolorum

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32 DIDASCALIA. 14 When I say to the wicked that he shall surely die, and he turneth from 15 his sin, and doeth his righteousness; returneth the pledge which he hath taken, and payeth back that which he hath violently robbed, and walketh in the statutes and commandments of life that he may not do iniquity ; 16 he shall surely live and not die, and all the sins that, he hath sinned shall not be remembered unto him ; he hath done judgment and 17 righteousness, he shall surely live. And the children of thy people say, (Cod. Sang. The way of the Lord God is not good. Say unto them, Your is ways are not good. If the righteous turn from his righteousness and do 19 iniquity, he shall surely die in his iniquity ; and if the wicked turn from his wickedness and do judgment and righteousness, he shall live thereby)." It is required of you, O Bishops, according to the Scriptures, that ye judge those who sin with pity and mercy. For him that walketh on the brink of a river and falleth, if thou leave him in the river, thou pushest and throwest him down and committest murder; or when a man has fallen by f. 21 a the side of a river's brink, and nearly perishes, stretch out thy hand to him quickly and draw him up that he perish not: thus therefore do, that thy people may learn and be wise, and also that he that sinneth, may not perish Ap. Con. utterly, but that thou mayest look to him that hath sinned, be angry with him, and command them to put him out. And when he is put out1, be ye not angry1 with him, and contend with him, but let them keep him outside of the Church, and then let them go in and make supplication for him, for even our Saviour made supplication to His Father for those that had Lukexxiii. sinned, as it is written in the Gospel, " My Father, they know not what they do, nor what they speak, yet, if it be possible, forgive them." Then thou, O Bishop, command him to come in, and thyself ask him if he repents. If he be worthy to be received into the Church, appoint him days of fasting according to his fault, two, or three, or five, or seven weeks, and thus allow him to go, saying to him all that is proper for admonition and doctrine. Reprove him, and tell him to be humble-minded, and to pray and make supplication in the days of fasting, that he be found Gen. iv. 7 worthy of the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in Genesis, " Thou hast sinned, cease. Let thy repentance be with thee, and thou shalt have power over it." Look also at Miriam the sister of Moses, when she had spoken against Moses, and afterwards she repented, and was thought Numbers worthy of forgiveness, it was said by the Lord, " If her father had but spit xii. 14 in her face, would she not have been ashamed and separated for seven days without the camp, and then she would have come in?" Thus also 1 S. let them be angry.