Didascalia Apostolorum

Historical source scan page 68

4<D DIDASCALIA. return no more to do this, neither do I condemn thee." In this therefore let our Saviour and King and God be to you a sign, O Bishops ! be like Him, that ye may be gentle and humble and merciful and clement, and peacemakers and without anger, teachers, and reprovers, and receivers and persuaders. Be not wrathful and be not tyrants, nor contemptuous, nor haughty, nor boasters. CHAPTER VII. Again a broad doctrine about the Bishop himself, that with much diligence he take care of his flock and admonish and encourage them, and teach them, tJtat they may not cut off hope about themselves when they fall ; and a great consolation to those who are shaken and are converted repenting, and a great condemnation upon the Bishop who receiveth not those zvho repent, and a command to him that he be gentle and kind towards the children of his people, IL xvStii). and be not harsh and angry. " Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord God. Forasmuch 8 as my flock is for a prey and for meat to all the beasts of the wilderness, without a shepherd, and the shepherds have not sought my flock, but the f. 27 a 9 shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock, therefore, ye shepherds, 10 hear the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require My flock at your hands, and cause them to cease from any more feeding My flock ; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more, but I will deliver My flock from your 11 hands, that they may not be meat for them. For thus saith the Lord God, 12 Therefore behold I will visit my flock, and will seek them out, as a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day of storm, being amongst them, thus will I seek out my flock and gather it, from all the places where they is have been scattered, in the day of cloud and darkness. And I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the lands, and bring them into their own land, and I will feed them upon the mountains of 14 Israel, and in all the waste places of the land. In a good and fat pasture I will feed them, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall be the glory of their splendour, and there they shall lie in a good fold, and in a fat 15 pasture shall they feed in the mountains of Israel. I will feed My flock, is and I will establish1 them, saith the Lord God, I will seek that which is lost, and restore that which has wandered, and bind up that which is broken, and strengthen that which is sick, and I will keep that which is fat and IT strong, and will feed them with judgment. And you My flock, the flocks 1 S. send.