Didascalia Apostolorum

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DIDASCALIA. 43 them with jttstice to those that are in want, as a just steward of God, and that Jie also may supply his own want out of them without guilt ; and that he also stir np the people, that every one according to his ability take a share, and supply tJie need of the Church, in regard to the provision for the poor and for orphans and widows. Be not lovers of wine, nor drunkards, nor much puffed up, nor Ap. Con. luxurious. Do not incur expense that is not proper from the gifts of ^vxxivto' God, as if it were not your own, but as if you were making use of your own ; as those who are appointed to be good stewards of God, of Him who will in future require at your hands an account of the management of the stewardship with which you are entrusted. Let your sufficiency f- 29 a then be enough for you, food and raiment ; make use of what is necessary and not beyond what is just from the things that come in, as from strange things, but in moderation ; do not enjoy yourselves and be luxurious from the income of the Church, for to a workman his raiment and food are sufficient. Therefore as good stewards of God, do well in dispensing the things that are given and come into the Church, according to the commandment, to the orphans and widows and those who are in straits and to strangers, like men who know that ye have a God who requires at your hands an account of the stewardship which He has committed to you. Therefore distribute and give to every one who is in want, also yourselves provide and live from these things, from the things that come into the Church. Do not consume them yourselves alone, but give a share with yourselves to those who are in want. Be without offence before God ; because God reproves Bishops who use the income of the Church avariciously and for themselves alone, and do not give a share with them to the poor. The Lord said thus, "Ye eat the milk of the flocks, and ye clothe Ezekiel yourselves with the wool." For it is required of you Bishops that ye be provided for out of the income of the Church, but not that ye swallow it up ; for it is written, " Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that grinds." Thus Deut. xxv. A therefore as the ox that works in the threshing-floor without a muzzle eats food, but does not consume it all, thus also ye who labour in the threshing- floor, which is the Church of God, provide for yourselves from the Church, like the Levites who served in the Tabernacle of witness, which was the type of the Church, as its very name tells, for the Tabernacle of witness f. 29 b set forth the Church beforehand. Therefore the Levites who served in it were provided for without hindrance from the things that were given as the offerings of God by all the people, gifts, and oblations and first- fruits and tithes and sacrifices, and offerings and whole burnt-offerings,