Didascalia Apostolorum

Historical source scan page 79

DIDASCALIA. 5 1 who have confirmed you by admonition, and made you partakers in the holy Eucharist of God, and made you sharers and heirs of God's promise. Reverence these [men], and honour them (the Bishops) with all honour, for they have received authority from God of life and death, not that they may judge those who have sinned, and condemn them to death in everlasting fire, excommunicating and sending away those who are con- demned, may this never happen ! but that they may receive and give life to those who are converted and repent. Let these then be your Chiefs, and ^p' Coil< ' II. XXXIV. let them be considered by you as kings, and by deeds give honour to them as kings, for it is required of you that ye provide for them and for those that are with them. For thus it is written in the first book of the Kingdoms, that Samuel f. 35 a the prophet said unto the people by means of words of the Lord, to those that asked from him a king, and he said unto them, "This is the law JSam.viii. of the king who shall reign over you ; he will take your sons, and appoint them over his chariots, and make them runners before him ; and will make 12 to himself captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds ; they shall reap his harvest, and gather his vintage, and shall keep in order the instruments of his chariots. Your daughters he shall take to be weavers, is and servants of his house. Your fields, and your vineyards, and your 1* olive-yards, the best, he will take and give to his servants, and to eunuchs. Your maidservants and menservants, and your oxen and your asses he is shall take and tithe for the service of his work. He will take tithe of your 17 sheep ; and ye also shall be his servants." According to this likeness also the Bishop rules. For if even a king who reigned over all that multitude of people, took from that people, as it is written in Hosea, that " the people HOB. i. 10 of the children of Israel are many as the sand that is on the shore of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered," and according to the number of that people were also the services that were required from it, thus now also the Bishop taketh to himself from the people, those whom he consider- eth and knoweth to be worthy of him and of his office, and maketh them elders and counsellers, members of his session, deacons and subdeacons, all as he requireth according to the service of a house. What more can we say ? for the king who wears the crown, reigns only over the body, and binds and looses only in this world, but the Bishop reigns over both soul and body, that he may loosen on the earth, and bind in heaven, by heavenly f. 35 b power. For it is a great heavenly power, that of the Almighty, which is given to him. Nevertheless, love ye your Bishop as a father, reverence him as a king, and honour him as God. Present to him your fruits, and the