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Chapter 40
These things therefore being manifest to us, and since we look into the depths
of the divine knowledge, it behoves us to do all things in their proper order,
which the Lord has commanded us to perform at stated times. He has enjoined
offerings to be presented and service to be performed to Him, and that not
thoughtlessly or irregularly, but at the appointed times and hours. Where
and by whom He desires these things to be done, He Himself has fixed by His
own supreme will, in order that all things being piously done according to
His good pleasure, may be acceptable to Him. Those, therefore, who present
their offerings at the appointed times, are accepted and blessed; for inasmuch
as they follow the laws of the Lord, they sin not. For his own peculiar services
are assigned to the high priest, and their own proper place is prescribed
to the priests, and their own special ministrations devolve on the Levites.
The layman is bound by the laws that pertain to laymen.
Chapter 41
Let every one of you, brethren, give thanks to God in his own order, living
in all good conscience, with becoming gravity, and not going beyond the rule
of the ministry prescribed to him. Not in every place, brethren, are the
daily sacrifices offered, or the peace-offerings, or the sin-offerings and
the trespass-offerings, but in Jerusalem only. And even there they are not
offered in any place, but only at the altar before the temple, that which
is offered being first carefully examined by the high priest and the ministers
already mentioned. Those, therefore, who do anything beyond that which is
agreeable to His will, are punished with death. You see, brethren, that the
greater the knowledge that has been vouchsafed to us, the greater also is
the danger to which we are exposed.
Chapter 42
The apostles have preached the Gospel to us from the Lord Jesus Christ; Jesus
Christ has done so from God. Christ therefore was sent forth by God, and
the apostles by Christ. Both these appointments, then, were made in an orderly
way, according to the will of God. Having therefore received their orders,
and being fully assured by the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and
established in the word of God, with full assurance of the Holy Ghost, they
went forth proclaiming that the kingdom of God was at hand. And thus preaching
through countries and cities, they appointed the first-fruits of their labours,
having first proved them by the Spirit, to be bishops and deacons of those
who should afterwards believe. Nor was this any new thing, since indeed many
ages before it was written concerning bishops and deacons. For thus says
the Scripture a certain place, "I will appoint their bishops in righteousness,
and their deacons in faith."
Chapter 43
And what wonder is it if those in Christ who were entrusted with such a duty
by God, appointed those ministers before mentioned, when the blessed Moses
also, "a faithful servant in all his house," noted down in the sacred books
all the injunctions which were given him, and when the other prophets also
followed him, bearing witness with one consent to the ordinances which he
had appointed? For, when rivalry arose concerning the priesthood, and the
tribes were contending among themselves as to which of them should be adorned
with that glorious title, he commanded the twelve princes of the tribes to
bring him their rods, each one being inscribed with the name of the tribe.
And he took them and bound them together, and sealed them with the rings
of the princes of the tribes, and laid them up in the tabernacle of witness
on the table of God. And having shut the doors of the tabernacle, he sealed
the keys, as he had done the rods, and said to them, Men and brethren, the
tribe whose rod shall blossom has God chosen to fulfil the office of the
priesthood, and to minister to Him. And when the morning was come, he assembled
all Israel, six hundred thousand men, and showed the seals to the princes
of the tribes, and opened the tabernacle of witness, and brought forth the
rods. And the rod of Aaron was found not only to have blossomed, but to bear
fruit upon it. What think you, beloved? Did not Moses know beforehand that
this would happen? Undoubtedly he knew; but he acted thus, that there might
be no sedition in Israel, and that the name of the true and only God might
be glorified; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Chapter 44
Our apostles also knew, through our Lord Jesus Christ, and there would be
strife on account of the office of the episcopate. For this reason, therefore,
inasmuch as they had obtained a perfect fore-knowledge of this, they appointed
those presbyters already mentioned, and afterwards gave instructions, that
when these should fall asleep, other approved men should succeed them in
their ministry. We are of opinion, therefore, that those appointed by them,
or afterwards by other eminent men, with the consent of the whole Church,
and who have blame-lessly served the flock of Christ in a humble, peaceable,
and disinterested spirit, and have for a long time possessed the good opinion
of all, cannot be justly dismissed from the ministry. For our sin will not
be small, if we eject from the episcopate those who have blamelessly and
holily fulfilled its duties. Blessed are those presbyters who, having finished
their course before now, have obtained a fruitful and perfect departure [from
this world]; for they have no fear lest any one deprive them of the place
now appointed them. But we see that you have removed some men of excellent
behaviour from the ministry, which they fulfilled blamelessly and with honour.
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