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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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