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Heads of the Canons of Abulide or Hippolytus, Which are used by the Æthiopian Christians.

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iii.v.iv760 words

Heads of the Canons of Abulide or Hippolytus,

Which are used by the Æthiopian Christians.2036

1. Of the holy faith of Jesus Christ.2037

2. Of bishops.2038

3. Of prayers spoken on the ordination of bishops, and of the order of the Missa.2039

4. Of the ordination of presbyters.

5. Of the ordination of deacons.

6. Of those who suffer persecution for the faith.2040

7. Of the election of reader and sub-deacon.2041

8. Of the gift of healing.2042

9. Of the presbyter who abides in a place inconvenient for his office.2043

10. Of those who are converted to the Christian religion.

11. Of him who makes idols.2044

12. Various pursuits2045 are enumerated, the followers of which are not to be admitted to the Christian religion until repentance is exhibited.2046

13. Of the place which the highest kings or princes shall occupy in the temple.2047

14. That it is not meet for Christians to bear arms.2048

15. Of works which are unlawful to Christians.2049

16. Of the Christian who marries a slave-woman.2050

17. Of the free woman.2051

18. Of the midwife; and that the women ought to be separate from the men in prayer.2052

19. Of the catechumen who suffers martyrdom before baptism.2053

20. Of the fast of the fourth and sixth holiday; and of Lent.2054

21. That presbyters should assemble daily with the people in church.2055

22. Of the week of the Jews’ passover; and of him who knows not passover (Easter).2056

23. That every one be held to learn doctrine.2057

24. Of the care of the bishop over the sick.2058

25. Of him on whom the care of the sick is enjoined; and of the time at which prayers are to be made.2059

26. Of the time at which exhortations are to be heard.2060

27. Of him who frequents the temple every day.2061

28. That the faithful ought to eat nothing before the holy communion.2062

29. That care is to be well taken that nothing fall from the chalice to the ground.2063

30. Of catechumens.2064

31. That a deacon may dispense the Eucharist to the people with permission of a bishop or presbyter.2065

32. That widows and virgins ought to pray constantly.2066

33. That commemoration should be made of the faithful dead every day, with the exception of the Lord’s day.2067

34. Of the sober behaviour of the secular2068 in church.2069

35. That deacons may pronounce the benediction and thanksgiving at the love-feasts when a bishop is not present.2070

36. Of the first-fruits of the earth, and of vows.2071

37. When a bishop celebrates the holy communion (Synaxis),2072 the presbyters who stand by him should be clothed in white.2073

38. That no one ought to sleep on the night of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.2074

Footnotes

  1. 2036

    These were first published in French by Jo. Michael Wanslebius in his book De Ecclesia Alexandrina, Paris, 1677, p. 12; then in Latin, by Job Ludolfus, in his Commentar. ad historiam Æthiopicam, Frankfort, 1691, p. 333; and by William Whiston, in vol. iii. of his Primitive Christianity Revived, published in English at London, 1711, p. 543. He has also noted the passages in the Constitutions Apostolicæ, treating the same matters.

  2. 2037

    Constit. Apostol., lib. vi. ch. 11, etc.

  3. 2038

    Lib. vii. ch. 41.

  4. 2039

    Lib. vii. ch. 4, 5, 10. [The service of the faithful, Missa Fidelium, not the modern Mass. See Bingham, book xv. The Missa was an innocent word for the dismission of those not about to receive the Communion.  See Guettée, Exposition, etc., p. 433.]

  5. 2040

    Lib. viii. ch. 17, 18, 19, 20, 23, 45.

  6. 2041

    Lib. viii. ch. 21, 22.

  7. 2042

    Lib. viii. ch. 1, 2.

  8. 2043

    Lib. viii. ch. 46, 32.

  9. 2044

    Lib. viii. ch. 46, 32.

  10. 2045

    Studia.

  11. 2046

    Lib. viii. ch. 46, 32.

  12. 2047

    Wanting.

  13. 2048

    Lib. viii. ch. 32.

  14. 2049

    Lib. viii. ch. 32.

  15. 2050

    Lib. viii. ch. 32.

  16. 2051

    Lib. viii. ch. 32.

  17. 2052

    Lib. ii. ch. 57.

  18. 2053

    Lib. v. ch. 6.

  19. 2054

    Lib. v. ch. 13, 15.

  20. 2055

    Lib. ii. ch. 36.

  21. 2056

    Lib. v. ch. 15, etc.

  22. 2057

    Lib. vii. ch. 39, 40, 41.

  23. 2058

    Lib. iv. ch. 2.

  24. 2059

    Lib. iii. ch. 19, viii. ch. 34.

  25. 2060

    Lib. viii. ch. 32.

  26. 2061

    Lib. ii. ch. 59.

  27. 2062

    Wanting.

  28. 2063

    Wanting,

  29. 2064

    Lib. vii. ch. 39, etc.

  30. 2065

    Lib. viii. ch. 28.

  31. 2066

    Lib. iii. ch. 6, 7, 13.

  32. 2067

    Lib iv. ch. 14, viii. ch. 41–44.

  33. 2068

    i.e., laymen.

  34. 2069

    Lib. ii. ch. 57.

  35. 2070

    Wanting.

  36. 2071

    Or offerings. Lib. ii. ch. 25.

  37. 2072

    [Synaxis. Elucidation II.]

  38. 2073

    Lib. vii. ch. 29, viii. 30, 31. (See the whole history of ecclesiastical antiquity, on this point, in the learned work of Wharton B. Marriott, Vestiarium Christianum, London, Rivingtons, 1868.]

  39. 2074

    Lib. viii. ch. 12, v. ch. 19.