worthy, but let him be reserved. For the Lord Jesus Christ was baptized, and began to teach in his thirteenth year.

XII. If any man has been baptized (1) in sickness, he must not be promoted to be a Presbyter, for his faith was not of his own free choice, but of necessity. Unless perhaps an exception is made on account of his subsequent diligence and faith, or on account of a scarcity of men.

XIII. Country Presbyters may not offer in the Church of the City, the Bishop or Presbyters of the City being present, nor give the bread or cup with prayer. If, however, these should happen to be absent, and he [a Country Presbyter] be called alone to the prayer, he may give it.

XIV. The Chorepiscopi are after the pattern of the Seventy; but as partners in the Liturgy, on account of their diligence towards the poor, they are honored so as to offer.

XV. The Deacons ought to be seven according to the Canon, even if the City be very great. This is proved by the Book of the Acts.

NOTES.

Canon XII. 1. Baptized.] Literally, enlightened, which was a common term in the Primitive Church for Baptism. In sickness. It being undoubtedly believed that Baptism was a complete cleansing from all previous sin, many persons were disposed to delay their Baptism till the approach of death; a practice which was severely censured and discouraged by the Primitive Church. They did not, indeed, at all deny the efficacy of such Baptism (which was called Clinic Baptism, i. e. Baptism in bed), but considered those who adopted it highly blameable, and, therefore, subjected them to such disqualifications as that in this Canon. That this was an old rule of the Church appears from the account which

Cornelius gives of the ordination of Novatian more than fifty years before the celebration of this Council, to which ordination the whole of the Clergy and many of the people objected as unlawful, because he had received Clinic Baptism.

Canons XIII. and XIV. These two Canons are commonly joined together, making the whole number of the Canons of this Council fourteen only.

THE CANONS OF GANGRA.

THE Synod of Gangra in Paphlagonia was held after that of Nice, but before that of Antioch, i. e. between A. D. 325, and 341, but the exact year is not known. It was assembled for the purpose of condemning the tenets of a certain Eustathius, respecting whose person nothing is known for certain, but whose tenets are summarily stated in a Synodical Epistle, which was addressed by the Bishops who attended the Council to their fellow-Bishops in Armenia, and signed by fifteen Bishops, and are particularly condemned in the Canons.

CANON I. If any one condemns marriage, or abhors and condemns a woman who sleeps with her husband, and is faithful and pious, as not being able to enter into the kingdom; Let him be Anathema.

II. If any one condemns him who with piety and faith eats flesh without the blood, and not having been offered to idols or strangled, as having no hopes on account of his eating; Let him be, &c.

III. If any one teaches that a servant may under pretence of godliness despise his master, and withdraw from his service, and not that he should serve his master with good will and all honor; Let him be, &c.

IV. If any one asserts concerning a married Presbyter,

that it is not lawful to partake of the oblation when he performs the divine service; Let him be, &c.

V. If any one teaches that the house of God, and the assemblies held therein, are to be despised; Let him be, &c.

VI. If any one holds a private meeting out of the Church, and despising the Church performs ecclesiastical offices without the concurrence of the Presbyter and the consent of the Bishop; Let him be, &c.

VII. If any one will take of the fruits offered to the Church, or give them out of the Church, contrary to the will of the Bishop, or of him who has the charge of such things, and will not act in accordance to their wishes ; Let him be, &c.

VIII. If any one gives or receives the fruits besides the Bishop, or him who has been appointed to dispense the benefactions; let both the giver and the receiver be Anathema.

IX. If any one preserves his virginity or contains, abstaining from marriage as abominating it, and not on account of the excellence and holiness of virginity itself; Let him be, &c.

X. If any one of those who preserve their virginity for the Lord's sake, insults those that are married; Let him be, &c.

XI. If any one despises those who make love-feasts out of faith, and call together the brethren in honor of the Lord, and will not partake of the invitations because he despises that which is done; Let him be, &c.

XII. If any one under a pretence of asceticism uses a cloak, and as if he thus acquired righteousness condemns those who with piety wear the berus (1), and use other common and accustomed clothing; Let him be, &c.

XIII. If any woman under pretence of asceticism

changes her clothing, and instead of the customary women's clothing, puts on that of a man; Let her be, &c.

XIV. If any woman leaves her husband, and will separate from him as abhorring marriage; Let her be, &c.

XV. If any one leaves his own children, and does not train them, as far as he can, to becoming piety, but under pretence of asceticism neglects them; Let him be, &c.

XVI. If any children, particularly of believers, withdraw from their parents under pretence of religion, and do not render the suitable honor to their parents, making it appear as if they honored religion before them; Let them be, &c.

XVII. If any woman under pretence of godliness cuts off her hair which God has given her for a memorial of subjection, as she thus dissolves the precept of subjection; Let her be, &c.

XVIII. If any one out of a pretence of asceticism fasts upon the Lord's day; Let him be, &c.

XIX. If any of the ascetics, without bodily necessity, behaves himself insolently, and breaks the fasts which have been commonly delivered and observed by the Church, having perfect use of his reason; Let him be, &c.

XX. If any one from a proud disposition blames and abhors the assemblies [in honor] of the Martyrs, or the divine services which are therein performed, or the commemorations of them; Let him be, &c.

We however write these things, not as cutting off those in the Church of God, who wish to lead an ascetic life, according to the Scriptures, but those who take up the pretence of such exercise out of pride, exalting them