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| Chapter IX.—Honour the bishop.
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Chapter IX.—Honour the bishop.
Moreover,1032
it is in
accordance with reason that we should return to soberness [of conduct],
and, while yet we have opportunity, exercise repentance towards God.
It is well to
reverence1033
| 1033 Literally,
“to know.” | both God and the bishop. He who
honours the bishop has been honoured by God; he who does anything without
the knowledge of the bishop, does [in reality] serve the devil. Let all
things, then, abound to you through grace, for ye are worthy. Ye have
refreshed me in all things, and Jesus Christ [shall refresh] you. Ye have
loved me when absent as well as when present. May God recompense you, for
whose sake, while ye endure all things, ye shall attain unto Him.
Moreover, it is in accordance with reason that we
should return to soberness [of conduct], and, while yet we have
opportunity, exercise repentance towards God. For “in Hades there
is no one who can confess his sins.”1034
For “behold the man, and his work is before
him.”1035
And [the Scripture
saith], “My son, honour thou God and the king.”1036
And say I, Honour thou God indeed, as the
Author and Lord of all things, but the bishop as the high-priest, who
bears the image of God—of God, inasmuch as he is a ruler, and of
Christ, in his capacity of a priest. After Him, we must also honour the
king. For there is no one superior to God, or even like to Him, among all
the beings that exist. Nor is there any one in the Church greater than
the bishop, who ministers as a priest to God for the salvation of the
whole world. Nor, again, is there any one among rulers to be compared
with the king, who secures peace and good order to those over whom he
rules. He who honours the bishop shall be honoured by God, even as he
that dishonours him shall be punished by God. For if he that rises up
against kings is justly held worthy of punishment, inasmuch as he
dissolves public order, of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall
he be thought worthy,1037
who presumes to do
anything without the bishop, thus both destroying the [Church’s]
unity, and throwing its order into confusion? For the priesthood is the
very highest point of all good things among men, against which whosoever
is mad enough to strive, dishonours not man, but God, and Christ Jesus,
the First-born, and the only High Priest, by nature, of the Father. Let
all things therefore be done by you with good order in Christ. Let the laity be subject to
the deacons; the deacons to the presbyters; the presbyters to the bishop;
the bishop to Christ, even as He is to the Father. As ye, brethren, have
refreshed me, so will Jesus Christ refresh you. Ye have loved me when
absent, as well as when present. God will recompense you, for whose sake
ye have shown such kindness towards His prisoner. For even if I am not
worthy of it, yet your zeal [to help me] is an admirable1038
thing. For “he who honours a prophet in the name of a prophet,
shall receive a prophet’s reward.”1039
It is manifest also, that he who honours a prisoner of Jesus
Christ shall receive the reward of the martyrs.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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