Precepts and Advice to Priests and Sons of the Covenant

Precepts and Advice to Priests and Sons of the Covenant of Mar Rabbula, Bishop of Edessa. Before all things, let the sons of the church be known. The true faith of the holy church. That they not be led astray by heretics. No man shall dwell with women, whether with deaconesses or with presbyters and deacons, or with sons of the covenant; but if with a woman, it shall be with his mother, or his sister, or his daughter. And they shall not sit alone with them outside. And they shall be trustworthy concerning them. Presbyters, deacons, and sons of the covenant shall not be bound by the covenant of chastity which they imposed upon themselves by force. Presbyters and deacons shall not serve with women, and especially with daughters of the covenant. And presbyters, deacons, and deaconesses shall not accept bribes from anyone, and especially from those who have a case. Presbyters and deacons shall not impose levies upon sons of the covenant and upon laymen, nor even if they are commanded by those of the city. But the offices of the church shall be fulfilled by whoever gives of his own will. When the bishop goes to a village, they shall not impose levies upon laymen in the name of the bishop. But if they go out from the church, whatever is sufficient from the church; and if there is nothing in the church, they shall not take anything. Priests shall not seek honoraria for festivals or for commemorations, by force exacting anything from anyone. But they shall take according to the will of him who gives. Presbyters, deacons, sons of the covenant, and daughters of the covenant shall not seek interest or usury, or any of the profits of filthy lucre. They shall not permit their priests, sons of the covenant, or daughters of the covenant to dwell with laymen, but only with their own people or with each other.

Be diligent in fasting and vigilant in prayer, all the sons of the church. Be careful that the poor and the needy not be turned away with a stern face. All the priests in the villages, be careful that the poor who are with you be cared for and comforted, and especially those who are sons of the covenant. Do not let the deacons present a man who has a blemish for the rank of the priesthood, nor those who are slaves by servitude and have not been freed, but rather as the Apostle commanded. Do not let everyone hear the deacons of the church, but only those men who are known to be trustworthy, who do not take bribes. Let the presbyters and deacons take charge of the monasteries that are in their districts, and be careful of them as of their own limbs. And let them also be zealous that the laymen participate with them in these bodily [labors]. And let not women enter inside the gates of their monasteries. In every church that there is, let there be one house where the poor who come to stay are lodged. As for sorcerers and whisperers, and those who write amulets and anoint men and women, who practice the art of medicine, expel them from the whole region, and take from them pledges that they will not do it again. Do not let the daughters of the covenant go out, one by one, to church or go about at night. If possible, let them dwell together. And likewise also the sons of the covenant. If there is anyone among the sons of the covenant or the daughters of the covenant who is in need, let the presbyters or deacons of their village take care of their need. But if it is not within their power, let them make known to the bishop who is over them, lest because of their need they be compelled to do something that is not right.

Learn the psalms, sons of the covenant. And daughters of the covenant, also the readings. Do not pronounce the name of God and swear by it, priests or deacons, sons of the covenant and daughters of the covenant, neither in a false matter nor in a true one, but only as is commanded. Do not lodge in inns, priests or deacons, in hostelries or in taverns when they enter the city, but lodge in the guesthouses of the church or in monasteries outside. Be distant from wine and from meat, priests and deacons, sons of the covenant and daughters of the covenant. But if there is one among them who is weak in his body, let him use a little, as is written. As for those who are drunk or who enter houses of ill repute, let them be expelled from the church. Do not let yourselves be found to have possessions beyond your need, all of you who have been disciples of Christ, but be distributors to the poor. Do not let priests and deacons and sons of the covenant be stewards or worldly rulers, nor accept upon themselves the judgment of their fellow men, nor of those for whom they are hired as judges, and be occupied with the door of judgment... Let priests and deacons and sons of the covenant and daughters of the covenant be diligent in the service of the church, and not neglect the hours of prayer and of the psalms by night and by day. Let them excommunicate and bind and send to the city for judgment, the layman who is insolent and takes a daughter of the covenant. But if she also was corrupted by her own will, send her away also. Sons of the covenant or daughters of the covenant who fall from their rank, to the monasteries where they began, for repentance, but if they remain in the monastery, let them not be received in the church, but let them stand with their fathers as long as is fitting.

Do not receive a female disciple, a woman who has a husband apart from her husband. Nor a man who has a wife apart from his partner, lest the name of God be blasphemed. Do not let priests leave and receive into communion those who are found in fornication, apart from your command. Let no one among the presbyters or among the deacons or any one of the sons of the church presume and place profane vessels among the sacred vessels, in a chest or in a patristic. Let no one presume and approach and offer the offering when he is not a presbyter or a deacon. All lords of villages, in the honor that is due to them, take your wives, while your wives do not take precedence over you and do not oppress your wives to the poor. Do not be slanderers of anyone. But if there is a necessity for the sake of which it is necessary to slander, or up to the fear of God, slander, or send to the magistrates of the world those who cause stumbling. Be judges of cases. And do not be coming and going in judgment. And those who pass by you, send them on ahead. Do not leave the sons of the covenant to go to taverns or to other places apart from the presbyters. Nor daughters of the covenant apart from the deaconesses. Let no one among the presbyters or among the deacons or among the sons of the covenant, apart from your command, go to the governor, or to a distant place and abandon his church. Not even if he is a steward of his village or of his church. Be zealous that the service of the house of God be for all the priests. And be doing everything that is required for the order of the house. And do not be raising animals in the church, lest the house of God be dishonored. A parish priest or a presbyter and a deacon who departs from the world, whatever the church has, he shall leave.

Do not let priests or deacons or sons of the covenant transact business with a letter or without a letter. Let priests and also deacons dwell in the church; and if possible, also sons of the covenant. Let there be celibacy for priests and deacons, so that in all the churches the Gospel of the Separated Ones is present and proclaimed. Let priests read the Gospel where it is present, and not deacons. Also the seal, where it is present, let priests give it. Let not laymen be stewards of the church, except where there are no sons of the covenant who are capable. Let not sons of the covenant drink wine in the baptistery or after the service. Do not accept any fee for the service, and on account of it do not do anything outside of the priesthood. Let not the sons of the church participate with heretics, neither in word nor in deed. Do not receive anyone from the heretics who dwells in a monastery. And let not one from the heretics who comes to the church and divides their opinion approach the Eucharist. The books of the heretics and the covers, burn in every place. And where you find them, or they are present, burn them with fire. Do not accept heretics to baptism without examination. But let them be examined and then received. Let not priests give the Eucharist to those who are healed by demons, so that there be no insult to the Eucharist through association with demons. The trees which were dedicated to demons, cut them down. And let them be for the thresholds of the church of their places. If the remainder of a temple of idols stands in a place, let the foundation be uprooted without disturbance. Churches where there is no one in them, and these which are in ruins, let them be for them proper canons and firm orders...

No one is to take from the houses of the church those who have taken upon themselves the name of Christ, and to sell or to divorce her. A man is not to divorce his wife unless he finds her in adultery. Nor is a woman to divorce her husband on any pretext whatsoever. No one is to marry his sister’s daughter or his brother’s daughter, nor his wife’s sister nor his aunt. The sons of the presbyters are not to go up to the enclosure of the altar. And no food is to be brought up to the sanctuary, nor are priests to eat there, nor is anyone to sleep in the temple. And nothing is to be placed there except the vessels of the sanctuary. Priests and deacons, when they give the Eucharist, are not to accept any gift whatsoever from those who receive the Eucharist. Here end the Precepts and Admonitions for Priests and Sons of the Covenant.