OF BISHOPS, PRESBYTERS AND
DEACONS
Sec. 1. On Examining
Candidates for the Episcopal Office.
a. A bishop must be well instructed and experienced in the Word
of God.
A pastor who is to be ordained bishop must be un-blamable,
un-reproachable, free from all kinds of wickedness common among men,
not younger than 50 years old, so that he is over the disorder of
youth and the slander of heathens and false brethren.
Let him be well-educated, at least on the Word of God. But if there is
none of such mature age to be found, choose a younger one who is
spoken well by all. For Solomon was 12, Josiah was 8 and Joash, 7,
when called by God to rule.
But let the bishop be meek, humble and quiet. "Upon whom will I
look, but upon him who is humble and quiet and trembles at my
words." Let him shine in the Beatitudes.
b. What ought to be the character of a Bishop and of the rest of the
clergy.
Let him be sober, prudent, decent, firm, stable, not given to wine, no
striker of persons but gentle. He must be grave, faithful and decent.
Let him be void of anger. For wisdom says "Anger destroys even
the prudent." Let him be merciful, of a generous and loving
temper. He must care for widows and orphans and strangers, ready to
serve, to minister and attend.
c. Be careful in your charitable distribution.
Between a widow who can support herself and a wife who is not a widow
but burdened by sickness, many children and infirmity, let him help
the latter.
Do not assist those given to gluttony, drunkenness or idleness. They
must not even be esteemed as members of the Church. For the destiny of
drunkards is poverty and the lazy shall be in rags.
CONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY
APOSTLES (A 2nd century document containing what Our Lord taught His
eleven disciples after the Resurrection.)
(07-30-03)
