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SYNODAL LETTER
Eusebius, Ælian, Eugenius, Olympius, Bithynicus, Gregory, Philetus, Pappus,
Eulalius, Hypatius, Proaeresius, Basil and Bassus, assembled in the holy Synod
at Gangra, to our most honoured lords and fellow-ministers in Armenia wish
health in the Lord.
Forasmuch as the most holy Synod of Bishops, assembled on account of certain
necessary matters of ecclesiastical business in the Church at Gangra, on
inquiring also into the matters which concern Eustathius, found that many things
had been unlawfully done by these very men who are partisans of Eustathius, it
was compelled to make definitions, which it has hastened to make known to all,
for the removal of whatever has by him been done amiss. For, from their utter
abhorrence of marriage, and from their adoption of the proposition that no one
living in a state of marriage has any hope towards God, many misguided married
women have forsaken their husbands, and husbands their wives: then, afterwards,
not being able to contain, they have fallen into adultery; and so, through such
a principle as this, have come to shame. They were found, moreover, fomenting
separations from the houses of God and of the Church; treating the Church and
its members with disdain, and establishing separate meetings and assemblies, and
different doctrines and other things in opposition to the Churches and those
things which are done in the Church; wearing strange apparel, to the destruction
of the common custom of dress; making distributions, among themselves and their
adherents as saints, of the first-fruits of the Church, which have, from the
first, been given to the Church; slaves also leaving their masters, and, on
account of their own strange apparel, acting insolently towards their masters;
women, too, disregarding decent custom, and, instead of womanly apparel, wearing
men's clothes, thinking to be justified because of these; while many of them,
under a pretext of piety, cut off the growth of hair, which is natural to woman;
[and these persons were found] fasting on the Lord's Day, despising the
sacredness of that free day, but disdaining and eating on the fasts appointed in
the Church; and certain of them abhor the eating of flesh; neither do they
tolerate prayers in the houses of married persons, but, on the contrary, despise
such prayers when they are made, and often refuse to partake when Oblations are
offered in the houses of married persons; contemning married presbyters, and
refusing to touch their ministrations; condemning the services in honour of the
Martyrs and those who gather or minister therein, and the rich also who do not
alienate all their wealth, as having nothing to hope from God; and many other
things that no one could recount. For every one of them, when he forsook the
canon of the Church, adopted laws that tended as it were to isolation; for
neither was there any common judgment among all of them; but whatever any one
conceived, that he propounded, to the scandal of the Church, and to his own
destruction. Wherefore, the Holy Synod present in Gangra was compelled, on these
accounts, to condemn them, and to set forth definitions declaring them to be
cast out of the Church; but that, if they should repent and anathematize every
one of these false doctrines, then they should be capable of restoration. And
therefore the Holy Synod has particularly set forth everything which they ought
to anathematize before they are received. And if any one will not submit to the
said decrees, he shall be anathematized as a heretic, and excommunicated, and
cast out of the Church; and it will behove the bishops to observe a like rule in
respect of all who may be found with them.
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Canon 1
If any one shall condemn marriage, or abominate and condemn a woman who is a
believer and devout, and sleeps with her own husband, as though she could not
enter the Kingdom [of heaven] let him be anathema.
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Canon 2
If any one shall condemn him who eats flesh, which is without blood and has not
been offered to idols nor strangled, and is faithful and devout, as though the
man were without hope [of salvation] because of his eating, let him be anathema.
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Canon 3
Canon 3. If any one shall teach a slave, under pretext of piety, to despise his
master and to run away from his service, and not to serve his own master with
good-will and all honour, let him be anathema.
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Canon 4
If any one shall maintain, concerning a married presbyter, that is not lawful to
partake of the oblation when he offers it, let him be anathema.
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Canon 5
If any one shall teach that the house of God and the assemblies held therein are
to be despised, let him be anathema.
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Canon 6
If any one shall hold private assemblies outside of the Church, and, despising
the canons, shall presume to perform ecclesiastical acts, the presbyter with the
consent of the bishop refusing his permission, let him be anathema.
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Canon 7
If any one shall presume to take the fruits offered to the Church, or to give
them out of the Church, without the consent of the bishop, or of the person
charged with such things, and shall refuse to act according to his judgment, let
him be anathema.
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Canon 8
If anyone, except the bishop or the person appointed for the stewardship of
benefactions, shall either give or receive the revenue, let both the giver and
the receiver be anathema.
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Canon 9
If any one shall remain virgin, or observe continence, abstaining from marriage
because he abhors it, and not on account of the beauty and holiness of virginity
itself, let him be anathema.
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Canon 10
If any one of those who are living a virgin life for the Lord's sake shall treat
arrogantly the married, let him be anathema.
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Canon 11
If anyone shall despise those who out of faith make love-feasts and invite the
brethren in honour of the Lord, and is not willing to accept these invitations
because he despises what is done, let him be anathema.
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Canon 12
If any one, under pretence of asceticism, should wear a periboloeum and, as if
this gave him righteousness, shall despise those who with piety wear the berus
and use other common and customary dress, let him be anathema.
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Canon 13
If any woman, under pretence of asceticism, shall change her apparel and,
instead of a woman's accustomed clothing, shall put on that of a man, let her be
anathema.
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Canon 14
If any woman shall forsake her husband, and resolve to depart from him because
she abhors marriage, let her be anathema.
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Canon 15
If anyone shall forsake his own children and shall not nurture them, nor so far
as in him lies, rear them in becoming piety, but shall neglect them, under
pretence of asceticism, let him be anathema.
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Canon 16
If, under any pretence of piety, any children shall forsake their parents,
particularly [if the parents are] believers, and shall withhold becoming
reverence from their parents, on the plea that they honour piety more than them,
let them be anathema.
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Canon 17
If any woman from pretended asceticism shall cut off her hair, which God gave
her as the reminder of her subjection, thus annulling as it were the ordinance
of subjection, let her be anathema.
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Canon 18
If any one, under pretence of asceticism, shall fast on Sunday, let him be
anathema.
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Canon 19
If any of the ascetics, without bodily necessity, shall behave with insolence
and disregard the fasts commonly prescribed and observed by the Church, because
of his perfect understanding in the matter, let him be anathema.
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Canon 20
If any one shall, from a presumptuous disposition, condemn and abhor the
assemblies [in honour] of the martyrs, or the services performed there, and the
commemoration of them, let him be anathema.
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Epilogue
These things we write, not to cut off those who wish to lead in the Church of
God an ascetic life, according to the Scriptures; but those who carry the
pretence of asceticism to superciliousness; both exalting themselves above those
who live more simply, and introducing novelties contrary to the Scriptures and
the ecclesiastical Canons. We do, assuredly, admire virginity accompanied by
humility; and we have regard for continence, accompanied by godliness and
gravity; and we praise the leaving of worldly occupations, [when it is made]
with lowliness of mind; [but at the same time] we honour the holy companionship
of marriage, and we do not contemn wealth enjoyed with uprightness and
beneficence; and we commend plainness and frugality in apparel, [which is worn]
only from attention, [and that] not over-fastidious, to the body; but dissolute
and effeminate excess in dress we eschew; and we reverence the houses of God and
embrace the assemblies held therein as holy and helpful, not confining religion
within the houses, but reverencing every place built in the name of God; and we
approve of gathering together in the Church itself for the common profit; and we
bless the exceeding charities done by the brethren to the poor, according to the
traditions of the Church; and, to sum up in a word, we wish that all things
which have been delivered by the Holy Scriptures and the Apostolical traditions,
may be observed in the Church.
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