Book 6 · Section 1

About this work

A large church-order compilation presented in apostolic voices, combining earlier sources with instruction on ethics, worship, ministry, discipline, liturgy, widows, ordination, and ecclesial administration across eight books.

Author: Anonymous Syrian compiler
Traditional attribution: The Apostles, transmitted through Clement of Rome
Date: Late 4th century, incorporating earlier material
Origin: Syria (often proposed)
Genre: Church Order

The compilation incorporates earlier documents and should not be dated or attributed as a single uniform composition.

Sec. I.—On Heresies.

Who They Were that Ventured to Make Schisms, and Did Not Escape Punishment.

Section 1

I. Above all things, O

Opening the library…

III. And they raised a sedition against Moses the servant of God, the meekest of all men, and faithful, and affronted so great a man with the highest ingratitude; him who was their lawgiver, and guardian, and high priest, and king, the administrator of divine things; one that showed as a creator the mighty works of the Creator; the meekest man, freest from arrogance, and full of fortitude, and most benign in his temper; one who had delivered them from many dangers, and freed them from several deaths by his holiness; who had done so many signs and wonders from God before the people, and had performed glorious and wonderful works for their benefit; who had brought the ten plagues upon the Egyptians; who had divided the Red Sea, and had separated the waters as a wall on this side and on that side, and had led the people through them as through a dry wilderness, and had drowned Pharaoh and the Egyptians, and all that were in company with them; and had made the fountain sweet for them with wood, and had brought water out of the stony rock for them when they were thirsty; and had given them manna out of heaven, and had distributed flesh to them out of the air; and had afforded them a pillar of fire in the night to enlighten and conduct them, and a pillar of a cloud to shadow them in the day, by reason of the violent heat of the sun; and had exhibited to them the law of God, engraven from the mouth, and hand, and writing of God, in tables of stone, the perfect number of ten commandments; “to whom God spake face to face, as if a man spake to his friend;” of whom He said, “And there arose not a prophet like unto Moses.” Against him arose the followers of Corah, and the Reubenites, and threw stones at Moses, who prayed, and said: “Accept not Thou their offering.” And the glory of God appeared, and sent some down into the earth, and burnt up others with fire; and so, as to those ringleaders of this schismatical deceit which said, “Let us make ourselves a leader,” the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up, and their tents, and what appertained to them, and they went down alive into hell; but he destroyed the followers of Corah with fire.

Book 6 · Section 1

Sec. I.—On Heresies.

Who They Were that Ventured to Make Schisms, and Did Not Escape Punishment.

Section 1

Book 6 · Section 1

Sec. I.—On Heresies.

Who They Were that Ventured to Make Schisms, and Did Not Escape Punishment.

Section 1

That It is Not Lawful to Rise Up Either Against the Kingly or the Priestly Office.

Section 2

Concerning the Virtue of Moses and the Incredulity of the Jewish Nation, and What Wonderful Works God Did Among Them.

Section 3

Notes