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Canonical Epistle

Gregory Thaumaturgus

Canon 1

About this work

A pastoral letter addressing moral and disciplinary problems that arose during invasion and social breakdown, including captivity, theft, violence, and the restoration of offenders within Christian communities.

Author: Gregory Thaumaturgus
Date: c. AD 258–262
Origin: Pontus
Genre: Canon Law

Canonical Epistle.

Canon I.

The meats are no burden to us, most

Canon 2 ›

holy

father

,

if

the

captives

ate

things

which

their

conquerors

set

before

them

,

especially

since

there

is

one

report

from

all

,

viz

.

,

that

the

barbarians

who

have

made

inroads

into

our

parts

have

not

sacrificed

to

idols

.

For

the

apostle

says

,

“

Meats

for

the

belly

,

and

the

belly

for

meats

:

but

God

shall

destroy

both

it

and

them

.

”

But

the

Saviour

also

,

who

cleanseth

all

meats

,

says

,

“

Not

that

which

goeth

into

a

man

defileth

the

man

,

but

that

which

cometh

out

.

”

And

this

meets

the

case

of

the

captive

women

defiled

by

the

barbarians

,

who

outraged

their

bodies

.

But

if

the

of

any

such

person

convicted

him

of

going

,

as

it

is

written

,

after

the

eyes

of

fornicators

,

the

habit

of

fornication

evidently

becomes

an

object

of

suspicion

also

in

the

time

of

captivity

.

And

one

ought

not

readily

to

have

communion

with

such

women

in

prayers

.

If

any

one

,

however

,

has

lived

in

the

utmost

chastity

,

and

has

shown

in

time

past

a

manner

of

life

pure

and

free

from

all

suspicion

,

and

now

falls

into

wantonness

through

force

of

necessity

,

we

have

an

example

for

our

guidance

,

—

namely

,

the

instance

of

the

damsel

in

Deuteronomy

,

whom

a

man

finds

in

the

field

,

and

forces

her

and

lies

with

her

.

“

Unto

the

damsel

,

”

he

says

,

“

ye

shall

do

nothing

;

there

is

in

the

damsel

no

sin

worthy

of

death

:

for

as

when

a

man

riseth

against

his

neighbour

,

and

slayeth

him

,

even

so

is

this

matter

:

the

damsel

cried

,

and

there

was

none

to

help

her

.

”

Notes

2
[Elucidation III. p. 20.]
3
1 Cor. vi. 13.
4
Matt. xv. 11.
5
Deut. xxii. 26, 27.