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Canonical Epistle

Peter of Alexandria

Canon 12

About this work

Pastoral canons addressing Christians who compromised under persecution, distinguishing circumstances and degrees of responsibility while prescribing periods and forms of repentance and reconciliation within the church.

Author: Peter of Alexandria
Date: c. AD 306
Origin: Alexandria
Genre: Canon Law

The canons are transmitted in a complex textual history that should be reviewed against critical editions.

Canon XII.

Against those who have given money that they might

‹ Canon 11 Canon 13 ›

be

entirely

undisturbed

by

evil

,

an

accusation

cannot

be

brought

.

For

they

have

sustained

the

loss

and

sacrifice

of

their

goods

that

they

might

not

hurt

or

destroy

their

soul

,

which

others

for

the

sake

of

filthy

lucre

have

not

done

;

and

yet

the

Lord

says

,

“

What

is

a

man

profited

,

if

he

shall

gain

the

whole

world

,

and

lose

his

own

soul

?

”

and

again

,

“

Ye

cannot

serve

God

and

mammon

.

”

In

these

things

,

then

,

they

have

shown

themselves

the

servants

of

God

,

inasmuch

as

they

have

hated

,

trodden

under

foot

,

and

despised

money

,

and

have

thus

fulfilled

what

is

written

:

“

The

ransom

of

a

man’s

life

are

his

riches

.

”

For

we

read

also

in

the

Acts

of

the

Apostles

that

those

who

in

the

stead

of

Paul

and

Silas

were

dragged

before

the

magistrates

at

Thessalonica

,

were

dismissed

with

a

heavy

fine

.

For

after

that

they

had

been

very

burdensome

to

them

for

his

name

,

and

had

troubled

the

people

and

the

rulers

of

the

city

,

“

having

taken

security

,

”

he

says

,

“

of

Jason

,

and

of

the

others

,

they

let

them

go

.

And

the

brethren

immediately

sent

away

Paul

and

Silas

by

night

unto

Berea

.

”

Balsamon. After that the saint had finished his discourse concerning those who of their own accord had offered themselves to martyrdom, he said that those were not to be reprehended who by a sum of money paid down freed themselves from the affliction of persecution. For they preferred to make a sacrifice of their money rather than of their souls. Then he confirms this, and brings forward different Scripture examples from the Acts of the Apostles concerning the blessed apostle Paul and others.

Zonaras. But those, he says, are not to be reprehended who have paid money down, and thus escaped, and maintained their piety, nor for this thing may any one bring an accusation against them. For they have preferred to lose their money rather than their souls, and have shown that they wish to serve God and not mammon; that is, riches. And he brings forward the words of Scripture, and the example, as in the Acts of the Apostles, of the blessed apostle Paul and others. Now, when it is said that they have been undisturbed by all evil, it is to be so taken, either that they have been left undisturbed, so far as the denial of the faith is concerned, which overcomes all evil, or he means the afflictions of persecutions.

Notes

1
κακία.
2
Matt. xvi. 26.
3
Matt. vi. 24.
4
Prov. xiii. 8.
5
Acts xvii. 9, 10.
6
κακία.
7
κακία.
8
By κακίας.