CANON 14. On lapsed catechumens.

Respecting lapsed catechumens, the holy and great Synod has decided that for three years they shall be simply "hearers," and that thereafter they may pray with the catechumens.

CANON 15. Against migration of bishops and clergy.

Owing to the great disturbance and the many factions that have resulted from a custom, which, though contrary to rule, has been found prevalent in certain quarters, it has seemed best to entirely suppress it, and to ordain that neither bishop, nor presbyter, nor deacon obtain any transfer from city to city; and if, after the decision of the holy and great Synod, any cleric makes any such attempt, or devotes himself to such an enterprise, the arrangement shall be completely nullified, and he shall be restored to the church in which he was ordained bishop or presbyter.

CANON 16. Against clerics who leave their proper posts.

All those who recklessly withdraw from their church, neither having the fear of God before their eyes, nor taking pains to know the church's rules, whether they be presbyters, or deacons, or registered in any clerical office whatsoever, must by no means be received into another church, but the utmost pressure should be brought to bear upon them to induce them to return to their own diocese; or if they are bent upon staying, fellowship should be denied to them. And if any bishop has the. temerity to underhandedly steal a cleric belonging to another bishop, and to ordain him in his own church, without the consent of the bishop from whom the registered cleric withdrew, the ordination shall be void.

CANON 17. Against clerics who take usury.

Inasmuch as many registered among the clergy, in covetous pursuit of sordid gain, have forgotten the divine Scripture which says: "He put not his money out at interest" [Ps. 14: 5 LXX.,] and when they make loans, demand 1 per cent. a month; the holy and great Synod has deemed it just to decree that if, after the publication of this ordinance, any one is found taking interest by explicit contract, or seeking to accomplish the same result in another way, or exacting half as much again when the debt falls due, or, in fine, resorting to any other contrivance whatsoever for the sake of base gain, he shall be deposed from the clerical office, and his name erased from the canon.

CANON 18. Deacons not to encroach on privileges of presbyters.

It has come to the knowledge of the holy and great Synod, that in certain regions and cities the deacons give the eucharist to the presbyters, although neither rule nor custom allows those, who have no authority to make the "oblation," to give the body of Christ to those who have such authority. And this also has come to light, that, in addition, some of the deacons partake of the eucharist before the bishops. All these abuses, then, must cease. And let the deacons remain in their proper sphere, remembering that they are merely the assistants of the bishop, and of lower rank than the presbyters. As is consistent then with good order, let them receive the eucharist after the presbyters, at the hands of either the bishop or the presbyter. But let no deacon sit in the midst of the presbyters, for such a thing is contrary both to rule and good order. But if any one refuses to obey, even after hearing these ordinances, let him be removed from the diaconate.

CANON 19. On the treatment of converts from Paulianism.

With regard to those who have Paulianized [i. e. followed the heresy of Paul of Samosata], but who later have fled for refuge to the catholic church, the ordinance prescribes that they shall be rebaptized without exception; and if some, in time past, were registered among the clergy, they shall be ordained (after rebaptism) by the bishop of the catholic church, provided they approve themselves to be blameless and above reproach; if, however, the examination finds them unfit for the office, they should be deposed. This rule is to be observed, in like manner, with regard to deaconesses, and, in short, with all those registered among the clergy. We called special attention to the deaconesses, who have apparent clerical rank, since they have no real ordination, and are therefore to be reckoned as altogether of the laity.

CANON 20. Prayer to be offered standing on Sundays and throughout the Paschal season.

Inasmuch as there are certain persons who kneel in prayer upon the Lord's Day and in the season from Easter to Pentecost, the holy Synod, desirous to obtain uniformity in the observance of all forms of worship in every diocese, has seen fit to decree that they offer their prayers to God standing.

II. CREED AND CANONS OF THE SECOND GENERAL COUNCIL, HELD AT CONSTANTINOPLE, A. D., 381.

I. THE CREED AS REVISED BY THE COUNCIL OF CONSTANTINOPLE, ACCORDING TO THE TEXT CONTAINED IN THE ACTS

OF THE COUNCIL OF CHALCEDON.

We believe in one God, the FATHER Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord JESUS CHRIST, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds [aeons,] Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man; he was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried, and the third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father; from thence he shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end. And in the HOLY GHOST, the Lord and Giver of life, who precedeth from the Father, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spake by the prophets. In one holy catholic and apostolic church; we acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

2. SUBJECTS OF THE CANONS.

1. The Nicene faith must be maintained, and all heresies anathematized.

2. All bishops to observe their existing limits of jurisdiction.

3. The bishop of Constantinople to have priority next after the bishop of Rome.

4. Against Maximus, the pretender to the see of Constantinople. 5. [A. D. 382?] On reception of Antiochenes professing the true faith.

6. [A. D. 382?] On accusations against bishops.

[7. Spurious. On the mode of receiving converts from heresy.]

3.

CANON I.

CANONS OF THE FIRST COUNCIL OF CONSTANTINOPLE.

The Nicene faith must be maintained, and all heresies anathematized. The confession of faith of the three hundred and eighteen fathers assembled at Nicea in Bithynia shall not be set aside, but shall remain authoritative, and every heresy shall be anathematized, especially the Eunomian or Anomaean, the Arian or Eudoxian, the Semi-Arian or Pneumatomachian, the Sabellian, the Marcellian, the Photinian and the Apollinarian.

CANON 2. All bishops to observe their existing limits of jurisdiction.

The bishops of one diocese shall not visit the churches of another and make confusion among them; but, in accordance with the canons, the bishop of Alexandria shall govern Egypt only, those of the East, the East only, while at the same time regarding the privileges of the church at Antioch, as granted in the canons of Nicæa. And the bishops of Asia shall have jurisdiction over Asia only, those of Pontus, over Pontus only, and those of Thrace, over Thrace only. Unless summoned, bishops shall not go outside their dioceses for the purpose of ordination, or other ecclesiastical functions. But, while the existing canon regard

ing the dioceses is observed, it is clear that in each province the provincial Synod is to rule, according to the decisions of Nicaea. And the churches of God among the barbaric nations shall be governed according to the custom which prevailed in the times of the fathers.

CANON 3. The bishop of Constantinople to have priority next after the bishop of Rome.

Next to the bishop of Rome, the bishop of Constantinople shall have highest rank, because Constantinople is New Rome.

CANON 4. Against Maximus, the pretender to the see of Constantinople. As to Maximus the Cynic and the disorder in Constantinople occasioned by him, [be it known that] Maximus never really became bishop, and is not one now, neither are those who have been ordained by him, whatever their rank in the clergy, really ordained, since all things performed upon him [i. e. his ordination as bishop] and by him are pronounced invalid.

CANON 5. [A. D. 382?] On reception of Antiochenes professing the true faith. Concerning the "tome of the western [Christians"], we also have recognized all Antiochians as orthodox who acknowledge the oneness of the Godhead of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

CANON 6. [A. D. 382?] On accusations against bishops.

Inasmuch as many, to disturb and subvert the order of the church, maliciously and falsely invent charges against the orthodox bishops of the church, for no reason but to injure the reputation of the priests and introduce trouble among the peaceable people, the holy Synod assembled at Constantinople decrees that in future no accuser shall be admitted without examination; that neither all shall be permitted nor all forbidden to make charges against the rulers of the church. But, in case of a private charge against the bishop, as of fraud or any other injustice, no examination shall be made as to the person or the religion of the accuser; for the conscience of the bishop should be clear, and he who alleges injustice, whatever his religion, should receive his just dues. But if the complaint against the bishop is of an ecclesiastical nature, then the persons of the accusers must be considered, in order first, that heretics may not be allowed to bring charges concerning ecclesiastical matters against the orthodox bishops. By heretics are meant both those formerly shut out from the church, and those afterward anathematized by us. In addition to these, also those who indeed profess to hold the sound faith, but who have separated themselves and hold meetings in opposi.