Nicene and Post-Nicene Church Fathers Series 2 - The Still Small ...

of its practical utility, but because of the example of the Lord Who girded Himself. In Rule
XXVI. all secrets are ordered to be confided to the superintendent or bishop. 550 If the superintendent
himself is in error (XXVII.) he is to be corrected by other brothers. Vicious
brethren (XXVIII.) are to be cut off like rotten limbs. Self-exaltation and discontent are
equally to be avoided (XXIX.). XXXVII. orders that devotional exercise is to be no excuse
for idleness and shirking work. Work is to be done not only as a chastisement of the body,
but for the sake of love to our neighbour and supplying weak and sick brethren with the
necessaries of life. The apostle 551 says that if a man will not work he must not eat. Daily
work is as necessary as daily bread. The services of the day are thus marked out. The first
movements of heart and mind ought to be consecrated to God. Therefore early in the
morning nothing ought to be planned or purposed before we have been gladdened by the
thought of God; as it is written, “I remembered God, and was gladdened;” 552 the body is
not to be set to work before we have obeyed the command, “O Lord, in the morning shalt
thou hear my voice; in the morning will I order my prayer unto thee.” 553 Again at the third
hour there is to be a rising up to prayer, and the brotherhood is to be called together, even
though they happen to have been dispersed to various works. The sixth hour is also to be
marked by prayer, in obedience to the words of the Psalmist, 554 “evening, and morning,
and at noon will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice.” To ensure deliverance
from the demon of noon-day, 555 the XCIst Psalm is to be recited. The ninth hour is consecrated
to prayer by the example of the Apostles 556 Peter and John, who at that hour went up
into the Temple to pray. Now the day is done. For all the boons of the day, and the good
deeds of the day, we must give thanks. For omissions there must be confession. For sins
voluntary or involuntary, or unknown, we must appease God in prayer. 557 At nightfall the
XCIst Psalm is to be recited again, midnight is to be observed in obedience to the example
550 τῷ προεστῶτι. cf. Just. Mart. Apol. i. § 87.
551 2 Thess. iii. 10.
552 Ps. lxxvii. 3, LXX.
553 Ps. v. 3.
554 Ps. lv. 17.
555 Ps. xci. 6, LXX. δαιμόνιον μεσημβρινόν. cf. Jer. Taylor, Serm. ii. pt. 2: “Suidas” (Col. 1227) “tells of
certain empusæ that used to appear at noon, at such times as the Greeks did celebrate the funerals of the dead;
and at this time some of the Russians do fear the noon-day devil, which appeareth like a mourning widow to
reapers of hay and corn, and uses to break their arms and legs unless they worship her.”
556 Acts iii. 1.
557 cf. Pythag. Aur. Carm. 40 (quoted by Jer. Taylor in Holy Living and Holy Dying): μηδ᾽ ὕπνον μαλακοῖσιν
ἐπ᾽ ὄμμασι προσδέξασθαι, πριν τῶν ἡμερινῶν ἔργων τρὶς ἕκαστον ἐπελθεῖν, πῆ παρέβην; τί δ᾽ ἔρεξα; τί μοι
δέον οὐκ ἐτελέσθη.
Ascetic.
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