Original - The Coptic Orthodox Church

king . And
23
the Saviour ordaineth saying; 23 Render unto the
king what is the king s and q unto God what is God s q.
For he knoweth that the king hath need of the poll-tax
for the maintenance of the inhabited world ;
He, 25
By me kings reign . And
24 for thus saith
likewise the king is answer
able unto God if he neglect a town, so that it be laid
waste, or a village, so that the barbarians destroy it. What
sayest thou then, O priest, of the name that hath been
given thee and the image
of God wherewith thou art
clothed in return for all these (things) ? If the bishop serve
not the altar as befits the reverence for its honour, but
rather despiseth r the presbyters and the presbyters despise
the deacons and the deacons the people and every one is
neglectful in his duties, what wilt thou then say? Shall God
keep
silence for ever ? 2G
( 11). / *If the subdeacon give not good
heed unto the Rf. io2/>
church, so that the dogs 27 and heathen (? Muslims) 2S enter
in, while he driveth them not out neither forbiddeth them,
then doth he sin. The reader shall read nought but from
the catholic 29 word, lest the people mock at the lying u
words of the writings that have been set aside, 30 which be
not of God s inspiration 31 but of the world w.
q M. and God s money unto God. r M. they despise.
t R. Contents: Of the service of the subdeacon and other matters.
it M. >. w R. of the world s inspiration.
23 Mt. XXII. 21. 2 *$ olKOvpevvi. asprov.VIII. 15.
26 C/.Ps.L. 21, Is. LVII.i i.
2? Phil. III. 2, Rev. XXII. 15, Mt. VIT, 6, XV. 26. ^
28 Hanif certainly Muslim ; but cf. ^ H profligate, (.,2.1^ paganus, \*^L*
paganicus. Cf. 21, 26. (V. ZDMG. XLI. 721 D. S. Margoliouth and C. J.
Lyall in JRAS. 1903, 478 ff., 774 ff.).
28 So the MSS. 5 perhaps read ^ylo^JlaSf the canonical word . But cf. 18.
30 XTTJKpvfyot,
31 0g<fa-vet/<7To/, 2 Tim. III. 16. Cf. Athanasius, Festal Letter 39 (PG. 26,
1440) KOii 6\J.^ ayxTryroi, xzxeivcov xoivovi%0{tevav, xoti TOVTUV fevcfytvuo-xoitevuv,
rctjv uTroxpvQxav iJ.v^(Jt.^ AA ottpertKcav k<rnv siri voia, r
ypct(f>6vT(av (%v tire
ctvTK ....; cf. Can. Laod. 59: 6rt ov e7 hsyevboii sv ry exx*ti<riqt . . . .
6vOt TX KXVOVIKX TVJ? KXIVVIS KXt