A Source Book for Ancient Church History - Mirrors

610 A Source Book for Ancient Church Historydriven entirely from the episcopate; but as for him who dared toordain him against these commands, let him be separated fromthe sacred ministry for a year and all his property, which at anytime or in any way shall come into his possession, shall be seizedon account of the crime he has committed against the rule of theChurch of which he was a bishop.Ch. 13. We do not permit clergy to be ordained unless they areeducated, have the right faith, and an honorable life, and neitherhave, nor have had, a concubine or natural children, but whoeither live chastely or have a lawful wife and her one and only,neither a widow not separated from her husband, nor forbiddenby laws and sacred canons.Ch. 14. We do not permit presbyters to be made less thanthirty years old, deacons and sub-deacons less than twenty-five,and lectors less than sixteen; nor a deaconess to be ordained 207in the holy Church who is less than forty years old and who hasbeen married a second time.(e) Justinian, Codex, I, 11.Law against paganism.[558]The following laws of Justinian, though of uncertain date,mark the termination of the contest between Christianity andpaganism. In the second of these laws there is a reference tothe prohibition of pagan teachers. It is in line with the closingof the schools of the heathen teachers at Athens. The decreeclosing the schools has not been preserved.Ch. 9. We command that our magistrates in this royal city and inthe provinces take care with the greatest zeal that, having beeninformed by themselves or the most religious bishops of thismatter, they make inquiry according to law into all impurities207 Same word used as for ordination of clergy.