NPNF2-08. Basil: Letters and Select Works - Holy Bible Institute

To Amphilochius, the Canons.Macedonius approve or not, let him be appointed. You will instruct him in his duties, theLord, Who in all things cooperates with you, granting you His grace for this work also.LI. As to the clergy, the Canons have enjoined without making any distinction that onepenalty is assigned for the lapsed,—ejection from the ministry, whether they be in orders 2829or remain in the ministry which is conferred without imposition of hands.LII. The woman who has given birth to a child and abandoned it in the road, if she wasable to save it and neglected it, or thought by this means to hide her sin, or was moved bysome brutal and inhuman motive, is to be judged as in a case of murder. If, on the otherhand, she was unable to provide for it. and the child perish from exposure and want of thenecessities of life, the mother is to be pardoned.LIII. The widowed slave is not guilty of a serious fall if she adopts a second marriageunder colour of rape. She is not on this ground open to accusation. It is rather the objectthan the pretext which must be taken into account, but it is clear that she is exposed to thepunishment of digamy. 2830LIV. I know that I have already written to your reverence, so far as I can, on the distinctionsto be observed in cases of involuntary homicide, 2831 and on this point I can say nomore. It rests with your intelligence to increase or lessen the severity of the punishment aseach individual case may require.LV. Assailants of robbers, if they are outside, are prohibited from the communion ofthe good thing. 2832 If they are clerics they are degraded from their orders. For, it is said,“All they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.” 28332562829 ἐίτε ἐν βαθυῷ. This is understood by Balsamon and Zonaras to include Presbyters, Deacons, and subdeacons;while the ministry conferred without imposition of hands refers to Readers, Singers, Sacristans, andthe like. Alexius Aristenus ranks Singers and Readers with the higher orders, and understands by the lower,keepers of the sacred vessels, candle-lighters, and chancel door keepers. The Ben. note inclines to the latter viewon the ground that the word “remain” indicates a category where there was no advance to a higher grade, aswas the case with Readers and Singers.2830 cf. Can. xxx. p. 239.2831 i.e. in Canon viii. p. 226 and Canon xi. p. 228.2832 Here reading, punctuation, and sense are obscure. The Ben. Ed. have ἔξω μὲν ὄντες, τῆς κοινωνίαςεἴργονται, and render “Si sint quidem laici, a boni communione arcentur.” But ἔξω ὄντες, standing alone, morenaturally means non-Christians. Balsamon and Zonaras in Pandects have ἔξω μὲν ὄντες τῆς ᾽Εκκλησιας εἰργονταιτῆς κοινωνίας τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ.2833 Matt. xxvi. 52.722