12 DIDASCALIA. diabolical craft, who has no riches and no sons ; and if he have sons1, it is also fitting that they should cultivate the beauty of piety and that they be pure, that they may be of those who adorn the Church and the canon of service. Let the Church be careful about them so that some of them may abide permanently in the law and in the care of the service ; should he not then fulfil in the church the things that are suitable? Let then the service be like this : first, those things that are commanded by the Bishop, so that they only may be done at the ministration, and of all the clergy he may be the Counsellor and secret of the Church. He who f. 9 a ministers to the sick, he who ministers to the strangers, who helps the widows, and goes round all the houses of those who are in want; lest there should be any one in distress or sickness or in misery he goes round to the houses. Abotit Catechumens. How he is to confirm those that are in doubt, and instruct those that are ignorant. Men who are dead he is to clothe, having adorned them, burying strangers, leading them from their dwellings, wayfarers or exiles. For the help of those who are in want let him have much care and let him inform the Church. How it is fitting that the children of the Church should be. Let twelve Elders be known in the Church, seven Deacons, and fourteen Subdeacons; and let those Widows who sit first be thirteen. Let the Deacon who is considered among them to be the one who is most diligent and most judicious ; let him be chosen to be the receiver of strangers in the house which is the inn of the Church ; let him be at all times clad in white garments, having only a stole upon his shoulder. In everything he is as the eye of the Church. With reverence let him make known what is to be the type of the people of piety. The teaching of the Twelve Apostles. Behold2 ye sons and daughters of the Church, in the name of our Lord Jesus the Christ, John, Matthew, Peter, and Philip, and Andrew, and Simeon, and James, and Jude the son of James; with Nathanael, and Thomas and Bartholomew and Matthia, all of us gathered together by command of our Lord Jesus the Christ our Saviour, according as He commanded us, that before ye are ready to divide anything by lot, for eparchies, ye shall count the places of the numbers, the authorities of the Bishops, the seats of the Elders, the continual offerings of the Deacons, the admonitions of the Readers, the blamelessnesses of the Widows, and all the things that are fitting to the foundation and confirm- 1 Lag. Reliquiae, + even if he have a wife. 2 Cod. Harris 2 and Cod. Mosul. Rejoice, Cod. H'2 + all the power of our Lord Jesus the Christ.