DIDASCALIA. 67 to appoint them a place, but remain thou quietly as thou art; do not interrupt thy word, but let the brethren receive them. If there be no room, let that one of the brethren who is full of love, and loves his brethren and would do honour, rise and give them place. Let him stand on his feet. If while the boys or the girls are sitting, he or she that is eldest rise and give up his [or her] place, look thou, O Deacon, at those who are sitting, for him who is younger than his comrades or her who is younger ; make them rise, and seat the one who rose and gave up his place. Lead the one whom thou hast made to rise and put him behind his comrades, that others also may be educated and learn to give place to those who are more honourable than they. If a poor man or a poor woman come, either belonging to thine own assembly, or from another assembly, and especially if they are advanced in years, and there be no room for such, appoint a place for them with all thy heart, O Bishop, even if thou hast to sit on the floor, and be not thou like a respecter of persons, but let thy f. 46 b service be acceptable to God. CHAPTER XIII. That no Christian should neglect tlie assembly of the Church at tlie time of prayer, or of the Eucharist ; not for tlie sake of the work of the /lands, or any other work of the world ; he should not go to a tJteatrical spectacle, to hear heatlien words, dissuading his soul away from the hearing of tlie words of the Scriptures of life; nor to the foreign assemblies of lieretics. Let those ivlw are children in tlie Church hear and serve in it without laziness. Let no Christian love idleness from the work of handicraft, whicli is alien to tlie Church. When thou teachest, command and remind the people, that they Ap. Con. be constant in the assembly of the Church ; so that ye be not hindered, but that they be constantly assembled, that no one diminish the Church by not assembling, and make smaller by a member the body of Christ. For it is not about others alone that a man should think, but also about himself, hearing what our Lord hath said, that " he who gathereth not with Me scattereth Matt. xii. 30 abroad." As, therefore, ye are members of the Christ, scatter not yourselves from the Church by not assembling yourselves, for ye have a head, that is the Christ, as He counsels and promises, that ye are partakers with us. Therefore do not despise yourselves, and do not deprive our Saviour of His members ; do not mangle and scatter His body, do not have more respect to the affairs of the world than to the word of God, but leave everything on the Lord's day and run eagerly towards your Church, for this is your glory.