Canon
LXVIII.
It
is unlawful for anyone to
corrupt or cut up a book of the Old or New Testament or of our holy and
approved preachers and teachers, or to give them up to the traders in
books or to those who are called perfumers, or to hand it over for
destruction to any other like persons: unless to be sure it has
been rendered useless either by bookworms, or by water, or in some
other way. He who henceforth shall be observed to do such a thing
shall be cut off for one year. Likewise also he who buys such
books (unless he keeps them for his own use, or gives them to another
for his benefit to be preserved) and has attempted to corrupt them, let
him be cut off.
Notes.
Ancient Epitome of Canon
LXVIII.
Thou shalt not destroy nor hand over copies of the
Divine Scriptures to be destroyed unless they are absolutely
useless.
Van Espen.
(Foot-note.)
I think that this canon was directed against certain
Nestorian and Eutychian heretics, who, that they might find some
patronage of their errors from the Holy Scriptures, dared in the sixth
century most infamously to corrupt certain passages of the New
Testament.