Canons of Hippolytus

Contents

Reading pages: 0–18 · 19–29 · 30–38

1. 0The title of the collection: thirty-eight canons ascribed to Hippolytus of Rome, written by the Spirit's inspiration according to the apostles' commands.
2. 1The first canon confesses the equal and eternal Trinity and the Word as Son and Creator, and separates from the Church those who teach wickedly about the Word.
3. 2A bishop is to be chosen by the whole people, who pray for him before one of the bishops lays a hand on his head.
4. 3The prayer for a new bishop, the kiss of peace, and the opening dialogue of the eucharistic prayer, with blessings of oil and firstfruits.
5. 4A presbyter is ordained like a bishop with the same prayer, but does not sit on the throne and may not ordain.
6. 5The deacon serves the bishop and presbyters, reports the sick and the hidden poor, and is ordained with a prayer naming Stephen as model.
7. 6A confessor who suffered punishment for Christ holds priestly rank by his confession without ordination, unless he is made bishop; one not tortured is to be ordained.
8. 7Readers receive the Gospel book without laying on of hands; an unmarried subdeacon needs his neighbors' testimony to his purity and must be of mature age.
9. 8A man who claims a gift of healing is not to be ordained until it is shown that his healings truly come from God.
10. 9A presbyter moving to another church must bring testimony from his bishop or be examined, and is not reordained; widows are to be honored for their prayer, care of the sick, and fasting.
11. 10Inquirers are examined about their motives and occupation and taught to renounce the devil; a slave of a pagan master is not baptized against the master's will but, if he dies unbaptized, is counted with the faithful.
12. 11Craftsmen may not make idols; a baptized craftsman who does is excommunicated until he repents.
13. 12Actors, gladiators, diviners, beast-fighters, and idol-sacrificers must abandon these works before instruction and baptism; a schoolmaster may continue if he confesses the pagan gods to be demons and teaches the faith.
14. 13Anyone given the power to kill is not received; soldiers who fought under orders but kept from evil speech and pagan crowns may be; officials who do not act with Gospel justice are separated.
15. 14A Christian is not to enlist voluntarily; a compelled soldier who sheds blood is kept from the mysteries until he repents with tears.
16. 15Those living by sexual immorality, lying, magic, usury, sedition, and similar works are not admitted to the catechumenate or baptism until three witnesses attest that they have left them; relapsed believers are expelled until they do penance.
17. 16A Christian who has lived with a concubine who bore him a son and then rejects her to marry another is called a killer, unless he caught her in sexual immorality.
18. 17Rules for women in church: head covering and plain hair, nursing their own children, submission and humility toward their husbands, silence in church, purification after childbirth, and separate places for women; with directions for catechumens.
19. 18A woman after childbirth stays outside the holy place for forty days for a boy and eighty for a girl, praying with the catechumens if she enters.
20. 19The order of baptism: martyrdom as baptism in blood, examination of candidates, fasting, exorcism, vigil, renunciation of Satan, threefold confession and immersion, anointing, the bishop's prayer and kiss, and first communion with milk and honey.
21. 20All are to fast on Wednesdays, Fridays, and the forty days before Easter; blessed bread is sent to the catechumens.
22. 21Clergy and people are to gather daily at cockcrow for prayer, psalms, and Scripture reading; absent clergy are separated, and the gravely sick are visited daily.
23. 22The week of the Jewish Passover is kept by all as a strict fast of bread, salt, and water in mourning for the Lord's passion; those who missed it through ignorance or sickness keep it after Pentecost.
24. 23The bishops have ordered their churches by the apostles' commands, which later generations must not change; teaching is boundless and must be sought with effort.
25. 24A deacon accompanies the bishop to visit the sick, who often recover through his prayer; the dying are not put out in the cemetery, and the sick who have homes pray in church and return home.
26. 25A steward cares for the sick at the bishop's charge; Christians are to pray on rising, at the third, sixth, and ninth hours, at sunset, in the evening, and at midnight.
27. 26Believers are to hasten to the assemblies for the word of God and prayer, where the Lord is present and the Spirit gives grace, rather than stay at home.
28. 27Those who cannot go to church daily should read Scripture at home and pray at midnight and cockcrow; marriage does not defile, and the married need only wash their hands before prayer.
29. 28The faithful are to receive the eucharist before eating, especially on fast days, and only the faithful are invited to communion.
30. 29The consecrated elements are to be guarded from falling or contamination, silence kept within the veil, psalms sung after communion, the altar dust thrown into the baptistery, and the forehead signed with the cross like the Passover blood.
31. 30Catechumens must be ready to forsake family and suffer death; the three temptations of Christ are read as desire, pride, and avarice; a long description of Christian conduct follows, with counsel for those seeking perfection and rules for Sunday communion.
32. 31A deacon may distribute communion with the bishop's or presbyter's permission.
33. 32Virgins and widows fast and pray often; clergy fast freely; a deacon may act for an absent presbyter except at the great offering; alms are distributed promptly; agapes for the poor are held with the bishop's prayer and end before dark.
34. 33Commemorative meals for the dead begin with communion, are not held on Sunday, exclude catechumens, and avoid drunkenness.
35. 34At gatherings in homes there is to be no loud talk, so as to give a good example; the bishop or, in his absence, a presbyter presides and breaks the blessed bread.
36. 35A deacon may lead the prayer and break the blessed bread at an agape when no presbyter is present; a layman may only break it; suppers for widows end before sunset.
37. 36Firstfruits of every kind are brought to the bishop, and a presbyter gives thanks and blesses them and the giver with a set prayer.
38. 37Clergy and readers wear clean white garments at the eucharist, though integrity matters more; readers read in turn until the people gather.
39. 38The Easter night is kept in vigil until dawn; baptized Christians must stay watchful and fervent rather than rest on their baptism; the collection closes with a blessing and a colophon.