Didascalia Apostolorum 13

1[ii. 59] Now when thou teachest, command and warn the people to be constant in assembling in the Church, and not to withdraw themselves but always to assemble, lest any man diminish the Church by not assembling, and cause the body of Christ to be short of a member. For let not a man take thought of others only, but of himself as well, hearkening to that which our Lord said:? Everyone that gathereth not with me, scattereth [Mt 12.30]. Since therefore you are the members of Christ, do not scatter yourselves from the Church by not assembling.? Seeing that you have Christ for your head, as He promised -- ?for you are partakers with us? -- be not then neglectful of yourselves, and deprive not our Saviour of His members, and do not rend and scatter His body. And make not your worldly affairs of more account than the word of God; but on the Lord's day leave every thing and run eagerly to your Church; for she is (p. 59) your glory. Otherwise, what excuse have they before God who do not assemble on the Lord's day to hear the word of life and be nourished with the divine food which abides for ever? [ii. 60] For you are [] eager to receive temporal things and those that are but for a day and an hour, (but) those that are eternal you neglect; and you are anxious about baths, and to be fed with the meat and drink of the belly, and about other things, but for the things eternal you have no care, but neglect your soul and have no zeal for the Church, to hear and receive the word of God. And in comparison of them that err what excuse have you? For the heathen, when they daily rise from their sleep, go in the morning to worship and minister to their idols; and before all their works and undertakings they go first and worship their idols. Neither at their festivals and their fairs are they wanting, but are constant in assembling:? not only they who are of the district, but even those who come from afar; and all likewise assemble and come to the spectacle of their theatre.? And so in like manner they who are vainly called Jews, they remain idle one day after six, and assemble in their synagogue; and never do they withdraw themselves or neglect their synagogue, nor disregard their (days of) idleness -- even they who by reason of their unbelief are made void of the power of the word, and of the very name by which they call themselves Jews: for 'Jew' is interpreted 'confession' but these are no confessors, since they do not confess the passion of Christ, which by transgression of the Law they caused, that they should repent and be saved. If then they who are not saved bestow care at all times on things wherein there is no profit and which avail them nothing, what excuse has he before the Lord God who withdraws himself from the assembly of the Church, and does not even imitate the gentiles, but by reason of his non-attendance grows indifferent and careless, and stands aloof and does evil? to whom the Lord said by Jeremiah (sic):? My laws ye have not kept [Ezk 5.7]:? but neither have ye conversed after [] the laws of the gentiles; and ye have well nigh surpassed them in evildoing [Ezk 16.47]; and: Do the gentiles exchange their gods, which yet be no gods?? But my people have exchanged their honour for that which is without profit [Jer 2.11]. How then shall he excuse himself who is indifferent (p. 60) and has no zeal for the assembly of the Church? But if there be anyone who takes occasion of worldly business to withdraw himself, let him know this, that the trades of the faithful are called works of superfluity; for their true work is religion. Pursue your trades therefore as a work of superfluity, for your sustenance, but let your true work be religion. [ii. 61]? Have a care therefore that you never withdraw yourselves from the assembly of the Church.? But if any man leave the assembly of the Church of God and go to the assembly of the gentiles, what shall he say, and what excuse can he make to God in the day of judgement? seeing that he has left the holy Church, and the words of the living God, which are living and lifegiving and able to redeem and to deliver from fire and to save alive, and has gone to the assembly of the gentiles, because he has lusted after the spectacle of the theatre. Therefore shall he be accounted as one of them that go in thither; because he has lusted to hear and receive their fables, which are those of dead men and are from the spirit of Satan:? for they are dead and deadly, and turn away from the faith and bring to everlasting fire. Nay, but the things of the world are your care, and you attend to the affairs of this life and scorn to betake yourselves to the Catholic Church, the beloved daughter of the Lord God Most High, that you may receive the teaching of God which endures for ever and is able to save them that receive the word of life. Be constant therefore in coming together with the faithful who are being saved in your mother the Church, the living and lifegiving. [] [ii. 62] And beware of assembling with them that are perishing in the theatre, which is the assembly of the heathen, of error and of destruction. For he who enters an assembly of the gentiles shall be accounted as one of them, and shall receive the Woe. For to such the Lord God said by Isaiah:? Woe, woe to them that come from the spectacle [? (cf. Targ Ps-Jon on Dt 28.19)]. And again He saith : Ye women that come from the spectacle, come:? for it is a people without understanding [Isa 27.11 LXX]. 'Women' then, He called the Churches, which He called and redeemed and brought forth from the spectacle of the theatre, and took and received; and He taught us from henceforth to go thither no more. For He saith in Jeremiah:? Ye shall not learn according to the ways of the gentiles [Jer 10.2]. And He saith again in the Gospel:? In the way of the gentiles ye shall not go; {and into the cities of the Samaritans ye shall not enter} [Mt 10.5]. Here then He commands and warns us wholly to avoid all heresies, (p. 61) which are the cities of the Samaritans; and furthermore, that we should keep far away from the assemblies of the gentiles, and not enter strange congregations; and that we should utterly avoid the theatre, and their fairs which are held for the sake of idols. A believer must not even come near to a fair, except to buy him nourishment for body ?and soul?. Therefore, avoid all vain shows of the idols, and the festivals of their fairs. [ii. 63] And let those who are young in the Church be ministering diligently, without sloth, in all things that are needful, with much reverence and modesty. Do you the [] faithful therefore, all of you, daily and hourly, whenever you are not in the Church, devote yourselves to your work; so that in all the conduct of your life you may either be occupied in the things of the Lord or engaged upon your work, and may never be idle. For the Lord has said:? 6Imitate the ant, O sluggard, and emulate her ways, and be wiser than she.? 6For she hath no husbandry, nor any to compel her, nor is she under authority:? 8yet she gathereth her bread in summer, and storeth up for her much food in the harvest [Prov 6.6-8]. And again He saith:? 8aGo to the bee, and learn how she worketh. For her work she performeth in wisdom:? 8band there is brought of her labour to be food for rich and poor. Beloved and praiseworthy is she:? 8cand albeit she is little in strength, she honoureth wisdom, and is commended (thereby).? 9How long wilt thou sleep, thou sluggard?? When wilt thou arise from thy sleep?? 10Thou shalt slumber a little, and sleep a little, and sit a little, and lay thy hand upon thy bosom a little:? 11and poverty shall overtake thee as a runner, and want as a lusty man.? 11aBut if thou wilt not be slothful, thine increase shall abound and overflow as a fountain; and poverty as a feeble runner shall depart from thee [Prov 6.8a-8c, 9-11a (cf. Sir 11.3)]. Therefore, be always working, for idleness is a blot for which there is no cure. But if any man among you will not work, let him not eat [2Th 3.10]:? for the Lord God also hateth sluggards; for it is not possible for a sluggard to be a believer. []