Canon XIV.
No one shall become a monk without the bishop's license, and why a license is required.
Canon XV.
That clerics or religious who lend on usury should be cast from their grade.
Canon XVI.
Of the honour to be paid to the bishop and to a presbyter by the deacons.
Canon XVII.
Of the system and of the manner of receiving those who are converted from the heresy of Paul of Samosata.
Canon XVIII.
Of the system and manner of receiving those who are converted from the heresy the Novatians.
Canon XIX.
Of the system and manner of receiving those who return after a lapse from the faith, and of receiving the relapsed, and of those brought into peril of death by sickness before their penance is finished, and concerning such as are convalescent.
Canon XX.
Of avoiding the conversation of evil workers and wizards, also of the penance of them that have not avoided such.
Canon XXI.
Of incestuous marriages contrary to the law of spiritual relationship, and of the penance of such as are in such marriages.
[The time of penance fixed is twenty years, only godfather and godmother are mentioned, and nothing is said of separation.]
Canon XXII.
Of sponsors in baptism.
Men shall not hold females at the font, neither women males; but women females, and men males.
Canon XXIII.
Of the prohibited marriages of spiritual brothers and sisters from receiving them in baptism.
Canon XXIV.
Of him who has married two wives at the same time, or who through lust has added another woman to his wife; and of his punishment.
Part of the canon. If he be a priest he is forbidden to sacrifice and is cut off from the communion of the faithful until he turn out of the house the second woman, and he ought to retain the first.
Canon XXV.
That no one should be forbidden Holy Communion unless such as are doing penance.
Canon XXVI.
Clerics are forbidden from suretyship or witness-giving in criminal causes.
Canon XXVII.
Of avoiding the excommunicate, and of not receiving the oblation from them; and of the excommunication of him who does not avoid the excommunicated.
Canon XXVIII.
How anger, indignation, and hatred should be avoided by the priest, especially because he has the power of excommunicating others.
Canon XXIX.
Of not kneeling in prayer.
Canon XXX.
Of giving [only] names of Christians in baptism, and of heretics who retain the faith in the Trinity and the perfect form of baptism; and of others not retaining it, worthy of a worse name, and of how such are to be received when they come to the faith.
Canon XXXI.
Of the system and manner of receiving converts to the Orthodox faith from the heresy of Arius and of other like.
Canon XXXII.
Of the system of receiving those who have kept the dogmas of the faith and the Church's laws, and yet have separated from us and afterwards come back.
Canon XXXIII.
Of the place of residence of the Patriarch, and of the honour which should be given to the bishop of Jerusalem and to the bishop of Seleucia.
Canon XXXIV.
Of the honour to be given to the Archbishop of Seleucia in the Synod of Greece.
Canon XXXV.
Of not holding a provincial synod in the province of Persia without the authority of the patriarch of Antioch, and how the bishops of Persia are subject to the metropolitans of Antioch.
Canon XXXVI.
Of the creation of a patriarch for Ethiopia, and of his power, and of the honour to be paid him in the Synod of Greece.
Canon XXXVII.
Of the election of the Archbishop of Cyprus, who is subject to the patriarch of Antioch.
Canon XXXVIII.
That the ordination of ministers of the Church by bishops in the dioceses of strangers is forbidden.
Canon XXXIX.
Of the care and power which a Patriarch has over the bishops and archbishops of his patriarchate; and of the primacy of the Bishop of Rome over all.
Let the patriarch consider what things are done by the archbishops and bishops in their provinces; and if he shall find anything done by them otherwise than it should be, let him change it, and order it, as seemeth him fit: for he is the father of all, and they are his sons. And although the archbishop be among the bishops as an elder brother, who hath the care of his brethren, and to whom they owe obedience because he is over them; yet the patriarch is to all those who are under his power, just as he who holds the seat of Rome, is the head and prince of all patriarchs; inasmuch as he is first, as was Peter, to whom power is given over all Christian princes, and over all their peoples, as he who is the Vicar of Christ our Lord over all peoples and over the whole Christian Church, and whoever shall contradict this, is excommunicated by the Synod. [111]
[I add Canon XXXVII. of Echellensis's Nova Versio LXXXIV. Arabic. Canonum Conc. Nicæni, that the reader may compare it with the foregoing.]
Let there be only four patriarchs in the whole world as there are four writers of the Gospel, and four rivers, etc. And let there be a prince and chief over them, the lord of the see of the Divine Peter at Rome, according as the Apostles commanded. And after him the lord of the great Alexandria, which is the see of Mark. And the third is the lord of Ephesus, which is the see of John the Divine who speaks divine things. And the fourth and last is my lord of Antioch, which is another see of Peter. And let all the bishops be divided under the hands of these four patriarchs; and the bishops of the little towns which are under the dominion of the great cities let them be under the authority of these metropolitans. But let every metropolitan of these great cities appoint the bishops of his province, but let none of the bishops appoint him, for he is greater than they. Therefore let every man know his own rank, and let him not usurp the rank of another. And whosoever shall contradict this law which we have established the Fathers of the Synod subject him to anathema. [112]