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Didascalia Apostolorum

tr. Connolly, 1929

I. On the simple and natural Law

The Catholic Didascalia that is Teaching of the Twelve Holy Apostles and Disciples of Our Saviour¹

God’s planting and the holy vineyard of His Catholic Church, the elect, who rely on the simplicity of the fear of the Lord,² who by their³ faith inherit His everlasting kingdom, who have received the power and fellowship of His Holy Spirit, and by⁴ Him are armed and made firm in the fear of Him, who are become partakers in the sprinkling of the⁵ pure and precious blood of⁶ the Great God, Jesus Christ, who have received boldness to call the Almighty God Father, as joint heirs and⁷ partakers with His Son and His beloved: hear the Didascalia of God,⁸ you that hope and wait for His promises, which hath been written after the command of our Saviour and is in accord with His glorious words.

Give heed, children of God, and do all things so that you be obedient to God; and be you pleasing in all things to the Lord our God. For if any man run after iniquity and be contrary to the will of God, the same shall be accounted unto God as heathen and ungodly. Flee therefore and depart from all avarice and evil dealing. And you shall not desire that which is any man’s, for it is written in the Law: Thou shalt not desire aught of that which is thy neighbour’s: neither his field, nor his wife, nor his servant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing of his possessions.⁹ For all these desires are from the Evil One. For he that desires the wife of his companion, or his servant, or his maidservant, is already an adulterer and a thief, and is condemned of uncleanness, as they that lie with males,¹⁰ by our Lord and Teacher Jesus Christ: to whom (is) glory and honour for ever and ever, Amen. As also in the Gospel He renews and confirms and fulfils the Ten Words of the Law, (saying): For it is written in the Law: Thou shalt not commit adultery: but I say unto you¹¹ this,—who in the Law spake through Moses, but now myself say unto you: Whosoever shall look upon the wife of his neighbour to desire her, hath already committed adultery with her in his heart. And thus was he who desired condemned as an adulterer. He also that desires the ox or the ass of his neighbour, it is to steal and to lead it away that he is minded. And he again that desires the field of his companion, does he not seek to straiten him in his boundary, and contrive that he may sell it to him for nothing? For this cause therefore come slayings and deaths and condemnations from God upon these persons.

But for men who obey God there is one law, simple and true and mild—¹²without question, for Christians—¹³this, that what thou hatest that it should be done to thee by another, thou do not to another.¹⁴ Thou wouldst not that a man should look upon thy wife evilly to corrupt her: neither look thou upon the wife of thy companion with evil intent. Thou wouldst not that a man should take away thy garment: neither do thou take away that of another. Thou wouldst not be reviled and insulted, or beaten: neither do thou to another any one of these things. But if a man revile thee, do thou bless¹⁵ him; for it is written in the Book of Numbers: He that blesseth is blessed, and he that curseth is cursed.¹⁶ And in the Gospel also it is written again: Bless them that curse you.¹⁷ And to them that do you evil, do not you evil; and do good to them that hate you,¹⁸ and be patient and endure, for the Scripture saith: Thou shalt not say: I will render to mine enemy evil, even as he hath done to me: but be patient, and the Lord will be thy helper, and will bring a recompense upon him that doeth thee evil.¹⁹²⁰ And again He saith in the Gospel: Love them that hate you, and pray for them that curse you, and ye shall have no enemy.²¹ Let us attend then, our beloved, and understand these commandments and keep them, that we may be sons of²² the light.²³

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