Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume VIII/Pseudo-Clementine Literature/The Clementine Homilies/Epistle of Clement to James/Chapter 6

Chapter VI.&#8212;The Duty of a Bishop.

&#8220;Now, if you were occupied with secular cares, you should deceive both yourself and your hearers.&#160; For not being able, on account of occupation, to point out the things that are advantageous, both you should be punished, as not having taught what was profitable, and they, not having learned, should perish by reason of ignorance.&#160; Wherefore do you indeed preside over them without occupation, so as to send forth seasonably the words that are able to save them; and so let them listen to you, knowing that whatever the ambassador of the truth shall bind upon earth is bound also in heaven, and what he shall loose is loosed.&#160; But you shall bind what ought to be bound, and loose what ought to be loosed.&#160; And these, and such like, are the things that relate to you as president.