Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: Series II/Volume XIV/Additional Canons 3/The Canons of Carthage/Canons/Canon XVI

Canon XVI.

That no bishop, presbyter or deacon should be a &#8220;conductor;&#8221; and that Readers should take wives; and that the clergy should abstain from usury; and at what age they or virgins should be consecrated.

it seemed good that bishops, presbyters, and deacons should not be &#8220;conductors&#8221; or &#8220;procurators;&#8221; nor seek their food by any base and vile business, for they should remember how it is written, &#8220;No man fighting for God cumbereth himself with worldly affairs.&#8221;

Also it seemed good that Readers when they come to years of puberty, should be compelled either to take wives or else to profess continence.

Likewise it seemed good that if a clergyman had lent money he should get it back again, but if kind (speciem) he should receive back the same kind as he gave.

And that younger than twenty-five years deacons should not be ordained, nor virgins consecrated.

And that readers should not salute the people.

Notes.

A bishop, presbyter, and deacon may not be a &#8220;conductor&#8221; or a &#8220;procurator.&#8221;&#160; A reader when he comes to puberty must contract marriage or profess continence.

A cleric who has lent to someone, what he gave let him receive, or as much.

Let not him be a deacon, who is made a deacon being under twenty-five.

And let not readers salute the people.

This canon is made up of Canons xv., xviij., and xxj., and added to these Canon j. of the same Second Series of the synod of Hippo, 393.

Zonaras says this was never observed anywhere but in Africa.&#160; See Can. Afr. 19 (27).

Du Pin turns the Latin, saluto, by &#8220;addressing his speech to the people.&#8221;