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

Canon XXXVII.&#160; (Greek xl.)

It is not lawful to offer anything in the Holy Mysteries except bread and wine mixed with water.

the sacraments of the body and blood of the Lord nothing else shall be offered than that which the Lord himself ordained, that is to say, bread and wine mixed with water.&#160; But let the first-fruits, whether honey or milk, be offered on that one most solemn day, as is wont, in the mystery of the infants.&#160; For although they are offered on the altar, let them have nevertheless their own benediction, that they may be distinguished from the sacraments of the Lord&#8217;s body and blood; neither let there be offered as first-fruits anything other than grapes and corns.

Notes.

Let bread and wine mixed with water only be offered.

The text of the Greek here does not exactly agree with the Latin.&#160; The Greek reads as follows:&#160; &#8220;That in the Holy Mysteries nothing else be offered than the body and blood of the Lord, even as the Lord himself delivered, that is bread and wine mixed with water.&#8221;

Further down with regard to the first-fruits I have followed the Greek text which seems decidedly preferable, in fact the Latin is so corrupt that Van Espen notes that for the ordinary &#8220;offerantur&#8221; some read &#8220;non offerantur.&#8221;

This canon is Canon xxiij. of the Synod of Hippo, 393.

See Can. Ap. 2 (3).

&#8220;The Mystery of Infants&#8221; of this Qu&#230;re, all that I have met with are in the dark as to this matter.&#160; Dionysius Exiguus&#8217;s Latin is Lac, etc.&#160; The Greek stands thus, &#8142;&#917;&#953;&#964;&#949; &#903;&#947;&#8049;&#955;&#945; &#954;.&#964;.&#955;.