Page:Ante-Nicene Fathers volume 1.djvu/275

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TO POLYCARP.
261
passible on our account; and who in every kind of way suffered for our sakes.

the body; who was impassible as God, but became passible for our sakes as man; and who in every kind of way suffered for our sakes.

Chap. iv.Exhortations.

Let not widows be neglected. Be thou, after the Lord, their protector[1] and friend. Let nothing be done without thy consent; neither do thou anything without the approval of God, which indeed thou dost not, inasmuch as thou art stedfast. Let your assembling together be of frequent[2] occurrence: seek after all by name.[3] Do not despise either male or female slaves, yet neither let them be puffed up with conceit, but rather let them submit themselves[4] the more, for the glory of God, that they may obtain from God a better liberty. Let them

Let not the widows be neglected. Be thou, after the Lord, their protector and friend. Let nothing be done without thy consent; neither do thou anything without the approval of God, which indeed thou doest not. Be thou stedfast. Let your assembling together be of frequent[2] occurrence: seek after all by name.[3] Do not despise either male or female slaves, yet neither let them be puffed up with conceit, but rather let them submit themselves[4] the more, for the glory of God, that they may obtain from

  1. The word in the original (φροντιστὴς) denotes one who thinks or cares for another.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Some refer the words to more frequent meetings, and others to these meetings being more numerous; no comparison is necessarily implied.
  3. 3.0 3.1 i.e. so as to bring them out to the public assembly.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Or, "act the part of slaves."