Book of Common Prayer

¹⁷ The elders who lead well are worthy of double honour, most especially those who labour in the word and teaching. ¹⁸ For the scripture says: You shall not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treads out the corn, and: The labourer is worthy of his reward.

¹⁹ Against an elder receive no accusation except with two or three witnesses. ²⁰ Those who sin, rebuke openly, so that others may fear.

²¹ I charge you before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, to observe these things without hasty judgment, and do nothing with partiality. ²² Lay hands quickly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins; keep yourself pure.

²³ Drink water no longer, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent ailments.

²⁴ Some people’s sins are open beforehand, and go before to judgment; some people’s sins follow after. ²⁵ Likewise also, good works are manifest beforehand, and those that are otherwise cannot be hid.

³¹ Another parable he put forth to them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man takes and sows in his field, ³² which is the least of all seeds. But when it is grown, it is the greatest among shrubs; and it is a tree, so that the birds of the air come and build in its branches.

³³ He told them another similitude: The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman takes and hides in three measures of meal, till all is leavened.

³⁴ All these things Jesus spoke to the people by similitudes. And he spoke nothing to them without similitudes, ³⁵ to fulfil that which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in similitudes, and will speak forth things which have been kept secret from the beginning of the world.