APOSTOLIC CON'STITU'TIONS AND CANONS. The Constitutions are a collection of ecclesiastical ordinances, in eight books, erro neously supposed to have been the work of the Apostles, and to have been written down by Saint Clement. In the last chapter of the eighth book the so-called Apostolic Canons, eighty-five in number, are given. It is now recognized that both works are compositions of a later date: but scholars are not yet fully agreed upon the sources and dates for the different parts. The theory most generally held is that the first six books of the Constitutions are based upon the Didasealia, a work of the last third of the Third Century; that the seventh book is a reworking of the Didache. a Second-Century work; and that the eighth hook rests probably upon a collection based upon the Canons of Hippolytus (q.v.). The Canons were probably composed In Syria. and according to Funk, who may be regarded as the hest authority. date from the beginning of
the Fifth Century. The authority of the con stitutions was never accepted in the Western Church, and was rejected by the Eastern at the Council of Constantinople, in 692. The Canons were accepted by the Eastern Church at that council. In the West, the first fifty were trans lated by Dionysius Exiguus (q.v.) , were incor porated in the Deerelant of Gratian (q.v.), and. although held to lie apocryphal. are considered an important source for the rules of the primi tive Church. A translation of both may be found in the Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume VII. (Buf falo, 1886), and a bibliography in Volume IX. (Buffalo, 1887). The original text was _edited by P. Lag,arde (Leipzig, 1862). For the Canons consult especially: Lauchert, Knees (Frei burg and Leipzig, 1896) ; for the Constitutions, Funk. Dic Apostolische?' Konst it ut ioncn (Roth enhurg, 1891).