[That the Deacon Must Not Do Anything Without the Bishop.]
XXXI. Let him not do anything at all without his bishop, nor give anything without his consent. For if he gives to any one as to a person in distress without the bishop’s knowledge, he gives it so that it must tend to the reproach of the bishop, and he accuses him as careless of the distressed. But he that casts reproach on his bishop, either by word or deed, opposes God, not hearkening to what He says: “Thou shalt not speak evil of the gods.” 157 Ex. xxii. 28. For He did not make that law concerning deities of wood and of stone, which are abominable, because they are falsely called gods, but concerning the priests and the judges, to whom He also said, “Ye are gods, and children of the Most High.” 158 Ps. lxxxii. 6.
[31] Διὸ καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐπιτελούμενα ὑπ' αὐτοῦ εἴς τινα ἐμφανῆ τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ γινέσθω καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ τελειούσθω, μηδὲν δὲ ποιείτω τὸ σύνολον ἄνευ τοῦ ἐπισκόπου μηδέ τινι διδότω τι ἄνευ τῆς ἐκείνου γνώμης. Ἐὰν γὰρ ὡς θλιβομένου τινὸς λάθρα τοῦ ἐπισκόπου δῷ τινι, εἰς λοιδορίαν τοῦ ἐπισκόπου δίδωσιν, καὶ διαβάλλει αὐτὸν ὡς ἀμελοῦντα τῶν θλιβομένων. Ὁ δὲ ἐπίσκοπον ἢ λόγῳ ἢ ἔργῳ κακολογῶν Θεῷ προσπταίει, οὐκ ἀκούσας αὐτοῦ εἰπόντος: »Θεούς σου οὐ κακολογήσεις.« Οὐ γὰρ περὶ λίθων ἢ ξύλων προσοχθισμάτων ἐνομοθέτει, βδελυκτῶν ὄντων διὰ τὴν ψευδωνυμίαν, ἀλλὰ περὶ τῶν ἱερέων καὶ τῶν κριτῶν, οἷς καὶ εἶπεν ὅτι »Θεοί ἐστε καὶ υἱοὶ Ὑψίστου πάντες«.