[That the Deacon is to Ease the Burden of the Bishops, and to Order the Smaller Matters Himself.]
XLIV. Be ye of one mind, O ye bishops, one with another, and be at peace with one another; sympathize with one another, love the brethren, and feed the people with care; with one consent teach those that are under you to be of the same sentiments and to be of the same opinions about the same matters, “that there may be no schisms among you; that ye may be one body and one spirit, perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment,” 209 1 Cor. i. 10; Eph. iv. 4. according to the appointment of the Lord. And let the deacon refer all things to the bishop, as Christ does to His Father. But let him order such things as he is able by himself, receiving power from the bishop, as the Lord did from His Father the power of creation and of providence. But the weighty matters let the bishop judge; but let the deacon be the bishop’s ear, and eye, and mouth, and heart, and soul, that the bishop may not be distracted with many cares, but with such only as are more considerable, as Jethro did appoint for Moses, and his counsel was received. 210 Ex. xviii.
[44] Σὺ οὖν, ὦ ἐπίσκοπε, σπούδαζε ἅμα τῷ ὑπὸ σὲ κλήρῳ ὀρθοτομεῖν τὸν λόγον τῆς ἀληθείας, ὅτι λέγει Κύριος: »Ἐὰν πλάγιοι πορεύησθε, κἀγὼ πρὸς ὑμᾶς πλαγίως πορεύσομαι.« Καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ: »Μετὰ ὁσίου ὁσιωθήσῃ, καὶ μετὰ ἀθώου ἀθῶος ἔσῃ, καὶ μετὰ στρεβλοῦ διαστρέψεις.« Ὁσίως οὖν πορεύεσθε, ἵνα μᾶλλον ἐπαίνου καταξιωθῆτε ὑπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου ἢ μέμψεως ἐκ τοῦ ἐναντίου. Ὁμόφρονες οὖν ὄντες πρὸς ἀλλήλους, ὦ ἐπίσκοποι, εἰρηνεύετε μετ' ἀλλήλων, ὡς συμπαθεῖς καὶ φιλάδελφοι, καὶ μετὰ ἀκριβείας ποιμαίνετε τὸν λαόν, ὁμοφρόνως διδάσκοντες τοὺς ὑφ' ὑμᾶς ὁμογνωμονεῖν καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν δοξάζειν, ὅπως μὴ ᾖ ἐν ὑμῖν σχίσματα, ἦτε δὲ ἓν σῶμα καὶ ἓν πνεῦμα, κατηρτισμένοι τῷ αὐτῷ νοῒ καὶ τῇ αὐτῇ γνώμῃ κατὰ τὴν κυριακὴν θέσιν. Καὶ πάντα μὲν ὁ διάκονος τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ ἀναφερέτω, ὡς ὁ Χριστὸς τῷ Πατρί: ἀλλ' ὅσα δύναται, εὐθυνέτω δι' ἑαυτοῦ, λαβὼν παρὰ τοῦ ἐπισκόπου τὴν ἐξουσίαν, ὡς ὁ Χριστὸς παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς τὸ προνοεῖν: τὰ δὲ ὑπέρογκα ὁ ἐπίσκοπος κρινέτω. Πλὴν ἔστω ὁ διάκονος τοῦ ἐπισκόπου ἀκοὴ καὶ ὀφθαλμὸς καὶ στόμα, καρδία τε καὶ ψυχή, ἵνα μὴ ᾖ τὰ πολλὰ μεριμνῶν ὁ ἐπίσκοπος, ἀλλὰ μόνα τὰ κυριώτερα, ὥσπερ καὶ ὁ Ἰοθὼρ τῷ Μωϋσῇ διετάξατο, καὶ ἀπεδέχθη αὐτοῦ ἡ συμβουλία.