[Concerning the Ordination of Presbyters—The Constitution of John, Who Was Beloved by the Lord.]

XVI. Concerning the ordination of presbyters, I  132  One V. ms. has this note: “John the evangelist, the brother of James, was banished by Domitian to the island of Patmos, and there composed the Gospel according to him. He died a natural death, in the third year of Trajan’s reign, in Ephesus. His remains were sought, but have not been found.” who am loved by the Lord make this constitution for you the bishops:  When thou ordainest a presbyter, O bishop, lay thy hand upon his head,  in the presence of the presbyters and deacons,  133  The Coptic adds: “While you pray, he is ordained; and thou shalt ordain the deacon also according to this constitution alone.” and pray, saying: O Lord Almighty, our God, who hast created all things by Christ, and dost in like manner take care of the whole world by Him; for He who had power to make different creatures, has also power to take care of them, according to their different natures; on which account, O God, Thou takest care of immortal beings by bare preservation, but of those that are mortal by succession—of the soul by the provision of laws, of the body by the supply of its wants. Do Thou therefore now also look down upon Thy holy Church, and increase the same, and multiply those that preside in it, and grant them power, that they may labour both in word and work for the edification of Thy people. Do Thou now also look down upon this Thy servant, who is put into the presbytery by the vote and determination of the whole clergy; and do Thou replenish him with the Spirit of grace and counsel, to assist and govern Thy people with a pure heart, in the same manner as Thou didst look down upon Thy chosen people, and didst command Moses to choose elders, whom Thou didst fill with Thy Spirit.  134  Ex. xviii., , xxviii Do Thou also now, O Lord, grant this, and preserve in us the Spirit of Thy grace, that this person, being filled with the gifts of healing and the word of teaching, may in meekness instruct Thy people, and sincerely serve Thee with a pure mind and a willing soul, and may fully discharge the holy ministrations for Thy people, through Thy Christ, with whom glory, honour, and worship be to Thee, and to the Holy Ghost, for ever. Amen.

[16] Περὶ δὲ χειροτονίας πρεσβυτέρου ἐγὼ ὁ φιλούμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου διατάσσομαι ὑμῖν τοῖς ἐπισκόποις. Πρεσβύτερον χειροτονῶν, ὦ ἐπίσκοπε, τὴν χεῖρα ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς ἐπιτίθει αὐτός, τοῦ πρεσβυτερίου παρεστῶτός σοι καὶ τῶν διακόνων, καὶ εὐχόμενος λέγε: Κύριε παντοκράτορ, ὁ βασιλεὺς ἡμῶν ὁ διὰ Χριστοῦ τὰ πάντα δημιουργήσας, πρὸ δὲ πάντων αὐτὸν ὑποστησάμενος καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ τῶν ὅλων προνοῶν καταλλήλως: ᾧ γὰρ δύναμις διάφορα ποιῆσαι, τούτῳ δύναμις καὶ διαφόρως προνοῆσαι: δι' αὐτοῦ γάρ, ὁ Θεός, προνοεῖς τῶν μὲν ἀθανάτων φυλακῇ μόνῃ, τῶν δὲ θνητῶν διαδοχῇ, τῆς ψυχῆς φροντίδι νόμων, τοῦ σώματος ἀναπληρώσει τῆς ἐνδείας: αὐτὸς οὖν καὶ νῦν ἐπίβλεψον ἐπὶ τὴν ἁγίαν σου Ἐκκλησίαν καὶ αὔξησον αὐτήν, καὶ πλήθυνον τοὺς ἐν αὐτῇ προεστῶτας καὶ δὸς δύναμιν πρὸς τὸ κοπιᾶν αὐτοὺς λόγῳ καὶ ἔργῳ πρὸς οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ λαοῦ σου. Αὐτὸς καὶ νῦν ἔπιδε ἐπὶ τὸν δοῦλόν σου τοῦτον τὸν ψήφῳ καὶ κρίσει τοῦ κλήρου παντὸς εἰς πρεσβυτέριον ἐπιδοθέντα, καὶ ἔμπλησον αὐτὸν Πνεῦμα χάριτος καὶ συμβουλίας τοῦ ἀντιλαμβάνεσθαι καὶ συγκυβερνᾶν τὸν λαόν σου ἐν καθαρᾷ καρδίᾳ, ὃν τρόπον ἐπεῖδες ἐπὶ λαὸν ἐκλογῆς σου καὶ προσέταξας Μωϋσεῖ αἱρήσασθαι πρεσβυτέρους, οὓς ἐνέπλησας Πνεύματος. Καὶ νῦν, Κύριε, παράσχου ἀνελλιπὲς τηρῶν ἐν ἡμῖν τὸ Πνεῦμα τῆς χάριτός σου, ὅπως, πλησθεὶς ἐνεργημάτων ἰαματικῶν καὶ λόγου διδακτικοῦ, ἐν πραότητι παιδεύῃ σου τὸν λαὸν καὶ δουλεύῃ σοι εἰλικρινῶς ἐν καθαρᾷ διανοίᾳ καὶ ψυχῇ θελούσῃ, καὶ τὰς ὑπὲρ τοῦ λαοῦ σου ἱερουργίας ἀμώμως ἐκτελῇ, διὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ σου, δι' οὗ σοὶ δόξα, τιμὴ καὶ σέβας ἐν ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας: ἀμήν.