[Concerning the Confessors—The Constitution of James the Son of Alpheus.]
XXIII. And I James, the son of Alphæus, make a constitution in regard to confessors: A confessor is not ordained; for he is so by choice and patience, and is worthy of great honour, as having confessed the name of God, and of His Christ, before nations and kings. But if there be occasion , he is to be ordained 146 The Coptic reads, “let him be ordained.” either a bishop, priest, or deacon. But if any one of the confessors who is not ordained snatches to himself any such dignity upon account of his confession, let the same person be deprived and rejected; for he is not in such an office, since he has denied the constitution of Christ, and is “worse than an infidel .” 147 1 Tim. v. 8.
[23] Ἰάκωβος δὲ ὁ Ἀλφαίου κἀγὼ διατάσσομαι περὶ ὁμολογητῶν. Ὁμολογητὴς οὐ χειροτονεῖται, γνώμης γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ ὑπομονῆς: τιμῆς δὲ μεγάλης ἐπάξιος ὡς ὁμολογήσας τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐνώπιον ἐθνῶν καὶ βασιλέων. Ἐὰν δὲ χρεία αὐτοῦ ᾖ εἰς ἐπίσκοπον ἢ πρεσβύτερον ἢ διάκονον, χειροτονεῖται. Εἰ δέ τις ὁμολογητὴς μὴ χειροτονηθεὶς ἁρπάσῃ ἑαυτῷ ἀξίωμά τι τοιοῦτον ὡς διὰ τὴν ὁμολογίαν, ὁ τοιοῦτος καθαιρείσθω καὶ ἀποβαλλέσθω: οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν, ἐπείπερ ἤρνηται τὴν Χριστοῦ διάταξιν, καὶ ἔστιν ἀπίστου χείρων.