[The Same Apostle’s Canons Concerning Bishops, Presbyters, Deacons, and the Rest of the Clergy.]
XXVIII. Concerning 155 The words from “concerning” to “constitution” are omitted in the Oxford ms., in Syriac, and Coptic. the canons I the same make a constitution. A bishop blesses, but does not receive the blessing. He lays on hands, ordains, offers, receives the blessing from bishops, but by no means from presbyters. A bishop deprives any clergyman who deserves deprivation, excepting a bishop; for of himself he has not power to do that. A presbyter blesses, but does not receive the blessing; yet does he receive the blessing from the bishop or a fellow-presbyter. In like manner does he give it to a fellow-presbyter. He lays on hands, but does not ordain; he does not deprive, yet does he separate those that are under him, if they be liable to such a punishment. A deacon does not bless, does not give the blessing, but receives it from the bishop and presbyter: he does not baptize, he does not offer; but when a bishop or presbyter has offered, he distributes to the people, not as a priest, but as one that ministers to the priests. But it is not lawful for any one of the other clergy to do the work of a deacon. A deaconess does not bless, nor perform anything belonging to the office of presbyters or deacons, but only is to keep the doors, and to minister to the presbyters in the baptizing of women, on account of decency. A deacon separates a sub-deacon, a reader, a singer, and a deaconess, if there be any occasion, in the absence of a presbyter. It is not lawful for a sub-deacon to separate either one of the clergy or laity; nor for a reader, nor for a singer, nor for a deaconess, for they are the ministers to the deacons.
[Sec. IV.—Certain Prayers and Laws.]
[28] Ὁ αὐτὸς περὶ κανόνων. Ἐπίσκοπος εὐλογεῖ, οὐκ εὐλογεῖται: χειροτονεῖ, χειροθετεῖ, προσφέρει: εὐλογίαν παρὰ ἐπισκόπου λαμβάνει, παρὰ δὲ πρεσβυτέρων οὐδαμῶς. Ἐπίσκοπος καθαιρεῖ πάντα κληρικὸν ἄξιον ὄντα καθαιρέσεως πλὴν ἐπισκόπου: μόνος γὰρ οὐχ οἷός τε. Πρεσβύτερος εὐλογεῖ, οὐκ εὐλογεῖται, εὐλογίας δέχεται παρὰ ἐπισκόπου καὶ συμπρεσβυτέρου, ὡσαύτως ἐπιδίδωσιν συμπρεσβυτέρῳ: χειροθετεῖ, οὐ χειροτονεῖ, οὐ καθαιρεῖ, ἀφορίζει δὲ τοὺς ὑποβεβηκότας, ἐὰν ὦσιν ὑπεύθυνοι τῇ τοιαύτῃ τιμωρίᾳ. Διάκονος οὐκ εὐλογεῖ: οὐ δίδωσιν εὐλογίαν, λαμβάνει δὲ παρὰ ἐπισκόπου καὶ πρεσβυτέρου: οὐ βαπτίζει, οὐ προσφέρει: τοῦ δὲ ἐπισκόπου προσενεγκόντος ἢ τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου, αὐτὸς ἐπιδίδωσιν τῷ λαῷ, οὐχ ὡς ἱερεύς, ἀλλ' ὡς διακονούμενος ἱερεῦσιν. Τῶν τε ἄλλων κληρικῶν τὸ τοῦ διακόνου ἔργον ποιῆσαι οὐδενὶ ἐξόν. Διακόνισσα οὐκ εὐλογεῖ, ἀλλ' οὐδέ τι ὧν ποιοῦσιν οἱ πρεσβύτεροι ἢ οἱ διάκονοι ἐπιτελεῖ, ἀλλ' ἢ τοῦ φυλάττειν τὰς θύρας καὶ ἐξυπηρετεῖσθαι τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις ἐν τῷ βαπτίζεσθαι τὰς γυναῖκας διὰ τὸ εὐπρεπές. Διάκονος ἀφορίζει ὑποδιάκονον, ἀναγνώστην, ψάλτην, διακόνισσαν, ἐὰν ᾖ τι τοιοῦτον μὴ παρόντος πρεσβυτέρου Ὑποδιακόνῳ οὐκ ἔξεστιν ἀφορίσαι, οὔτε μὴν ἀναγνώστῃ οὔτε ψάλτῃ οὔτε διακονίσσῃ, οὐ κληρικόν, οὐ λαϊκόν: ὑπηρέται γάρ εἰσιν διακόνων.