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before nations and kings. But if there is need of him for bishop or presbyter or deacon, he is ordained. But if any confessor who has not been ordained seizes for himself some such dignity on account of his confession, let such a one be deposed and cast out; for he is not, since he has denied the ordinance of Christ, and is worse than an unbeliever. The same concerning virgins. A virgin is not ordained, for we do not have a command of the Lord; for the prize is of choice, not for the slander of marriage, but for the leisure of piety. And I, Lebbaeus, surnamed Thaddaeus, ordain these things concerning widows. A widow is not ordained, but if she lost her husband long ago and has lived temperately and irreproachably and has taken excellent care of her household, like Judith and Anna, the most venerable, let her be enrolled into the order of widows. But if she has recently lost her spouse, let her not be trusted, but let her youth be judged by time; for passions at times also grow old with people, not being restrained by a stronger bridle. The same concerning exorcists. An exorcist is not ordained, for the prize is of voluntary goodwill and of the grace of God through Christ by the visitation of the Holy Spirit; for he who has received the gift of healing is shown forth by revelation from God, the grace in him being manifest to all. But if there should be need of him for bishop or presbyter or deacon, he is ordained. And I, Simon the Canaanite, ordain to you, by how many a bishop ought to be ordained. Let a bishop be ordained by three or two bishops; but if anyone is ordained by one bishop, let both he himself and the one who ordained him be deposed. But if necessity requires that he be ordained by one because it is not possible for more to be present, there being a persecution or some other such cause, let him bring a decree of permission from more bishops. The same concerning canons. A bishop blesses, he is not blessed; he ordains, he lays on hands, he offers; he receives a blessing from a bishop, but in no way from presbyters. A bishop deposes any cleric who is worthy of deposition except a bishop; for he alone is not able. A presbyter blesses, he is not blessed, he receives blessings from a bishop and a fellow-presbyter, likewise he gives it to a fellow-presbyter; he lays on hands, he does not ordain, he does not depose, but he separates those below him, if they are liable to such

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ἐνώπιον ἐθνῶν καὶ βασιλέων. Ἐὰν δὲ χρεία αὐτοῦ ᾖ εἰς ἐπίσκοπον ἢ πρεσβύτερον ἢ διάκονον, χειροτονεῖται. Eἰ 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. Ὁ αὐτὸς περὶ παρθένων. Παρθένος οὐ χειροτο νεῖται, ἐπιταγὴν γὰρ Κυρίου οὐκ ἔχομεν· γνώμης γάρ ἐστι τὸ ἔπαθλον, οὐκ ἐπὶ διαβολῇ τοῦ γάμου, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ σχολῇ τῆς εὐσεβείας. Κἀγὼ Λεββαῖος ὁ ἐπικληθεὶς Θαδδαῖος τάδε περὶ χηρῶν διατάσσομαι. Χήρα οὐ χειροτονεῖται, ἀλλ' εἰ μὲν ἐκ πολλοῦ ἀπέβαλεν τὸν ἄνδρα καὶ σωφρόνως καὶ ἀκαταγνώστως ἔζησεν καὶ τῶν οἰκείων ἄριστα ἐπεμελήθη, ὡς Ἰουδὶθ καὶ Ἄννα αἱ σεμνόταται, κατατασσέσθω εἰς τὸ χηρικόν. Eἰ δὲ νεωστὶ ἀπέβαλεν τὸν ὁμόζυγον, μὴ πιστευέσθω, ἀλλὰ χρόνῳ νεότης κρινέσθω· τὰ γὰρ πάθη ἔσθ' ὅτε καὶ συγγηρᾷ ἀνθρώποις, μὴ ὑπὸ κρείττονος χαλινοῦ εἰργόμενα. Περὶ ἐπορκιστῶν ὁ αὐτός. Ἐπορκιστὴς οὐ χειροτονεῖται, εὐνοίας γὰρ ἑκουσίου τὸ ἔπαθλον καὶ χάριτος Θεοῦ διὰ Χριστοῦ ἐπιφοιτήσει τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος· ὁ γὰρ λαβὼν χάρισμα ἰαμάτων δι' ἀποκαλύψεως ὑπὸ Θεοῦ ἀναδείκνυται, φανερᾶς οὔσης πᾶσιν τῆς ἐν αὐτῷ χάριτος. Ἐὰν δὲ χρεία αὐτοῦ γένηται εἰς ἐπίσκοπον ἢ πρεσβύτερον ἢ διάκονον, χειροτονεῖται. Σίμων δὲ ὁ Καναναῖος κἀγὼ διατάσσομαι ὑμῖν, ὑπὸ πόσων ὀφείλει χειροτονεῖσθαι ὁ ἐπίσκοπος. Ἐπίσκο πος ὑπὸ τριῶν ἢ δύο ἐπισκόπων χειροτονείσθω· ἐὰν δέ τις ὑπὸ ἑνὸς χειροτονηθῇ ἐπισκόπου, καθαιρείσθω καὶ αὐτὸς καὶ ὁ χειροτονήσας. Ἐὰν δὲ ἀνάγκη ὑπὸ ἑνὸς καταλάβῃ χειροτονηθῆναι διὰ τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι πλείονας παραγενέσθαι, διωγμοῦ ὄντος ἢ ἄλλης τοιαύτης αἰτίας, ψήφισμα κομιζέτω τῆς ἐπιτροπῆς πλειόνων ἐπισκόπων. 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 καθαι ρέσεως πλὴν ἐπισκόπου· μόνος γὰρ οὐχ οἷός τε. Πρεσβύ τερος εὐλογεῖ, οὐκ εὐλογεῖται, εὐλογίας δέχεται παρὰ ἐπισκό που καὶ συμπρεσβυτέρου, ὡσαύτως ἐπιδίδωσιν συμπρεσ βυτέρῳ· χειροθετεῖ, οὐ χειροτονεῖ, οὐ καθαιρεῖ, ἀφορίζει δὲ τοὺς ὑποβεβηκότας, ἐὰν ὦσιν ὑπεύθυνοι τῇ τοιαύτῃ