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let us say, but in common also by all of us, presbyters and deacons and subdeacons and readers. The first high priest, therefore, by nature is the only-begotten Christ, not having seized the honor for himself, but having been appointed by the Father; who, having become man for our sakes and offering the spiritual sacrifice to his God and Father before the passion, commanded us alone to do this, although there were with us also others who had believed in him; but not everyone who believed was thereby made a priest or received high-priestly dignity. And after his ascension, we, having offered according to his command a pure and bloodless sacrifice, appointed bishops and presbyters and seven deacons in number. One of whom was Stephen the blessed martyr, not falling short of us in goodwill towards God, who showed so much piety in his faith and love for our Lord Jesus Christ, as to give even his life for him, being stoned by the Lord-slaying Jews; but nevertheless such and so great a man, burning with the Spirit, seeing Christ at the right hand of God and the heavenly gates opened, is nowhere seen to have used the ministry for those to whom it did not belong, or to have offered sacrifice or laid hands on anyone, but he preserved the order of the diaconate to the end; for so it was fitting for the martyr of Christ to preserve good order. But if some bring an accusation against Philip the deacon and Ananias the faithful brother, that the one baptized the eunuch, and the other me, Paul, they themselves do not know what we are saying. For we have said that no one seizes the priestly dignity for himself, but either receives it from God, as Melchizedek and Job, or from a high priest, as Aaron from Moses; therefore, both Philip and Ananias did not choose themselves, but were appointed by Christ, the high priest of the incomparable God. a. A bishop, therefore, is ordained by two or three bishops, a presbyter by one bishop, and a deacon and the rest of the clergy. b. If any bishop or presbyter, contrary to the Lord’s ordinance concerning the sacrifice, offers any other things at the altar of God, either honey, or milk, or artificial strong drink instead of wine, or birds, or any animals, or legumes, contrary to the ordinance, let him be deposed. c. At the proper time, except for new ears of corn or grapes, let it not be permitted for anything to be brought to the altar, and

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λέγωμεν, κοινῇ δὲ καὶ ὑπὸ πάντων ἡμῶν πρεσβύτεροι καὶ διάκονοι καὶ ὑποδιάκονοι καὶ ἀναγνῶσται. Πρῶτος τοίνυν τῇ φύσει ἀρχιερεὺς ὁ μονογενὴς Χριστός, οὐχ ἑαυτῷ τὴν τιμὴν ἁρπάσας, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς κατασταθείς· ὃς γενόμενος ἄνθρωπος δι' ἡμᾶς καὶ τὴν πνευματικὴν θυσίαν προσφέρων τῷ Θεῷ αὐτοῦ καὶ Πατρὶ πρὸ τοῦ πάθους, ἡμῖν διετάξατο μόνοις τοῦτο ποιεῖν, καίτοι ὄντων σὺν ἡμῖν καὶ ἑτέρων τῶν εἰς αὐτὸν πεπιστευ κότων· ἀλλ' οὐ πάντως πᾶς ὁ πιστεύσας ἤδη καὶ ἱερεὺς κατέστη ἢ ἀρχιερατικῆς ἀξίας ἔτυχεν. Μετὰ δὲ τὴν ἀνάληψιν αὐτοῦ ἡμεῖς προσενεγκόντες κατὰ τὴν διάταξιν αὐτοῦ θυσίαν καθαρὰν καὶ ἀναίμακτον, προεχειρισάμεθα ἐπι σκόπους καὶ πρεσβυτέρους καὶ διακόνους ἑπτὰ τὸν ἀριθμόν. Ὣν εἷς ἦν Στέφανος ὁ μακάριος μάρτυς, οὐκ ἀπολει πόμενος ἡμῶν κατὰ τὴν πρὸς Θεὸν εὔνοιαν, ὃς τοσοῦτον τὴν θεοσέβειαν τῇ πίστει ἐνεδείξατο καὶ τὴν εἰς τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἀγάπην, ὡς ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ δοῦναι καὶ τὴν ψυχήν, πρὸς τῶν κυριοκτόνων Ἰουδαίων λίθοις βληθείς· ἀλλ' ὅμως ὁ τοιοῦτος καὶ τηλικοῦτος ἀνήρ, ὁ τῷ Πνεύματι ζέων, ὁ τὸν Χριστὸν ὁρῶν ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τὰς οὐρανίας πύλας ἀνεῳγμένας, οὐδαμοῦ φαίνεται τοῖς μὴ ἀνήκουσιν τῇ διακονίᾳ χρησάμενος, ἢ θυσίαν ἀνενεγκὼν ἢ χεῖρας ἐπιθείς τινι, ἀλλὰ τὸ τῆς διακονίας τάγμα φυλάξας μέχρι τέλους· οὕτω γὰρ ἔπρεπεν τῷ τοῦ Χριστοῦ μάρτυρι τὴν εὐταξίαν ἀποσóζειν. Eἰ δὲ Φίλιππον τὸν διάκονον καὶ Ἀνανίαν τὸν πιστὸν ἀδελφὸν αἰτιῶνταί τινες, ὅτι ὁ μὲν τὸν εὐνοῦχον ἐβάπτισεν, ὁ δὲ ἐμὲ Παῦλον, ἀγνοοῦσιν αὐτοὶ ὃ λέγομεν ἡμεῖς. Eἴπομεν γὰρ ὅτι οὐχ ἑαυτῷ τις ἁρπάζει τὸ ἱερατικὸν ἀξίωμα, ἀλλ' ἢ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ λαμβάνει ὡς Μελχισεδὲκ καὶ Ἰὼβ ἢ παρὰ ἀρχιερέως ὡς Ἀαρὼν παρὰ Μωϋσέως· οὐκοῦν καὶ Φίλιππος καὶ Ἀνανίας οὐχ ἑαυτοὺς προείλαντο, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ προεχειρί σθησαν τοῦ ἀρχιερέως τοῦ ἀσυγκρίτου Θεοῦ. α. Ἐπίσκοπος τοίνυν ὑπὸ ἐπισκόπων χειροτονεῖται δύο ἢ τριῶν, πρεσβύτερος ὑπὸ ἑνὸς ἐπισκόπου καὶ διάκονος καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ κληρικοί. β. Eἴ τις ἐπίσκοπος ἢ πρεσβύτερος παρὰ τὴν ὑπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου διάταξιν τὴν ἐπὶ τῇ θυσίᾳ προσενέγκῃ ἕτερά τινα ἢ μέλι ἐπὶ τὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ θυσιαστήριον ἢ γάλα ἢ ἀντὶ οἴνου σίκερα ἐπιτηδευτὰ ἢ ὄρνεις ἢ ζῷά τινα ἢ ὄσπρια, παρὰ τὴν διάταξιν, καθαιρείσθω. γ. Τῷ καιρῷ τῷ δέοντι πλὴν νέων χίδρων ἢ σταφυλῆς μὴ ἐξὸν ἔστω προσάγεσθαί τι πρὸς τὸ θυσιαστήριον, καὶ