deposed

But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:

And he reigned in Judea and in Jerusalem three months: and then the king of Egypt deposed him from reigning in Jerusalem.

Concerning the things which shall be brought upon the altar. If any bishop or elder brings anything else upon the altar of the Lord except that which we have commanded, that they shall bring and place there as an offering ; should they bring either honey or milk, or of birds or of beasts anything else than that which our Lord has commanded, let him be deposed. Nor shall they be allowed to bring anything upon the altar except ears of grain and grapes in their seasons and the oil of the holy lamps and frankincense at the time of the holy Eucharist. But the other fruits they shall send into the house, and they shall belong to the bishop and the presbyters ; only they shall not bring them upon the altar. And the bishop and the presbyters and the other ordained persons shall divide these among themselves.

A bishop or an elder or a deacon shall not reject his wife under the pretext of a service of the Lord. But if they have rejected [her], let them be separated [from the church] ; and if they do not return them and bring them back, let them be deposed.

Concerning the day on which the Passah should be celebrated. If any bishop or elder or deacon celebrates the holy Passah with the Jews before day and night are equal [vernal equinox] , let him be deposed.

A bishop or an elder or a deacon shall not mix in with the doings of this world. But if they do this, let them be deposed.

But if a bishop or one of the priests who does not accept the eucharist at the time of the solemnization, mentions a reason for this ; and if there is something that made him unworthy, let him be forgiven : but if he does not mention a reason, let him be deposed ; for he was the leader that there should be sin to the people, and has caused them to take offence at him who has brought the eucharist, as though he had not brought it in purity.

A priest who becomes security for a man shall be deposed.

Concerning eunuchs. If any one has become a eunuch through men by force, or if they have deprived him of his organ in war, or if he has been born thus, and they deem him worthy, let him be ordained as bishop. But if he has castrated himself of his own will, he cannot become one of the ordained ; for he has become a slayer of himself and an enemy of the creature of God. And if one of the ordained castrate his organ, let him be deposed, for he is only a slayer of himself. And a layman who castrates himself shall be expelled three years, for he is only an enemy of his life.

Concerning him who commits fornication or swears falsely or steals. A bishop or an elder or a deacon who is discovered in fornication or in swearing falsely or in theft, shall be deposed, but shall not be expelled. For God says that he does not punish twice for one crime.

Concerning the priests who strike every one. A bishop or an elder who strike a Christian or one who does not believe, when he has sinned, and seeks by this deed to cause men to fear, we command that he be deposed. For the Lord did not command that we should do this : for when they struck him, he did not strike ; when they reviled him, he did not revile ; and when they afflicted him, he did not take vengeance or become angry.

Concerning him who is rightly deposed from the clerical ranks. If a bishop or an elder or a deacon who has rightly been deposed on account of a sin that has become manifest, becomes, obstinate, and returns to take possession of his former office, let this one also entirely depart from the Christian church.

Concerning him who is rightly deposed from the clerical ranks. If a bishop or an elder or a deacon who has rightly been deposed on account of a sin that has become manifest, becomes, obstinate, and returns to take possession of his former office, let this one also entirely depart from the Christian church.

Concerning him who has been ordained through bribery. If there is a bishop or an elder or a deacon who has taken the grade of a priest by bribery, let him be deposed. And let him who ordained him also be deposed and removed forever from the priestly office and let them not associate with him in any respect, just as I removed Simon the Magician from me, I, Peter.

Concerning him who has been ordained through bribery. If there is a bishop or an elder or a deacon who has taken the grade of a priest by bribery, let him be deposed. And let him who ordained him also be deposed and removed forever from the priestly office and let them not associate with him in any respect, just as I removed Simon the Magician from me, I, Peter.

Concerning him who calls in aid that he may hold the Christian church. If a bishop obtains a position through the assistance of the princes of this world and rules the Christian church through them, let him be removed and deposed, he and all who follow him.

Concerning the elder who despises the bishop. If an elder despises a bishop and separates himself from him and builds for himself an altar, although no guilt is found in judgment against the bishop, and he is right in reference to the service of the Lord, let him be deposed ; for he is ambitious for office, and also all the priests who follow him, for he is a rebel. And the laymen who follow him shall be expelled. And this shall take place when the bishop shall have asked them once and a second time and a third time.

It is the duty of the metropolitan bishop to know the bishops of the whole province, and it is their duty to know who is the first among them, and they shall call him the metropolitan. And not shall they undertake an important work without the consent of the leader. And each one shall do his work which is his duty according to his office and according to the people who are in his diocese. But not even he who has been ordained as metropolitan over them shall undertake anything at all, except with the consent of all the bishops, and thus they all shall be one association and shall praise the Lord through Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit. And not shall a bishop dare to ordain any one outside of his diocese in localities that do not belong to him. And if he is found as having done this without the consent of the head of this place and these villages and cities, let him be deposed together with those whom he ordained.

Concerning those who frequent theatrical plays. A bishop or an elder or a deacon who frequents the theatre or wanders around or becomes intoxicated, shall cease doing so; but if not, he shall be expelled. Sub-deacons and readers and psalm-singers, if they do this deed, shall cease ; but if not, they shall be expelled ; and thus also the laymen. A bishop or an elder or a deacon who knows of one that frequents and does not cease, is in duty bound to prevent him ; but if not, he shall be deposed.

A bishop or an elder or a deacon who attends the baptism of the heretics or their celebration of the Eucharist, we command that he shall be deposed. For what communion has Christ with Satan ; or what part have believers with those who do not believe?

Concerning the condition of him who regards marriage as impure. But if a bishop or an elder or a deacon or one of the ordained priests refuse to marry or to eat meat or to drink wine, and it is not on account of temperance, but because these are impure (although the Scriptures establish all these things as good and God created man male and female), and such an one thus blasphemes, let him cease ; but if not, let him be deposed, and let him depart from the Christian church : and thus also in the case of a layman.

Concerning the deposing of him who does not receive those who have repented of their sins. If a bishop or an elder or a deacon is not willing to receive him who has repented of his sins, let him be deposed ; for he grieves the heart of our Lord who says, that there will be joy in heaven over one sinner that repents.

If a bishop or an elder or a deacon will not eat . a little meat and drink a small measure of wine during the festival days, and in secret considers these things wrong, and thus becomes a cause of offence to the people, let him be deposed.

If one of the priests has been found eating or drinking in a place of public resort, let him be removed, except if it be in an inn for strangers on account of the needs of travel. And if one of those ordained curses a bishop, let him be deposed ; for it is said, " Thou shalt not curse the leader of thy people." And if one of the lower clergy curses an elder or a deacon, let him be expelled. And if one of the priests ridicules a person that is deaf or lame or blind or deformed at his feet, let him be expelled ; and thus also in the case of a layman, if he does this.

Concerning the bishop or elder who does not teach the people to serve the Lord. A bishop or an elder who neglects the clergy and the laity and does not teach them the service of the Lord, let him be removed ; and if he continues in his neglect, let him be deposed.

If a bishop or an elder is neglectful in reference to him who is poor from among the clergy, and he does not make him his equal by giving to him according to his desire, let him be removed. And if he continues in his neglect, let him be deposed like him who slays his brother.

If there is one who spreads the writings which heretics in falsehood have written, and brings them into the Christian church as holy writings, in order to entrap the people and the clergy, let him be deposed.

Concerning the denial of Christ and the denial of the dignity of the priesthood. If any of the clergy denies on account of the fear of man, either of the Jews or of the gentiles or of the heretics, and if it is the name of Christ which he has denied, let him be removed. And if it is the name of the priesthood, let him be deposed. And if he repents, they shall receive him, and he shall enter as a layman.

If a bishop or an elder or a deacon or one of the ordained clergy eats meat in which there is the blood of its life, or which has not been slaughtered, or of which an animal has been biting, or which has been found dead, let him be deposed, as the law commands in regard to this. And if he be a layman, let him be expelled.

If any of the clergy has been discovered as fasting on the Lord's day or on the Sabbath day, except on the great Sabbath day alone which is the Passah, let him be deposed.

If one of the clergy or a layman enters the synagogue of the Jews or the place of the heretic in order to pray, let the priest be deposed and the layman be expelled.

Concerning him who strikes a man until he dies and him who overpowers a virgin. If a priest has a quarrel with another and strikes him, and he dies, let him be deposed on account of the hardness of his heart ; and in the case of a layman, let him be expelled. And if a layman has destroyed a virgin before she has been promised, and has cohabited with her, let him be expelled. And he shall not marry another, but he shall abide with her whom he has forced, even if she is poor and deformed.

Concerning him who is ordained a second time. If a bishop or an elder or a deacon has been ordained a second time, let him be deposed, as also the one who ordained him ; unless indeed it is certain that they have been ordained by heretics, for it will never be that they who have been baptized or ordained by such men will become believers [i.e., church members] or clergy.

Concerning him who does not fast in the forty days and on the fourth and on the sixth. If a bishop or an elder or a deacon or a reader or a psalm-singer does not fast in the holy forty days and on the fourth and the sixth, let him be deposed, except if illness of body prevents him ; and in the case of a layman, let him be expelled.

If a bishop or an elder or a deacon or any of the clergy fasts with the Jews or celebrates the Passah with them or accepts from them the gifts of their festival, leaven or whatever is like it, let him be deposed ; and in the case of a layman, let him be expelled. And if a layman brings oil or lamps into the temple of the gentiles or the synagogue of the Jews, let him be expelled.

Concerning him who steals the oil or the wax or anything that is the property of the church. If any of the clergy steals the wax belonging to the church, or the oil, let him be deposed, and what he has stolen he shall refund fivefold. Silver vessels and clothes, if they have been seen a few days, no man shall take from them for himself alone anything ; for this action is a sin. And he who does this shall be expelled, and they shall punish him.

A bishop or an elder or a deacon who connects himself with the army, and desires to perform these two offices, that he should follow a human calling and the priestly calling, let him be expelled. For it is said : Give unto the Lord that which is the Lord's, and unto the king that which is the king's. He who despises the king or the magistrate, except with justice, him they shall punish ; if it be one of the clergy, he shall be deposed, and if a layman, he shall be expelled.

Concerning those who confessed. The confessor shall not be ordained. This is a thing of his own will. He is worthy of great honour, for he confessed God, and he confessed before peoples and kings. If he had a call for this he shall be ordained bishop; or as presbyter let him be ordained: and likewise this ordination is because of his confession. If he did not finish (his course), but turned back and denied, he shall be deposed; because not only did he deny Christ, but became an enemy as one of the unbelievers.

Concerning that it is seemly that the bishop who is with you should be ordained by bishops. It is seemly that a bishop should be ordained by three bishops or by two. If one bishop alone laid hand upon him, he shall be deposed, and he also who ordained him. If it was because of the ferocity of men (that it was done) by a bishop alone, because it was not possible to gather an assembly on account of the ferocity of men, and not through pride and unbelief: if it was thus, he shall take authority from many bishops, and it shall be proper for him, and it shall be by their commandment, and he shall not be deposed, nor he who ordained him.

Concerning that it is seemly that the bishop who is with you should be ordained by bishops. It is seemly that a bishop should be ordained by three bishops or by two. If one bishop alone laid hand upon him, he shall be deposed, and he also who ordained him. If it was because of the ferocity of men (that it was done) by a bishop alone, because it was not possible to gather an assembly on account of the ferocity of men, and not through pride and unbelief: if it was thus, he shall take authority from many bishops, and it shall be proper for him, and it shall be by their commandment, and he shall not be deposed, nor he who ordained him.

Having made these declarations regarding the unity of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, let us return to the order in which we began the discussion. God the Father bestows upon all, existence; and participation in Christ, in respect of His being the word of reason, renders them rational beings. From which it follows that they are deserving either of praise or blame, because capable of virtue and vice. On this account, therefore, is the grace of the Holy Ghost present, that those beings which are not holy in their essence may be rendered holy by participating in it. Seeing, then, that firstly, they derive their existence from God the Father; secondly, their rational nature from the Word; thirdly, their holiness from the Holy Spirit,—those who have been previously sanctified by the Holy Spirit are again made capable of receiving Christ, in respect that He is the righteousness of God; and those who have earned advancement to this grade by the sanctification of the Holy Spirit, will nevertheless obtain the gift of wisdom according to the power and working of the Spirit of God. And this I consider is Paul’s meaning, when he says that to “some is given the word of wisdom, to others the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit.” And while pointing out the individual distinction of gifts, he refers the whole of them to the source of all things in the words, “There are diversities of operations, but one God who worketh all in all.” Whence also the working of the Father, which confers existence upon all things, is found to be more glorious and magnificent, while each one, by participation in Christ, as being wisdom, and knowledge, and sanctification, makes progress, and advances to higher degrees of perfection; and seeing it is by partaking of the Holy Spirit that any one is made purer and holier, he obtains, when he is made worthy, the grace of wisdom and knowledge, in order that, after all stains of pollution and ignorance are cleansed and taken away, he may make so great an advance in holiness and purity, that the nature which he received from God may become such as is worthy of Him who gave it to be pure and perfect, so that the being which exists may be as worthy as He who called it into existence. For, in this way, he who is such as his Creator wished him to be, will receive from God power always to exist, and to abide for ever. That this may be the case, and that those whom He has created may be unceasingly and inseparably present with Him, who IS, it is the business of wisdom to instruct and train them, and to bring them to perfection by confirmation of His Holy Spirit and unceasing sanctification, by which alone are they capable of receiving God. In this way, then, by the renewal of the ceaseless working of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in us, in its various stages of progress, shall we be able at some future time perhaps, although with difficulty, to behold the holy and the blessed life, in which (as it is only after many struggles that we are able to reach it) we ought so to continue, that no satiety of that blessedness should ever seize us; but the more we perceive its blessedness, the more should be increased and intensified within us the longing for the same, while we ever more eagerly and freely receive and hold fast the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. But if satiety should ever take hold of any one of those who stand on the highest and perfect summit of attainment, I do not think that such an one would suddenly be deposed from his position and fall away, but that he must decline gradually and little by little, so that it may sometimes happen that if a brief lapsus take place, and the individual quickly repent and return to himself, he may not utterly fall away, but may retrace his steps, and return to his former place, and again make good that which had been lost by his negligence.