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The Testament of Our Lord

I. 39

[OF CONFESSORS]

If [one] be borne witness to and confess that he was in bonds and in imprisonment and in afflictions* for the Name of God, a hand is not therefore laid on him for the diaconate. Similarly not for the presbyterate. For he hath the honour of the clergy,’ having been protected by the hand of God, by [his] confessorship. But if he be appointed bishop, he is also counted worthy of laying on of the hand. And [even] if he be a confessor who hath not been judged before the power, and hath not been buffeted in bonds, but only hath confessed, he is counted worthy of laying on of the hand. For he receiveth the prayer of the clergy. But let him® not pray over him repeating” all these words; but when the shepherd advanceth§ he will receive the effect.

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Text. James Cooper and Arthur John Maclean, Edinburgh, 1902. Public domain by age. The Testamentum Domini from the Syriac, recovered from the scan by the word coordinates. This is not the Ge'ez: the Ethiopic version of this work was unpublished when they wrote and has no public-domain English still. Their chapter numbers are the ones printed. Not audited.