Canon 7 A deacon may not sit before presbyters

Since we have learned that in some of the churches there are deacons who hold ecclesiastical offices, and that hence some of them, making use of arrogance and self-will, sit before the presbyters, we decree that the deacon, even if he be in a dignity, that is, in an ecclesiastical office of whatever kind, shall not, being such, sit before the presbyter; except when, acting in the person of his own patriarch or metropolitan, he comes to another city on some matter of business; for then he will be honoured as filling the place of that one. And if anyone, using tyrannical audacity, should dare to do such a thing, let such a one, brought down from his own rank, become last of all of the order in which he is enrolled in his own church, since our Lord exhorts us not to rejoice in the first places at table, according to the teaching contained in the holy evangelist Luke as from our Lord and God Himself. For He spoke to those who were invited a parable of this kind: "When you are invited by anyone to a wedding, do not recline in the first place, lest one more honoured than you be invited by him, and he who invited you and him come and say to you, Give this man place; and then you will begin with shame to take the last place. But when you are invited, recline in the last place, so that when he who invited you comes, he may say to you, Friend, go up higher; then you will have glory before those who recline at table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" [Luke 14:8-11]. The same shall be observed also in the case of the other sacred orders; since we know that spiritual dignities are better than worldly ones.