Cutting Off Clergy

βαδίζοντες δὲ τὴν ἀπλανῆ καὶ ζωηφόρον ὁδὸν, ὀφθαλμὸν, μὲν ἐκκόψωμεν σκανδαλίζοντα· μὴ τὸν αἰσθητὸν, ἀλλὰ τὸν νοητόν· οἶον ἐὰν ὁ ἐπίσοκοπος ἤ ὁ πρεσβύτερος, οἱ ὄντες ὀφθαλμοὶ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, κακῶς, ἀναστρέφωνται καὶ σκανδαλίζωσαι τὸν λαὸν, χρὴ αὐτοὺς ἐκβάλλεσθαι. Συμφέρον γὰρ ἄνευ αὐτῶν συναθροίζεσθαι εἰς εὐκτήριον οἴκον, ἤ μετ' αὐτῶν ἐμβληθῆναι, ὡς μετὰ Ἂννα καὶ Καϊάφα, εἰς τὴν γέενναν τοῦ πυρός. Ὁμοίως καὶ ἡ χεὶρ ὁ διάκονος, ἐὰν ἀνάξιόν τι πράττῃ, χωριζέσθω τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου Ἅγιος Ἀθανάσιος, Ἐκλογή Source: Migne PG 26.1257c

Walking in the way that does not deceive and gives life, let us tear out the eye if it scandalises, 1 not materially but spiritually; so that if, for example, a bishop or presbyter, who are the eyes of the Church, conduct himself in vile manner and scandalise the people, let him be cast out. For it befits them to be separated from those gathered in the house of prayer, and to be thrown out among those who are, as with Anna and Caiaphas, in the hell of fire. Likewise, if a deacon, who is the hand, 2 should have done something disgraceful, let him be removed from the altar. Saint Athanasius, Fragment 1 Mt 5.29 2 Mt 5.30