According to Ferrandus the canon refers to the decisions of the Council of Neocaesarea in Pontus (AD 314/319) and the Council of Nicaea (AD 325).

 Canon 9 of Neocaesarea dealt with the presbyters who sinned carnally. If they committed such a sin before ordination and later confessed to it, they were to be excluded from celebrating the Eucharist, but allowed to perform other presbyterial duties. Canon 9 of Nicaea was more harsh: "If any presbyters have been advanced without examination, or if upon examination they have made confession of crime, and men acting in violation of the canon have laid hands upon them, notwithstanding their confession, such the canon does not admit; for the Catholic Church requires that [only] which is blameless" (trans. H. Percival). The following canon declared: "If any who have lapsed have been ordained through the ignorance, or even with the previous knowledge of the ordainers, this shall not prejudice the canon of the Church; for when they are discovered they shall be deposed" (trans. H. Percival).

The norm as transmitted by Ferrandus is therefore closer to the Nicene norms. "Non accepting" a guilty presbyter is his de facto demotion, since he will not be able to perform any presbyterial duties.