Dialogus de vita Joannis Chrysostomi

 honor, but he who is called by God. Thus 5 also Aaron, he says, did not glorify himself to become high priest. For although there were six hundred

 the flight of concord, most of us who are active and eager for it have become fugitives from the country, being unable to live safely and without trou

 he met with us, he did not share in words, nor in prayer, nor in communion but disembarking from the ship and running past the doors of the church, h

 to share in the suffering and to do everything, so as to stop these evils. For he put a stop to none of their lawlessness here, but even after this he

 and lamentations and fountains of tears in the marketplaces and the houses and in the desolate places and the whole part of the city was filled with

 you are exhorted to contribute zeal from yourselves. For thus you will gratify not only us, 16 but also the community of the churches, and you will re

 had fled on account of the threat contained in the imperial decree, that If anyone is not in communion with Theophilus and Arsakius and Porphyry, let

 of Bishop John of the Constantinopolitans and, as it seems, it has not been accomplished. Therefore, I wrote again through the bishops and presbyters

 savagery. This also the Savior God did, illuminating them with various revelations, so that also to Paul, the deacon of Saint Emilius, a most gentle

 He who speaks a lie is not of God, and again from David, Because the mouth of those who speak unjust things was stopped. For he who lies truly wro

 by his own choice, he was trained in the discourses for the ministry of the divine oracles. From there, being in the eighteenth year of his physical a

 of those who have believed in him will be bound. {THE DEACON} But where did they recognize the presence of the Savior? {THE BISHOP} When they cried ou

 of the rich, cutting away the abscesses of the soul, teaching them humility, to be of a humble mind towards other people, obeying the apostolic word,

 she gives one thousand gold pieces, having made him swear by the table of the Savior that he would buy clothes and clothe the poorer women of the Alex

 with his own hands on his neck, and after inflicting blows on his jaws, with clenched fingers he bloodied his nostrils, shouting 38 with a loud voice:

 by an excess of conceit. But those men, driven by great necessity because they were changing places from place to place, arrive at the camp, where Bis

 of the church, Dioscorus the bishop, who had grown old in the church but to the bishop John he writes: I think you are not ignorant of the decree of

 of John for unlawful offenses, he took advantage of their fickleness and persuades them to submit bills of accusation against John, promising them to

 Elijah was taken up did not Elisha prophesy? Paul was beheaded did he not leave behind Timothy, Titus, Apollos and ten thousand others? After these

 these of the council but if as accusers, set them up for the trial, so that I may know how I should contend, whether as against adversaries or as jud

 (for he is impetuous by nature, and rash and bold and exceedingly contentious—for there is nothing that appears to him by sight, <towards> which he do

 brother Acacius and Antiochus whom they put forward as canons of the orthodox, because We are of the faith of those who set them forth, and our doub

 reading the oracles, and others baptizing the catechumens, as was fitting because of Easter. These very things the corruptors of minds and deceivers o

 a proof of the diligence of teachers, unceasingly setting right the unconquerable quality of their resolve. Theodore said: {THE DEACON} You have spoke

 near him to the west), but in the western part, where the gate of the church is, the mule-team, on which he was accustomed to sit, having ordered it t

 of a hierophant, a man more silent than a fish and more idle than a frog (for there are times when even action speaks, especially when the good is don

 terrifying, just as bogeymen do children? Alas! Those who are clothed in worldly powers and ecclesiastical wealth with authority, with command even of

 on the one hand, that he ate alone but I did not wish you, most harmonious Theodore, to ask about the things of gluttonous infants. For being a man,

 he says, urging us to imitation Do not forget hospitality, he says, for by this some have entertained angels unawares. But the host must have the

 fell from blessing? was it not when he served his belly, deceived by the food? When did Saul fall from the kingdom? was it not when he ate the best of

 to eat bread and to put on a garment, all that you give me, I will tithe a tenth of it to you -he did not say, I will consume it at tables. That sp

 to give glory to God <in> persecutions. in the refutations of error, is there any mention of a table? But again to Titus, the bishop of Crete, let us

 they were seeking luxury. It was absurd to squander the food of the sick or the poor on the intemperance of the healthy. And what sort of law is this,

 from seeing evil. For many of the so-called bishops, wishing to cut off the reasonable hatred directed at them on account of their own ways and their

 First, that having melted down treasures he fashioned a silver object in the name of his son second, that having taken marbles from the entrance of t

 love of money is a source of evils. For he who took bribes against the innocent and thought to sell the distribution of the Holy Spirit for silver,

 Antoninus dies, with whom Eusebius had the lawsuit. Again a decree comes from Asia, this one from the clergy of the church of the Ephesians, and this

 to buy the priesthood. They say that the ravager and falsely-named patriarch of the Jews changes the rulers of the synagogue every year, or even more

 of those who deposed him and concluded the trial. <CHAPTER 19> {THE DEACON.} Forgive me, father, such things surpass drunkenness and madness and sport

 ambidextrous (for even his so-called left hand was better than the right hand of others) who at first, having served in letters, was found blameles

 slandering their life, waiting to have help from God. To these things Theodore, being astonished, said: {Ο ∆ΙΑΚ.} I see the facts as contrary to the n

 Or is it proper at all to cast out any disciple, much less a monk? 100 {THE DEACON} Because they provoked him or spoke ill of him. {THE BISHOP} And ou

 having led them back from vice to virtue, it will be clear that their persecutor deserves not to be persecuted, but to be pitied, as one who always ab

 having provoked the physician and enchanter of souls and removed his interpreter from the workshop of salvation, 105 they were handed over to the phys

 imitating him who, having found the one crushed by robbers, half-dead, on the way down to Jericho, placed him on his own beast of burden, having broug

 did he give? And when Optimus died in Constantinople, he closed his eyes with his own hands. In addition to these things, he also refreshed in no smal

 desiring to chasten the herd of men for their various desires towards the more austere part of life, he became his own judge and lawgiver, being stren

 toward the north, and each man's axe in his hand and one man in the midst of them, clothed in a full-length robe, and a sapphire belt on his loins a

 in many ways Who will boast that he has a pure heart? Or who will boldly claim to be pure from sin? but yet the blessed John did not know how to us

 happen to us anonymously and beneficially? sifting the reasons, not obeying him who said: Eat whatever is sold in the meat-market, asking no question

 two? {THE BISHOP} Especially if it is an unprofitable and charlatan crowd such as the one who said to Jesus: Teacher, I will follow you wherever you

 an intemperate old man, and an old man who loves learning above an unlearned younger man, and a poor layman above an educated lover of money, and a vi

 enjoying his disease nor raging with the same desires. For this is a fitting way of life for a teacher, not to linger with the crowds, but in quiet an

 having subjected his body to shameful tortures by the cruelty of judges, to the point of knocking out his teeth, as the story goes, 127 they confined

 knocking, they made the two-day journey into one, arriving late in the evening and departing in the dark of dawn, so that the stomach could not even k

 and that these things are done and are prolonged and are strong, and that the good are afflicted and plundered, brings me to shudder at his approachin

 Why shall I not be angry? looking upon me, marvel, and lay your hand upon your jaw. For if I remember, I am troubled, and pains take hold of my flesh.

 when reviled, we bless when persecuted, we endure when slandered, we entreat we have become as the refuse of the world, the offscouring of all thi

 sleepless or troubled in sleep, he suspects plots even from his own family, not trusting even himself, distrusting everyone as liars. Being such a per

 each other, for which it was also fitting, having learned something, did you not decide to be quiet and remain still by yourselves even for the future

 to his father and to his mother, I have not seen you, and his brothers he did not acknowledge he guarded your oracles, and kept your covenant. He d

 foot-soldiers' machinations for the hindering of those who travel for the truth). How then do they dare to say: By God's economy John has been cast o

he met with us, he did not share in words, nor in prayer, nor in communion; but disembarking from the ship and running past the doors of the church, he went somewhere outside the city and lodged. And though we often entreated both him and those who had come with him to stay with us (for everything had been prepared, both lodgings and all that was fitting), neither they nor he would consent. Seeing these things, we were in great perplexity, unable even to find the reason for this unjust hostility; but nevertheless we fulfilled our part, doing what was fitting for us, and continually urging him to meet with us and to say for what reason he had from the very beginning stirred up such a war and scandalized so great a city. But when he was unwilling even so to state the reason, and his accusers were pressing, the most pious emperor summoned us and commanded us to go across, where he was staying, <ἀπιέναι καὶ> to hear the case against him; for they were alleging an assault and slaughters and ten thousand other things. But we, respecting and honoring both the laws of the fathers and the man, and also having his own letters, "that cases ought not to be dragged across borders, but that the affairs of the provinces should be tried in their own provinces," did not consent to judge, but also declined with great vehemence. But he, as if contending with his former actions, summoned my archdeacon with great authority, as if the church were already widowed and had no bishop, and through him he transferred the entire clergy to himself. And the churches were thrown into confusion, as the clergy in each were led away, being prepared to give bills of accusation against us, being primed for accusation. And having done these things 10 he sent and summoned us to court, though he had not yet cleared himself of the charges against him; which was especially contrary to the canons and to all laws. But we, knowing that we were not coming before a judge (for then we would have appeared ten thousand times), but before an enemy and an adversary, as his actions both before and after showed, sent bishops to him, Demetrius of Pessinus, Eulysius of Apameia, Lupicinus of Appiaria, and the presbyters Germanus and Severus, responding with the moderation befitting us and saying that we did not refuse a trial, but a manifest enemy and adversary. For one who had not yet received bills of accusation, and had done such things from the beginning, and had cut himself off from the church and communion and prayer, and was priming accusers, and transferring clergy, and desolating churches, how could he be fit to ascend to the judge's throne which in no way belonged to him? For it was not proper for one from Egypt to judge in Thrace, and one who was liable to charges and was an enemy and an adversary. But nevertheless, respecting none of these things, but hastening to fulfill what he had planned, when we declared that we were ready <ἐσμεν>, with a hundred or a thousand bishops present, to clear ourselves of the charges and to show ourselves to be pure, as indeed we are, he would not consent. But in our absence, though we were appealing for a synod, and seeking a trial, and not fleeing a hearing, but manifest hostility, he both received accusers, and released those who had been bound by me, and from those very men, who had not yet cleared themselves of their own charges, he received bills of accusation, and he drew up records, all of which was contrary to rule and canon and proper order. And (for why must I say much?) he did not desist from doing and contriving everything, 11 until he cast us out of both the city and the church with all power and authority. And late in the evening, with all the people thronging about us, being dragged by the city's curiosus in the middle of the city, and being hauled by force, I was brought down, and I was thrown into a ship, and I sailed away by night, since I was calling for a synod for a just trial. Who could hear these things without tears, even if he had a heart of stone? But since, as I said before, one must not only lament, but also set things right, I exhort your love to rise up and

συνεγένετο, οὐ λόγων μετέδωκεν, οὐκ εὐχῆς, οὐ κοι νωνίας· ἀλλ' ἀποβὰς τοῦ πλοίου καὶ τὰ πρόθυρα τῆς ἐκκλησίας παραδραμών, ἔξω που τῆς πόλεως ἀπελθὼν ηὐλίζετο. καὶ πολλὰ παρακαλεσάντων ἡμῶν καὶ αὐτὸν καὶ τοὺς μετ' αὐτοῦ παραγε νομένους παρ' ἡμῖν καταχθῆναι (καὶ γὰρ πάντα ηὐτρέπιστο καὶ καταγώγια καὶ ὅσα εἰκὸς ἦν), οὔτε ἐκεῖνοι οὔτε αὐτὸς ἠν έσχετο. ταῦτα ὁρῶντες ἡμεῖς ἐν ἀπορίᾳ ἦμεν πολλῇ, μηδὲ τὴν αἰτίαν δυνάμενοι τῆς ἀδίκου ταύτης ἀπεχθείας εὑρεῖν· ἀλλ' ὅμως τὰ παρ' ἑαυτῶν ἐπληροῦμεν, τὸ πρέπον ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς ποιοῦντες, καὶ συνεχῶς αὐτὸν παρακαλοῦντες συγγενέσθαι ἡμῖν καὶ εἰπεῖν τίνος ἕνεκεν τοσοῦτον ἐκ προοιμίων ἀνεῤῥίπισεν πόλεμον καὶ τηλικαύτην ἐσκανδάλισεν πόλιν. ὡς δὲ οὐδὲ οὕτως ἐβούλετο λέγειν τὴν αἰτίαν, οἵ τε κατηγοροῦντες αὐτοῦ ἐπέκειντο, καλέσας ἡμᾶς ὁ εὐσεβέστατος βασιλεὺς ἐκέλευσεν πέραν, ἔνθα διέτριβεν, <ἀπιέναι καὶ> τῆς κατ' αὐτὸν ἀκούειν ὑποθέσεως· καὶ γὰρ ἔφοδον καὶ σφαγὰς καὶ ἕτερα ἐνεκάλουν μυρία. ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς καὶ τοὺς νόμους τῶν πατέρων καὶ τὸν ἄνδρα αἰδούμενοι καὶ τιμῶντες, καὶ αὐτοῦ δὲ τὰ γράμματα ἔχοντες, "μὴ δεῖν ὑπερορίας ἕλκεσθαι τὰς δίκας, ἀλλ' ἐν ταῖς ἰδίαις ἐπαρχίαις τὰ τῶν ἐπαρχιῶν γυμνά ζεσθαι," οὐ κατεδεξάμεθα δικάσαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς παρῃ τησάμεθα τῆς σφοδρότητος. ὁ δέ, ὥσπερ τοῖς προτέροις ἐπαγω νιζόμενος, τὸν ἀρχιδιάκονον καλέσας τὸν ἐμὸν ἐξ αὐθεντείας πολλῆς, ὥσπερ χηρευσάσης ἤδη τῆς ἐκκλησίας καὶ οὐκ ἐχούσης ἐπίσκοπον, δι' ἐκείνου τὸν κλῆρον πάντα πρὸς ἑαυτὸν μετ έστησεν. καὶ ἀνάστατοι αἱ ἐκκλησίαι ἐγίνοντο, ἀπαγομένων τῶν ἐν ἑκάστῃ κληρικῶν, παρασκευαζομένων λιβέλλους διδόναι καθ' ἡμῶν, πρὸς κατηγορίαν ἀλειφομένων. καὶ ταῦτα ποιήσας 10 ἔπεμπεν καὶ ἐκάλει εἰς δικαστήριον ἡμᾶς, οὐδέπω τὰς καθ' ἑαυτὸν ἀποδυσάμενος αἰτίας· ὃ μάλιστα καὶ παρὰ κανόνας καὶ παρὰ πάντας νόμους ἦν. ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς συνειδότες, ὅτι οὐ πρὸς δικαστὴν ἀφικνούμεθα (ἦ γὰρ μυριάκις ἂν παρεγενόμεθα), ἀλλὰ πρὸς ἐχθρὸν καὶ πολέμιον, καθάπερ τὰ ἔμπροσθεν καὶ τὰ μετὰ ταῦτα ἐδήλωσεν, ἀπεστάλκαμεν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐπισκόπους, τὸν Πισινοῦντος ∆ημήτριον, τὸν Ἀπαμείας Εὐλύσιον, τὸν Ἀππιαρίας Λουπίκινον, πρεσβυτέρους δὲ Γερμανὸν καὶ Σευῆρον, μετὰ τῆς προσηκούσης ἡμῖν ἐπιεικείας ἀποκρινόμενοι καὶ λέγοντες μὴ παραιτεῖσθαι κρίσιν, ἀλλ' ἐχθρὸν καὶ πολέμιον φανερόν. ὁ γὰρ λιβέλλους μηδέπω δεξάμενος, καὶ τοιαῦτα ἐκ προοιμίων ποιήσας, καὶ ἀποῤῥήξας ἑαυτὸν ἐκκλησίας καὶ κοι νωνίας καὶ εὐχῆς, καὶ κατηγόρους ἀλείφων, καὶ κλῆρον μεθιστάς, ἐκκλησίας ἐρημῶν, πῶς ἂν εἴη δίκαιος ἐπὶ τὸν τοῦ δικαστοῦ θρόνον ἀναβῆναι οὐδαμόθεν αὐτῷ προσήκοντα; οὔτε γὰρ ἀκό λουθον ἦν τὸν ἐξ Αἰγύπτου εἰς Θρᾴκην δικάζειν, καὶ τὸν ὑπεύ θυνον ὄντα αἰτιῶν καὶ ἐχθρὸν καὶ πολέμιον. ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲν τούτων αἰδεσθείς, ἀλλ' ὅπερ ἐβουλεύετο, πληρῶσαι ἐπειγόμενος, ἡμῶν δηλωσάντων ὅτι ἕτοιμοί <ἐσμεν>, καὶ ἑκατὸν καὶ χιλίων ἐπισκόπων παρόντων, ἀποδύσασθαι τὰ ἐγκλήματα καὶ δεῖξαι ὄντας καθαροὺς ἑαυτούς, ὥσπερ οὖν καί ἐσμεν, οὐκ ἠνέσχετο. ἀλλ' ἀπόντων ἡμῶν, καὶ σύνοδον ἐπικαλουμένων, καὶ κρίσιν ἐπιζητούντων, καὶ ἀκρόασιν οὐ φευγόντων, ἀλλ' ἀπέχθειαν φανεράν, καὶ κατηγόρους ἐδέχετο, καὶ τοὺς παρ' ἐμοῦ δεδεμένους ἔλυσεν, καὶ αὐτῶν ἐκείνων οὐδέπω τὰ ἐγκλήματα ἀποδυσα μένων λιβέλλους ἐλάμβανεν, καὶ ὑπομνήματα ἔπραττεν, ἅπερ ἅπαντα παρὰ θεσμὸν καὶ κανόνα καὶ ἀκολουθίαν ἦν. καὶ (τί γὰρ δεῖ τὰ πολλὰ λέγειν;) οὐκ ἀπέστη πάντα ποιῶν καὶ πραγμα 11 τευόμενος, ἕως ἡμᾶς μετὰ δυναστείας καὶ αὐθεντείας ἁπάσης καὶ τῆς πόλεως καὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἐξέβαλεν. καὶ πρὸς ἑσπέραν βαθεῖαν, τοῦ δήμου παντὸς ἡμῖν συσσυρομένου, ἑλκόμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ κουριώσου τῆς πόλεως ἐν μέσῃ τῇ πόλει, καὶ πρὸς βίαν συρόμενος κατηγόμην, καὶ εἰς πλοῖον ἐνεβαλλόμην, καὶ διὰ νυκτὸς ἀπέπλεον, ἐπεὶ σύνοδον πρὸς δικαίαν κρίσιν ἐκάλουν. τίς ἂν ταῦτα ἀδακρυτί, κἂν λιθίνην ἔχῃ τὴν καρδίαν, ἀκούσῃ; ἀλλ' ἐπειδή, καθάπερ ἔφθην εἰπών, οὐ θρηνεῖν δεῖ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ διορθοῦν, τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀγάπην παρακαλῶ διαναστῆναι καὶ