John Chrysostom, On False Prophets

of those blessed men, whose names are in the book of life; whom demons feared, and heretics trembled before; and the mouth speaking unrighteous things was stopped. I too, therefore, will utter things similar to David, who lamenting said: Where are your ancient mercies, Lord? Let me also say in tears: Where is that blessed choir of bishops and teachers, who shone as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life? And what prevents bringing them into the midst, even if only a few out of many? For to remember them is sanctification of the soul. Where is Euodios the sweet fragrance of the Church, and the successor and imitator of the holy apostles? where is Ignatius the dwelling place of God? where is Dionysius the bird of heaven? where is Hippolytus the most sweet and most gracious? where is Basil the great, and almost the equal of the apostles? where is Athanasius the holy, and insatiable for virtues? where is Gregory the second theologian, and unconquered soldier of Christ, and his namesake? where is Ephraim the great, the consolation of the despondent, the instruction of the young, the guide of the repentant, the sword against the heretics, the vessel of the Spirit, the instrument of virtues? Do you see how great the distance, and how great the difference between those blessed and holy men and those of today? I know also other God-bearing teachers, but for now this is sufficient for the present. Those men, as has been said before, laid down their lives for the sheep; but these, abandoning the sheep, have fled. Those were mighty both in word and in deed; but these in money and in possessions and horses and mules, and fields and flocks, and cooks and a splendid table. Great is the talk among them about these things every day and night; but concerning the rational flock, there is no word, for which they will be required to give an account on the great day of judgment. Then if someone asks them about books, they answer saying: I am poor, and cannot afford to acquire books. Then they approach not as poor men, but wearing glittering garments, possessing fat purses, and necks like parasitic bulls, dragging along a crowd of disciples, or rather of cooks; some things it is shameful even to mention, for from their excess wealth they have acquired female companions under the pretext of being slaves. O deep shame; O the evil wealth! O bitter love of money! O the insatiable belly! Thenceforth scandals, whisperings, reproaches, revilings, disturbances. Then when accused they answer: I am wronging no one, I have authority over my own money. Then if some godless heretic raves, speaking perverse things, there is no one to contradict, no one anywhere to fight; all become poor then, all silent, all fugitives. O the evil root of all evils, the love of 59.561 money! Do you wish to be saved by wealth? But it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Living luxuriously, being drunk, and being puffed up, do you wish to conquer the heresies? But woe to you, who live luxuriously and are puffed up, adorning yourselves in gold and various garments; how will you show to others the good poverty of Christ, who for our sakes became poor, who commanded his disciples not to have copper in their belts. Truly you are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures. Do you not hear the Lord saying, Blessed are the poor; and again, Woe to you who are rich; and, Do not lay up treasures on earth. Your wealth has increased, and your word has failed; your garments have become moth-eaten; for which you will give an account to the chief shepherd, Christ. For you are not ignorant, that each of us will give an account of himself to God; but you also for yourselves and for the sheep, archpriests and priests, and deacons, each one as he was entrusted. But see that you do not forget the talents. Take heed to yourselves and to all the

μακαρίων αὐτῶν ἀνδρῶν, ὧν τὰ ὀνόματα ἐν βιβλίῳ ζωῆς· οὓς ἔφριξαν δαίμονες, καὶ ἐτρόμαξαν αἱρετικοί· καὶ Ἐφράγη στόμα λαλούντων ἄδικα. Φθέγξομαι τοίνυν κἀγὼ παραπλήσια τῷ ∆αυῒδ, ὃς ἀποδυρόμενος ἔλεγε· Ποῦ εἰσι τὰ ἐλέη σου τὰ ἀρχαῖα, Κύριε; Εἴπω κἀγὼ ἐν δάκρυσι· Ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ μακάριος χορὸς ἐκεῖνος τῶν ἐπισκόπων καὶ διδασκάλων, οἵτινες ἔλαμψαν ὡς φωστῆρες ἐν κόσμῳ, λόγον ζωῆς ἐπέχοντες; Τί δὲ κωλύει καὶ εἰς μέσον τούτους παραγαγεῖν, κἂν ἐπὶ πολλῶν ὀλίγους; καὶ γὰρ τὸ μνημονεῦσαι αὐτοὺς ἁγιασμός ἐστι τῆς ψυχῆς. Ποῦ Εὐόδιος ἡ εὐωδία τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, καὶ τῶν ἁγίων ἀποστόλων διάδοχος καὶ μιμητής; ποῦ Ἰγνάτιος τὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ οἰκητήριον; ποῦ ὁ ∆ιονύσιος τὸ πετεινὸν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ; ποῦ Ἱππόλυτος ὁ γλυκύτατος καὶ εὐνούστατος; ποῦ Βασίλειος ὁ μέγας, καὶ μικροῦ δεῖν τῶν ἀποστόλων ἰσόῤῥοπος; ποῦ Ἀθανάσιος ὁ ἅγιος, καὶ πλεονέκτης τῶν ἀρετῶν; ποῦ Γρηγόριος ὁ δεύτερος θεολόγος, καὶ ἀήττητος στρατιώτης τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ ὁ τούτου συνώνυμος; ποῦ Ἐφραῒμ ὁ πολὺς, ἡ παραμυθία τῶν ἀθυμούντων, ἡ παιδαγωγία τῶν νέων, ἡ χειραγωγία τῶν μετανοούντων, ἡ κατὰ τῶν αἱρετικῶν ῥομφαία, τὸ δοχεῖον τοῦ Πνεύματος, τὸ σκεῦος τῶν ἀρετῶν; Ὁρᾷς πόσον τὸ μέσον, καὶ πόση διαφορὰ ἐκείνων τῶν μακαρίων καὶ ἁγίων ἀνδρῶν παρὰ τῶν νῦν; Οἶδα καὶ ἄλλους θεοφόρους διδασκάλους, ἀλλὰ ἀρκεῖ πρὸς τὸ παρὸν τέως. Ἐκεῖνοι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτῶν, καθὼς προείρηται, ἔθηκαν ὑπὲρ τῶν προβάτων· οὗτοι δὲ ἀφέντες τὰ πρόβατα ἔφυγον· ἐκεῖνοι δυνατοὶ καὶ ἐν λόγῳ καὶ ἐν ἔργῳ· οὗτοι δὲ καὶ ἐν χρήμασι καὶ ἐν κτήμασι καὶ ἵππων καὶ ἡμιόνων, καὶ ἀρουρῶν καὶ ποιμνίων, καὶ μαγείρων καὶ λαμπρᾶς τραπέζης. Πολὺς ὁ λόγος ἐν αὐτοῖς περὶ τούτων καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν καὶ νύκτα· περὶ δὲ τῆς λογικῆς ποίμνης λόγος οὐδεὶς, περὶ ἧς λόγον ἀπαιτηθήσονται ἐν τῇ μεγάλῃ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς κρίσεως. Εἶτα ἐάν τις ἐρωτήσῃ αὐτοὺς περὶ βιβλίων, ἀποκρίνονται λέγοντες· Πτωχός εἰμι, καὶ οὐκ εὐπορῶ βιβλία κτήσασθαι. Εἶτα προσέρχονται οὐχ ὡς πτωχοὶ, ἀλλ' ἱμάτια φοροῦντες ἔκστιλβα, βαλάντια κεκτημένοι ἁδρὰ, καὶ τραχήλους ὡς παρασίτων ταύρων, μαθητῶν πλῆθος ἐπισυρόμενοι, μᾶλλον δὲ μαγείρων· τὰ μὲν αἰσχρόν ἐστι καὶ λέγειν, ἐκ τοῦ περισσοῦ γὰρ πλούτου συνεισάκτους ἐκτήσαντο προφάσει ἀνδραπόδων. Ὢ βαθείας αἰσχύνης· ὢ τῆς κακῆς εὐπορίας! ὢ πικρᾶς φιλαργυρίας! ὢ τῆς ἀπληρώτου γαστρός! Λοιπὸν ἐκεῖθεν σκάνδαλα, ψιθυρισμοὶ, ὀνείδη, λοιδορισμοὶ, θόρυβοι. Εἶτα ἐγκαλούμενοι ἀποκρίνονται· Οὐκ ἀδικῶ τινα, ἐξουσίαν ἔχω τῶν ἐμῶν χρημάτων. Εἶτα ἐάν τις ἀθέων αἱρετικῶν παραφρονῇ λαλῶν διεστραμμένα, ὁ ἀντιλέγων οὐδεὶς, ὁ πολεμῶν οὐδαμοῦ· πάντες πτωχοὶ τότε γίνονται, πάντες σιωπητικοὶ, πάντες φυγάδες. Ὢ τῆς κακῆς ῥίζης πάντων τῶν κακῶν τῆς φιλαρ 59.561 γυρίας! Ἐκ τοῦ πλούτου βούλεσθε σωθῆναι; Ἀλλ' Εὐκοπώτερόν ἐστι κάμηλον διὰ τρυμαλίδος ῥαφίδος εἰσελθεῖν, ἢ πλούσιον εἰς βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Τρυφῶντες, μεθύοντες, καὶ μετεωριζόμενοι βούλεσθε νικᾷν τὰς αἱρέσεις; Ἀλλ' οὐαὶ ὑμῖν, οἱ τρυφῶντες καὶ μετεωριζόμενοι, ἐν χρυσῷ καὶ ἱματίοις ποικίλοις καλλωπιζόμενοι· πῶς ἄλλοις δείξετε τὴν καλὴν πτωχείαν τοῦ Χριστοῦ, τοῦ δι' ἡμᾶς πτωχεύσαντος, τοῦ ἐντειλαμένου τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ μὴ ἔχειν χαλκὸν ἐν ταῖς ζώναις. Ὄντως πλανᾶσθε, μὴ νοοῦντες τὰς Γραφάς. Οὐκ ἀκούετε τοῦ Κυρίου λέγοντος, ὅτι Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοί· καὶ πάλιν, Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν τοῖς πλουσίοις· καὶ, Μὴ θησαυρίζετε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Ὁ πλοῦτος ὑμῶν ἐπληθύνθη, καὶ ὁ λόγος ὑμῶν ἐξέλειπε· τὰ ἱμάτια ὑμῶν σητόβρωτα γεγόνασι· περὶ ὧν λόγον δώσετε τῷ ἀρχιποιμένι Χριστῷ. Οὐ γὰρ ἀγνοεῖτε, ὅτι ἕκαστος ἡμῶν περὶ ἑαυτοῦ λόγον δώσει τῷ Θεῷ· ὑμεῖς δὲ καὶ ὑπὲρ ἑαυτῶν καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν προβάτων, ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ ἱερεῖς, καὶ διάκονοι, ἕκαστος καθὼς ἐπιστεύθη. Ἀλλ' ὁρᾶτε, μὴ ἐπιλάθεσθε τῶν ταλάντων. Προσέχετε ἑαυτοῖς καὶ παντὶ τῷ