John Chrysostom, On Priesthood

ignorance would bring us pardon and would free us from all accusation, if we, knowing none of your affairs, then led you into this present situation; but since it was not in ignorance that I betrayed you, but with precise knowledge of your affairs, for this reason every reasonable pretext and just defense has been taken away from me. But I say quite the contrary, that such matters require much examination. And he who is about to present one suitable for the priesthood must not be content with popular report alone, but along with it, he himself most of all and before all must have examined his affairs. For when the blessed Paul said, “Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without,” he does not do away with accurate and tested inquiry, nor does he set this down as the leading proof in the testing of such men; for having discussed many things before, he added this afterward, showing that one must not be content with this alone for such choices, but that it should be taken along with the others. For it often happens that popular report is false; but when an accurate examination has been made, there is no longer any danger to be suspected from this. For this reason he places “from them which are without” after the other things; for he did not simply say, “He must have a good report,” but also inserted “from them which are without,” wishing to show that before the report from outsiders, one must investigate him with precision. Since, therefore, I knew your affairs better than your own parents, as you yourself have admitted, for this reason I should be justly acquitted of all blame. {ΒΑΣ.} For this very reason, he says, you would not have escaped, if anyone wished to indict you. Or do you not remember hearing from me many times and being taught by the deeds themselves of the ignobility of my soul? Was it not for this reason you continually mocked me for faintheartedness, because I am easily overwhelmed by even ordinary cares?

2.6 ʹ. A demonstration of the virtue of Basil and of his ardent love. {ΙΩ.} I do remember, I said, hearing these words from you many times, and I would not deny it; but if I ever mocked you, I did so in jest, not in earnest. But still, I do not contend about these things now; but I ask that you grant me the same fairness when I wish to recall any of the good things which belong to you. For even if you attempt to convict me of lying, I will not hold back, but will prove that you are speaking out of modesty rather than truth, using no other witnesses to the truth of what is said than your own words and deeds. But first I wish to ask you this: do you know how great is the power of love? For Christ, leaving aside all the great wonders which were to be performed by the apostles, says, “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another.” And Paul says it is the fulfilling of the law, and that without it, the spiritual gifts are of no benefit. This exceptional good, then, this mark of Christ's disciples, this which is set above the spiritual gifts, I have seen nobly planted in your soul and abounding with much fruit. And Basil: That I have much concern for this matter, he says, and make the greatest effort for this commandment, I myself confess; but that I have not fulfilled even half of it, you yourself would bear me witness, if you would cease speaking to please and be willing to honor the truth. {ΙΩ.} Then I will turn to my proofs, I said, and what I threatened I will now do, proving that you wish to be modest rather than to speak the truth. And I will speak of a matter that has recently happened, so that no one may suspect that in recounting old events I am attempting to obscure the truth by the length of time, since forgetfulness does not allow any charge to be brought against words spoken by me to please. For when one of our friends, on charges of insolence and desperation

τὴν ἄγνοιαν ἡμῖν φέρειν συγγνώμην καὶ πάσης ἂν ἡμᾶς ἀφεῖναι κατηγορίας, εἰ μηδὲν τῶν σῶν εἰδότες εἶτά σε εἰς τὰ παρόντα ἠγάγομεν· ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐκ ἀγνοοῦντας προδοῦναι, ἀλλ' ἀκριβῶς ἐπισταμένους τὰ σά, διὰ τοῦτο πᾶσαν ἡμῖν πρόφασιν εὔλογον καὶ ἀπολογίαν ἀνῃρῆσθαι δικαίαν. Ἐγὼ δὲ πᾶν τοὐναντίον φημί, ὅτι τὰ τοιαῦτα πολλῆς δεῖται τῆς ἐξετάσεως. Καὶ τὸν μέλλοντα παραδώσειν τὸν εἰς ἱερωσύνην ἐπιτήδειον οὐ δεῖ τῇ τῶν πολλῶν ἀρκεῖσθαι φήμῃ μόνον, ἀλλὰ μετ' ἐκείνης καὶ αὐτὸν μάλιστα πάντων καὶ πρὸ πάντων ἐξητακέναι τὰ ἐκείνου. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος εἰπών· «∆εῖ δὲ αὐτὸν καὶ μαρτυρίαν ἔχειν καλὴν ἀπὸ τῶν ἔξωθεν», οὐκ ἀναιρεῖ τὴν ἀκριβῆ καὶ βεβασανισμένην ἔρευναν, οὐδ' ὡς προηγούμενον τεκμήριον τοῦτο τίθησι τῆς τῶν τοιούτων δοκιμασίας· καὶ γὰρ πολλὰ πρότερον διαλεχθείς, ὕστερον τοῦτο προσέθηκε, δεικνὺς ὡς οὐκ ἂν αὐτῷ μόνον ἀρκεῖσθαι δεῖ πρὸς τὰς τοιαύτας αἱρέσεις, ἀλλὰ μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων καὶ αὐτὸ παραλαμβάνειν χρή. Συμβαίνει γὰρ πολλάκις τὴν τῶν πολλῶν ψεύδεσθαι φήμην· τῆς δὲ ἀκριβοῦς ἐξετάσεως ἡγησαμένης, οὐδένα ἐκ ταύτης κίνδυνόν ἐστιν ὑποπτεῦσαι λοιπόν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο μετὰ τὰ ἄλλα τὸ «παρὰ τῶν ἔξωθεν» αὐτὸ τίθησιν· οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς ἔφησε· «∆εῖ δὲ αὐτὸν μαρτυρίαν ἔχειν καλήν», ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ «παρὰ τῶν ἔξωθεν» παρενέβαλε, δηλῶσαι βουλόμενος ὅτι πρὸ τῆς τῶν ἔξωθεν φήμης πρὸς ἀκρίβειαν αὐτὸν διερευνήσασθαι δεῖ. Ἐπεὶ οὖν καὶ αὐτὸς ᾔδειν τὰ σὰ τῶν γεγεννηκότων μᾶλλον, ὡς καὶ αὐτὸς ὡμολόγησας, διὰ τοῦτο δίκαιος ἂν εἴην πάσης ἀφεῖσθαι αἰτίας. {ΒΑΣ.} ∆ι' αὐτὸ μὲν οὖν τοῦτο, φησίν, οὐκ ἂν ἔφυγες, εἴ τίς σε γράφεσθαι ἤθελεν. Ἢ οὐ μέμνησαι καὶ παρ' ἡμῶν ἀκούσας καὶ πολλάκις καὶ διὰ τῶν ἔργων αὐτῶν διδαχθεὶς τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς ἀγεννὲς τῆς ἐμῆς; οὐ διὰ τοῦτο εἰς μικροψυχίαν ἡμᾶς διετέλεις σκώπτων ἀεὶ ὅτι καὶ ταῖς τυχούσαις φροντίσι καταπίπτομεν εὐκόλως;

2.6 ʹ. Ἀπόδειξις τῆς ἀρετῆς τοῦ Βασιλείου καὶ τῆς ἀγάπης τῆς σφοδρᾶσ {ΙΩ.} Μέμνημαι μὲν καὶ ταῦτα πολλάκις, ἔφην, ἀκούσας παρὰ σοῦ τὰ ῥήματα καὶ οὐκ ἂν ἀρνηθείην· ἐγὼ δέ σε εἴ ποτε ἔσκωπτον, παίζων, οὐκ ἀληθεύων, τοῦτο ἐποίουν. Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲν ὑπὲρ τούτων φιλονεικῶ νῦν· ἀξιῶ δὲ καὶ αὐτὸν τὴν ἴσην μοι παρασχεῖν εὐγνωμοσύνην ὅταν θελήσω τινὸς ἐπιμνησθῆναι τῶν σοι προσόντων ἀγαθῶν. Κἂν γὰρ ἐπιχειρήσῃς ἡμᾶς ἀπελέγξαι ψευδομένους, οὐ φεισόμεθα, ἀλλ' ἀποδείξομεν μετριάζοντά σε μᾶλλον ἢ πρὸς ἀλήθειαν ταῦτα φθεγγόμενον, ἑτέρῳ μὲν οὐδενὶ τοῖς δὲ λόγοις τοῖς σοῖς καὶ ταῖς πράξεσι μάρτυσι κεχρημένοι πρὸς τὴν τῶν λεγομένων ἀλήθειαν. Πρῶτον δέ σε ἐκεῖνο ἐρέσθαι βούλομαι· οἶσθα πόση τῆς ἀγάπης ἡ δύναμις; Ὁ μὲν γὰρ Χριστὸς τὰ τεράστια πάντα ἀφεὶς ἅπερ ἔμελλεν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀποστόλων τελεῖσθαι, «ἐν τούτῳ, φησί, γνώσονται οἱ ἄνθρωποι ὅτι ἐμοί ἐστε μαθηταί, ἐὰν ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλους.» Ὁ δὲ Παῦλος πλήρωμα τοῦ νόμου φησὶν αὐτὴν εἶναι καὶ ταύτης ἀπούσης οὐδὲν εἶναι τῶν χαρισμάτων ὄφελος. Τοῦτο δὴ τὸ ἐξαίρετον ἀγαθόν, τὸ γνώρισμα τῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ μαθητῶν, τὸ τῶν χαρισμάτων ἀνωτέρω κείμενον, εἶδον γενναίως ἐν τῇ σῇ πεφυτευμένον ψυχῇ καὶ πολλῷ βρύον τῷ καρπῷ. Καὶ ὁ Βασίλειος· Ὅτι μὲν πολλή μοι, φησί, τοῦ πράγματος ἡ φροντὶς καὶ μεγίστην ποιοῦμαι τὴν σπουδὴν ὑπὲρ ταύτης τῆς ἐντολῆς, καὶ αὐτὸς ὁμολογῶ· ὅτι δὲ οὐδὲ ἐξ ἡμισείας αὐτὴν διηνύσαμεν, καὶ αὐτὸς ἄν μοι μαρτυρήσῃς, εἰ τὸ πρὸς χάριν λέγειν ἀφεὶς τιμῆσαι τἀληθὲς βουληθείης. {ΙΩ.} Οὐκοῦν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐλέγχους τρέψομαι, ἔφην, καὶ ὅπερ ἠπείλησα ποιήσω νῦν, μετριάζειν μᾶλλον ἢ ἀληθεύειν βουλόμενον ἀποδείξας. Ἐρῶ δὲ πρᾶγμα ἄρτι συμβεβηκός, ἵνα μή τις ὑποπτεύσῃ τὰ παλαιά με διηγούμενον τῷ πλήθει τοῦ χρόνου τἀληθὲς ἐπισκιάζειν ἐπιχειρεῖν, τῆς λήθης οὐκ ἀφιείσης ἐπισκῆψαί τι τοῖς πρὸς χάριν λεγομένοις παρ' ἡμῶν. Ὅτε γὰρ τῶν ἐπιτηδείων τις τῶν ἡμετέρων, ἐπ' ἐγκλήμασιν ὕβρεως καὶ ἀπονοίας