John Chrysostom, On John

he could not do so easily, on account of their folly being intensified, and their being led like cattle, and everywhere following the opinions of one another. Will you therefore, tell me, lay claim to this opinion of the multitude? Do not, I beg and beseech you. For this has turned everything upside down; this has begotten covetousness, envy, accusation, plots; this arms and brutalizes those who have suffered no wrong against those who have done no wrong. And he who has fallen into this sickness knows neither friendship, nor remembers intimacy, nor knows how to respect anyone at all; but having cast away all good things from his soul, he is at war with everyone, being unstable and unloving. And while the passion of anger, although it is something tyrannical and unbearable, is not accustomed to trouble one always, but only when it has those who provoke it; that of vainglory is continual, and there is no time, so to speak, in which it can cease, unless reason hinders and suppresses it, but it is always present, not only persuading us to sin, but even if we happen to accomplish something good, it snatches this also from our hands, and sometimes does not even allow us to begin to do right. But if Paul calls covetousness idolatry; what is it right to name its mother and root and fountain, I mean, vainglory? For it is not possible to find a name worthy of this evil. Let us then become sober, beloved, and let us strip off this wicked garment, and let us tear it and cut it away, and let us at last become free with the true freedom, and let us acquire a sense of the nobility given to us by God; let us despise the opinion of the multitude. For nothing is so ridiculous and dishonorable as this passion; nothing so full of shame and great ignominy. And one might see this from many quarters, that to love glory is ignominy, but true glory is to despise it, and to make no account of it, but to say and do all things with a view to 59.46 what pleases God. For thus we shall be able also to receive a reward from him who sees our actions accurately, when we are content with him alone as a spectator. For what need have we of other eyes, when he who is about to honor us always sees what is done by us? And how is it not absurd, for a servant to do all that he does to please his master, and to seek nothing more than his observation, nor to draw other eyes to his action, even if the observers be great, but to look to one thing only, that his master may see; while we, having such a Lord, seek other spectators, who can in no way benefit, but can harm us by their observation, and can empty all our labor? Do not, I beseech you; but let us call him the praiser of our actions, him the spectator, from whom we are to receive our rewards. Let us have nothing to do with human eyes. For if we wish to obtain this glory, we shall obtain it then, when we seek that which is from God alone. For them that honor me I will honor, he says. And just as we are most rich in money then, when we despise it, and seek the wealth from God alone (For seek, he says, the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you); so also in the case of glory, when the giving both of money and of glory is at last without danger to us, then God will lavish it. And it is without danger then, when it does not rule over us, nor overcome us, nor command us as slaves, but comes to us as to masters and as to free men. For on this account he does not wish us to love them, that we may not be ruled by them. And if we accomplish this, he gives them to us with great abundance. For what is more glorious than Paul, tell me, who says: We seek not glory from men, neither from you, nor from others? what richer than he who has nothing, and possesses all things? For when, as I said, we are not ruled by them, then we shall rule them, then we shall receive them. If, therefore, we desire to obtain glory, let us flee glory; for thus we shall be able, having fulfilled the laws of God, to obtain

οὐκ ἂν δυνηθείη ῥᾳδίως, διὰ τὸ τὴν ἄνοιαν ἐπιτείνεσθαι, καὶ δίκην θρεμμάτων ἄγεσθαι, καὶ πανταχοῦ ταῖς παρ' ἀλλήλων ἕπεσθαι δόξαις. Ταύτης οὖν, εἰπέ μοι, τῆς παρὰ τῶν πολλῶν ἀντιποιήσεσθε δόξης; Μὴ, δέομαι καὶ ἀντιβολῶ. Τοῦτο γὰρ πάντα ἄνω καὶ κάτω πεποίηκε· τοῦτο πλεονεξίαν ἔτεκε, βασκανίαν, κατηγορίαν, ἐπιβουλάς· τοῦτο τοὺς οὐδὲν ἠδικημένους κατὰ τῶν οὐδὲν ἠδικηκότων ὁπλίζει καὶ ἐκθηριοῖ. Καὶ οὔτε φιλίαν οἶδεν ὁ τούτῳ τῷ νοσήματι περιπεσὼν, οὐ συνηθείας μέμνηται, οὐκ αἰδεῖσθαι οὐδένα ὅλως ἐπίσταται· ἀλλὰ πάντα ἀπὸ τῆς ψυχῆς ῥίψας τὰ καλὰ, πρὸς πάντας ἐκπεπολέμωται, ἄστατος, ἄστοργος ὤν. Καὶ τὸ μὲν τῆς ὀργῆς πάθος, εἰ καὶ αὐτὸ τυραννικόν τί ἐστι καὶ ἀφόρητον, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀεὶ διενοχλεῖν εἴωθεν, ἀλλ' ὅταν ἔχῃ τοὺς παροξύνοντας μόνον· τὸ δὲ τῆς κενοδοξίας διαπαντὸς, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι καιρὸς, ὡς εἰπεῖν, ἐν ᾧ λῆξαι δυνήσεται, μὴ λογισμοῦ κωλύοντος αὐτὴν καὶ καταστέλλοντος, ἀλλ' ἀεὶ πάρεστιν, οὐ μόνον ἀναπείθουσα ἁμαρτάνειν, ἀλλὰ κἂν τύχωμέν τι κατορθοῦντες, καὶ τοῦτο ἀφαρπάζουσα τῶν χειρῶν, ἔστι δὲ ὅτε οὐδὲ ἀφιεῖσα τὴν ἀρχὴν κατορθῶσαι. Εἰ δὲ τὴν πλεονεξίαν ὁ Παῦλος εἰδωλολατρείαν καλεῖ· τὴν ταύτης μητέρα καὶ ῥίζαν καὶ πηγὴν, τὴν κενοδοξίαν λέγω, τί δίκαιον ὀνομάσαι; Οὐδὲ γὰρ προσηγορίαν τῆς κακίας ἀξίαν ἔστιν εὑρεῖν. Ἀνανήψωμεν τοίνυν, ἀγαπητοὶ, καὶ τὸ πονηρὸν ἀποδυσώμεθα τοῦτο ἱμάτιον, καὶ διαῤῥήξωμεν καὶ ἀποτέμωμεν, καὶ γενώμεθά ποτε ἐλεύθεροι τὴν ἐλευθερίαν τὴν ἀληθῆ, καὶ λάβωμεν αἴσθησιν τῆς εὐγενείας τῆς παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ δεδομένης ἡμῖν· καταφρονήσωμεν τῆς τῶν πολλῶν δόξης. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω καταγέλαστον καὶ ἄτιμον, ὡς τοῦτο τὸ πάθος· οὐδὲν οὕτως αἰσχύνης γέμον καὶ πολλῆς ἀδοξίας. Καὶ τοῦτο πολλαχόθεν ἴδοι τις ἂν, ὅτι τὸ μὲν δόξης ἐρᾷν, ἀδοξία, δόξα δὲ ὄντως, τὸ ταύτης ὑπερορᾷν, καὶ μηδένα αὐτῆς ποιεῖσθαι λόγον, ἀλλὰ πρὸς 59.46 τὸ τῷ Θεῷ δοκοῦν ἅπαντα καὶ λέγειν καὶ ποιεῖν. Οὕτω γὰρ δυνησόμεθα καὶ μισθὸν λαβεῖν παρὰ τοῦ τὰ ἡμέτερα ὁρῶντος ἀκριβῶς, ὅταν αὐτῷ μόνῳ ἀρκώμεθα θεατῇ. Τί γὰρ ἡμῖν καὶ ἑτέρων ὀφθαλμῶν δεῖ, τοῦ τιμᾷν μέλλοντος ἡμᾶς ὁρῶντος ἀεὶ τὰ γινόμενα παρ' ἡμῶν; Πῶς δὲ οὐκ ἄτοπον, τὸν μὲν οἰκέτην πάντα ὅσαπερ ἂν ποιῇ, εἰς ἀρέσκειαν τοῦ δεσπότου ποιεῖν, καὶ μηδὲν πλέον ἐπιζητεῖν τῆς θεωρίας τῆς τούτου, μηδὲ ἑτέρους ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐφέλκεσθαι πρὸς τὴν πρᾶξιν, κἂν μεγάλοι οἱ θεωροῦντες ὦσιν, ἀλλ' ἓν μόνον σκοπεῖν ὅπως ὁ δεσπότης θεάσηται· ἡμᾶς δὲ τοιοῦτον ἔχοντας Κύριον, ἑτέρους ἐπιζητεῖν θεατὰς τοὺς ὠφελῆσαι μὲν οὐδὲν, βλάψαι δὲ ἐκ τῆς θεωρίας δυναμένους, καὶ κενῶσαι πάντα τὸν πόνον ἡμῖν; Μὴ, παρακαλῶ· ἀλλ' ὅθεν ἔχομεν τοὺς μισθοὺς λαβεῖν, τοῦτον καλῶμεν ἐπαινέτην τῶν γινομένων, τοῦτον θεατήν. Μηδὲν ἡμῖν καὶ ἀνθρωπίνοις ὀφθαλμοῖς ἔστω. Εἰ γὰρ ἐθέλοιμεν καὶ ταύτης ἐπιτυχεῖν τῆς δόξης, τότε αὐτῆς ἐπιτευξόμεθα, ὅταν τὴν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ζητῶμεν μόνην. Τοὺς γὰρ δοξάζοντάς με δοξάσω, φησί. Καὶ ὥσπερ χρημάτων τότε μάλιστα εὐποροῦμεν, ὅταν καταφρονῶμεν αὐτῶν, καὶ τὸν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ζητῶμεν πλοῦτον μόνον (Ζητεῖτε γὰρ, φησὶ, τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ταῦτα πάντα προστεθήσεται ὑμῖν)· οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς δόξης, ὅταν ἡμῖν λοιπὸν ἀκίνδυνος ἡ δόσις ᾖ καὶ ἡ τῶν χρημάτων καὶ ἡ τῆς δόξης, τότε αὐτὴν ἐπιδαψιλεύσεται ὁ Θεός. Ἀκίνδυνος δὲ τότε ἐστὶν, ὅταν ἡμῶν μὴ κρατῇ, μηδὲ περιγίνηται, μηδὲ ὡς δούλοις αὐτὴ ἐπιτάττῃ, ἀλλ' ὡς δεσπόταις καὶ ὡς ἐλευθέροις παραγίνηται. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο οὐδὲ βούλεται αὐτῶν ἡμᾶς ἐρᾷν, ἵνα μὴ κρατώμεθα παρ' αὐτῶν. Κἂν τοῦτο κατορθώσωμεν, δίδωσιν ἡμῖν αὐτὰ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς δαψιλείας. Τί γὰρ Παύλου λαμπρότερον, εἰπέ μοι, τοῦ λέγοντος· Οὐ ζητοῦμεν παρὰ ἀνθρώπων δόξαν, οὔτε ἀφ' ὑμῶν, οὔτε ἀπ' ἄλλων; τί δὲ εὐπορώτερον τοῦ μηδὲν ἔχοντος, καὶ πάντα κατέχοντος; Ὅταν γὰρ, ὅπερ ἔφην, μὴ κρατώμεθα ὑπ' αὐτῶν, τότε αὐτῶν κρατήσομεν, τότε αὐτὰ ληψόμεθα. Εἰ τοίνυν ἐπιθυμοῦμεν ἐπιτυχεῖν δόξης, φεύγωμεν δόξαν· οὕτω γὰρ δυνησόμεθα τοῦ Θεοῦ τοὺς νόμους ἀνύσαντες, τυχεῖν