John Chrysostom, On the Acts of the Apostles

rather there. For do not tell me that the presbyter sinned, nor that the deacon did; the blame for all these things is brought upon the head of those who ordained them. Let me say another thing again. It happens that someone inherits a clergy of wicked men; he is at a loss what to decide concerning their previous sins. For there are two precipices, and it is necessary neither to let that one go, nor to scandalize the others. Should one then cut him off first? But there is no present pretext. But to let him be? Yes, he says; for the fault is his who ordained him. What then? should he not ordain him, nor advance him to another rank? But this will be clear to all, that he is some wicked man. Again, then, he has scandalized in another way. But to advance him to a higher rank? This is much more difficult. 5. So that if anyone ran to the high priesthood as to a position of leadership, no one would have accepted it quickly. But now, just as we pursue secular offices, so we pursue this one also. For that we may be glorified, that we may be honored by men, we are destroyed before God. What is the gain of the honor? how has it been proved to be nothing? When you desire the priesthood, set against it Gehenna, set against it the accountings there, set against it the quiet life, set against it the measure of the punishment; because even if you sin on your own, you will suffer nothing of the sort; but if you are a priest, you are lost. Consider how many things Moses endured, how many things he philosophized, how many good things he showed; and for sinning one single sin, he was bitterly punished; with good reason. For this happened with the loss of others; so he was punished more bitterly, not because it became public, but also because the sin was that of a priest. For we do not give the same punishment for public sins and for those committed in secret. For the sin is the same, but the damage is not the same, or rather, not even the sin; for it is not the same thing to sin secretly and hiddenly, and openly. But it is not possible for a bishop to sin in secret. For it is a desirable thing to be free from accusations when not sinning, let alone when sinning. Even if he gets angry, even if he laughs, even if he desires relaxation in a dream, there are many who mock, many who are scandalized, many who lay down the law, many who remember his predecessors and revile the present one; and they do these things, not wishing to praise those others, but to bite this one, remembering his fellow bishops, his presbyters. Sweet is war to the inexperienced, he says. This is fitting to say even now; or rather, we also say it before we enter the contest; but after we have embarked, we do not even become clear to the many. For now we do not have a war against those who oppress the poor, nor do we endure to fight for the flock; but like those shepherds in Ezekiel, we slaughter and devour. Who of us shows as much care for the flocks of Christ, as Jacob did for the flocks of Laban? who can count the frost of a night? For do not tell me of the all-night vigils, and such great service. Quite the contrary, then. Prefects and governors do not enjoy as much honor as the ruler of the Church. If he enters the palace, who is first? if he is among women, if in the houses of the great, no one else is preferred to him. All things are lost and corrupted. I say these things not wishing to shame you, but to check your desire. For with what conscience would you become one, having striven either by yourself or through another? with what eyes will you look upon him who cooperated? what will you have to say in your defense? For the one who is unwilling and forced, and not consenting, might have some defense, even if he too is most certainly deprived of pardon; nevertheless, despite this he has some defense. Consider what Simon suffered. For what if you do not give money, but instead of money you flatter, and contrive many things, and scheme? May your money be with you to destruction. He said it to that man, and he will say it to these; may your ambition be with you to destruction, because you thought to acquire the gift of God by human canvassing. But is there no such person? May it never be. For I do not wish anything of what is said to be about you; but now from

μᾶλλον ἐκεῖ. Μὴ γάρ μοι εἴπῃς, ὅτι ὁ πρεσβύτερος ἥμαρτε, μηδὲ ὅτι ὁ διάκονος· πάντων τούτων ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν τῶν χειροτονησάντων αἱ αἰτίαι φέρονται. Πάλιν ἕτερον εἴπω. Συμβαίνει τινὰ κλῆρον διαδέξασθαι ἀνδρῶν μοχθηρῶν· τί χρὴ βουλεύσασθαι ἀπορεῖ ἐπὶ ἁμαρτήμασι προλαβοῦσι. ∆ύο γὰρ οἱ κρημνοὶ, καὶ δεῖ μήτε ἀφεῖναι ἐκεῖνον, καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους μὴ σκανδαλίσαι. Ἐκκόψαι τοίνυν δεῖ πρῶτον; Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔστι παροῦσα πρόφασις. Ἀλλ' ἀφεῖναι; Ναὶ, φησί· τοῦ γὰρ χειροτονήσαντος ἡ αἰτία. Τί οὖν; οὐ δεῖ χειροτονῆσαι, οὐδὲ ἐφ' ἕτερον βαθμὸν ἀγαγεῖν; Ἀλλὰ τοῦτο πᾶσιν ἔσται δῆλον, ὅτι μοχθηρός τίς ἐστι. Πάλιν οὖν ἑτέρως ἐσκανδάλισεν. Ἀλλ' ἀγαγεῖν ἐπὶ μείζονα βαθμόν; Τοῦτο πολλῷ χαλεπώτερον. εʹ. Ὥστε εἴ τις ὡς ἐπὶ προστασίαν ἔτρεχε τὴν ἀρχιερωσύνην, οὐδεὶς ἂν αὐτὴν ἐδέξατο ταχέως. Νῦν δὲ, ὥσπερ τὰς ἔξωθεν ἀρχὰς, οὕτω καὶ ταύτην διώκομεν. Ἵνα γὰρ δοξασθῶμεν, ἵνα τιμηθῶμεν παρὰ ἀνθρώποις, ἀπολλύμεθα παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ. Τί τὸ κέρδος τῆς τιμῆς; πῶς ἐλήλεγκται οὐδὲν οὖσα; Ὅταν ἐπιθυμήσῃς ἱερωσύνης, ἀντίστησον τὴν γέενναν, ἀντίστησον τὰς εὐθύνας τὰς ἐκεῖ, ἀντίστησον τὸν ἀπράγμονα βίον, ἀντίστησον τῆς κολάσεως τὸ μέτρον· ὅτι κἂν ἁμάρτῃς κατὰ σαυτὸν, οὐδὲν πείσῃ τοιοῦτον· ἂν δὲ ἱερεὺς ὢν, ἀπόλωλας. Ἐννόησον, ὅσα ὑπέμεινεν, ὅσα ἐφιλοσόφησεν ὁ Μωϋσῆς, ὅσα ἐπεδείξατο ἀγαθά· καὶ ἵνα ἓν ἁμάρτῃ ἁμάρτημα μόνον, ἐκολάζετο πικρῶς· εἰκότως. Μετὰ γὰρ τῆς τῶν ἄλλων ζημίας τοῦτο γέγονεν· ὥστε πικρότερον ἐκολάζετο, οὐ τῷ φανερὸν γενέσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ ἱερέως εἶναι τὸ ἁμάρτημα οὐ τὴν αὐτὴν γὰρ τιμωρίαν διδόαμεν τῶν τε φανερῶν, καὶ τῶν λάθρα ἁμαρτανομένων. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἁμαρτία ἡ αὐτὴ, ἡ δὲ ζημία οὐχ ἡ αὐτὴ, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ ἡ ἁμαρτία· οὐ γάρ ἐστι τὸ αὐτὸ, λανθάνοντα καὶ κρυπτόμενον ἁμαρτάνειν, καὶ φανερῶς. Τὸν δὲ ἐπίσκοπον οὐκ ἔνι λάθρα ἁμαρτάνειν. Ἀγαπητὸν γὰρ μὴ ἁμαρτάνοντα ἀπαλλαγῆναι ἐγκλημάτων, μή τί γε ἁμαρτάνοντα. Κἂν ὀργισθῇ, κἂν γελάσῃ, κἂν ἀνέσεως ὄναρ ἐπιθυμήσῃ, πολλοὶ οἱ σκώπτοντες, πολλοὶ οἱ σκανδαλιζόμενοι, πολλοὶ οἱ νομοθετοῦντες, πολλοὶ οἱ τῶν προτέρων μεμνημένοι, καὶ τὸν παρόντα κακίζοντες· καὶ ταῦτα ποιοῦσιν, οὐκ ἐκείνους ἐγκωμιάσαι βουλόμενοι· ἀλλὰ τοῦτον δακεῖν, τῶν συνεπισκόπων, τῶν πρεσβυτέρων μεμνημένοι. Γλυκὺς ὁ πόλεμος ἀπείροις, φησί. Τοῦτο καὶ νῦν ἁρμόζει λέγειν· μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ λέγομεν πρὸ τοῦ καταστῆναι εἰς τὸν ἀγῶνα· μετὰ δὲ τὸ ἐμβῆναι, οὐδὲ δῆλοι γινόμεθα τοῖς πολλοῖς. Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἡμῖν νῦν πόλεμος πρὸς τοὺς καταδυναστεύοντας τῶν πενήτων, οὐδὲ τοῦ ποιμνίου προπολεμεῖν ἀνεχόμεθα· ἀλλὰ κατὰ τοὺς ποιμένας ἐκείνους τοὺς ἐν τῷ Ἰε 60.41 ζεκιὴλ, σφάττομεν καὶ κατεσθίομεν. Τίς ἡμῶν ἐπιδείκνυται τοσαύτην φροντίδα περὶ τὰ ποίμνια τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὅσην περὶ τὰ ποίμνια τοῦ Λάβαν ὁ Ἰακώβ; τίς δύναται ἀπαριθμήσασθαι παγετὸν νυκτός; Μὴ γάρ μοι τὰς παννυχίδας εἴπῃς, καὶ τὴν τοσαύτην θεραπείαν. Πᾶν μὲν οὖν τοὐναντίον. Ὕπαρχοι καὶ τοπάρχαι οὐκ ἀπολαύουσι τοσαύτης τιμῆς, ὅσης ὁ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἄρχων. Ἂν ἐν βασιλείοις εἰσίῃ, τίς πρῶτος; ἂν παρὰ γυναιξὶν, ἂν παρὰ ταῖς οἰκίαις τῶν μεγάλων, οὐδεὶς ἕτερος αὐτοῦ προτετίμηται. Ἀπόλωλε πάντα καὶ διέφθαρται. Ταῦτα οὐχ ὑμᾶς καταισχῦναι βουλόμενος λέγω, ἀλλ' ὑμῶν ἐπισχεῖν τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν. Ποίῳ γὰρ συνειδότι ἂν γένῃ σπουδάσας ἢ διὰ σαυτοῦ, ἢ δι' ἑτέρου; ποίοις ὀφθαλμοῖς ἀντιβλέψεις ἐκείνῳ τῷ συνεργήσαντι; τί ἕξεις ἀπολογήσασθαι; Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἄκων καὶ βιασθεὶς, καὶ οὐκ ἐθέλων, ἔχοι ἄν τινα ἀπολογίαν, εἰ καὶ τὰ μάλιστα καὶ οὗτος ἀπεστέρηται συγγνώμης· πλὴν ἀλλὰ παρὰ τοῦτο ἔχει τινὰ ἀπολογίαν. Ἐννόησον τί Σίμων ἔπαθε; Τί γὰρ, εἰ μὴ ἀργύριον δίδως, ἀλλ' ἀντὶ ἀργυρίου κολακεύεις, καὶ κατασκευάζεις πολλὰ, καὶ μηχανᾷ; Τὸ ἀργύριόν σου σὺν σοὶ εἴη εἰς ἀπώλειαν. Πρὸς ἐκεῖνον εἶπε, καὶ τούτοις ἐρεῖ· ἡ σπουδὴ ὑμῶν μεθ' ὑμῶν ἔστω εἰς ἀπώλειαν, ὅτι ἐνομίσατε περιδρομῇ ἀνθρωπίνῃ τὴν δωρεὰν τοῦ Θεοῦ κτᾶσθαι. Ἀλλ' οὐδείς ἐστι τοιοῦτος; Μηδὲ γένοιτο. Οὐδὲ γὰρ βούλομαι οὐδὲν πρὸς ὑμᾶς εἶναι τῶν λεγομένων· νυνὶ δὲ ἐκ