John Chrysostom, Against the Jews

sanctification, who is present everywhere and fills all things? And for what reason did he bring together worship into sacrifices, sacrifices into a place, the place into a time, and the time into one city, and then destroy that very city again? And the wonderful and paradoxical thing is this: the whole inhabited world is open to the 48.881 Jews, where it is not permitted to sacrifice, but Jerusalem alone has become inaccessible, where alone it was permitted to sacrifice. Would not the cause of that destruction be clear and manifest even to the extremely foolish? For just as a builder, having laid foundations, raised walls, vaulted a roof, and bound that vault to one central stone, if he removes that stone, he has dissolved the entire bond of the building; so also God, having made the city a certain bond of worship, then by overthrowing it. and demolished the entire remaining structure of that polity.

7. For now, then, let the battle against the Jews stand. For today we have skirmished against them, saying only so much as was sufficient for the security of our brothers, or rather, even much more. It is necessary, then, to exhort you who are present to take great care of our members, so that you do not say: 'What does it matter to me? Why am I being meddlesome and officious?' Our Master died for us, and you will not even utter a word? and what excuse will you have? What defense will you obtain? how will you stand with boldness at the tribunal of Christ, tell me, when you overlook the destruction of so many souls? If only it were possible for me to know those who run there, I would not have needed you, but we would have made a very swift correction. When you must correct your brother, even if you must give your life, do not refuse; imitate your Master. Whether you have a servant, or a wife, restrain them in the house with great severity. For if you do not permit them to go to the theater, much more ought you to do this in the case of the synagogue; for this lawlessness is greater than that; there what is done is a sin, but here it is impiety. We say these things, not that you should let them go up to the theater, for that too is evil, but that you should prevent this much more. Why do you run to see, in the synagogue of the God-fighting Jews, tell me, men blowing trumpets? When you ought to sit at home, groaning and weeping for them, because they fight against the command of God, because they have the devil dancing with them. For as I said before, what is done contrary to the will of God, even if it was once permitted, is afterwards a kind of lawlessness, and a cause of countless punishments. The Jews once sounded trumpets, when they had the sacrifices, but now it is not permitted for them to do this. Listen, then, also why they received the trumpets: 'Make for yourself,' he says, 'trumpets of hammered silver.' Then, stating their use, he added: 'And you shall blow them over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings.' Where then is the altar? And where is the ark? And where is the tabernacle and the holy of holies? And where is the priest? And where are the cherubim of glory? And where is the golden censer? And where is the mercy seat? where 48.882 the bowl? where the libations? where the fire brought down from above? Have you abandoned all things, and hold on only to the trumpets? Do you see that they are playing rather than worshipping? But just as we accuse them because they break the law, so also and much more you, because you assemble with those who break the law, and not only those who run together, but also those who have the power to prevent it, and are unwilling. Do not say to me: 'For what have I in common with that man? He is a stranger and unknown.' As long as he is a believer, and partakes of the same mysteries as you, and comes to the same Church, he is closer than brothers and relatives and friends and all. Therefore, just as not only thieves, but also those who have the power to prevent them but do not, suffer the same penalty as them; so not only the impious, but also those who are able to lead them away from impiety, but are unwilling either through hesitation or sloth, are punished likewise. Since also he who

ἁγιστείαν, ὁ πανταχοῦ παρὼν καὶ τὰ πάντα πληρῶν; Τίνος δὲ ἕνεκεν τὴν μὲν λατρείαν εἰς θυσίας, τὰς δὲ θυσίας εἰς τόπον, τὸν δὲ τόπον εἰς καιρὸν, τὸν δὲ καιρὸν εἰς μίαν πόλιν συναγαγὼν, αὐτὴν πάλιν ἐκείνην τὴν πόλιν κατέσκαψε; Καὶ τὸ δὴ θαυμαστὸν καὶ παράδοξον, ἡ μὲν οἰκουμένη πᾶσα ἀνεῖται τοῖς Ἰου48.881 δαίοις, ἔνθα οὐκ ἔξεστι θύειν, μόνη δὲ ἡ Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἄβατος γέγονεν, ἔνθα μόνον θύειν ἐξῆν. Ἆρα οὐχὶ καὶ τοῖς σφόδρα ἀνοήτοις δήλη καὶ καταφανὴς γένοιτο ἂν ἡ αἰτία τῆς κατασκαφῆς ἐκείνης; Ὥσπερ γὰρ οἰκοδόμος θεμελίους θεὶς, τοίχους ἀναστήσας, ὄροφον καμαρώσας, τὴν καμάραν ἐκείνην εἰς ἕνα μέσον συνδήσας λίθον, ἂν ἐκεῖνον ἀφέλῃ, τὸν πάντα τῆς οἰκοδομῆς διέλυσε σύνδεσμον· οὕτω καὶ ὁ Θεὸς, καθάπερ τινὰ σύνδεσμον λατρείας τὴν πόλιν ποιήσας, εἶτα ταύτην ἀνατρέψας. καὶ τὴν λοιπὴν τῆς πολιτείας ἐκείνης οἰκοδομὴν κατέλυσεν ἅπασαν.

ζʹ. Ἡ μὲν οὖν πρὸς Ἰουδαίους μενέτω τέως μάχη. Σήμερον γὰρ ἠκροβολισάμεθα πρὸς αὐτοὺς, μόνον τοσοῦτον εἰπόντες, ὅσον ἤρκει πρὸς ἀσφάλειαν τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς τοῖς ἡμετέροις, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ πολλῷ πλέον. Ἀνάγκη δὲ λοιπὸν παρακαλέσαι ὑμᾶς τοὺς παρόντας, ἵνα πολλὴν τῶν μελῶν τῶν ἡμετέρων ποιήσησθε πρόνοιαν, ἵνα μὴ λέγητε· Τί δέ μοι μέλει; τί δὲ ἐγὼ περιεργάζομαι καὶ πολυπραγμονῶ; Ὁ ∆εσπότης ἡμῶν δι' ἡμᾶς ἀπέθανε, σὺ δὲ οὐδὲ λόγον προΐεσαι; καὶ ποίαν ἕξεις συγγνώμην; ποίας ἀπολογίας τεύξῃ; πῶς ἐπὶ τοῦ βήματος στήσῃ τοῦ Χριστοῦ μετὰ παῤῥησίας, εἰπέ μοι, τοσούτων ψυχῶν ἀπώλειαν παρορῶν; Εἴθε μοι δυνατὸν ἦν τοὺς ἐκεῖ τρέχοντας εἰδέναι, καὶ οὐκ ἂν ἐδεήθην ὑμῶν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ταχίστην ἐποιήσαμεν ἂν διόρθωσιν. Ὅταν τὸν ἀδελφὸν δέῃ διορθῶσαι, κἂν τὴν ψυχὴν ἐπιδοῦναι δέῃ, μὴ παραιτήσῃ, μίμησαί σου τὸν ∆εσπότην· κἂν οἰκέτην ἔχῃς, κἂν γυναῖκα, κάτεχε ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς σφοδρότητος. Εἰ γὰρ εἰς θέατρον οὐκ ἐπιτρέπεις ἀπελθεῖν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ συναγωγῆς τοῦτο χρὴ ποιεῖν· μείζων γὰρ ἡ παρανομία ἐκείνης αὕτη· ἐκεῖ ἁμαρτία τὸ γινόμενον, ἐνταῦθα δὲ ἀσέβεια. Ταῦτα δὲ λέγομεν, οὐχ ἵνα εἰς θέατρον ἀφῆτε ἀναβαίνειν, κακὸν γὰρ κἀκεῖνο, ἀλλ' ἵνα καὶ τοῦτο πολλῷ πλέον κωλύσητε. Τί τρέχεις ἰδεῖν ἐν τῇ συναγωγῇ τῶν θεομάχων Ἰουδαίων, εἰπέ μοι, σαλπίζοντας ἀνθρώπους; δέον σε οἴκοι καθήμενον στενάζειν ὑπὲρ ἐκείνων καὶ δακρύειν, ὅτι τῷ προστάγματι τοῦ Θεοῦ μάχονται, ὅτι τὸν διάβολον ἔχουσι μεθ' ἑαυτῶν χορεύοντα. Ὅπερ γὰρ ἔφθην εἰπὼν, τὸ παρὰ γνώμην τοῦ Θεοῦ γινόμενον, εἰ καὶ ποτὲ συγκεχωρημένον ἦν, ὕστερον παρανομία τίς ἐστι, καὶ μυρίων τιμωριῶν ὑπόθεσις. Ἐσάλπιζον οἱ Ἰουδαῖοί ποτε, ὅτε τὰς θυσίας εἶχον, νῦν δὲ αὐτοῖς οὐκ ἀφίεται τοῦτο ποιεῖν. Ἄκουσον γοῦν, καὶ διὰ τί τὰς σάλπιγγας ἔλαβον· Ποίησον σεαυτῷ, φησὶ, σάλπιγγας ἐλατὰς ἀργυρᾶς. Εἶτα λέγων αὐτῶν τὴν χρείαν, ἐπήγαγε· Καὶ σαλπιεῖτε ἐν αὐταῖς ἐπὶ τοῖς ὁλοκαυτώμασιν ὑμῶν, καὶ ταῖς θυσίαις τῶν σωτηρίων ὑμῶν. Ποῦ τοίνυν ἐστὶν ὁ βωμός; ποῦ δὲ ἡ κιβωτός; ποῦ δὲ ἡ σκηνὴ καὶ τὰ ἅγια τὸν ἁγίων; ποῦ δὲ ὁ ἱερεύς; ποῦ δὲ τὰ χερουβὶμ τῆς δόξης; ποῦ δὲ τὸ χρυσοῦν θυμιατήριον; ποῦ δὲ τὸ ἱλαστήριον; ποῦ 48.882 ἡ φιάλη; ποῦ τὰ σπονδεῖα; ποῦ τὸ πῦρ τὸ ἄνωθεν κατενεχθέν; Πάντα ἀφῆκας, καὶ τὰς σάλπιγγας κατέχεις μόνον; Ὁρᾷς ὅτι παίζουσι μᾶλλον, ἢ λατρεύουσιν; Ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἐκείνοις ἐγκαλοῦμεν ὅτι παρανομοῦσιν, οὕτω καὶ πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὑμῖν, ὅτι τοῖς παρανομοῦσι συνέρχεσθε, καὶ οὐχὶ τοῖς συντρέχουσι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς κυρίοις οὖσι κωλῦσαι, καὶ μὴ βουλομένοις. Μή μοι λέγε· Τί γὰρ ἔχω κοινὸν πρὸς ἐκεῖνον; ἀλλότριός ἐστι καὶ ἄγνωστος. Ἕως ἂν ᾖ πιστὸς, καὶ τῶν αὐτῶν σοι μετέχων μυστηρίων, καὶ εἰς τὴν αὐτὴν Ἐκκλησίαν ἀπαντᾷ, καὶ ἀδελφῶν καὶ συγγενῶν καὶ ἐπιτηδείων καὶ πάντων ἐστὶν οἰκειότερος. Ὥσπερ οὖν οὐχ οἱ κλέπτοντες μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ κύριοι μὲν ὄντες κωλῦσαι, μὴ κωλύοντες δὲ, τὴν αὐτὴν ἐκείνοις διδόασι δίκην· οὕτως οὐχ οἱ ἀσεβοῦντες μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ δυνάμενοι μὲν ἀπαγαγεῖν τῆς ἀσεβείας, μὴ βουλόμενοι δὲ ἢ δι' ὄκνον ἢ διὰ νωθρίαν, ὁμοίως κολάζονται. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ τὸ