Dialogus de vita Joannis Chrysostomi
honor, but he who is called by God. Thus 5 also Aaron, he says, did not glorify himself to become high priest. For although there were six hundred
the flight of concord, most of us who are active and eager for it have become fugitives from the country, being unable to live safely and without trou
he met with us, he did not share in words, nor in prayer, nor in communion but disembarking from the ship and running past the doors of the church, h
to share in the suffering and to do everything, so as to stop these evils. For he put a stop to none of their lawlessness here, but even after this he
and lamentations and fountains of tears in the marketplaces and the houses and in the desolate places and the whole part of the city was filled with
you are exhorted to contribute zeal from yourselves. For thus you will gratify not only us, 16 but also the community of the churches, and you will re
had fled on account of the threat contained in the imperial decree, that If anyone is not in communion with Theophilus and Arsakius and Porphyry, let
of Bishop John of the Constantinopolitans and, as it seems, it has not been accomplished. Therefore, I wrote again through the bishops and presbyters
savagery. This also the Savior God did, illuminating them with various revelations, so that also to Paul, the deacon of Saint Emilius, a most gentle
He who speaks a lie is not of God, and again from David, Because the mouth of those who speak unjust things was stopped. For he who lies truly wro
by his own choice, he was trained in the discourses for the ministry of the divine oracles. From there, being in the eighteenth year of his physical a
of those who have believed in him will be bound. {THE DEACON} But where did they recognize the presence of the Savior? {THE BISHOP} When they cried ou
of the rich, cutting away the abscesses of the soul, teaching them humility, to be of a humble mind towards other people, obeying the apostolic word,
she gives one thousand gold pieces, having made him swear by the table of the Savior that he would buy clothes and clothe the poorer women of the Alex
with his own hands on his neck, and after inflicting blows on his jaws, with clenched fingers he bloodied his nostrils, shouting 38 with a loud voice:
by an excess of conceit. But those men, driven by great necessity because they were changing places from place to place, arrive at the camp, where Bis
of the church, Dioscorus the bishop, who had grown old in the church but to the bishop John he writes: I think you are not ignorant of the decree of
of John for unlawful offenses, he took advantage of their fickleness and persuades them to submit bills of accusation against John, promising them to
Elijah was taken up did not Elisha prophesy? Paul was beheaded did he not leave behind Timothy, Titus, Apollos and ten thousand others? After these
these of the council but if as accusers, set them up for the trial, so that I may know how I should contend, whether as against adversaries or as jud
(for he is impetuous by nature, and rash and bold and exceedingly contentious—for there is nothing that appears to him by sight, <towards> which he do
brother Acacius and Antiochus whom they put forward as canons of the orthodox, because We are of the faith of those who set them forth, and our doub
reading the oracles, and others baptizing the catechumens, as was fitting because of Easter. These very things the corruptors of minds and deceivers o
a proof of the diligence of teachers, unceasingly setting right the unconquerable quality of their resolve. Theodore said: {THE DEACON} You have spoke
near him to the west), but in the western part, where the gate of the church is, the mule-team, on which he was accustomed to sit, having ordered it t
of a hierophant, a man more silent than a fish and more idle than a frog (for there are times when even action speaks, especially when the good is don
terrifying, just as bogeymen do children? Alas! Those who are clothed in worldly powers and ecclesiastical wealth with authority, with command even of
on the one hand, that he ate alone but I did not wish you, most harmonious Theodore, to ask about the things of gluttonous infants. For being a man,
he says, urging us to imitation Do not forget hospitality, he says, for by this some have entertained angels unawares. But the host must have the
fell from blessing? was it not when he served his belly, deceived by the food? When did Saul fall from the kingdom? was it not when he ate the best of
to eat bread and to put on a garment, all that you give me, I will tithe a tenth of it to you -he did not say, I will consume it at tables. That sp
to give glory to God <in> persecutions. in the refutations of error, is there any mention of a table? But again to Titus, the bishop of Crete, let us
they were seeking luxury. It was absurd to squander the food of the sick or the poor on the intemperance of the healthy. And what sort of law is this,
from seeing evil. For many of the so-called bishops, wishing to cut off the reasonable hatred directed at them on account of their own ways and their
First, that having melted down treasures he fashioned a silver object in the name of his son second, that having taken marbles from the entrance of t
love of money is a source of evils. For he who took bribes against the innocent and thought to sell the distribution of the Holy Spirit for silver,
Antoninus dies, with whom Eusebius had the lawsuit. Again a decree comes from Asia, this one from the clergy of the church of the Ephesians, and this
to buy the priesthood. They say that the ravager and falsely-named patriarch of the Jews changes the rulers of the synagogue every year, or even more
of those who deposed him and concluded the trial. <CHAPTER 19> {THE DEACON.} Forgive me, father, such things surpass drunkenness and madness and sport
ambidextrous (for even his so-called left hand was better than the right hand of others) who at first, having served in letters, was found blameles
slandering their life, waiting to have help from God. To these things Theodore, being astonished, said: {Ο ∆ΙΑΚ.} I see the facts as contrary to the n
Or is it proper at all to cast out any disciple, much less a monk? 100 {THE DEACON} Because they provoked him or spoke ill of him. {THE BISHOP} And ou
having led them back from vice to virtue, it will be clear that their persecutor deserves not to be persecuted, but to be pitied, as one who always ab
having provoked the physician and enchanter of souls and removed his interpreter from the workshop of salvation, 105 they were handed over to the phys
imitating him who, having found the one crushed by robbers, half-dead, on the way down to Jericho, placed him on his own beast of burden, having broug
did he give? And when Optimus died in Constantinople, he closed his eyes with his own hands. In addition to these things, he also refreshed in no smal
desiring to chasten the herd of men for their various desires towards the more austere part of life, he became his own judge and lawgiver, being stren
toward the north, and each man's axe in his hand and one man in the midst of them, clothed in a full-length robe, and a sapphire belt on his loins a
in many ways Who will boast that he has a pure heart? Or who will boldly claim to be pure from sin? but yet the blessed John did not know how to us
happen to us anonymously and beneficially? sifting the reasons, not obeying him who said: Eat whatever is sold in the meat-market, asking no question
two? {THE BISHOP} Especially if it is an unprofitable and charlatan crowd such as the one who said to Jesus: Teacher, I will follow you wherever you
an intemperate old man, and an old man who loves learning above an unlearned younger man, and a poor layman above an educated lover of money, and a vi
enjoying his disease nor raging with the same desires. For this is a fitting way of life for a teacher, not to linger with the crowds, but in quiet an
having subjected his body to shameful tortures by the cruelty of judges, to the point of knocking out his teeth, as the story goes, 127 they confined
knocking, they made the two-day journey into one, arriving late in the evening and departing in the dark of dawn, so that the stomach could not even k
and that these things are done and are prolonged and are strong, and that the good are afflicted and plundered, brings me to shudder at his approachin
Why shall I not be angry? looking upon me, marvel, and lay your hand upon your jaw. For if I remember, I am troubled, and pains take hold of my flesh.
when reviled, we bless when persecuted, we endure when slandered, we entreat we have become as the refuse of the world, the offscouring of all thi
sleepless or troubled in sleep, he suspects plots even from his own family, not trusting even himself, distrusting everyone as liars. Being such a per
each other, for which it was also fitting, having learned something, did you not decide to be quiet and remain still by yourselves even for the future
to his father and to his mother, I have not seen you, and his brothers he did not acknowledge he guarded your oracles, and kept your covenant. He d
foot-soldiers' machinations for the hindering of those who travel for the truth). How then do they dare to say: By God's economy John has been cast o
they were seeking luxury. It was absurd to squander the food of the sick or the poor on the intemperance of the healthy. And what sort of law is this, that the ones being taught should legislate for the teacher, or the sick for the doctor, or the passengers for the pilot, since it is always the doctor who makes the sick well, and the teacher who corrects the ones being taught, and the pilot who seeks what is advantageous for those sailing? And those under them, obeying the doctor and the pilot, for the love of life bear every pain and burden, even when success with them is uncertain; but against a teacher of better things, who is entrusted with driving away diseases and weaknesses and is trained to overcome the tempests of pleasures, they rise up with unbridled mouths, confounding everything with unwashed feet. But even if he had given himself over completely to tables, for how many demands would he suffice, living in so great a city, with each one seeking to eat either for a blessing, or because of poverty, or because of gluttony? And where 80 would there have been leisure for the contemplation of God, the care of the people, the study of the Scriptures, the guardianship of widows, the consolation of virgins, the nursing of the sick, the help of the afflicted, the conversion of the wandering, the concern for the contrite, the visitation of those in prison? How would he have escaped the reproachful declaration of woe from God, which He reproaches in Ezekiel? -"Woe to the shepherds who feed themselves, and do not pasture the sheep; the straying you have not turned back, the lost you have not sought, the weak you have not visited, the broken you have not bound up, slaughtering the fat ones you eat." - concerning whom Paul writes; "For you bear it, if someone enslaves you, if someone devours you, if someone takes from you." - "and you clothed yourselves with the wool, but you do not shepherd the sheep." And in Jeremiah he says concerning idle-fed shepherds; "Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard." The deacon says: {THE DEACON} He could have attended to these over time and cared for ecclesiastical matters, so that he might not seem to have a bad reputation, being great in other things. {THE BISHOP} For this is what is sought, that he not have a bad reputation, that he provide richly the word, the diligence, the zeal, the other priestly good-will. Or do you not know, most honored Theodore, that even for irrational slander a blessing has been appointed by the Lord, along with the other beatitudes when He said; "Blessed are you, when they reproach you, and say every evil word against you. But woe to you, when all men speak well of you; for so their fathers did to the prophets"? And how could a mouth practiced in the divine oracles and an ear to hear the divine utterances endure the much-talking of a table, when the Master says; "No one can serve two masters"; then, "you cannot serve God and mammon"? 81 Let us ask, then, what mammon is, lest we be found serving not two masters, but only mammon. For "mammon" here does not mean "the devil," but the vain toil of this world, from which the Word has drawn away His own disciples. {THE DEACON} Return, O most holy father, to the rest of the matters, since the argument concerning the table has been sufficiently demonstrated. And be not angry with me for what was objected; for wishing to learn something more, I questioned your great learning more searchingly. {THE BISHOP} Let this be said to you more clearly by me, most learned Theodore (for I have become one of those who strove to please the crowds by means of a table), that a bishop, especially of a great city, "having left the ministry of the word," not having the tablets of the law in his hands night and day, and carrying out the care of the poor not by himself, but through others, will be far from those who have said; "Behold, we have left everything, and followed you; what then shall we have?" being numbered with those who said; "Lord, did we not do this and that in your name?" to hear with them; "Depart from me, you who are cursed; I do not know you, where you are from." For the Word does not recognize irrational workers; "for His eye is pure
πολυτέλειαν ἐπεζήτουν. ἄτοπον ἦν τὰς τῶν νοσούντων ἢ πτωχευόντων τροφὰς τῇ τῶν ὑγιαινόντων ἀκρασίᾳ προσαναλῶσαι. ποῖος δὲ
καὶ νόμος οὗτος, νομοθετεῖν τὸν παιδευτὴν τοὺς παιδευομένους, ἢ τοὺς ἀῤῥώστους τὸν ἰατρόν, ἢ τοὺς ἐπιβάτας τὸν κυβερνήτην,
ἀεὶ τοῦ ἰατροῦ τοὺς νοσοῦντας ὑγιάζοντος, καὶ τοῦ διδάσκοντος τοὺς παιδευομένους ἐπανορ θοῦντος, καὶ τοῦ κυβερνήτου τοῖς ἐμπλέουσι
τὸ συμφέρον μνηστευομένου; καὶ ἰατρῷ μὲν καὶ κυβερνήτῃ πειθόμενοι οἱ ὑπ' αὐτοὺς διὰ φιλοζωΐαν πᾶσαν ὀδύνην καὶ ἐπάχθειαν φέρουσι,
παρ' οἷς καὶ τὸ ἐπιτυχεῖν ἄδηλον· διδασκάλῳ δὲ τῶν κρειτ τόνων, νόσους καὶ μαλακίας ἀπελαύνειν ἐμπεπιστευμένῳ καὶ τρικυμίας
ἡδονῶν ὑπερβαίνειν ἐξησκημένῳ, ἀχαλινώτοις στό μασιν ἐπανατείνονται ἀνίπτοις ποσὶ πάντα φύροντες. εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐδεδώκει ἑαυτὸν
ἔκδοτον ταῖς τραπέζαις, πόσοις ἐξήρκει ἀξιώ μασι τὴν τηλικαύτην πόλιν οἰκῶν, ἑκάστου ἢ δι' εὐλογίαν, ἢ διὰ πενίαν, ἢ διὰ γαστριμαργίαν
τὸ φαγεῖν ἐπιζητοῦντος; ποῦ δὲ 80 καὶ σχολὴν ἦγεν ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ θεωρία, ἡ τοῦ λαοῦ θεραπεία, ἡ τῶν Γραφῶν ἱστορία, ἡ τῶν χηρῶν
κηδεμονία, ἡ τῶν παρθένων παραμυθία, ἡ τῶν ἀῤῥωστούντων νοσοκομία, ἡ τῶν καταπονου μένων ἐπικουρία, ἡ τῶν πλανωμένων ἐπιστροφή,
ἡ τῶν συν τετριμμένων φροντίς, ἡ τῶν ἐν φυλακαῖς ἐπίσκεψις; πῶς δὲ ἔφυγεν τὸν ὀνειδιστικὸν ταλανισμὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὃν ὀνειδίζει
ἐν τῷ Ἰεζεκιήλ; -"Ὦ οἱ ποιμένες οἱ ποιμαίνοντες ἑαυτούς, καὶ οὐ τὰ πρόβατα νέμοντες· τὸ πεπλανημένον οὐκ ἐπεστρέψατε, τὸ ἀπολωλὸς
οὐκ ἐζητήσατε, τὸ ἀσθενὲς οὐκ ἐπεσκέψασθε, τὸ συν τετριμμένον οὐ κατεδήσατε, τὰ λιπαρὰ σφάζοντες ἐσθίετε." - περὶ ὧν γράφει
ὁ Παῦλος· "Ἀνέχεσθε γάρ, εἴ τις ὑμᾶς κατα δουλοῖ, εἴ τις κατεσθίει, εἴ τις λαμβάνει." - "καὶ τὰ μὲν ἔρια περιεβάλλεσθε, τὰ
δὲ πρόβατα οὐ ποιμαίνετε." καὶ ἐν τῷ Ἰερεμίᾳ περὶ ἀργοτρόφων ποιμένων λέγει· "Ποιμένες πολλοὶ διέφθειραν τὸν ἀμπελῶνά μου."
Λέγει ὁ διάκονος· {Ο ∆ΙΑΚ.} Ἐδύνατο καὶ τούτους διὰ χρόνου θεραπεύειν καὶ τῶν ἐκκλησιαστικῶν φροντίζειν, ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ κακῶς
ἀκούειν, ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις ὢν μέγας. {Ο ΕΠΙΣΚ.} Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ ζητούμενον, ἵνα μὴ κακῶς ἀκούῃ, ἵνα πλουσίως παρέχῃ τὸν λόγον,
τὴν σπουδήν, τὸν ζῆλον, τὴν ἄλλην ἱερατικὴν εὔνοιαν. ἢ οὐκ οἶδας, ὦ τιμιώτατε Θεόδωρε, ὅτι καὶ ἀλόγου κακηγορίας μακαρισμὸς
ὥρισται ὑπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου σὺν τοῖς ἄλλοις μακαρισμοῖς εἰπόντος· "Μακάριοί ἐστε, ὅταν ὀνειδίσωσιν ὑμᾶς, καὶ εἴπωσι πᾶν πονηρὸν
ῥῆμα καθ' ὑμῶν. οὐαὶ δὲ ὑμῖν, ὅταν καλῶς ὑμᾶς εἴπωσι πάντες οἱ ἄνθρωποι· κατὰ ταῦτα γὰρ ἐποίουν τοῖς προφήταις οἱ πατέρες
αὐτῶν"; πῶς δὲ καὶ στόμα ἐξησκημένον ἐν θείοις λογίοις καὶ οὖς χρησμῶν ἐπακούειν θείων ἠνείχετο πολυλογίας τραπέζης, τοῦ ∆εσπότου
λέγοντος· "Οὐδεὶς δύναται δυσὶ κυρίοις δου λεύειν"· ἔπειτα, "οὐ δύνασθε Θεῷ δουλεύειν καὶ μαμωνᾷ"; 81 ζητήσωμεν ἄρα τίς ὁ
μαμωνᾶς, μή ποτε εὑρεθῶμεν οὐχὶ τοῖς δύο κυρίοις δουλεύοντες, ἀλλ' ἢ μόνῳ τῷ μαμωνᾷ. "μαμωνᾶν" γὰρ νῦν οὐ "τὸν διάβολον" λέγει,
ἀλλὰ τὴν ματαιοπονίαν τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, οὗ τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ μαθητὰς ὁ λόγος ἀπέστησεν. {Ο ∆ΙΑΚ.} Ἐπανάζευξον, ὦ ἱερώτατε πάτερ,
ἐπὶ τὰ λοιπὰ τῶν πραγμάτων, ἱκανῶς ἀποδεδειγμένου τοῦ περὶ τραπέζης λόγου. κἀμοὶ δὲ μὴ χαλεπήνῃς ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀνθυπενεχθεῖσι·
πλέον γάρ τι βουλόμενος μαθεῖν, ἐπεξεργαστικώτερον ἠρόμην τὴν σὴν πολυμάθειαν. {Ο ΕΠΙΣΚ.} Τοῦτό σοι παρ' ἐμοῦ σαφέστερον εἰρήσθω,
Θεό δωρε φιλομαθέστατε (εἷς γὰρ γέγονα τῶν σπουδασάντων ὄχλοις διὰ τραπέζης ἀρέσαι), ὅτι ἐπίσκοπος, μάλιστα πόλεως μεγάλης,
"καταλείψας τὴν τοῦ λόγου διακονίαν," νύκτωρ τε καὶ μεθ' ἡμέραν ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν <οὐκ> ἔχων τὰ τοῦ νόμου πυξία, καὶ τὴν τῶν
πτωχῶν ἐπιμέλειαν οὐ δι' ἑαυτοῦ, ἀλλὰ δι' ἑτέρων ποιεῖται, μακρὰν ἔσται τῶν εἰρηκότων· "Ἰδού, ἀφήκαμεν πάντα, καὶ ἠκολουθήσαμέν
σοι· τί ἄρα ἡμῖν ἔσται;" συναριθμούμενος τοῖς φήσασι· "Κύριε, οὐχὶ τῷ σῷ ὀνόματι τὰ καὶ τὰ ἐποιή σαμεν;" ἀκουσόμενος μετ'
αὐτῶν· "Ὑπάγετε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, οἱ κατηραμένοι· οὐκ οἶδα ὑμᾶς, πόθεν ἐστέ." οὐ γὰρ ἐπιγινώσκει ὁ λόγος ἀλόγους ἐργάτας· "καθαρὸς
γὰρ αὐτοῦ ὀφθαλμὸς
