John Chrysostom, On Priesthood

a flatterer, not a hypocrite, but full of much freedom and frankness, yet also knowing how to condescend usefully when the state of affairs demands it and to be kind and austere at the same time. For it is not possible to treat all who are ruled in one way, since it is not good for the sons of physicians to treat the sick by one rule, nor for a pilot to know only one way of fighting against the winds; for continuous storms also surround this ship, and these storms attack not only from without, but are also born from within, and there is need of much condescension and precision. But all these different things look to one end, the glory of God, the building up of the Church. 6.5 5. That the priest must be suited for all things Great is the contest of the monks and great their toil; but if one were to compare the labors from there with the priesthood well administered, he would find as great a difference as that between a private citizen and a king. For there, although the labor is great, the contest is common to the soul and the body; or rather, the greater part is achieved by the constitution of the body. And if this is not strong, the zeal remains by itself, unable to go forth into action; for intense fasting and sleeping on the ground and vigils and not bathing and much sweat and all the other things they practice for the affliction of the body all come to nothing, if that which is to be disciplined is not strong. But here the art is purely of the soul and needs none of the body's good condition to display its virtue. For what does the strength of the body contribute to our being neither arrogant, nor angry, nor rash, but sober and temperate and orderly and all the other things through which the blessed Paul filled out for us the image of the best priest? 6.6 6. That living as a monk is not so much a sign of fortitude as presiding well over a multitude is But one could not say this about the virtue of the one who lives as a monk. But just as jugglers need many instruments and wheels and ropes and knives, while the philosopher has his entire art lying in his soul, needing nothing from without, so it is also here. The monk needs both physical well-being and suitable places for his way of life, so that they are neither too far removed from the company of men and may have the quiet of the desert, and furthermore that they may not be deprived of the best climate of the seasons; for nothing is so unbearable to one worn out by fasting as an irregularity of the air, and as for the making of their clothes and for their diet, how many troubles they are forced to have, since they strive to do everything themselves, I have no need to say now. But the priest will need none of these things for his own use, but is unaffected and ordinary in all things that do not cause harm, having all his knowledge stored up in the treasures of the soul. But if someone should admire remaining by oneself and avoiding the company of the many, I myself would say that this is a sign of endurance, but not, however, sufficient proof of all the courage in the soul. For one who sits at the helm within the harbors does not yet give a precise test of his skill, but the one who has been able to save his vessel in the middle of the sea and in the storm, no one would not say is the best pilot. Therefore, we should not admire the monk too much and with exaggeration because, remaining by himself, he is not disturbed, nor does he commit many and great sins; for he does not have the things that irritate and arouse the soul. But if someone who has given himself over to entire multitudes and has been forced to bear the sins of the many has remained unswerving and firm, steering his soul through the storm as if in a calm, this man would be justly applauded and admired by all; for of his own courage the

κόλακα, οὐχ ὑποκριτήν, ἀλλὰ πολλῆς μὲν ἐλευθερίας καὶ παρρησίας ἀνάμεστον, εἰδότα δὲ καὶ συγκατιέναι χρησίμως ὅταν ἡ τῶν πραγμάτων ὑπόθεσις τοῦτο ἀπαιτῇ καὶ χρηστὸν εἶναι ὁμοῦ καὶ αὐστηρόν. Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἑνὶ τρόπῳ χρῆσθαι τοῖς ἀρχομένοις ἅπασιν, ἐπειδὴ μηδὲ ἰατρῶν παισὶν ἑνὶ νόμῳ τοῖς κάμνουσι προσφέρεσθαι καλόν, μηδὲ κυβερνήτῃ μίαν ὁδὸν εἰδέναι τῆς πρὸς τὰ πνεύματα μάχης· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ταύτην τὴν ναῦν συνεχεῖς περιστοιχίζονται χειμῶνες, οἱ δὲ χειμῶνες οὗτοι οὐκ ἔξωθεν προσβάλλουσι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔνδοθεν τίκτονται, καὶ πολλῆς χρεία καὶ συγκαταβάσεως καὶ ἀκριβείας. Πάντα δὲ ταῦτα τὰ διάφορα εἰς ἓν τέλος ὁρᾷ, τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν δόξαν, τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τὴν οἰκοδομήν. 6.5 εʹ. Ὅτι πρὸς πάντα ἐπιτήδειον εἶναι χρὴ τὸν ἱερέα Μέγας ὁ τῶν μοναχῶν ἀγὼν καὶ πολὺς ὁ μόχθος· ἀλλ' εἴ τις τῇ καλῶς ἱερωσύνῃ διοικουμένῃ τοὺς ἐκεῖθεν ἱδρῶτας παραβάλοι, τοσοῦτον εὑρήσει τὸ διάφορον ὅσον ἰδιώτου καὶ βασιλέως τὸ μέσον. Ἐκεῖ μὲν γὰρ εἰ καὶ πολὺς ὁ πόνος, ἀλλὰ κοινὸν τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ τοῦ σώματος τὸ ἀγώνισμα· μᾶλλον δὲ τὸ πλέον τῇ τοῦ σώματος κατορθοῦται κατασκευῇ. Κἂν μὴ τοῦτο ἰσχυρὸν ᾖ, μένει καθ' ἑαυτὴν ἡ προθυμία, οὐκ ἔχουσα εἰς ἔργον ἐξελθεῖν· καὶ γὰρ καὶ νηστεία σύντονος καὶ χαμευνία καὶ ἀγρυπνία καὶ ἀλουσία καὶ ὁ πολὺς ἱδρὼς καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ ὅσα πρὸς τὴν τοῦ σώματος ἐπιτηδεύουσι ταλαιπωρίαν πάντα οἴχεται, τοῦ κολάζεσθαι μέλλοντος οὐκ ὄντος ἰσχυροῦ. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ καθαρὰ τῆς ψυχῆς ἡ τέχνη καὶ οὐδὲν τῆς τοῦ σώματος εὐεξίας προσδεῖται, ὥστε δεῖξαι τὴν αὐτῆς ἀρετήν. Τί γὰρ ἡμῖν ἡ τοῦ σώματος ἰσχὺς συμβάλλεται πρὸς τὸ μήτε αὐθάδεις εἶναι, μήτε ὀργίλους, μήτε προπετεῖς, ἀλλὰ νηφαλίους καὶ σώφρονας καὶ κοσμίους καὶ τἄλλα πάντα δι' ὧν ἡμῖν ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος τὴν τοῦ ἀρίστου ἱερέως ἀνεπλήρωσεν εἰκόνα; 6.6 ʹ. Ὅτι οὐχ οὕτω τὸ μονάζειν ὡς τὸ πλήθους προεστάναι καλῶς καρτερίας σημεῖον Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐπὶ τῆς τοῦ μονάζοντος ἀρετῆς ἔχοι τις ἂν τοῦτο εἰπεῖν. Ἀλλὰ καθάπερ τοῖς μὲν θαυματοποιοῖς ὀργάνων δεῖ πολλῶν καὶ τροχῶν καὶ σχοινίων καὶ μαχαιρῶν, ὁ δὲ φιλόσοφος ἅπασαν ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ κειμένην ἔχει τὴν τέχνην, τῶν ἔξωθεν οὐ δεόμενος, οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα. Ὁ μὲν μοναχὸς καὶ τῆς σωματικῆς εὐπαθείας προσδεῖται καὶ τόπων πρὸς τὴν διαγωγὴν ἐπιτηδείων, ἵνα μήτε ἄγαν ἀπῳκισμένοι τῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὦσιν ὁμιλίας καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐρημίας ἔχωσιν ἡσυχίαν, ἔτι δὲ καὶ τῆς ἀρίστης μὴ ἀμοιρῶσι κράσεως τῶν ὡρῶν· οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ἀφόρητον τῷ κατατρυχομένῳ νηστείαις ὡς ἡ τῶν ἀέρων ἀνωμαλία, τῆς δὲ τῶν ἱματίων κατασκευῆς καὶ διαίτης ἕνεκεν ὅσα πράγματα ἔχειν ἀναγκάζονται, πάντα αὐτουργεῖν αὐτοὶ φιλονεικοῦντες, οὐδὲν δέομαι λέγειν νῦν. Ὁ δὲ ἱερεὺς οὐδενὸς τούτων εἰς τὴν αὑτοῦ δεήσεται χρείαν, ἀλλ' ἀπερίεργος καὶ κοινὸς ἐν ἅπασίν ἐστι τοῖς οὐκ ἔχουσι βλάβην, τὴν ἐπιστήμην ἅπασαν ἐν τοῖς τῆς ψυχῆς θησαυροῖς ἀποκειμένην ἔχων. Εἰ δέ τις τὸ μένειν ἐφ' ἑαυτῷ καὶ τὰς τῶν πολλῶν ὁμιλίας ἐκτρέπεσθαι θαυμάζοι, καρτερίας μὲν τοῦτο δεῖγμα καὶ αὐτὸς εἶναι φαίην ἄν, οὐ μὴν ἁπάσης τῆς ἀνδρείας τῆς ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ τεκμήριον ἱκανόν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ εἴσω λιμένων ἐπὶ τῶν οἰάκων καθήμενος οὔπω τῆς τέχνης ἀκριβῆ δίδωσι βάσανον, τὸν δὲ ἐν μέσῳ τῷ πελάγει καὶ τῷ χειμῶνι δυνηθέντα διασῶσαι τὸ σκάφος, οὐδεὶς ὅστις οὐκ ἂν φαίη κυβερνήτην ἄριστον εἶναι. Οὐ τοίνυν ἡμῖν οὐδὲ τὸν μοναχὸν θαυμαστέον ἂν εἴη λίαν καὶ μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς ὅτι μένων ἐφ' ἑαυτοῦ οὐ ταράττεται, οὐδὲ διαμαρτάνει πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλα ἁμαρτήματα· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔχει τὰ παρακνίζοντα καὶ διεγείροντα τὴν ψυχήν. Ἀλλ' εἴ τις πλήθεσιν ὅλοις ἑαυτὸν ἐκδεδωκὼς καὶ τὰς τῶν πολλῶν φέρειν ἁμαρτίας ἀναγκασθεὶς ἔμεινεν ἀκλινὴς καὶ στερρός, ὥσπερ ἐν γαλήνῃ τῷ χειμῶνι τὴν ψυχὴν διακυβερνῶν, οὗτος κροτεῖσθαι καὶ θαυμάζεσθαι παρὰ πάντων ἂν εἴη δίκαιος· ἱκανῶς γὰρ τῆς οἰκείας ἀνδρείας τὴν