John Chrysostom, On Priesthood

keep away from our reputation? For we are not so far removed from any sin as Paul was from theft; but nevertheless, though so far removed from this wicked practice, he did not on that account neglect the suspicion of the multitude, although it was exceedingly irrational and mad. For it was madness to suspect such a thing of that blessed and admirable soul; but nevertheless he destroys from afar the causes even of this suspicion, so irrational and which no one unless he were delirious would have suspected. And he did not despise the foolishness of the multitude, nor did he say: For to whom would it ever occur to suspect such things about us, both from the signs and from the uprightness of our life, when all both honor and admire us? But quite the contrary, he both suspected and anticipated this wicked suspicion and tore it up by the roots, or rather did not even allow it to spring up in the first place. Why? "For we provide," he says, "things honest," not only in the sight of the Lord, but also "in the sight of men." So great, or rather, even greater diligence must be used, so as not only to suppress and prevent evil reports when they arise, but also to foresee from afar whence they might arise and to destroy beforehand the pretexts from which they are born, not waiting for them to take shape and be spread about on the lips of the multitude; for then it is no longer easy to make them disappear, but very difficult, and perhaps even impossible, nor is it without damage for this to happen after the harm to the multitude. But how long shall I not stop pursuing the unattainable? For to enumerate all the difficulties there is nothing other than to measure the sea. For even when someone has purified himself of every passion, which is impossible, in order to correct the faults of others, he is forced to endure countless terrible things; and when his own diseases are added, behold the abyss of toils and cares and all that one must suffer who wishes to overcome both his own evils and those of others. 6.10 10. That it is no great thing to save oneself And Basil: But now, he says, you have no need of labors, nor do you have cares, being by yourself. {JO.} I have them, I said, even now; for how is it possible, being a man and living this life of much toil, to be free from cares and struggle? But it is not the same thing to fall into an infinite sea and to sail alongside a river; for so great is the difference between these cares and those. For now, if I could also be useful to others, I myself would wish it, and this for me is a matter of great prayer; but if it is not possible to benefit another, if it is possible at least to save myself and escape the billows, I will be content with this. Then do you think this is a great thing, says Basil, and do you think you will be saved at all, being useful to no other person? {JO.} You have spoken well and rightly, I said; for not even I can believe that it is possible to be saved for one who toils not at all for the salvation of his neighbor; for neither did it profit that wretched man that he did not diminish the talent, but it destroyed him that he did not increase it and bring back double. Nevertheless, I think the punishment will be more lenient for me when I am accused for why I did not also save others than for why I destroyed both others and myself, having become much worse after so great an honor. For now I believe my punishment will be as great as the magnitude of my sins demands; but after receiving the office, not only double and triple, but many times more, both for having scandalized more people and for having offended God who honored me after a greater honor. 6.11 11. That a much harsher punishment awaits the sins of priests than those of the laity For this very reason, also accusing the Israelites more vehemently, he shows by this that they are worthy of a greater punishment because they sinned after the honors bestowed on them by him, saying at one time: "You only have I known of all the families

ἡμετέρας ἀπέχωσι δόξης; Οὐδενὸς γὰρ ἁμαρτήματος τοσοῦτον ἡμεῖς ἀφεστήκαμεν ὅσον κλοπῆς ὁ Παῦλος· ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ τοσοῦτον ἀφεστηκὼς τῆς πονηρᾶς ταύτης πράξεως, οὐδὲ οὕτως ἠμέλησε τῆς τῶν πολλῶν ὑπονοίας, καίτοι λίαν οὔσης ἀλόγου καὶ μανιώδους. Μανία γὰρ ἦν τοιοῦτον ὑποπτεῦσαί τι περὶ τῆς μακαρίας καὶ θαυμαστῆς ἐκείνης ψυχῆς· ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲν ἧττον καὶ ταύτης τῆς ὑποψίας, τῆς οὕτως ἀλόγου καὶ ἣν οὐδεὶς ἂν μὴ παραπαίων ὑπώπτευσε πόρρωθεν ἀναιρεῖ τὰς αἰτίας. Καὶ οὐ διέπτυσε τὴν τῶν πολλῶν ἄνοιαν, οὐδὲ εἶπε· Τίνι γὰρ ἂν ἐπέλθοι ποτὲ τοιαῦτα περὶ ἡμῶν ὑπονοεῖν καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν σημείων καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ἐπιεικείας τῆς ἐν τῷ βίῳ, πάντων ἡμᾶς καὶ τιμώντων καὶ θαυμαζόντων; Ἀλλὰ πᾶν τοὐναντίον καὶ ὑπείδετο καὶ προσεδόκησε ταύτην τὴν πονηρὰν ὑπόνοιαν καὶ πρόρριζον αὐτὴν ἀνέσπασε, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ φῦναι τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀφῆκε. ∆ιὰ τί; «Προνοοῦμεν γάρ, φησί, καλά», οὐ μόνον ἐνώπιον Κυρίου, ἀλλὰ καὶ «ἐνώπιον ἀνθρώπων.» Τοσαύτῃ δεῖ, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ πλείονι κεχρῆσθαι σπουδῇ ὥστε μὴ μόνον αἰρομένας κατασπᾶν καὶ κωλύειν τὰς φήμας τὰς οὐκ ἀγαθάς, ἀλλὰ καὶ πόρρωθεν ὅθεν ἂν γένοιντο προορᾶν καὶ τὰς προφάσεις ἐξ ὧν τίκτονται προαναιρεῖν, μὴ περιμένειν αὐτὰς συστῆναι καὶ ἐν τοῖς τῶν πολλῶν διαθρυληθῆναι στόμασι· τηνικαῦτα γὰρ οὔτε εὔπορον αὐτὰς ἀφανίσαι λοιπόν, ἀλλὰ καὶ λίαν δυσχερές, τάχα δὲ καὶ ἀδύνατον, οὔτε ἀζήμιον τῷ μετὰ τὴν τῶν πολλῶν βλάβην τοῦτο γίνεσθαι. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ μέχρι τίνος οὐ στήσομαι διώκων ἀκίχητα; Τὸ γὰρ ἁπάσας τὰς ἐκεῖ δυσχερείας καταλέγειν οὐδὲν ἕτερόν ἐστιν ἢ πέλαγος ἀναμετρεῖν. Καὶ γὰρ ὅταν τις αὐτὸς παντὸς καθαρεύσῃ πάθους, ὃ τῶν ἀδυνάτων ἐστίν, ἵνα τὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἐπανορθώσῃ πταίσματα, μυρία ὑπομένειν ἀναγκάζεται δεινά· προστεθέντων δὲ καὶ τῶν οἰκείων νοσημάτων, θέα τὴν ἄβυσσον τῶν πόνων καὶ τῶν φροντίδων καὶ ὅσα πάσχειν ἀνάγκη τῶν τε οἰκείων καὶ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων βουλόμενον περιγενέσθαι κακῶν. 6.10 ιʹ. Ὅτι οὐ μέγα σῶσαι ἑαυτόν Καὶ ὁ Βασίλειος· Νῦν δέ, φησίν, οὐ δεῖ σοι πόνων, οὐδὲ φροντίδας ἔχεις κατὰ σαυτὸν ὤν. {ΙΩ.} Ἔχω μέν, ἔφην, καὶ νῦν· πῶς γὰρ ἔστιν, ἄνθρωπον ὄντα καὶ τὸν πολύμοχθον τοῦτον βιοῦντα βίον, φροντίδων ἀπηλλάχθαι καὶ ἀγωνίας; Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔστιν ἴσον εἰς πέλαγος ἄπειρον ἐμπεσεῖν καὶ ποταμὸν παραπλεῖν· τοσοῦτο γὰρ τούτων κἀκείνων τῶν φροντίδων τὸ μέσον. Νῦν μὲν γὰρ εἰ μὲν δυνηθείην καὶ ἑτέροις γενέσθαι χρήσιμος, βουλοίμην ἂν καὶ αὐτὸς καὶ πολλῆς μοι τοῦτο ἔργον εὐχῆς· εἰ δὲ οὐκ ἔστιν ἕτερον ὀνῆσαι, ἐμαυτὸν γοῦν ἐὰν ἐγγένηται διασῶσαι καὶ τοῦ κλύδωνος ἐξελεῖν, ἀρκεσθήσομαι τούτῳ. Εἶτα τοῦτο οἴει μέγα, φησίν, εἶναι, ὁ Βασίλειος, ὅλως δὲ καὶ σωθήσεσθαι νομίζεις, ἑτέρῳ μηδενὶ γενόμενος χρήσιμος; {ΙΩ.} Εὖ καὶ καλῶς, ἔφην, εἴρηκας· οὐδὲ γὰρ αὐτὸς τοῦτο πιστεύειν ἔχω ὅτι σώζεσθαι ἔνεστι τὸν οὐδὲν εἰς τὴν τοῦ πλησίον κάμνοντα σωτηρίαν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐκεῖνον τὸν δείλαιον ὤνησέ τι τὸ μὴ μειῶσαι τὸ τάλαντον, ἀλλ' ἀπώλεσε τὸ μὴ πλεονάσαι καὶ διπλοῦν προσενεγκεῖν. Πλὴν ἀλλ' ἐπιεικεστέραν μοι τὴν τιμωρίαν οἶμαι ἔσεσθαι ἐγκαλουμένῳ διὰ τί μὴ καὶ ἑτέρους ἔσωσα ἢ διὰ τί καὶ ἑτέρους καὶ ἐμαυτὸν προσαπώλεσα, πολὺ χείρων γενόμενος μετὰ τὴν τοσαύτην τιμήν. Νῦν μὲν γὰρ τοσαύτην ἔσεσθαί μοι πιστεύω τὴν κόλασιν ὅσην ἀπαιτεῖ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων τὸ μέγεθος· μετὰ δὲ τὸ δέξασθαι τὴν ἀρχὴν οὐ διπλῆν μόνον καὶ τριπλῆν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλαπλασίονα, τῷ τε πλείονας σκανδαλίσαι καὶ τῷ μετὰ μείζονα τιμὴν προσκροῦσαι τῷ τετιμηκότι Θεῷ. 6.11 ιαʹ. Ὅτι πολλῷ χαλεπωτέρα μένει τιμωρία τὰ τῶν ἱερέων ἁμαρτήματα ἢ τὰ τῶν ἰδιωτῶν ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο καὶ τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν κατηγορῶν σφοδρότερον, τούτῳ δείκνυσιν αὐτοὺς μείζονος ὄντας κολάσεως ἀξίους τῷ μετὰ τὰς παρ' αὐτοῦ γενομένας εἰς αὐτοὺς τιμὰς ἁμαρτεῖν, ποτὲ μὲν λέγων· «Πλὴν ὑμᾶς ἔγνων ἐκ πασῶν τῶν φυλῶν