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On the Priesthood

Of the blessed John, Archbishop of Constantinople, Chrysostom, to him who accuses him for having fled the priesthood

BOOK I

1. Proof of the goodwill of the great Basil towards us

I have had many friends, both genuine and true, who both knew and accurately observed the laws of friendship; but one from among these many, surpassing them all in his affection for me, was so ambitious to leave them behind as they were to leave behind those who were simply acquaintances. He was one of those who had been with me all my life; for we took up the same studies and used the same teachers, and we had one and the same eagerness and zeal for the subjects we were pursuing, and an equal desire born from the same circumstances; for not only when we were attending our teachers, but also when, having left them, we had to decide what was the better path of life for us to choose, here too we were seen to be of one mind. And other things besides these kept this harmony of ours unbroken and firm: for neither could one think more of himself than the other on account of the greatness of his native city, nor was I possessed of excessive wealth while he lived in extreme poverty, but the measure of our substance imitated the equality of our purpose, and our families were of equal rank, and all things concurred with our disposition.

1.2 b. What hindered him from living with us But when it became necessary for that blessed man to pursue the life of monks and the true philosophy, our yoke was no longer equal, but the scale on his side was lightened and rose up, while I, still fettered by the desires of the world, dragged mine down and was forced to remain below, weighing it down with youthful fancies. From that point on, our friendship indeed remained as firm as before, but our companionship was broken off; for it was not possible for those not zealous about the same things to spend their time together. But when I myself at length emerged a little from the waves of worldly life, he received me with both hands, yet even so we were not able to preserve our former equality. For having gotten the start of me in time and having shown great earnestness, he was again carried above me and raised to a great height. Nevertheless, being a good man and greatly prizing our friendship, he separated himself from all others and spent all his time with me, having desired this even before, but, as I said, being hindered by my indolence. For it was not possible for one who attended the law-courts and was captivated by the pleasures of the stage to associate often with one who was riveted to his books and never even set foot in the market-place. For this reason being previously separated, when at last he got me into the same state of life, he suddenly gave birth to the desire he had long been in labor with, and he could not bear to leave me for even the briefest part of the day, and he constantly urged that we should each leave his own house and have a common dwelling for us both; and he persuaded me and the matter was in hand. But my mother's continuous entreaties prevented me from granting him this favor, or rather from receiving this gift from him. For when she perceived

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De sacerdotio

Τοῦ μακαρίου Ἰωάννου ἀρχιεπισκόπου Κωνσταντινουπόλεως τοῦ Χρυσοστόμου πρὸς τὸν ἐγκαλοῦντα ἐπὶ τῷ διαφυγεῖν τὴν ἱερωσύνην

ΛΟΓΟΣ Αʹ

αʹ. Ἀπόδειξις τῆς εὐνοίας τοῦ μεγάλου Βασιλείου περὶ ἡμᾶς

Ἐμοὶ πολλοὶ μὲν ἐγένοντο φίλοι γνήσιοί τε καὶ ἀληθεῖς, καὶ τοὺς τῆς φιλίας

νόμους καὶ εἰδότες καὶ φυλάττοντες ἀκριβῶς· εἷς δέ τις τουτωνὶ τῶν πολλῶν, ἅπαντας αὐτοὺς ὑπερβαλλόμενος τῇ πρὸς ἡμᾶς φιλίᾳ, τοσοῦτον ἐφιλονείκησεν ἀφεῖναι κατόπιν ἐκείνους ὅσον ἐκεῖνοι τοὺς ἁπλῶς πρὸς ἡμᾶς διακειμένους. Οὗτος τῶν τὸν ἅπαντά μοι χρόνον παρηκολουθηκότων ἦν· καὶ γὰρ μαθημάτων ἡψάμεθα τῶν αὐτῶν καὶ διδασκάλοις ἐχρησάμεθα τοῖς αὐτοῖς, ἦν δὲ ἡμῖν καὶ προθυμία καὶ σπουδὴ περὶ τοὺς λόγους οὓς ἐπονούμεθα μία, ἐπιθυμία τε ἴση καὶ ἐκ τῶν αὐτῶν τικτομένη πραγμάτων· οὐ γὰρ ὅτε εἰς διδασκάλους μόνον ἐφοιτῶμεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡνίκα ἐκεῖθεν ἐξελθόντας βουλεύεσθαι ἐχρῆν ὁποίαν ἑλέσθαι τοῦ βίου βέλτιον ἡμῖν ὁδόν, καὶ ἐνταῦθα ὁμογνωμονοῦντες ἐφαινόμεθα. Καὶ ἕτερα δὲ πρὸς τούτοις ἡμῖν τὴν ὁμόνοιαν ταύτην ἐφύλαττεν ἀρραγῆ καὶ βεβαίαν· οὔτε γὰρ ἐπὶ πατρίδος μεγέθει μᾶλλον ἕτερος ἑτέρου φρονεῖν εἶχεν, οὔτε ἐμοὶ μὲν πλοῦτος ὑπέρογκος ἦν, ἐκεῖνος δὲ ἐσχάτῃ συνέζη πενίᾳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ τῆς οὐσίας μέτρον τὸ τῆς προαιρέσεως ἰσοστάσιον ἐμιμεῖτο καὶ γένος δὲ ἡμῖν ὁμότιμον ἦν καὶ πάντα τῇ γνώμῃ συνέτρεχεν.

1.2 βʹ. Τί τὸ κωλῦσαν ἡμῖν αὐτὸν συνοικῆσαι Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἔδει τὸν μακάριον τὸν τῶν μοναχῶν μεταδιώκειν βίον καὶ τὴν φιλοσοφίαν τὴν ἀληθῆ, καὶ οὐκέτι ἡμῖν ὁ ζυγὸς οὗτος ἴσος ἦν, ἀλλ' ἡ μὲν ἐκείνου πλάστιγξ ἐκουφίζετο μετέωρος, ἐγὼ δ' ἔτι ταῖς τοῦ κόσμου πεπεδημένος ἐπιθυμίαις καθεῖλκον τὴν ἐμαυτοῦ καὶ ἐβιαζόμην κάτω μένειν, νεωτερικαῖς αὐτὴν ἐπιβρίθων φαντασίαις, ἐνταῦθα λοιπὸν ἡ μὲν φιλία βέβαιος ἔμενεν ἡμῖν καθάπερ καὶ πρότερον, ἡ δὲ συνουσία διεκόπτετο· οὐ γὰρ ἦν τοὺς μὴ περὶ τὰ αὐτὰ σπουδάζοντας κοινὰς ποιεῖσθαι τὰς διατριβάς. Ὡς δέ ποτε καὶ αὐτὸς μικρὸν ἀνέκυψα τοῦ βιωτικοῦ κλύδωνος, δέχεται μὲν ἡμᾶς ἄμφω τὼ χεῖρε, τὴν δὲ ἰσότητα οὐδὲ οὕτως ἰσχύσαμεν φυλάξαι τὴν προτέραν. Καὶ γὰρ τῷ χρόνῳ φθάσας ἡμᾶς καὶ πολλὴν τὴν σφοδρότητα ἐπιδειξάμενος, ἀνωτέρω πάλιν ἡμῶν ἐφέρετο καὶ εἰς ὕψος ᾔρετο μέγα. Πλὴν ἀλλ' ἀγαθός τε ὢν καὶ πολλοῦ τὴν ἡμετέραν τιμώμενος φιλίαν, ἁπάντων ἑαυτὸν ἀποστήσας τῶν ἄλλων, ἡμῖν τὸν ἅπαντα χρόνον συνῆν, ἐπιθυμῶν μὲν τούτου καὶ πρότερον, ὅπερ δὲ ἔφην, ὑπὸ τῆς ἡμετέρας κωλυόμενος ῥαθυμίας. Οὐ γὰρ ἦν τὸν ἐν τῷ δικαστηρίῳ προσεδρεύοντα καὶ περὶ τὰς ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ τέρψεις ἐπτοημένον συγγίνεσθαι πολλάκις τῷ βίβλοις προσηλωμένῳ καὶ μηδὲ εἰς ἀγορὰν ἐμβαλόντι ποτέ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο πρότερον διειργόμενος, ἐπειδή ποτε ἡμᾶς ἔλαβεν εἰς τὴν αὐτὴν τοῦ βίου κατάστασιν, ἀθρόως ἣν πάλαι ὤδινεν ἐπιθυμίαν ἀπέτεκε τότε καὶ οὐδὲ τὸ βραχύτατον τῆς ἡμέρας ἡμᾶς ἀπολιμπάνειν ἠνείχετο μέρος, διετέλει τε παρακαλῶν ἵνα τὴν οἰκίαν ἀφέντες ἕκαστος τὴν ἑαυτοῦ κοινὴν ἀμφότεροι τὴν οἴκησιν ἔχοιμεν· καὶ ἔπεισε καὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα ἦν ἐν χερσίν. Ἀλλά με αἱ συνεχεῖς τῆς μητρὸς ἐπῳδαὶ διεκώλυσαν δοῦναι ταύτην ἐκείνῳ τὴν χάριν, μᾶλλον δὲ λαβεῖν ταύτην παρ' ἐκείνου τὴν δωρεάν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ᾔσθετο