107 TESTIMONIA VETERUM
as it were, he says: "What shall I say? I am insane." And it was incumbent upon him to interpret what those furies were, and what that expression means, "What shall I say? I am insane." For the Church is ignorant of these words. Sixth, that he thus gives license to sinners, saying: "If you sin again, repent again, and as often as you sin, come to me, and I will heal you." Seventh, that he blasphemes in the church, saying that Christ praying was not for that reason heard, because He had not prayed as He ought to have done. Eighth, that he stirred up the people to sedition, even against the synod. Ninth, that he received certain Gentiles who had brought many evils upon Christians, and kept and defended them in the church. Tenth, that he invades the provinces of others, and ordains bishops there. Eleventh, that he treats bishops with injury, and orders them to be cast out of their own houses. Twelfth, that he treats the clergy with unusual insults. Thirteenth, that he seized the deposits of others by force. Fourteenth, that he makes ordinations without a convention and against the will of the clergy. Fifteenth, that he received Origenists, and did not liberate those who were in communion with the Church, coming with commendatory letters, but cast them into prison, and did not even visit them when they were dying there. Sixteenth, that he ordained as bishops servants of others who had not yet been manumitted, but who were even accused. Seventeenth, that he frequently harassed this very Isaac himself. A They were unwilling to inquire into the first of these accusations, as it was considered already examined, but the second and seventh were sifted. Then the accusation made by John the Deacon was examined again. In this chapter, however, Arsacius the archpriest, who succeeded Chrysostom himself, and Atticus the presbyter, I know not how, were witnesses and testified against the saint, as did Elpidius the presbyter. The same, along with Acacius the presbyter, bore witness against him in the fourth chapter. These things having been examined, the aforesaid presbyters, and with them also Eudæmon and Onesimus, demanded that the judgment be accelerated. And first in the synod, Paul, bishop of Heraclea, asked all to pass judgment. And, as it seemed good to them, it was determined that the holy man was to be deposed, beginning with Gymnasium the bishop and ending with Theophilus of Alexandria; they were all forty-five in number. Then a letter was sent in the name of the Synod to the Constantinopolitan clergy concerning the deposition of the holy man, and the matter was reported to the Emperors. To these points three libels were offered, by Gerontius, by Faustinus, and by Eugnomonius, who complained that they had been unjustly deposed by John. A rescript of the Emperors to the synod was also given. And with these the twelfth action is completed; but the thirteenth, as has been said, concerns the case B of Heraclides, bishop of Ephesus.
108 TESTIMONIA VETERUM
The epistles of the holy father John Chrysostom were read, which he wrote to various people when he was unjustly and inhumanely sent into exile. Among these, those which he wrote in the number of seventeen to the most pious deaconess Olympias, and to Innocent, the Roman pontiff, are far more useful; in these he narrates everything he endured, as far as is permitted by an epistle. He also uses in these epistles a form of speaking customary to him: for it is clear and perspicuous and flowery, C and adds to the pleasure the power of persuasion. Moreover, the letters written to Olympias seem more accurate, even if they are not arranged in such a way according to the epistolary form, as the condition of matters and affairs forces the nature of the language to be constrained. But this (Basilius of Seleucia) seems to be the one, rather than that great Basil, bishop of Cæsarea, the friend and companion of the most blessed John Chrysostom, to whom he also composed the book On the Priesthood. For many traces of that man’s sermons and thoughts, especially in those things that look to Holy Scripture, appear in the orations of Basil; for both drew what was useful from the same fountain of disciplines. And his emphatic and familiar use of figures, and the habit of his association with John, and the reading of his works, is no light argument. For that divine man also uses them, albeit temperately and opportunely, and tempers the pride that arises from them with simplicity and softens it with character, and makes the whole oration similar to civilized speech.
... Of John Chrysostom, from the Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians. He says, when it is said that God the Word suffered in the flesh, that this is the doctrine of the Church; but on the contrary, if it be said that He suffered in the nature of His Divinity, that this is blasphemous and to be rejected.
Eunapius begins his history from the reign of Claudius, in whom the history of Dexippus ends; but it ends in the reign of Honorius and Arcadius, the sons of Theodosius, and he brings his history to an end at the time when, John Chrysostom having been driven from the Church, Arsacius occupied the archiepiscopal seat. D Now this Anonymous writer, who delivered sermons on the Passover, relates that our Lord and God Christ celebrated the legal Passover in the other years of his life; but not in the year in which he was betrayed. But that is to be considered. For Chrysostom and the Church say that He Himself celebrated the legal Passover before the mystic supper.
FROM THE EPISTLES OF ISIDORE OF PELUSIUM
I shall not say that others were struck with admiration—for that might perhaps seem of no great value to many—but I shall produce Libanius himself, the most renowned among all for eloquence, who praises the tongue of the illustrious John, and the beauty and frequency of his thoughts. An argument for this is an epistle in which he not only proclaims him blessed for such great eloquence, but also the emperors themselves who are celebrated by him, because they have obtained such an orator. The epistle is of this kind:
LIBANIUS TO JOHN (Epist. 1576)
When I had received your copious and elegant oration, I read it to certain men who were themselves masters of speech: there was no one among them who did not rejoice and raise a shout, and do all those things which men who are struck with admiration are wont to do. I, therefore, was filled with pleasure that you also add proofs for exhibiting the forensic art; and I proclaim you blessed, who can praise in this manner; and them who have obtained such a herald, that is to say, both the father who gave the empire, and the sons who received it.