NOTICE ON THE SECOND ORATION BEFORE HE WENT INTO EXILE
We publish another short oration, ascribed to Chrysostom, which we have unearthed from a certain Vatican codex. In it, apart from the beginning, where certain things appear that are the same as in the former oration, the rest seems to be muddled and of the lowest quality, with certain parts also excerpted from the later portion of the first oration. There is, however, one thing that seems to support the authenticity of this little work. Namely, Chrysostom, in the first oration after his return from exile, which we, along with almost all scholars, consider genuine, says this: "You remember that I brought Job into your midst and said: 'Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever.' These pledges I left with you, and I repeat these thanksgivings: 'Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever.'" He remembers this Jobian benediction, which he testifies he commemorated before his departure, toward the end of this short oration before exile, and he highly commends it. But it is possible that someone who edited Chrysostom excerpted these things from the true oration that survived at that time. If, however, anyone, relying on this testimony, contends that this is a genuine work of Chrysostom, he must admit that this short oration was most rashly handled and adulterated by copyists.
ON HIS DEPARTURE INTO EXILE
Bright is the discourse to us, my brothers, and brilliant, and the sea is spacious and filled, but not agitated by the fury of the winds. For the mother of peace has come, which extinguishes the fury of the winds. Mother Sion will say, "A man and a man was born in her, and he himself has founded her" (Ps. LXXXVI, 5). A Since I am a man, and a man was born in her, and he established me, why should I fear? They are about to depose me; and why should I fear death? "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Phil. I, 21). But they are sending me into exile? "The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof" (Ps. XXIII, 1). But my possessions will be confiscated? "We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain that we can carry nothing out" (1 Tim. VI, 7). But you know the reason why they are about to depose me. Because I did not spread out carpets, and did not wear silk garments, because I did not cater to their gluttony, and did not offer them gold or silver. They further say to me: "You ate and drank, and baptized." If I have done this, let it be anathema to me, B may I not be numbered with the bishops, may I not be with the angels, may I not be pleasing to God. Even if I have eaten and baptized, I did nothing of these things unseasonably. Let them depose Paul the Apostle, because after supper he conferred baptism upon the jailer (Acts XVI, 33): let them depose the Lord himself, because after supper he gave communion to his disciples. I see many waves, a heavy storm, and prepared spears: but I, as a pilot in a great onrushing tempest, sit upon the two sterns of the ship, that is, upon the Old and New Testament, and with oars I drive away the storm—not with wooden oars, but with the venerable cross of the Lord I convert the C storm into peace. The Lord commands, and the servant is crowned, and therefore he does not deliver him into the hands of the devil. Do men not know that the purest vessel becomes conspicuous when compared to the unclean? Brothers, I set before you three hypotheses: faith, temptation, continence. If you say that you endure by faith, imitate blessed Abraham, who reached old age and received mature fruits. If you say that you endure by temptation, imitate blessed Job. You know his ways, and have heard of his patience, and you are not ignorant of what kind of end he obtained. If, however, you wish to endure by continence, imitate blessed Joseph, who was sold to be led into Egypt, and famine... D