To Pope Innocent (Letter I)

To my most reverend and God-beloved lord, Bishop Innocent, John in the Lord greetings.

^A 1. Even before our letter reached you, I believe your reverence had heard of the lawlessness perpetrated here. For the gravity of these evils has left almost no part of the world ignorant of this miserable tragedy. The report of what has happened has reached the very ends of the earth, causing weeping and lamentation everywhere. But since it is not enough to weep, but one must also take corrective action and consider how this most grievous storm of the Church might be stilled, we have deemed it necessary to persuade my most honorable and reverend lords, the bishops Demetrius, Pansophius, Pappus, and Eugenius, to leave their own churches and entrust themselves to the sea, and to undertake so long a journey, that they might hasten to your love and clearly explain everything, so that the correction might be prepared as quickly as possible. To them we have joined our most honorable and beloved deacons, Paul and Cyriacus; and they themselves will, in the form of a letter, briefly explain to your love the things that have occurred.

For Theophilus, who was entrusted with the oversight of the Church in Alexandria ^B—after certain persons had petitioned the most pious Emperor against him, and he had been commanded to arrive alone—gathered with himself a multitude of Egyptian bishops, not a few; he arrived as if wishing to show from the beginning that he had come for war and battle. Then, having stepped into the great and God-beloved Constantinople, he did not enter the church according to custom and the law that has prevailed from of old; he did not meet with us, nor did he share in speech, nor in prayer, nor in communion. But, stepping down from the ship and bypassing the threshold of the church, he went away and lodged somewhere outside the city, and having...

eech, nor in prayer, nor in communion. But, stepping down from the ship and bypassing the threshold of the church, he went away and lodged somewhere outside the city, and having guests who had arrived before him to stay with us—for there were lodgings and everything else necessary, well-equipped—neither they nor he himself would comply with our wishes. Seeing this, we were deeply troubled in spirit; and although we could find no reason for such unjust enmity, we nevertheless performed for them the offices it was right for us to show, and frequently implored him to join with us and say for what reason he was stirring up such a great war from the outset and bringing discord into such a great city. But when he would not explain his reasons, and his accusers were pressing me, the most pious Emperor called us and ordered [us] to go to the place where he was staying, to hear there the charges being brought against him. ^A For they alleged incursions, murders, and many other things. Knowing the laws of the fathers, and deferring to the man with honor, and possessing letters from him on this matter [stating] that business in each province must be conducted there, and not be drawn outside their borders, we vehemently refused to take on the judgment of the case. Furthermore, he, as if striving to add a heap to his earlier attempts, called my archdeacon with great authority; and as if the church were already widowed and had no bishop, he brought all the clergy over to himself through him. Churches were becoming deserted day by day, as clerics were abducted from each church and instructed to accuse us and produce libels against us. After this, he called us to judgment as well, although the charges brought against him had not yet been cleared—a thing that was most contrary to all canons and laws. ^B But knowing that we were not coming to a judgment (for otherwise we would have come six hundred times) but to an enemy and a foe, which the things done both before and after sufficiently declare, we sent to him bishops—Demetrius, bishop of Pisinunt, Eulysius of Apamea, Lupicinus of Appiaria—and priests, Germanus and Severus, and answered with the modesty befitting our character: that we did not avoid judgment, but an open enemy and a manifest foe. For he who, without even having received libels, acted in such a way from the very beginning, and withdrew himself from the prayers and communion of the Church, and moreover suborned accusers, drew the clergy to himself, and desolated the church—how could he be considered fit to ascend the judgment seat, which is in no way suitable for him? For it is not appropriate that those who are in Egypt should judge those who are in Thrace, and especially one who is himself guilty, an enemy, and a foe. ^C But he, reverencing none of these things, was panting with great frenzy to accomplish what he had conceived in his mind.

Yet when we protested that we were ready to clear [ourselves] of the charges and to declare our innocence, just as we are innocent, before a hundred or a thousand bishops, he did not agree; but although we were absent, and were appealing to a synod, and were seeking a legitimate judgment, and were shunning not a tribunal but manifest enmities, he nevertheless received the accusers, absolved those whom I had excommunicated, and accepted libels from those who had not yet purged themselves of their own crimes; and he ordered proceedings to be recorded, all of which were forbidden by the laws and canons. And what need is there to say many things? He did not cease to do and contrive everything until he expelled us by force and power from the city and the Church, even when evening was already advanced, and the whole people were following us. Therefore, dragged by force and abducted by the Curiosus of the city in the middle of the city, and thrown into a ship, I sailed through the night, because I had appealed to a synod and a just judgment. Who could hear these things without tears, even if he had a heart of stone? ^D

Chrysostom’s behavior after his first exile, and what he suffered. Violent incursion into the Church.

[GREEK COLUMN] ^A ...he refrained from the letters, but remained at home, putting forward as a pretext the unrest of the populace and the untimely zeal of certain ones who were ostensibly supporting him; even though, before the imperial letters, this very populace had showered him with myriad insults. But we are not investigating these matters now, but desiring to show that he was found committing wickedness, we have spoken these things. But not even after these things did we remain quiet; rather, we pressed on, demanding that a tribunal be held for inquiry and response; for we said that we were ready to prove that we ourselves were blameless, and that they were the ultimate transgressors. For there were some Syrians among those who had once been with him, who were left behind here and who had done everything in common with him; and we approached them, ready to stand trial, and ^B often we importuned them regarding this, demanding that the records be given to us, or the books of accusations, or that the nature of the charges be made known, or the accusers themselves; and we obtained none of these things, but were again cast out of the Church. What further could I recount of subsequent events, which surpassed every tragedy? What speech will represent these things? What ear, without shuddering, will receive them? For as we were bringing these things forward, as I mentioned before, a multitude of soldiers, on the great Sabbath itself, as the evening of the day was pressing in, entered the churches, cast out by force the entire clergy who were with us, and the sanctuary was surrounded by weapons. And women, having stripped for baptism in the houses of prayer, ^C at that very moment fled naked because of the fear of this cruel assault, not even being permitted to put on the modesty proper to women; and many, having received wounds, were cast out, and the baptisteries were filled with blood, and the holy waters were reddened by the blood. And the cruelty did not stop even there. But having entered where the holy things were stored, the soldiers—some of whom, as we learned, were uninitiated—saw everything inside, and the most holy blood of Christ, as in such a tumult it happens, was spilled upon the garments of the aforementioned soldiers; and everything was dared as in a barbarian captivity. And the populace was driven into the wilderness, and all the people were spending time outside the city, and in such a festival the churches were empty of the people, and more than forty bishops who were in communion with us, along with the people and the clergy, were driven out in vain and for nothing; and wailings, and dirges, and fountains of tears were everywhere in the squares, in the houses, in the wildernesses, and every part of the city was filled with these calamities; for because of the excess of the lawlessness, not only those who were suffering, but even those who endured no such thing suffered along with us—not only those of the same faith, but even heretics and Jews and Greeks; and as if the city had been captured by force, so everything was in tumults and disturbances and wailings. And these things were dared against the judgment of the most pious Emperor, with night falling, with bishops instigating these things, and in many places acting as generals, who were not ashamed to have camp-doctors ^D leading the way instead of deacons. When day came, the whole city was migrating outside the walls under trees and groves, like sheep scattered, celebrating the festival.

4. It is possible for you to calculate all the subsequent events; for as I have already said, it is not possible to go over everything that happened in detail in speech. The difficult thing is that such and so many evils have not even now received a resolution, nor is there even a hope of resolution; but the evil is extended day by day, and we have become a laughingstock to the many—or rather, no one laughs, even if someone is a transgressor ten thousand times, but all mourn, as I said, the culmination of evils, this new lawlessness. What might one say about the disturbances of the remaining Churches? For the evil did not stop there, but reached even as far as the East. For as when a foul current has been poured out from the head, the remaining parts are corrupted, so also now, as if from the fountain of this great city, with the evils having begun, the way of the disturbances has advanced everywhere, and clergy everywhere have risen up against bishops, and bishops against bishops, and peoples have been divided from peoples, and others are about to be, and everywhere there are the birth pains of evils, and the overthrow of the whole inhabited world. Having learned all these things, my most honored and most pious lords, show the courage and zeal appropriate to you, so as to restrain such lawlessness as has entered the Churches. For if this custom should prevail, and it become possible for those who wish to go into foreign parishes from such distances, and to cast out whom anyone might wish, to do what they wish by their own authority, know that everything will be lost, and a kind of undeclared war will overrun the whole inhabited world, with everyone striking and being struck by everyone. In order, therefore, that such confusion may not seize the whole world under the sun, be persuaded to send letters, and ordain that things done so lawlessly in our absence, and from one side, without us having declined judgment, should have no force, just as indeed they have none by their own nature; and that those who have so acted lawlessly, when convicted, should be subjected to the penalty of the ecclesiastical laws; and that we, who have not been caught, not convicted, not shown to be blameless, may enjoy your letters continuously, and the love and all the other things we enjoyed before. But if those who have so acted lawlessly wish even now to practice the charges, for which they unjustly cast us out—with no records given to us, no books of accusations, no accusers having appeared—a tribunal having been seated that is impartial, we will both be judged, and we will defend ourselves, and we will demonstrate ourselves to be blameless of the charges brought against us, just as indeed we are; for the things now done by them are outside of all order, and against all laws, and against all ecclesiastical canons.

535 S. JOANNIS CHRYSOST. ARCHIEP. CONSTANTINOP. ^A And what do I say of ecclesiastical canons? Neither in the courts of the gentiles, nor in the tribunals of the barbarians have such things ever been attempted: indeed, neither Scythians nor Sauromatae have ever judged that one party should be sentenced, while the one accused is absent, and is avoiding not judgment, but enmity, and is calling upon thousands of judges, and is protesting before the whole world that he is not guilty, that he will refute the accusations, and that he will demonstrate his innocence in all things. Since you understand that all these things are so on the part of my lords, our most reverend fellow-bishops, I beseech you to grant what they shall request. By doing so, you will not only do us a favor, but the whole body of the Churches, and you will receive a reward from God, who deigns to do everything for the peace of the Churches. Always farewell, and pray for me, most reverend and holy lord. ^B

TO INNOCENT, BISHOP OF ROME, JOHN SENDS GREETING IN THE LORD

Our body is held in one place only; but the wing of love flies around the entire world. Therefore, although we are separated by so great a distance of travel, we are nevertheless not absent from your piety; rather, we are present with you daily: for with the eyes of love we see that fortitude of yours, your sincere affection, your unchangeable constancy, and that great, perpetual, and stable consolation which you bring to us. For the more the waves rise higher, and the more rocks lie hidden, and the more vehement the storms become, by so much the more does your vigilance increase. Neither the great length of the journey, nor the duration of time, nor the difficulty of affairs has rendered you more sluggish; but you persistently imitate the best pilots, who are then most vigilant when they see the waves being roused, the sea swelling, and the great roar of the waters and the deepest darkness of night descending. For this reason, we owe you many thanks, and we surely desire to send frequent letters to you, a thing which would be our greatest consolation. But because the solitude of this place denies us this, and they are not easily able to come to us—not only those who go in that direction, but not even those who dwell in the vicinity—both because this place in which we reside is situated far off and in the remotest borders, and because robbers beset those roads on every side, we beseech you that our prolonged silence may cause you to sympathize with us, rather than to judge us guilty of negligence. For that our silence did not arise from incuria is clear from the fact that, after a long space of time, having encountered the venerable and beloved priest John and the deacon Paul, we do not cease to write and to give you thanks, because you have declared a greater benevolence toward us than a father. For if all things had been settled and corrected in your piety, and all scandals removed, the Churches would be enjoying a tranquil and sincere peace; and all things would clearly be well, and the laws would have been vindicated and the violated constitutions of the fathers avenged. But since in reality nothing of the sort has happened, as those who initiated these earlier things strive to heap up new crimes upon them, I truly do not wish to recount in detail all that has been done in the meantime, since the narrative would exceed the bounds not only of a letter, but even of history. However, I pray for your vigilance, that although they have filled all things with tumults, and have labored with ^C incurable diseases incapable of repentance, since you have nevertheless resolved to cure their diseases, do not yield to evils, nor despair, having considered the magnitude of such a work. For this struggle is almost for the whole world, for the Churches cast down and prostrate, for the peoples dispersed, for the clergy harassed, for bishops in exile, for the constitutions of the fathers violated. And therefore, again and again, and most often, we entreat your diligence, that the greater the storm is, the greater the effort that should be applied. We indeed await the future, so that things may be corrected somewhat further. But if that does not happen, you have your crown prepared before the merciful God, and those who are afflicted with injustice will receive no small consolation from the fervor of your love: for even though we have been spending our third year now in exile, in famine, pestilence, war, continuous sieges, incredible solitude, daily death, and by Isaurian swords, your stable and constant affection and trust console us not insignificantly, and your beneficent and sincere love wonderfully delights our heart. This is our wall, this is our security, this is our harbor without waves, this is a treasure of countless goods, this is the cause of joy and wonderful pleasure. Even if we were to be driven again into a place more desolate than this one is, we shall leave having from this no small consolation for our afflictions. ^D