2 A. D. 399. and other things of this world. By these discourses, St. ChryPall. Vit. sostom drew upon him the ill-will of such of the Clergy as p. 45. [p. 18. E.] had habituated themselves to this abuse. He afterwards attacked their avarice; then their manner of life, admonishing them to be content with their salaries2, and not to run about to rich men's tables, and become flatterers and parasites. Hom. 15. He would have the Priests3 plentifully supplied with all things necessary, lest their labour should sink their spirits, and the p. 636. B.] trifling cares of the world should take them off from their Hom. 21. spiritual employments, but he wished to have them contented 7. [tom. 10. with food and raiment, and not be solicitous about worldly p. 46. [19. A.] in 1 Tim. ad v. 18. [tom. 11. in 1 Cor. 9. p. 190.] XXXIX. St. Chry poor. βρέβια] in Acta. 9. p. 343. B, C.] riches. the poor. He afterwards" examined the accounts of the Economus sostom's or steward', and retrenched the unnecessary expenses of the care of the Church. He found no small profusion in the private ex$ Pall. p. penditure of the Bishop, and applied what was superfluous to 46. [19.] Bpéia] the hospital for the sick. As the necessities of the poor Supr.ch. increased, he built several hospitals, the superintendency of 6. note p.] [VODOKO- which he committed to two pious Priests; and placed there, μεῖον ] for the service of the sick, physicians, cooks, and other officers, chosen from such as were unmarried. He recomHom. 45. mends to the faithful of Constantinople to have, every one, a Mor. [tom. domestic hospital, that is, in each house, a small chamber for He proceeded further, and proposed to them to imitate the first Christians of Jerusalem, and put their wealth [Hom. 11. into a common stock. "How much money," says he, " do C.] "you think might be raised, if all the faithful would sell their [ε AT"possessions? It might amount to a million pounds2 of gold, or rather to two or three millions; for there are in this city "at least a hundred thousand Christians, the rest are Jews " and pagans; and I do not think that there are above fifty thousand poor. How easy would it be to maintain them! " and the expense would be still less, were they obliged to "live in common. Even those who are not Christians, will "contribute. And who would continue a pagan after this? "I do not think there would be one remaining; they would "be all brought over. If we proceed, I hope, by GOD'S "blessing, that this will be the case; only trust me, and let "us do things in order." He afterwards sent for the widows, to discover whether any were not discreet in their conduct; ibid. p. 93. χρυσίου] << [3 E.] p. 94. B.] $ Pall. p. 47. [19. C.] and finding some not free from the love of evil pleasures, he A. D. 399. admonished them to give themselves to fasting; to abstain from the bath, and from excess in apparel, or else to marry speedily, that they might not be a reproach to religion. "For," says he, "being freed from the care of a husband, Hom. 15. " and unrestrained by that of GOD, they become idle, tatlers, 14.[tom.11. " and busy bodies." 66 at 1 2 in 1 Tim. 5. p. 634. E.] XL. His instructions to the people. Pall.p.47. [19.] με ταῖς λιτανείαις] in Ep. ad P.128.] in Act.Mor. [p. 212. D.] [* ὀνηλάται] He exhorted the people2 to be constant at the church service of the night3, that is, the men who had not leisure in the day-time; for as to women, he would have them stay at home, and only come to church in the day-time. "It is necessary," says he, "to remember GoD at all times; but especially when the mind is at rest, that is, in the night- VUKTEPĺvais 66 season; for by day we are interrupted by other affairs." Hom. 13. And in another place": "It was not intended that we Hebr. Mor. "should spend the whole night in sleep and inactivity. This [tom. 10. appears by the practice of handicraftsmen, drivers, and Hom. 26. "merchants; so also by those of the Church, who rise "midnight. Do you rise likewise, and behold the beautiful "order of the stars, that profound silence, that universal (6 repose. The soul is then more pure, more free, and more “elevated; darkness and silence excite compunction; and ['KaTÁνυξιν] "all men being stretched upon their beds, as in their graves, "represent the end of the worldR. I speak both to men and [ p. 213.] "women; bend your knees, sigh and pray; if you have chil"dren, wake them also; and let your house be like a church "in the night-season. If they have not strength to bear "watching, let them say a prayer or two, in order to accustom "them to rise, and then lie down again"." These exhortations [ ibid. D.] gave offence to the slothful' among the Clerks, who were wont [' Pall. p. to spend the whole night in sleep. 19. D.] τί τοῦτο; ὅσον προ St. John Chrysostom laboured also to abate the pride of the rich2, and to teach them humility and moderation. "What Pall. p. 47. [ibid.] "reason have you," said he, "to set so great a value on your-Hom. 71. "selves, and to think you do us a favour, when you come to "this place, to hear what conduces to your salvation? Is it 66 your wealth? Your robes of silk? Know ye not, that they altar. Act. "are spun by worms, and wrought by the hands of bar- 17. tom. 6. "barians? that they are worn by abandoned women, robbers, "the sacrilegious, and by others of character most infamous? in inscript. p. 723. Sav. A. D. 399. "Descend from this haughtiness; reflect upon the vileness of your nature; what are ye but earth, dust, ashes, and vapour? "You have, indeed, many men under your command, but "yourselves are slaves to your own passions. You resemble "the man who suffers himself to be beaten by his servants "at home, and boasts of his power abroad." 1 Pall. P. His exhortations had so good an effect', that the whole city of Constantinople daily made a visible progress in piety. Even those who had been passionately fond of the horserace, and the other public shows, forsook the circus and the theatre, and came in crowds to the church. We find also very powerful discourses delivered at Constantinople against A. tom. 5. these abuses2. It was in this city that he expounded, among Intrate in others, the Epistles to the Ephesians, to the Colossians, and ang. p. 171. to the Hebrews, and the Acts of the Apostles. He preached3 three times a-week; and sometimes seven days successively. 42. Mor. in The crowd was so great at his sermons, that, to place himself Acta. [p. 199, 323.] where he might be heard, he was obliged to quit his usual Hom. 44. station, and sit in the middle of the church, in the reader's desk. Some came to hear him out of curiosity; but many Serm. 29. [tom. 1. p. 790.] Hom. 24. in Acta. Mor. [p. [5 Ibid.] A certain person" of the sect of the Macedonians, being converted by his instructions, wished also to persuade his wife to be reconciled to the Catholic Church. A long time he pressed her without effect, being withheld by custom, and the conversation of other women. At last, when he threatened separation, she promised to comply, and came to church. ["At Bingh, the time," says Sozomen, " of the Mysteries, (the initiated" 1. 4. § 2.] « understand me"),] she took the Eucharist, and held down her head, as if to pray; and then substituted for the Eucharist a piece of bread, which one of her maids, who was in the secret, gave her. As soon as she conveyed the bread to her mouth, she felt that it had become a stone between her teeth. Terrified at the miracle, she ran to the Bishop, confessed the whole matter, and shewed him the stone, which was of an extraordinary colour and substance, and shewed plainly the impression of her teeth. She asked forgiveness with tears, and * ἐπὶ τοῦ βήματος τῶν ἀναγνωστών. See Socr. 6. 5. ἐπὶ τοῦ ἄμβωνος. Βῆμα is generally used of the altar-steps (supr. ch. 37. marg. See Vales. Not.), from which it was more usual to preach. Bingh. 8. 3. § 4. lived after that time in perfect harmony with her husband. A. D. 399. The miraculous stone was laid up in the treasury of the Church of Constantinople, and was to be seen there in the time of Sozomen, who relates this story. XLI. Care of St. other 1 Soz. 8. 3. St. John Chrysostom did not confine his anxious care to his own Church of Constantinople, but extended it to all Chrysos the rest. He reformed the Churches of the six provinces of tom for Thrace, the eleven provinces of Asia, and the eleven of Churches. Pontus; in all twenty-eight". From the beginning of his Episcopate, he endeavoured to reconcile the Bishops of the East, with those of Egypt and the West, from which they had been divided on account of Paulinus. He entreated Theophilus of Alexandria to lend his assistance for this purpose, and to reconcile the Pope and Bishop Flavian, the latter of whom he always regarded as his master and spiritual father. Theophilus consenting to this, Acacius, Bishop of Berrhoea, and the Priest Isidore of Alexandria, were chosen to go to Rome. Having finished their negotiation with success, they came back to Egypt, whence Acacius returned to Syria, bringing Flavian and his adherents letters of pacification2 from the ['eipnvaîa] Bishops of Egypt and the West. Thus was communion established between these Churches. 30. St. Chrysostom applied himself likewise to the conversion of the Scythians 3. He found some at Constantinople, who Theod. 5. were Arians; and in order to reclaim them, he appointed for them Priests, Deacons, and Readers, to officiate in their own tongue. He assigned them a particular church, to which he sometimes went himself, and discoursed to them by an interpreter. Thus many were converted. Hearing4 that some of c. 31. those Scythians called Nomades, that is, herdsmen who [ S. Chrys. wandered from place to place, had encamped near the in 2. ad Cor. Danube, and desired to be instructed in religion, he sought tom. 10. p. 547. A.] out some apostolical men, whom he sent to them, and who laboured with great success. Knowing that there were certain Marcionites within the territory of Cyrus, he wrote to the Bishop, exhorting him to rid the country of them; 5 Hom. 15. b The dioceses of Asia were under the Exarch of Ephesus; those of Pontus, under the Exarch of Cappadocia. Custom had subjected these two Ex archates to the Patriarch of Constan- 1 Vit. S. Porph. ap. [tom. 1. A. D. 399. and offering him the assistance of the imperial laws. He supported with his interest the Deacon Mark, who had been sent by St. Porphyrius', Bishop of Gaza, to obtain the EmSur. 26 Feb. peror's protection against the pagans; and he procured the demolition of the temples in Phoenicia. For this work he p. 1091.] Theod. 5. deputed2 certain zealous Monks, whom he collected and sent, authorized by rescripts of the Emperor, from whom, however, they did not demand any thing to defray the expenses of their mission; being abundantly supplied by the piety of certain wealthy and religious women. 29. XLII. Laws against Idolatry. 3 Cod. Th. [16. Tit. 10.] 17. de pagan, et et ibi Gothofr. town Ma Cod. Th. [16. Tit. We have, in fact, a law3 of Arcadius, of the third of the ides of July, in the Consulship of Theodorus, that is, of the 13th of July, A. D. 399, requiring the demolition of the temples in the country, but without noise and tumult, and as it is directed to Eutychianus, Prætorian Præfect of the East, ibi Gothofr. it is with reason supposed, that it relates to Phoenicia. Cod. Th. Another law of the same year, dated the second of October, 2. de Mai. forbids the indecent sights and sports, called Majuma, which were chiefly in use in the same country. Honorius, too, or [ from the rather Stilicho in his name, enacted some laws against the juma] pagans. There are three dated in this year; one on the 29th of January, directed to the governors of Spain, and of the five 10.] 15. de provinces of Gaul; which, while it prohibits sacrifices, forbids also the removal of the ornaments from public works, that is, the statues in the baths, streets, public squares, and Ibid. 18. the like. The second law of Honorius is of the twentieth of August, which, while it still confirms the prohibition of sacrifices, and other pagan superstitions, permits assemblies, shows, and solemn festivals. It is addressed to the Proconsul of Africa, as is also the third, dated much about the same time, which forbids the demolition of temples, but enforces the prohibition of sacrifices, and commands the removal of idols. Probably it was published on account of what happened at Carthage on the nineteenth of March in the same year; when pagan. de Civit. 18. cap. ult. S. Aug. the Counts Gaudentius and Jovius destroyed the temples of the false gods, and broke down the idols, thus proving the falsehood of a pretended heathen oracle, that the Christian religion should not last above 365 years. For reckoning only from the preaching of the Gospel, the 365 years were complete in A.D. 398, according to St. Augustine's computation, |