CONTENTS.
| CHAPTER I. | |
| PAGE | |
| Introductory, | [1] |
| CHAPTER II. | |
From his Birth to his Appointment to the Office of Reader, A.D. 345or A.D. 347 to A.D. 370, | [9] |
| CHAPTER III. | |
Commencement of ascetic life-Study under Diodorus—Formationof an ascetic Brotherhood—The Letters to Theodore, A.D. 370, | [24] |
| CHAPTER IV. | |
Chrysostom evades forcible Ordination to a Bishopric—The Treatise“On the Priesthood.” A.D. 370, 371, | [40] |
| CHAPTER V. | |
Narrow Escape from Persecution—His Entrance into a Monastery—TheMonasticism of the East. A.D. 372, | [57] |
| CHAPTER VI. | |
Works produced during his monastic life—The letters to Demetriusand Stelechius—Treatises addressed to the Opponents ofMonasticism—Letter to Stagirius, | [69] |
| CHAPTER VII. | |
Ordination as Deacon—Description of Antioch—Works composedduring his Diaconate. A.D. 381-386, | [86] |
| CHAPTER VIII. | |
Ordination to the Priesthood by Flavian—Inaugural Discourse inthe Cathedral—Homilies against the Arians—Animadversionson the Chariot Races, A.D. 386, | [103] |
| CHAPTER IX. | |
Homilies against Pagans and Jews—Condition of the Jews inAntioch—Judaising Christians—Homilies on Christmas Dayand New Year’s Day—Censure of Pagan Superstitions. A.D.386, 387, | [120] |
| CHAPTER X. | |
Survey of the first Decade of the Reign of Theodosius—HisCharacter—His Efforts for the Extirpation of Paganism andHeresy—The Apologies of Symmachus and Libanius. A.D.379-389, | [139] |
| CHAPTER XI. | |
The Sedition at Antioch—The Homilies on the Statues—TheResults of the Sedition, A.D. 387, | [150] |
| CHAPTER XII. | |
Illness of Chrysostom—Homilies on Festivals of Saints and Martyrs—Characterof these Festivals—Pilgrimages—Reliques—Characterof Peasant Clergy in neighbourhood of Antioch. A.D. 387, | [177] |
| CHAPTER XIII. | |
Survey of Events between A.D. 387 and A.D. 397—Ambrose andTheodosius—Revolt of Arbogastes—Death of Theodosius—TheMinisters of Arcadius—Rufinus and Eutropius, | [186] |
| CHAPTER XIV. | |
Death of Nectarius, Archbishop of Constantinople—Eager Competitionfor the See—Election of Chrysostom—His compulsoryRemoval from Antioch—Consecration—Reforms—Homilies onvarious subjects—Missionary Projects, | [212] |
| CHAPTER XV. | |
The Fall of Eutropius—His Retreat to the Sanctuary of the Church—Rightof Sanctuary maintained by Chrysostom—Death ofEutropius—Revolt of Gothic Commanders Tribigild andGaïnas—Demand of Gaïnas for an Arian Church refused byChrysostom—Defeat and Death of Gaïnas. A.D. 399-401, | [240] |
| CHAPTER XVI. | |
Chrysostom’s Visit to Asia—Deposition of six simoniacal Bishops—LegitimateExtent of his Jurisdiction—Return to Constantinople—Ruptureand reconciliation with Severian, bishop of Gabala—Chrysostom’sincreasing unpopularity with the Clergy andwealthy Laity—His Friends—Olympias the Deaconess—Formationof hostile Factions, which invite the aid of Theophilus,Patriarch of Alexandria. A.D. 400, 401, | [265] |
| CHAPTER XVII. | |
Circumstances which led to the interference of Theophilus with theaffairs of Chrysostom—Controversy about the Writings ofOrigen—Persecution by Theophilus of the Monks called “TheTall Brethren”—Their Flight to Palestine—To Constantinople—TheirReception by Chrysostom—Theophilus summoned toConstantinople. A.D. 395-403, | [286] |
| CHAPTER XVIII. | |
Theophilus arrives in Constantinople—Organises a Cabal againstChrysostom—The Synod of the Oak—Chrysostom pronouncedcontumacious for Non-appearance and expelled from the city—Earthquake—Recallof Chrysostom—Ovations on his Return—Flightof Theophilus. A.D. 403, | [306] |
| CHAPTER XIX. | |
An Image of Eudoxia placed in front of the Cathedral—Chrysostomdenounces it—Anger of the Empress—The enemy returnsto the charge—Another Council formed—Chrysostomconfined to his Palace—Violent scene in the Cathedral andother places—Chrysostom again expelled, A.D. 403, 404, | [326] |
| CHAPTER XX. | |
Fury of the people at the removal of Chrysostom—Destruction ofthe Cathedral Church and Senate-house by Fire—Persecutionof Chrysostom’s followers—Fugitives to Rome—Letters ofInnocent to Theophilus—To the Clergy of Constantinople—ToChrysostom—Deputation of Western Bishops to Constantinoplerepulsed—Sufferings of the Eastern Church—Triumphof the Cabal. A.D. 404, 405, | [341] |
| CHAPTER XXI. | |
Chrysostom ordered to be removed to Cucusus—Perils encounteredat Cæsarea—Hardships of the Journey—Reaches Cucusus—Letterswritten there to Olympias and other Friends. A.D. 404, | [361] |
| CHAPTER XXII. | |
Chrysostom’s Sufferings from the winter cold—Depredations of theIsaurians—The Mission in Phœnicia—Letters to Innocent andthe Italian Bishops—Chrysostom’s enemies obtain an orderfor his Removal to Pityus—He dies at Comana, A.D. 407—Receptionof his Reliques at Constantinople, A.D. 438, | [379] |
| CHAPTER XXIII. | |
Survey of Chrysostom’s Theological Teaching—Practical tone ofhis Works—Reason of this—Doctrine of Man’s Nature—OriginalSin—Grace—Free-will—How far Chrysostom Pelagian—Languageon the Trinity—Atonement—Justification—Thetwo Sacraments—No trace of Confession, Purgatory, orMariolatry—Relations towards the Pope—Liturgy of Chrysostom—Hischaracter as a Commentator—Views on Inspiration—HisPreaching—Personal Appearance—References to GreekClassical Authors—Comparison with St. Augustine, | [390] |
| APPENDIX, | [433] |
| INDEX, | [435] |
LIFE AND TIMES
OF
ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM.
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTORY.
I. There are many great names in history which have been familiar to us from almost our earliest years, but of the personal character, the actual life of those who bore them, we are comparatively ignorant. We know that they were men of genius; industrious, energetic workers, who, as statesmen, reformers, warriors, writers, speakers, exercised a vital influence for good or ill upon their fellow-men. They have achieved a reputation which will never die; but from various causes their personality does not stand out before us in clear and bold relief. We know something about some of the most important passages in their life, a few of their sayings, a little of their writings; but the men themselves we do not know.
Frequently the reason of this is, that though they occupy a place, perhaps an important place, in the great drama of history, yet they have not played one of the foremost parts; and general history cannot spare much time or space beyond what is necessary to describe the main progress of events, and the actions and characters of those who were most prominently concerned in them. Other men may have been greater in themselves; they may have been first-rate in their own sphere, but that sphere was too much secluded or circumscribed to admit of the extensive and conspicuous public influence of which alone history takes much cognisance. They are to history what those side or background figures in the pictures of great medieval painters are to the grand central subject of the piece: they do but help to fill up the canvas, yet the picture would not be complete without them. They are notable personages, well worthy of being separately depicted, though in the large historical representation they play a subordinate part.
To take out one of these side figures of history, and to make it the centre of a separate picture, grouping round it all the great events and characters among which it moved, is the work of a biographer. And by many it will be felt that nothing invests the general history of any period with such a living interest as viewing it through the light of some one human life. How was this individual soul affected by the movement of the great forces with which it was surrounded? How did it affect them, in its turn, wherever in its progress it came into contact with them? This one consideration will confer on many details of history an importance and freshness of which they seemed too trivial or too dull to be susceptible.