CHAPTER I Not only those who are anxious to enter the clerical office are severely corrected for the sins they commit, b
CHAPTER I
Not only those who are anxious to enter the clerical office are severely corrected for the sins they commit, but those also who are constrained to accept it
341. When Basil had heard these things and paused a little, he said:
[BASIL.] Well, if you had been anxious to obtain possession of this dignity, this your fear would have been reasonable.
342. For he who by his anxiety to receive it has avowed himself qualified for the discharge of the function, is not permitted, after being entrusted with it, to shelter himself under his inexperience, when he fails in any respect; for he has already deprived himself of this line of defence, by rushing forward and seizing the ministry; and the man who comes to it willingly and voluntarily cannot say, “I committed such a sin involuntarily, and involuntarily did such and such mischief.”
343. For he who pronounces judgment on him in this matter, will say, “And why, when you were self-conscious of such inexperience, and of not having talent equal to the faultless execution of this task, were you so eager and venturesome as to undertake duties which were beyond your proper ability? who compelled you? who forcibly drew you when reluctant and averse?”
344. But you would never hear anything of this kind. Nor could you bring any such accusation against yourself. And it is manifest to all, that you had no desire, whether small or great, for this honour; but it was the determination of others; and that which permits them to have no absolution for their faults, furnishes you with a good ground of defence.
345. I nodded assent to this, and quietly smiled, admiring his simplicity, and said:
[CHRYSOSTOM.] I have also myself wished the matter might be as you say, my most excellent friend; not that I might obtain what I have now avoided. For even if no punishment awaited me, as one who without skill took charge of the flock of Christ, still it would be more painful to me than any punishment, that when concerns so great had been committed to me I should seem so base towards him that entrusted me with them.
346. Why then should I desire that opinion of yours not to be wrong? That those wretched and miserable men,—for so I am bound to call such as are incapable of properly filling this office, even though you should say a thousand times that they were brought in by force, and sinned ignorantly,—that they may escape the unquenchable fire, and the outer darkness, and the worm which dieth not, and the cutting asunder, and perdition along with the hypocrites. But why do I trouble you? It is assuredly not so.
347. And if you will, I will offer you the proof of what I have said; first from a kingdom, which is not of so great account with God as the priesthood is.
348. Saul, the son of Kish, was made a king when he was not deserving it, but had gone forth to seek after the asses, and had begun to ask the prophet about them; and he spoke to him of the kingdom. Nor even then did he press forward, although he heard it from a man who was a prophet; but he shrunk from it, and refused it, saying:—”Who am I, and what is my father’s house?” What then? When he had misemployed the honour which God gave him, could these words of his deliver him from the anger of Him that had made him king?
349. Yet he might have said to Samuel when he rebuked him, “Did I invade the kingly office? Did I rush into this authority? I wished to lead the easy and quiet life of private persons, but you dragged me to this dignity. If I had remained in my humble position, I should have easily avoided these offences. Nor indeed, if I had been one of the multitude, and without distinction, should I have been appointed to this task, neither would God have committed to me the war against the Amalekites; and if I had not been entrusted with it, I should not have committed this sin.”
350. But all this is powerless as a defence, and not only powerless, but perilous, and inflames God’s anger the more.
351. For he that is honoured beyond his desert, ought not to urge the greatness of his honour as an apology for his sins, but to employ God’s great regard for him as a motive to greater excellence.
352. But he that supposes that he is allowed to sin because he has attained to greater dignity, is anxious for nothing else than to prove the love of God the cause of his personal offences. To say this is always the habit of the wicked and such as lead a careless life. But we ought not to be thus disposed, nor to fall into like madness with them, but to be every way anxious to employ what we have to the best of our ability, and to control both our tongue and our thoughts.
353. And now, leaving the kingdom, let us come to the priesthood, which is the matter in hand. Eli was not anxious to acquire this honour; but what profit was this to him when he sinned? And why do I say ‘to acquire’ it? He could not have avoided it if he would, for the law compelled him; for he was of the tribe of Levi, and was bound to accept the office which descended to him from his fathers. Yet even he suffered no slight punishment through the profligacy of his sons.
354. He also who was the first priest of the Jews, of whom God spake so much to Moses; when he was unable alone to resist the madness of so great a multitude, was he not very nearly destroyed, although the intercession of his brother turned away the wrath of God?
355. And since I have mentioned Moses, it will be as well to show the truth of my argument from his experience. For the blessed Moses was so far from seizing the leadership of the Jews, that he declined it when offered him, and refused it when God commanded, and to such an extent as to provoke Him that appointed him. And not then alone, but even afterwards, when he had entered upon his office, he would have willingly died to be exempt from it; for he says, “Kill me, if thou art about to deal thus with me.”
356. What then? When he had sinned in regard to the water (of Meribah), did his continual deprecations avail to make excuse for him, and to persuade God to vouchsafe him remission? For what other reason was he deprived of the promised land? For no other whatever, as we all know, than for this sin, through which that wonderful man was unable to attain the same as those who were subject to him; but after many toils and miseries, after that indescribable wandering, and his wars and trophies, he died out of the land for which he had suffered so much; and after he had borne the dangers of the sea, he did not enjoy the benefit of the haven.
357. Do you see that neither to those who seize office, nor to those who attain it through the zeal of others, does there remain any excuse for the sins they commit? For if they who often refused, though God appointed, suffered so much punishment, and nothing availed to deliver from this danger either Aaron or Eli, or that blessed man, the saint, the prophet, the wonderful man who was more meek than any upon earth, with whom God talked as with a friend, it will scarcely be a sufficient apology for us, who are not endowed with his virtue, that we are conscious of having been in no wise anxious for this office, and especially since many of these ordinations do not originate in the grace of God, but the forwardness of men.
358. God elected Judas, and enrolled him with that holy company, and ordained him to the apostolic dignity along with the rest; and even gave him something more than the others, the management of the funds. What then? When he had abused both these things, and betrayed Him whom he was commissioned to preach, and basely squandered what he had been ordained to dispense, did he escape from punishment? For this very cause he brought upon himself severer vengeance. And very properly.
359. For we ought not to offend God by misusing the honours which God has given; but to please Him the more.
360. But he who has received the greater honour, and desires on this account to go scot-free where he ought to suffer chastisement, does much the same as if one of the unbelieving Jews on hearing Christ say, “If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have had sin;” and, “If I had not done the miracles among them which no one else did, they would not have had sin,” had accused his Saviour and Benefactor by saying, “Then why didst thou come and speak? Why didst thou work miracles, in order to punish us the more?”
361. But these are the words of madness and utter insanity. For the Physician came not that you might be the rather condemned; He came to heal, yea, to deliver you perfectly from your disease. But you have voluntarily taken yourself out of his hands, therefore receive severer punishment. For as you would have been freed from your former guilt if you had yielded to the remedy, so because you have avoided Him when you saw Him present, you will no longer be able to purge it away; and not being able, you will be punished for it, and that because you have, on your part, rendered all his solicitude ineffectual.
362. Therefore we are not subject to the same test before we receive honour from God, as we are after the honour is given, but the latter is by far the severer. For he who is not made good by kindness, would be justly punished more sharply.
363. Because then, this defence is shown to be weak, and will not only not deliver those who take refuge in it, but exposes them the more, we must provide ourselves with other security.
[BASIL.] 364. And what is that? For I am unable now to retain my self-possession, you have made me so fearful and trembling by what you have said.
[CHRYSOSTOM.] 365. I pray and beseech you, said I, do not be so dejected. For there is most assuredly security for us that are feeble—never to become involved; and for you that are strong—to rest your hopes of salvation in nought, after God’s grace, except the doing of nothing unworthy of this gift and of God who has given it.
366. They would be deserving of the greatest chastisement, who, after acquiring this dignity by personal exertion, discharge its functions amiss, either because of their negligence, or wickedness, or even of their unskilfulness. Nor is there left any indulgence on this ground to such as have not been anxious for the office; but these too will be deprived of all excuse.
367. For I think, that even if myriads should invite and urge, they ought not to be regarded; but that after having first put his own soul to the test, and made minute inspection of everything, then one should yield to those who constrain him.
368. And now, no man who is not a builder, would venture to promise to build a house; nor would anybody undertake to prescribe for the sick if he knew nothing of medical practice; but although many should forcibly urge him, such a one would refuse, and not blush over his ignorance. And shall not he first examine himself who is about to be entrusted with the care of so many souls? If he be wholly unqualified, shall he accept the office because such a one bids him, or such a one forces him, or not to offend so and so?
369. Will he not hurl himself along with them into evident harm? When he could have saved himself by keeping to himself, he draws others into ruin as well as himself. Whence can we hope for salvation? Whence can we procure forgiveness? Who will then plead for us? Will they perchance, who now compel us and drag us into this necessity? But who will then deliver them? For they also need the aid of others that they may escape the fire.
370. But that you may know I do not say these things now to terrify you, but as truth demands, hear what the blessed Paul says to Timothy his own and beloved son: “Lay hands suddenly on no man, nor be a partaker in other men’s sins.”
371. Do you see now from what blame and chastisement, I, for my part, have delivered those who were going to lead me into this position?