CONTENTS
CONTENTS
SAINT CHRYSOSTOM ON THE PRIESTHOOD
CHAPTER I
Basil the best of all the friends of Chrysostom
CHAPTER II
The unanimity of Basil and Chrysostom, and their common pursuits
CHAPTER III
The balance becomes unequal on the question of adopting the monastic life
CHAPTER IV
The proposal to have a common home
CHAPTER VI
The fraud practised by Chrysostom in the matter of Basil’s ordination
CHAPTER VII
Basil’s meek and gentle reproof
CHAPTER VIII
Chrysostom’s apology and recrimination
CHAPTER IX
The great advantage of timely fraud
CHAPTER I
The Priesthood the greatest evidence of love to Christ
CHAPTER II
The dignity of the Priesthood greater than that of other offices
CHAPTER III
The Priesthood requires a large and admirable spirit
CHAPTER IV
The Priesthood full of extreme difficulty and danger
CHAPTER V
Chrysostom avoided the office out of love to Christ
CHAPTER VI
Proof of the virtue of Basil, and of his great love
CHAPTER VIII
Chrysostom even freed his friends from blame by his flight
CHAPTER II
He did not avoid it through vain glory
CHAPTER III
If he had desired glory he would rather have chosen it
CHAPTER V
The great authority and honour of priests
CHAPTER VI
Priests the ministers of God’s greatest gifts
CHAPTER VII
S. Paul was awestruck when he contemplated the magnitude of this office
CHAPTER IX
The man who is not of a noble spirit is ensnared by vain-glory, and its attendant evils
CHAPTER X
The Priesthood not the cause of these evils, but our own dullness
CHAPTER XI
The lust of domination is to be cast out of the soul of a Priest
CHAPTER XII
A priest ought to be a very wise man
CHAPTER XIII
Other requirements besides abstinence are looked for in a priest
CHAPTER XIV
Mental purity and activity hindered by nothing so much as by inordinate anger
CHAPTER XV
Another kind of conflict which is fraught with peril
CHAPTER XVI
What sort of man he must be who has to encounter so many storms
CHAPTER XVII
Great caution demanded by the spiritual oversight of virgins
CHAPTER XVIII
The office of judge a difficult one
CHAPTER III
Great ability to speak is required of a priest
CHAPTER IV
The priest should be prepared to contend with Greeks (pagans), Jews, and heretics
CHAPTER V
The priest ought to be well skilled in the art of reasoning
CHAPTER VI
Evidence supplied by S. Paul
CHAPTER VII
S. Paul was illustrious, not for his miracles only, but for his eloquence
CHAPTER VIII
S. Paul would have us excel in a similar manner
CHAPTER I
Public discourses require much labour and study
CHAPTER III
He that has not both these endowments will be unprofitable to the people
CHAPTER IV
Detraction should especially be treated with contempt
CHAPTER V
The learned priest requires more diligence than the unlearned
CHAPTER VII
What is said should be prepared only with the view of pleasing God
CHAPTER VIII
He who is not supremely indifferent to praise will be subject to many troubles
CHAPTER I
Priests are liable to correction for the sins of other men
CHAPTER II
Priests require to be more circumspect than monks
CHAPTER III
The monk is less embarrassed than the man who rules in the church
CHAPTER IV
The priest is entrusted with authority over the world, and with other solemn duties
CHAPTER V
The priest must be qualified for everything
CHAPTER VI
To rule well in the Church is a greater proof of endurance than to be a monk
CHAPTER VII
He who lives apart, and he who leads a public life have different cares
CHAPTER IX
Popular suspicion is not to be treated with contempt even when unfounded
CHAPTER X
It is no great matter to save one oneself
CHAPTER XI
A far severer punishment awaits the sins of priests than those of common men
CHAPTER XIII
Our conflict with the Devil is more grievous than any other