CHAPTER IV The Priesthood full of extreme difficulty and danger
CHAPTER IV
The Priesthood full of extreme difficulty and danger
108. What then is to be done? For if you deal too gently with him that requires a large incision, and do not inflict a deep wound upon him that has need of it, you remove one part of the sore, and the other part you leave.
109. But if you make the incision you ought without sparing, the patient is often driven to desperation by his pains, hastily casts everything aside, both application and bandages, and throws himself headlong, breaking his bond and tearing asunder the ligature. I could tell of many who have rushed into the most extreme evils because the due penalty for their sins was exacted.
110. For we ought not to inflict a punishment which accords with the measure of transgressions, but inquiry must be made as to the disposition of those who sin; lest while you desire to mend what is torn you make the rent worse, and while you endeavour to restore what is fallen you make the ruin greater.
111. For those who are infirm and remiss, and for the most part entangled in the pleasures of the world, and those who, on account of their family and influence, may be high spirited, should be turned away from the things wherein they sin, gently and little by little, and be delivered, if not altogether, at least in part from the evils which controul them. But if one should apply speedy discipline, he would deprive them of the least amendment.
112. For when the soul is once compelled to abandon its sense of shame, it lapses into insensibility, and afterwards neither yields to kind words, nor succumbs to admonitions, nor is influenced by favours, but becomes far worse than the city which the prophet rebuked, saying: “Thou hast the face of a harlot, thou hast behaved without shame towards all men.”
113. Therefore the pastor has need of great understanding and of a myriad eyes, in order to observe on every side the habitudes of the soul.
114. For, as many are lifted up into presumption and fall into despondency about their own salvation, through being unable to bear bitter remedies; so there are some who, because they do not suffer a punishment equivalent to their sins, slide into negligence, become far worse, and are led on to sin yet more.
115. Therefore none of these things must be unattended to, but he that has been made a priest, when he has minutely investigated everything, should appositely employ what he has, that the zeal he possesses may not be in vain.
116. And one may see that he has many things to do, not in this alone, but in combining the severed members of the Church.
117. For the shepherd of the sheep has the flock following him whithersoever he leads; and if any of them should turn aside out of the right way, and leaving the good pasture, should feed in barren and precipitous places, it suffices for him to call aloud to bring them back again, and to restore to the fold that which had gone astray.
118. But if a man should wander from the right faith, the shepherd will require much exertion, endurance and patience; for he is not to be dragged back by force, nor to be compelled by fear, but you must restore him by persuasion, to the truth from which at first he fell.
119. He must therefore be of a noble spirit; that he may not be overcome by his difficulties, and despair of the salvation of the wanderers, and that he may constantly reason and say thus with himself: “Perhaps God may grant them the acknowledgment of the truth, and deliver them out of the snare of the devil.”
120. Therefore, the Lord, when conversing with his disciples, said: “Who then is the faithful and prudent servant?” For he who exercises himself confers advantage on himself alone; but the profit of the pastoral function pervades a whole people. He who distributes his goods among the poor, or in other ways succours the distressed, has to some extent benefited his neighbours, but as much less than the priest does, as the distance is between the body and the soul.
121. Rightly, therefore, did the Lord say, that care for His sheep was a sign of love to Him.
[BASIL.] 122. And you, said he, do you not love Christ?
[CHRYSOSTOM.] I both love, and will never cease to love Him; but I feared lest I should offend Him that is loved by me.
[BASIL.] 123. And what enigma, said he, could be more unintelligible than this?—if indeed Christ has commanded him that loves Him to feed His sheep, and you mean that therefore you do not feed them, because you love Him that commanded this!
[CHRYSOSTOM.] 124. What I say is no enigma, said I, but very intelligible and simple. For if I were able to administer this authority as Christ willed, and then forsook it, I ought to be in doubt as to what I say; but inasmuch as weakness of mind renders me useless for this ministry, wherein does what I have said call for discussion?
125. I am afraid too, lest, by undertaking to manage the flock of Christ when it is healthy and well fed, and then ruining it by my unskilfulness, I should provoke against myself, God, who so loved it as to give up Himself for its salvation and ransom.
[BASIL.] 126. You say these things in sport, said he; for if you are in earnest I know not how you would prove that I am justly grieved, otherwise than by the very words whereby you have endeavoured to drive away my perplexity. I knew even before that you had deceived and betrayed me; but much more now when you have undertaken to get rid of my accusations, do I learn and clearly understand what evils you have led me into.
127. For if you withdrew from such a ministry, for this reason, that you were conscious your mind was unequal to the burden of the task, I ought to have been delivered from it before you, even if I had had a great desire for it, and had not committed the entire determination of the matter to you.
128. But now, looking solely to your own interests you have overlooked mine. Would indeed, that you had overlooked them! that would have been agreeable to me. But you have schemed how I might be easily taken by those who wished to secure me.
129. You cannot shelter yourself here,—that the judgment of the many deceived you, and led you to think something great and wonderful about me, for I was none of your admirable and distinguished men, and even if I had happened to be so, you ought not to have preferred the opinion of the multitude to the truth.
130. For if I had never permitted you to enjoy my friendship, you might have seemed to have a reasonable pretext for giving your vote according to the report of the multitude; but if nobody knows me so well as you, if you know my mind better than my parents and those who reared me, what plea will you have so convincing as to be able to persuade such as hear you, that you have not intentionally thrust me into this danger?
131. But let this be waived; for I do not compel you to judge yourself herein: say what answer I shall give to those who accuse us?
[CHRYSOSTOM.] 132. Well, said I, I shall not proceed to those matters, before I resolve what concerns you, even if you wish me a thousand times to dispose of these charges.
133. You said that ignorance would have brought me forgiveness, and that I should have been free from all accusation if I had brought you into your present position without knowing anything about you; but since I have not ignorantly betrayed you, but when I well understood your concerns, therefore all reasonable pretext and just defence is taken away from me.
134. But I say quite the contrary. And why? Because such things require examination, and he who is going to present one as qualified for the priesthood, ought not to be content with the report of the multitude only, but ought therewith, most of all and before all, to put his endowments to the test.
135. For when the blessed Paul says, “He must also have a good testimony from those who are without,” he does not dispense with exact and strict investigation, nor lay down that as the principal sign of the acceptableness of such. For having before spoken of many things, he afterwards added this, showing that in order to such elections one must not be satisfied with this alone, but must receive it along with other things. For it often happens that the report of the multitude is false; but when careful examination precedes, no danger remains to be suspected from it.
136. On this account, after other things, he adds that which comes from those who are without. For he did not simply say, “He must have a good testimony,” but he also added the other, [‘from those who are without,’] because he wished to show that before adducing the report of those who are without, he must be carefully examined.
137. Since then I have known what pertains to you better even than your parents have, as you yourself confessed, therefore am I justly released from all blame.
[BASIL.] 138. And therefore, said he, you would not have escaped, if any one had wished to accuse you. Do you not remember to have often heard from myself of my weakness of mind, and to have learned it from my conduct? Have you not continually railed at me for pusillanimity because I easily succumbed to ordinary cares?
[CHRYSOSTOM.] 139. I remember, said I, that I have often heard these words from you, and I would not deny it. But if I ever railed at you, I did it in sport, and not in truth.
But, however, I do not at all wrangle about this now; but I ask you to show me your wonted kindness, while I wish to make mention of part of the good qualities you possess.
140. For even if you should try to convict me of speaking untruly, I shall not refrain, but shall show that you speak thus, rather as depreciating yourself, than as the truth, and I will use nothing else but your own words and deeds as witnesses for the truth of what I say.