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| Of Severian and Antiochus: their Disagreement from John.
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Chapter XI.—Of
Severian and Antiochus: their Disagreement from John.
The odium against John
Chrysostom was considerably increased by another additional event as
follows: two bishops flourished at that time, Syrians by birth, named Severian and Antiochus;
Severian presided over the church at Gabala, a city of Syria, and
Antiochus over that of Ptolemaïs in Phœnicia. They were both
renowned for their eloquence; but although Severian was a very learned
man, he did not succeed in using the Greek language perfectly; and so
while speaking Greek he betrayed his Syrian origin. Antiochus came
first to Constantinople, and having preached in the churches for some
time with great zeal and ability, and having thus amassed a large sum
of money,864
| 864The offerings of the congregations seem to have been
divided usually among the officiating clergymen. Cf. Bingham,
Christ. Antiq. V. 4. 1.
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he returned to his own church. Severian hearing that Antiochus had
collected a fortune by his visit to Constantinople, determined to
follow his example. He therefore exercised himself for the occasion,
and having composed a number of sermons, set out for Constantinople.
Being most kindly received by John, to a certain point, he soothed and
flattered the man, and was himself no less beloved and honored by him:
meanwhile his discourses gained him great celebrity, so that he
attracted the notice of many persons of rank, and even of the emperor
himself. And as it happened at that time that the bishop of Ephesus
died, John was obliged to go to Ephesus for the purpose of ordaining a
successor. On his arrival at that city, as the people were divided in
their choice, some proposing one person, and some another, John
perceiving that both parties were in a contentious mood, and that they
did not wish to adopt his counsel, he resolved without much ado to end
their dispute by preferring to the bishopric a certain Heraclides, a
deacon of his own, and a Cypriot by descent. And thus both parties
desisting from their strife with each other had peace.865
| 865In another version of this eleventh chapter of the
sixth book, appended at the end of the sixth book in the Greek text of
Bright, instead of the sentence beginning ‘And thus both
parties,’ &c. is found the following more consistent
statement: ‘Inasmuch, however, as on this account a tumult arose
at Ephesus, on the ground that Heraclides was not worthy of the
bishopric, it became necessary for John to remain in Ephesus for a long
time.’
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Now as this detention [at Ephesus] was lengthened, Severian continued
to preach at Constantinople, and daily grew in favor with his hearers.
Of this John was not left ignorant, for he was promptly made acquainted
with whatever occurred, Serapion, of whom we have before spoken,866
| 866The alternative version inserts here the following
sentence: ‘And who was very much beloved by John and had been
intrusted with the whole care of the episcopal administration, on
account of his piety and faithfulness and watchfulness in respect to
details of every sort, and diligence in matters pertaining to the
interests of the bishop.’
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communicating the news to him and asserting that the church was being
troubled by Severian; thus the bishop was aroused to a feeling of
jealousy. Having therefore among other matters deprived many of the
Novatians and Quartodecimans of their churches, he returned to
Constantinople.867
| 867From this point to within one or two sentences of
the end of the chapter the parallel version is so different at times
that it will be well to insert it entire here for the purpose of
comparison. It runs thus: ‘Not long afterward John came to
Constantinople and assumed himself the churches which belonged to his
jurisdiction. But between Serapion, the deacon, and Severian there had
arisen a certain coolness; Serapion was opposed to Severian because the
latter seemed desirous of excelling John in public speaking, and
Severian was jealous of Serapion because the bishop John favored him,
and the care of the bishopric had been intrusted to him. They being
thus disposed toward one another, it happened that the evil of hatred
was increased from the following cause. As Severian was passing by on
one occasion Serapion did not render him the homage due to a bishop,
but he continued sitting; whether because he had not noticed him, as he
afterwards affirmed upon oath before a council, or because he cared
little for him, being himself the vicegerent of a bishop, as Severian
asserted, I am unable to say; God only knows. At the time, however,
Severian did not tolerate the contempt; but immediately, and in
anticipation of a public investigation before a council, he condemned
Serapion upon oath, and not only declared him deposed from the dignity
of the diaconate, but also put him out of the church. John upon
learning this was very much grieved. As the matter afterwards was
investigated by a council and Serapion defended himself declaring that
he had not perceived [the approach of the bishop], and summoned
witnesses to the fact, the common verdict of the assembled bishops was
in favor of acquitting him and urging Severian to accept the apology of
Serapion. The Bishop John, for his part, to satisfy Severian, suspended
Serapion from the diaconate for a week; although he used him in all his
affairs as his right hand, because he was very keen and diligent in
ecclesiastical disputation. Severian however was not satisfied with
these measures, but used all means to effect the permanent deposition
of Serapion from the diaconate and his excommunication. John was
extremely grieved at these words and arose from the council, leaving
the adjudication of the case to the bishops present, saying to them,
“Do you examine the matter in hand and render judgment according
to your own conclusions; as for me I resign my part in the arbitration
between them.” These things having been said by John as he arose,
the council likewise arose and left the case, as it stood, blaming
Severian the more for not yielding to the request of the Bishop John.
After this John never received Severian into a private interview; but
advised him to return to his own country, communicating to him the
following message: “It is not expedient, Severian,” said
he, “that the parish intrusted to you should remain for so long
without care and bereft of a bishop; wherefore hasten and take charge
of your churches, and do not neglect the gift which is in you.”
As he now prepared for his journey and started, the Empress Eudoxia, on
being informed of the facts,’ &c. From this point the
variations are few, verbal, and unimportant.
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Here he resumed himself the care of the churches under his own especial
jurisdiction. But Serapion’s arrogance no one could bear; for
thus having won John’s unbounded confidence and regard, he was so
puffed up by it that he treated every one with contempt. And on this
account also animosity was inflamed the more against the bishop. On one
occasion when Severian passed by him, Serapion neglected to pay him the
homage due to a bishop, but continued seated [instead of rising],
indicating plainly how little he cared for his presence. Severian,
unable to endure patiently this [supposed] rudeness and contempt, said
with a loud voice to those present, ‘If Serapion should die a
Christian, Christ has not become incarnate.’ Serapion, taking
occasion from this remark, publicly incited Chrysostom to enmity
against Severian: for suppressing the conditional clause of the
sentence, ‘If Serapion die a Christian,’ and saying that he
had made the assertion that ‘Christ has not become
incarnate,’ he brought several witnesses of his own party to
sustain this charge. But on being informed of this the Empress Eudoxia
severely reprimanded John, and ordered that Severian should be
immediately recalled from Chalcedon in Bithynia. He returned forthwith;
but John would hold no intercourse whatever with him, nor did he listen
to any one urging him to do so,
until at length the Empress Eudoxia herself, in the church called
The Apostles, placed her son Theodosius, who now so happily
reigns, but was then quite an infant, before John’s knees, and
adjuring868
| 868The ancients often swore by their children,
especially when they wished to entreat others most earnestly. Cf.
Vergil, Æneid, VI. 364, ‘Per caput hoc juro, per
spem surgentis Juli.’ The form of abjuration used by Eudoxia
was probably this: ‘By this little child of mine, and your
spiritual son, whom I brought forth and whom you received out of the
sacred font, be reconciled to Severian.’ Valesius, however,
doubts the reality of this affair.
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him repeatedly by the young prince her son, with difficulty prevailed
upon him to be reconciled to Severian. In this manner then these men
were outwardly reconciled; but they nevertheless continued cherishing a
rancorous feeling toward each other. Such was the origin of the
animosity [of John] against Severian.
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