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| Sedition on Account of John Chrysostom's Banishment. He is recalled.
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Chapter XVI.—Sedition
on Account of John Chrysostom’s Banishment. He is
recalled.
The people then became
intolerably tumultuous; and as it frequently happens in such cases,
many who before were adversely disposed against him, now changed their
hostility into compassion, and said of him whom they had so recently
desired to see deposed, that he had been traduced. By this means
therefore they became very numerous who exclaimed against both the
emperor and the Synod of bishops; but the origin of the intrigue they
more particularly referred to Theophilus. For his fraudulent conduct
could no longer be concealed, being exposed by many other indications,
and especially by the fact of his having held communion with Dioscorus,
and those termed ‘the Tall Monks,’876
immediately after John’s deposition. But Severian preaching in
the church, and thinking it a suitable occasion to declaim against
John, said: ‘If John had been condemned for nothing else, yet the
haughtiness of his demeanor was a crime sufficient to justify his
deposition. Men indeed are forgiven all other sins: but “God
resisteth the proud,”877
as the Divine Scriptures teach us.’ These reproaches made the
people still more inclined to opposition; so that the emperor gave
orders for his immediate recall. Accordingly Briso a eunuch in the
service of the empress878
was sent after him, who finding him at Prænetum—a commercial
town situated over against Nicomedia—brought him back toward
Constantinople. And as he had been recalled, John refused to enter the
city, declaring he would not do so until his innocence had been
admitted by a higher tribunal. Thus he remained at a suburb called
Marianæ. Now as he delayed at that place the commotion increased,
and caused the people to break forth into very indignant and
opprobrious language against their rulers, wherefore to check their
fury John was constrained to proceed. On his way a vast multitude, with
veneration and honor, conducted him immediately to the church; there
they entreated him to seat himself in the episcopal chair, and give
them his accustomed benediction. When he sought to excuse himself,
saying that ‘this ought to be brought about by an order from his
judges, and that those who condemned him must first revoke their
sentence,’ they were only the more inflamed with the desire of
seeing him reinstated, and of hearing him address them again. The
people finally prevailed on him to resume his seat, and pray as usual
for peace upon them; after which, acting under the same constraint, he
preached to them. This compliance on John’s part afforded his
adversaries another ground of crimination; but respecting this they
took no action at that time.
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