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| Severian, Bishop of Gabales, and Antiochus, Bishop of Ptolemaïs. Dispute between Serapion and Severian. Reconciliation between them effected by the Empress.
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Chapter X.—Severian,
Bishop of Gabales, and Antiochus, Bishop of Ptolemaïs. Dispute
between Serapion and Severian. Reconciliation between them effected by
the Empress.
John likewise incurred the
enmity of the empress, through the machinations of Severian, bishop of
Gabali in Syria.1596
| 1596Soc. vi. 11; Pallad. Dialog.
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Severian and Antiochus, bishop of Ptolemaïs, a city in
Phœnicia, were both learned men, and well qualified to teach in
the churches. Antiochus had so fine a voice and delivery that, by some
persons, he was surnamed Chrysostom. Severian, on the other hand, had
the harshness of the Syrians in his speech; but, in point of knowledge
and the evidences of the Scriptures, he was considered superior to
Antiochus. It appears that Antiochus was the first to visit
Constantinople; he gained great applause by his discourses, amassed
some property, and then returned to his own city. Severian followed his
example, and went to Constantinople. He formed an intimacy with John,
spoke frequently in the churches, and was admired. He was in honor, and
became well known to many of those in power, and to the emperor and
empress. When John went to Asia, he commended the Church to his care;
for he was so far deceived by the adulation of Severian as to imagine
him to be his zealous friend. Severian, however, thought only of
gratifying his auditors, and of pleasing the people by his discourses.1597
| 1597A number of the homilies still attributed to
Chrysostom, as well as those now acknowledged not to be his, were from
the eloquent Severian.
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When John was apprised of this, he was filled with jealousy; and his
resentment was further kindled, it is said, by the representations of
Serapion. After the return of John from Asia, Serapion happened to see
Severian passing; but, instead of rising to salute him, he kept his
seat, in order to show his utter contempt for the man. Severian was
offended by this manifestation of disrespect, and exclaimed, “If
Serapion die a clergyman, then Christ was not incarnate.”
Serapion reported these words; and John, in consequence, expelled
Severian from the city as insolent, and as a blaspheme against God; for
witnesses were brought forward to attest that the above words had been
really uttered by him. Some of the friends of Serapion even went so far
as to suppress part of the speech of Severian, and to affirm that he
had declared that Christ was not incarnate. John also rebuked Severian,
by asking whether, “If Serapion should not die among the clergy,
it would follow that Christ had not been incarnate?” As soon as
the wife of the emperor was informed by the friends of Severian of what
had occurred, she immediately sent for him from Chalcedon. John,
notwithstanding all her remonstrances, positively refused to hold any
intercourse with him, until the empress placed her son Theodosius on
his knees in the church named after the apostles; then she entreated
him persistently, and frequently adjured him, until John yielded a
reluctant consent to receive Severian into friendship. Such are the
accounts which I have received of these transactions.1598
| 1598Chrys. Homilia de recipiendo Severiano;
andSermo ipsius Severiam de pace, iii. 421–423.
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