Webpage John-2 Page 27 TO INDEX
Chapter 7.
1. To return to the narrative of
the bishops, and the many trials and three separate imprisonments, and other
things, which they had to endure, of which we gave a short account in the first
book, as, was fitting.
2. They then knew directly that
they had been deceived, and that the many promises and repeated oaths made to
them, to the effect that unity should be fully established, had been broken,
having thus by fraud been induced twice to communicate, they were in sorrow and
mourning and trouble without end.
3. And they lamented with bitter
sighs, and finally made up their minds, that never again should there be a
communion with them and the followers of the two natures forever, even though
they dragged them to death by sword or fire.
4. And on this account violent
anger and great wrath was felt against them, and they were all sent into exile
for the third time, each one of them separately; so that now they were removed
far from one another, a severe and bitter sentence passed upon them.
5. And
great indeed was their distress in being thus separated and banished far from
their friends and relatives, and that, as the sentence ran, even until their deaths.
6. First of all, Paul the patriarch
was removed to the monastery of Abraham, and confined there. But while shut up
he found a place where a scanty light entered his prison, and in secret he began
to write an account of what had been done in the church by john of sirmin: but being watched, he
was caught in the act of writing, and the book taken from him before it was
finished.
7. And they carried it to john, who took it in bitter wrath,
and went and read it before the king; and when the king on hearing it - found
that his own acts against the orthodox were regarded with disapproval, as well
as those of the patriarch, he too was greatly enraged and
embittered against Paul.
8. And commanded that they should
take the book and lay it before Paul, and require him to confess whether he was the author:
And should he do so, they were to make him write an acknowledgment with
his own hand to that effect.
9.
If on the other hand, he
should refuse, they were to scourge him to the point of death, until he
confessed, and then commit him again to prison.
10. Accordingly, the officers took the book to the monastery, and with
great anger showed it him, and required him to confess in writing that he was
its author. And he, as falsehood was useless, confessed that he wrote it.
11. And upon their requisition he made the following acknowledgement,
'I Paul confess that with my own hand I wrote all these things which are in this
book.' Upon which, leaving him in prison, they carried the book back to the king
and the patriarch.
·
(Leonard: Look how much trouble they go through, this so called patriarch,
and king, for no more than a few half dead bodies. For it is not that they were in any condition to
threaten them, nor that by the consent, or refusal of these few bishops, there
would be any more or less unity in the churches.
·
For the churches at large, and
as a whole, so I surmise, were hardly populated by Christians.
The bishops along with their people, were - as one might say, sown in
shallow ground. For if not
so, where was their zeal for righteousness?
·
It was not unity, but the
devil was perturbed in his defeat to get those few men into his power.
For that reason this dragged on. For
if he could ever get even one of the anointed ones of God into his power, he
would sound a victory over Christ. But
the harder he tried the more he was defeated, and never once did he succeed in
overpowering an anointed one of the Lord.)
·
12. And so great was their indignation, that they threatened
Paul
with death; and more
so upon finding that he had also written in accusations against Rome. And both
Paul himself, and all men, were alarmed for his life, and expected that he would
die a painful death, and perish from this present life.
13. Stephan, however,
bishop of Cyprus, was then in great honor with the king, and boldly ventured to
offer a petition in Paul's behalf, praying that he might be pardoned for his
sake, and set free from the terrible misery in which he was confined.
·
(Leonard: This Stephan for example, because he pleaded for Paul –
shall he be one of the righteous? Was
he discharging his guilty conscience, as something of a virtue in him?
For why was he in honor with the king?
For how is Christ to be in honor with the devil?
·
Was there some good in this
Stephan? Read more, and it will
show that the mercy of Stephan was nothing more than an increase of the pain
upon Paul. As when one’s
hand is sorely bruised, and it cannot stand the touch of anything, so this
Stephan comes in mercy to give him a blow upon the wound.
·
And so it is written, and if
not written so I state; “Even their mercy is an abomination, a cruel
venture.”)
14. And the king accepted his intercession, and promised that if he
would come to the capital, and take the communion in his company, all his
offences should be forgiven him. Stephan therefore went to him, and after
conversing with him, induced him by the terrors of death to yield himself up,
and accordingly he came and communicated, and was taken into the patriarch's
palace.
15. And
john,
wishing to make sport of him before all men, assembled a large number of the
senators, and certain also of the inhabitants of Alexandria, to which city Paul
belonged, and made him
receive the sacrament from his hands afresh, in the presence of them all, that
even though he should wish afterwards to return, it might be, as he supposed,
impossible.
16. From
this time the king every day received him, and talked with him on many subjects,
because he was a wise and intelligent man, and well read in books, and even
often asked his advice on business of state, and repeatedly conversed and talked
with him confidentially, until john was not a little alarmed,
lest the king should deprive him of his office, and substitute Paul in his
place.
17. And as
john
was now in much trouble and solicitude, he began to sound the king, saying, 'If
you, my lord, command, we will send father
Paul as bishop to Jerusalem or to Thessalonica;' for both these thrones
were vacant. But the king perceived his cunning, and, to frighten him the more,
replied, 'Leave father Paul
alone; for we want him here.'
·
(Leonard: Shall not this king
be dashed to pieces for his mercy? If
there were any manliness in him, he would have removed him from prison to place
him in a house with servants and all. But
as we note the king is no more than a hypocrite.
And the fact that he calls Paul “father” that alone is a curse upon
the king.)
18. And this so alarmed him, that he was now thoroughly taken
possession of and troubled by the idea: and therefore he gradually relaxed the
vigilance with which Paul had been hitherto guarded, to prevent his escape, and
left him without a keeper, and gave his friends full liberty of access to him,
that he might have the opportunity of running away: and Paul fled away, and john once again breathed freely.
19. And as it was supposed that Paul of Antioch was sufficiently imbued in the doctrine of the two
natures, and john the
patriarch was in great alarm at him, he joyfully
took the opportunity
of suggesting to him the idea of making his escape.
·
(Leonard: The record reads; “joyfully.”
But once a pig always a pig. john is not going to change, for
to let him escape was his cunning to bring still greater mistreatment upon
Paul.)
20. And as he was no longer guarded, after having spent so long a time
in the bishop's palace, he mixed one evening with the people as they came down,
and escaping among them unobserved, he went for refuge to a place prepared for
him among some ruins.
21. But in time he was sought for, and could not be found: and john now being afraid of the king,
went immediately and informed him of Paul's flight. And when he heard of it he
was astonished, and filled with anger, and commanded that all the ferries should
be occupied, and all ships searched, and all the houses in the outskirts of the
whole city, and the suburbs, and monasteries:
22. Even the very tombs were opened, and they searched between the rows
of corpses: and, finally, urgent orders were sent to every town and city to the
bishops and governors, with a description of his person that he might be
recognized and seized: but still he remained undiscovered.
23. Even his brother, who was an admiral of the fleet, was arrested,
and fell into much trouble. Meanwhile Paul during the whole of this time was hid, as they say, in the city,
in a small chamber fixed in the wall, in which he found safety for nine months:
24. And the vigilance of the watch finally having relaxed, he escaped
with the privacy of the household of Mondir, son of Hareth, into Arabia, where
he met with a hospitable refuge until the time when the terrible retribution of
Heaven fell upon the patriarch john.
25. As the patriarch had been thus successful
separately with two of the four bishops, whose constancy collectively he had
been unable to break, namely, Stephan, bishop of Cyprus, and Paul, patriarch
of Antioch, he determined next to force John of Ephesus to submission by equally
decided measures, the account of which our author gives as follows:
26.
When, therefore,
Paul had been induced by Stephan to go to the capital, and had been
received there, and the synodites now felt quite sure of him, Stephan was next
sent to John,
surnamed, Superintendent of the heathen and Idol-breaker.
27.
He was accompanied by senators and a numerous retinue, to the
hospital of Eubulus, in which after his two former imprisonments in the patriarch's
palace, and the separation of the bishops from one another, he had been confined
in the house of afflictions, (or penitentiary,) and none of his acquaintance on
any pretext were permitted to visit him. There the embassy addressed the
prisoner as follows: —
28. 'Our lords, the victorious king and patriarch,
very lovingly ask thy health, and advise thee to free thyself from this misery,
and come and join thy brethren, my lord Paul the patriarch, and my lord Elisha,
and rejoice them, as also our merciful king himself, and the holy
patriarch; and ye shall again discuss the best means for
restoring unity.'
29. But he, on hearing these things, was stirred up with great zeal to
answer those who had come to him fiercely and sternly, with condemnations and
reproaches and insults too many to record in writing:
30. And so Stephan and his companions retired, embittered and indignant
at him. After the lapse of a day they were again sent unto him, beseeching him
in the merciful person of the king and patriarch, and saying,
'For the sake of the unity of the church, yield thyself up, and come and let us
converse, and do not thus persist in opposition to union.'
31. But he answered them even sterner than before, saying: Before God
and man I reject even that former unity; for it has only proven to be an
overthrow and uprooting and downfall:' and much more of a similar kind he added.
32. And after they had often visited him, but he would neither submit
nor yield to their persuasions, finally they said, 'Inasmuch as we know what you
will have to suffer, have heard the threats of death denounced against you, and
that you will not be put to death but in a most painful way, and feeling sincere
sorrow for you, we wish to say, that we are innocent of the miseries which you
will have to bear.'
33. But upon hearing this, he burnt with zeal, and expressed his
detestation of them, saying, 'Even though you eat me roasted, as long as I may
be out of your sight, I am ready on these terms to be delivered to a painful
death.'
34. And so, to be brief, they departed from him. But Stephan secretly
paid him a solitary visit, to tell him of the threats of death determined
against him, and said, I have come to thee, that I may not witness the evils
that will fall upon thee; look to thyself.'
35. But though much was said, he could not bend his determined spirit,
and finally left him, and departed for Cyprus.
Chapter 8.
John
in prison
1. The bitter misery of the
imprisonment of John arose from a painful attack of the gout, which affected
both his hands and feet, so that he lay like one dead, unable to stir himself,
or move either hand or foot: and in this state he was cut off from all human
solicitude, and especially from the care which his relatives would gladly have
shown him.
2. But besides this he was
tormented night and day with the numerous vermin with which his prison swarmed.
For first of all he was eaten up with innumerable lice, and the cell in which he
was imprisoned was full of fleas, which tormented him day and night out of his
life;
3. Nor was this all, for the
fetid smell of the hospital attracted infinite numbers of flies and gnats, which
settled upon him, and neither could he move a hand to chase them away, nor was
there any one to drive them from him.
4. And the fourth and bitterest
trial of all was occasioned by the bugs at night, which then left their hiding
places, and covered both him and the mattress on which he lay till his face and
eyes were inflamed and swollen, nor could he brush them away.
5.
And another, and that his fifth trial, arose from gnats, which, in
company with the vermin last mentioned, all night long stung him like fire,
especially upon the face, and every part of his body not covered with the
bedclothes.
6,
So great was his distress, and the inflammation caused by the five
plagues, which encompassed his body within and without, that he wept and
lamented, but there was no man to come to his cry, either by night or by day,
though he burnt like fire from the stings of all these vermin.
7.
And, moreover, Satan brought upon him yet a sixth trial, in some
mice, which climbed up and made their nest under the pillow, which supported his
head, and all night long they were scratching and squeaking there.
8.
All these distresses were added to the pain of imprisonment and
sickness, with no one to help him: and it may be that the record of these things
will excite the laughter and ridicule of those who have never been tried, nor
fallen, into misery, and who, in the words of our Lord, should rather watch and
pray that they enter not into trial.
9.
From the exhaustion caused by these tortures, and the inflamed
state of his body from the stings of these manifold and bitter vermin, the
aforesaid John
came almost to his last breath: for besides the bitter pains which tormented
him, there was the hopelessness of his neglected state, while he looked for some
one to pity him.
10.
And there was no man, no comforter was found, such was his state.
And afterwards, he repeatedly declared the severity of his trials, both in
numerous letters, and in his defense addressed to the synod of the east, and to
all classes of the believers, in which he described all these things.
11.
And the vision which he saw, protesting before God that he did not
exceed the bounds of truth, nor added a single word either to the narrative of
his sufferings or to the facts of the vision which appeared unto him openly.
12.And the account which he gave was as follows: —'When I was
scourged by these trials, and sick in spirit, and despairing of my life, there
came one day a youth of beautiful aspect, clad in a white tunic with fringes of
spotless purity.
13.
And as he gently approached me, I imagined that he was one of the
attendants upon the sick, who after the midday meal, when all were sleeping, and
the doors closed, and silence prevailed, had visited me because I was inflamed
and feverish, both from the annoyance of the vermin and my grievous pains.
14.
Approaching me quietly, he said, 'Peace be to thee, father!
What is thy cry?! How art thou?
Fear not.' And I in the deep affliction of my spirit caused by my great misery
said unto him, 'Why asks thou my son, when thou thyself sees me in such great
torture?'
15.
But the young man said unto me, 'Cheer up, and let not thy spirit
be sad, but give thanks unto God, who hath not left thee: for thy affliction is
not forgotten by Him.'
·
(Leonard: For something
truthful there is much doubt cast here. In
the first place I struck the word “father” since no angel of the Lord would
thus disobey his God. And to
ask, “How art thou?” is highly illogical.
Who then worded this? Who is the guilty one?
Is it John of Ephesus, or the historian?
·
16.
And I replied, 'What cheer, or consolation can there be for me who
die miserably, not merely from the violence of these cruel pains, which as my
sins deserve, but also from these vermin which encompass me, and eat me up, and
I have none to bear me in their mind, that I might at least be comforted by the
sight of them?'
17.
And he said, 'we know that thou art afflicted; and that there is no
man to take care of thee: and that thou art tormented with pain, and with
vermin, and therefore have I come unto thee, to visit and encourage thee.
18.
For I know also that thou art thirsty, and that; there is none to
give thee water, and therefore have I brought thee a cooling draught: God will
help thee; cheer up and know that as great as is thy present affliction, so will
God multiply thy recompense. Be not sad, nor faint in spirit.'
19.
And when he had so spoken he went out and returned bearing a cup,
in which was a wondrous mixture which sparkled: like fire; and he gave it me,
and I drank it with joy and delight, and my spirit was refreshed, and I gave
thanks unto God.
20.
And to the youth, I told my gratitude, and said, 'God have mercy
upon thee, my son, in that thou hast done unto me this kindness, and hast
visited and comforted and cheered me.'
21.
And after he had consoled me with many words, he said, 'Tomorrow I
will visit thee again at this time,' and departed. I then was so cheered by the sight and speech of the young
man, that all my pains and miseries grew light.
22. And again on the morrow he came at the same time, and asked me of
my state, saying, 'Cheer up, and be not sad; for great shall be thy reward which
thou shall receive from God for thy heavy affliction: And thou shalt be
delivered from thy distress, and thy people shall assemble themselves to thee:
for God is with thee. Let not thy spirit be sad.'
23. And after thus talking with me for some time, he departed. And on
the third day, when my eyes were straining in hope of his coming, he came not:
And I was greatly distressed, and in deep affliction.
24.
But on the fourth day he came again at the same hour, and said, 'I
know that thou art distressed, because I came not to thee yesterday: but be not
grieved, for I will not forsake thee.'
25. And again he spake much to comfort me, and so departed. And thus
for eight days he came to and fro to me, and I was in wonder at his comeliness,
and the beauty of his features, and at the speech and knowledge of the young man
so lovely of aspect.
26. And after he had come unto me and gone out eight times, the
syncellus of the patriarch visited me to talk with me, and
after many arguments, I finally replied, 'Your treatment of me is on a par with
your schismatic faith;
27.
For you act to me like heathens, performing a heathen deed in that
- when you see me in this extreme misery, you fear not God enough to grant me
even one of my servants, whom you have shut up in prison, to wait upon me.'
28. And after he had replied, and much had passed between us, and I had
sharply handled him, and rebuked him, he went out from me in hot anger, and
brought me one of my servants, and said, 'See, here is a servant to wait upon
you, and curse us no more:' and so saying, he angrily departed.
29. And from that time I had a servant, but the young man came not
again, nor did I ever see him again. And when I was astonished and vexed at
this, still supposing, that he was one of the attendants, I said to the officer
who guarded me
30. 'A young man of your attendants used to come to me, and comforted
me, and visited me: but for some days from the time that I have had a servant to
wait upon me, he has come to me no more. Tell me, who is he? And is he ill?
31. And the guard enquired, 'What was the young man like?' And
he answered, 'He was of a beautiful aspect, and very handsome in person, and
bright and fair in countenance, and clad in a tunic of spotless white, with rows
of embroidery above and below.'
32. And the keeper said, 'None of our attendants resembles what you
describe.' But he answered, 'I assure you that for eight days he came unto me
and went out, and comforted and cheered me, and talked with me wisely and
sensibly:'
33. But the keeper said, 'We have no such person as you describe.' Then
he went and collected all the servants, and set them before him, and said, 'See,
here are all the attendants, nor have we any besides: look if any of them is
he.'
34. And when he had attentively considered them all, he acknowledged
that it was not any one of them. Upon which the keeper said, 'A vision of God
has appeared unto thee, and visited thee, one of the angels or of the saints has
been sent unto thee, to strengthen and encourage thee: for we have no such
person as you describe.'
35. And thereupon John was in astonishment, and being full of wonder
and amazement, he carefully considered the words and the wisdom and the answers
of that youth of wonderful aspect, and said,
36. 'I verily looked upon him as one of the attendants, but God knows
who and what he is: but me he hath helped greatly; for he brought me a cup at
which I wondered, so bright were they and admirable, and all my pains were
lightened.
37. And myself I was astonished at the wise and edifying words, which
came out of his mouth, and I wondered whether one so excellent attended merely
upon the sick in your hospital.
38.
From here forward, in admiration of the goodness of God which has
shown us, we will praise the God Who does all in His love, and Who alone knows
the vision of this young man, and who it was that visited us, and alleviated our
misery.'
Chapter 9.
1. In this prison John passed
twelve months and nine days, in addition to his two confinements in the patriarch's
palace: but as even this did not appease the malice of john of sirmin, orders came for his
removal from the hospice.
2. And was transported to an
island in the sea, where he was again imprisoned, and treated with great rigor,
strict orders being given that none of his friends should on any account be
permitted to speak to him.
3. But when he had spent a period
of eighteen months upon the island, the chastisement of God overtook the patriarch
in a manner as to cause fear and astonishment and terror to both sides alike.
4. And finally upon the command
of the Caesar Tiberius orders were sent to free John from his prison, and to
bring him to the capital, where he dwelt under the surveillance of keepers'
rather more than three years, until the death of the persecutor, john of sirmin.
5. All these things will be found
in the numerous letters written by him to various persons as soon as he obtained
his freedom, together with the vision of the young man who came to him.
6. And let no one who falls in
with both the former narrative and also this present account be surprised if he
find that they differ from one another - in some points being added and others
left out: since he professes to have given the utmost account of what took place
for the glory of God.
7. In his former narrative he
passed by much on account of its great length, while other particulars he
recorded more fully, and especially some of the details of the vision, and other
points.
8.
It may be that in them he has
used the greatest possible brevity, in order that they might be short memorials,
or that by relating them too fully, they should be regarded as wearisome by such
as read them afterwards.
9. The determination of the king
and patriarch to compel all parties to accept the council of
Chalcedon not only brought ecclesiastics into trouble, but also many of the
chief laity at court.
10. For as Sophia had originally been brought up in the tenets of
Theodora's, most of the officers of her household belonged to the Monophysite
party, and apparently had not hereunto been interfered with.
11. But now more determined measures were taken to bring them to
obedience, and John details the resistance that was made by many of them, and
even by the ladies, in the following narrative.
12. At that time, when every body was possessed by great fear at the
stern and terrible threats of the king, many grew alarmed, and submitted
themselves to communion. For he gave orders that no one should attend his levee
to salute him on easter-day unless he had previously partaken of the sacrament
in his company.
13. And as disobedience to this command entailed loss of office as well
as the king's displeasure, most of them were terrified, and went over to his
communion.
·
(Leonard:
“And the thorns grew up and choked them.”
Or: “He who does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of
Me.”)
14. A few, however, stayed away, though convinced that by so doing they
passed a sentence of death upon themselves, so taken were most of them by
abject terror.
15. Among these was Andrew, the queen's chamberlain and purse-bearer, a
man of active and fervent zeal, and earnest in the ways of virtue from his youth
up, and constant in fasting and prayer.
16. At the commencement of the persecution most of the chamberlains,
and ladies of the court, and the queen's chief officer of the household, whose
name was Stephan, were members of the orthodox community, and had been so from
the days of Theodora.
17. But prevailed upon by fear, they submitted to take the communion
with the king from the hands of the synod-ites; but Andrew alone was firm, and
stood up manfully with his mind fully prepared to struggle even unto death.
18. Their majesties therefore, and the chamberlains on both sides, with
the view of obtaining favor, attacked him with strife and argument: but he was
not in the least frightened at them all, nor ceased from contending with them,
nor gave way.
19. And this made the king repeatedly pronounce the most fearful
threats of death itself against him. And as he still would not yield a single
point, nor humble himself, nor show fear of him, the king grew so angry once
that he struck him with his hands.
20. For he resisted him so
boldly and firmly, answering in his turn when he required him to communicate
with those who acknowledged the synod, and arguing, and manfully resisting him
in words such as the following:
21. 'I confess that you are my lord, and I am your slave: and my body
is in your hands, to do with it whatsoever you will: but over my soul you have
no power, for it is in the hands of God, and my faith is for ever, and neither
shall ye nor any other change it, because I believe in God.'
22. In this way every day they argued one with the other, and since
their majesties loved him for his nobility and virtue, and valued his good sense
and knowledge, they were anxious to obtain permission, that he might remain in
their service.
23. And the king, in the presence of several of his courtiers even
said, 'what shall we do with this audacious fellow who resists and disobeys us?
For such a mind and brain as he possesses is not anywhere in our court, so that
we do not wish to send him away, nor can we possibly let him stay if he refuses
us his obedience.'
24. Accordingly, they bore with him in the hope that finally they would
convert him, but when he gave no sign of yielding, the king at length briefly
said to him,
25.
'Either submit to us, and take the communion with us, or get out of
our palace.' Upon which Andrew immediately divested himself of his robe, and
joyfully laying it at the king's feet, said,
26. 'Never hast thou shown me a greater kindness than this, in
separating me from the service of men, and making me give myself to His ministry
and service, Who created me and brought me into the world; for henceforth I will
serve Him alone.'
27. So saying, he left the king's court, and was confined in a
miserable prison in the building called the palace of Hormisda.
And after some time there he received a visit from the king's curator,
who was sent partly to coax and partly to terrify him.
28.
To see whether he would give way, and communicate with them, and
not lose his post. This conference lasted for a long time, and at first the
curator had recourse only to admonitions and flatteries.
29. But when he saw that he would not give way, he began to threaten
and terrify him, saying, 'Look to thy life, lest I be compelled to execute upon
thee that which I have been commanded.'
30. Upon which Andrew
bent down his neck, and stretching out his head before him, said,
'Thou art not a living man, and may God show thee no mercy if thou dost not
bring thy sword and take off my head.
31. And make no mistake, either you, or those that you will sent,
supposing that I ever have on any account held communion with those that divide
our Lord Jesus Christ into two, or the Lord forbid that I ever will.
32. And may God show you no mercy, if thou do not at once take off my
head, and rid me of the burden of this life.'
33. Upon hearing this, the curator departed, and carried his report to
the king and queen, who wondered greatly, but were also vexed at his conduct:
and still in hope of making him give way they gave orders for his removal and
imprisonment in the monastery of Dalmatus, which was the highest in rank of all
the religious houses both in the capital and its suburbs.
34. Thus they brought him out, and removed him in the most public
manner by day in the hope of frightening him.
But Andrew,
as they led him through the city amidst crowds of people, was full of joy and
eagerness.
35. And gave praise to God that he was accounted worthy to suffer
imprisonment for the true faith, while the mob ran together to see the queen's
purse-bearer stripped of worldly office, and conducted to prison for the true
faith's sake.
36. And all men wondered at him, and many glorified God who had given
him the strength thus to despise the world; and many were confirmed in the faith
when they saw him thus cheerful and joyous, and gave praise to God on his
account.
37. But the monks and others who had charge of him tried to pull up the
hood of his cloak to cover his head: but he uncovered it, saying, 'It is a great
glory to me to die for Christ's truth: and no man may make my glorying vain.'
38. His imprisonment lasted three years, at the end of which came the
chastisement of his persecutors, and he was set free, but not restored to his
office at court.
·
39. From this history of her purse bearer, our historian proceeds to
give a sketch of the empress Sophia, who, he says, during the lifetime of her
aunt, the late queen Theodora, from her youth up to within three years before
she ascended the throne, used to take the communion with the orthodox, and
entirely rejected the communion of the synod-ites, that is, of those who held
that there were two natures in our Lord.
40. And this was a thing known publicly to everybody, and that a
presbyter named Andrew also regularly went, and consecrated the communion in her
house, and administered it to her, and to all the members of her household.
41. And when he was reserving the consecrated elements, she used to
tell him to put a pearl by it, —for so they called the pieces of bread, and
placed it upon the patten under the cloth.
And no one knew who received the pearl except Sophia the patrician,
though it was supposed by every one that it was Justin himself who took it in
secret, as he also had an aversion to the communion of those who held the two
natures.
42. Whether or not this was true, we cannot vouch, but have recorded it
on hearsay, as being the opinion generally entertained by every body.
43. The conversion of Sophia to the communion of the two natures was
brought about in the following way: His late majesty Justinian had long been
solicited by many influential members of his court to appoint Justin, his
sister's son, to the office of Caesar.
44. But he kept putting it off, and refusing them. At length a certain
Theodore, upon his consecration to the bishopric of Caesarea, and whose doom God
alone knows for his many evil deeds, had an interview with Sophia, and said to
her,
45. 'Be well assured, both of you, that the reason why your uncle has
listened to no one, nor consented to appoint his sister's son as Caesar, is his
indignation at you for opposing him in communicating with those of whom he
disapproves, and not communicating with him.
46.
For how can he appoint you to share the royal rank with him, if you
are manifestly opposed to him? Listen therefore to me, and go and communicate at
Church, and content the king, and then he will content you.'
47. And Sophia being persuaded by his representations gave way, but her
union with the synod took place only three years before she became queen.
48.
From this account of the empress Sophia, which naturally followed
the mention of Andrew, her purse bearer, our historian returns to the fortunes
of the other chief members of the orthodox party at Constantinople.
49. Among these were three men of consular rank, named
John, Peter, and Eudaemon,
who counted their
lives in the body as nothing compared with the spiritual life by a true faith in
Christ; and firmly refused therefore to hold communion with those who divided
Him.
50. On this account there was anger against them even unto death, and
the turning away of faces; but when they were expecting trial at every moment,
and the ruin of their estates and families, and of all that they possessed.
51. And everybody felt certain of their utter destruction, but God, who
saw that they were contending unto death for His name's sake, and for a true
faith in Him, saved them.
52. For inasmuch as many members of the senate, and chamberlains, and
other nobles, had been prevailed upon by terror to enter into communion with the
Chalcedonies, the murmuring occasioned by the violence and compulsion generally
used, at length reached the king's ears.
53. And led him to say in the presence of many senators, with the view
of making it appear that he prevailed upon no one by violence, as though any one
was prevailed upon except by a violence too strong for him to bear:
54. However be this as it may, God put it into his mind to say words
such as these, 'We neither have, nor will we force any one of those who have not
submitted to us to communicate with us: we leave them to their own will.'
·
(Leonard: We of course know
that the king lied in saying “We”. Nor
would the Lord have put it in these words, yet I won’t argue that the Lord
constrained the king.}
55.
And this declaration of the king's determination rescued them, and
they were no longer exposed to trials on account of their faith: but, on the
contrary, they finally reached the highest dignities, and enjoyed the fullest
freedom;
56.
So that the illustrious Eudaemon, who became Comes Privati, an
office which gave him the charge of the king's privy purse; and the illustrious
John, who was descended from king Anastasius, and the son moreover of queen
Theodora's daughter; and, lastly, Peter, who was of the family of Peter the
Patrician, the queen's curator, were sent to make a treaty of peace with the
Persians, in behalf of the whole Roman state.
57.
And this great embassy was entrusted to them in spite of their
continuing to hold the truth, as they had ever done, in full assurance. The patriarch
John, however, erased their names from the diptych — an act which caused them
great joy:
58.
For they said, 'Now we know that God hath pleasure in us, and hath
looked upon us, seeing that we are no longer mentioned at the communion of those
who divide Christ into two, after the true indivisible union.'
Chapter 10.
1.
Less fortunate were two ladies
of equally high birth, who with others of patrician rank were fiercely attacked
on all sides, breathing out terrible threats of fire, and menaces of death.
2.
And the rest, from the
overwhelming misery of the persecution, fainted in the conflict, and for their
wealth's sake, and houses and children and substance, submitted to communion, as
far as form alone went.
·
(Leonard: “As far as form alone went,” so it states. But spoke the
Lord; “Unless you love Me more than husband, wife, or children, or goods, you
shall not enter the kingdom of Heaven”.
Or “Many are called, but few are chosen”.)
3.
But these two boldly resisted
unto death, and counted their possessions, and children and households as
nothing. Of these the elder, whose name was Antipater,
was the mother-in-law of the consul John, and her daughter
Georgia, who was also of consular rank, and a zealous believer.
4.
The other lady, whose name was
Juliana, was the
daughter of the consul Magnes, who himself was on one occasion banished with all
his family, and Juliana
among them,
though he also was descended from king Anastasius:
Subsequently
Juliana herself became sister-in-law of king Justin,
having married his brother.
5.
After much contention,
therefore, and a manly contest, they placed both these ladies in nunneries, upon
the straits of Chalcedon, and strict injunctions were given, and orders sent to
the convents, in which they were severally confined.
6.
That unless they would consent
to communion, their hair was to be shorn in monastic fashion, and they were to
wear the black dress used by the nuns, and be further compelled to perform the
most menial labors.
7.
And these orders were strictly
carried out, and they were made to sweep the convent, and carry away the dirt,
and scrub and wash out the latrines, and serve in the kitchen, and wash the
candlesticks and dishes, and perform other similar duties.
8.
And as they could not endure
and bear with patience such annoyances as these, they also, as far as appearance
went, submitted to the Chalcedonies communion, to be set free, and escape from
their miserable imprisonment in these convents, if convents they may be called.
·
(Leonard: O what a shame, what a shame!
But what about the writer to say – “as far as appearance went”?
I did not see Eleazar (Maccabees) eat the swine’s flesh, even though in
the law of truth he could have. But for the sake of his enemies he could not, since they were
testing him to eat food of strangulation.
·
Had
it therefore been plain bread perfectly acceptable in the old law, but the enemy
having consecrated it to their idol, that bread would then have been food of
strangulation, and Eleazar would not have touched it.)
9.
Upon their submission, they
were allowed to return home, and restored to their former rank: but soon the
time of chastisement from God came upon both king and patriarch,
and they and all men breathed freely once again after their troubles.
10.
There were also two presbyters who underwent a great conflict for
the faith's sake, and both bore the same name of Sergius;
of whom one had been the writer's own syncellus, and the
other his disciple.
11.
While then
John was imprisoned in the penitentiary of the hospital
of Eubulus, the two Sergius were seized, after having long refused to conform, and thrown into
prison.
12.
Their arrest was effected through the treachery of a relative, who
professed to be of their party, but who, after thus playing the part of another
Judas, was himself apprehended, and hurried off to the bishop's palace, and
imprisoned there.
13.
Upon their arrest the two priests resisted those sent to seize
them, and argued and disputed sharply with them, until they grew angry, and
before a vast crowd they stripped them of their clothing, and tying them up
scourged them publicly with the utmost severity, but were not able to break
their constancy.
14.
And so manfully and with such spirit did they endure and persist in
their resistance, that their persecutors wondered at them, and finally
imprisoned them in a diaconate. They
had already endured the horrors of imprisonment twice together in the patriarch's
palace.
15.
And Sergius, the syncellus, once by himself in a monastery called
Beth-Rabula, and their present confinement, which began in February, and lasted
forty days, was aggravated by a severe frost.
16.
For Sergius the syncellus, the patriarch had a
great regard, and sent for him, and advised and coaxed and persuaded him to
dwell with him in his palace, and be his cell’s companion; even offering him
his solemn promise, that if he would consent, he should not be compelled to take
the communion with him:
17.
He also added, that 'as I hear of you, that you are a pious man and
a monk, abide with us, and be whatever you wish: but if you will consent to take
the communion with us, I will immediately make you bishop of whatever city you
please.'
18.
But Sergius manfully refused, and as he could bow his conviction of
the truth neither by promises nor flattering words, and saw his firmness and
immoveable constancy, he sent him to the monastery of Beth-Rabula.
19.
Where however he was treated with considerable kindness, the monks
not being ill inclined to the faith as the rest were, and having no love for the
council of Chalcedon, nor even proclaiming it in their worship.
20.
There was also a presbyter named
Andrew,
who had shut himself up in one of the towers of the city
wall; when he was torn at the patriarch's orders by a band of
clergy and Romans, who broke open his place of concealment, and pulled him out.
21.
But as they dragged and tore him along, they arrived at length in
the middle of the city; and on seeing a large crowd assembled there, he began to
cry out, 'Help! help! Men: I am a Christian, and an orthodox:
22.
And if these who drag me along are not heathens, but Christians, as
they say, why do they persecute and murder Christians?
And why do they drag me through the midst of you, and ye rest quiet, and
show no zeal for Christ's sake?
23.
And as he repeated these and similar cries, a large crowd rapidly
ran together, and their eyes flashed with wrath against those who had him in
charge, as if they would slay them. And when they saw the anger and zeal of all
the multitude against them, they ran away, and hid themselves;
24.
And so the people delivered the blessed Andrew from their violence.
Subsequently, however, he was again arrested, and imprisoned in the monastery of
"the sleepless;" where again after a protracted imprisonment, and much
suffering, he escaped:
25.
But having set people to watch for him, they again seized and
imprisoned him in the patriarch's palace; but even from there,
after taking part in several disputations, he again managed to make his escape.
Chapter 11.
A foretaste of God’s wrath upon the cruel.
1.
It does not become Christian
men, to stir themselves up to become violent and merciless persecutors. For such
indeed sentenced the servants of God to cruel imprisonments in dark and narrow
dungeons, though they were aged men, infirm and frail in body, and venerable for
their years;
2.
Yea, they condemned them to
merciless banishment, without fear of God; ordering them in bonds and strict
confinement, exposed to hunger and thirst with no friend permitted to visit
them: and when they banished them, they gave directions that the exiles should
have no mercy shown them.
3.
But that they be ill-treated
in every possible way, in the expectation that the greatness of their sufferings
and trials would compel them to submit themselves to the will of their
tormentors.
4.
And when, by force and
compulsion, they had made any submit, then, in violation of all law and
canonical order, they pronounced the ordination invalid, which they had received
long before at the hands of orthodox bishops, and ordained them afresh, both
priests and bishops.
5.
And so many were the deeds of
this kind, that the time is too short to relate them, nor as the event plainly
proved, could the justice of God either tolerate or endure them.
6.
For quick and speedily was the
wrathful sentence sent down from heaven upon this cruelty and savageness, or
rather upon those that had practiced it unrestrained by the fear of God. This
came upon John the patriarch, and upon the king, who was led
astray by him, doing these things under his influence.
7.
For both were scourged by the
same angry rod, and received the same sentence, to be given over to evil
spirits. And they had much to suffer, which was terrible and alarming.
8.
But which shall now be veiled
by us in silence, because of the honor due to the priesthood and the royal
dignity; but which being wrought in them during a lengthened period of time by
the devils, to whom they were severally given up, became matters of common
report and conversation.
9.
And to the truth of which, and
their terrible and fearful reality, we have the testimony of all the people of
those times.
·
(Leonard: A feigned love! To
veil in silence that which was given for a warning to others? Then again, where is the veil, the silence by the full detail
that follows? And what honor
of what priesthood? In the first place, they were not priests - but
exterminators, and secondly, Christ Jesus calling them vipers-brood, can hardly
be considered an honor.)
10.
Upon this alarming chastisement falling upon the king and patriarch,
the bishop (exterminator) john
was
at first rather stimulated to increased persecution of the believers by the
operation and incitement of the evil spirit which worked within him, so that
each day, without knowing what he was doing, or settled purpose,
11.
He gave utterance to savage and cruel threats, unwarned by the
chastisement, which he from time to time, received from the evil spirit; and
thus irritated the righteous Judge the more.
12.
Who sent upon him a disease of the bowels, and internal pains, and
the bitter agonies of gout: so that, being now tormented beyond hope of cure,
and pain following upon pain, and blow upon blow more intensely every day; and
all the care of his many physicians being in vain.
13.
And no respite or aid appearing, at length, as the magicians
confessed before Pharaoh, saying, 'This is the finger of God,' so also was he
forced to understand that his chastisement came from Heaven;
14.
And he began with sighs and tears to say to his physicians, 'Why
weary ye yourselves, my children, about me, a miserable wretch? For my maladies
are past the power of healing. For all these tortures have been inflicted upon
me by the just sentence of Heaven because of my cruelty, and men cannot heal
them.
15.
For now I know and understand that as I, without mercy, smote many,
so am I now singly scourged without mercy by the One.' And in process of time
the physicians ceased to attend him, for he himself refused their services; and
became unable to take food.
16.
And even when he swallowed any thing liquid, he quickly threw it
off his stomach, and finally his bowels came away piecemeal. His torment was not
only thus bitter and severe, but also protracted, so that he often said with
tears before many people,
17.
'I know, O Lord, that I have done evil in Thy sight, and that the
curses of Thy aged and honored servants have overtaken me, and stirred up Thy
wrath against me, because I treated them without mercy.'
·
18.
His punishment began about a year after he commenced the
persecution, and never abated: and as he did not even then desist from the
cruelty of his measures, finally there fell upon him this severe and most
painful torment, under which he lingered two years, and at length departed from
this present life in the thirteenth year of the reign of king Justin.
19.
The latter still lingered under his disease, finding occasional
relief, but never entirely delivered from his sufferings until the day of his
decease. His death was followed by the immediate recall of eutychius to the patriarchal
throne: and as we have briefly mentioned before, we will now show at length the
just judgment of God, which not only at the day of future trial, but also here,
visits men with retribution according to their deeds.
20.
For john the
bishop of the capital, of whom we are now speaking, being urged onwards by
savage violence, and hurried along by pride and arrogance like a boy, and
intoxicated and drunken with power, took down and erased all the pictures of the
orthodox fathers, and fixed up his own everywhere in their place.
21.
And while he thought not that he should die, suddenly the time of
his departure overtook him, and Eutychius his predecessor, who had been deposed,
was summoned to fill his place.
22.
And though by the persuasion of their majesties he consented upon
his return to let all that had previously passed between him and John rest in
silence, yet he obliterated his pictures everywhere, and expelled them, not
merely from the episcopal palace and the churches, but even made a search for
them, lest any one should escape notice.
23.
And the inhabitants of towns and villages, when they learnt his
will, in order that they might not be informed against, obliterated all John's
pictures, whether painted on the walls or on tablets, and took them down, and
fixed up those of Eutychius in their place, so that at most only one or two
remained here and there:
24.
And this became a wonder and an astonishment to all men, that God
so quickly had recompensed john
even here, and that as he had done, so it was done unto him, “(and the Lord
returned the requital of Nabal upon his own head.)
25.
And thus the pictures of John were obliterated as soon as he was
dead, just as he had boldly taken down the pictures of the saints and set up his
own.
Chapter 12
1.
The time during which john occupied the patriarchal
throne was thirteen years, more or less. Among
the satellites of the patriarch was a certain deacon, named theodulus, who distinguished
himself by the activity he displayed in the persecution, and who also was
overtaken by the Divine vengeance.
2.
From his youth this man had
been remarkable for his demureness, and humility, and quietness, and had thereby
with many earned the reputation of extraordinary virtue.
3.
These qualities had moreover
gained him an introduction to king Justinian, who, on seeing his humility and
sedateness, employed him as his almoner, and intrusted him with large sums of
money to distribute to the poor, and prisoners, and to the monasteries in the
suburbs and outskirts of the city.
4.
The money thus given him
amounted to many talents; and his services were not confined to the capital, but
he was often sent on similar errands even to distant countries: and finally
little by little he amassed for himself great riches out of the sums given him
to distribute.
5.
After Justinian's death, he
was employed by Justin in the same confidential post; and when the persecution
broke out, being anxious to obtain the favor of men, he was the means as one who
held a confidential position to bring many evils upon the whole body of the
believers in company with John and the rest.
6.
His business was to go in
advance to the monasteries, and there by his false oaths deceived many, but
finally he was detected in his wickedness.
7.
His zeal and vehemence in
defense of the synod, and the whole heresy of the two natures, was even greater
than that of John himself; and as he was perpetually slandering the believers
both to the king and patriarch.
8.
And exciting cruel anger
against them, he was himself invested with power to seize and imprison and
torture whom he would, besides being often intrusted with special commands, in
the execution of which he treated the believers in the most willful manner.
9.
Even the patriarch
himself was in no little alarm and fright at his rising power, and more so when
the Arians were put under his authority. But when he was thus lifted up, and
still busied with persecution, God severely scourged him, so that he could no
longer walk erect.
10.
For while he was still in his strength, and angrily urging on the
persecution, it so happened that his own wife and his cousins and secretary
embarked in a small vessel to cross the sea: but it floundered, and all but two
or three on board were drowned.
11.
Nor was this the only calamity, which befell him, for soon after
this his wife died, and a severe illness stretched him upon his bed, where he
was in much pain for three years.
12.
Then in the misery brought upon him by these severe chastisements,
he confessed with bitter tears, saying, 'Woe is me! For the curses of those whom
I persecuted have overtaken me, and the cry of those whom I oppressed has gone
up before God, and therefore is this my humiliation sent upon me from Heaven.'
13.
For it had so happened, a little time before, that somehow he
offended his vestryman who had charge of all his possessions.
14.
And out of revenge he went in secret to the king and informed him
of the talents which his master Theodulus had secreted, and which it is said,
were from twenty-four to thirty talents.
15.
These the king had secretly removed, then sending for Theodulus he
said; 'We are in great need O deacon of money for the wars; and if thou wilt
lend us two or three talents, we will requite thee.' And he replied, 'Me? My
lord? Where could I have talents?'
16.
By my life and my salvation,' exclaimed the king, ' you dare say
that you have none?' 'None, certainly,' was the answer; and he took his oath
that he was not worth a talent.
17.
Upon this, the king ordered the talents to be produced, and with
them the vestryman, and sternly said, 'Do you know these?
How then did thou swear, and perjure thyself unto us and unto God? Thy
shame suffices thee: depart hence.'
18.
And so he departed, ashamed like the shame of a thief when he is
caught, and hid himself for shame; and became the scorn and ridicule of all men.
Thus was this disgrace added to his other afflictions, and he was further
dismissed from his office, and continued so to the present day.
·
19.
Another of the chief persecutors was the king's inquisitor, anastasius, who by birth was a
Samaritan; and when his countrymen in Palestine were being brought to judgment
by Photius, they accused him also of practicing their idolatrous customs, and an
indictment was drawn up against him, and laid before the king.
20.
And upon this anastasius was extreme alarmed, and he ran here and there, and gave bribes on
all sides, so that the indictment disappeared, and no inquiry was made into his
conduct.
21.
This man was the foe and stern enemy of the believers, and used to
threaten them severely. And whenever the patriarch's was absent
he acted as his commissary, and used the opportunity for stirring up the king
against them by his calumnies (falsehood).
22.
And on John's return, the two persisted, whenever they had an
audience, in these representations, and so abused the king's confidence, that
being roused to anger, he published decrees of alarming severity against the
whole body of the believers.
23.
And as was known to every one, anastasius was constantly in the habit of receiving sums of money from john, and was his adviser and
inciter to every thing that was abominable, like his accursed teacher aetherius, who prided himself
upon anastasius having been from the
first a laborer in the same cause as himself, and eager to walk in all his
footsteps.
24.
But Justice could no longer endure this man's cruelty, who while
professing himself a Christian, used the opportunity of his office secretly in
every way, and on every pretext to smite the Christians, as only a heathen and a
Samaritan would do, and conspired with the other secret heathens to prevent the
unity of the church.
25.
But God saw his crafty purpose, and while he supposed that he was
deceiving both God and men, He brought his falsehood to light before the whole
church, when it was crowded with people, on the day of the adoration of the holy
cross of our Savior.
26.
On this festival the cross is brought out, and set up in the great
church, and the whole senate and all the people of the city assemble to adore
it: and with the senate came also the inquisitor, to show in pretence that he
also was an adorer.
27.
And as they formed themselves in rows, and drew near in order, he
too approached the holy cross; but before he could adore it, a demon entered
into him, and lifted him up, and threw him on the ground before the holy cross.
28. Yes, this man, I say, who falsely and deceitfully, in mockery of the Christian religion,
(Leonard: I broke up the paragraph here, so we might look at the mind of the author of these words, how vainly he holds idol worship for Christian religion. and he was not alone. In verse 27 the words "holy cross" what is so holy on an accursed piece of wood, their golden calf, which they came to worship instead of the Christ, who forbade graven images. Or do you think that -that piece of wood, cut from a tree grown in the ground, is any less an graven image than the beasts carved out of stone by the Egyptians and many others?)
had drawn near to worship —and he began to foam, and was torn by
the devil, and deprived of his senses, and screamed so long, that at length the patriarch
gave orders for them to lift him up, and carry him to the inner apartment of the
church.
29. While the whole multitude who filled the church long continued
crying Kyrie eleison, being in wonder at the revelation of his fraud, and at the
chastisement, which the Lord of the cross had inflicted upon him, before the
eyes of so many people. And terror fell on many deceivers and hypocrites.
30. As for Anastasius, he never again raised his head, but being thus tormented by the devil, he lived about a year and a half, more or less, and so departed from this life.
(Leonard:
With this so called punishment of Anastasius the author seems to have a powerful
argument in defense of their own self idolatry, as the Lord said; "If
possibly even to deceive the elect." He would have better to show the
people how God punished Anastasius as a token - that the same will happen to all
of them for adoring that piece of wood.)
31. Nor did vengeance fall only upon individuals, but as the synod-ites
had rooted up the churches of the orthodox during the persecution, so after a
short time, by a righteous sentence, the altars of their churches throughout
Thrace, and up to the very walls of the city, were raised to the ground by the
barbarians.
32. For it seemed good to the rulers in church and state, to overthrow
the meeting-houses of the believers, and level their altars with the ground: but
when a short time only had elapsed, a barbarous people, who from their unshorn
hair are called Avars, invaded the country and marched up to the outer walls of
Constantinople.
33. And all the churches in Thrace were plundered by them and desolated
with the whole land, and the altars were stripped and overthrown, and the
ciboria destroyed and plucked down,
even to the very walls of the city.
34. And many of them understood this just judgment, and said, 'Lo, that
which was unjustly done by men of our own party unto those who do not agree with
us, in uprooting their churches, this has God done unto us in anger, and our
churches also are rooted up and ruined.' —And all men wondered thereat and
praised God, Who requites every man according to his works.
·
(Leonard:
It was not for the synod-ites, but rather for their own idolatry that God
uprooted their churches along with those of the dividers of God.)
35. Upon the death of the patriarch john,
eutychius was once again summoned to
fill the archiepiscopal throne, from a monastery at Amasea in
the north. And on his arrival at the capital, he was received by their majesties
and the whole city with the utmost pomp, since rumors were spread abroad
concerning him, to the effect that he wrought miracles and did mighty works.
36. The whole city therefore rejoiced at his arrival, and congratulated
themselves upon their deliverance from the perfidy and falseness and usurpation
of john,
who had been appointed in violation of canonical order; and originally he held a
menial position, and subsequently was a jurist.
37.
Nor was it until a very short time before that he received the
tonsure and became a clergyman, and then unexpectedly bishop of the royal city;
but this in no way broke him of his habits as a layman and jurist.
38. eutychius, on the contrary, was
a sober monk: and at his deposition he had already occupied the throne of the
capital for twelve years; and on his expulsion, john had held the episcopate also for twelve years, entered upon the
thirteenth.
39. And
so eutychius
returned, feeling as though he could not sit upon his throne until
he had excommunicated john,
and cast, his memory out of the church of God. His return brought with it a
difficulty as to who had been the real bishop of Constantinople during the
twelve years of john's
occupancy, and therefore the archdeacon of Rome.
40. After the death of john of Sirmin and the restoration of eutychius,
an
archbishop spoke with much freedom before the king as follows: 'Be it known
unto your clemency, that according to the canons and rules of the church, if john was patriarch,
—and he certainly acted in that capacity all the days of his life, —then eutychius was not patriarch, and it is impossible for him
to be admitted into the church, and occupy the throne.
41. If however eutychius is received, and admitted as patriarch, and
occupy the throne, then john and all that he did
cannot be acknowledged by the church, but must be rejected, whether it be the
consecration of bishops, or ordinations.
42. Or any baptism which he performed, or the consecration of a church,
or an altar, it is all null and void, and his name must be erased, and
proclamation made of his expulsion from the church of God, and the order of the
priesthood.
43. And this is the more necessary, because the two have mutually
deposed and excommunicated each other, and all who severally communicate with
them: so that it plainly follows from the canons, that one or other is deposed
and ejected from the church.'
44. And when the archdeacon had said these things in the presence of
the king, and declared that the pope of Rome held the same
view, he was sharply rebuked, and told to hold his peace, and not trouble
himself about the exact letter of the canons.
45. And so he held his peace, and passed the matter by; and the rule of
the canons was trampled under foot and broken.
46. The archdeacon of rome had however only expressed the general opinion: for all men had
expected that eutychius,
upon his recall, would refuse to occupy the patriarchal throne,
until a synod had been assembled, and made a full enquiry.
47. But on arriving at the city, he mounted and sat upon his
throne without opposition: and both parties drank and swallowed down the
turbid dregs of the mutual excommunications, which john and eutychius had pronounced against
each other and their respective adherents; so that astonishment took possession
of all men.
·
(Leonard: “Upon his throne”???? A bishop upon a throne????
No wonder there is so much evil. Even
Christ Jesus was never at any time upon this earth upon a throne, and as He
said; “No servant is above his Master.” So I say: A bishop upon a throne, is
an apostate seated in hell.
·
You
have noticed that I placed all their names in lower case and in red in disgrace
as it befits them.)
48. But though eutychius abstained from a ca canonical enquiry into the validity of john's patriarchate,
fearing lest he should stir up some opponent against himself, and lose his post.
49. He showed his hatred and fierceness against him by giving orders
that all his pictures should immediately be destroyed and removed from the
palace; which john had
rebuilt in a magnificent manner, after it had been destroyed by fire.
50. His pictures elsewhere were also obliterated, and his name no
longer heard at the recitation from the diptychs of the former patriarchs
of Constantinople, until the king expressed his displeasure at the omission.
51. He moreover drove away and deprived all his relatives from their
offices, and heaped every possible contumely upon his predecessor's memory. And
every one who wished to please him, when they saw his infatuation, spoke ill of john.
52. And he listened to it with pleasure: and finally, his folly reached
such a height, that he used to say openly, that john never was bishop of
Constantinople, but was simply keeping my place, having himself nothing to do
with it.'
53. But these absurdities deceived no one but himself: for all knew
that he had been deposed, and that john was appointed in his stead, and had occupied the see, and formally
pronounced his deprivation.
·
54. The restoration of eutychius did not promise much peace to the orthodox party: for in his exile
he had occupied himself in his monastery in tearing up and arranging books of
lacerations, as a proof from the fathers of the doctrine of a quaternary instead
of the Holy Trinity, as it had been set forth at the synod of Chalcedon in the
wicked tome of leo.
55. For he in like manner taught that there are two natures in Christ
even after the union, and said that all the fathers also acknowledged this.
Immediately after being re-instated in his see, he busied himself eagerly in
sending copies of these books to the leading men, and ladies of note.
56. Requesting them to read and understand, and so be to acknowledge
the two natures: and he sent them especially to such persons as were offended at
the doctrine of the two natures, who in accordance with the fathers held that
there was but one nature in Christ as He existed
corporeally.
57. But the effect to what he had expected was contrary, for even his
own officers and people generally ridiculed his absurdity, and the whole city
began to be excited, especially those who had not drunk of the turbid dregs of
the Nestorian gall, expressed their indignation freely and in severe terms,
including some of his own bishops.
58. And so much excitement and debate was stirred up against him, that
at length they assembled at the palace, and frankly said, 'Know that if thou do
not gather in thy books, and say nothing more upon this matter, thou wilt cause
a schism in the church of God, even among our own party.'
59. And so he gathered in his books, upon which the excitement died
away, though he continued to hold the same views as before.
60. After these things, the haughty eutychius, who originally belonged to the heresy of Paul of Samosata, was not
long in precipitating himself into a fresh snare, by adopting the views of those
who denied the resurrection of the body:
61. Nor did he merely assent to their opinions, but set himself
industriously and zealously to confess and publicly teach their doctrine,
saying, 'These bodies of men do not attain to the resurrection, but others are
created anew, which arise in their stead.'
62. And this view he not merely taught by word of mouth, but even drew
up written treatises, and distributed them publicly, and constantly spoke of
nothing else. And again, on this account the whole city was excited against him,
and murmurs were every where heard, and expressions of scorn and ridicule.
63. And those especially were scandalized who were of his party, and
finally they said to him, 'If thou dost not hold thy tongue about this doctrine,
we in a body will excommunicate thee.'
64. And even this threat did not divert him from his opinion, but he
attempted no longer to teach it, especially as all men had come to regard him as
a heretic and a simpleton.
Chapter
14.
1. A few chapters further on,
John repeats this narrative as follows:
2. The vanity of his heart often
led the patriarch eutychius
astray; and whereas originally he belonged to the heresy of the Simonians, on
being made bishop, he sought to conceal this fact; and to please those who had
appointed him, and who held the Chalcedonies tenets, he stood up and played the
man in the heresy of the two natures, and began to persecute severely.
·
(Leonard: I am beginning to wonder about John of Ephesus.
eutychinus –“astray”, and “patriach”???
Why not the real term of “vipers-brood” as the Lord used, for the
sons of destruction?)
3. And when he was driven from
his throne into exile, he composed a large work of instruction, divided into
heads, concerning the two natures, which upon his restoration after john's
death, as we have previously
narrated, he began to distribute among the houses of the leading senators, both
to men and women, especially to such as held back from the confession of the two
natures.
4. And with his book he sent this
message, 'Read and learn that the church confesses two natures in Christ after
the union.' And laughing at his absurdity, they sent him his books back again.
5. Next, after a short interval,
he heard of the heresy of athanasius,
who after having been head and founder of the heresy of those who number the
substances, that is, the essences and natures in the Holy Trinity, having been
led astray by the error of john grammaticus, of Alexandria, he further said that these bodies of ours do not
rise again at the resurrection of the dead, but that others are made, which come
to the resurrection in their stead.
·
(Leonard: I would soon quit this nonsense here, but for the sake of
some of the worthwhile parts that follow herein, I will continue.)
6. And from this madness, worthy
of heathenism, there arose a schism among them, and they condemned one another
in their writings. When therefore eutychius heard of these people, he immediately joined himself to them, and
was imbued with their sentiments.
7. And he began composing a work
in their defense, and drew up and published books, until his bishops and clergy
were alarmed, and resisted him; and after much discussion, he was ashamed, and
held his peace, and gathered in his writings, though he still continued of the
same opinion.
8. Eutychius himself however
ascribed the ill success of his books to the machinations of the orthodox: and
though the supposition was unfounded, it led him to entertain an implacable
animosity against them, to set his face to exterminate and destroy them.
9. He therefore let the more
violent members of his party, such as the officials of the ecclesiastical
courts, and soldiers and civilians and clergymen and guardsmen, loose upon them
on the occasion of the celebration of their love feasts.
10. Attacking them not like Christians, but like murderers and
barbarians, dragged them with open violence to prison, and overturned their
altars, threw down their oblations, and poured, out the consecrated wine,
11. And anything they could find, the sacred vessels, anything of any
worth, with the service books, they plundered and stole, even robbing the
worshippers of their clothing and their shoes, and any thing else they found of
value, without despising any trifles.
12. And when they had stolen all they could, they dragged them away to
prison, and confined them, rich and poor together. Only when room was needed did they let any out to make room
for a fresh crowd, as similar scenes were repeated every day.
13. But these proceedings brought general disgrace upon eutychius and his party,
because, like heathens, they had thrown down and trampled under foot the bread
consecrated on Christian altars, and even cast it into the fire and burnt it.
14. And all these evils were done without restraint, until no
congregation openly ventured to celebrate public worship throughout the whole
city.
15. The cause of all these wrong doings was a certain flavian, originally a slave of
Andrew, the queen's purse-bearer, who at the commencement of the persecution
left the palace and his office, and went forth for the truth's sake, and was
plundered, and imprisoned in the monastery of Dalmatus, but retained his
constancy unbroken.
16. In his household was this slave of barbarian parentage, whom he had
carefully brought up, and trained to be his scribe; and he was a believer and
all his house. In process, however, of time he apostatized and conformed to the
tenets of eutychius,
by whom he was employed as an informer, and trouble maker of the believing
clergy and their congregations.
17. Taking therefore with him a troop of officials and guardsmen and
civilians and clergy, he went about laying hands on every body, and dragging
them to prison, after plundering them barbarously, and spoiling them and taking
from them all they had.
18. To escape from him, many gave him large bribes; for though a man
crept and hid himself in a needle's eye, as the proverb is, he was sure to creep
in after him by some stratagem or other, and seize him, and plunder and imprison
him.
19. And thus he became the tempter and Satan of all the priests and
congregations, and of all the believers in the capital, and of us too with the
rest; and, in short, it would be impossible to enumerate the evils wrought by
this man against the whole orthodox church.
·
20. Among those who endured this persecution with exemplary firmness
was a young nun. She was one of two sisters whose mother died while they were
infants, and their father placed them in a convent; and dying soon after, he
left them, that is, their convent, whatever he possessed.
21. And in process of time they grew up, and had just arrived at
womanhood, when john's
persecution broke out, and subsequently that of
eutychius: and as they obliged every religious house to receive the
sacrament at their hands; they took the sisters, upon their refusal, and placed
them in separate convents.
22. But they both stood firm as adamant, and especially the elder; upon
whom they inflicted every kind of torture and pain, and close confinement, and
hunger and thirst, as being the elder of the two, and glorying and fervent in
the faith.
23. But she rebuked and reproached those in whose convent she was
confined, and said, 'Ye and your priests, and all your party are aliens to the
Holy Trinity, to instead hold a quaternary of persons, like the synod of
Chalcedon, which makes a pretence of excommunicating Nestorius, but really and
truly holds his view, and acknowledges two natures, just as he did, and as you
also do, and all who agree with it.'
24. And as they could not refute her arguments, they went and accused
her to the bishop, and said to him plainly, 'Unless you give orders for the
immediate removal of this tempter, know for certain that we must all quit our
nunnery; for it is impossible to endure her scoffs and contumelies, or answer
her arguments.'
25.
He therefore sent to the bull-whip, an officer who had the general
oversight of the monastic institutions, commanding him to go and examine her,
and severely chastise her; and then eject her, and send her to a convent where
their discipline was more severe.
26. With directions to torture her until they made her submit. The
scoundrel accordingly appointed his men to try the case, and on their arrival
they began to accuse and threaten her; but she of her own accord laughed at
them, openly expressing her contempt, and saying.
27.
'Why do ye heathens and murderers threaten a poor weak girl like me?
If ye go no further than threats, and do not at once murder me, according to
your custom and that of him who sent you, I do not count you as men, or even as
living creatures.'
28. Upon this, they beat her in anger with a staff until they were
tired: but she only derided them the more, and condemned them, saying, 'O you heathen persecutors and murderers of Christians!'
and urging them to kill her, she said,
29.
'You are heathens and not Christians; for Christians do not
persecute Christians: but you show yourselves to be heathens in that you do the
work of heathens.'
And as they could not
answer her, they dragged her away and imprisoned her in another nunnery, leaving
orders that they should torture her severely.
30.
But when but a few days had passed, these also began to cry out, to
get rid of her. And so she was removed to one convent after another; and when
none could break her spirit, eutychius gave orders that she should be brought to him in the church.
31. But when the people heard of the patriarch's
intention, they went to him, and said, 'Know, my lord,
that if you let her enter your presence, and do not first cut out her tongue, or
strike off her head, there is no reproach or ridicule that she will not freely
utter to your face. For even when
flogged and scourged, she only grows the more vehement, being ready and eager to
suffer death.'
·
(Leonard:
The underlined – “my lord”, for that single word the man stands
condemned, in not having reproved them, and these persons as well in addressing
him as such. Thus we behold
children of hell cursing one another before they are even in their infernal
regions.)
32. Finally, however, she was brought to the church, and many attacked
her one after another, and multiplied their threats and denunciations; but she
regarded them no more than as if they had been so many dead persons, and
reproved them at great length.
33. And so they were all everywhere vanquished by her, and finally let
her return to her own nunnery. And thus she was the cause of the whole convent
being unmolested: for they never ventured again to attack them, being unwilling
to encounter her, and saying,
34. 'If this one sister of that convent has endured without flinching
all these trials, since they are all alike, who will ever be able to overpower
them?'
35. Not satisfied with these attacks upon their persons and their
property, eutychius
endeavored also to weaken the argumentative position of the orthodox by making a
change in those parts of the liturgy, which favored their views.
(Leonard:
It looks to me that the churches in these days were not much different to
our days that even the orthodox churches were hardly Christian.
Except that the Lord had kept some of them for His own, to glory in Him,
and for these few I am contend to retain these pages.
As for the rest – it would have done no more than to clutter up my
hard-drive, therefore also I have deleted the balance of this book.
It
is however in some of the wording and in my remarks to be considered as to whom
spoke the words, was it the John of Ephesus, on whose writing they were
narrating, or the choice of words of the narrator. The two things not in favor of the narrator are; his poor understanding of the English language, and his education towards the norm
of ignorance - as it is so often with these scholars of men.)
