Perí hierōsýnēs (De sacerdotio) of St. John Chrysostom

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exile in the year 7y. The occasion which eventuatly led to the compositionos the de sacerdotio is described at considerable tength in the opening chapters of this treatise: and a. braefflatenient xvili suffice here . Chrysostona had been onthe potnt of entering upon the monastic Ese in Company villi his intimate mend Basil, when he leariat that heand Basil had been chosen sor consecration as bishops, though they vere not yet even deacons. Chrysostom 'sdeep sense of the weight and responsibility of the

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INTRODUCTIONpraestly office, aries os his o vn un vorthiness, macie hinishrank srona the idea os ordination. On the other hand, he considered that Basil ivas enainently fitted forthe duties of a. bishop: and he resolved that the Churchshould not lose the services os his mendin. When there re Basil proposed that they should act

proached by Basil in language os great dignity and gentieness, he proceeded to defend and to explain his

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desertion os Basil li 7 to vi I 3). In these eloquent and moving descriptions os the dignity of the praesthood .lies the main interest os the present xvork: it is these vilicia have given ii iis titie περὶ ἱερωσύνης, and whichmake it os permanent valite to the clero os eve age. The date ivlien the evenis above described took place is probably 373'; a year or So besore C FSostomlest Antioch, and entered upon that hin os monasticretirement which, as xve have Seen, laSted untd 38O. The date of the cona position os the de sacerdotio is a quite distinct question: and Doni ancient times disserent opinions have been held on this surieci. Somehave assigned the woin to Chrysostom's diaconate 38I-386 , others to an earlier period, that which hepaSSed in retirenient 374-38o). It can, I think, be

present edition. II. Interitat evidence of the de sacerdotio.

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than the treatise περι ἱερωσύνης xvhiCh Ive POSSCSS. For not only is there no evideiace that Chrysostona urote more than one xvoin on this subjeci, but theconteκt of the passage in the sermon in maestion She sciose similarity xvith the topics hanciled in the de sacem dotio, as the folio ving analysis of the passage will prove. Ch Sostona is spealcing os the audacity of Κing Ugguili, who transgressed against the Lord his God, and went into the temple of the Loret to burn incense uPon thealtar os incense ' and is led to speak of the office of the praest as greater than that os the king : ἱερωσύνη γὰρ

και αυτης της βασιλείας σεμνοτερα, καὶ μείζων εστὶν

αρχή '. The throne of the praesthood is set up not onearth, like that os the king, biit in heaven: τίς ταὐτά φησιν; αυτος ὁ των ουρανῶν βασιλεύς' οσα γὰρ ανδήσητε, φησιν, επὶ τῆς γης, εσται δεδεμένα εν τοῖς Ουρανοῖς

και Oσα αν λύσητε επι τῆς γης, εσται λελυμένα εν τοῖς

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συνης, και οσον τῆς αξίας το μέγεθος, ἐν ἐτέρφ καιρῶδηλωσομεν. No v the de sacerdotio see Motnotes) containS R. Comparison belween the praestly and the kinglyoffices, in savour of that of the praest: it contains thesarne quotation frona St Matthew's Gospei, used sor the

the ascetic lise and had been or lained sor the ordinaryservice of the Church. Thus externat and internat evidence Combine tostae v that the de sacerdotio is later than the time os

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INTRODUCTIONDom Ch sostoni himself preachine mas not part of the π of a deacon: but ivas confined to the bishop and the viser of the presbyters .' Ηence the sermon inquestion is certainly later than Chrysostoin's or nationas presbyter. Barcientie ver places it in 386. Tillemoni and Μonifaucon' incline to place it later stili, in 388. Thus 386 is the teraninus post quem for the date os

the de sacerdotio. The terminus ante quem is assor led by Jerome, Iulio, in a. vvo in ivritten in 392, resers to the de sacerdotio as atready known to hi in . And we inust apparently place the terminus ante quem earlier than 392 in order to allo v the reputation of the book tinae tomach Jerome. Hence we inser that the de sacerdotio vas written belween the yearS 386 and 39O The date of the woric cannot pe haps be fixed xvitia greater preciSion On the evidenCe no v avail le. Butis ive may have recolarSe to is priori Consideration S, vestiali incline to place the date at ille beginning rather than

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aspersions to which he had been exposed. The Conclusion, theresore, to ivlaich ive are led byali the evidence before iis is that the de sacerdotio avas

published shortly aster 386, and most probably in ther 387. The scene of the dialogiae is laid at Antioch, the

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INTRODUCTIONBOOK VI describes the cluties of the praest as ContraSted vitii those of the nionlc. The responsibilities of the praest are Shewn to be greater, for the fouis os othersare in his keeping. The fierce character os ine varsare Carmed On by Satan against mantand iS alSodelinealed. The book encis xvith a promise givenby Chrysostona that he will assist Basil by his counset in sulfilling the cluties of his office.

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93O) quotes ine passage whicli is cited by George os

StateS, RS Ive have Seen, thiat Chrysostorn wrote inede sacerdotio cluring his diaconate.