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AT this time a silver statue of the Empress Eudoxia covered with a
long robe was erected upon a column of porphyry supported by a lofty
base. And this stood neither near nor far from the church named
Sophia, but one-half the breadth of the street separated them. At
this statue public games were accustomed to be performed; these John
regarded as an insult offered to the church, and having regained his
ordinary freedom and keenness of tongue, he employed his tongue against
those who tolerated them. Now while it would have been proper to
induce the authorities by a supplicatory petition to discontinue the
games, he did not do this, but employing abusive language he ridiculed
those who had enjoined such practices. The empress once more applied
his expressions to herself as indicating marked contempt toward her own
person: she therefore endeavored to procure the convocation of another
council of bishops against him. When John became aware of this, he
delivered in the church that celebrated oration commencing with these
words: 'Again Herodias raves; again she is troubled; she dances
again; and again desires to receive John's head in a charger.'
This, of course, exasperated the empress still more. Not long after
the following bishops arrived: Leontius bishop of Ancyra in Asia,
Ammonius of Laodicea in Pisidia, Briso of Philippi in Thrace,
Acacius of Beroea in Syria, and some others. John presented
himself fearlessly before them, and demanded an investigation of the
charges which were made against him. But the anniversary of the birth
of our Saviour having recurred, the emperor would not attend church as
usual, but sent Chrysostom a message to the effect that he should not
partake of the communion with him until he had cleared himself of the
crimes with which he stood impeached. Now as John maintained a bold
and ardent bearing, and his accusers seemed to grow faint-hearted,
the bishops present, setting aside all other matters, said they would
confine themselves to this sole consideration, that he had on his own
responsibility, after his deposition, again seated himself in the
episcopal chair, without being authorized by an ecclesiastical
council. As he alleged that sixty-five bishops who had held communion
with him had reinstated him, the partisans of Leontius objected,
saying: 'A larger number voted against you, John, in the
Synod.' But although John then contended that this was a canon of
the Arians, and not of the Catholic Church, and therefore it was
inoperative against him -- for it had been framed in the council
convened against Athanasius at Antioch, for the subversion of the
doctrine of consubstantiality -- the bishops would not listen to his
defence, but immediately condemned him, without considering that by
using this canon they were sanctioning the deposition of Athanasius
himself. This sentence was pronounced a little before Easter; the
emperor therefore sent to tell John that he could not go to the
church, because two Synods had condemned him. Accordingly
Chrysostom was silenced, and went no more to the church; but those
who were of his party celebrated Easter in the public baths which are
called Constantianae, and thenceforth left the church. Among them
were many bishops and presbyters, with others of the clerical order,
who from that time held their assemblies apart in various places, and
were from him denominated 'Johannites.' For the space of two
months, John refrained from appearing in public; after which a decree
of the emperor sent him into exile. Thus he was led into exile by
force, and on the very day of his departure, some of the Johannites
set fire to the church, which by means of a strong easterly wind,
communicated with the senate-house. This conflagration happened on
the 20th of June, under the sixth consulate of Honorius, which he
bore in conjunction with Aristaenetus. The severities which
Optatus, the prefect of Constantinople, a pagan in religion, and a
hater of the Christians, inflicted on John's friends, and how he
put many of them to death on account of this act of incendiarism, I
ought, I believe, to pass by in silence?
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