Chrysostom's Views Concerning Several Other Articles of Faith

"John Chrysostom," he writes, "a celebrated, zealous, and eloquent teacher or bishop at Constantinople, was expelled from his bishopric, and banished into misery; much disgrace and suffering were inflicted on him, and he died in banishment.

"His adherents and people were greatly persecuted by imperial edicts commanding them also to attend church and hear their enemies (namely, those of the Roman church), which they would not do, but held their own meetings in the farthest outskirts of the city. When this was reported to the Emperor by the bishop, a squad of soldiers was immediately sent to the place, who with sticks and stones broke up the meeting, robbed those who had assembled of their goods, and seized those who could not escape. Finding it impossible to meet in public, they chose voluntary banishment, and left at once, each his own way. Besides this, the adherents of Chrysostom were unjustly accused of having caused a fire, which the common people, out of spite toward Chrysostom, had kindled in the temple in which he had taught; on account of which they had to suffer much; the cruelty practiced being as great as that of the first persecutions.

"Again, the aforesaid John Chrysostom, also called John Goldenmouth,* on account of his golden or excellent teachings and his eloquent tongue, taught from Matthew 5, that we ought not to swear at all, neither rightly nor falsely, and concludes very forcibly, with many words from the passage, Matthew 5, verse 34: 'Swear not at all,' that it is not lawful for a Christian to swear. He conclusively refutes all objections, and maintains that now we ought not to swear. [n235-1] Read for yourselves his full exposition of these passages."

Before him, Haimus likewise writes, on Revelation 10, saying, That all swearing is now forbidden to men, it being lawful only for God and the angels, who neither deceive, nor can be deceived.

Seb. Franck notes the following concerning this Haimus: "Haimus, the teacher, also wrote a great deal against the pope and the Roman church; among other things, that swearing is lawful only for God and the angels, but that to men all swearing is forbidden. On Revelation 10, Chron., Roman. Kett., letter H.

NOTE. This view (that we ought not to swear) is also ascribed to Isiodorus. Tract. Loop der Werelt, page 99.

We return to the account of P. J. Twisck concerning Chrysostom, page 136, column 2. He writes

"This Goldenmouth, John Chrysostom, also taught mightily against cruelty, tyranny, war, and bloodshed, maintaining that it is altogether improper for Christians to wage war, and that peace and quiet are to be taught in the kingdom of Christ. Christ," he says, "does not compel, does not drive away, does not oppress, but grants to each His free will, saying: 'If any man will.'"

Read also, on Matthew 13, how he explains that the tares (to which the heretics are compared) are not to be rooted out, which, he says, Christ spoke for the purpose of preventing and forbidding war and bloodshed. No violence is to be used in heavenly things; the wicked teachings which have come from heretics are to be rebuked and anathematized; but the men we must spare

Again, he is also greatly opposed to the worshiping of the saints, saying that God is not like the tyrants, with whom intercession is necessary; and that we are not to confess our sins to anyone except to God alone. "You must confess your sins," he says, "so that you may eradicate them. If you are ashamed to confess to anyone, confess them daily in your soul. I do not say that you shall confess them to your fellow servant, so that he may curse them and reproach you; but tell them to God, who alone can heal you of them, and follow in this the prophet, who says: 'Commit your way to the Lord . . . and he shall bring it to pass" ' (Psalm 37, verse 5).

And on Matthew 23, he says with many excellent words: That with human doctrines we serve God in vain, and that there is no other testimony of the truth, no other certain test of heresy, than the Holy Scriptures, and no other way by which we may know which is the Christian church.

Again, Chrysostom says: "When the Roman Empire shall be put down, then antichrist shall come." On Matthew 24, he says: "He does not speak unreasonably who by the abomination of desolation understands antichrist, who, it is thought, will rise shortly afterward, and will occupy the holy place of the church, under the name of Christ." Also, on Second Thessalonians 2: "When the Empire shall be waste and vacant, then antichrist shall occupy it, and endeavor to draw to himself the kingdom of God and men."

Further, on Matthew 24: "Beloved, do not be moved when antichrist does the works of Christ, and in the sight of Christians performs all the offices of Christ; for Satan himself can transform himself into an angel of light. What wonder then, that his servants take on the garb of servants of righteousness, and a semblance of Christianity.

"The Jewish abomination is to be understood as referring not only to the Jewish war, but, in a spiritual sense, also to antichrist, who in the last time shall sit in the holy place, occupying the chief places of the church, and leading the souls of men away from God. This is very likely the one of whom Paul says that he shall oppose and exalt himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. He, standing in the holy place, has laid waste the church of God with multitudes of heresies."

Then he says: "Since the Lord Jesus knew what great destruction would come in the last days, He commanded that the Christians who are in Christendom, if they would always continue in the true faith, should resort only to the Holy Scriptures; for, if they would look to other things, they would be offended and corrupted, and would not understand what the true church is, and would in that way fall into this horrible abomination, which sits in the holy place of the church."

"Thus," writes Twisck, "Chrysostom, Augustine, Gregory, Ambrose, Jerome, and most of the ancient teachers, though the Papists esteem them greatly with their mouths, would be nothing better than Roman heretics, and if they were still alive, and would teach these doctrines, they would have to expect nothing but fire and sword."

"Finally, in the year 408 Chrysostom was released from his life of vexation and exile, in which he suffered much, and fell asleep in peace." P. J. Twisck, Chron., 5th book, pages 137 and 138, column 1, from Chron. Sebastian Franck, folio 56, 92. Tob. Fari, folio 73. Merula, folio 338. Joan. Wales, folio 166. Cornelius Hillenius, folio 41.

In the year 390. Jerome, born of Christian parents at Syridon, in Illyria, or Dalmatia, and instructed in the Christian doctrine from his youth, was baptized at Rome, yet not before he was in the thirtieth year of his age. Bapt. Hist., pages 841, 365, 366, 373, 593. P. J. Twisck, Chron., 4th book, page 29, column 1. Tract. van den loop der Werelt, page 47, from Erasmus and Wicelius, in the life of Jerome.

In Bapt. Hist., page 374, we read the following: "Jerome writes in the 78th epistle, that he received his baptism and white garment at Rome, though we know that he was born of Christian parents, at Syridon, in Dalmatia. Hence, says the author, the Christians of that age must not have hurried so much with infant baptism, as is the case at the present time." This Jerome, though some pedobaptists, indeed the Papists themselves, declare him a good and upright teacher, nevertheless wrote several things of such a nature that at the present day they would be pronounced heresy by many of these same pedobaptists, especially by the Roman church; hence he is classed among the Roman heretics, that is, among those whose views are at this day pronounced heresy by the Roman church. Chron. Seb. Franck, letter H; P. J. Twisck, Chron., 5th book, page 138, column 1. [n235-4]

Concerning how it stood with baptism at the time of Jerome, I find, in substance, this annotation, Bapt. Hist., page 335: "It is certain that in the time of Jerome adults were still baptized in the western churches, as may be seen in his epistle against the errors of John of Jerusalem.

He, in Epist. ad Pammach., and Ambrose, in Epistle 83, testify that those who desired baptism were called fellow desirers.

H. Montanus writes this: "Jerome, who also lived about that time, and, as some say, was an elder at Rome, or, much earlier, as others suppose, at Jerusalem, also testifies that in his time it was a prevailing custom to baptize adults who had been brought up in the Christian faith, when they desired baptism, for which reason they were called Competents, as Jerome states in his letter to Pammachius." H. Montan. Nietigh., pages 74, 75.

Having now shown how it stood with baptism at the time of Jerome, and that it was administered in the western churches to adults, we shall proceed to Jerome's individual views and what he has written on this subject, according to ancient writers.

In Bapt. Hist., page 373, Jerome writes to Pammachius: "It is customary with us to instruct publicly for forty days those who are to be baptized, and to charge them to pray to the Holy Trinity."

D. Vicecomes finally shows, page 375, chapters 41 and 44, that Jerome wrote that in his time they gave those who were baptized milk and honey to eat, which, the annotator remarks, is no food for newborn infants. Moreover, he shows what is required for true baptism; namely, regeneration, consisting in the putting to death of the old, and the resurrection of the new man. This he expresses in the following two passages

Jerome further writes, page 323, book 12, Comment. in Ezechiel: "We need not only the first birth, but also the second, in order that we, who are born in the flesh, may be born again after the Spirit."

Again, page 328, Apol. Contr. Ruin.: "We say that the old man dies entirely in baptism, and that the new man is raised with Christ in baptism; that the earthly perishes, and the heavenly is born."

Then he admonishes the candidates for baptism how they should conduct themselves before and at baptism; as well as how those who had already been baptized before many witnesses, and had made a good confession, ought to show themselves.

Again, page 374, Epist. 83, ad Ocean., he writes: "The catechumens who are learning the Christian faith must take care not to have carnal intercourse with women before baptism."

Again the words of Paul, First Timothy 6, verse 12, he explains as follows: "You have professed a good profession before many witnesses; which was done through your baptism, when you renounced the world and its pomp, before the elders* or teachers, before the ministers, and before the heavenly hosts."

In the tract called Klare en Grondige Bewijsing van den Doop, printed 1581, it is stated, letter A, Jerome on Matthew: "The Lord commanded His apostles that they should first instruct and teach all nations, and then baptize those instructed, in the sacrament of faith; for it is not possible for the body to receive the sacrament of baptism, unless the soul has previously received the true faith."

Who could ever believe that this man at any time defended, or at least did not oppose but admitted, infant baptism, seeing he opposes it in the places mentioned with such abundant clearness and plainness. We note only the last mentioned passage, where he certainly says, without the least concealment or exception, that it is not possible for the body to receive the sacrament of baptism, unless the soul has previously received the true faith. How can, may, or shall this be explained otherwise than that there cannot be or exist any other baptism than that which is received with true faith? For this is the very idea expressed by his words.

Nevertheless, there are men who ascribe to Jerome a certain dialogue against Pelagius, in which one Critobulus asks questions, and one Atticus answers, in this way: Critobulus asks: "Why are children baptized?" Atticus replies: "That their sins may be forgiven them in baptism." "Why, what sins have they committed?" asks Critobulus. Atticus answers: "Do you ask me this? Let the evangelical trumpet answer you."

But in order to prove that Jerome defended infant baptism, it would first have to be shown beyond dispute that this dialogue is Jerome's own work, which we have great reason to doubt, since the style as well as the matter of it do not agree with his other writings, especially those in which he treats of baptism; moreover, there have of old been forgers, who, in order to gain greater renown for their own productions, have ascribed them to celebrated men, or have inserted their own opinions into their writings; thus, it has been proved that the writings of Justin have been interpolated. [n235-2] Bapt. Hist., page 170. H. Montan., pages 7, 8, 9. Also, the writings of Origen. Bapt. Hist., pages 283 and 291. H. Mont., pages 29 to 34, 42, 43.

Indeed, in this way a whole book, also touching on infant baptism, has been falsely ascribed to Dionysius the Areopagite, who, it is testified, lived in the time of the apostles; this the Magdeburg pedobaptists themselves show. Centur. 1, chapter 2. Also, Jac. Mehrning, Bapt. Hist., 177, 293, 341.

Again, even if it could be shown, which is by no means certain, that this dialogue is Jerome's own work, it could nevertheless not be proved by it that Jerome himself held the views maintained by one party in the dialogue, namely, that infants may be baptized. For why should we not, with equal justice, ascribe to him the views of the other party, which demands reasons and proof why they may be baptized? For the one would certainly be his work as much as the other.

Moreover, every intelligent person knows that books written in the form of dialogues do not always express the author's individual views, but that frequently the views and debates of others are handled in them, either to censure them, expose their errors, or correct them.

Finally, how could it be possible that anyone endowed with reason and sound judgment should do such contrary things at one and the same time? We have shown how clearly and correctly he speaks of the baptism of adults, indeed, recommends it, and not only this, but how he, though he was born of Christian parents, remained unbaptized until he was in his thirtieth year. How then could he admit infant baptism, seeing he decisively opposed it by doctrine and example? Unless it can be shown that Jerome wrote this article on infant baptism before his conversion, or that he afterward fell away from his adopted views, to infant baptism; but as I can find no account of either, we will hold to our previous declaration.