The Lords of a Bishop

Promotus ergo, et in throno residens in amica Christi magna civitate Alexandria, decreto divino veraciter, et non ex hominibus, neque per homines, hoc primum forte factum et praemium omnibus demontravit. Mittens enim mox dispensatores, et eum qui dicebatur super pacem, dicit coram omnibus ad eos in honorabili secreto: non justum est, fratres, nos ante alterius cujusquam curam habere quam Christi. Omni vero multitudine quae convenerat, audito verbo compuncta ac sustinente, dicit iterum beatus: Euntes ergo per totam civitatem, conscribite mihi usque ad unum omnes dominos meos. Illis autem non intelligentibus, qui hi essent, sed rogantibus dicere, et mirantibus quinam patriarchae domini existerent, respondit rursus angelicum illud os, et ait: Quod vos egenos et mendicos vocatis, illos ego dominos et auxiliatores praedico. Ipsi enim nobis vere et auxiliari, et coelorum regnum donare poterunt. Vita Sancti Joannis Eleemosynarii, Leontius Neapolis Cyprus Episcopus, Interprete Anastasius Bibliothecarius

John being elected and enthroned in the Christ-loving, great city of Alexandria, and that truly by divine decree and not from men nor through man, this was the first glorious deed and victory which he showed to all men: he soon summoned the treasurers and the official who is named the guardian of the peace, and said to them in the hearing of all in the Patriarch's council-chamber, 'It is not right, brethren, that we should consider anyone in preference to Christ'. The whole assembly which had gathered together was deeply moved at his words, and agreed, and then the blessed man continued, 'Go therefore through the whole city, please, and make a list of all my Lords down to the last'. But his hearers could not imagine who these could be, and besought him to tell them, as they were astonished that any could possibly be Lords of the Patriarch; and he opened his angelic mouth again and said: 'Those whom you call poor and beggars, these I proclaim my Lords and helpers. For they are truly able to help us and bestow upon us the kingdom of heaven.' The Life of St John the Almsgiver, Leontius Bishop of Neapolis in Cyprus, translated by Anastasius the Librarian