Saint Philogonius was brought up to the law, and made a considerable figure at the bar, being admired for his eloquence, and still more for the purity of his manners and sanctity of his life.
This was a sufficient motive for dispensing with the canons, which require some time spent among the clergy before a person be advanced to the highest station in the Church.
Philogonius was placed in the see of Antioch, upon the death of Vitalius I in 318, and Saint Chrysostom mentions the flourishing state of that church in his time, as an authentic proof of his zeal and excellent administration.
In the storms which were raised against the Church, first by Maximinus Daza, and afterwards by Lucinius, Saint Philogonius deserved the title of Confessor; he died in the year 322, the fifth of his episcopal dignity.
His festival was celebrated at Antioch on the 20th of December, in the year 386, in which Saint Chrysostom pronounced his panegyric, touching lightly on his virtues, because, as he says, he left the detail of them to his bishop, Flavian, who was to speak after him.
The poor he served gratis, and he defended, both by word and writing, the widow and the orphan against the power of the great, never refusing his counsel to those whose means allowed but a small recompense or none at all for his services.
How high these noble qualities raised him in the estimation of the people was especially manifest, when after the death of the bishop, they were choosing a worthy successor to their late shepherd.
He animated them to constancy and taught them not to allow either the loss of their temporal goods, nor other sufferings to separate them from Christ, or to leave the true Church, as they would deprive themselves of their eternal possessions, and would have nothing to expect but the pains of hell.
By frequent representations of the unending joys of heaven and the torments of hell, he strengthened his flock so effectually in the true faith, that they were willing to suffer poverty and tortures, and even death, rather than leave it.
When it happened that one would apparently forsake the true faith through fear of martyrdom, the holy man, though deeply grieved, spoke neither harshly nor unkindly to him, but, with a heartfelt compassion, represented the greatness of his sin, exhorted him to do penance and atone for his error, and encouraged him to constancy.
No shepherd could be more solicitous to protect his sheep from an attack of wolves than Saint Philogonius was to keep the Heresiarch from his people and retain them in the faith of Christ.