John Chrysostom, Letters

your affection for us, your zeal, your understanding, your friendliness, your hospitality, putting all other things together, and forming the image of your virtue. Since, therefore, you have so captured and subdued us, that we even greatly desire your presence, but as this cannot happen now, grant us the consolation that comes from letters. For you will be able, by the frequency of your letters, to counterfeit the pleasure of your presence, being adorned with such great understanding. 84. To Faustinus. We have arrived at Cucusus in good health—for I will begin from here, from where you yourself desire to hear the letter begin—and we have found a place clear of disturbances, and full of much leisure and of much quiet, and having no one to annoy or to drive us away. And what wonder is it if this is so in the city, when indeed we traveled the most desolate and perilous and suspect road, which leads from there to here, fearlessly and without trouble, having enjoyed more safety than in the most well-governed of cities? For this good news, therefore, give us our reward, by continually writing to us about your health. For, living here in great quiet, we continually form an image of the nobility of your mind, its generosity, its hatred of wickedness, its boldness, the whole meadow of your virtues, and we delight in the memory, wherever 52.653 we go carrying you everywhere with us, and are kindled with excessive affection for you. Therefore we also desire to see you come here as well. But since this is arduous, we have recourse to the second-best voyage, and we ask for the encouragement that comes through letters. For it will be the greatest comfort for us to continually receive letters bringing us the good news of your health. 85. To Lucius, bishop. Even if we are separated from your Reverence by a great length of road, nevertheless the hatred of evil in your judgment has not escaped us, and how you were grieved at those who committed such great transgressions and filled the inhabited world with so many scandals. For this reason we confess our thanks to you, and admiring and blessing you we do not cease, because in such a great rubbish-heap of evils, with so many being carried over cliffs and reefs, you yourself did not cease walking the right road, blaming what has happened, and turning away from those who did it, as is fitting for you. Wherefore indeed we also exhort you to persist in this good eagerness, and to show even greater zeal. For you know how great your reward will be, what kind of prizes, how great the crowns, when, though there are so many who cause trouble, you yourselves take the opposite course, thereby providing the greatest correction for the present evils. For that, if you should wish to stand nobly, even if you were few in number, you would overcome the many who pride themselves on evil, no one will dispute. For nothing is stronger than virtue, and than seeking those things which build up the Churches as a wall. Having, therefore, a judgment sufficient to draw to yourselves great support from God, be exhorted to contribute what is of yourselves, becoming a very great wall for the Churches everywhere in the inhabited world through this judgment. 80. To Maras, bishop. And when the storm that shook the Church had its beginnings, the correctness and unswerving nature of your judgment did not escape us; and now that the evils have increased, we have again recognized your Reverence as persevering in the same things. For this reason, though we are situated at so great a distance, we render the greeting that is owed, and we bless and admire you, because, while the majority have cast themselves headlong by the lawless acts they committed against the Churches, you yourself have gone the opposite way to the others, turning away from those who dared these things, and remaining in the freedom that befits you. Considering, therefore, how great is the magnitude of this right achievement and of not being carried away with those who practice evil, and that this your unswerving and unbending judgment will be a path and a prelude to the correction of the evils, be pleased both to stand nobly yourself, as is fitting for you, and to encourage the others whom you are able.

τὸν περὶ ἡμᾶς, τὴν σπουδὴν, τὴν σύνεσιν, τὴν φιλοφροσύνην, τὴν φιλοξενίαν, τὰ ἄλλα πάντα συντιθέντες, καὶ τὴν εἰκόνα διαπλάττοντες τῆς σῆς ἀρετῆς. Ἐπεὶ οὖν οὕτως ἡμᾶς εἷλες καὶ ἐχειρώσω, ὡς καὶ τῆς παρουσίας σου σφόδρα ἐπιθυμεῖν, τοῦτο δὲ οὐκ ἔνι γενέσθαι νῦν, τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν γραμμάτων πάρεχε παραμυθίαν ἡμῖν. ∆υνήσῃ γὰρ τῇ πυκνότητι τῶν ἐπιστολῶν σοφίσασθαι τὴν ἐκ τῆς παρουσίας ἡδονὴν τοσαύτῃ κεκοσμημένος συνέσει. Π∆ʹ. Φαυστίνῳ. Ἀφικόμεθα εἰς τὴν Κουκουσὸν ὑγιαίνοντες ἐντεῦθεν γὰρ προοιμιάσομαι, ὅθεν καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπιθυμεῖς ἀρχομένης ἀκοῦσαι τῆς ἐπιστολῆς, καὶ εὑρήκαμεν χωρίον θορύβων καθαρὸν, καὶ πολλῆς μὲν ἀπραγμοσύνης, πολλῆς δὲ γέμον ἡσυχίας, καὶ οὐδένα τὸν ἐνοχλοῦντα οὐδὲ ἀπελαύνοντα ἔχον. Καὶ τί θαυμαστὸν εἰ ἐν τῇ πόλει τοῦτο, ὅπουγε τὴν ἐρημοτάτην ὁδὸν καὶ ἐπισφαλῆ καὶ ὕποπτον, τὴν ἐκεῖθεν ἐνταῦθα φέρουσαν ἀδεῶς καὶ ἀπραγμόνως διήλθομεν, πλείονος ἀπολαύσαντες ἀσφαλείας ἢ ἐν ταῖς εὐνομουμέναις τῶν πόλεων; Τούτων τοίνυν ἡμῖν τῶν εὐαγγελίων δίδου τὸν μισθὸν, συνεχῶς ἡμῖν ἐπιστέλλων περὶ τῆς ὑγείας τῆς σῆς. Καὶ γὰρ ἐν ἡσυχίᾳ πολλῇ διάγοντες ἐνταῦθα διηνεκῶς ἀναπλάττομέν σου τῆς διανοίας τὸ εὐγενὲς, τὸ ἐλευθέριον, τὸ μισοπόνηρον, τὸ πεπαῤῥησιασμένον, ἅπαντα τῶν ἀρετῶν σου τὸν λειμῶνα, καὶ ἐντρυφῶμεν τῇ μνήμῃ, ὅπουπερ ἂν 52.653 ἀπίωμεν πανταχοῦ σε περιφέροντες, καὶ μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς ἐκκαιόμενοι τῷ φίλτρῳ τῷ περὶ σέ. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐπιθυμοῦμεν καὶ ἐνταῦθά σε παραγενόμενον ἰδεῖν. Ἐπεὶ δὲ τοῦτο ἐργῶδες, ἐπὶ τὸν δεύτερον ἐρχόμεθα πλοῦν, καὶ τὴν διὰ τῶν γραμμάτων αἰτοῦμεν παράκλησιν. Καὶ γὰρ μεγίστη παραψυχὴ ἡμῖν ἔσται τὸ συνεχῶς δέξασθαι ἐπιστολὰς εὐαγγελιζομένας ἡμῖν περὶ τῆς ὑγείας τῆς σῆς. ΠΕʹ. Λουκίῳ ἐπισκόπῳ. Εἰ καὶ πολλῷ τῷ μέσῳ τῆς ὁδοῦ διεστήκαμεν τῆς εὐλαβείας τῆς σῆς, ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐκ ἔλαθεν ἡμᾶς τὸ μισοπόνηρόν σου τῆς γνώμης, καὶ πῶς ἤλγησας ἐπὶ τοῖς τηλικαῦτα παρανομήσασι καὶ τοσούτων σκανδάλων ἐμπλήσασι τὴν οἰκουμένην. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό σοι χάριτας ὁμολογοῦμεν, καὶ θαυμάζοντές σε καὶ μακαρίζοντες οὐ παυόμεθα, ὅτι ἐν τοσούτῳ κακῶν φορυτῷ, τοσούτων κατὰ κρημνῶν φερομένων καὶ σκοπέλων, αὐτὸς τὴν ὀρθὴν ὁδὸν οὐκ ἐπαύσω βαδίζων, αἰτιώμενός τε τὰ γεγενημένα, ἀποστρεφόμενός τε τοὺς ἐργασαμένους, ὥς σοι πρέπον ἐστίν. ∆ιὸ δὴ καὶ παρακαλοῦμεν ἐπιμεῖναι τῇ καλῇ ταύτῃ προθυμίᾳ, καὶ μείζονα ἐπιδείξασθαι τὸν ζῆλον. Οἶσθα γὰρ ἡλίκος ὑμῖν ἔσται ὁ μισθὸς, οἷα τὰ βραβεῖα, πηλίκοι οἱ στέφανοι, ὅταν τοσούτων ὄντων τῶν ταραττόντων αὐτοὶ τὴν ἐναντίαν φέρησθε, μεγίστην τοῖς παροῦσι κακοῖς ἐντεῦθεν διδόντες τὴν διόρθωσιν. Ὅτι γὰρ, εἰ βουληθείητε στῆναι γενναίως, κἂν ὀλίγοι τὸν ἀριθμὸν ἦτε, περιέσεσθε τῶν πλειόνων τῶν ἐπὶ κακίᾳ καλλωπιζομένων, οὐδεὶς ἀντερεῖ. Ἀρετῆς γὰρ ἰσχυρότερον οὐδὲν, καὶ τοῦ ταῦτα ζητεῖν ἃ τειχίζει τὰς Ἐκκλησίας. Ἔχοντες τοίνυν τὴν γνώμην ἀρκοῦσαν ὑμῖν εἰς τὸ πολλὴν παρὰ Θεοῦ ῥοπὴν ἐπισπάσασθαι, τὰ παρ' ἑαυτῶν εἰσενεγκεῖν παρακλήθητε, τεῖχος μέγιστον ταῖς πανταχοῦ τῆς οἰκουμένης Ἐκκλησίαις διὰ τῆς γνώμης ταύτης γινόμενοι. Πʹ. Μάρῃ ἐπισκόπῳ. Καὶ ἡνίκα προοίμια εἶχεν ὁ χειμὼν ὁ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν διασαλεύσας, οὐκ ἔλαθεν ἡμᾶς τὸ ὀρθὸν καὶ ἀπερίτρεπτόν σου τῆς γνώμης· καὶ νῦν ὅτε ηὐξήθη τὰ κακὰ, ἔγνωμεν πάλιν τὴν εὐλάβειαν τὴν σὴν τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἐπιμένουσαν. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐκ τοσούτου καθήμενοι διαστήματος καὶ τὴν ὀφειλομένην ἀποδιδόαμεν πρόσρησιν, καὶ μακαρίζομεν καὶ θαυμάζομεν, ὅτι, τῶν πλειόνων ἑαυτοὺς κατακρημνισάντων, οἷς εἰς τὰς Ἐκκλησίας παρηνόμησαν, αὐτὸς τὴν ἐναντίαν τοῖς ἄλλοις ἦλθες ὁδὸν, τούς τε ταῦτα τολμήσαντας ἀποστρεφόμενος, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς σοὶ πρεπούσης μένων ἐλευθερίας. Ἐννοῶν τοίνυν ἡλίκον τοῦ κατορθώματος τούτου τὸ μέγεθος καὶ τὸ μὴ συναπαχθῆναι τοῖς πονηρευομένοις, καὶ ὅτι ὁδὸς ἔσται καὶ προοίμια τῆς τῶν κακῶν διορθώσεως ἡ ἀπερίτρεπτος ὑμῶν αὕτη γνώμη καὶ ἀκλινὴς, αὐτός τε ὥς σοι πρέπον ἐστὶν στῆναι γενναίως παρακλήθητι, τούς τε ἄλλους οὓς ἂν οἷός τε ᾖς ἀλείφειν.