John Chrysostom, Letters

of his finger, and cool my tongue, because I am terribly tormented in the flame? Why do you call Abraham father, whose life you have not imitated? He received every man into his house as a guest, but you did not care for one poor man. Is it not to mourn and weep, that he who had so much wealth, was not worthy of a drop of water how much it is necessary to do and to suffer for those who have been entrusted with the rational sheep, so that none of them may be lost. I beseech your Reverence, therefore, by how much greater the storm, and more numerous the evils, and severe the hindrances, and many those who plot against us, by so much the more to rouse yourself, and to call upon others 52.639 to take part with you in this good foresight, and with great speed to hasten to come there. For even for the journey itself you will have no small reward; and if for the journey, much more if you should take up the works, and show great zeal. For it is much better and more useful to make such journeys than to sit at home. For being there, it is also possible to have these things which you now have, fasting, vigils, the rest of the philosophic life. But sitting at home, it is not possible to gain what it is possible to reap sitting there, the salvation of so many souls, the reward from the dangers, the recompense for so much zeal; for it is a recompense for zeal. Considering therefore how great crowns you will lay up for yourself beforehand, do not delay, nor put it off; but having made light of it, be entreated to undertake the journey from here now, caring nothing for the necessities. For I have told everything to my master, the most honorable and most reverend presbyter Constantius, whether it might be necessary to spend on buildings, or for the needs of the brethren, to provide to you with greater abundance, and more now than before. Having therefore also the ease from there and above all doing the thing pleasing to God, having cast out all hesitation, be entreated to hasten quickly, and immediately make this known to us, so that even being in a harsh wilderness, we may from this reap much consolation. For if we should learn that you have journeyed there with that mind, prepared to do and to suffer all things for the salvation of the souls there, we will not consider that we dwell in a wilderness, from so great a pleasure. For we also desire to see you having come; but since this which I have said is more necessary, and there is a fear lest the winter should close the road from here to there for you, for this reason we urge you, and beseech you to hasten quickly. NE'. To Symeon and Maris, presbyters, and monks in the region of Apamea. Even if we are separated by a great distance of road, and we sit in a most harsh wilderness, yet still, having learned of the virtue of your soul, and your great philosophy, by which you illuminate all those there, we have become ardent lovers of you. And since for the time being it is not possible to enjoy meeting with you face to face, both on account of the winter season and the length of the road, we have been eager to converse with you through a letter, beseeching your Reverence, both to pray earnestly for the release from the evils that have seized the world, and to stir up everyone to this with much eagerness, and to us, whenever it is possible, to write more frequently concerning your health; so that even being far from you, and settled at the very ends of the inhabited world, we may also from this reap much consolation, by learn52.640 ing more frequently about your health. And the most desired and sweetest John the presbyter has greatly cheered us, in such a difficulty of times choosing to rise up from home, and to undertake the journey to Phoenicia. I beseech you, therefore, considering how great is the magnitude of the good deed, if you should find any noble men, able to cooperate with him towards the magnitude of these good deeds, be entreated with much eagerness to send them with him, considering how great a reward you will reap from this. N'. To Romulus and Byzus

δακτύλου αὐτοῦ, καὶ καταψύξῃ τὴν γλῶττάν μου, διότι δεινῶς ἀποτηγανίζομαι; Τί πατέρα καλεῖς τὸν Ἀβραὰμ, οὗ τὸν βίον οὐκ ἐμιμήσω; Ἐκεῖνος πάντα ἄνθρωπον εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ ἐξένιζεν, σὺ δὲ ἑνὸς πτωχοῦ φροντίδα οὐκ ἐποιήσω. Οὐκ ἔστι πενθῆσαι καὶ κλαῦσαι, ὅτι ὁ τοσοῦτον πλοῦτον ἔχων, σταγόνος ὕδατος ἄξιος οὐκ ὅσα καὶ ποιεῖν καὶ πάσχειν χρὴ τοὺς τὰ πρόβατα λογικὰ ἐμπεπιστευμένους, ὑπὲρ τοῦ μηδὲν αὐτῶν παραπολέσθαι. Παρακαλῶ τοίνυν σου τὴν εὐλάβειαν, ὅσῳ μείζων ὁ χειμὼν, καὶ πλείονα τὰ κακὰ, καὶ σφοδρὰ τὰ κωλύματα, καὶ πολλοὶ οἱ ἐπιβουλεύοντες, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον καὶ αὐτὸν διαναστῆσαι, καὶ ἑτέρους 52.639 παρακαλέσαι συνεφάψασθαί σου τῆς καλῆς ταύτης προνοίας, καὶ μετὰ πολλοῦ τοῦ τάχους ἐπειχθῆναι παραγενέσθαι ἐκεῖσε. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τῆς ἀποδημίας αὐτῆς οὐ μικρὸν ἕξεις μισθόν· εἰ δὲ τῆς ἀποδημίας, πολλῷ μᾶλλον εἰ τῶν ἔργων ἅψαιο, καὶ σπουδὴν πολλὴν ἐπιδείξαιο. Τοῦ γὰρ οἴκοι καθῆσθαι πολλῷ βέλτιον καὶ χρησιμώτερον τὸ τοιαύτας ἀποδημίας ἀποδημεῖν. Ἐκεῖ μὲν γὰρ ὄντα, καὶ ταῦτά ἐστιν ἔχειν ἃ νῦν ἔχεις, τὴν νηστείαν, τὰς ἀγρυπνίας, τὴν ἄλλην φιλοσοφίαν. Οἴκοι δὲ καθήμενον, οὐκ ἔστι κερδᾶναι ἅπερ ἐκεῖ καθήμενόν ἐστι καρπώσασθαι, ψυχῶν σωτηρίαν τοσούτων, τὸν ἀπὸ τῶν κινδύνων μισθὸν, τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς τοσαύτης προθυμίας ἀμοιβήν· ἔστι γὰρ προθυμίας ἀμοιβή. Ἐννοῶν τοίνυν ἡλίκους σαυτῷ προαποθήσῃ στεφάνους, μηδὲν μελλήσῃς, μηδὲ ὑπερθῇ· ἀλλὰ ῥᾳΐσας, ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη τῆς ἀποδημίας ἅψασθαι παρακλήθητι, μηδὲν φροντίζων τῶν χρειῶν ἕνεκεν. Πάντα γὰρ εἶπον τῷ κυρίῳ μου τῷ τιμιωτάτῳ καὶ εὐλαβεστάτῳ πρεσβυτέρῳ Κωνσταντίῳ, εἴτε εἰς οἰκοδομὰς ἀναλῶσαι δέοι, εἴτε εἰς χρείας ἀδελφῶν, μετὰ πλείονος παρασχεῖν ὑμῖν τῆς δαψιλείας, καὶ μετὰ πλείονος νῦν ἢ ἔμπροσθεν. Ἔχων τοίνυν καὶ τὴν ἐκεῖθεν εὐκολίαν καὶ πρὸ πάντων τὸ πρᾶγμα ποιεῖν ἀρέσκον Θεῷ, πάντα ὄκνον ἐκβαλὼν, ἐπειχθῆναι ταχέως παρακλήθητι, καὶ ἐξ αὐτῆς ἡμῖν τοῦτο δήλωσον, ἵνα καὶ ἐν ἐρημίᾳ ὄντες χαλεπῇ πολλὴν ἐντεῦθεν καρπωσώμεθα τὴν παράκλησιν. Εἰ γὰρ μάθοιμεν ὅτι ἀποδεδήμηκας ἐκεῖσε μετὰ τῆς γνώμης ἐκείνης, πάντα ποιῆσαι καὶ παθεῖν ὑπὲρ σωτηρίας τῶν αὐτόθι ψυχῶν παρεσκευασμένος, οὐδὲ ἐρημίαν ἡγησόμεθα οἰκεῖν ἀπὸ τῆς τοσαύτης ἡδονῆς. Ἐπιθυμοῦμεν γὰρ καὶ ἡμεῖς παραγενόμενόν σε ἰδεῖν· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο ὅπερ εἶπον ἀναγκαιότερον, καὶ δέος μήποτε ὁ χειμὼν ἀποκλείσῃ σοι τὴν ὁδὸν τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ἐκεῖσε, διὰ τοῦτό σε ἐπείγομεν, καὶ παρακαλοῦμεν ταχέως ἐπειχθῆναι. ΝΕʹ. Συμεὼν καὶ Μάρι πρεσβυτέροις, καὶ μονάζουσιν ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ Ἀπαμείας. Εἰ καὶ πολλῷ διειργόμεθα τῷ τῆς ὁδοῦ διαστήματι, καὶ ἐν χαλεπωτάτῃ καθήμεθα ἐρημίᾳ, ἀλλ' ὅμως μαθόντες ὑμῶν τῆς ψυχῆς τὴν ἀρετὴν, καὶ τὴν πολλὴν φιλοσοφίαν, δι' ἧς τοὺς αὐτόθι πάντας καταλάμπετε, σφοδροὶ γεγόναμεν ὑμῶν ἐρασταί. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ τῆς κατ' ὄψιν ἡμῶν συντυχίας τέως ἀπολαῦσαι οὐκ ἔνι, διά τε τὴν τοῦ χειμῶνος ὥραν, διά τε τῆς ὁδοῦ τὸ μῆκος, διὰ γραμμάτων συγγενέσθαι ἐσπουδάσαμεν ὑμῖν, παρακαλοῦντες ὑμῶν τὴν εὐλάβειαν, εὔχεσθαί τε ἐκτενῶς ὑπὲρ τῆς λύσεως τῶν τὴν οἰκουμένην κατειληφότων κακῶν, καὶ πάντας εἰς τοῦτο διεγείρειν μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς προθυμίας, ἡμῖν τε, ἡνίκα ἂν ἐξῇ, συνεχέστερον ἐπιστέλλειν περὶ τῆς ὑγείας τῆς ὑμετέρας· ἵνα καὶ πόῤῥωθεν ὑμῶν ὄντες, καὶ πρὸς αὐτὰς τῆς οἰκουμένης τὰς ἐσχατιὰς ἀπῳκισμένοι, πολλὴν καὶ ἐντεῦθεν καρπωσώμεθα τὴν παράκλησιν, συνεχέστερον τὰ περὶ τῆς ῥώσεως ὑμῶν μαν52.640 θάνοντες. Σφόδρα δὲ ἡμᾶς εὔφρανεν ὁ ποθεινότατος καὶ γλυκύτατος Ἰωάννης ὁ πρεσβύτερος, ἐν τοσαύτῃ καιρῶν δυσκολίᾳ ἑλόμενος οἴκοθεν διαναστῆναι, καὶ ἅψασθαι τῆς ἐπὶ τὴν Φοινίκην ἀποδημίας. Παρακαλῶ τοίνυν ἐννοήσαντας τοῦ κατορθώματος ἡλίκον τὸ μέγεθος, εἴ τινας εὕροιτε γενναίους ἄνδρας, δυναμένους αὐτῷ συμπρᾶξαι πρὸς τῶν κατορθωμάτων τούτων τὸ μέγεθος, πολλῇ τῇ προθυμίᾳ συναποστεῖλαι αὐτῷ παρακλήθητε, ἐννοοῦντες ἡλίκον ἐντεῦθεν καρπώσεσθε τὸν μισθόν. Νʹ. Ῥωμύλῳ καὶ Βύζῳ