John Chrysostom, Letters

but since that cannot be now, provide us the consolation that comes from letters. For you will be able, by the frequency of your letters, to make up for the pleasure of your presence, being adorned with so much wisdom. 84. To Faustinus. We arrived at Cucusus in good health—for from this point I will begin, from where you yourself desire to hear the letter beginning—and we have found a place clear of disturbances, and full of much leisure and much quiet, and having no one to annoy or drive us away. And what is surprising if this is so in the city, when we passed fearlessly and without trouble over the most deserted, perilous, and suspect road leading from there to here, enjoying greater safety than in the most well-ordered of cities? For this good news, then, give us our reward by continually writing to us about your health. For living here in great quiet we continually picture the nobility of your mind, its liberality, its hatred of evil, its boldness, the whole meadow of your virtues, and we delight in the memory, wherever we go 52.653 carrying you with us everywhere, and we are kindled with exceeding affection for you. Therefore we desire also to see you here. But since this is difficult, we come to the second best course, and ask for the comfort of letters. For it will be the greatest comfort to us to continually receive letters bringing good news to us about your health. 85. To Lucius the bishop. Although we are separated from your Reverence by a great distance, yet your hatred of evil has not escaped our notice, and how you were grieved at those who have committed such great transgressions and filled the world with so many scandals. For this we give you thanks, and we do not cease admiring and calling you blessed, because in so great a heap of evils, with so many being carried over cliffs and rocks, you yourself have not ceased walking the right path, both blaming what has happened and turning away from those who did it, as is fitting for you. Therefore, we also urge you to persevere in this good zeal, and to show even greater ardor. For you know how great your reward will be, what prizes, what great crowns, when, with so many causing trouble, you yourselves take the opposite course, thereby providing the greatest correction to the present evils. For that, if you are willing to stand nobly, even if you are few in number, you will overcome the majority who pride themselves on wickedness, no one will dispute. For nothing is stronger than virtue, and than seeking those things which fortify the Churches. Having, then, a mind sufficient to draw down great support from God, be pleased to contribute what is in your power, becoming a very great wall for the Churches everywhere in the world through this resolution. 86. To Maras the bishop. And when the storm that shook the Church had its beginnings, the uprightness and steadfastness of your mind did not escape our notice; and now that the evils have increased, we have again recognized that your Reverence persists in the same principles. Therefore, though sitting at so great a distance, we pay you the greeting that is due, and we call you blessed and admire you, because, while the majority have cast themselves down by the wrongs 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, then, how great is the magnitude of this right action and of not being carried away with those who do evil, and that this steadfast and unwavering resolution of yours will be a way and a beginning for the correction of the evils, be pleased both to stand nobly yourself, as is fitting for you, and to anoint others whom you may be able. For thus this purpose will suffice for your alliance, as God accepts 52.654 your resolution, which in so great a confusion has chosen what is right, and provides support from Himself. 87. To Eulogius the bishop. We even to the very

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. Οὕτω γὰρ ἀρκέσει εἰς συμμαχίαν ὑμῖν αὕτη ἡ πρόθεσις, τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν γνώμην ὑμῶν ἀποδε52.654 χομένου τὴν ἐν τοσαύτῃ συγχύσει τὰ ὀρθὰ ἑλομένην, καὶ τὴν παρ' ἑαυτοῦ παρέχοντος ῥοπήν. ΠΖʹ. Εὐλογίῳ ἐπισκόπῳ. Ἡμεῖς κἂν πρὸς αὐτὰς