John Chrysostom, Letters

to prepare those who were carried down to sail with a fair wind. For these things we leap, for these things we rejoice, considering your rule to be a common festival for those who are wronged. Of which we ourselves now also enjoy, holding the greatness of your achievements to be our own pleasure. 148. To Cyriacus, Demetrius, Palladius, Eulysius, bishops. Blessed and thrice-blessed, and many times so, are you for these goodly toils and struggles, for the labors, and pains, and dangers, which you have endured for the sake of the Churches established throughout the world, having become glorious on earth and glorious in heaven 52.700 through these things. For all men who have sense proclaim you, and crown you, being astonished at your vigor, your courage, your endurance, your perseverance. And the philanthropic God, who always makes the rewards far greater than the labors, will repay you with as many good things as it is fitting for God to repay those who strive so nobly for the peace throughout the whole world. For this reason we too do not cease calling you blessed, delighting in your memory continually, carrying you in our thoughts, even if we are separated by a great length of road. Now the most honorable deacon Cyriacus was not able to sail out now, because he was worn out by much labor. But my lords, the most devout presbyter John, and the most honorable deacon Paul, being driven from all sides, and having nowhere to stand nor to hide, thought it necessary to take refuge in your love, and to be there with you. Therefore, receive them with love, and show them the goodwill that is fitting for you. 149. To Aurelius, bishop of Carthage. Ah, how great is a noble soul, and one abounding much in the fruit of love and piety, since even though you yourself are separated from us by so great a length of road, as if you were present and with us, thus you have captured and subdued us. For the warmth of your love, and the fragrance of your boldness and piety has reached even us who sit at the extremity of the world. For these things we give you much thanks, for these things we bless your piety, because by undertaking much labor and toil on behalf of the Churches throughout the world, you have stored up for yourself the greatest crowns with the philanthropic God. And we beseech you to continue fighting this good fight; for you know the prizes that come from it. For if one who supports a single person who is wronged and treated unlawfully has an unspeakable reward from God, consider how great a recompense you yourself will receive, who through this good diligence are delivering so many troubled Churches from disturbances and confusion, and have been zealous to bring them to a calm harbor of peace. 150. To Maximus, bishop. When I consider your labors and your toils, which have gone on for a long time, I reap no ordinary, but the greatest consolation for what I myself have suffered unlawfully, having as my greatest comfort your love, so warm and genuine, your sincere forethought, your intense vigilance for the correc52.701 tion of what has happened. For it has been no ordinary solace to me to reflect that though you sit at so great a distance, having never seen us, nor been seen by us, nor having conversed with us, you were suddenly moved by the lawlessness of what was dared, and showed such love for us as fathers for children, or rather, you surpassed even fathers with such great solicitude. For these things we thank your piety, we admire, we call you blessed, we exhort you to imitate yourselves, and to bring to completion the zeal which you showed from the beginning. For even if nothing more is done for the correction of what has happened, it is no small consolation for us, as I said before, to have enjoyed and to be enjoying so great love from your honor. 151. To Asellus, bishop. I know that you have no need of letters in order to rise up and take hold of the correction

κατενεχθέντας παρασκευάσαι ἐξουρίας πλεῖν. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα σκιρτῶμεν, διὰ ταῦτα χαίρομεν, τὴν σὴν ἀρχὴν κοινὴν ἑορτὴν τῶν ἐπηρεαζομένων εἶναι νομίζοντες. Ἧς καὶ αὐτοὶ νῦν ἀπολαύομεν, οἰκείαν ἡδονὴν εἶναι τιθέμενοι τῶν σῶν κατορθωμάτων τὸ μέγεθος. ΡΜΗʹ. Κυριακῷ, ∆ημητρίῳ, Παλλαδίῳ, Εὐλυσίῳ, ἐπισκόποις. Μακάριοι καὶ τρισμακάριοι, καὶ πολλάκις τοῦτο ὑμεῖς τῶν καλῶν τούτων ἱδρώτων καὶ ἀγώνων, τῶν μόχθων, καὶ πόνων, καὶ τῶν κινδύνων, οὓς ὑπὲρ τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν τῶν κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην κειμένων ὑπομεμενήκατε, λαμπροὶ μὲν ἐν γῇ, λαμπροὶ δὲ ἐν οὐρα52.700 νοῖς διὰ τούτων γενόμενοι. Καὶ γὰρ ἄνθρωποι πάντες οἱ νοῦν ἔχοντες ἀνακηρύττουσιν ὑμᾶς, καὶ στεφανοῦσιν, ἐκπληττόμενοι τὴν εὐτονίαν ὑμῶν, τὴν ἀνδρείαν, τὴν καρτερίαν, τὴν προσεδρείαν. Ὅ τε φιλάνθρωπος Θεὸς, ὁ μείζονας ἐκ πολλοῦ τοῦ περιόντος τιθεὶς ἀεὶ τῶν πόνων τὰς ἀμοιβὰς, τοσούτοις ἀμείψεται ἀγαθοῖς, ὅσοις ἀμείβεσθαι Θεῷ πρέπον τοὺς οὕτω γενναίως ἀγωνιζομένους ὑπὲρ τῆς κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἅπασαν εἰρήνης. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἡμεῖς οὐ παυόμεθα μακαρίζοντες ὑμᾶς, ἐντρυφῶντες ὑμῶν τῇ μνήμῃ διηνεκῶς, ἐπὶ διανοίας περιφέροντες, εἰ καὶ πολλῷ διῳκίσμεθα τῷ τῆς ὁδοῦ μήκει. Ὁ μὲν οὖν τιμιώτατος Κυριακὸς ὁ διάκονος οὐκ ἠδυνήθη νῦν ἐκπλεῦσαι, διὰ τὸ πολλῷ κατειργάσθαι πόνῳ. Οἱ μέντοι κύριοί μου, ὁ εὐλαβέστατος πρεσβύτερος Ἰωάννης, καὶ ὁ τιμιώτατος Παῦλος ὁ διάκονος, ἐλαυνόμενοι πανταχόθεν, καὶ μηδαμοῦ στῆναι, μηδὲ λαθεῖν ἔχοντες, ἀναγκαῖον ἐνόμισαν καταλαβεῖν ὑμῶν τὴν ἀγάπην, καὶ αὐτόθι μεθ' ὑμῶν εἶναι. ∆εξάμενοι τοίνυν αὐτοὺς μετὰ ἀγάπης, τὴν πρέπουσαν ὑμῖν εὔνοιαν περὶ αὐτοὺς ἐπιδείξασθε. ΡΜΘʹ. Αὐρηλίῳ ἐπισκόπῳ Καρθαγένης. Βαβαὶ, ἡλίκον ἐστὶ γενναία ψυχὴ, καὶ πολλῷ βρύουσα τῷ τῆς ἀγάπης καὶ τῷ τῆς εὐλαβείας καρπῷ, ὅπου γε καὶ αὐτὸς τοσοῦτον ἡμῶν ἀπῳκισμένος ὁδοῦ μῆκος, ὡς παρὼν καὶ μεθ' ἡμῶν ὢν, οὕτως ἡμᾶς εἷλες, καὶ ἐχειρώσω. Τῆς γὰρ ἀγάπης σου τὸ θερμὸν, καὶ τῆς παῤῥησίας καὶ τῆς εὐλαβείας ἡ εὐωδία μέχρι τὰ ἡμῶν τῶν ἐν ἐσχατιᾷ τῆς οἰκουμένης καθημένων ἔφθασεν. ∆ιὰ ταῦτά σοι χάριτας πολλὰς ἴσμεν, διὰ ταῦτά σου μακαρίζομεν τὴν εὐλάβειαν, ὅτι πόνον πολὺν καὶ ἱδρῶτα ὑπὲρ τῶν κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην Ἐκκλησιῶν ἀναδεχόμενος, μεγίστους ἑαυτῷ παρὰ τῷ φιλανθρώπῳ Θεῷ προαπέθου τοὺς στεφάνους. Καί σε παρακαλοῦμεν μεῖναι τὸν καλὸν τοῦτον ἀγῶνα ἀγωνιζόμενον· οἶσθα γὰρ τὰ ἐντεῦθεν βραβεῖα. Εἰ γὰρ ἕνα τις ἀδικούμενον καὶ παρανομούμενον ἀνέχων ἄφατον ἔχει παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν μισθὸν, ἐννόησον ὅσην αὐτὸς λήψῃ τὴν ἀμοιβὴν, Ἐκκλησίας τοσαύτας ταρασσομένας διὰ τῆς καλῆς ταύτης σπουδῆς ἀπαλλάττων μὲν θορύβων καὶ ταραχῆς, εἰς δὲ γαληνὸν λιμένα εἰρήνης ὁρμίσαι ἐσπουδακώς. ΡΝʹ. Μαξίμῳ ἐπισκόπῳ. Ὅταν ἐννοήσω τοὺς πόνους ὑμῶν, καὶ τοὺς ἱδρῶτας, τοὺς ἐπὶ μακρῷ χρόνῳ γεγενημένους, οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μεγίστην καρποῦμαι παράκλησιν, ἐφ' οἷς αὐτὸς πέπονθα παρανόμως, τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀγάπην τὴν οὕτω θερμὴν καὶ γνησίαν, τὴν πρόνοιαν τὴν εἰλικρινῆ, τὴν ἀγρυπνίαν τὴν ὑπὲρ τῆς διορθώ52.701 σεως τῶν γεγενημένων, τὴν ἐπιτεταμένην, μεγίστην ἔχων παραμυθίαν. Καὶ γὰρ οὐχ ἡ τυχοῦσα γέγονέ μοι παραψυχὴ, τὸ λογίζεσθαι ὅτι ἐκ τοσούτου καθήμενοι διαστήματος, οὐχ ἑωρακότες ἡμᾶς ποτε, οὐκ ὀφθέντες παρ' ἡμῶν, οὐ λόγων ἡμῖν κοινωνήσαντες, ἀθρόον ὑπὸ τῆς παρανομίας τῶν τολμηθέντων κινηθέντες, τοσαύτην ἐπεδείξασθε περὶ ἡμᾶς ἀγάπην, ὅσην πατέρες περὶ παῖδας, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ πατέρας ἀπεκρύψατε τῇ τοσαύτῃ κηδεμονίᾳ. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα χάριτας ὑμῶν ἴσμεν τῇ εὐλαβείᾳ, θαυμάζομεν, μακαρίζομεν, παρακαλοῦμεν ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς τὰ ἑαυτῶν μιμήσασθαι, καὶ ἣν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐπεδείξασθε προθυμίαν, ταύτην εἰς τέλος ἀγαγεῖν. Κἂν γὰρ μηδὲν γίνηται πλέον εἰς διόρθωσιν τῶν γεγενημένων, οὐ μικρὰ παράκλησις ἡμῖν, ὅπερ ἔφθην εἰπὼν, τοσαύτης ἀπολελαυκόσι καὶ ἀπολαύουσι παρὰ τῆς τιμιότητος τῆς ὑμετέρας ἀγάπης. ΡΝΑʹ. Ἀσέλλῳ ἐπισκόπῳ. Οἶδα μὲν ὅτι οὐδὲν ὑμῖν δεῖ γραμμάτων εἰς τὸ διαναστῆναι, καὶ ἀντιλαβέσθαι τῆς διορθώσεως