John Chrysostom, Letters

to me who wrote to your nephew, the lord bishop Theodore. The matters concerning Pharetrius are grievous and exceedingly vexatious; nevertheless, since his presbyters neither met with his opponents, as you say, nor choose to have communion with them, but as they say, still stand with us, have no communion with them in these matters; since what Pharetrius did to us has no excuse. His whole clergy, however, was both grieved, and lamented, and mourned, and was entirely with us in opinion. But that we may not cause them to leap away, and make them harsher, having learned everything from the provincials, keep it to yourself, and deal with them with great gentleness; for I know your administrative skill; and say, "We too have heard that he was exceedingly grieved at what has happened, and that he was ready to suffer anything in order to correct all the things that were rashly done." Our body is in much health, and we have put away the remnants of the illness; and when we consider that this too is a care to you, this also becomes no small cause of health to us, that we have so fervent a lover. May God give you the reward for such zeal, love, ardor, and watchfulness, both in the present life and in the age to come, and may He wall you around, and guard you, and keep you safe, and deem you worthy of those ineffable 52.726 good things. And may He grant to us also to quickly see your longed-for face, to enjoy your sweet soul, and to celebrate this most beautiful feast. For you know that it is a feast and a festival for us to be deemed worthy of your most pleasant company, which is full of many good things, and to enjoy it again. 205. To Anatolius, Prefect. I write to your nobleness late and briefly, or rather, tardily; nevertheless it was not sloth that produced the silence, but a long illness; for in love, at least, we are perpetually bound together, knowing the genuineness of your love, the liberality of your mind, the artlessness and sincerity. And we have not ceased proclaiming to all the disposition which we have continually enjoyed from your nobleness, not only when present, but also when absent; for after our departure it has not escaped our notice how much you have been zealous to do and say on our behalf. May God give you the reward for such zeal, both here and in the age to come. But that we may enjoy even more pleasure, not only by writing, but also by receiving letters from your Excellency, be so kind as to write to us, bringing the good news of your health, so that sitting in this wilderness we may reap much comfort. For if we should receive a letter from your love, announcing to us about your health and that of all who belong to you, we shall receive much comfort, even while living in a foreign land. 206. To Theodoulus the Deacon. Even if the winter is hard, and has risen to a great height, and those who wish to harm the churches in Gothia make great haste, running about everywhere, yet you must not cease contributing what is in your power. For even if you accomplish nothing more, which I do not think will be the case, you nevertheless have a perfect reward from the philanthropic God for your intention and purpose. Therefore, do not grow weary, beloved, being zealous, taking care, being concerned, both through yourself and through others whom you can, so that disturbances and tumults do not arise there. But above all, pray, and do not cease beseeching the philanthropic God earnestly, and with fitting zeal, that He may loose the evils that now prevail, and grant to the Church much and deep peace. Meanwhile, however, as I also wrote before, do everything so that some delay may occur in the matter, and write to us continually, as long as you are there. 207. To the Gothic monks who are in the region of Promotus. Even before your letters 52.727 I knew how much affliction you endure, how many plots, how many temptations, how many insults; and for this reason especially I bless you, considering the crowns that come from these things, the rewards, the prizes. For just as those

μου γράψαντι τῷ ἀνεψιῷ σου, τῷ κυρίῳ τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ Θεοδώρῳ. Τὰ κατὰ Φαρέτριον λυπηρὰ μὲν καὶ σφόδρα ἀνιαρά· πλὴν ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι αὐτοῦ οὔτε συνέτυχον τοῖς ἐναντίοις, ὡς φὴς, οὔτε αἱροῦνται αὐτοῖς κοινωνῆσαι, ἀλλ' ὡς λέγουσιν, ἔτι μεθ' ἡμῶν ἑστήκασι, μηδὲν τούτων κοινωνήσῃς πρὸς αὐτούς· ἐπεὶ ἃ ἐποίησεν εἰς ἡμᾶς ὁ Φαρέτριος οὐδεμίαν ἔχει συγγνώμην. Ὁ μέντοι κλῆρος αὐτοῦ πᾶς καὶ ἤλγει, καὶ ὠδύρετο, καὶ ἐθρήνει, καὶ μεθ' ἡμῶν ὅλως ἦν τῇ γνώμῃ. Ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ τούτους ποιήσωμεν ἀποπηδῆσαι, καὶ τραχυτέρους ἐργασώμεθα, μαθὼν ἅπαντα τὰ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐπαρχικῶν, παρὰ σαυτῷ κάτεχε, καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς ἡμερότητος αὐτοῖς προσφέρου· οἶδα γάρ σου τὸ οἰκονομικόν· καὶ λέγε, ὅτι Καὶ ἡμεῖς ἠκούσαμεν, ὅτι σφόδρα ἤλγησεν ἐπὶ τοῖς γενομένοις, καὶ ὅτι ἕτοιμος ἦν πάντα παθεῖν ὑπὲρ τοῦ διορθῶσαι πάντα τὰ κακῶς τολμηθέντα. Τὸ σῶμα ἡμῖν ἐν ὑγείᾳ πολλῇ, καὶ τὰ λείψανα τῆς ἀῤῥωστίας ἀπεθέμεθα· ὅταν δὲ ἐννοήσωμεν, ὅτι σοὶ καὶ τοῦτο φροντίς ἐστιν, οὐ μικρὰ καὶ τοῦτο ὑγείας ἡμῖν ὑπόθεσις γίνεται, ὅτι οὕτω σφοδρὸν ἔχομεν ἐραστήν. Ὁ Θεός σοι τῆς τοιαύτης σπουδῆς, τῆς ἀγάπης, τοῦ ζήλου, τῆς ἀγρυπνίας δῷ τὸν μισθὸν, κἀν τῷ παρόντι βίῳ, κὰν τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι, καὶ τειχίσειε, καὶ φρουρήσειε, καὶ ἀσφαλίσαιτο, καὶ καταξιώσειε τῶν ἀποῤ52.726 ῥήτων ἐκείνων ἀγαθῶν. ∆οίη δὲ καὶ ἡμῖν ταχέως ἰδεῖν σου τὸ ποθεινὸν πρόσωπον, ἀπολαῦσαί σου τῆς γλυκείας ψυχῆς, καὶ τὴν καλλίστην ταύτην ἑορτὴν ἀγαγεῖν. Οἶσθα γὰρ ὅτι καὶ ἑορτὴ ἡμῖν καὶ πανήγυρις τὸ καταξιωθῆναι τῆς ἡδίστης καὶ πολλῶν ἀγαθῶν γεμούσης συνουσίας σου, καὶ ταύτης ἀπολαῦσαι πάλιν. ΣΕʹ. Ἀνατολίῳ ἐπαρχικῷ. Ὀψὲ μὲν ἐπιστέλλω καὶ βραχέα, μᾶλλον δὲ βραδέως, πρὸς τὴν σὴν εὐγένειαν· πλὴν ἀλλ' οὐ ῥᾳθυμία τὴν σιγὴν εἰργάσατο, ἀλλ' ἀῤῥωστία μακρά· ὡς τῇ γε ἀγάπῃ διηνεκῶς συνδεδέμεθα, τὸ γνήσιόν σου τῆς ἀγάπης εἰδότες, τὸ ἐλευθέριον τῆς γνώμης, τὸ ἄπλαστον καὶ εἰλικρινές. Καὶ οὐκ ἐπαυσάμεθα πρὸς ἅπαντας ἀνακηρύττοντες τὴν διάθεσιν, ἧς συνεχῶς ἀπηλαύσαμεν παρὰ τῆς σῆς εὐγενείας, οὐχὶ παρόντες μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπόντες· οὐ γὰρ μετὰ τὴν ἀποδημίαν ἔλαθεν ἡμᾶς, ὅσα καὶ ποιεῖν καὶ λέγειν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἐσπούδακας. Ὁ Θεός σοι δῴη τὸν μισθὸν τῆς τοιαύτης σπουδῆς, καὶ ἐνταῦθα, καὶ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι. Ἵνα δὲ καὶ πλείονος ἀπολαύωμεν ἡδονῆς, μὴ γράφοντες μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ γράμματα δεχόμενοι παρὰ τῆς ἐμμελείας τῆς σῆς, ἐπιστεῖλαι ἡμῖν παρακλήθητι, περὶ τῆς ὑγείας τῆς σῆς εὐαγγελιζόμενος, ἵνα καὶ ἐν τῇ ἐρημίᾳ ταύτῃ καθεζόμενοι πολλὴν καρπωσώμεθα τὴν παράκλησιν. Ἂν γὰρ δεξώμεθα ἐπιστολὴν τῆς ἀγάπης σου, τὰ περὶ τῆς ῥώσεως ἡμῖν ἀπαγγέλλουσαν τῆς σῆς, καὶ τῶν σοὶ προσηκόντων ἁπάντων, πολλὴν, καὶ ἐν ἀλλοτρίᾳ διατρίβοντες γῇ, δεξόμεθα παράκλησιν. Σʹ. Θεοδούλῳ διακόνῳ. Εἰ καὶ χαλεπὸς ὁ χειμὼν, καὶ πρὸς ὕψος ἐγήγερται μέγα, καὶ οἱ βουλόμενοι λυμαίνεσθαι ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις ταῖς εἰς Γοτθίαν πολλὴν ποιοῦνται σπουδὴν, πανταχοῦ περιτρέχοντες, ἀλλ' ὑμεῖς μὴ διαλίπητε τὰ παρ' ἑαυτῶν εἰσφέροντες. Κἂν γὰρ μηδὲν ἀνύσητε πλέον, ὅπερ οὐχ ἡγοῦμαι, ἀλλ' ὅμως τῆς γνώμης, καὶ τῆς προθέσεως ἀπηρτισμένον ἔχετε παρὰ τοῦ φιλανθρώπου Θεοῦ τὸν μισθόν. Μὴ τοίνυν κάμῃς, ἀγαπητὲ, σπουδάζων, μεριμνῶν, φροντίζων, καὶ διὰ σαυτοῦ, καὶ δι' ἑτέρων, ὧν ἂν οἷόν τε ᾖ, ὥστε μὴ γενέσθαι ταραχὰς αὐτόθι καὶ θορύβους. Πρὸ δὲ πάντων εὔχεσθε, καὶ μὴ διαλίπητε ἐκτενῶς δεόμενοι τοῦ φιλανθρώπου Θεοῦ, καὶ μετὰ τῆς προσηκούσης σπουδῆς, ἵνα λύσῃ τὰ κατέχοντα νῦν κακὰ, καὶ πολλὴν παράσχῃ καὶ βαθεῖαν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ εἰρήνην. Τέως μέντοι, ὅπερ καὶ ἔμπροσθεν ἐπέσταλκα, πάντα ποιήσατε, ὥστε ἀναβολήν τινα γενέσθαι τῷ πράγματι, καὶ γράφε ἡμῖν συνεχῶς, ἕως ἂν ᾖς αὐτόθι. ΣΖʹ. Τοῖς μονάζουσι Γότθοις τοῖς ἐν τοῖς Προμώτου. Ἔγνων καὶ πρὸ τῶν γραμμάτων τῶν ὑμετέρων 52.727 ὅσην ὑπομένετε θλίψιν, ὅσας ἐπιβουλὰς, ὅσους πειρασμοὺς, ὅσας ἐπηρείας· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μάλιστα ὑμᾶς μακαρίζω, τοὺς στεφάνους τοὺς ἐκ τούτων ἐννοῶν, τὰ βραβεῖα, τὰ ἔπαθλα. Ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ