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he sets hidden snares for us, concealing their plot by the name they bear, so that we might both suffer the same things as our fathers and not seem to suffer for Christ, because our persecutors also have the name of Christians. Considering these things, we sat for a long time, astonished at the news of what had happened. For in truth both our ears tingled when we learned of the shameless and misanthropic heresy of those who persecuted you, how they respected not age, nor the toils of a public life, nor the love of the people, but also mutilated and dishonored their bodies and delivered them to exile and plundered the possessions of those they could find, neither being ashamed of the condemnation of men nor foreseeing the fearful retribution of the just Judge. These things amazed us and almost drove us out of our minds. And with these thoughts, that idea also entered: Has the Lord utterly forsaken His Churches? Is it not the last hour, and is the apostasy making its entrance through these things, so that at last the lawless one may be revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship? 139.2 But, whether the trial is temporary, endure it, you good athletes of Christ; or if matters are being handed over to complete destruction, let us not be despondent at the present circumstances, but let us await the revelation from heaven and the appearance of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. For if all creation will be dissolved and the form of this world will be changed, what wonder is it that we, being part of creation, should suffer the common afflictions and be delivered to tribulations, which the just Judge brings upon us according to the measure of our strength, not allowing us to be tempted beyond what we are able, but with the temptation also providing the way of escape, that we may be able to endure it? The crowns of the martyrs await you, brethren; the choirs of the confessors are ready to extend their hands to you and to receive you into their own number. Remember the saints of old, that no one living in luxury or being flattered was deemed worthy of the crowns of endurance, but all, having been tested by fire through great tribulations, showed their proven character. For some experienced mocking and scourging, others were sawn in two, and others died by the sword. These are the glorious deeds of the saints. Blessed is he who has been deemed worthy of the sufferings for Christ. But more blessed is he who has abounded in sufferings, because the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that will be revealed in us. 139.3 If, then, it were possible for me to come to you myself, I would have preferred nothing to meeting with you, so as to see the athletes of Christ and embrace them and share in your prayers and spiritual gifts. But since my body is now consumed by a chronic illness, so that I cannot even move from my bed, and since those who lie in wait for us are many, like ravenous wolves, watching for an opportunity when they might be able to snatch away the sheep of Christ, I have necessarily resorted to this visitation by letter, asking you first to make earnest prayers for me, that I may be deemed worthy to serve the Lord for my remaining days or hours according to the Gospel of the Kingdom, and then to forgive my absence and this lateness of the letter. For we have with difficulty found a person able to minister to our desire. We mean our son Eugenius the monk, through whom I ask you to pray for us and for the whole Church and to write back to us about yourselves, so that knowing, we may be more cheerful.

140.t TO THE CHURCH OF THE ANTIOCHENES

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κεκρυμμένα ἡμῖν τὰ ἔνεδρα τίθησι καλύπτων αὐτῶν τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν διὰ τοῦ ὀνόματος ὃ περιφέρουσιν, ἵνα καὶ πάθωμεν τὰ αὐτὰ τοῖς πατράσιν ἡμῶν καὶ μὴ δόξωμεν πάσχειν ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ, διὰ τὸ χριστιανῶν ὄνομα ἔχειν καὶ τοὺς διώκοντας. Ταῦτα λογιζόμενοι πολὺν χρόνον ἐκαθέσθημεν, ἐπὶ τῇ ἀγγελίᾳ τῶν γενομένων ἐκπεπληγμένοι. Καὶ γὰρ τῷ ὄντι ἤχησαν ἡμῶν ἀμφότερα τὰ ὦτα, μαθόντων τὴν ἀναιδῆ καὶ μισάνθρω πον αἵρεσιν τῶν διωξάντων ὑμᾶς, ὅτι οὐχ ἡλικίαν ᾐδέσθη σαν, οὐ τοὺς ἐν τῇ πολιτείᾳ καμάτους, οὐ λαῶν ἀγάπην, ἀλλὰ καὶ ᾐκίσαντο τὰ σώματα καὶ ἠτίμωσαν καὶ ἐξορίαις παρέδωκαν καὶ διήρπαξαν τὰς ὑπάρξεις ὧν εὑρεῖν ἠδυνήθησαν, οὐδὲ τὴν παρὰ ἀνθρώπων κατάγνωσιν ἐντρε πόμενοι οὐδὲ τὴν φοβερὰν τοῦ δικαίου Κριτοῦ ἀνταπόδοσιν προορώμενοι. Ταῦτα ἡμᾶς ἐξέπληξε καὶ μικροῦ ἔξω ἐποίησε τῶν λογισμῶν. Συνεισῆλθε δὲ τούτοις τοῖς δια λογισμοῖς κἀκείνη ἡ ἔννοια· ἆρα μὴ ἐγκατέλειπεν ἑαυτοῦ τὰς Ἐκκλησίας παντελῶς ὁ Κύριος; Ἆρα μὴ ἐσχάτη ὥρα ἐστὶ καὶ ἡ ἀποστασία διὰ τούτων λαμβάνει τὴν εἴσοδον, ἵνα λοιπὸν ἀποκαλυφθῇ ὁ ἄνομος, ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀπωλείας, ὁ ἀντικείμενος καὶ ὑπεραιρόμενος ἐπὶ πάντα λεγόμενον Θεὸν ἢ σέβασμα; 139.2 Πλήν, εἴτε πρόσκαιρός ἐστιν ὁ πειρασμός, βαστά σατε αὐτὸν οἱ καλοὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀγωνισταί· εἴτε καὶ τῇ παντελεῖ φθορᾷ τὰ πράγματα παραδίδοται, μὴ ἀκηδιάσωμεν πρὸς τὰ παρόντα, ἀλλ' ἀναμείνωμεν τὴν ἐξ οὐρανῶν ἀπο κάλυψιν καὶ ἐπιφάνειαν τοῦ μεγάλου Θεοῦ καὶ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Εἰ γὰρ πᾶσα ἡ κτίσις λυθήσεται καὶ μεταποιηθήσεται τὸ σχῆμα τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, τί θαυ μαστὸν καὶ ἡμᾶς, μέρος ὄντας τῆς κτίσεως, παθεῖν τὰ κοινὰ πάθη καὶ παραδοθῆναι θλίψεσιν ἃς κατὰ τὸ μέτρον τῆς δυνάμεως ἡμῶν ἐπάγει ἡμῖν ὁ δίκαιος Κριτὴς οὐκ ἐῶν ἡμᾶς πειρασθῆναι ὑπὲρ ὃ δυνάμεθα, ἀλλὰ διδοὺς σὺν τῷ πειρασμῷ καὶ τὴν ἔκβασιν, τοῦ δυνηθῆναι ὑπενεγκεῖν; Ἀναμένουσιν ὑμᾶς, ἀδελφοί, οἱ τῶν μαρτύρων στέφανοι· ἕτοιμοί εἰσιν οἱ χοροὶ τῶν ὁμολογητῶν προτεῖναι ὑμῖν τὰς χεῖρας καὶ ὑποδέξασθαι ὑμᾶς εἰς τὸν ἴδιον ἀριθμόν. Μνήσθητε τῶν πάλαι ἁγίων. ὅτι οὐδεὶς τρυφῶν οὐδὲ κολακευόμενος τῶν στεφάνων τῆς ὑπομονῆς ἠξιώθη, ἀλλὰ πάντες διὰ μεγάλων θλίψεων πυρωθέντες τὸ δοκίμιον ἐπεδείξαντο. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἐμπαιγμῶν καὶ μαστίγων πεῖραν ἔλαβον, ἄλλοι δὲ ἐπρίσθησαν, οἱ δὲ ἐν φόνῳ μαχαίρας ἀπέθανον. Ταῦτά ἐστι τὰ σεμνολογήματα τῶν ἁγίων. Μακάριος ὁ καταξιωθεὶς τῶν ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ παθημάτων. Μακαριώτερος δὲ ὁ πλεονάσας ἐν τοῖς παθήμασι, διότι οὐκ ἄξια τὰ παθήματα τοῦ νῦν καιροῦ πρὸς τὴν μέλλουσαν δόξαν ἀποκαλύπτεσθαι εἰς ἡμᾶς. 139.3 Εἰ μὲν οὖν ἦν δυνατὸν αὐτῷ μοι παραγενέσθαι, οὐδὲν ἂν προετίμησα τῆς συντυχίας ὑμῶν, ὥστε καὶ ἰδεῖν τοὺς ἀθλητὰς τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ περιπτύξασθαι καὶ κοινωνῆσαι τῶν προσευχῶν καὶ τῶν πνευματικῶν ἐν ὑμῖν χαρισμάτων. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὸ σῶμά μοι λοιπὸν ὑπὸ χρονίας νόσου κατ ανάλωται, ὡς μηδὲ ἀπὸ τῆς κλίνης δύνασθαι μεταβαίνειν, καὶ οἱ ἐφεδρεύοντες ἡμῖν πολλοί, ὡς λύκοι ἅρπαγες, ἐπι τηροῦντες καιρὸν πότε δυνηθῶσι διαρπάσαι τὰ πρόβατα τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἀναγκαίως ἐπὶ τὴν διὰ τοῦ γράμματος ἐπίσκεψιν ἦλθον παρακαλῶν προηγουμένως μὲν ἐκτενεῖς τὰς ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ ποιεῖσθαι ὑμᾶς δεήσεις, ἵνα καταξιωθῶ τὰς γοῦν λειπομένας ἡμέρας ἢ ὥρας δουλεῦσαι τῷ Κυρίῳ κατὰ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον τῆς Βασιλείας, ἔπειτα καὶ συγγνώμην ἔχειν μου τῇ ἀπολείψει καὶ τῇ βραδυτῆτι ταύτῃ τῶν γραμμάτων. Μόλις γὰρ ηὐπορήσαμεν ἀνθρώπου τοῦ δυνα μένου ἐξυπηρετήσασθαι ἡμῶν τῇ ἐπιθυμίᾳ. Λέγομεν δὲ τὸν υἱὸν ἡμῶν Εὐγένιον τὸν μονάζοντα, δι' οὗ παρακαλῶ εὔξασθαι ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν καὶ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας πάσης καὶ ἀντι γράψαι ἡμῖν τὰ περὶ ὑμῶν, ἵνα γνόντες εὐθυμότεροι διατεθῶμεν.

140.τ ΠΡΟΣ ΤΗΝ ΑΝΤΙΟΧΕΩΝ ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΝ