Letter CXLVI.745    Placed in 373.

To Antiochus.746    Nephew of Eusebius, who had written a salutation in his uncle’s letter.  cf. Letter clxviii.

I cannot accuse you of carelessness and inattention, because, when an opportunity of writing occurred, you said nothing.  For I count the greeting which you have sent me in your own honoured hand worth many letters.  In return I salute you, and beg you earnestly to give heed to the salvation of your soul, disciplining all the lusts of the flesh by reason, and ever keeping the thought of God built up in your soul, as in a very holy temple.  In every deed and every word hold before your eyes the judgment of Christ, so that every individual action, being referred to that exact and awful examination may bring you glory in the day of retribution, when you win praise from all creation.  If that great man747    i.e. his uncle Eusebius. should be able to pay me a visit, it would be a pleasure to me to see you here with him.

ΑΝΤΙΟΧῼ

[1] Οὐκ ἔχω μέμψασθαί σοι ἀργίαν οὐδὲ ῥᾳθυμίαν, ὅτι καιροῦ παραπεσόντος γραμμάτων ἀπεσιώπησας. Ἣν γὰρ διὰ τῆς τιμίας ἐμοὶ χειρὸς διεπέμψω προσηγορίαν πολλῶν ἐπιστολῶν τιμιωτέραν ποιοῦμαι. Ἀντὶ οὖν ταύτης προσαγορεύω σε καὶ παρακαλῶ σπουδαίως ἀντέχεσθαι τῆς κατὰ ψυχὴν σωτηρίας, πάντα τὰ πάθη τῆς σαρκὸς παιδαγωγοῦντα τῷ λόγῳ καὶ διηνεκῶς τὴν περὶ Θεοῦ ἔννοιαν, οἷον ἐν ναῷ τινι ἁγιωτάτῳ, τῇ σαυτοῦ ψυχῇ ἐνιδρυμένην ἔχοντα: ἐπὶ πάσης δὲ πράξεως καὶ παντὸς λόγου πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν λαμβάνειν τὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ δικαστήριον, ὥστε σοι τὰς κατὰ μέρος ἐνεργείας συναχθείσας, ἐπὶ τῆς ἀκριβοῦς ἐκείνης καὶ φοβερᾶς ἐξετάσεως δόξαν, ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς ἀνταποδόσεως ἐνεγκεῖν ἐπὶ πάσης τῆς κτίσεως τῶν ἐπαίνων ἀξιουμένῳ. Εἰ δὲ καταδέχοιτο τὴν μέχρις ἡμῶν ὁδὸν ὁ μέγας, οὐ μικρὸν κέρδος ἰδεῖν σε μετ' αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας.