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Keep in mind the contests of the blessed women, the struggles of the virgins, their endurance, their trials; consider the heavenly things, the prepared rests of the saints, the unapproachable light, the unspeakable joy, the pure life, then on the other hand the punishments of sinners, the outer darkness, the fire of Gehenna, the venomous worm, the unbreakable bonds, the chaos, Tartarus. Recalling these things, lighten your faintheartedness, be steadfast in endurance, drive out the passions, enlighten your soul, prepare yourself for a greater contest; for the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. If you remain thus steadfast, you will serve God, you will gladden angels, you will shame demons, acquiring for yourself the greatest glory and an inextinguishable name even in this present age. Pray for us sinners. 317 {1To the hegoumen Basil}1 Having learned everything that your holiness has suffered for the Lord's sake along with your holy subject, I glorified our good God greatly, because you too have arisen as a luminary in the world along with other shining lights in the present night-battle of heresy, a chosen vessel, a pillar and foundation of the truth. How wonderful is your pair, how beloved to Christ, having endured for his sake beatings, deportations, imprisonments, and these things up to the present. But why is it that before the trial you came to me, the humble one, as you indicated, not succeeding in meeting with me? And reasonably so; for since it was not as you supposed (for I am wretched and dark; why should you have been harmed?), except that you have now joined yourself to us through your letter. And we see each other now in spirit and we have come together in the same place in spirit, having become one soul in the Lord, I the humble one in you the saints and you in me, because Christ is in the midst of both according to the true promise. What then remains? That, just as we have begun in the testimonies for Christ, we may complete the contest set before us, fearing nothing, not beatings again, not bonds, not torturers, not fire, not sword, not water nor knife. Thus the word instructs us, thus the apostle cries out, thus is the consummation of the martyrs; we are not more ignoble than they, even if I am wretched, for we too were born of God, we have the same mother of adoption. They won the prize and shall we act shamefully? Women and maidens were crowned and shall we be lovers of the flesh? Old men and infants have conquered tyrants and kings and shall we be dizzy? By no means. Let us give our flesh to the flesh-lovers, the soul is unassailable; let us not fear those who kill the body, but him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. Now is exultation, gladness; for if we suffer with him, we shall also be glorified with him. Let the devil and his servants lament; for this they suffer in the fearless resistance of those who bear witness. You say you have never seen a king nor stood before rulers, and for this reason you are somewhat afraid; by no means, O father, despise them both, you who have put on Christ. Let him make you tremble, just as he does demons; open your mouth when you are present before him; for a word will be given to you, Christ has promised. Reprove him, if he speaks idly; did not Elijah reprove Ahab, did not John reprove Herod, did not others reprove others, that I may not speak at length by naming them? The God of then is also of now; as he loved them, so he loves us. You are a disciple of the apostles, martyrs, prophets, fathers, saints. Let the fruit be like the tree, and if we do not walk in this way, we are inept and not disciples, nor sons, nor fruits, but of the opposing party, I mean of the world-lovers and slaves of the flesh; whose imitation may we flee, and may we attain God, struggling with perfect resolve in Christ Jesus our Lord, who said, be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. 318 {1To the hegoumen John}1 If you yourself do not write, I know it is not from hesitation, but from a lack of place and means to write; but if I should refrain, as often as I might find a letter-carrier, from writing to your holiness, I would rightly be accused by it,

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ἔχε ἐπὶ νοῦ τῶν μακαρίων γυναικῶν τὰ ἆθλα, τῶν παρθένων τὰ σκάμματα, τὰς ὑπομονάς, τὰ πειρατήρια· ἀναθεώρει τὰ οὐράνια, τὰς ἡτοιμασμένας ἀναπαύσεις τῶν ἁγίων, τὸ φῶς τὸ ἄδυτον, τὴν χαρὰν τὴν ἀνεκλάλητον, τὴν ζωὴν τὴν ἀκήρατον, εἶτα ἀπεναντίας τὰς τιμωρίας τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν, τὸ σκότος τὸ ἐξώτερον, τὸ τῆς γεέννης πῦρ, τὸν ἰοβόλον σκώληκα, τὰ δεσμὰ τὰ ἄλυτα, τὸ χάος, τὸν τάρταρον. ταῦτα δὴ ἐνθυμουμένη κούφιζε τὰς ὀλιγωρίας, στερεοῦ τῇ ὑπομονῇ, δίωκε τὰ πάθη, φωτίζου τὴν ψυχήν, ἑτοιμάζου πρὸς περισσοτέραν ἄθλησιν· οὐ γὰρ ἄξια τὰ παθήματα τοῦ νῦν καιροῦ πρὸς τὴν μέλλουσαν δόξαν ἀποκαλυφθῆναι εἰς ἡμᾶς. ἐὰν οὕτω διαμένουσα διαμείνοις, θεραπεύσεις θεόν, εὐφρανεῖς ἀγγέλους, αἰσχυνεῖς δαίμονας, μέγιστον κλέος καὶ ὄνομα ἄσβεστον καὶ ἐν τῷ νῦν αἰῶνι ἑαυτῇ περιποιουμένη. Εὔχου περὶ ἡμῶν τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν. 317 {1Βασιλείῳ ἡγουμένῳ}1 Πάντα καταμαθών, ἅπερ διὰ Κύριον ὑπέστη σου ἡ ὁσιότης σὺν τῷ ἱερῷ ὑπηκόῳ, ἐδόξασα τὸν ἀγαθὸν ἡμῶν θεὸν λίαν, ὅτιπερ ἀνέτειλας καὶ αὐτὸς φωστὴρ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ σὺν ἄλλοις λαμπτῆρσιν ἐν τῇ νυνὶ νυκτομαχίᾳ τῆς αἱρέσεως, σκεῦος ἐκλογῆς, στῦλος καὶ ἑδραίωμα τῆς ἀληθείας. ὡς θαυμαστὴ ἡ δυὰς ὑμῶν, ὡς ἐραστὴ τῷ Χριστῷ, πληγὰς δι' αὐτὸν ὑπομείνασα, ἀπαγωγάς, φυλακάς, καὶ ταῦτα ἕως τοῦ παρόντος. ἀλλὰ τί ὅτι πρὸ τῆς πείρας ἧκες πρός με τὸν ταπεινόν, καθὰ ἐδίδαξας, μὴ ἐπιτυχών μου τοῦ συνοψισμοῦ; καὶ εἰκότως· ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὡς ὑπελάμβανες οὐκ ἦν (οἰκτρὸς γὰρ ἐγὼ καὶ σκοτεινός· τί ἵνα καὶ ἐβλάβης;), πλὴν ὅτι συνῆψας ἡμῖν ἑαυτὸν νυνὶ διὰ τοῦ γράμματος. καὶ ὁρῶμεν ἀλλήλους ἤδη τῷ πνεύματι καὶ εἰς ταὐτὸν συνήλθομεν ἐν πνεύματι, μία ψυχὴ ἐν Κυρίῳ γεγονότες, ἐγὼ ὁ ταπεινὸς ἐν ὑμῖν τοῖς ἁγίοις καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐν ἐμοί, ὅτιπερ Χριστὸς ἐν μέσῳ ἀμφοτέρων κατὰ τὴν ἀψευδῆ ἐπαγγελίαν. Τί λοιπὸν ἔτι; ἵνα, καθὰ ἐνηρξάμεθα ἐν τοῖς ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ μαρτυρίοις, τελειώσωμεν τὸν προκείμενον ἡμῖν ἀγῶνα, μηδὲν ὑποπτήσσοντες, μὴ πληγὰς αὖθις, μὴ δεσμά, μὴ στρεβλωτῆρας, μὴ πῦρ, μὴ ξίφος, μὴ ὕδωρ μηδὲ μάχαιραν. οὕτω ὑποτίθεται ἡμῖν ὁ λόγος, οὕτως βοᾷ ὁ ἀπόστολος, οὕτως ἡ τελείωσις τῶν μαρτύρων· οὐκ ἐσμὲν ἀγενέστεροι αὐτῶν, κἂν ἐγὼ τάλας, ἐκ θεοῦ καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐγεννήθημεν, τὴν αὐτὴν μητέρα τῆς υἱοθεσίας κεκτήμεθα. ἐκεῖνοι ἠθλοφόρησαν καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀσχημονήσομεν; γυναῖκες καὶ κόραι ἐστέφθησαν καὶ ἡμεῖς φιλοσαρκήσομεν; γέροντες καὶ νήπια νενικήκασι τυράννους καὶ βασιλεύοντας καὶ ἡμεῖς ἰλιγγιάσομεν; οὐδαμῶς. δῶμεν τὰς σάρκας τοῖς σαρκοφίλοις, ἡ ψυχὴ ἄληπτος· μὴ φοβηθῶμεν τοὺς σωματοκτόνους, ἀλλὰ τὸν δυνάμενον καὶ ψυχὴν καὶ σῶμα ἐν γεέννῃ ἀπολέσαι. τανῦν ἀγαλλίασις, θυμηδία· εἴπερ γὰρ συμπάσχομεν, καὶ συνδοξασθησόμεθα. θρηνείτω ὁ διάβολος καὶ οἱ αὐτοῦ ὑπηρέται· τοῦτο γὰρ πάσχουσιν ἐν τῇ ἀκαταπλήκτῳ ἐνστάσει τῶν μαρτυρούντων. φῆς μὴ ἰδέσθαι πώποτε βασιλέα μηδὲ ἄρχουσι παριστάναι, κἀντεῦθέν πως δεδιᾶν· μηδαμῶς, ὦ πάτερ, καταφρόνησον ἀμφοτέρων, ὁ Χριστὸν ἔχων ἐνδεδυμένον. ἐκεῖνός σε πτηξάτω ὥσπερ καὶ δαίμονες· ἄνοιξον σὸν στόμα παρὼν πρὸς αὐτόν· δοθήσεται γάρ σοι λόγος, Χριστὸς ἐπηγγείλατο. ἔλεγξον αὐτόν, εἰ ματαιολογεῖ· οὐ τὸν Ἀχαὰβ ἤλεγξεν Ἠλίας, οὐ τὸν Ἡρώδην Ἰωάννης, οὐκ ἄλλοι τοὺς ἄλλους, ἵνα μὴκατονοματίζων μακρολογῶ; ὁ τότε θεός, καὶ νῦν· ὡς ἠγάπησεν ἐκείνους, καὶ ἡμᾶς. μαθητιῶν ἦς τοῖς ἀποστόλοις, μάρτυσι, προφήταις, πατράσιν, ὁσίοις. ὁ καρπὸς τῷ δένδρῳ ἐξομοιούσθω, καὶ εἰ μὴ οὕτω περιπατήσομεν, σκαιοὶ καὶ οὐχὶ μαθηταί, οὐδὲ υἱοί, οὐδὲ καρποί, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἀντικειμένης μερίδος, τῶν φιλοκόσμων δὴ λέγω καὶ δουλοσάρκων· ὧν τὴν μίμησιν φύγοιμεν, ἐπιτύχοιμεν δὲ θεοῦ, τελειοφρόνως ἀγωνιζόμενοι ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν τῷ εἰρηκότι, θαρσεῖτε, ἐγὼ νενίκηκα τὸν κόσμον. 318 {1Ἰωάννῃ ἡγουμένῳ}1 Αὐτὸς εἰ οὐκ ἐπιστέλλεις, οἶδ' ὅτι οὐκ ὀκνίᾳ, ἀλλ' ἀπορίᾳ τόπου καὶ τρόπου γραφῖδος· ἐγὼ δὲ εἰ ἀπόσχομαι, ὁσάκις ἂν καὶ τύχοιμι γραμματηφόρου, ἐπιστέλλειν τῇ ὁσιότητί σου, δικαίως ἂν ἐγκληθείην παρ' αὐτῆς,