Letter CCLVII.1393    Placed in 376.

To the monks harassed by the Arians.

1.  I have thought it only right to announce to you by letter how I said to myself, when I heard of the trials brought upon you by the enemies of God, that in a time reckoned a time of peace you have won for yourselves the blessings promised to all who suffer persecution for the sake of the name of Christ.  In my judgment the war that is waged against us by our fellow countrymen is the hardest to bear, because against open and declared enemies it is easy to defend ourselves, while we are necessarily at the mercy of those who are associated with us, and are thus exposed to continual danger.  This has been your case.  Our fathers were persecuted, but by idolaters their substance was plundered, their houses were overthrown, they themselves were driven into exile, by our open enemies, for Christ’s name’s sake.  The persecutors who have lately appeared, hate us no less than they, but, to the deceiving of many, they put forward the name of Christ, that the persecuted may be robbed of all comfort from its confession, because the majority of simpler folk, while admitting that we are being wronged, are unwilling to reckon our death for the truth’s sake to be martyrdom.  I am therefore persuaded that the reward in store for you from the righteous Judge is yet greater than that bestowed on those former martyrs.  They indeed both had the public praise of men, and received the reward of God; to you, though your good deeds are not less, no honours are given by the people.  It is only fair that the requital in store for you in the world to come should be far greater.

2.  I exhort you, therefore, not to faint in your afflictions, but to be revived by God’s love, and to add daily to your zeal, knowing that in you ought to be preserved that remnant of true religion which the Lord will find when He cometh on the earth.  Even if bishops are driven from their Churches, be not dismayed.  If traitors have arisen from among the very clergy1394    Maran conjectures an allusion to Fronto. themselves, let not this undermine your confidence in God.  We are saved not by names, but by mind and purpose, and genuine love toward our Creator.  Bethink you how in the attack against our Lord, high priests and scribes and elders devised the plot, and how few of the people were found really receiving the word.  Remember that it is not the multitude who are being saved, but the elect of God.  Be not then affrighted at the great multitude of the people who are carried hither and thither by winds like the waters of the sea.  If but one be saved, like Lot at Sodom, he ought to abide in right judgment, keeping his hope in Christ unshaken, for the Lord will not forsake His holy ones.  Salute all the brethren in Christ from me.  Pray earnestly for my miserable soul.

ΠΡΟΣ ΤΟΥΣ ΜΟΝΑΖΟΝΤΑΣ ΚΑΤΑΠΟΝΗΘΕΝΤΑΣ ΥΠΟ ΤΩΝ ΑΡΕΙΑΝΩΝ

[1] Ἃ κατ' ἐμαυτὸν ἐφθεγξάμην ἀκούσας περὶ τοῦ πειρασμοῦ τοῦ ἐπαχθέντος ὑμῖν παρὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ταῦτα καὶ διὰ γράμματος ἀπαγγεῖλαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς καλῶς ἔχειν ἐνόμισα, ὅτι ἐν καιρῷ νομιζομένῳ εἰρηνεύεσθαι ἐκτήσασθε ἑαυτοῖς μακαρισμὸν τὸν ὑπὲρ τῶν διωκομένων ἕνεκεν τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀποκείμενον. Οὐ γὰρ ἐπειδὴ ὄνομα προσηνὲς καὶ ἤπιον περίκειται τοῖς τὰ πονηρὰ ἐργαζομένοις, τούτου ἕνεκεν καὶ τὰ πράγματα νομίζειν χρὴ μὴ πολεμίων εἶναι. Χαλεπώτερον γὰρ κρίνω ἐγὼ τὸν παρὰ τῶν ὁμοφύλων πόλεμον, διότι τοὺς μὲν προκεκηρυγμένους ἐχθροὺς καὶ φυλάξασθαι ῥᾴδιον, τοῖς δὲ ἀναμεμιγμένοις ἡμῖν ἀνάγκη ἐκδότους εἶναι πρὸς πᾶσαν βλάβην: ὃ καὶ ὑμεῖς πεπόνθατε. Ἐδιώχθησαν μὲν γὰρ καὶ οἱ πατέρες ὑμῶν, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τῶν εἰδωλολατρούντων: καὶ διηρπάγη αὐτῶν ὁ βίος καὶ οἶκοι ἀνετράπησαν καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐφυγαδεύθησαν παρὰ τῶν φανερῶς πολεμούντων ἡμῖν διὰ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Οἱ δὲ νῦν ἀναφανέντες διῶκται μισοῦσι μὲν ἡμᾶς οὐδὲν ἧττον ἢ ἐκεῖνοι, εἰς δὲ τὴν τῶν πολλῶν ἀπάτην τὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ προβάλλονται ὄνομα, ἵνα μηδὲ τὴν ἐκ τῆς ὁμολογίας παραμυθίαν ἔχωσιν οἱ διωκόμενοι, τῶν πολλῶν καὶ ἀκεραιοτέρων ἀδικεῖσθαι μὲν ἡμᾶς ὁμολογούντων, εἰς μαρτύριον δὲ ἡμῖν τὸν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀληθείας θάνατον μὴ λογιζομένων. Διόπερ ἐγὼ πέπεισμαι μείζονα ἡμῖν ἢ τοῖς τότε μαρτυροῦσι παρὰ τοῦ δικαίου Κριτοῦ μισθὸν ἀποκεῖσθαι, εἴπερ ἐκεῖνοι καὶ τὴν παρὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀποδοχὴν ὁμολογουμένην εἶχον καὶ τὸν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ μισθὸν ἐξεδέχοντο, καὶ ἡμῖν δὲ ἐπ' ἴσοις τοῖς κατορθώμασι αἱ παρὰ τῶν λαῶν τιμαὶ οὐχ ὑπάρχουσιν: ὥστε εἰκὸς πολυπλασίονα ἀποκεῖσθαι ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι τῶν ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐσεβείας πόνων τὴν ἀντιμισθίαν.

[2] Διὸ παρακαλοῦμεν ὑμᾶς μὴ ἐκκακεῖν ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσιν, ἀλλ' ἀνανεοῦσθαι τῇ πρὸς Θεὸν ἀγάπῃ καὶ καθ' ἡμέραν προστιθέναι τῇ σπουδῇ, εἰδότες ὅτι ἐν ὑμῖν ὀφείλει τὸ λείψανον τῆς εὐσεβείας σωθῆναι, ὃ ἐλθὼν ὁ Κύριος εὑρήσει ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Καὶ εἴτε ἀπεδιώχθησαν ἐπίσκοποι τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν, τοῦτο ὑμᾶς μὴ σαλευέτω: εἴτε προδόται ἐξ αὐτῶν ἐφύησαν τῶν κληρικῶν, μηδὲ τοῦτο τὴν πεποίθησιν ὑμῶν τὴν εἰς Θεὸν σαθρούτω. Οὐ γὰρ τὰ ὀνόματά ἐστι τὰ σώζοντα ἡμᾶς, ἀλλ' αἱ προαιρέσεις καὶ ἡ ἀληθινὴ περὶ τὸν κτίσαντα ἡμᾶς ἀγάπη. Ἐνθυμήθητε ὅτι καὶ ἐν τῇ κατὰ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν ἐπιβουλῇ ἀρχιερεῖς μὲν καὶ γραμματεῖς καὶ πρεσβύτεροι τὸν δόλον συνεσκευάσαντο, ὀλίγοι δὲ τῶν ἐκ τοῦ λαοῦ εὑρίσκοντο οἱ γνησίως τὸν λόγον καταδεχόμενοι, καὶ ὅτι οὐ τὸ πλῆθός ἐστι τὸ σωζόμενον, ἀλλ' οἱ ἐκλεκτοὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ὥστε μηδέποτε ὑμᾶς πτοείτω λαοῦ πολυοχλία, οἱ ὥσπερ ὕδωρ θαλάσσης ὑπὸ πνευμάτων μεταφερόμενοι. Ἐὰν γὰρ καὶ εἷς σωθῇ ὥσπερ Λὼτ ἐν Σοδόμοις, μένειν ὀφείλει ἐπὶ τῆς ὀρθῆς κρίσεως ἀμετακίνητον ἔχων τὴν ἐν Χριστῷ ἐλπίδα, διότι οὐκ ἐγκαταλείψει Κύριος τοὺς ὁσίους αὐτοῦ. Πᾶσαν τὴν ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφότητα ἀσπάσασθε ἐξ ἐμοῦ: προσεύχεσθε γνησίως ὑπὲρ τῆς ψυχῆς μου τῆς ἐλεεινῆς.