Letter 149: Chrysostom praises Aurelius of Carthage for laboring to bring troubled churches into peace.

What a noble soul, abounding in the fruit of love and reverence. Although you are separated from us by so great a distance, you have captured and mastered us as if you were present and with us. The warmth of your love, your boldness, and the fragrance of your reverence have reached even us, seated at the far edge of the world. For this we give you many thanks and call your Reverence blessed, because by taking up much labor and sweat for the churches throughout the world, you have stored up for yourself great crowns with the God who loves humankind. We ask you to remain in this noble contest. You know the prizes that come from it. If someone who supports one person being wronged has an unspeakable reward from God, consider what reward you will receive when, through this good zeal, you free so many troubled churches from disorder and confusion and work to bring them into the calm harbor of peace.

ΡΜΘʹ. Αὐρηλίῳ ἐπισκόπῳ Καρθαγένης. Βαβαὶ, ἡλίκον ἐστὶ γενναία ψυχὴ, καὶ πολλῷ βρύουσα τῷ τῆς ἀγάπης καὶ τῷ τῆς εὐλαβείας καρπῷ, ὅπου γε καὶ αὐτὸς τοσοῦτον ἡμῶν ἀπῳκισμένος ὁδοῦ μῆκος, ὡς παρὼν καὶ μεθ' ἡμῶν ὢν, οὕτως ἡμᾶς εἷλες, καὶ ἐχειρώσω. Τῆς γὰρ ἀγάπης σου τὸ θερμὸν, καὶ τῆς παῤῥησίας καὶ τῆς εὐλαβείας ἡ εὐωδία μέχρι τὰ ἡμῶν τῶν ἐν ἐσχατιᾷ τῆς οἰκουμένης καθημένων ἔφθασεν. ∆ιὰ ταῦτά σοι χάριτας πολλὰς ἴσμεν, διὰ ταῦτά σου μακαρίζομεν τὴν εὐλάβειαν, ὅτι πόνον πολὺν καὶ ἱδρῶτα ὑπὲρ τῶν κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην Ἐκκλησιῶν ἀναδεχόμενος, μεγίστους ἑαυτῷ παρὰ τῷ φιλανθρώπῳ Θεῷ προαπέθου τοὺς στεφάνους. Καί σε παρακαλοῦμεν μεῖναι τὸν καλὸν τοῦτον ἀγῶνα ἀγωνιζόμενον· οἶσθα γὰρ τὰ ἐντεῦθεν βραβεῖα. Εἰ γὰρ ἕνα τις ἀδικούμενον καὶ παρανομούμενον ἀνέχων ἄφατον ἔχει παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν μισθὸν, ἐννόησον ὅσην αὐτὸς λήψῃ τὴν ἀμοιβὴν, Ἐκκλησίας τοσαύτας ταρασσομένας διὰ τῆς καλῆς ταύτης σπουδῆς ἀπαλλάττων μὲν θορύβων καὶ ταραχῆς, εἰς δὲ γαληνὸν λιμένα εἰρήνης ὁρμίσαι ἐσπουδακώς.