Letter 166: Chrysostom thanks the same bishops for leaving home and enduring travel for church peace.

What your Honor did earlier was already great: you felt a just and fitting anger over the evils that had overtaken so many churches, you shared the pain, and you did not stop there, but brought forward what you could. What you have now done is greater still. Each of you rose from home, undertook a long journey, lived in a foreign place, and endured the labors that come from such travel for the sake of the churches. Because of this we do not cease giving thanks. Keep going until the work reaches the end that befits your beginning. The God who loves humankind will repay both the visible labor and the hidden intention. Write to us when you can, and tell us about your health and the progress of your mission.

ΡΞʹ. Ἐπισκόποις ἐλθοῦσι μετὰ τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς ∆ύσεως ἐπισκόπων. Καὶ τὰ ἔμπροσθεν παρὰ τῆς τιμιότητος ὑμῶν γεγενημένα μεγάλα, τὸ δικαίαν καὶ πρέπουσαν ὑμῖν ἀγανάκτησιν ὑπὲρ τῶν τοσαύτας Ἐκκλησίας κατειληφότων κακῶν ἀγανακτῆσαι, τὸ συναλγῆσαι, τὸ μὴ μέχρι τούτου στῆναι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ παρ' ἑαυτῶν εἰσενεγκεῖν. Πολὺ δὲ μέγιστον καὶ τὸ νῦν γεγενημένον παρὰ τῆς ἀγάπης ὑμῶν, τὸ ἀναστῆναι ἕκαστον ὑμῶν οἴκοθεν, τὸ μακρὰν οὕτως ἀποδημίαν στείλασθαι, τὸ διατρίβειν ἐπ' ἀλλοτρίας, καὶ τοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς μακρᾶς ἀποδημίας ὑπομένειν καμάτους, ὑπὲρ τῶν ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις συμφερόντων. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα ὑμῖν εὐχαριστοῦντες οὐ παυόμεθα, θαυμάζοντες, μακαρίζοντες, ὅσους ἑαυτοῖς ὑπὲρ τούτων παρὰ τοῦ φιλανθρώπου Θεοῦ προαποτίθεσθε τοὺς μισθούς. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ οὔτε συγγενέσθαι ὑμῖν δυνατὸν νῦν ὑπὸ ἐξορίας κατεχομένῳ, οὔτε συνεχῶς ἐπιστέλλειν, τῷ μὴ ταχέως εὐπορεῖν γραμματοφόρων ἦ γὰρ ἂν νιφάδας ἐπέμψαμεν γραμμάτων, τὸν κύριόν μου τὸν τιμιώτατον καὶ εὐλαβέστατον πρεσβύτερον. καὶ αὐτὸν οἴκοθεν ὁρμώμενον ἐλθεῖν, καὶ θεάσασθαι τὴν εὐλάβειαν τὴν ὑμετέραν, παρεκαλέσαμεν, ὥστε καὶ πρὸς ἡμᾶς γραμμάτων ἐπιτυχεῖν, καὶ αὐτὸν καὶ κατὰ πρόσωπον ἀπολαῦσαι τῆς ἀγάπης τῆς ὑμετέρας. ∆εξάμενοι τοίνυν αὐτὸν ὡς ὑμῖν πρέπον ἐστὶν, ἡνίκα ἂν ἐξῇ, καὶ ἡμῖν δηλοῦν μὴ κατοκνεῖτε τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγείας τῆς ὑμετέρας. Σφόδρα γὰρ ἡμῖν περισπούδαστον τοῦτο μανθάνειν, καὶ οὐ μικρὰ τῆς ἐρημίας, ἐν ᾗ καθήμεθα, τοῦτο ἡμῖν ἔσται παράκλησις.