Letter 207: Chrysostom encourages Gothic monks enduring plots and insults while preventing church disturbance.

Even before your letters arrived, I knew how much affliction you endure: how many plots, temptations, and insults. For that very reason I bless you, thinking of the crowns, rewards, and prizes that come from these things. Those who plot against you and trouble you bring harsh judgment on themselves; you who suffer these things will receive a great recompense. Do not be disturbed or troubled. Rejoice and leap for joy, keeping the apostolic mind that says, "Now I rejoice in my sufferings," and again, "We glory in tribulations," because tribulation produces endurance and endurance tested character. Even if you suffer harder things, rejoice all the more. The sufferings of the present time are not worth comparing with the glory to come. Your patience, courage, endurance, warm disposition, and unbending mind are known to us. I also thank you for your zeal in preventing disturbance in the church of the Goths and securing delay. Keep contributing, by yourselves and through others, so that the matter may be postponed. Whether you accomplish it or not, your resolve and zeal have their full reward.

ΣΖʹ. Τοῖς μονάζουσι Γότθοις τοῖς ἐν τοῖς Προμώτου. Ἔγνων καὶ πρὸ τῶν γραμμάτων τῶν ὑμετέρων ὅσην ὑπομένετε θλίψιν, ὅσας ἐπιβουλὰς, ὅσους πειρασμοὺς, ὅσας ἐπηρείας· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μάλιστα ὑμᾶς μακαρίζω, τοὺς στεφάνους τοὺς ἐκ τούτων ἐννοῶν, τὰ βραβεῖα, τὰ ἔπαθλα. Ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ ἐπιβουλεύοντες ὑμῖν, καὶ ταράττοντες ὑμᾶς, κρῖμα καθ' ἑαυτῶν χαλεπὸν ἐπιφέρουσι, καὶ τὸ τῆς γεέννης κατὰ τῆς ἑαυτῶν κεφαλῆς ἐπισωρεύουσι πῦρ· οὕτως ὑμεῖς οἱ ταῦτα πάσχοντες, πολλῆς ἀπολαύσεσθε τῆς ἀμοιβῆς, πολλῆς τῆς ἀντιδόσεως. Μὴ δὴ θορυβεῖσθε, μηδὲ διαταράττεσθε ἐντεῦθεν, ἀλλὰ χαίρετε καὶ σκιρτᾶτε, ἀποστολικὸν φρόνημα διατηροῦντες τὸ λέγον· Νῦν χαίρω ἐν τοῖς παθήμασί μου· καὶ πάλιν, Οὐ μόνον δὲ, ἀλλὰ καὶ καυχώμεθα ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσιν, εἰδότες ὅτι ἡ θλίψις ὑπομονὴν κατεργάζεται, ἡ δὲ ὑπομονὴ δοκιμήν. ∆οκιμώτεροι τοίνυν γενόμενοι, καὶ εὐπορώτεροι τὴν εὐπορίαν τὴν ἐν οὐρανοῖς, κἂν χαλεπώτερα τούτων πάσχητε, μειζόνως ἀγάλλεσθε. Οὐ γὰρ ἄξια τὰ παθήματα τοῦ νῦν καιροῦ πρὸς τὴν μέλλουσαν δόξαν ἀποκαλύπτεσθαι εἰς ἡμᾶς. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔλαθεν ἡμᾶς ἡ ὑπομονὴ ὑμῶν, ἡ ἀνδρεία, ἡ καρτερία, ἡ γνησία καὶ θερμὴ διάθεσις, τὸ ἀκλινὲς ὑμῶν τῆς γνώμης, τὸ ἀπερίτρεπτον, τὸ ἀκίνητον. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἡμεῖς ὑμῖν πολλὰς ὁμολογοῦμεν χάριτας, καὶ συνδεδέμεθα ὑμῶν ταῖς ψυχαῖς διηνεκῶς, καὶ τῆς ὁδοῦ τὸ μῆκος οὐδὲ ῥᾳθυμοτέρους ἡμᾶς περὶ τὴν ἀγάπην τὴν ὑμετέραν ἐργάζεται. Χάριν δὲ ὑμῖν ἔχω καὶ τῆς σπουδῆς ἣν ἐπεδείξασθε ὑπὲρ τοῦ μηδένα θόρυβον γενέσθαι ἐν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ τῇ τῶν Γότθων, ἀλλ' εἰς ἀναβολὴν τὸ πρᾶγμα ἐμπεσεῖν. Καὶ οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐγκαλῶ, ὅτι οὐδένα ἐπέμψατε, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπαινῶ καὶ θαυμάζω. Ἐκεῖνο γὰρ πολὺ τούτου προτιμότερον, τὸ πάντας ὑμᾶς εἰς τὴν ὑπόθεσιν ταύτην ἀσχολεῖσθαι. Μὴ δὴ διαλίπητε τὰ παρ' ὑμῶν αὐτῶν εἰσφέροντες καὶ δι' ὑμῶν αὐτῶν, καὶ δι' ἑτέρων, ὧν ἂν οἷόν τε ᾖ, ὥστε ὑπέρθεσιν τῷ πράγματι γενέσθαι. Ἄν τε γὰρ ἀνύσητέ τι, ἄν τε μὴ, τὸν μισθὸν ἀπηρτισμένον ἔχετε τῆς γνώμης καὶ τῆς προθυμίας.