Letter 163: Chrysostom urges Anysius and Macedonian bishops to finish their long stand with courage.

We thank you for the zeal you showed earlier. Through this long time you have stood with the courage proper to you, yielding to none of those who tried to sweep you away. Now we ask you to add an ending worthy of that beginning. The greater the labor has been, the greater the return will be from the God who loves humankind. Do not allow the length of the trouble to make you slack. Those who disturb the churches make their own judgment heavier, while those who stand firm store up brighter crowns. We wished to see your Honor face to face, but exile prevents it. So we send this greeting by letter. Remain steadfast, strengthen one another, and send us news of your health and of the condition of the churches in Macedonia.

ΡΞΓʹ. Ἀνυσίῳ, Νουμερίῳ, Θεοδοσίῳ, Εὐτροπίῳ, Εὐσταθίῳ, Μαρκέλλῳ, Εὐσεβίῳ, Μαξιμιανῷ, Εὐγενίῳ, Γεροντίῳ, καὶ Θύρσῳ, καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς κατὰ Μακεδονίαν ὀρθοδόξοις ἐπισκόποις. Πολλὴ μὲν ὑμῶν τῆς ἀγάπης καὶ ἡ ἔμπροσθεν σπουδὴ, καὶ χάριτας ὑπὲρ τούτων ὁμολογοῦμεν, ὅτι ἐν οὕτω χρόνῳ μακρῷ ἔστητε μετὰ τῆς προσηκούσης ὑμῖν ἀνδρείας, μηδενὶ εἴκοντες τῶν συναρπάζειν ἐπιχειρούντων· παρακαλοῦμεν δὲ καὶ τὸ τέλος ἐπιθεῖναι οἷον προσῆκόν ἐστιν. Ὅσῳ γὰρ πλείονα τὰ τῶν καμάτων ὑμῖν, μείζονα καὶ τὰ τῶν ἀντιδόσεων ἔσται, καὶ τῶν ἀμοιβῶν παρὰ τοῦ φιλανθρώπου Θεοῦ. Καὶ ἐπεθυμοῦμεν κατὰ πρόσωπον ὑμῶν θεάσασθαι τὴν τιμιότητα. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὰ τῆς ἐξορίας δεσμὰ τοῦτο ἡμᾶς παρείλετο, καὶ ἐν ἑνὶ καθεῖρξε χωρίῳ, τὸν κύριόν μου τὸν τιμιώτατον καὶ εὐλαβέστατον πρεσβύτερον ἀπεστάλκαμεν, καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ τήν τε ὀφειλομένην πρόσρησιν ἀποδιδόαμεν, καὶ δηλοῦμεν, ὅτι χάριτας πολλὰς καὶ μεγάλας ὁμολογοῦντες ὑμῶν τῇ θεοσεβείᾳ οὐ διαλιμπάνομεν, καὶ ἀξιοῦντες ὑπὲρ τῆς μακρᾶς σιγῆς τῆς ἔμπροσθεν συγγνώμην ἡμῖν νεῖμαι. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ ῥᾳθυμοῦντες, οὐδὲ κατολιγωροῦντες ὑμῶν, τοσοῦτον ἐσιγήσαμεν χρόνον· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ νῦν πρῶτον εὕρομεν τὸν δυνάμενον ἐκεῖσε διαβῆναι, ἔνθα διατρίβετε νῦν, καὶ τὰ παρ' ἡμῶν διακομίσαι γράμματα, γράφομεν ὑμῖν δηλοῦντες, ἐν οἷς ἐσμεν. ∆εξάμενοι τοίνυν αὐτὸν μετ' εὐνοίας καὶ διαθέσεως γνησίας, τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγείας ὑμῶν δηλοῦν ἡμῖν παρακλήθητε. Μεγίστην γὰρ ἀπὸ τῶν τοιούτων γραμμάτων, καὶ ἐν ἐρημίᾳ καθήμενοι, ἕξομεν παραμυθίαν.