703drawing from such a distance and breathing through the vast space, reaching even to the ends of the earth. Nor are we, though separated by such a long and arduous journey, less aware than those who are present of your vehement and fire-filled charity, your sincere tongue, infused with great liberty and confidence, and your adamant struggle. Therefore, we should have greatly desired to enjoy your presence and meeting. But because this solitude, by which we are now as if bound by fetters, has denied us this, we have found my lord, the most reverend and most religious presbyter, and we satisfy our desire, writing and greeting you, and offering our most abundant thanks for the zeal which, throughout this long period, you have exhibited with great perseverance. And we entreat and beseech you, when he returns—and furthermore, if any messengers happen to come this way to this desert—that you write to us concerning your health. For you know what great joy we shall receive from hearing more frequently of the prosperous health of those who love us so ardently.
CLVI. To the Bishops.
A Indeed, the very nature of things cries out everywhere, emitting a voice clearer than any trumpet, regarding your most excellent zeal and your alacrity for the defense of the truth, which neither the length of the journey, nor the duration of time, nor the frenzied contentiousness of men suffering from an incurable malady, nor finally anything else of this kind has suppressed or even weakened. And we, in turn, do not cease to give you great thanks and to congratulate you for the sake of those crowns which are stored up for you by the benevolent God for these excellent struggles. And indeed, we should have wished to see you face to face. But since that cannot be, because we are held fast by the bonds of exile, we have found my lord, the most reverend and most religious presbyter, and through him we write, and we pay you the debt of greeting, signifying to you that you have inflamed the whole East with the desire for you, and have brought an immense love for yourselves, and have made numberless men associates in this just indignation for the iniquities that have been committed. We therefore exhort you to exhibit the same zeal even to the end. For you know how great the crowns are that you will receive for these brief labors, laying up for yourselves, as you are, immortal and copious rewards with the benevolent God.CLVII. To the Bishops who came from the West.
B And indeed, I already used to admire formerly your zeal and the concern which you exhibited for the repairing of the damages to the Churches, and your firm and sincere benevolence, your fortitude, and your constancy of soul and endurance, which you displayed for so long. But now I am struck with amazement at the immense vigor of your mind, inasmuch as you deemed it necessary to undertake so long and maritime a journey, full of labors and sweats, in order to consult for the interests of the Church. And I would indeed have wished that it were possible for me to write often and to pay you the debt of greeting. But since that is by no means allowed, because I dwell in a place which exceeds almost all access and is intercepted on every side by solitude as if by a wall, I have now found my most reverend and most religious lord, the presbyter, and I salute your charity, and C I advise and request you to put an end that is consistent with the beginnings. For you know what great reward of patience you are to have, and what great prizes are established by the benevolent God for those who undertake labors for the public peace and embark upon such a struggle.CLVIII. To the Same.
D You have prepared not only a harvest of crowns for yourselves but also a source of consolation for us by this most excellent zeal and these labors of yours. Wherefore, though separated from you by such a distance of travel, we proclaim your praises, we give you thanks, we crown you, as it were, and we deem you blessed. And we would indeed have wished that it were allowed us to write to you more frequently; for we would have taken the greatest solace from this, if we could have found those who might carry our letters. But since this is by no means easy for us, who have been relegated to the very ends of the world, especially since no one can easily approach us, we now address to you the debt of greeting, having found my most reverend and most religious lord, the presbyter; and we entreat you, looking with your mind at the magnitude of the matter, should it result in success, that even if much time has already been consumed in this affair and the stubbornness of the adversaries grows ever worse and as yet admits no healing, you do not cease to contribute what is your part to the repairing of the damages. For the greater the difficulty, the greater and more abundant will be the reward for these egregious struggles established for you by the benevolent God.CLIX. To the Same.
We take no small consolation for these evils that have invaded these regions from the magnitude of your zeal and diligence. And indeed, what was done by you before, and your vigilance and zeal, and such care and solicitude, were abundantly sufficient to bring us great comfort; but what you have now added—undertaking so long a journey for the interests of the Church—has refreshed us all in a higher degree. And so, with one heart, we all give you great thanks for so many labors and sweats and most excellent