Letter 184: Chrysostom thanks Gaudentius of Brixia for vigilance and labor on behalf of truth.

Nothing you have done has escaped us. As if we were present, we have clearly learned of your diligence, vigilance, care, labor, and toil on behalf of the truth, and we give you many thanks. Sitting in this wilderness, we receive great consolation from the fervent and genuine character of your love. Having experienced it here, we know that it flourishes there too, not withered by time or distance. For this reason we owe you many thanks, and we urge you to keep showing the same diligence. You know how many churches are involved in the present struggle and how great the achievement will be. Keep this in mind, most honored and reverend master, and persevere. By a little toil now, you will store up immortal prizes in heaven for these noble contests.

ΡΠ∆ʹ. Γαυδεντίῳ ἐπισκόπῳ Βρίξης. Οὐδὲν ἡμᾶς ἔλαθε τῶν σῶν, ἀλλ' ἔγνωμεν σαφῶς ὡς παρόντες τὴν σπουδήν σου, τὴν ἀγρυπνίαν, τὴν φροντίδα, τοὺς καμάτους, τοὺς πόνους οὓς ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐπεδείξω, καί σοι χάριτας πολλὰς ὁμολογοῦμεν· καὶ ἐν τοσαύτῃ καθήμενοι ἐρημίᾳ, μεγίστην ἔχομεν παράκλησιν, τῆς ἀγάπης σου τὸ θερμὸν καὶ γνήσιον, ἧς πεῖραν ἐνταῦθα λαβόντες, ἔγνωμεν αὐτὴν ἀκμάζουσαν καὶ ἐκεῖσε, καὶ οὐδὲν οὔτε τῷ πλήθει τοῦ χρόνου, οὔτε τῷ μήκει τῆς ὁδοῦ καταμαρανθεῖσαν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό σοι χάριτας ἴσμεν πολλὰς, καί σε παρακαλοῦμεν μένειν τὴν αὐτὴν ἐπιδεικνύμενον σπουδήν. Οἶδας γὰρ ὑπὲρ ὅσων Ἐκκλησιῶν ὑμῖν ὁ ἀγὼν πρόκειται νῦν, καὶ ἡλίκον ἔσται τοῦ κατορθώματος τὸ μέγεθος. Ταῦτ' οὖν ἐννοῶν, δέσποτά μου τιμιώτατε καὶ εὐλαβέστατε, ἐπιμεῖναι τῇ αὐτῇ σπουδῇ παρακλήθητι. Οὕτω γὰρ ὀλίγα κάμνοντες, ἀθάνατα ἑαυτοῖς προαποθήσεσθε ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς τῶν καλῶν τούτων ἀγώνων τὰ βραβεῖα.