Letter 6: I wrote to you before, my dearest and bravest brothers, congratulating your faith and courage.

I wrote to you before, my dearest and bravest brothers, congratulating your faith and courage. I write again now with the same single purpose: to celebrate the glory of your confession. For what could I pray for, what could I wish, that would be greater than to see Christ's flock illuminated by the honor of your witness? The whole community of believers should rejoice in this — but in the common gladness, the bishop's share is the largest. The glory of the Church is the glory of the bishop. And just as we grieve over those whom a hostile persecution has struck down, so we rejoice proportionally over those whom the devil has not been able to defeat. But I must exhort you: having won this first encounter, hold your ground with brave and persistent resolve. We are still in the world. We are still on the battlefield. We fight daily for our lives. You must take care that what began so blessedly doesn't end there. It's a small thing to have been able to obtain something — what matters is keeping it. Finishing well matters more than starting well. The apostles were not praised for beginning to follow Christ; they were praised for persevering to the end. So keep your hearts steady. Stay modest. Stay quiet. Don't let the glory of your confession become a stumbling block through pride. Scripture warns us: "Let the one who thinks he stands take care lest he fall." Some among you — I must say this plainly — having confessed Christ in word, seem ready to deny Him in deed by the disorderliness of their conduct. Some who were exiled for the faith have returned without permission. This is reckless. If you were driven out as confessors, wait to be called back. If you return before the crisis has ended, you aren't confessing — you're provoking. I say this not to wound you but to protect you. The one who endures to the end will be saved.

Epistle 6