Letter 11: That in philosophy one is frequently wronged or maltreated.

He will be wounded by the arrow of magnanimity, or indeed perhaps he will be transformed in both his sin-loving disposition and his tongue, and he will be grateful to you as the cause of his change. If John is a prophet, what was there in him that was more than a prophet? Since the Lord says this, hear then many things in few words: John was the greatest among those born of women, because from the very womb of his mother he prophesied, and while hidden in darkness he did not fail to recognize the Light when it came. And he was more than a prophet in that he himself saw in the flesh the one who was prophesied, whom all the patriarchs and prophets imagined through dreams or visions, but did not succeed in beholding with their own eyes. To Strategios, newly appointed Bishop. Know, most honored one, that in all of life, but especially now that you are entering the boundaries of what appears to be a position of authority but is in truth a ministry, it would be right for you to restrain your own desires, so as not to be overcome by any of the vices found among your subjects. For it is most shameful if, while wishing to command those under your rule, you should be detected as being unable to rule even yourself. Concerning heretics. If it were not necessary to prevent the sciences from being dishonored, we would not attempt either to converse with folly or to waste time. But who is so dull as not even to laugh at those who draw comparisons? For these evildoers were compelling the foolish by force, as though they could summon themselves to false doctrine without condemnation. But when they saw that some, having no way to find specious pretexts, were leaping about embracing the teaching only yesterday and the day before, they will not hesitate to commit impious deeds, and to teach against those schools that hold an insubstantial doctrine. To the same. I hope that your soul has been filled with the Holy Spirit. It is therefore necessary to enjoy the divine psalms from the choir, and to strike down all the power of the evil one. To Theodosius the Bishop. Show yourself as you truly are. Never fail to have compassion for suffering and to hasten to bring help. But if you wish these things not to be true, certainly stop causing grief instead of evils. To Evagrios. The desert does not save everyone, but only those who have already been seized by virtue. Thus indeed it came to pass. For the Church was fought against, yet it was not defeated; rather through those very ones who attempted to extinguish it, it was shown to be more brilliant. Why then do you marvel if the saints are also fought against here? For from wars the trophies appear more brilliant and the spoils more honored. Woe to those who are with child, he says — that is, to the souls that conceive divine love within themselves yet do not dare to speak boldly and bring forth the confession concerning God and steadfastness. And woe to those who nurse — that is, to those who have acquired an infantile and imperfect disposition concerning divine patience, who do not attend to the hope of recompense, but are puffed up by threats and stripped of future goods.