Letter 620

To John the Illustris. [illustris = a high senatorial rank in the late Roman court] All men applaud the excellent soul, both angels and men, because you care for the children of your enemies, both the living and the dead, for fear of Christ; of the living, that by this means you may somehow change their fathers; of the dead, that you may often draw down upon yourself goodwill from the Lord, and bind on the crowns of martyrs, and receive many prayers from all, not only from those who are well treated, but also from those who look on. For this will be brought forward on your behalf at the time of judgment as well, and even if you have committed many sins, you will be set free from all the charges, because you have shown the greatest compassion and loving-kindness toward your enemies, and have imitated the Lord, the most loving of all toward humankind.

Κροτοῦσι πάντες τὴν ἀρίστην ψυχήν, ἄγγε- λοί τε καὶ ἄνθρωποι, καθότι καὶ ζώντων, καὶ τελευ- τώντων ἐχθρῶν τὰ τέκνα θεραπεύεις διὰ τὸν Χρι- στοῦ φόδον· ζώντων μέν, ἵνα τῷ τρόπῳ τούτῳ που ἀλλάξῃς τοὺς πατέρας αὐτῶν· τετελευκότων δέ, ἵνα παρὰ Κυρίου πολλάκις ἐπισπάσῃ τὴν εὔνοιαν, καὶ μαρ- τύρους ἀνάδησῃ στεφάνους, καὶ πολλὰς δέξῃ παρὰ πάντων εὐχάς, οὐχὶ τῶν εὖ πασχόντων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ὁρώντων. Τοῦτο γάρ σου καὶ κατὰ τὸν και- ρὸν τῆς κρίσεως προσοίσεται, κἂν πολλὰ πεπλημμέ- ληκας, πάντων ἐλευθερωθήσῃ τῶν ἐγκλημάτων, διὰ σπλαγχνίαν μεγίστην, καὶ φιλανθρωπίαν πρὸς τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἐνδεικνύμενος, τὸν φιλανθρωπότατον δὲ τούτων μιμούμενος Κύριον.