The Emperors Write to Antony

The fame of Antony reached even kings. The emperor Constantine and his sons, the emperors Constantius and Constans, wrote letters to him as to a father, and begged him for an answer. But he made nothing much of the letters, nor did he rejoice at the messages; he was the same as he had been before the emperors wrote to him. When they brought him the letters, he called the monks and said: “Do not be astonished if an emperor writes to us, for he is a man. Wonder rather that God wrote the Law for men and has spoken to us through his own Son.” So he did not want to receive the letters, saying that he did not know how to write an answer to such things. But the monks urged him, because the emperors were Christians, and so that they would not take offense at being spurned. So he agreed to have the letters read, and wrote an answer. He commended them because they worshiped Christ, and gave them counsel on the things that belong to salvation: “not to think much of the present, but rather to remember the judgment that is coming, and to know that Christ alone is the true and eternal King.” He begged them to be merciful and to pay attention to justice and to the poor. And they rejoiced when they received the answer. So he was dear to all, and all wanted to regard him as a father. [a]