LETTER CLVI1
LETTER CLVI1
most unnatural of all men, if we rejoiced in the schisms and divisions of the churches, and did not consider the union of the members of the body of Christ to be the greatest of all blessings.
However, you should know that our power is as deficient as our desire is abundant.
For your perfect wisdom is not unaware of the fact that evils which have been strengthened by time need time first of all for their correction, then a strong and vigorous method of treatment, if one is to get at the very bottom of them, so as to tear out by the roots the complaints of the ailing.
But you know what I mean, and if it is necessary to speak more clearly, there is no cause for fear.
Self-love, when rooted in the mind by long habit, no one man can eradicate, no one letter, no short time.
For the complete elimination of suspicions and of the clashes arising from controversies is impossible, unless there be some trustworthy man to act as a mediator in the interest of peace.
And if all the strength of divine grace should flow upon us, and if we were able by word and deed and the gifts of the Spirit to move our opponents, then it would be necessary for me to undertake so great a task.
Yet perhaps even in that case you would not have advised us to set about the work of correction all alone, since he! who by the grace of God is the bishop is the man upon whom the care of his church falls chiefly ; and it is not possible for him to come to us in person, and because of the winter it is not easy for us in the meantime to go abroad, or rather it is altogether impossible, not 1 Meletius of Antioch.
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
fi epee BY a
Uh > rf ὑλλ᾽ ὅ μοι ὑπὸ μακρᾶς ἀρρωστίας ἀπείρηκεν, a Tt καὶ αἱ τῶν ᾿Αρμενιακῶν ὀρῶν ὍΣ ὑπερβάσεις μικρὸν ὕστερον ἄβατοι 8 γίνονται καὶ τοῖς πάνυ καθ᾽ ἡλικίαν. σφριγῶσι. γράμματι δὲ αὐτῷ σημᾶναι 4 ταῦτα οὐ παραιτήσομαι. οὐ μέντοι προσδοκῶ τι ἐκ τῶν γραμμάτων ἂξιόλογον ἀποβήσεσθαι, τῆς τε τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἀκριβείας στοχαζόμενος καὶ αὐτῆς τῆς φύσεως τῶν γραμμάτων: ὅτι οὐ πέφυκεν ἐναργῶς δύνασθαι δυσωπεῖν ὁ διαπεμπόμενος λόγος. πολλὰ γὰρ δεῖ εἰπεῖν, πολλὰ καὶ ἀντακοῦσαι, καὶ λῦσαι τὰ ὑποπίπτοντα, καὶ ἀνθυπενεγκεῖν ὃ τὰ ὑφορμοῦντα, ὧν οὐδὲν δύναται ὁ ἐν τοῖς γράμμασι λόγος, ἀργὸς καὶ ἄψυχος ἐν τῷ χάρτῃ διερριμμένος.
Tay ἀλλ᾽, ὅπερ ἔφην, οὐκ ὁ ἀποκνήσω γράψαι. γίνωσκε μέντοι, "ἢ ἀληθῶς εὐλαβέστατε καὶ πολυπόθητε ἡμῖν 1 ἀδελφέ, ὅτι οὐδεμία μοι πρὸς οὐδένα τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτι ἰδιάζουσά ἐστι φιλονεικία. οὐδὲ "γὰρ πολυπραγμονήσας οἶδα τὰ ἐγκλήματα, οἷς ἕκαστος ὑπεύθυνος ἢ ἔστιν ἢ ὀνομάζεται. ὥστε οὕτως ὑμᾶς προσέχειν τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ διανοίᾳ προσήκει, ὡς μηδὲν ἡμῶν δυναμένων ποιῆσαι κατὰ "πρόσκλισιν,ὃ μηδὲ προειλημμένων εἰς τὴν κατά τινων διαβολήν. μόνον εἰ εὐδοκία γένοιτο ὃ τοῦ Κυρίου ἐκκλησιαστικῶς πάντα καὶ ἀκολούθως πραχθῆναι.
Ελύπησε δὲ ἡ ἡμᾶς ὁ ὁ ποθεινότατος υἱὸς Δωρόθεος" ὁ συνδιάκονος, ἀπαγγείλας περὶ τῆς εὐλαβείας σου, ὅτι ὥκνησας μετασχεῖν αὐτῷ τῆς συνάξεως.
1 μου E, Med.
2 ai om. E.
LETTER CLVI1
only because my body is worn out by long illness, but also because the passes over the Armenian mountains become a little later impassable even to those who are in the very vigour of youth.
And I shall not hesitate to point this out to him in writing.
However, I do not look for anything worth while to result from letters, judging from the man's strictness and the very nature of anything written; for the transmitted word is obviously by nature incapable of moving men.
For there are many things to be said, many things to be heard from the other side, objections to be solved, one's own reasons to be advanced, none of which can be accomplished by the written word, inert and lifeless as it is, spread out upon the sheet of paper.
However, as I have said, I shall not refrain from writing.
Be assured, however, in truth our most pious and beloved brother, that by God's grace I have no private quarrel with anyone at all.
For I have not even had the curiosity to find out their charges to which the accused either are severally liable or are said to be liable.
Consequently it is fitting that you should pay heed to our opinion, knowing that we are incapable of acting from bias and have not been prejudiced by the slander directed against any of the parties.
Would only that the approval of the Lord might be granted, that everything be done in the Church's manner and in the proper form.
Our most beloved son Dorotheus, our deacon, caused us sorrow when he informed me about your
Piety, that you refused to take part with him in 6 οὐδ᾽ editi antiqi. fc) Εἶπ νον erie 8 πρόσκλησιν editi antiqi.
9 γίγνοιτο editi antiqi.
10 Θεόδωρος unus ex Regiis.
COLLECTED LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL
καίτοι οὐ τοιαῦτα ἡμῖν ἦν τὰ ὡμιλημένα, a εἴ τι ἐγὼ μέμνημαι. ἀποστεῖλαι μέντοι πρὸς τὴν δύσιν ἐμοὺ μὲν παντελῶς ἐστὶν ἀδύνατον, οὐδένα ἔχοντι τῶν εἰς τὴν διακονίαν ταύτην ἐπιτηδείων. τῶν δὲ αὐτόθεν ἀδελφῶν, ἐ ἐάν τις αἱρῆται τὸν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν κόπον ἀναδέξασθαι, οἷδε δηλονότι καὶ πρὸς τίνας ὁρμήσει, καὶ ἐπὶ ποίῳ σκοπῷ, καὶ παρὰ τίνων ἐφοδιασθῇ τοῖς γράμμασι, καὶ ποταποῖς τούτοις. ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ ἐν κύκλῳ περισκεψάμενος ὁρῶ μεθ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ οὐδένα. καὶ εὔχομαι μὲν τοῖς ἑπτακισχιλίοις ἐναριθμηθῆναι τοῖς μὴ κάμ ασι γόνυ Th? Βάαλ. πλὴν ὅτι ζητοῦσι καὶ ἡμῶν τὴν ψυχὴν οἱ πᾶσι τὰς ἑαυτῶν ἐπιβάλλοντες χεῖρας. οὐ μέντοι τούτου γε ἕνεκεν ἐλλείψομέν τι τῆς ὀφειλομένης σπουδῆς ταῖς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐκκλησίαις.
CLVII ᾿Αντιόχῳ Πῶς οἴει βαρέως ἤνεγκα διαμαρτών σου τῆς συντυχίας κατὰ τὸ θέρος ; καίτοι οὐδὲ ἡ τῶν ἄχλων τοιαύτη γέγονεν, ὥστε μέχρι. κόρου ἡμῖν προελθεῖν" ἀλλ᾽ οὖν καὶ ὄναρ ἰδεῖν τὰ ποθούμενα φέρει τινὰ τοῖς ἀγαπῶσι παραμυθίαν. σὺ δὲ ΦΝ
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a Ἂ δ οὐδὲ ἐπιστέλλεις, οὕτως ἀργὸς εἶ, ὥστε μηδὲ τὴν 1 ὡμολογημένα editi antiqi.
2 τῷ editi antiqi.
1 Written in 373.
Other letters to Antiochus, nephew of Eusebius, are CXLVI, CLVIII, and CLXVIII.
Letter CCXXXIX makes reference to Antiochus.
Since the present