118 (318). To Jovinus, Bishop of Perrha
LETTERS
118. To] ovinus, Bishop of Perrha1 I hold you a debtor of a goodly debt. For, I made you a loan of love which I should receive again with interest, since even our Lord does not reject such a form of interest. Therefore, pay it, my dear Friend, by coming to visit our country.
Now, that, certainly, is the capital. But, what is the interest?
The fact of your being present, a man as far superior to us, as fathers are better than their sons.
119. To Eustathius, Bishop of Sebaste1 Through my most revered and most pious brother Peter2
I salute your Charity, urging you now, as on every other occasion, to pray for me that, turning from these detestable and harmful habits of mine, I may, at length become worthy
I The MSS vary between Jovinus and Jobinus. Furthermore. all do not agree that Jovinus was Bishop of Perrha. Some read Kerres and others
Pcrges. Tillemont and Maran. however. prefer the reading Perrhes of six of the MSS. Perrha was. in Syria and not far from the seat of Euse. bius of Samosata. The letter is an excellent example of the spirit of the Second Sophistic period of Greek rhetoric. The whole is a rather far. fetched metaphor. St. Basil has visited Jovinus and compares his visit to a loan out at interest. We learn from Letter 127 that Jovinus repaid the visit. This letter was written near the end of 372 or at the beginning of 373.
I St. Basil here writes concerning the untrustworthiness of a certain Basil and Sophronius whom Eustathius had recommended to him. He was unwilling to break with Eustathius because of their mutual interest in asceticism. and for a long time seemed blind to his heretical tenden. cies and his duplicity. This letter records the first of a series of events which finally brought about the break between the two. Cf. Letter 79 and. for persistence iJl heresy. Letters 130. 223. and 244. The end Df the year 372 or the beginning of 373 is given as the date of this letter.
2 Letter 20.'1. as well as this letter. was carried by a Peter whom St. Basil calls his brother. It is uncertain whether this is St. Basil's own brother or a spiritual brother.
SAINT BASIL
of the name of Christ. Now, assuredly, even if I do not speak, you and he will converse with each other about our concerns, and he will give you an exact account of what has happened, so that you will not accept without examination the base suspicions against us which in all likelihood those will invent who have been treating us insolently in disregard of the fear of God and of the opinion of men. In fact, what sort of charges the noble Basil, whom I welcomed from your
Reverence as the guardian of my life, made against us I am truly ashamed to say, but you will learn all the details from the explanations of our brother. And I say this, not to take vengeance on him (for I pray that it may not be reckoned against him by the Lord), but to make sure that your love for us remains steadfast. For, I fear lest they may cause it to waver by extravagant slanders, which they have probably prepared as a defense for their fault. Whatever charge they may make against us, let them be questioned about it by your Intelligence3-whether they have brought a formal accusation against us, or have sought the correction of the fault of which they now accuse us, or have made their grievance against us really clear. But, now they have revealed through their ignoble flight that, under a cheerful face and pretended words of love, they were concealing in their souls an inexpressible depth, as it were, of deceit and bitterness.
How much sorrow they caused us in this, and how much occasion for laughter they gave those in this wretched city who always loathe the life of piety, and who affirm that a pretence of chastity is practiced as a means of winning confidence and as a form of deceit, is certainly known to your
Intelligence even if we do not recount it. As a result, there is no practice so suspected of wickedness by the citizens here as the profession of the ascetical life.
3 AnchiTloeas-a title of address used by St. Basil only for clergy.