131 (382). To Olympius
LETTERS
friend, that I am not aware that I have ever, at any time, suffered such sorrow in my soul as now, when I have heard of the violation of the ecclesiastical laws. Only pray that the Lord may grant us the grace to do nothing through anger, but to have charity which is not ambitious, is not puffed
Up.7 For, see how those who did not have it have been lifted up beyond human limits, and are ambitious in their lives, daring bold deeds of which the past holds no such examples. 8
131. To Olympius1 Truly, hearing of unexpected events is enough to make the two ears of a man ring. And this has now happened to me.
For, although the news of those writings being circulated against us fell on my ears already inured to it, because I myself had formerly received the letter, which befits my sins but is certainly not what I had ever expected to be written by those who sent it, nevertheless, the second reports appeared to us to have such excessive bitterness in them as to overshadow the previous ones entirely. How was it possible that I was not almost out of my mind on reading the letter to· the most pious brother Dazinas,2 full of countless insults and un7 Cf. 1 Cor. 13.4.5.
8 The Benedictine editors remark that St. Basil is incorrect in maintain· ing that there was no heretical precedent for such actions. The Arians are accused of it in the Book of the Prayers of Faustus and Marcellinus.
Bib. Pat. V 655. Cf .• also. Constant ius' letter to the Ethiopians against Frumentius; Athan .• Apol. ad Const. 31.
1 A wealthy layman of Neo.Caesarea. and an intimate friend of St. Basil.
The subject matter is the same as that of the preceding letters. The date of this letter is about the year 373. Other letters written to Olym· pius are Letters 4. 12. 13. and 211.
2 In this letter Eustathius accused St. Basil of bad faith and of Apolli. narian errors.
SAINT BASIL
bearable charges and attacks against us, as if we had been found engaged in most hurtful plots against the Church?
For instance, even proofs that the slanders against me are true were brought forward from a document written by I know not whom. Now, parts, in truth, I admit I recognized had been written by Apollinaris3 of Laodicea, not because I had ever read them in his book, but because I heard others mention them. But, I found some other things included which I neither read at any time nor heard another speak of -and there is a faithful Witness of these statements in heaven.
How it can be, then, that men who turn away from falsehood, who have been taught that love is the fulfillment of the law, who profess that they bear the infirmities of the powerless, have allowed themselves to bring these slanders against us and to condemn us from the writings of others, is a thing for which, although I have pondered much, I am not able to conceive the reason, except that, as I said from the beginning, I have decided that the pain from these worries is a part of the chastisement due to me because of my sins.
Now, at first I grieved in my soul because truths were held of so little account by the sons of men. But then, also, I feared concerning myself, lest ever, in addition to my other sins, I should be disposed to a hatred of mankind, considering that there is nothing trustworthy in any man, if, indeed, those trusted by me in the most important matters showed themselves so unfaithful toward me and so unfaithful in regard to truth itself. Be assured, therefore, brother, and everyone who is a friend of the truth, that the writings are not mine, nor do I approve of them, since they have not been drawn up according to my views. Even if I did write formerly many years ago to Apollinaris or to anyone else, I ought: not to be blamed. For, I myself do not bring any charge
3 For Apollinaris. d. Letter 129 n. 2.