26 (362). To Caesarius, Brother of Gregory
SAINT BASIL
nothing any longer frees me from a feeling of powerlessness.
As a consequence, even the thought has come to me that some heretic has maliciously affixed my name to his own writings, grieving your Rectitude,4 and causing you to utter that speech. Surely, not because of my writings5 against those who dared to say that God the Son was unlike in substance to God the Father, or against those who blasphemously said that the Holy Spirit was a thing created and made, would you permit yourself to bring forward this reproach, you who have taken part in those great and famous argumentations for the sake of right doctrine. But, you yourself would free us of this anxiety, if you would be willing to declare frankly the matters which have moved you to such anger against us.
26. To Caesarius, Brother ot Gregory!
Thanks be to God, who in your person has manifested His wondrous power by saving you from such a terrible death, and preserving you both for your country and for us, your relatives. It remains for us, indeed, not to be ungrateful nor unworthy of so great a bounty. On the contrary, we are convinced that we should proclaim according to 4 Orthoteta-a title of address used by St. Basil for both clergymen and laymen.
5 St. Basil's dogmatic works are: Against Eunomius, written in 363 or 364 in three books. to which have been added two others probably belonging to Didymus the Blind; and On the Holy Spirit, written about 375.
Caesarius was the youngest brother of St. Gregory of Nazianzus. A narrow escape from death in an earthquake on October 10. 368. had occasioned this letter from St. Basil. Shortly after receiving it. Caesa. rius retired from the world. This letter was written in 368.
LETTERS
our power the miracles of God, extolling in song this loving kindness which we have experienced in deed, and we should show our gratitude not only by word but also by deed, becoming such as we should be as beneficiaries of the wonders performed in your regard.
And we urge a still better service of God with an increasing and augmenting fear of Him, and an advancement toward perfection, in order that we may prove ourselves prudent stewards of the life for which the goodness of God has preserved us. For, if we all are commanded to present 'ourselves to God as those who have come to life from the dead,'2 how much more of an obligation is it not for one who has been lifted up from the gates of death? This injunction would be successfully carried out, I believe, if we were willing always to keep the same disposition of mind as we had at the time of danger. For, assuredly, in some degree we realized the vanity of life as well as the unreliability and instability of human affairs, which changed so easily. And, in all likelihood, we felt contrition for our past faults, and promised that, for the future, if we were saved we would serve God with watchful exactitude. If the impending danger of death inspired us with such reflections, I am indeed convinced that, at that time, you arrived at either these or similar considerations.
Consequently, we stand responsible for the payment of an urgent debt. As I am delighted exceedingly with God's gift and am also concerned about the future, I have had the boldness to remind your Perfection of these matters. It rests with you to receive our words aright and kindly, as you have indeed been accustomed to do in our conversations with each other.
2 Rom. 6.13.