69 (52). To Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria
SAINT BASIL
should induce some of the brethren from Italy to visit us, coming by sea in order that they may elude those who would try to hinder them. For, I have seen that those who have influence at court are not at all willing or able to make any mention of the exiles to the emperor, but they consider it a gain to see nothing worse happening in the churches. Therefore, if your Wisdom should think that the plan is good, you will condescend to write letters offering suggestions on the points' he should discuss and the persons with whom he should speak. And, so that your letter will have some authority, you will by all means include in it the names of those who are of like mind, even if they are not present. Conditions here are still in a state of uncertainty. Euippius5 indeed has come, but he has not, as yet, made any disclosures. However, they are threatening an assembly of those people from both the Armenian Tetrapolis and from Cilicia who hold views similar to theirs.
69. To Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria1 The opinion which we have had for a long time of your
Honor is always being confirmed as time advances; rather, it is even strengthened by the accumulation of successive incidents. Although it is quite enough for most men to watch over their own responsibilities, this does not suffice for you.
On the contrary, you have as great a care for all the churches 4 I.e .• the deacon Dorotheus.
5 Euippius was a bishop with a tendency to Arianism. and St. Basil felt obligated to separate from communion with him. Cf. Letter 128. Although in 360 Eustathius of Sebaste had declared Euippius unworthy of the name of bishop. in 376 he united with him and recognized bishops and presbyters ordained by him. Cf. Letters 226. 239. 244, and 251.
This letter was written at about the same time as the preceding one.
LETTERS
as for the one particularly entrusted to you by our benign Lord. For, indeed, you never cease reasoning, admonishing, writing, and on every occasion sending the best counselors.
And even now we have welcomed with much joy the most revered brother Peter, who was sent from the holy company of the clergy under your direction. We have approved the good intent of his journey, which he explains according to the commands of your Honor, winning over the rebellious and joining together those who have been torn asunder.
Therefore, wishing to make some contribution to the effort in this affair, we thought a most suitable beginning for us in the undertaking would be to have recourse to your Perfection as to the head of all, and to regard you as counselor and guide of our actions. For this reason we have again sent to your Reverence the brother Dorotheus, deacon of the church subject to the most honorable Bishop Meletius, who has shown a goodly zeal concerning the right faith and is also desirous of seeing the peace of the churches. Following your advice, therefore (which you are able to make safer from error both by virtue of your age and experience in affairs and also because of the fact that you have the guidance of the Spirit beyond other men), he may at once undertake the work which we are eagerly pursuing.
You will, I am sure, receive him and look upon him with the eyes of peace, aiding him with the support of your prayers and furnishing him with letters for his journey Further, after having him associate with the zealous brethren there, you will guide him in the task set before him. It seemed to us to be worth while to write to the Bishop of Rome, asking him to examine our affairs and give us advice, so that, since it is difficult for men to be sent from Rome by a general synodical decree, he himself might have full authority in the matter, choosing men able to endure the hardships of travel and also
SAINT BASIL
competent through their gentleness and strength of character, to rebuke the perverse among us, They should be men who have an appropriate and effective manner of speech, and should understand thoroughly everything accomplished after the Council of Ariminum 2 for the dissolution of the measures taken there through compulsion. Furthermore, they should come quietly by sea without the knowledge of anyone, so as to arrive before the enemies of peace are aware of their commg, Now, this, too, is the request of some here-and necessarily, as it appears to us, also-that they" eradicate the heresy of 2 On the Council of Ariminum or Rimini the Catholic Encylopedia says:
'The Council of Rimini was opened early in July, 359, with over four hundred bishops present. About eighty Semi-Arians, including Ursacius,
Germinius, and Auxentius, withdrew from the orthodox bishops, the most eminent of whom was Restitutus of Carthage: Liberius, Eusebius,
Dionysius, and others were still in exile. The two parties sent separate deputations to the Emperor, the orthodox asserting clearly their firm attachment to the faith of Nicaea. the Arian minority adhering to the imperial formula. But the inexperienced representatives of the orthodox majority allowed themselves to be deceived, and not only entered into communion with the heretical delegates, but even subscribed, at Nice in Thrace, a formula to the effect merely that the Son is like the Father according to the Scriptures (the words "in all things" being omitted). On their return to Rimini, they were met with the unanimous protests of their colleagues. But the threats of the consul
Taurus, the remonstrances of the Semi-Arians against hindering peace between East and \Vest for a word not contained in Scripture, their privations and their home-sickness-all combined to w~aken the constancy of the orthodox bishops. And the last twenty were induced to subscribe when Ursacius had an addition made to the formula of Nice, declaring that the Son is not a creature like other creatures. Pope
Liberius, having regained his liberty, rejected this formula, which was thereupon repudiated by many who had signed it. In view of the hasty manner of its adoption and lack of approbation by the Holy
See, it could have no authority.'
3 I.e., the Romans, especially, proposed representatives. St. Basil was annoyed that Marcellus, whom he regarded as unorthodox, was, in the words of St. Jerome, 'fortified by communion with Julius and Athanasius, popes of Rome and Alexandria: Cf. De Vir Illust. 86. According to Cardinal Newman, St. Athanasius upheld Marcellus 'to about A.D.
360,' but in his fourth oration against the Arians attacked him pointedly without naming him.
LETTERS
Marcellus4 on the ground that it is dangerous, hannful, and hostile to the true faith. Up to the present time, in all the letters which they write, they never cease anathematizing the detestable Arius up and down and banishing him from the churches. But they seem to have brought no charge against Marcellus who has displayed an impiety diametrically opposed to that of Arius, has been sacrilegious as regards the very existence of the divinty of the Only-begotten, and has accepted in a wrong sense the expression, 'the Vvord.' He declares, indeed, that the Only-begotten was called the 'Word,' and that He came forth according to the need and the time, but had again returned to Him whence He had come forth, and that He neither existed before His procession nor does He subsist5 after His return. Moreover, as a proof of this, the books containing that sinful writing are in our possession. But, in spite of all, they did not seem to discredit him in any way and they are guilty to this degree, that-in the beginning, in ignorance of the truth-they even received him into ecclesiastical communion. Therefore, the present circumstances demand that mention be made of this man in proper manner, so that men wanting an opportunity 6 may not have one, since those sound in faith are joined with your
Holiness and the men who are wavering in the true faith are publicly exposed. As a result, we shall hereafter know those who are united with us, and not, as in a night battle, be unable to distinguish between friends and foes. We urge only that the deacon whom we mentioned before be sent
4 Cf. Letters 125 and 263 for St. Basil's opinion of the heretical doctrines of Marcellus of Ancyra. Marcellus had upheld the cause of orthodoxy at Nicaea. Later. however. when attacking the errors of Asterius, he was supposed to have taught that the Son had no real personalitv. hut was merelv an external manifestation of the Father.
5 I.e., does 'not exist in essence.
6 I.e., of following the heresy of Marcellus. as they could safely do so as long as he remained in good standing for orthodoxy.