Letter 3 , Written From Annisi
Monastic Ideal
BASIL TO CANDIDlANOS, PROVINCIAL GOVERNOR;
LETTER 3 , WRITTEN FROM ANNISI
A certain ruffian who lived with us at Annisi, without saying that some debt was still due to him, did not tell me anything after the death of the bursar. He did not claim for anything but what had been given to him; he did not threaten us that he would take his due by force if we gave him nothing, but then suddenly, with a few rascals of his sort, he attacked our town house, assaulted the women who guarded it, broke the doors, pillaged at random, grabbed his share of booty, and left the rest for any who wanted it. Lest we appear utterly defenseless in that extremity, as if we had been created to be assaulted, we beg you to show us the same zeal with which you have always rescued us in the past, since we had no other way to escape our predicament but by placing ourselves firmly under your authority. It would satisfy us if the mayor [neXyapxoc;] had that fellow arrested and put in jail for a while. What prompts us is less our feeling of indignation at what we had to endure, than a need of security for the future.
Priests and Hierarchs:
Their Calling It is a common maxim that one does not, or ought not to, choose a priestly career as one chooses to become a lawyer, a pharmacist, or an architect. One is chosen. "No man takes this honor upon himself, but he that is called oj
God" (Heb 5:4). The words of instruction of the Apostle to Titus are equally valid: "If any man aspires to the office of a bishop, he desires a noble task" (1 Tm 3:1). The life 0/ the Three Hierarchs is a running commentary on those seemingly contradictory principles, diversely illustrated in the correspondence of Basil and the two Gregorys.
The very circumstances 0/ the life 0/ Basil, not his own choice, demanded that the hegumen of the community on the Iris be able to dispense the divine mysteries to the soli· taries. The letter in which he announced his ordination to his friend Gregory has not been preserved, bllt we possess
Gregory's answer to it, letter 8. Basil had not sought the charge of the priesthood, and Gregory of NazianZlls showed a similar reluctance against being ordained, perhaps even more pronounced.
THE FATHERS SPEAK
GREGORY OF NAZlANZUS TO BASIL, LETTER 8
(ca. 364) I praise the preamble of your letter. What is there in you which should not be praised? You too, like us, have been enrolled by constraint, when we have been forcibly promoted to the priesthood. Certainly it was not something that we were striving for! We can sincerely attest one to the other, more than anyone else, that we were weil satisfied with a pedestrian philosophy: remaining here below. It may have been better that this did not happen, but I do not know what to say, as long. as I am in ignorance of the designs of the Spirit. Since this is the way things happened, we must accept them, it seems to me, especially on account of the time which loosens many heretic tongues against us; so we must not neglect the demands of our own life, or disappoint the hope of those who believe in us.
Basil certainly did not choose for himself the direction of the Cappadocian churches, especially in an era of trouble, but he was prevailed upon by his brethren in the priesthood and the episcopate to accept the charge and fo be consecrated to the see of Caesaraea. The letters he received from the friends who had "campaigned" for him, and his own reactions, make it plain. Here are a few samples. We begin with a leiter from Gregory the elder, the father of Gregory of Nazian'l.us. It is addressed to Eusebius of Samosata. Prior to the editions of the Benedictines of Saint Maur, it had been mistakenly attributed to Basil.
Priests and Hierarchs: Their Calling
GREGORY THE ELDER, BISHOP OF NAZIANZUS, TO
EUSEBlUS, BISHOP OF SAMOSATA (SYRIA),
WRITTEN BEFORE 370. (Text in Basil's correspondence [Bude], letter 47) "Who shall give me wings like those of a dove?" [ps
55:6] or how should myoid age be renewed, so that I could go over to Your Piety, relieve the craving I have to be with you, teU you all my sorrows, and find from you some comfort in my afflictions? After the death of the blessed Bishop
Eusebius [of Caesaraea], it was not a mean apprehension that took hold of us! Would not those who spied upon the Church of our metropolis and strove at filling it with the weeds of heresy seize now the occasion to uproot through their evil teachings the piety which had been sown so laboriously in the souls of men and to tear the unity of the Church as they have done in many other Churches? When letters of the clergy were sent to us, I looked all around and I remembered your charity, your right faith, and the zeal you always had for the Churches of God. For these reasons I sent the beloved Eustathius, our concelebrant [auvblcXKOVOC;], to pray instantly Your Dignity that, above all your past labors for the Churches, you would still comfort myoid age by adding this task for the present: straighten up the renowned piety of the right Church [Tn 6p8!j 'EKKA~O["] by giving it, together with us, if we are to take part with you in this exceIlent work, a shepherd after the Lord's will, capable to steer His people. We have in front of us a man whom you know very well. If we are deemed worthy to obtain him, I know that we shall gain a great assurance with God, and procure an immense advantage to the people entrusted to us.
But I pray you again, and I shall pray you many times, that you put all wavering aside and come to meet with us before the hardships of tbe winter season.
THE FATHERS SPEAK
The "campaign" was not as peacefuL as Gregory of Nazianzus, acting as chancellor 0/ his father the bishop, would have wished. While recommending the candidacy of Basil in the strongest terms, he shows himself unexpectedly touchy. and complains 0/ time-wasting bickerings between the bishops of the province and oj their lack of appreciation for his advice and his person.
GREGORY OF NAZIANZUS TO THE BISHOPS OF
CAPPADOCIA, LETTER 43 (June to September 370) • How lovable you are, 0 lovers of men, charitable beyond measure! You have invited us to come to the metropolis; I suppose, to deliberate about a bishop; at least this is what
I understand, but you do not make it clear whether it is necessary for us to go, nor what for, nor when; you just inform us suddenly that you are on your way. It looks as if you did not want to show us the slightest respect, did not desire our collaboration, but were eager to dissuade us and ward off our opposition. If that is what you planned, we will bear the insult, but we will let you know our feeling just as it is. Of course some will cast their vote for one candidate, some for another, as it happens always in such cases, according to their character or their interest. But we cannot prefer anyone to our most honored friend the priest
Basil. Where, among those we know, could we find a man more eminent by his life, more powerful by his words, or so completely adorned with an outstanding virtue? If you object to his poor health, it is not an athlete you have to elect, but a teacher; remember also that all is possible to Him who strengthens the weak, if there are any, and who looks after them. If you agree, we shall be present and assist you, both spiritually and bodily. But if the way ahead is already preset, or if the factions prevail over the right, we
Priests and Hierarchs: Their Calling
wilI be happy to have been bypassed. Now this is your own affair, and pray for me!
Letter 40 of Gregory of Nazianzus to Basil, and the leiter 41 , addressed to the Christians of Caesaraea by Gregory the elder, bishop of Nazianzus, refer to the condition of the provincial capital of Cappadocia, disturbed by the antiNicene faction, when Archbishop Eusebius died in June 370.
At that time, both Basil and his friend Gregory were in the order of priesthood, the latter as helper to his father the bishop of Nazianzus, and Basil in the service of Eusebius.
Obviously Basil was well placed to judge the situation in Caesaraea, but little inclined to react positively, which caused
Gregory to upbraid him for his inertness. 1n fact, Gregory and his father the bishop of Nazianzus considered Basil eminently qualified to become the successor of Eusebius, and the letter to the Christians of Caesaraea nominates Basil as a most desirable candidate. After some delay, the election of Basil to the metropolitan see of Caesaraea took place toward the end of the ecclesiastical year (autumn 370).
GREGORY OF NAZlANZUS TO BASIL, LETTER 40
(ca. June 370) Be not amazed if I seem to say something unexpected, which nobody has said yet. You have, so it seems to me, the reputation of being steadfast, stable, and of a solid mind, but several of your counsels are more naive than prudent. He who is free from malice is not soon inclined to suspect malice in others, and this is almost what is happening. You called us to the metropolis to hold counsel on the choice of
THE FATHERS SPEAK
a bishop; a nice pretext, quite convincing! You feigned to be sick, about to breathe your last, eager to see us and speak faltering words of farewell; I do not know what for, nor how our presence might help the affairs .... When I saw bishops rushing to the city. I wondered at first why you did not see what is advisable and why you did not ward off the evil gossips of people eager to calumniate the most irreproach. able. Secondly I wondered why you did not realize that you and 1, who have the same mind and life and everything in common, had to share the same predicaments, for God has harmonized us from the beginning. Thirdly-if I may also say this-do you not think that it is the most pious men who ought to be promoted, and not the most powerful and the most "popular"? ... If this seems good to you, make up your mind, and keep away from those who are in the midst of the turmoil, a sorry plight! ... I shall visit Your Piety when the trouble has abated and when the time is right, to do whatever is advisable, and then I will upbraid you some more, and more severely.
LETTER 41, ADDRESSED TO THE CHURCH AT CAESARAEA
By GREGORY THE ELDER, BISHOP OF NAZlANZUS
(Late Summer 370) I am a poor pastor, head of a little flock and the smallest of the ministers of the Spirit, but grace is not limited by narrow borders. Let therefore even the little ones be free to speak, especially when important matters of public interest are discussed, and when the advisers are older people, who happen to have more wisdom than the crowd. You are not deliberating about worthless trivia, but about such matters as will affect the community for better or for worse, according to whether or not they are treated right. For your problem is about the Church for whom Christ has suffered, and about
Priests and Hierarchs: Their Calling
who shall call her and lead her to God. The eye, as we have heard [Mt 6:22J, is the lamp of the body; not only the eye that sees and is seen bodily, but the eye, the organ and object of spiritual vision. Now the bishop is the lamp of the Church; this is evident to you, even if we do not write it. ... The entire Church is to be cared for. being the body of Christ; and especially our Church, who has been since the origin and now is the mother of nearly all Churches; so is she now accounted. The eyes of all look toward her like the circle toward its center, not only because of the right doctrine she has preached from the beginning, but because of the grace of concord with which she was manifestly endowed by God .. .. I am sure that there are among you others who are worthy of presiding in such an important city, guided for a long time by outstanding leaders; however, among those of you who are worthy, I cannot prefer any to our own son the priest Basil, most beloved of God;
God is witness of what I say! Basil is a man whose life and mind are pure, alone among all others, or indeed above them; he would be able to stand in the midst of the present trouble and the wild talk of the heretics. I write this to the priests, to the monks, to those in authority, to those sitting in the assembly, and to all the people. If you agree with this and if your votes prevail, rightly and wisely, since they are cast according to God, I am and I shall be present spiritually; or rather, I have already set my hand to the work, and I trust in the Spirit. If you decide otherwise and not this way, or if the affair was decided according to factions and kinship, if the accuracy of the vote was still disturbed at the hand of the mob, do what seems good to you; we shall keep in readiDesS here.
Gregory congratulates Basil on his elevation to the see of Caesaraea, which took place in September 370 (the beginning of the civil arid the ecclesiastical year). He will not join his frierld and will continue assisting his aged father as a
THE FATHERS SPEAK
priest in the episcopal curia at Nazianzus. He fears that the elevation of Basil to the metropolitan see might render difficult their mutual friendship, which had always expressed itself with utter frankness.
GREGORY OF NAZIANZUS TO BASIL, LETTER 45
(After September 370) When I learned t~at you had been elevated to this lofty throne, and that the victorious Spirit had placed on a stand the lamp which had never ceased to shine bright, I must say:
I rejoice! How could I do otherwise, seeing that the Church as a whole is in a sore state and in need of being firmly taken in hand. However, I did not rush toward you nor will
I, and you should not ask me to hasten to come. First, it is in order to safeguard your dignity, for you should not seem to recruit partisans tastelessly and rashly. as your enemies would allege. Secondly. I have to steady myself and avoid provoking jealousy. Maybe you will say: "When shall you come, and how long will you delay your coming?" Till God commands me to, and until the shadows of those who attack us and decry us have passed by. For the lepers, I am sure, shall not forever hold up David from entering into Jerusalem [ef. 2 Sm 5:6].
We have observed repeatedly the shifting moods of Saint Gregory of NazianZlls, alternating from moments of deep repression to unbounded enthusiasm. They denote an instability due in part to his poor health-contrasting with Basil's composure-at a time when both of them were subject to trying circumstances. This feature may explain Gregory's
Priests alld Hierarchs: Their Calling
tentative ideas to withdraw through flight. When prevented from taking possession of his see of Sasima, he attempted to seek refuge "in the desert"; after the death of his parents, he retired surreptitiously to Seleucia of Isauria where he learned of Basil's death in 379; after a riot during the Paschal solemnities ;n Constantinople, he resigned his charge; back in Cappadocia, he found himself exposed to the bickerings of local bishops; and his final retreat in the country estate of Kerbela did not bring him peace, as he complained of harassment by undesirable neighbors.
Letter 80 Philagrios, a friend of Gregory, was written in a moment of depression, perhaps from Constantinople, or after his return to Cappadocia. The addressee has been erroneously identified as a rhetor named Eudoxios, following an error of the early editions of Gregory of Nazianzus' letters
(see Gal/ay, tome I, p. 103, note I).
GREGORY OF NAZIANZUS TO PHILAGRIOS, LETTER 80
(After 379) You ask about our situation; very bad! I do not have Basil any more, nor Kaisarios. my brother in the Spirit and by blood. "My father and my mother have forsaken me," shall I cry with David CPs 27: 1 0]. My body is sore; old age is on my head! Entanglement of worries, business harassments! Friends not to be trusted, the Church without a pastor! The good is lost, evil laid bare! Sailing in the dark, light nowhere! Christ asleep [Mt 8:24]. What has one not to bear? There is only one end to my troubles: death. And the future scares me, judging from what has happened thus far.
THE FATHERS SP EAK
Letter J 30, to Prokopios, a government official in Constantinople, contrasts sharply with the billet to Philagrios.
Gregory is now in a high mood. He had always held the Council of Nicaea in high regard, because it had defined an essential dogma of the Church Universal, the "consubstantiality" of the Son with the Father (ol;loo60l0C;), but he had little use jar a multiplicity 0/ local synods, liable to deteriorate into small parleys and doing not much good.
Gregory, in retirement after the First Council 0/ Constantinople (381), excuses himself to Prokopios, who had invited him 10 a synod 0/ bishops, held in the capital in the summer of 382.
GREGORY OF NAZIANZUS TO PROKOPIOS, LETTER 130
(ca. 382) Here is what I feel like writing; to tell you the truth, above all flee the reunions of bishops! I have never seen any having a good result and solving bad problems-if they do not aggravate them! Always quibbles and discussions having neither rhyme nor reason, and please do not take me for a rambunctious fellow when I write this to you! One would be charged sooner with perversity for correcting the others than effectively uprighting them! That is why I wrap myself in my thoughts, judging that the only security of the soul is quietude [~avx(a]. Now my ill health helps me to maintain my decision. I am almost on the point of breathing my last, and unable to do anything by myself. For this reason, let
Your Magnanimity excuse us, and persuade our most pious Basileus [Theodosius] not to reproach us with indifference, but rather to forgive our infirmity. He knows how he permitted us to retire [from our charge], when we begged for this only favor.