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all who have sense say are the causes for the gifts that have been given, and they punish them. Since the priesthood might justly accuse us who do not handle it rightly; for it is not itself the cause of the evils we have mentioned, but we, as far as it was in our power, have defiled it with so many pollutions, by entrusting it to any chance men. But they, having neither first understood their own souls, nor looked to the magnitude of the office, eagerly accept what is given; but when they come to the practice of it, being darkened by their inexperience, they fill the people entrusted to them with countless evils. This, this is what was about to happen in our case, almost, if God had not quickly drawn us out of those dangers, sparing His own Church and our soul. Or from where, tell me, do you think so many disturbances are born in the Churches? For I, for my part, think they arise from nowhere else than from the fact that the choices and elections of the leaders are made simply and at random. For the head ought to be very strong, that it may be able to direct the evil humors which are sent up from the rest of the body below and reduce them to their proper state; but when it happens to be weak in itself, unable to repel those disease-producing attacks, it becomes even weaker than it is and destroys the rest of the body along with itself. That this might not happen now, God has kept us in the rank of the feet, which we also obtained from the beginning. For there are many things, O Basil, in addition to those I have mentioned, many other things which one who is to be a priest ought to have, but which we do not have, and before all others, this. His soul must be entirely pure from the desire for the office; for if he happens to be passionately disposed towards this authority, when he has attained it, he kindles a stronger flame, and being completely overcome, in order to hold it securely he endures countless terrible things, whether it is necessary to flatter, or to endure something base and unworthy, or to spend much money. For that some have even filled the churches with murders and laid cities waste fighting for this office, I pass over now, lest I seem to some to say things that are incredible. But it was necessary, I think, to have such reverence for the office as to flee its dignity at first, and after having attained it, not to wait for the judgments of others, if ever it should happen that he commits a sin sufficient for deposition, but to anticipate this and cast himself out of the office; for in this way it was likely that he would draw down mercy from God. But to cling to the dignity improperly is to deprive oneself of all pardon and to kindle God's anger the more, by adding a second and more grievous offense. But no one will ever endure it; for it is truly a terrible thing, a terrible thing to long for this honor. And I do not say this in opposition to the blessed Paul, but in complete harmony with his words. For what does he say? “If any man desire the office of a bishop, he desires a good work.” But I said it is a terrible thing to desire, not the work, but the authority and power. And I think one ought to thrust out this longing with all the zeal of his soul, and not even to allow his soul to be seized by it at the outset, so that he may be able to do all things with freedom. For he who does not desire to be seen in this authority does not fear its deposition; and not fearing, he would be able to do all things with the freedom which befits Christians. But those who fear and tremble lest they be cast down from it endure a bitter slavery, full of many evils, and are often forced to offend both men and God. But the soul ought not to be so disposed, but just as in wars we see the noble soldiers both fighting eagerly and falling bravely, so also those who have come to this stewardship [should be ready] both to serve as priests and to be released from the office as

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δεδομέναις δωρεαῖς ἅπαντες οἱ νοῦν ἔχοντες αἰτίους εἶναί φασι καὶ κολάζουσιν. Ἐπεὶ ἥ γε ἱερωσύνη κἂν ἐγκαλέσῃ δικαίως ἡμῖν οὐκ ὀρθῶς αὐτὴν μεταχειρίζουσιν· οὐ γὰρ αὐτὴ τῶν εἰρημένων ἡμῖν αἰτία κακῶν, ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς αὐτὴν τοσούτοις, τό γε εἰς ἡμᾶς ἧκον, κατερρυπάναμεν μολυσμοῖς, ἀνθρώποις τοῖς τυχοῦσιν ἐγχειρίζοντες αὐτήν. Οἱ δὲ οὔτε τὰς ἑαυτῶν πρότερον καταμαθόντες ψυχάς, οὔτε εἰς τὸν τοῦ πράγματος ὄγκον ἀποβλέψαντες, δέχονται μὲν προθύμως τὸ διδόμενον, ἡνίκα δ' ἂν εἰς τὸ πράττειν ἔλθωσιν, ὑπὸ τῆς ἀπειρίας σκοτούμενοι, μυρίων ἐμπιπλῶσι κακῶν οὓς ἐπιστεύθησαν λαούς. Τοῦτο δή, τοῦτο ὅπερ καὶ ἐφ' ἡμῶν μικροῦ δεῖν ἔμελλε γίνεσθαι, εἰ μὴ ταχέως ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεὸς τῶν κινδύνων ἐκείνων ἐξείλκυσε καὶ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τῆς αὑτοῦ καὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας φειδόμενος ψυχῆς. Ἢ πόθεν, εἰπέ μοι, νομίζεις τὰς τοσαύτας ἐν ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις τίκτεσθαι ταραχάς; Ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ οὐδὲ ἄλλοθέν ποθεν, οἶμαι, ἢ ἐκ τοῦ τὰς τῶν προεστώτων αἱρέσεις καὶ ἐκλογὰς ἁπλῶς καὶ ὡς ἔτυχε γίνεσθαι. Τὴν γὰρ κεφαλὴν ἰσχυροτάτην εἶναι ἐχρῆν, ἵνα τοὺς ἐκ τοῦ λοιποῦ σώματος κάτωθεν πεμπομένους ἀτμοὺς πονηροὺς διοικεῖν καὶ εἰς τὸ δέον καθιστᾶν δύνηται, ὅταν δὲ καθ' ἑαυτὴν ἀσθενὴς οὖσα τύχῃ, τὰς νοσοποιοὺς ἐκείνας προσβολὰς ἀποκρούσασθαι μὴ δυναμένη, αὐτή τε ἀσθενεστέρα μᾶλλον ἤπερ ἐστὶ καθίσταται καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν μεθ' ἑαυτῆς προσαπόλλυσι σῶμα. Ὅπερ ἵνα μὴ καὶ νῦν γένηται, ἐν τῇ τάξει τῶν ποδῶν ἡμᾶς ἐφύλαξεν ὁ Θεὸς ἥνπερ καὶ ἐλάχομεν ἐξ ἀρχῆς. Πολλὰ γάρ ἐστιν, ὦ Βασίλειε, πρὸς τοῖς εἰρημένοις, πολλὰ ἕτερα ἃ τὸν ἱερωμένον ἔχειν χρή, ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐκ ἔχομεν, καὶ πρό γε τῶν ἄλλων ἐκεῖνο. Πανταχόθεν αὐτῷ τῆς τοῦ πράγματος ἐπιθυμίας καθαρεύειν δεῖ τὴν ψυχήν, ὡς ἐὰν προσπαθῶς πρὸς ταύτην διακείμενος τύχῃ τὴν ἀρχήν, γενόμενος ἐπ' αὐτῆς ἰσχυροτέραν ἀνάπτει τὴν φλόγα καὶ κατὰ κράτος ἁλοὺς ὑπὲρ τοῦ βεβαίαν ἔχειν αὐτὴν μυρία ὑπομένει δεινά, κἂν κολακεῦσαι δέῃ, κἂν ἀγεννές τι καὶ ἀνάξιον ὑπομεῖναι, κἂν χρήματα ἀναλῶσαι πολλά. Ὅτι γὰρ καὶ φόνων τὰς ἐκκλησίας ἐνέπλησάν τινες καὶ πόλεις ἀναστάτους ἐποίησαν ὑπὲρ ταύτης μαχόμενοι τῆς ἀρχῆς, παρίημι νῦν μὴ καὶ ἄπιστα δόξω λέγειν τισίν. Ἐχρῆν δέ, οἶμαι, τοσαύτην τοῦ πράγματος ἔχειν εὐλάβειαν ὡς καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐκφυγεῖν τὸν ὄγκον καὶ μετὰ τὸ γενέσθαι ἐν αὐτῷ μὴ περιμένειν τὰς παρ' ἑτέρων κρίσεις, εἴ ποτε συμβαίη καθαίρεσιν ἱκανὸν ἐργάσασθαι ἁμάρτημα, ἀλλὰ προλαβόντα ἐκβάλλειν ἑαυτὸν τῆς ἀρχῆς· οὕτω μὲν γὰρ καὶ ἔλεον ἐπισπάσασθαι παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰκὸς ἦν. Τὸ δὲ ἀντέχεσθαι παρὰ τὸ πρέπον τῆς ἀξίας, πάσης ἑαυτὸν ἀποστερεῖν συγγνώμης ἐστὶ καὶ μᾶλλον ἐκκαίειν τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ὀργήν, δεύτερον χαλεπώτερον προστιθέντα πλημμέλημα. Ἀλλ' οὐδεὶς ἀνέξεταί ποτε· δεινὸν γὰρ ἀληθῶς, δεινὸν τὸ ταύτης γλίχεσθαι τῆς τιμῆς. Καὶ οὐ μαχόμενος τῷ μακαρίῳ Παύλῳ λέγω, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάνυ συνᾴδων αὐτοῦ τοῖς ῥήμασι. Τί γὰρ ἐκεῖνός φησιν; «Εἴ τις ἐπισκοπῆς ὀρέγεται, καλοῦ ἔργου ἐπιθυμεῖ.» Ἐγὼ δὲ οὐ τοῦ ἔργου, τῆς δὲ αὐθεντίας καὶ δυναστείας ἐπιθυμεῖν εἶπον εἶναι δεινόν. Καὶ τοῦτον οἶμαι δεῖν τὸν πόθον πάσῃ σπουδῇ τῆς ψυχῆς ἐξωθεῖν καὶ μηδὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν κατασχεθῆναι αὐτὴν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ συγχωρεῖν ἵνα μετ' ἐλευθερίας ἅπαντα αὐτῷ πράττειν ἐξῇ. Ὁ γὰρ οὐκ ἐπιθυμῶν ἐπὶ ταύτης δειχθῆναι τῆς ἐξουσίας οὐδὲ τὴν καθαίρεσιν αὐτῆς δέδοικεν, οὐ δεδοικὼς δὲ μετὰ τῆς προσηκούσης χριστιανοῖς ἐλευθερίας πάντα πράττειν δύναιτ' ἄν. Ὡς οἵ γε φοβούμενοι καὶ τρέμοντες κατενεχθῆναι ἐκεῖθεν πικρὰν ὑπομένουσι δουλείαν καὶ πολλῶν γέμουσαν τῶν κακῶν καὶ ἀνθρώποις καὶ Θεῷ προσκρούειν ἀναγκάζονται πολλάκις. ∆εῖ δὲ οὐχ οὕτω διακεῖσθαι τὴν ψυχήν, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἐν τοῖς πολέμοις τοὺς γενναίους τῶν στρατιωτῶν ὁρῶμεν καὶ πολεμοῦντας προθύμως καὶ πίπτοντας ἀνδρείως, οὕτω καὶ τοὺς ἐπὶ ταύτην ἥκοντας τὴν οἰκονομίαν καὶ ἱερᾶσθαι καὶ παραλύεσθαι τῆς ἀρχῆς ὡς