Letter XLV.366    To be ranked with the preceding.

To a lapsed Monk.

1.  I am doubly alarmed to the very bottom of my heart, and you are the cause.  I am either the victim of some unkindly prepossession, and so am driven to make an unbrotherly charge; or, with every wish to feel for you, and to deal gently with your troubles, I am forced to take a different and an unfriendly attitude.  Wherefore, even as I take my pen to write, I have nerved my unwilling hand by reflection; but my face, downcast as it is, because of my sorrow over you, I have had no power to change.  I am so covered with shame, for your sake, that my lips are turned to mourning and my mouth straightway falls.  Ah me!  What am I to write?  What shall I think in my perplexity?

If I call to mind your former empty mode of life, when you were rolling in riches and had abundance of petty mundane reputation, I shudder; then you were followed by a mob of flatterers, and had the short enjoyment of luxury, with obvious peril and unfair gain; on the one hand, fear of the magistrates scattered your care for your salvation, on the other the agitations of public affairs disturbed your home, and the continuance of troubles directed your mind to Him Who is able to help you.  Then, little by little, you took to seeking for the Saviour, Who brings you fears for your good, Who delivers you and protects you, though you mocked Him in your security.  Then you began to train yourself for a change to a worthy life, treating all your perilous property as mere dung, and abandoning the care of your household and the society of your wife.  All abroad like a stranger and a vagabond, wandering through town and country, you betook yourself to Jerusalem.367    cf. note on Letter xlii. p. 145.  Maran, Vit. S. Bas. cap. xii., regards this implied sojourn at Jerusalem as unfavourable to the genuineness of the letter; but supposing the letter to be genuine, and grounds to exist for doubting Basil to have spent any long time in the Holy Land, there seems no reason why “Jerusalem” may not be taken in a figurative sense for the companionship of the saints.  See also Proleg. on Basil’s baptism.  There I myself lived with you, and, for the toil of your ascetic discipline, called you blessed, when fasting for weeks you continued in contemplation before God, shunning the society of your fellows, like a routed runaway.  Then you arranged for yourself a quiet and solitary life, and refused all the disquiets of society.  You pricked your body with rough sackcloth; you tightened a hard belt round your loins; you bravely put wearing pressure on your bones; you made your sides hang loose from front to back, and all hollow with fasting; you would wear no soft bandage, and drawing in your stomach, like a gourd, made it adhere to the parts about your kidneys.  You emptied out all fat from your flesh; all the channels below your belly you dried up; your belly itself you folded up for want of food; your ribs, like the caves of a house, you made to overshadow all the parts about your middle, and, with all your body contracted, you spent the long hours of the night in pouring out confession to God, and made your beard wet with channels of tears.  Why particularize?  Remember how many mouths of saints you saluted with a kiss, how many bodies you embraced, how many held your hands as undefiled, how many servants God, as though in worship, ran and clasped you by the knees.

2.  And what is the end of all this?  My ears are wounded by a charge of adultery, flying swifter than an arrow, and piercing my heart with a sharper sting.  What crafty wiliness of wizard has driven you into so deadly a trap?  What many-meshed devil’s nets have entangled you and disabled all the powers of your virtue?  What has become of the story of your labours?  Or must we disbelieve them?  How can we avoid giving credit to what has long been hid when we see what is plain?  What shall we say of your having by tremendous oaths bound souls which fled for refuge to God, when what is more than yea and nay is carefully attributed to the devil?368    cf. Matt. v. 37.  You have made yourself security for fatal perjury; and, by setting the ascetic character at nought, you have cast blame even upon the Apostles and the very Lord Himself.  You have shamed the boast of purity.  You have disgraced the promise of chastity; we have been made a tragedy of captives, and our story is made a play of before Jews and Greeks.  You have made a split in the solitaries’ spirit, driving those of exacter discipline into fear and cowardice, while they still wonder at the power of the devil, and seducing the careless into imitation of your incontinence.  So far as you have been able, you have destroyed the boast of Christ, Who said, “Be of good cheer I have overcome the world,”369    John xvi. 33. and its Prince.  You have mixed for your country a bowl of ill repute.  Verily you have proved the truth of the proverb, “Like a hart stricken through the liver.”370    cf. Prov. vii. 22, 23, LXX.

But what now?  The tower of strength has not fallen, my brother.  The remedies of correction are not mocked; the city of refuge is not shut.  Do not abide in the depths of evil.  Do not deliver yourself to the slayer of souls.  The Lord knows how to set up them that are dashed down.  Do not try to flee afar off, but hasten to me.  Resume once more the labours of your youth, and by a fresh course of good deeds destroy the indulgence that creeps foully along the ground.  Look to the end, that has come so near to our life.  See how now the sons of Jews and Greeks are being driven to the worship of God, and do not altogether deny the Saviour of the World.  Never let that most awful sentence apply to you, “Depart from me, I never knew you.”371    Luke xiii. 27.

ΠΡΟΣ ΜΟΝΑΖΟΝΤΑ ΕΚΠΕΣΟΝΤΑ

[1] Διττός μοι φόβος ἐνέσκηψε τοῖς τῆς διανοίας κόλποις ἐκ τῆς περὶ σὲ ὑποθέσεως. Ἢ γάρ τις τρόπος ἀσυμπαθὴς προκαταρξάμενος εἰς μισανθρωπίας ἔγκλημά με ῥίπτει, ἢ αὖθις συμπαθεῖν ἐθέλοντα καὶ πρὸς τὰ πάθη καταμαλακίζεσθαι κακῶς μετατίθησι. Διόπερ καὶ διαχαράττειν μέλλων τουτί μου τὸ γράμμα, τὴν μὲν χεῖρα ναρκῶσαν τοῖς λογισμοῖς ἐνεύρωσα, τὸ δὲ πρόσωπον, ἠπορημένον ἐκ τῆς ἐπὶ σοὶ κατηφείας, ἀλλοιῶσαι οὐκ ἴσχυσα, τοσαύτης μοι ἐπὶ σοὶ κεχυμένης αἰσχύνης ὡς καὶ τὴν τοῦ στόματος σύμπτυξιν παραχρῆμα πίπτειν, τῶν χειλέων μου εἰς κλαυθμὸν ἐκτρεπομένων. Οἴμοι, τί γράψω ἢ τί λογίσωμαι, ἐν τριόδῳ ἀπειλημμένος ἐὰν ἔλθω εἰς μνήμην τῆς προτέρας σου ματαίας ἀναστροφῆς ὅτε σε περιέρρει πλοῦτος καὶ τὸ χαμερπὲς δοξάριον; Φρίττω: ἡνίκα εἵπετό σοι κολάκων πλήθη, καὶ τρυφῆς ἀπόλαυσις πρόσκαιρος μετὰ προφανοῦς κινδύνου καὶ ἀδίκων πόρων, καὶ πῂ μὲν ἀρχοντικοὶ φόβοι διερρίπιζόν σου τὴν τῆς σωτηρίας ὑπόνοιαν, πῂ δὲ δημοσίων θόρυβοι διεσάλευόν σου τὴν ἑστίαν, ἥ τε συνοχὴ τῶν κακῶν ἀπεσφαίριζέ σου τὸν νοῦν πρὸς τὸν δυνάμενόν σοι βοηθεῖν: ἡνίκα κατὰ μικρὸν ἐμελέτας περιβλέπεσθαι τὸν Σωτῆρα, φέροντα μὲν πρὸς ὠφέλειαν τοὺς φόβους, ῥυόμενον δέ σε καὶ σκέποντα, παίζοντα κατ' αὐτοῦ ἐν ταῖς ἀδείαις: ἡνίκα ἐγυμνάζου πρὸς μεταβολὴν σεμνοῦ τρόπου, σκυβαλίζων μέν σου τὴν πολυκίνδυνον περιουσίαν, οἴκου τε θεραπείαν καὶ συνοίκου ὁμιλίαν ἀπαρνούμενος. Ὅλος δὲ μετάρσιος, ὥσπερ ξένος καὶ ἀλήτης ἀγροὺς καὶ πόλεις ἐξαμείβων κατέδραμες ἐπὶ τὰ Ἱεροσόλυμα, ἔνθα σοι καὶ αὐτὸς συνδιατρίβων ἐμακάριζον τῶν ἀθλητικῶν πόνων, ὅτε ἑβδοματικοῖς κύκλοις νῆστις διατελῶν Θεῷ προσεφιλοσόφεις, ὁμοῦ καὶ τὰς τῶν ἀνθρώπων συντυχίας λόγῳ τροπῆς ὑποφεύγων, ἡσυχίαν δὲ καὶ μονοτροπίαν ἑαυτῷ ἐφαρμόσας τοὺς πολιτικοὺς θορύβους ἐξέκλινας. Σάκκῳ δὲ τραχεῖ τὸ σῶμά σου διανύττων καὶ ζώνῃ σκληρᾷ τὴν ὀσφύν σου περισφίγγων καρτερικῶς τὰ ὀστᾶ σου διέθλιβες. Λαγόνας τε ταῖς ἐνδείαις κοιλαίνων μέχρι τῶν νωτιαίων μερῶν ὑπεχαύνωσας, καὶ φασκίας μὲν ἁπαλῆς τὴν χρῆσιν ἀπηρνήσω, ἔνδοθεν δὲ τὰς λαπάρας σικύας δίκην ὑφελκύσας τοῖς νεφριτικοῖς χωρίοις προσκολλᾶσθαι ἐβιάζου, ὅλην δὲ τὴν τῆς σαρκὸς πιμελὴν ἐκκενώσας, τοὺς τῶν ὑπογαστρίων ὀχετοὺς γενναίως ἐξήρανας, γαστέρα τε αὐτὴν ταῖς ἀσιτίαις συμπτύξας, τὰ πλευριτικὰ μέρη, ὥσπερ τινὰ στέγης ἐξοχήν, τοῖς τοῦ ὀμφαλοῦ μέρεσιν ἐπεσκίαζες, καί, συνεσταλμένῳ ὅλῳ τῷ ὀργάνῳ, κατὰ τὰς νυκτερινὰς ὥρας ἀνθομολογούμενος τῷ Θεῷ, τοῖς τῶν δακρύων ὀχετοῖς τὴν γενειάδα ἔμβροχον καθωμάλιζες. Καὶ τί με δεῖ καταλέγειν ἕκαστα; Μνήσθητι ὅσα ἁγίων στόματα φιλήματι κατησπάσω, ὅσα ἱερὰ σώματα περιεπτύξω, ὅσοι σου τὰς χεῖρας ὡς ἀχράντους περιέθαλπον, ὅσοι δοῦλοι Θεοῦ, ὥσπερ λάτρεις, ὑπέδραμον τοῖς γόνασί σου περιπλεκόμενοι.

[2] Καὶ τούτων τὸ τέλος τί; Μοιχικῆς φήμης διαβολή, βέλους ὀξύτερον διιπταμένη, τιτρώσκει ἡμῶν τὰς ἀκοάς, ἀκμαιοτέρῳ τῷ κέντρῳ τὰ σπλάγχνα ἡμῶν διανύττουσα. Τίς ἡ τοῦ Γόητος τοσαύτη ἔντεχνος ποικιλία εἰς τοσοῦτόν σε περιήγαγεν ὀλέθριον σκέλισμα; Ποία πολύπλοκα τοῦ διαβόλου δίκτυα περισφίγξαντά σε τὰς τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐνεργείας ἀκινήτους ἀπήλεγξε; Ποῦ μοι τὰ διηγήματα τῶν σῶν πόνων οἴχεται; Ἆρα γὰρ ἀπιστῆσαι ἄξιον; Καὶ πῶς οὐχὶ ἐκ τῶν ἐναργῶν καὶ τὰ τέως ἀφανῆ εἰς πίστιν δεξώμεθα, εἰ τὰς τῷ Θεῷ προσφυγούσας ψυχὰς φρικτοῖς ὅρκοις κατέκλεισας, ὁπότε παρατετηρημένως τοῦ ναὶ καὶ τοῦ οὒ τὸ περιττὸν τῷ διαβόλῳ προσνενέμηται; Ὁμοῦ τοίνυν καὶ παρορκίας ὀλεθρίου γέγονας ἔγγυος καὶ φαυλίσας τῆς ἀσκήσεως τὸν χαρακτῆρα μέχρι τῶν Ἀποστόλων καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου ἀνέπεμψας τὸ αἶσχος. Κατῄσχυνας τὸ τῆς ἁγνείας καύχημα, ἐμωμήσω τῆς σωφροσύνης τὸ ἐπάγγελμα, ἐγενόμεθα αἰχμαλώτων τραγῳδία, Ἰουδαίοις καὶ Ἕλλησι δραματουργεῖται τὰ ἡμέτερα. Διέτεμες φρόνημα μοναχῶν, τοὺς ἀκριβεστέρους εἰς φόβον καὶ δειλίαν ἤγαγες, θαυμάζοντας ἔτι τοῦ διαβόλου τὴν δύναμιν: τοὺς ἀδιαφόρους εἰς ἀκολασίας ζῆλον μετέθηκας. Ἔλυσας ὅσον ἐπὶ σοὶ τὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ καύχημα: »Θαρρεῖτε, λέγοντος, ἐγὼ νενίκηκα τὸν κόσμον καὶ τὸν τούτου ἄρχοντα.« Ἐκέρασας τῇ πατρίδι κρατῆρα δυσφημίας: ὄντως εἰς ἔργον ἤγαγες τὰς Παροιμίας: »Ὡς ἔλαφος τοξευθεὶς εἰς τὸ ἧπαρ.« Ἀλλὰ τί νῦν; Οὐ πέπτωκεν ὁ τῆς ἰσχύος πύργος, ἀδελφέ, οὐκ ἐμωμήθη τὰ τῆς ἐπιστροφῆς φάρμακα, οὐκ ἀπεκλείσθη τοῦ καταφευκτηρίου ἡ πόλις. Μὴ τῷ βάθει τῶν κακῶν ἐναπομείνῃς, μὴ χρήσῃς σεαυτὸν τῷ Ἀνθρωποκτόνῳ. Οἶδεν ἀνορθοῦν κατερραγμένους ὁ Κύριος. Φεῦγε μὴ μακράν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀνάδραμε. Ἀνάλαβε πάλιν νεανικοὺς πόνους, δευτέροις κατορθώμασι διαλύων τὴν χαμαίζηλον καὶ γλοιώδη ἡδονήν. Ἀνάνευσον εἰς τὴν τοῦ τέλους ἡμέραν, οὕτω προσεγγίσασαν τῇ ζωῇ ἡμῶν, καὶ γνῶθι πῶς λοιπὸν Ἰουδαίων καὶ Ἑλλήνων παῖδες συνελαύνονται πρὸς θεοσέβειαν, καὶ μὴ ἁπαξαπλῶς ἀπαρνήσῃ τὸν τοῦ κόσμου Σωτῆρα: μή σε ἡ φρικωδεστάτη ἐκείνη καταλάβῃ ἀπόφασις, ὅτι »Οὐκ οἶδα ὑμᾶς τίνες ἐστέ.«