Ep. CLXXXII.

Woe is me that my sojourning is prolonged, and, which is the greatest of my misfortunes, that war and dissensions are among us, and that we have not kept the peace which we received from our holy fathers.  This I doubt not you will restore, in the power of the Spirit who upholds you and yours.  But let no one, I beg, spread false reports about me and my lords the bishops, as though they had proclaimed another bishop in my place against my will.  But being in great need, owing to my feeble health, and fearing the responsibility of a Church neglected, I asked this favour of them, which was not opposed to the Canon Law, and was a relief to me, that they would give a Pastor to the Church.  He has been given to your prayers, a man worthy of your piety, and I now place him in your hands, the most reverend Eulalius, a bishop very dear to God, in whose arms I should like to die.  If any be of opinion that it is not right to ordain another in the lifetime of a Bishop, let him know that he will not in this matter gain any hold upon us.  For it is well known that I was appointed, not to Nazianzus, but to Sasima, although for a short time out of reverence for my father, I as a stranger undertook the government.

[182] ΓΡΗΓΟΡΙΩΙ

« Οἴμοι ὅτι ἡ παροικία μου ἐμακρύνθη »: καὶ τὸ κεφάλαιον ἐν πολέμῳ καὶ στάσει τὰ ἡμέτερα, καὶ ἣν παρελάβομεν παρὰ τῶν ἁγίων Πατέρων εἰρήνην οὐκ ἐτηρήσαμεν. Ταύτην μὲν οὖν οἶδ' ὅτι αὐτὸς ἀποκαταστήσεις ἐν τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ σέ τε καὶ τὰ σὰ φέροντος Πνεύματος. Ἡμῶν δὲ μηδεὶς καταψευδέσθω, παρακαλῶ, μηδὲ τῶν κυρίων τῶν ἐπισκόπων, ὅτι ἀκόντων ἡμῶν ἄλλον ἐπεκήρυξαν ἡμῖν ἐπίσκοπον: οὐ γὰρ τοσοῦτον αὐτοῖς ἀπερρίμμεθα, οὐδὲ οὕτως ἔχουσι πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀπεχθῶς. Ἀλλὰ πολλὰ δεηθεὶς διὰ τὴν ἐμαυτοῦ νέκρωσιν, καὶ ἅμα τὸ βάρος φοβηθεὶς τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἀμελουμένης, ταύτην ᾔτησα παρ' αὐτῶν χάριν, οὔτε κανόσιν ἐναντιουμένην, καὶ ἡμᾶς ἀναψύχουσαν, δοθῆναι τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ ποιμένα, ὃς καὶ δέδοται ταῖς σαῖς εὐχαῖς, ἄξιος τῆς ὑμετέρας θεοσεβείας: ὃν καὶ εἰς χεῖράς σου τίθημι, τὸν αἰδεσιμώτατον Εὐλάλιον λέγω, τὸν θεοφιλέστατον ἐπίσκοπον, οὗ καὶ ταῖς χερσὶν ἐναποψύξαιμι. Εἰ δέ τις οἴεται μὴ χρῆναι ζῶντος ἐπισκόπου ἄλλον χειροτονεῖν, ἴστω μηδ' ἐνταῦθα κρατῶν ἡμῶν: πᾶσι γὰρ δῆλον ὅτι μὴ Ναζιανζοῦ, Σασίμων δὲ προεβλήθημεν, εἰ καὶ πρὸς ὀλίγον, αἰδοῖ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τῶν ἱκετευσάντων, ὡς ξένοι τὴν προστασίαν κατεδεξάμεθα.