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Basil of Caesarea, Letters
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To the Cæsareans . A defence of his withdrawal, and concerning the faith .
Without address. To some friends .
To Arcadius, Imperial Treasurer .
Against Eunomius the heretic .
Without address. On the Perfection of the Life of Solitaries .
To Athanasius, father of Athanasius bishop of Ancyra .
To Athanasius, bishop of Ancyra .
To Cæsarius, brother of Gregory .
To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata .
To the Church of Neocæsarea. Consolatory .
To the Church of Ancyra. Consolatory .
To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata .
To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata .
To his Brother Gregory, concerning the difference between οὐσία and ὑπόστασις.
To Eusebius, Bishop of Samosata .
To Paregorius, the presbyter .
To Meletius, Bishop of Antioch .
To Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria .
To the Governor of Neocæsarea .
To Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria .
To Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria .
To Meletius, bishop of Antioch .
To Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria .
Without inscription: about Therasius .
Without inscription, on behalf of Elpidius .
To Eustathius bishop of Sebastia .
To Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria .
To Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria .
That the oath ought not to be taken .
Without address on the same subject .
Without address on the subject of the exaction of taxes .
To Meletius, bishop of Antioch .
To the holy brethren the bishops of the West .
To Valerianus, Bishop of Illyricum .
To the Patrician Cæsaria , concerning Communion .
To Elias, Governor of the Province .
To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata .
To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata .
To Eusebius, Bishop of Samosata .
To the deaconesses, the daughters of Count Terentius .
To the guardian of the heirs of Julitta .
To Jovinus, Bishop of Perrha .
To Eustathius, Bishop of Sebasteia .
To Meletius, bishop of Antioch .
To Theodotus, bishop of Nicopolis .
To Pœmenius , bishop of Satala .
To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata .
To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata .
To Meletius Bishop of Antioch .
To Theodotus bishop of Nicopolis .
To Abramius, bishop of Batnæ .
To Diodorus, presbyter of Antioch .
To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata .
To Antipater, on his assuming the governorship of Cappadocia .
To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata .
To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata .
To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata .
To Amphilochius in the name of Heraclidas .
To Ascholius, bishop of Thessalonica .
Without address . In the case of a trainer
To Eupaterius and his daughter .
To Amphilochius on his consecration as Bishop .
To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata .
To Ascholius, bishop of Thessalonica .
To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata .
To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata .
To Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium .
To the Master Sophronius, on behalf of Eunathius .
To Otreius, bishop of Melitene .
To the presbyters of Samosata .
To Eustathius, bishop of Himmeria .
To Theodotus, bishop of Beræa .
To Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium .
To Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium .
To Euphronius, bishop of Colonia Armeniæ .
To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata .
To Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium .
To Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium .
To Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium .
To the bishops of the sea coast .
To Elpidius the bishop. Consolatory .
To the notables of Neocæsarea .
To Meletius, bishop of Antioch.
To Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium.
Against Eustathius of Sebasteia .
Consolatory, to the clergy of Colonia .
To the magistrates of Colonia.
To the magistrates of Nicopolis.
To Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium.
To Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium.
To Amphilochius, in reply to certain questions.
To the same, in answer to another question.
To the same, in answer to another question.
To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata.
To the presbyters of Nicopolis .
To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata.
To the Presbyters of Nicopolis.
To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata .
To the bishops of Italy and Gaul concerning the condition and confusion of the Churches.
To Patrophilus, bishop of Ægæ .
To Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium.
Without address. Commendatory.
To Patrophilus, bishop of Ægæ.
To the monks harassed by the Arians.
To the monks Palladius and Innocent.
To Eulogius, Alexander, and Harpocration, bishops of Egypt, in exile.
To Barses, bishop of Edessa, in exile.
To the wife of Arinthæus, the General. Consolatory.
Without address. Concerning Hera.
Without address. Concerning Hera.
To the assessor in the case of monks.
Without address. Excommunicatory.
Without address. Concerning an afflicted woman.
To Timotheus the Chorepiscopus .
Letters CCCXVI., CCCXVII., CCCXVIII., CCCXIX.
Letters CCCXVI., CCCXVII., CCCXVIII., CCCXIX.
Letters CCCXVI., CCCXVII., CCCXVIII., CCCXIX.
Letters CCCXVI., CCCXVII., CCCXVIII., CCCXIX.
Letters CCCXXX., CCCXXXI., CCCXXXII., CCCXXXIII.
Letters CCCXXX., CCCXXXI., CCCXXXII., CCCXXXIII.
Letters CCCXXX., CCCXXXI., CCCXXXII., CCCXXXIII.
Letters CCCXXX., CCCXXXI., CCCXXXII., CCCXXXIII.
Of the Holy Trinity, the Incarnation, the invocation of Saints, and their Images.
Letter CXIII.644 Placed in 372.
To the presbyters of Tarsus.645 That the Nicene Creed alone is to be required of the brethren.
On meeting this man, I heartily thanked God that by means of his visit He had comforted me in many afflictions and had through him shewn me clearly your love. I seem to see in one man’s disposition the zeal of all of you for the truth. He will tell you of our discourses with one another. What you ought to learn directly from me is as follows.
We live in days when the overthrow of the Churches seems imminent; of this I have long been cognisant. There is no edification of the Church; no correction of error; no sympathy for the weak; no single defence of sound brethren; no remedy is found either to heal the disease which has already seized us, or as a preventive against that which we expect. Altogether the state of the Church (if I may use a plain figure though it may seem too humble an one) is like an old coat, which is always being torn and can never be restored to its original strength. At such a time, then, there is need of great effort and diligence that the Churches may in some way be benefited. It is an advantage that parts hitherto severed should be united. Union would be effected if we were willing to accommodate ourselves to the weaker, where we can do so without injury to souls; since, then, many mouths are open against the Holy Ghost, and many tongues whetted to blasphemy against Him, we implore you, as far as in you lies, to reduce the blasphemers to a small number, and to receive into communion all who do not assert the Holy Ghost to be a creature, that the blasphemers may be left alone, and may either be ashamed and return to the truth, or, if they abide in their error, may cease to have any importance from the smallness of their numbers. Let us then seek no more than this, but propose to all the brethren, who are willing to join us, the Nicene Creed. If they assent to that, let us further require that the Holy Ghost ought not to be called a creature, nor any of those who say so be received into communion. I do not think that we ought to insist upon anything beyond this. For I am convinced that by longer communication and mutual experience without strife, if anything more requires to be added by way of explanation, the Lord Who worketh all things together for good for them that love Him,646 Rom. viii. 28. will grant it.
ΤΟΙΣ ΕΝ ΤΑΡΣῼ ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΟΙΣ
[1] Συντυχὼν τῷδε πολλὴν ἔσχον τῷ ἁγίῳ Θεῷ τὴν χάριν, ὅτι με καὶ διὰ τῆς αὐτοῦ παρουσίας ἀπὸ πολλῶν θλίψεων παρεμυθήσατο καὶ τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀγάπην ἐναργῶς ἔδειξε δι' αὐτοῦ. Σχεδὸν γὰρ τὸν πάντων ὑμῶν περὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ζῆλον ἐν τῇ τοῦ ἑνὸς ἀνδρὸς προαιρέσει κατέμαθον. Ἃ μὲν οὖν ἰδίᾳ διελέχθημεν πρὸς ἀλλήλους αὐτὸς ὑμῖν ἀπαγγελεῖ, ἃ δὲ παρ' ἐμοῦ γνωρισθῆναι ὑμῶν προσῆκε τῇ ἀγάπῃ ταῦτά ἐστιν. Ὁ καιρὸς πολλὴν ἔχει ῥοπὴν πρὸς καταστροφὴν τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν, καὶ τοῦτο πολὺν ἔχομεν ἤδη χρόνον ἐξ οὗ καταμανθάνομεν. Οἰκοδομὴ δὲ Ἐκκλησίας καὶ σφαλμάτων διόρθωσις καὶ συμπάθεια μὲν πρὸς τοὺς ἀσθενοῦντας, ὑπερασπισμὸς δὲ πρὸς τοὺς ὑγιαίνοντας τῶν ἀδελφῶν οὐδὲ εἷς. Ἀλλ' οὔτε βοήθημα ἢ θεραπευτικὸν τῆς προκατασχούσης νόσου ἢ προφυλακτικὸν τῆς προσδοκωμένης οὐδέν. Καὶ ὅλως ἔοικε λοιπὸν ἡ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας κατάστασις (ἵνα ἐναργεῖ χρήσωμαι τῷ ὑποδείγματι, κἂν εὐτελέστερον εἶναι δοκῇ) ἱματίῳ παλαιῷ ὑπὸ τῆς τυχούσης προφάσεως ῥᾳδίως καταρρηγνυμένῳ, ὃ πρὸς τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἰσχὺν ἐπανελθεῖν πάλιν ἀδυνατεῖ. Ὡς οὖν ἐν καιρῷ τοιούτῳ, μεγάλης χρεία τῆς σπουδῆς καὶ πολλῆς τῆς ἐπιμελείας εὐεργετηθῆναί τι τὰς Ἐκκλησίας. Εὐεργεσία δέ ἐστιν ἑνωθῆναι τὰ τέως διεσπασμένα. Ἕνωσις δ' ἂν γένοιτο, εἰ βουληθείημεν ἐν οἷς μηδὲν βλάπτομεν τὰς ψυχὰς συμπεριενεχθῆναι τοῖς ἀσθενεστέροις. Ἐπεὶ οὖν πολλὰ στόματα ἤνοικται κατὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῦ Ἁγίου καὶ πολλαὶ γλῶσσαι ἠκόνηνται εἰς τὴν κατ' αὐτοῦ βλασφημίαν, ἀξιοῦμεν ὑμᾶς, ὅσον ἐστὶν ἐφ' ὑμῖν, εἰς ὀλίγον ἀριθμὸν περιστῆσαι τοὺς βλασφημοῦντας καὶ τοὺς μὴ λέγοντας κτίσμα τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον δέχεσθαι εἰς κοινωνίαν, ἵνα μόνοι καταλειφθῶσιν οἱ βλάσφημοι καὶ ἢ καταισχυνθέντες ἐπανέλθωσι πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἢ ἐπιμένοντες τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ἀναξιόπιστοι ὦσι διὰ τὴν ὀλιγότητα. Μηδὲν τοίνυν πλέον ἐπιζητῶμεν, ἀλλὰ προτεινώμεθα τοῖς βουλομένοις ἡμῖν συνάπτεσθαι ἀδελφοῖς τὴν ἐν Νικαίᾳ πίστιν, κἂν ἐκείνῃ συνθῶνται, ἐπερωτῶμεν καὶ τὸ μὴ δεῖν λέγεσθαι κτίσμα τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον μηδὲ κοινωνικοὺς αὐτῶν εἶναι τοὺς λέγοντας. Πέρα δὲ τούτων ἀξιῶ μηδὲν ἐπιζητεῖσθαι παρ' ἡμῶν. Πέπεισμαι γὰρ ὅτι τῇ χρονιωτέρᾳ συνδιαγωγῇ καὶ τῇ ἀφιλονείκῳ συγγυμνασίᾳ, καὶ εἴ τι δέοι πλέον προστεθῆναι εἰς τράνωσιν, δώσει ὁ Κύριος ὁ πάντα συνεργῶν εἰς ἀγαθὸν τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν.