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Ad Gregorium Nyssenum

ORATION 11.

By the same, to Gregory of Nyssa, the brother of Basil the Great, who visited him after his ordination.

1. There is no exchange for a faithful friend, nor any measure of his beauty. A faithful friend is a strong shelter, and a fortified kingdom. A faithful friend is a living treasure. A faithful friend is above much gold and precious stone. A faithful friend is a garden enclosed, a fountain sealed, opened and partaken of at the right time. A faithful friend is a harbor of refreshment. And if he also excels in understanding, how great is he? And if he is also eminent in learning, and in all kinds of learning, both ours, I say, and that which was once ours, how much more glorious? And if he is also a son of light, or a man of God, or one who draws near to God, or a man of better desires, or worthy to be called by any of such names by which Scripture honors those who are inspired, and lofty, and of the portion above, this is already a gift of God, and clearly beyond our own worth. And if he has come to us from a friend, and one of equal virtue and friendship to us, it is yet more pleasant and more graceful, and more fragrant than the ointment that adorns a priest's beard and the hem of his garment. 35.833

2. Are these things sufficient, then, and has my discourse painted the man for you moderately? Or must we, like diligent painters, often apply the colors, so that we may present to you a more perfect picture in our discourse? And so we will paint him for you more perfectly and more clearly. Who is the most renowned of lawgivers? Moses. Who is the most holy of priests? Aaron; brothers no less in piety than in body; or rather, the one a god to Pharaoh, and ruler and lawgiver of Israel, and entering within the cloud, and both an overseer and an initiator of divine mysteries, and the craftsman of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man; and both likewise priests. For Moses, it says, and Aaron among His priests; the one a ruler of rulers, and a priest of priests, using Aaron as a tongue, while he himself became for him that which is toward God; and the other immediately after him, but far before the others in worth and in nearness to God. Both tormenting Egypt, dividing the sea, leading Israel through, baptizing their enemies, drawing down bread from above, and in the wilderness, one bringing forth untrustworthy water, the other sweetening it; both warring against Amalek by the holy stretching out of hands, and by the type of a greater mystery; both leading and hastening towards the land of promise. Is the image not yet more recognizable? Has not the painter, my discourse, clearly portrayed for you the one who shares my name and my soul?

3. Of these, the one anointed us, and brought us forth from our hiding into the midst; I know not what moved him, or how he was driven unworthily of the spirit in him; for even if the word is rather harsh, yet it shall be said; friendship will bear all things, both suffering and hearing. But the other has come to comfort, and to reconcile, and to tame me to the Spirit. A great thing, that even now, to me (and how is it not the greatest? since I preferred you to my whole life); but I complain that he is later than the need. How comes the alliance after the defeat and the rout, O best of friends and allies? and the pilot after the storm, and the medicine after the wound has scarred? Were you ashamed of the tyranny as a lover of your brother? Or did you yourself as a ruler resent the disobedience? Which of the brothers do you blame, and which

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Ad Gregorium Nyssenum

ΛΟΓΟΣ ΙΑʹ.

Τοῦ αὐτοῦ, εἰς Γρηγόριον Νύσσης, τὸν τοῦ με γάλου Βασιλείου ἀδελφὸν, ἐπιστάντα μετὰ τὴν χειροτονίαν.

Αʹ. Φίλου πιστοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀντάλλαγμα τῶν ὄντων οὐδὲν, οὐδέ τις σταθμὸς τῆς καλλο νῆς αὐτοῦ. Φίλος πιστὸς σκέπη κραταιὰ, καὶ ὠχυρωμένον βασίλειον. Φίλος πιστὸς θησαυρὸς ἔμ ψυχος. Φίλος πιστὸς ὑπὲρ χρυσίον καὶ λίθον τίμιον πολύν. Φίλος πιστὸς κῆπος κεκλεισμένος, πηγὴ ἐσφραγισμένη, κατὰ καιρὸν ἀνοιγόμενά τε καὶ με ταλαμβανόμενα. Φίλος πιστὸς λιμὴν ἀναψύξεως. Ἂν δὲ καὶ συνέσει διαφέρῃ, πηλίκον; Εἰ δὲ καὶ παι δείαν ἄκρος, καὶ παιδείαν παντοίαν, τήν τε ἡμετέραν λέγω καὶ τήν ποτε ἡμετέραν, ὅσῳ λαμπρότερον; Εἰ δὲ καὶ υἱὸς φωτὸς, ἢ ἄνθρωπος τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἢ ἐγ γίζων Θεῷ, ἢ ἀνὴρ ἐπιθυμιῶν τῶν κρειττόνων. ἤ τι τῶν τοιούτων ὀνομάζεσθαι ἄξιος, οἷς ἡ Γραφὴ τιμᾷ τοὺς ἐνθέους, καὶ ὑψηλοὺς, καὶ τῆς ἄνω μερί δος, τοῦτο μὲν ἤδη δῶρον Θεοῦ, καὶ φανερῶς ὑπὲρ τὴν ἀξίαν τὴν ἡμετέραν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ παρὰ φίλου πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἥκων, καὶ τούτου τήν τε ἀρετὴν ὁμοτίμου, καὶ τὴν φιλίαν τὴν ἡμετέραν, ἔτι τερπνότερόν τε καὶ χαριέστερον, καὶ μύρου τοῦ κοσμοῦντος πώγωνά τε ἱερέως καὶ ὤαν ἐνδύματος εὐωδέστερον. 35.833

Βʹ. Ἆρ' οὖν ἱκανὰ ταῦτα, καὶ μετρίως ὑμῖν τὸν ἄνδρα ὁ λόγος ἔγραψεν; Ἢ δεῖ, καθάπερ τοὺς ἐπιμελεῖς τῶν ζωγράφων, πολλάκις ἐπιβάλλειν τὰ χρώματα, ἵνα τελεωτέραν ὑμῖν τὴν τοῦ λόγου γραφὴν παραστήσωμεν; Καὶ δὴ γράψομεν ὑμῖν τελεώτερόν τε καὶ σαφέστερον. Τίς νομοθετῶν ἐπι φανέστατος; Μωϋσῆς. Τίς ἱερέων ἁγιώτατος; Ἀα ρών· οὐχ ἧττον ἀδελφοὶ τὴν εὐσέβειαν ἢ τὰ σώματα· μᾶλλον δὲ ὁ μὲν Θεὸς Φαραὼ, καὶ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ προ στάτης καὶ νομοθέτης, καὶ τῆς νεφέλης εἴσω χωρῶν, καὶ θείων μυστηρίων ἐπόπτης τε καὶ μυ σταγωγὸς, καὶ τῆς σκηνῆς τῆς ἀληθινῆς τεχνίτης, ἣν ἔπηξεν ὁ Κύριος, καὶ οὐκ ἄνθρωπος· ἱερεῖς δὲ ὁμοίως ἀμφότεροι. Μωσῆς γὰρ, φησὶ, καὶ Ἀαρὼν ἐν τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν αὐτοῦ· ὁ μὲν ἄρχων ἀρχόντων, καὶ ἱερεὺς ἱερέων, χρώμενος μὲν ὅσα γλώσσῃ τῷ Ἀαρὼν, αὐτὸς δὲ τὰ πρὸς Θεὸν ἐκείνῳ γινόμενος· ὁ δὲ μετ' ἐκεῖνον μὲν εὐθὺς, πολὺ δὲ πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων ἀξίᾳ τε καὶ τῇ πρὸς Θεὸν ἐγγύτητι. Ἀμφότεροι βασα νίζοντες Αἴγυπτον, θάλασσαν τέμνοντες, τὸν Ἰσραὴλ διεξάγοντες, τοὺς ἐχθροὺς βαπτίζοντες, ἄρτον ἄνωθεν ἕλκοντες, ὕδωρ ἄπιστον ἐν ἐρήμῳ, τὸ μὲν ἐκδιδόντες, τὸ δὲ γλυκαίνοντες· ἀμφότεροι καταπολεμοῦντες τὸν Ἀμαλὴκ ἐκτάσει χειρῶν ἁγίᾳ, καὶ τύπῳ μυστη ρίου μείζονος· ἀμφότεροι πρὸς τὴν γῆν τῆς ἐπαγγε λίας, καὶ ὁδηγοῦντες καὶ σπεύδοντες. Μή τι γνωρι μώτερον τῆς εἰκόνος; Οὐ σαφῶς ὑμῖν τὸν ὁμώ νυμον ἐμοὶ καὶ ὁμόψυχον ὁ ζωγράφος λόγος ἀνετυπώσατο;

Γʹ. Τούτων ὁ μὲν ἔχρισεν ἡμᾶς, καὶ κρυπτομένους εἰς μέσον ἤγαγεν· οὐκ οἶδ' ὅ τι παθὼν, ἢ πῶς κινη θεὶς ἀναξίως τοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ πνεύματος· καὶ γὰρ εἰ τραχύτερος ὁ λόγος, ὅμως εἰρήσεται· πάντα οἴσει φιλία καὶ πάσχουσα καὶ ἀκούουσα. Ὁ δὲ παρα καλέσων ἥκει, καὶ συμβιβάσων, καὶ προσημερώ σων τῷ Πνεύματι. Μέγα μὲν, ὅτι καὶ νῦν, ἐμοί (πῶς δὲ οὐ μέγιστον; ὅς γε παντὸς ὑμᾶς τοῦ βίου προεστησάμην)· μέμφομαι δὲ, ὅτι τῆς χρείας ὕστε ρος. Πῶς μετὰ τὴν ἧτταν καὶ καταδρομὴν ἡ συμμαχία, ὦ φίλων ἄριστε καὶ συμμάχων; καὶ μετὰ τὴν ζάλην ὁ κυβερνήτης, καὶ μετὰ τὴν οὐλὴν τὸ φάρ μακον; Πότερον ὡς φιλάδελφος ᾐσχύνθης τὴν τυραν νίδα; Ἢ καὶ αὐτὸς ὡς δυνάστης ἐδυσχέρανας τὴν ἀπει θείαν; Ποτέρῳ τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἐγκαλεῖς, καὶ πότερον