Nicene and Post-Nicene Church Fathers Series 2 - The Still Small ...

IV.—Basil and the Councils, to the Accession of Valens.
Up to this time St. Basil is not seen to have publicly taken an active part in the personal
theological discussions of the age; but the ecclesiastical world was eagerly disputing while
he was working in Pontus. Aetius, the uncompromising Arian, was openly favoured by
Eudoxius of Germanicia, who had appropriated the see of Antioch in 357. This provoked
the Semiarians to hold their council at Ancyra in 358, when the Sirmian “Blasphemy” of
357 was condemned. The Acacians were alarmed, and manœuvred for the division of the
general council which Constantius was desirous of summoning. Then came Ariminum,
Nike, and Seleucia, in 359, and “the world groaned to find itself Arian.” Deputations from
each of the great parties were sent to a council held under the personal presidency of Constantius
at Constantinople, and to one of these the young deacon was attached. The date
of the ordination to this grade is unknown. On the authority of Gregory of Nyssa 88 and
Philostorgius, 89 it appears that Basil accompanied his namesake of Ancyra and Eustathius
of Sebaste to the court, and supported Basil the bishop. Philostorgius would indeed represent
the younger Basil as championing the Semiarian cause, though with some cowardice. 90 It
may be concluded, with Maran, that he probably stood forward stoutly for the truth, not
only at the capital itself, but also in the neighbouring cities of Chalcedon and Heraclea. 91
But his official position was a humble one, and his part in the discussions and amid the intrigues
of the council was only too likely to be misrepresented by those with whom he did
not agree, and even misunderstood by his own friends. In 360 Dianius signed the creed of
Ariminum, brought to Cæsarea by George of Laodicea; and thereby Basil was so much distressed
as henceforward to shun communion with his bishop. 92 He left Cæsarea and betook
himself to Nazianzus to seek consolation in the society of his friend. But his feelings towards
Dianius were always affectionate, and he indignantly repudiated a calumnious assertion
that he had gone so far as to anathematize him. Two years later Dianius fell sick unto death
and sent for Basil, protesting that at heart he had always been true to the Catholic creed.
Basil acceded to the appeal, and in 362 once again communicated with his bishop and old
88 i. Eunom.
89 iv. 12.
90 οις Βασίλειος ἕτερος παρῆν συνασπίζων διακόνων ἔτι τάξιν ἔχων, δυνάμει μὲν τοῦ λέγειν πολλῶν
προφέρων, τῷ δὲ τῆς γνώμης ἀθάρσει πρὸς τοὺς κοινοὺς ὑποστελλομένους ἀγῶνας. This is unlike Basil. “This
may be the Arian way of saying that St. Basil withdrew from the Seleucian deputies when they yielded to the
Acacians.” Rev. C.F.H. Johnston, De. S. Scto. Int. xxxvi.
91 Ep. ccxxiii. § 5.
92 Ep. li.
Basil and the Councils, to the Accession of Valens.
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