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

To Gregory. 2158
Letter XLVII. 2157
“Who will give me wings like a dove? 2159 Or how can my old age be so renewed that I
can travel to your affection, satisfy my deep longing to see you, tell you all the troubles of
my soul, and get from you some comfort in my affliction? For when the blessed bishop
Eusebius 2160 fell asleep, we were under no small alarm lest plotters against the Church of
our Metropolis, wishful to fill it with their heretical tares, should seize the present opportunity,
root out by their wicked teaching the true faith sown by much labour in men’s souls,
and destroy its unity. This has been the result of their action in many churches. 2161 When
however I received the letters of the clergy exhorting me not to let their needs be overlooked
2157 Placed in 370. The letters numbered 47 to 291, inclusive, are placed by the Benedictine editors during
St. Basil’s episcopate.
2158 On this title Benedictine editors remark that no careful reader can fail to note that the letter is written
not by Basil but about Basil. “Hodie,” they write, “inter eruditos fere convenit eam a Gregorio patre, filii manu,
ad Eusebium Samosatensem scriptam fuisse. Nam senem se esse declarat auctor Epistolæ et in Cappadocia Epis-
copum, ut qui litteris cleri ad electionem Episcopi, et Ecclesiæ Cæsariensis defesionem invitatus fuerit. Is autem
ad quem scribit et eadem dignitate præditus erat, et laboribus pro Ecclesia susceptis clarus, et amicus Basilio, nec
Cappadociæ vicinus. Omnia in Eusebium Samosatensem mirifice conveniunt, quem Basilii ordinationi scimus
interfuisse,” and they give, moreover, as their descriptive heading: “Gregorius Theologi pater Eusebium Sam-
osatensem, misso Eustathio diacono, invitat ad electionem Episcopi Cæsariensis ut eo adjuvante Basilius eligi
possit.” Fialon, however, apparently forgetting the reference to old age, writes (Étude Hist. p. 87, n.): “Cette
lettre est évidemment de Grégoire de Nazianze,” meaning the younger. The election of St. Basil, who probably
“voluit episcopari” to the archiepiscopal throne, was indeed mainly due to the intervention of the elder Gregory.
Basil’s unfortunate and indefensible disingenuousness in summoning the younger Gregory to Cæsarea on the
plea of his own severe illness defeated its object. But for the prompt and practical intervention of Gregory the
elder, and this appeal to Eusebius of Samosata, the archbishopric might have fallen into unworthy, or at least
inferior, hands. Vide Biog. Notice in Proleg., .
2159 cf. Ps. lv. 6, LXX.
2160 Eusebius, at the time of his election an unbaptized layman, was elevated to the throne of Cæsarea on
the death of Dianius in 362. In this case too it was due to the counsels of the elder Gregory that the objections
both of Eusebius and of the bishops, forced by the opposing party to consecrate him, were finally overcome. It
was he who ordained Basil to the presbyterate and chafed against the ascendancy of his more able and brilliant
subordinate.
2161 In 365 Valens came to Cæsarea with Arian bishops, and endeavoured to put down the Catholics. Basil
returned from his retreat in order to aid Eusebius in resisting the attack, and seems to have shown much tact
and good feeling as well as vigour and ability. cf. Greg. Naz., Or. xx. 340.
To Gregory.
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