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

men in Palestine whose conversation follows the precepts of the Gospel. I am told too that
some perfect and blessed men are to be found in Mesopotamia. We, in comparison with
the perfect, are children. But if women also have chosen to live the Gospel life, preferring
virginity to wedlock, leading captive the lust of the flesh, and living in the mourning which
is called blessed, they are blessed in their profession wherever they are to be found. We,
however, have few instances of this to show, for with us people are still in an elementary
stage and are being gradually brought. to piety. If any charges of disorder are brought against
the life of our women I do not undertake to defend them. One thing, however, I do say and
that is, that these bold hearts, these unbridled mouths are ever fearlessly uttering what Satan,
the father of lies, has hitherto been unable to say. I wish you to know that we rejoice to have
assemblies of both men and women, whose conversation is in heaven and who have crucified
the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof; they take no thought for food and raiment,
but remain undisturbed beside their Lord, continuing night and day in prayer. Their lips
speak not of the deeds of men: they sing hymns to God continually, working with their own
hands that they may have to distribute to them that need.
3. Now as to the charge relating to the singing of psalms, whereby my calumniators
specially scare the simpler folk, my reply is this. The customs which now obtain are agreeable
to those of all the Churches of God. Among us the people go at night to the house of prayer,
and, in distress, affliction, and continual tears, making confession to God, at last rise from
their prayers and begin to sing psalms. And now, divided into two parts, they sing antiphonally
with one another, thus at once confirming their study of the Gospels, 2758 and at the
same time producing for themselves a heedful temper and a heart free from distraction.
Afterwards they again commit the prelude of the strain to one, and the rest take it up; and
so after passing the night in various psalmody, praying at intervals as the day begins to dawn,
all together, as with one voice and one heart, raise the psalm of confession to the Lord, each
forming for himself his own expressions of penitence. If it is for these reasons that you renounce
me, you will renounce the Egyptians; you will renounce both Libyans, Thebans,
Palestinians, Arabians, Phœnicians, Syrians, the dwellers by the Euphrates; in a word all
those among whom vigils, prayers, and common psalmody have been held in honour.
4. But, it is alleged, these practices were not observed in the time of the great Gregory.
My rejoinder is that even the Litanies 2759 which you now use were not used in his time. I
do not say this to find fault with you; for my prayer would be that every one of you should
live in tears and continual penitence. We, for our part, are always offering supplication for
2758 τῶν λογίων. cf. note on Theodoret, p. 155.
2759 The Ben. note observes that in this passage Litanies do not mean processions or supplications, but
penitential prayers. The intercessory prayers which occur in the liturgy of St. Basil, as in the introductory part
of other Greek liturgies, are not confined to quotations from Scripture.
To the clergy of Neocæsarea.
701