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

of their Churches although the number of bishops assenting to the decree for their deposition
was so many, on the alleged ground that they were not partakers of the Holy Ghost, and
were not governing their Churches by the grace of God, but had clutched their dignity by
the aid of human power, and through lust of vain glory. Now they are for receiving the men
consecrated by these same persons as bishops. I should like you to ask them in my stead,
(although they despise all mankind, as bereft of eyes, ears, and common sense), to perceive
the inconsistency of their conduct, what sentiments they do really entertain in their own
hearts. How can there be two bishops, one deposed by Euippius, 3067 and the other consecrated
by him? Both are the actions of the same man. Had he not been endowed with the
grace bestowed upon Jeremiah to pull down and build again, to root out and to plant, 3068
he certainly would not have rooted the one out and planted the other. Grant him the one
and you must grant him the other. Their one object, as it seems, is everywhere to look to
their own advantage, and to regard every one who acts in accordance with their own wishes
as a friend, while they treat any one who opposes them as an enemy, and spare no calumny
to run him down. 3069
7. What measures are they now taking against the Church? For the shiftiness of their
originators, shocking; for the apathy of all who are affected by them, pitiable. By a respectable
commission the children and grandchildren of Euippius have been summoned from distant
regions to Sebasteia, and to them the people have been entrusted. 3070 They have taken
possession of the altar. They have been made the leaven of that Church. I am persecuted
by them as a Homoousiast. Eustathius, who brought the Homoousion in the script from
Rome to Tyana, although he was not able to get admitted into their much to be coveted
communion, either because they feared, or respected the authority of, the large number of
persons who had agreed in condemning him, is now in intimate alliance with them. I only
hope that I may never have time enough on my hands to tell of all their doings—who were
gathered together, how each one had been ordained, and from what kind of earlier life each
arrived at his present dignity. I have been taught to pray “that my mouth may not utter the
3067 cf. Letter ccxxviii.
3068 cf. Jer. i. 10.
3069 The Ben. note on this passage suggests that the reference to Jeremiah is an argument supposed to be put
forward by Eustathius, and immediately answered by Basil, but there seems no necessity of this. Basil says
nothing for or against the powers of the bishops who condemned Eustathius; he only points out the inconsistency
of Eustathius in accepting their powers to ordain when it suited his purpose, while he refused to admit their
authority to depose. It is enough for Basil’s argument that Eustathius treated him as having authority. On Basil’s
own views as to the validity of heretical ordination, cf. Canon i., Letter clxxxviii.
3070 i.e. bishops and presbyters whose spiritual descent is to be traced to Euippius, viz.: Eustathius and his
clergy. Over what see Euippius presided is unknown.
To Patrophilus, bishop of Ægæ.
791
288