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

To the great Harmatius.
Letter CCLXXVI. 3232
The common law of human nature makes elders fathers to youngsters, and the special
peculiar law of us Christians puts us old men in the place of parents to the younger. Do
not, then, think that I am impertinent or shew myself indefensibly meddlesome, if I plead
with you on behalf of your son. In other respects I think it only right that you should exact
obedience from him; for, so far as his body is concerned, he is subject to you, both by the
law of nature, and by the civil law under which we live. His soul, however, is derived from
a diviner source, and may properly be held to be subject to another authority. The debts
which it owes to God have a higher claim than any others. Since, then, he has preferred the
God of us Christians, the true God, to your many gods which are worshipped by the help
of material symbols, be not angry with him. Rather admire his noble firmness of soul, in
sacrificing the fear and respect due to his father to close conjunction with God, through
true knowledge and a life of virtue. Nature herself will move you, as well as your invariable
gentleness and kindliness of disposition, not to allow yourself to feel angry with him even
to a small extent. And I am sure that you will not set my mediation at naught,—or rather,
I should say, the mediation of your townsmen of which I am the exponent. They all love
you so well, and pray so earnestly for all blessings for you, that they suppose that in you they
have welcomed a Christian too. So overjoyed have they been at the report which has suddenly
reached the town.
3232 Placed in the last years of Basil’s life.
To the great Harmatius.
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