NPNF2-08. Basil: Letters and Select Works - Holy Bible Institute

To Athanasius, bishop of Ancyra.To Athanasius, bishop of Ancyra. 1987Letter XXV. 19861. I have received intelligence from those who come to me from Ancyra, and they aremany and more than I can count, but they all agree in what they say, that you, a man verydear to me, (how can I speak so as to give no offence?) do not mention me in very pleasantterms, nor yet in such as your character would lead me to expect. I, however, learned longago the weakness of human nature, and its readiness to turn from one extreme to another;and so, be well assured, nothing connected with it can astonish me, nor does any changecome quite unexpected. Therefore that my lot should have changed for the worse, and thatreproaches and insults should have arisen in the place of former respect, I do not makemuch ado. But one thing does really strike me as astonishing and monstrous, and that isthat it should be you who have this mind about me, and go so far as to feel anger and indignationagainst me, and, if the report of your hearers is to be believed, have already proceededto such extremities as to utter threats. At these threats, I will not deny, I really have laughed.Truly I should have been but a boy to be frightened at such bugbears. But it does seem tome alarming and distressing that you, who, as I have trusted, are preserved for the comfortof the churches, a buttress of the truth where many fall away, and a seed of the ancient andtrue love, should so far fall in with the present course of events as to be more influenced bythe calumny of the first man you come across than by your long knowledge of me, and,without any proof, should be seduced into suspecting absurdities.2. But, as I said, for the present I postpone the case. Would it have been too hard atask, my dear sir, to discuss in a short letter, as between friend and friend, points which youwish to raise; or, if you objected to entrusting such things to writing, to get me to come toyou? But if you could not help speaking out, and your uncontrollable anger allowed notime for delay, at least you might have employed one of those about you who are naturallyadapted for dealing with confidential matters, as a means of communication with me. Butnow, of all those who for one reason or another approach you, into whose ears has it notbeen dinned that I am a writer and composer of certain “pests”? For this is the word whichthose, who quote you word for word, say that you have used. The more I bring my mindto bear upon the matter the more hopeless is my puzzle. This idea has struck me. Can anyheretic have grieved your orthodoxy, and driven you to the utterance of that word by1311986 Placed, like the former, before the episcopate.1987 This Athanasius was appointed to the see of Ancyra (Angora) by the influence of Acacius the one-eyed,bp. of Cæsarea, the inveterate opponent of Cyril of Jerusalem, and leader of the Homœans. He therefore startedhis episcopate under unfavorable auspices, but acquired a reputation for orthodoxy. cf. Greg. Nyss., ContraEunom. I. ii. 292. On Basil’s high opinion of him, cf. Letter xxix.409