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

To Chilo, his disciple.to perform an act of healing, besought him not to do so in the words, “Lord I am not worthythat thou shouldest come under my roof, but speak the word only and my servant shall behealed,” 2069 and when Jesus had said to him “Go thy way; as thou hast believed, so be itdone unto thee,” 2070 his servant was healed from that hour. Learn then, brother, that it wasthe faith of the suppliant, not the presence of Christ, which delivered the sick man. So toonow, if you pray, in whatever place you be, and the sick man believes that he will be aidedby your prayers, all will fall out as he desires.3. You will not love your kinsfolk more than the Lord. “He that loveth,” He says,“father, or mother, or brother, more than me, is not worthy of me.” 2071 What is the meaningof the Lord’s commandment? “He that taketh not up his cross and followeth after me,cannot be my disciple?” 2072 If, together with Christ, you died to your kinsfolk accordingto the flesh, why do you wish to live with them again? If for your kinsfolk’s sake you arebuilding up again what you destroyed for Christ’s sake, you make yourself a transgressor.Do not then for your kinsfolk’s sake abandon your place: if you abandon your place, perhapsyou will abandon your mode of life. Love not the crowd, nor the country, nor the town;love the desert, ever abiding by yourself with no wandering mind, 2073 regarding prayer andpraise as your life’s work. Never neglect reading, especially of the New Testament, becausevery frequently mischief comes of reading the Old; not because what is written is harmful,but because the minds of the injured are weak. All bread is nutritious, but it may be injuriousto the sick. Just so all Scripture is God inspired and profitable, 2074 and there is nothing init unclean: only to him who thinks it is unclean, to him it is unclean. “Prove all things; holdfast that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.” 2075 “All things are lawful but allthings are not expedient.” 2076 Among all, with whom you come in contact, be in all thingsa giver of no offence, 2077 cheerful, “loving as a brother,” 2078 pleasant, humble-minded,never missing the mark of hospitality through extravagance of meats, but always contentwith what is at hand. Take no more from any one than the daily necessaries of the solitary1452069 Matt. viii. 8.2070 Matt. viii. 13.2071 Matt. x. 37, with ἀδελφούς added perhaps from Luke xiv. 26.2072 Luke xiv. 27 and Matt. x. 38.2073 For the contrary view of life, cf. Seneca, Ep. 61: “Omnia nobis mala solitudo persuadet; nemo est cui nonsanctius sit cum quolibet esse quam secum.”2074 cf. 2 Tim. iii. 16.2075 1 Thess. v. 21, R.V.2076 1 Cor. vi. 12.2077 cf. 1 Cor. x. 32.2078 1 Pet. iii. 8.440