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

To Gregory.Letter XLVII. 2157To Gregory. 2158“Who will give me wings like a dove? 2159 Or how can my old age be so renewed that Ican travel to your affection, satisfy my deep longing to see you, tell you all the troubles ofmy soul, and get from you some comfort in my affliction? For when the blessed bishopEusebius 2160 fell asleep, we were under no small alarm lest plotters against the Church ofour Metropolis, wishful to fill it with their heretical tares, should seize the present opportunity,root out by their wicked teaching the true faith sown by much labour in men’s souls,and destroy its unity. This has been the result of their action in many churches. 2161 Whenhowever I received the letters of the clergy exhorting me not to let their needs be overlooked2157 Placed in 370. The letters numbered 47 to 291, inclusive, are placed by the Benedictine editors duringSt. Basil’s episcopate.2158 On this title Benedictine editors remark that no careful reader can fail to note that the letter is writtennot by Basil but about Basil. “Hodie,” they write, “inter eruditos fere convenit eam a Gregorio patre, filii manu,ad Eusebium Samosatensem scriptam fuisse. Nam senem se esse declarat auctor Epistolæ et in Cappadocia Episcopum,ut qui litteris cleri ad electionem Episcopi, et Ecclesiæ Cæsariensis defesionem invitatus fuerit. Is autemad quem scribit et eadem dignitate præditus erat, et laboribus pro Ecclesia susceptis clarus, et amicus Basilio, necCappadociæ vicinus. Omnia in Eusebium Samosatensem mirifice conveniunt, quem Basilii ordinationi scimusinterfuisse,” and they give, moreover, as their descriptive heading: “Gregorius Theologi pater Eusebium Samosatensem,misso Eustathio diacono, invitat ad electionem Episcopi Cæsariensis ut eo adjuvante Basilius eligipossit.” Fialon, however, apparently forgetting the reference to old age, writes (Étude Hist. p. 87, n.): “Cettelettre est évidemment de Grégoire de Nazianze,” meaning the younger. The election of St. Basil, who probably“voluit episcopari” to the archiepiscopal throne, was indeed mainly due to the intervention of the elder Gregory.Basil’s unfortunate and indefensible disingenuousness in summoning the younger Gregory to Cæsarea on theplea of his own severe illness defeated its object. But for the prompt and practical intervention of Gregory theelder, and this appeal to Eusebius of Samosata, the archbishopric might have fallen into unworthy, or at leastinferior, hands. Vide Biog. Notice in Proleg., .2159 cf. Ps. lv. 6, LXX.2160 Eusebius, at the time of his election an unbaptized layman, was elevated to the throne of Cæsarea onthe death of Dianius in 362. In this case too it was due to the counsels of the elder Gregory that the objectionsboth of Eusebius and of the bishops, forced by the opposing party to consecrate him, were finally overcome. Itwas he who ordained Basil to the presbyterate and chafed against the ascendancy of his more able and brilliantsubordinate.2161 In 365 Valens came to Cæsarea with Arian bishops, and endeavoured to put down the Catholics. Basilreturned from his retreat in order to aid Eusebius in resisting the attack, and seems to have shown much tactand good feeling as well as vigour and ability. cf. Greg. Naz., Or. xx. 340.456