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

To Gregory my brother.Letter LVIII. 2211To Gregory my brother. 2212How am I to dispute with you in writing? How can I lay hold of you satisfactorily, withall your simplicity? Tell me; who ever falls a third time into the same nets? Who ever getsa third time into the same snare? Even a brute beast would find it difficult to do so. Youforged one letter, and brought it me as though it came from our right reverend uncle thebishop, trying to deceive me, I have no idea why. I received it as a letter written by thebishop and delivered by you. Why should I not? I was delighted; I shewed it to many ofmy friends; I thanked God. The forgery was found out, on the bishop’s repudiating it inperson. I was thoroughly ashamed; covered as I was with the disgrace of cunning trickeryand lies, I prayed that the earth might open for me. Then they gave me a second letter, assent by the bishop himself by the hands of your servant Asterius. Even this second had notreally been sent by the bishop, as my very reverend brother Anthimus 2213 has told me. NowAdamantius has come bringing me a third. How ought I to receive a letter carried by youor yours? I might have prayed to have a heart of stone, so as neither to remember the past,nor to feel the present; so as to bear every blow, like cattle, with bowed head. But what amI to think, now that, after my first and second experience, I can admit nothing withoutpositive proof? Thus I write attacking your simplicity, which I see plainly to be neither whatgenerally becomes a Christian man, nor is appropriate to the present emergency; I writethat, at least for the future, you may take care of yourself and spare me. I must speak to youwith all freedom, and I tell you that you are an unworthy minister of things so great. However,whoever be the writer of the letter, I have answered as is fit . Whether, then, youyourself are experimenting on me, or whether really the letter which you have sent is onewhich you have received from the bishops, you have my answer. At such a time as this youought to have borne in mind that you are my brother, and have not yet forgotten the ties ofnature, and do not regard me in the light of an enemy, for I have entered on a life which iswearing out my strength, and is so far beyond my powers that it is injuring even my soul.Yet for all this, as you have determined to declare war against me, you ought to have come1602211 Placed in 371.2212 Three mss. give the title Γρηγορίω ἐπισκόπῳ καὶ ἀδελφῷ, but, as is pointed out by the Ben. Ed., theletter itself is hardly one which would be written to one with the responsibilities of a bishop. Basil seems to regardhis brother as at liberty to come and help him at Cæsarea. Gregory’s consecration to the see of Nyssa is placedin 372, when his reluctance had to be overcome by force. cf. Letter ccxxv. On the extraordinary circumstanceof his well meant but futile forgery of the name of his namesake and uncle, bishop of an unknown see, videProlegom.2213 Bishop of Tyana, estranged from Basil, cf. Letters cxx., cxxi., cxxii., and ccx.474