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

Basil to Gregory.Letter LXXI. 2254Basil to Gregory. 22551. I have received the letter of your holiness, by the most reverend brother Helenius,and what you have intimated he has told me in plain terms. How I felt on hearing it, youcannot doubt at all. However, since I have determined that my affection for you shall outweighmy pain, whatever it is, I have accepted it as I ought to do, and I pray the holy God,that my remaining days or hours may be as carefully conducted in their disposition towardsyou as they have been in past time, during which, my conscience tells me, I have beenwanting to you in nothing small or great. [But that the man who boasts that he is now justbeginning to take a look at the life of Christians, and thinks he will get some credit by havingsomething to do with me, should invent what he has not heard, and narrate what he hasnever experienced, is not at all surprising. What is surprising and extraordinary is that hehas got my best friends among the brethren at Nazianzus to listen to him; and not only tolisten to him, but as it seems, to take in what he says. On most grounds it might be surprisingthat the slanderer is of such a character, and that I am the victim, but these troublous timeshave taught us to bear everything with patience. Slights greater than this have, for my sins,long been things of common occurrence with me. I have never yet given this man’s brethrenany evidence of my sentiments 2256 about God, and I have no answer to make now. Menwho are not convinced by long experience are not likely to be convinced by a short letter.If the former is enough let the charges of the slanderers be counted as idle tales. But if I givelicense to unbridled mouths, and uninstructed hearts, to talk about whom they will, all thewhile keeping my ears ready to listen, I shall not be alone in hearing what is said by otherpeople; they will have to hear what I have to say.]2. I know what has led to all this, and have urged every topic to hinder it; but now I amsick of the subject, and will say no more about it, I mean our little intercourse. For had wekept our old promise to each other, and had due regard to the claims which the Churcheshave on us, we should have been the greater part of the year together; and then there wouldhave been no opening for these calumniators. Pray have nothing to say to them; let me2254 Placed in the same period.2255 When Gregory, on the elevation of Basil to the Episcopate, was at last induced to visit his old friend, hedeclined the dignities which Basil pressed upon him (τήνδε τῆς καθέδρας τιμήν, i.e. the position of chief presbyteror coadjutor bishop, Orat. xliii. 39), and made no long stay. Some Nazianzene scandal-mongers hadcharged Basil with heterodoxy. Gregory asked him for explanations, and Basil, somewhat wounded, rejoinsthat no explanations are needed. The translation in the text with the exception of the passages in brackets, isthat of Newman. cf. Proleg. and reff. to Greg. Naz.2256 προαιρέσεως , as in three mss.494