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

To Elias, Governor of the Province.Letter XCIV. 2333To Elias, Governor of the Province.I too have been very anxious to meet your excellency, lest by my failure to do so I mightcome off worse than my accusers; but bodily sickness has prevented me, attacking me evenmore seriously than usual, and so I am perforce reduced to address you by letter. When,not long ago, most excellent sir, I had the pleasure of meeting your excellency, I was anxiousto communicate with your wisdom about all my affairs; and I was also anxious to addressyou on behalf of the Churches, that no ground might be left for future calumnies. But I restrainedmyself, thinking it altogether superfluous and importunate to add troubles outsidehis own necessary business to a man charged with so many responsibilities. At the sametime (for the truth shall be told) I did shrink from being driven to wound your soul by ourmutual recriminations, when it ought in pure devotion to God to reap the perfect rewardof piety. For really, if I attract your attention to me, I shall leave you but scant leisure foryour public duties; shall act something like a man overloading with additional luggage someboatmen managing a new boat in very rough water, when all the while he ought to lessenthe cargo and do his best to lighten the craft. For this very reason, I think, our great Emperor,after seeing how fully occupied I am, leaves me to manage the Churches by myself. Now Ishould like those who are besieging your impartial ears to be asked what harm the governmentsuffers from me? What depreciation is suffered by any public interests, be they smallor great, by my administration of the Churches? Still, possibly, it might be urged that I havedone damage to the government by erecting a magnificently appointed church to God, andround it a dwelling house, one liberally assigned to the bishop, and others underneath, allottedto the officers of the Church in order, the use of both being open to you of the magistracyand your escort. But to whom do we do any harm by building a place of entertainment forstrangers, both for those who are on a journey and for those who require medical treatmenton account of sickness, and so establishing a means of giving these men the comfort theywant, physicians, doctors, means of conveyance, and escort? 2334 All these men must learn180reservation. On the doctrine of the English Church on this subject reference may be made to the Report of aCommittee of the Upper House of the Convocation of Canterbury in 1885. The Rubric of 1549 allowed reservation,and it does not seem to have been prohibited until 1661. Bishop A. P. Forbes on Article xxviii. points out thatin the Article reservation is not forbidden, but declared not to be of Christ’s institution, and consequently notbinding on the Church. The distinction will not be forgotten between reservation and worship of the reservedSacrament.2333 Placed in 372, at the departure of Valens.2334 Among the honourable functions of the clergy was that of acting as guides and escort, παραπέμποντες.cf. Letters xcviii. and ccxliii.527