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

To Count Terentius.Letter XCIX. 2347To Count Terentius. 2348I have had every desire and have really done my best to obey, if only in part, the imperialorder and the friendly letter of your excellency. I am sure that your every word and everythought are full of good intentions and right sentiments. But I have not been permitted toshow my ready concurrence by practical action. The truest cause is my sins, which alwaysrise before me and always hamper my steps. Then, again, there is the alienation of thebishop who had been appointed to cooperate with me, why, I know not; but my right reverendbrother Theodotus, who promised from the beginning to act with me, had cordially invited2349 me from Getasa to Nicopolis. 2350 When however he saw me in the town, he wasso shocked at me, and so afraid of my sins, that he could not bear to take me either tomorning or evening prayer. In this he acted quite justly so far as my deserts go, and quiteas befits my course of life, but not in a manner likely to promote the interests of theChurches. His alleged reason was that I had admitted the very reverend brother Eustathiusto communion. What I have done is as follows. When invited to a meeting held by ourbrother Theodotus, and wishful, for love’s sake, to obey the summons, that I might not makethe gathering fruitless and vain, I was anxious to hold communication with the aforementionedbrother Eustathius. I put before him the accusations concerning the faith, advancedagainst him by our brother Theodotus, and I asked him, if he followed the right faith, tomake it plain to me, that I might communicate with him; if he were of another mind hemust know plainly that I should be separated from him. We had much conversation on thesubject, and all that day was spent in its examination; when evening came on we separatedwithout arriving at any definite conclusion. On the morrow, we had another sitting in themorning and discussed the same points, with the addition of our brother Pœmenius, thepresbyter of Sebasteia, who vehemently pressed the argument against me. Point by point Icleared up the questions on which he seemed to be accusing me, and brought them to agreeto my propositions. The result was, that, by the grace of the Lord, we were found to be inmutual agreement, even on the most minute particulars. So about the ninth hour, after1832347 Placed in 372.2348 cf. Letter ccxiv. On Terentius vide Amm. Marcellinus, xxvii. 12 and xxxi. He was an orthodox Christian,though in favour with Valens. In 372 he was in command of twelve legions in Georgia, and Basil communicateswith him about providing bishops for the Armenian Church. According to some manuscripts of Letter cv., q.v.,his three daughters were deaconesses.2349 καταγαγών . So six mss., but the Ben. Ed. seem rightly to point out that the invitation never resultedin actual “conducting.”2350 i.e. The Armenian Nicopolis.534