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

To Count Terentius.thanking God for granting us to think and say the same thing, we rose up to go to prayer.In addition to this I ought to have got some written statement from him, so that his assentmight be made known to his opponents and the proof of his opinion might be sufficient forthe rest. But I was myself anxious, with the desire for great exactitude, to meet my brotherTheodotus, to get a written statement of the faith from him, and to propose it to Eustathius;that so both objects might be obtained at once, the confession of the right faith by Eustathiusand the complete satisfaction of Theodotus and his friends, and they would have noground for objection after the acceptance of their own propositions. But Theodotus, beforelearning why we were met and what had been the result of our intercourse, decided not toallow us to take part in the meeting. So midway on our journey we set out back again, disappointedthat our efforts for the peace of the Churches had been counteracted.3. After this, when I was compelled to undertake a journey into Armenia, knowing theman’s character, and with the view both of making my own defence before a competentwitness, for what had taken place and of satisfying him, I travelled to Getasa, into the territoryof the very godly bishop Meletius, the aforementioned Theodotus being with me; and whilethere, on being accused by him of my communication with Eustathius, I told him that theresult of our intercourse was my finding Eustathius to be in all things in agreement withmyself. Then he persisted that Eustathius, after leaving me, had denied this and asseveratedto his own disciples that he had never come to any agreement with me about the faith. I,therefore, combated this statement; and see, O most excellent man, if the answer I madewas not most fair and most complete. I am convinced, I said, judging from the characterof Eustathius, that he cannot thus lightly be turning from one direction to another, nowconfessing now denying what he said; that a man, shunning a lie, even in any little matter,as an awful sin, is not likely to choose to run counter to the truth in matters of such vastimportance and so generally notorious: but if what is reported among you turns out to betrue, he must be confronted with a written statement containing the complete expositionof the right faith; then, if I find him ready to agree in writing, I shall continue in communionwith him; but, if I find that he shrinks from the test, I shall renounce all intercourse withhim. The bishop Meletius agreed to these arguments, and the brother Diodorus the presbyter,who was present, and then the right reverend brother Theodotus, assented, and invited meto go to Nicopolis, both to visit the Church there, and to keep him company as far as Satala.But he left me at Getasa, and, when I reached Nicopolis, forgetting all that he heard fromme, and the agreement he had made with me, dismissed me, disgraced by the insults anddishonours which I have mentioned.4. How, then, right honourable sir, was it possible for me to perform any of the injunctions laid on me, and to provide bishops for Armenia? How could I act, when the sharerof my responsibilities was thus disposed towards me,—the very man by whose aid I wasexpecting to be able to find suitable persons, because of his having in his district reverend184535