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

To Cyriacus, at Tarsus.Letter CXIV. 2383To Cyriacus, at Tarsus. 2384I need hardly tell the sons of peace how great is the blessing of peace. But now thisblessing, great, marvellous, and worthy as it is of being most strenuously sought by all thatlove the Lord, is in peril of being reduced to the bare name, because iniquity abounds, andthe love of most men has waxed cold. 2385 I think then that the one great end of all who arereally and truly serving the Lord ought to be to bring back to union the Churches now “atsundry times and in divers manners” 2386 divided from one another. In attempting myselfto effect this, I cannot fairly be blamed as a busybody, for nothing is so characteristicallyChristian as the being a peacemaker, and for this reason our Lord has promised us peacemakersa very high reward.When, therefore, I had met the brethren, and learnt how great was their brotherly love,their regard for you, and yet more their love for Christ, and their exactitude and firmnessin all that concerns the faith, and moreover their earnestness in compassing two ends, thenot being separated from your love, and the not abandoning their sound faith, I approvedof their good disposition; and I now write to your reverence beseeching you with all love toretain them in true union, and associated with you in all your anxiety for the Church. Ihave moreover pledged myself to them for your orthodoxy, and that you too by God’s graceare enrolled to fight with all vigour for the truth, whatever you may have to suffer for thetrue doctrine. My own opinion is that the following conditions are such as will not runcounter to your own feeling and will be quite sufficient to satisfy the above mentionedbrethren; namely, that you should confess the faith put forth by our Fathers once assembledat Nicæa, that you should not omit any one of its propositions, but bear in mind that thethree hundred and eighteen who met together without strife did not speak without the operationof the Holy Ghost, and not to add to that creed the statement that the Holy Ghostis a creature, nor hold communion with those who so say, to the end that the Church ofGod may be pure and without any evil admixture of any tare. If this full assurance is giventhem by your good feeling, they are prepared to offer proper submission to you. And Imyself promise for the brethren that they will offer no opposition, but will show themselvesentirely subordinate, if only your excellency shall have readily granted this one thing whichthey ask for.2383 Placed in 372.2384 Like the preceding Letter, on the sufficiency of the Nicene Creed.2385 cf. Matt. xxiv. 12.2386 cf. Heb. i. 1.552