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

To Amphilochius, concerning the Canons.his sacred duties lie not at Antioch, but at Iconium; for, as you have written to me yourself,he has chosen to live rather at the latter than at the former place. The man in question may,therefore, be received; but your reverence must require him to shew repentance for the rashreadiness of the oath which he took before the unbeliever, 2694 being unable to bear thetrouble of that small peril.XVIII. Concerning fallen virgins, who, after professing a chaste life before the Lord,make their vows vain, because they have fallen under the lusts of the flesh, our fathers, tenderly2695 and meekly making allowance for the infirmities of them that fall, laid down thatthey might be received after a year, ranking them with the digamists. Since, however, byGod’s grace the Church grows mightier as she advances, and the order of virgins is becomingmore numerous, it is my judgment that careful heed should be given both to the act as itappears upon consideration, and to the mind of Scripture, which may be discovered fromthe context. Widowhood is inferior to virginity; consequently the sin of the widows comesfar behind that of the virgins. Let us see what Paul writes to Timothy. “The young widowsrefuse: for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry; havingdamnation because they have cast off their first faith.” 2696 If, therefore, a widow lies undera very heavy charge, as setting at naught her faith in Christ, what must we think of the virgin,who is the bride of Christ, and a chosen vessel dedicated to the Lord? It is a grave fault evenon the part of a slave to give herself away in secret wedlock and fill the house with impurity,and, by her wicked life, to wrong her owner; but it is forsooth far more shocking for thebride to become an adulteress, and, dishonouring her union with the bridegroom, to yieldherself to unchaste indulgence. The widow, as being a corrupted slave, is indeed condemned;but the virgin comes under the charge of adultery. We call the man who lives with anotherman’s wife an adulterer, and do not receive him into communion until he has ceased fromhis sin; and so we shall ordain in the case of him who has the virgin. One point, however,must be determined beforehand, that the name virgin is given to a woman who voluntarilydevotes herself to the Lord, renounces marriage, and embraces a life of holiness. And weadmit professions dating from the age of full intelligence. 2697 For it is not right in suchcases to admit the words of mere children. But a girl of sixteen or seventeen years of age,in full possession of her faculties, who has been submitted to strict examination, and is then2372694 Videtur infidelis ille vir unus aliquis fuisse ex potentioribus Arianis ejusque furor idcirco in presbyterosAntiochenos incitatus quod hi ecclesiam absente Meletio regerent, ac maximam civium partem in illius fide etcommunione retinerent.2695 ἁπαλῶς, with four mss., al. ἁπλῶς.2696 1 Tim. v. 11, 12.2697 “Hoc Basilii decretum de professionis ætate citatur in canone quadragesimo synodi in Trullo” (a.d. 691)“et decem et septem anni quos Basilius requirit, ad decem rediguntur.”679