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

To Amphilochius, concerning the Canons.XLI. The woman in widowhood, who is independent, may dwell with a husband withoutblame, if there is no one to prevent their cohabitation; for the Apostle says; “but if her husbandbe dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.” 2715XLII. Marriages contracted without the permission of those in authority, are fornication.If neither father nor master be living the contracting parties are free from blame; just as ifthe authorities assent to the cohabitation, it assumes the fixity of marriage.XLIII. He who smites his neighbour to death is a murderer, whether he struck first orin self defence.XLIV. The deaconess who commits fornication with a heathen may be received intorepentance and will be admitted to the oblation in the seventh year; of course if she be livingin chastity. The heathen who, after he has believed, takes to idolatry, returns to his vomit.We do not, however, give up the body of the deaconess to the use of the flesh, as beingconsecrated.XLV. If any one, after taking the name of Christianity, insults Christ, he gets no goodfrom the name.XLVI. The woman who unwillingly marries a man deserted at the time by his wife, andis afterwards repudiated, because of the return of the former to him, commits fornication,but involuntarily. She will, therefore, not be prohibited from marriage; but it is better if sheremain as she is. 2716XLVII. Encratitæ, 2717 Saccophori, 2718 and Apotactitæ 2719 are not regarded in the samemanner as Novatians, since in their case a canon has been pronounced, although different;while of the former nothing has been said. All these I re-baptize on the same principle. Ifamong you their re-baptism is forbidden, for the sake of some arrangement, nevertheless240let my principle prevail. Their heresy is, as it were, an offshoot of the Marcionites, abominating,as they do, marriage, refusing wine, and calling God’s creature polluted. We do nottherefore receive them into the Church, unless they be baptized into our baptism. Let themnot say that they have been baptized into Father, Son and Holy Ghost, inasmuch as theymake God the author of evil, after the example of Marcion and the rest of the heresies.Wherefore, if this be determined on, more bishops ought to meet together in one place and2715 1 Cor. vii. 39.2716 This is Can. xciii. of the Council in Trullo.2717 Generally reckoned rather as Manichæans than as here by Basil as Marcionites, but dualism was commonto both systems.2718 A Manichæan sect, who led a solitary life. Death is threatened against them in a law of Theodosius dateda.d. 322 (Cod. Theod. lib. xvi. tit. 5, leg. 9), identified by the Ben. Ed. with the Hydroparastatæ.2719 A Manichæan sect. cf. Epiphanius ii. 18. In the work of Macarius Magnes, published in Paris 1876, theyare identified with the Encratites.684