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

To the clergy of Neocæsarea.men in Palestine whose conversation follows the precepts of the Gospel. I am told too thatsome perfect and blessed men are to be found in Mesopotamia. We, in comparison withthe perfect, are children. But if women also have chosen to live the Gospel life, preferringvirginity to wedlock, leading captive the lust of the flesh, and living in the mourning whichis called blessed, they are blessed in their profession wherever they are to be found. We,however, have few instances of this to show, for with us people are still in an elementarystage and are being gradually brought. to piety. If any charges of disorder are brought againstthe life of our women I do not undertake to defend them. One thing, however, I do say andthat is, that these bold hearts, these unbridled mouths are ever fearlessly uttering what Satan,the father of lies, has hitherto been unable to say. I wish you to know that we rejoice to haveassemblies of both men and women, whose conversation is in heaven and who have crucifiedthe flesh with the affections and lusts thereof; they take no thought for food and raiment,but remain undisturbed beside their Lord, continuing night and day in prayer. Their lipsspeak not of the deeds of men: they sing hymns to God continually, working with their ownhands that they may have to distribute to them that need.3. Now as to the charge relating to the singing of psalms, whereby my calumniatorsspecially scare the simpler folk, my reply is this. The customs which now obtain are agreeableto those of all the Churches of God. Among us the people go at night to the house of prayer,and, in distress, affliction, and continual tears, making confession to God, at last rise fromtheir prayers and begin to sing psalms. And now, divided into two parts, they sing antiphonallywith one another, thus at once confirming their study of the Gospels, 2758 and at thesame time producing for themselves a heedful temper and a heart free from distraction.Afterwards they again commit the prelude of the strain to one, and the rest take it up; andso after passing the night in various psalmody, praying at intervals as the day begins to dawn,all together, as with one voice and one heart, raise the psalm of confession to the Lord, eachforming for himself his own expressions of penitence. If it is for these reasons that you renounceme, you will renounce the Egyptians; you will renounce both Libyans, Thebans,Palestinians, Arabians, Phœnicians, Syrians, the dwellers by the Euphrates; in a word allthose among whom vigils, prayers, and common psalmody have been held in honour.4. But, it is alleged, these practices were not observed in the time of the great Gregory.My rejoinder is that even the Litanies 2759 which you now use were not used in his time. Ido not say this to find fault with you; for my prayer would be that every one of you shouldlive in tears and continual penitence. We, for our part, are always offering supplication for2758 τῶν λογίων. cf. note on Theodoret, p. 155.2759 The Ben. note observes that in this passage Litanies do not mean processions or supplications, butpenitential prayers. The intercessory prayers which occur in the liturgy of St. Basil, as in the introductory partof other Greek liturgies, are not confined to quotations from Scripture.701