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

Dogmatic.I.—Dogmatic.I. (i) Against Eunomius. The work under this title comprises five books, the first threegenerally accepted as genuine, the last two sometimes regarded as doubtful. Gregory ofNazianzus, 303 Jerome, 304 and Theodoret 305 all testify to Basil’s having written against Eunomius,but do not specify the number of books. Books IV. and V. are accepted by Bellarmine,Du Pin, Tillemont, and Ceillier, mainly on the authority of the edict of Justinian against theThree Chapters (Mansi ix., 552), the Council of Seville (Mansi x., 566) and the Council ofFlorence (Hardouin ix., 200). Maran (Vit. Bas. xliii.) speaks rather doubtfully. Böhringerdescribes them as of suspicious character, alike on grounds of style, and of their absencefrom some mss. They may possibly be notes on the controversy in general, and not immediatelydirected against Eunomius. Fessler’s conclusion is “Major tamen eruditorum parseos etiam genuinos esse censet.”The year 364 is assigned for the date of the publication of the three books. 306 At thattime Basil sent them with a few words of half ironical depreciation to Leontius the sophist. 307He was now about thirty-four years of age, and describes himself as hitherto inexperiencedin such a kind of composition. 308 Eunomius, like his illustrious opponent, was a Cappadocian.Emulous of the notoriety achieved by Aetius the Anomœan, and urged on by Secundusof Ptolemais, an intimate associate of Aetius, he went to Alexandria about 356 and residedthere for two years as Aetius’ admiring pupil and secretary. In 358 he accompanied Aetiusto Antioch, and took a prominent part in the assertion of the extreme doctrines which revoltedthe more moderate Semiarians. He was selected as the champion of the advancedblasphemers, made himself consequently obnoxious to Constantius, and was apprehendedand relegated to Migde in Phrygia. At the same time Eudoxius withdrew for a while intoArmenia, his native province, but ere long was restored to the favour of the fickle Constantius,and was appointed to the see of Constantinople in 359. Eunomius now was for overthrowingAetius, and removing whatever obstacles stood between him and promotion, and,by the influence of Eudoxius, was nominated to the see of Cyzicus, vacant by the depositionof Eleusius. Here for a while he temporized, but ere long displayed his true sentiments. Toanswer for this he was summoned to Constantinople by Constantius, and, in his absence,condemned and deposed. Now he became more marked than ever in his assertion of themost extreme Arianism, and the advanced party were henceforward known under his name.303 Or. xliii. § 67.304 De Script. Eccl. 116.305 Dial. ii. p. 207 in the ed. of this series.306 Maran, Vit. Bas. viii.307 cf. Ep. xx.308 1 Eunom. i.54