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

To the people of Chalcis.Letter CCXXII. 2872To the people of Chalcis. 2873The letter of your reverences came upon me in an hour of affliction like water pouredinto the mouths of racehorses, inhaling dust with each eager breath at high noontide in themiddle of the course. Beset by trial after trial, I breathed again, at once cheered by yourwords and invigorated by the thought of your struggles to meet that which is before me withunflinching courage. For the conflagration which has devoured a great part of the East isalready advancing by slow degrees into our own neighbourhood, and after burning everythinground about us is trying to reach even the Churches in Cappadocia, already moved to tearsby the smoke that rises from the ruins of our neighbours’ homes. 2874 The flames have almostreached me. May the Lord divert them by the breath of His mouth, and stay this wickedfire. Who is such a coward, so unmanly, so untried in the athlete’s struggles, as not to benerved to the fight by your cheers, and pray to be hailed victor at your side? You have beenthe first to step into the arena of true religion; you have beaten off many an attack in boutswith the heretics; you have borne the strong hot wind 2875 of trial, both you who are leadersof the Church, to whom has been the ministry of the altar, and every individual of the laity,including those of higher rank. For this in you is specially admirable and worthy of allpraise, that you are all one in the Lord, some of you leaders in the march to what is good,others willingly following. It is for this reason that you are too strong for the attack of yourassailants, and allow no hold to your antagonists in any one of your members, whereforeday and night I pray the King of the ages to preserve the people in the integrity of their faith,and for them to preserve the clergy, like a head unharmed at the top, exercising its ownwatchful forethought for every portion of the body underneath. For while the eyes dischargetheir functions, the hands can do their work as they ought, the feet can move without tripping,and no part of the body is deprived of due care. I beseech you, then, to cling to one another,2622872 Placed in 375.2873 The Syrian Chaecis, now Kinesrin. Maran Vit. Bas. Chap. xxxiii. supposes this letter to have beenprobably carried with Letter ccxxi. by Acacius.2874 Maran Vit. Bas. l. c. says that these words cannot refer to the persecution of Valens in Cappadocia in371, for that persecution went on between Constantinople and Cappadocia, and did not start from the East.There need be no surprise, he thinks, at the two preceding letters containing no mention of this persecution,because Acacius, who was a native of Bera, would be sure to report all that he had observed in Cappadocia. Iam not sure that the reference to a kind of prairie fire spreading from the East does not rather imply a prevalenceof heresy than what is commonly meant by persecution. Meletius, however, was banished from Antioch in 374and Eusebius from Samosata in the same year, as graphically described by Theodoret H.E. iv. 13.2875 καύσωνα. cf. Matt. xx. 12, Luke xii. 55, and James i. 11.735