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

To the magistrates of Colonia.Letter CCXXVIII. 2933To the magistrates of Colonia.I have received your lordships’ letter, and offered thanks to God most holy, that you,occupied as you are with affairs of state, should not put those of the Church in the secondplace. I am grateful to think that every one of you has shewn anxiety as though he wereacting in his own private interest, nay, in defence of his own life, and that you have writtento me in your distress at the removal of your very God-beloved bishop Euphronius. Nicopolishas not really stolen him from you; were she pleading her cause before a judge shemight say that she was recovering what is her own. If honourably treated she will tell you,as becomes an affectionate mother, that she will share with you the Father who will give aportion of his grace to each of you: he will not suffer the one to be in any way harmed bythe invasion of their adversaries, and at the same time will not deprive you, the other, of thecare to which you have been accustomed. Bethink you then of the emergency of the time;apply your best intelligence to understand how good government necessitates a certaincourse of action; and then pardon the bishops who have adopted this course for the establishmentof the Churches of our Lord Jesus Christ. Suggest to yourselves what is becomingyou. Your own intelligence needs no instruction. You know how to adopt the counsels ofthose who love you. It is only natural that you should be unaware of many of the questionsthat are being agitated, because of our being situated far away in Armenia; but we who arein the midst of affairs and have our ears dinned every day on all sides with news of Churchesthat are being overthrown, are in deep anxiety lest the common enemy, in envy at the protractedpeace of our life, should be able to sow his tares in your ground too, and Armenia,as well as other places, be given over to our adversaries to devour. For the present be still,as not refusing to allow your neighbours to share with you the use of a goodly vessel. Erelong, if the Lord allow me to come to you, you shall, if it seem necessary to you, receive yetgreater consolation for what has come to pass.2712933 Of the same date as the preceding.754