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

To Patrophilus, bishop of Ægæ.me the charges against him; indeed I have myself some accusations to bring against himafter reading some of his books. I do not know that I ever asked him for a book on the HolySpirit, or received it on his sending: I am told that he has become a most copious writer,but I have read very few of his works. 3060 I have not even time to investigate such matters.Indeed I shrink from admitting any of the more recent works, for my health does not evenallow of my reading the inspired Scriptures with diligence and as I ought. What, then, is itto me, if some one has written something displeasing to somebody else? Yet if one man isto render an account on behalf of another, let him who accuses me for Apollinarius’ sakedefend himself to me for the sake of Arius his own master and of Aetius his own disciple.I never learnt anything from, nor taught anything to this man whose guilt is laid at my door.Diodorus, as a nursling of the blessed Silvanus, I did receive from the beginning: I love himnow and respect him on account of his grace of speech, whereby many who meet him aremade the better men. 30614. At this letter I was affected in such a manner as might be expected, and astoundedat so sudden and pleasant a change. I felt quite unable to reply. My heart could hardly beat;my tongue failed me, and my hand grew numb. I felt like a poor creature (for the truth shallbe told; yet it is pardonable); I all but fell into a state of misanthropy; I looked on every onewith suspicion and thought that there was no charity to be found in mankind. Charityseemed a mere specious word, serving as a kind of decoration to those who use it, while nosuch sentiment was really to be found in the heart of man. Could it really be that one whoseemed to have disciplined himself from boyhood to old age, could be so easily brutalizedon such grounds, without a thought for me, without any idea that his experience of bygoneyears ought to have more weight than this wretched slander? Could he really, like an unbrokencolt as yet untaught to carry his rider properly, on some petty suspicion rear andunseat his rider and fling to the ground what was once his pride? If so, what must be thoughtof the rest with whom I had no such strong ties of friendship, and who had given no suchproofs of a well trained life? All this I turned over in my soul and continually revolved inmy heart, or, shall I rather say my heart was turned over by these things fighting andpricking me at the recollection of them? I wrote no answer; not that I kept silence fromcontempt; do not think it of me my brother, for I am not defending myself to men but I2873060 Fragments of Apollinarius are extant in the works of Theodoret and Gregory of Nyssa, and in Mai’sScript. Vet. Nov. col. vii., and Spicil. Rom.x. 2. cf. Thomasius, Christ. Dogm. 451. cf. Ep. cclxiii. p. 302.3061 Diodorus now presbyter of Antioch, did not become bishop of Tarsus till about the time of Basil’s death.On his services to the Church at Antioch, cf. Theod., H.E. ii. 19. and Soc., H.E.vi. 8. The controversy as to hisalleged Nestorianism belongs to a later date. On the relations between Diodorus and Apollinarius, cf. Dorner,Christ. i. pp. 976 and 1022.789