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

To the Westerns.3. One of those who have caused me great sorrow is Eustathius of Sebasteia in LesserArmenia; formerly a disciple of Arius, and a follower of him at the time when he flourishedin Alexandria, and concocted his infamous blasphemies against the Only-begotten, he wasnumbered among his most faithful disciples. On his return to his own country he submitteda confession of the sound faith to Hermogenes, the very blessed Bishop of Cæsarea, whowas on the point of condemning him for false doctrine. Under these circumstances he wasordained by Hermogenes, and, on the death of that bishop, hastened to Eusebius of Constantinople,who himself yielded to none in the energy of his support of the impious doctrineof Arius. From Constantinople he was expelled for some reason or another, returned to hisown country and a second time made his defence, attempting to conceal his impious sentimentsand cloking them under a certain verbal orthodoxy. He no sooner obtained the rankof bishop than he straightway appeared writing an anathema on the Homoousion in theArians’ synod at Ancyra. 3191 From thence he went to Seleucia and took part in the notoriousmeasures of his fellow heretics. At Constantinople he assented a second time to the propositionsof the heretics. On being ejected from his episcopate, on the ground of his formerdeposition at Melitine, 3192 he hit upon a journey to you as a means of restitution for himself.What propositions were made to him by the blessed bishop Liberius, and to what he agreed,I am ignorant. I only know that he brought a letter restoring him, which he shewed to thesynod at Tyana, and was restored to his see. He is now defaming the very creed for whichhe was received; he is consorting with those who are anathematizing the Homoousion, andis prime leader of the heresy of the pneumatomachi. As it is from the west that he deriveshis power to injure the Churches, and uses the authority given him by you to the overthrowof the many, it is necessary that his correction should come from the same quarter, and thata letter be sent to the Churches stating on what terms he was received, and in what mannerhe has changed his conduct and nullifies the favour given him by the Fathers at that time.4. Next comes Apollinarius, who is no less a cause of sorrow to the Churches. Withhis facility of writing, and a tongue ready to argue on any subject, he has filled the worldwith his works, in disregard of the advice of him who said, “Beware of making manybooks.” 3193 In their multitude there are certainly many errors. How is it possible to avoidsin in a multitude of words? 3194 And the theological works of Apollinarius are founded onScriptural proof, but are based on a human origin. He has written about the resurrection,from a mythical, or rather Jewish, point of view; urging that we shall return again to the3191 In 358, when the homoiousion was accepted, and twelve anathemas formulated against all who rejectedit.3192 Before 359. Mansi iii. 291.3193 Ecc. xii. 12, LXX. cf. Ep. ccxliv. p. 286.3194 cf. Prov. x. 19.825