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

To Eulogius, Alexander, and Harpocration, bishops of Egypt, in exile.the proverb “in the multitude of words there wanteth not sin.” 3206 Put boldly before himthe doctrines of orthodoxy, in order that his amendment may be published abroad, and hisrepentance made known to his brethren.3. It is also desirable that I should remind your reverence about the followers of Marcellus,in order that you may decide nothing in their case rashly or inconsiderately. On accountof his impious doctrines he has gone out from the Church. 3207 It is therefore necessarythat his followers should only be received into communion on condition that they anathematizethat heresy, in order that those who are united to me through you may be accepted byall the brethren. And now most men are moved to no small grief on hearing that you haveboth received them and admitted them to ecclesiastical communion on their coming toyour excellency. Nevertheless you ought to have known that by God’s grace you do notstand alone in the East, but have many in communion with you, who vindicate the orthodoxyof the Fathers, and who put forth the pious doctrine of the Faith at Nicæa. The Westernsalso all agree with you and with me, whose exposition of the Faith I have received and keepwith me, assenting to their sound doctrine. You ought, then, to have satisfied all who arein agreement with you, that the action which is being taken may be ratified by the generalconsent, and that peace may not be broken by the acceptance of some while others are keptapart. Thus you ought to have at the same time seriously and gently taken counsel aboutmatters which are of importance to all the Churches throughout the world. Praise is notdue to him who hastily determines any point, but rather to him who rules every detail firmly3053206 Prov. x. 19.3207 Here the Ben. note is Mirum id videtur ac prima specie vix credibile, Marcellum ob impios errores ex ecclesiaexiisee. Nam S. Athanasius suspectum illum quidem, sed tamen purgatum habuit, teste Epiphanio, Hæres.lxxii. lxxii. p. 837. Hinc illius discipuli communicatorias beatissimi papæ Athanasii litteras ostenderunt confessoribusÆgyptiis, ibid. p. 843. Testatur idem Epiphanius varia esse Catholicorum de Marcello judicia, aliis eumaccusantibus, aliis defendentibus, p. 834. Paulinus ejus discipulos sine discrimine recipiebat, ut in superiore epistolavidimus. Ipse Basilius in epist. 69 queritur quod eum Ecclesia Romana in communionem ab initio suscepisset.Quomodo ergo exiise dicitur ex Ecclesia qui tot habuit communicatores? Sed tamen S. Basilii testimonium cumsua sponte magni est momenti (non enim ut in dijudicandis Marcelli scriptis, ita in ejusmodi facto proclive fuiterrare), tum etiam hoc argumento confirmatur quod Athanasius extremis vitæ suæ annis Marcellum a communionesua removerit. Neque enim, si semper cum eo communicasset Athanasius, opus habuissent illius discipuli confessionefidei ad impetrandam confessorum Ægyptiorum communionem: nec Petrus Athanasii successor canones violatos,concessa illis communione, quereretur, ut videmus in epistola sequenti, si Ægyptum inter ac Marcellum ejusqueclerum et plebem non fuisset rupta communio. Videtur ergo Marcellus sub finem vitæ aliquid peccasse, quodAthanasium ab ejus communione discedere cogeret: et cum jamdudum a tota fere oriente damnatus esset, amissaAthanasii communione, quæ unicum fere illius refugium erat, desertus ab omnibus videri debuit, nec ei nova ignominianotato prodesse poterat concessa olim a Romana Ecclesia communio.830