Letters 221–224
Greek text: PG 32.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0). Compare: Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 8 (1895), Letters.
Chapter 221
221PG 32:816c–817b
Πρὸς τούς ἐν Βεροίᾳ. Ἐγνωμεν ὑμᾶς προλαβόντες, ποθεινότατον ἐκ τῆς ἐκβεβοημένης ὑμῶν εὐλαβείας, καὶ τοῦ στεφάνου τῆς κατὰ Χριστὸν ὁμολογίας. Καὶ ἴσως ἀν τις ὑμῶν φαίη· Καὶ τίς ὁ εἰς τὴν μακρὰν ταῦτα διαπορθμεύσας Κύριος αὐτὸς, ὃς τούς εὖσεβοῦγτας εἰς αὑτὸν τρόπω λύχνου τιθεὶς ἐπὶ τὴν λυχνίαν, φαίνειν ποιεῖ καθʼ ὅλης τῆς οἰκουμένης. Ἦ οὐχὶ τοὺς ἀριστέας τῶν ἀγωνιστῶν ἀνακηρύττειν εἴωθε τὸ τῆς νίκης βραβεῖον, καὶ τούς μηχανικοὺς ἡ τοῦ ἔργον ἐπίνοια ; Εἰ δὲ ἐπί τούτοις καὶ τοῖς τοιούτοις ἄλη· στος ἡ μνήμη διαμένει, τοὺς κατὰ Χριστὸν εὖσεβοῦντας, περὶ ὢν αὐτὸς φησιν ό Κύριοςιτοὺς δοξάζοντας με δοξάσω, πῶς οὐχὶ γνωρίμους καὶ διαφανεῖς τοῖς πᾶσι καταστήσει, ταῖς ἀκτῖσι τοῦ ἡλίου συνεφαπλῶν τῆς ἐξαστραπτούσης αὐτῶν λαμπηδόνος τό φαιδρὸν; Μείζονα δε αὖθις ἡμῖν τόν περὶ ὑμᾶς πόθον ἕνεθήκατε γραμμάτων ἡμᾶς ἀξιώσαντες, καὶ γραμμάτων τοιούτων, ἓν οἷς πρὸς τοῖς προλαβοῦσιν ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐσεβείας παλαίσμασι πλουσίου καὶ ἀκμαιοτέραν τὴν ὑπερ τῆς ἀληθοῦς πίστεως καρτεροψυχίαν ἐπεδαψιλεύσασθε. Ἐφʼ οἷς συνηδόμεθα Ιύμῖν, καὶ συνευχόμεθα, ὅπως ό τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς, οὗ ὁ ἀγὼν, καί οὗ τό σκάμμα, καὶ διʼ οὗ οἱ στέφανοι, προθυμίαν ἐμποιήσῃ, ῥῶσιν ψυχῆς παράσχῃ, καὶ εἰς τελείαν εὐδοκίμησιν τὴν παρʼ αύτῷ τὸ ἔργον ὑμῶν ἀγάγῃ.
Pros tous en Beroią. Egnōmen hymas prolabontes, potheinotaton ek tēs ekbeboēmenēs hymōn eulabeias, kai tou stephanou tēs kata Christon homologias. Kai isōs an tis hymōn phaiē; Kai tis ho eis tēn makran tauta diaporthmeusas Kyrios autos, hos tous eusebougtas eis hauton tropō lychnou titheis epi tēn lychnian, phainein poiei kathʼ holēs tēs oikoumenēs. Ē ouchi tous aristeas tōn agōnistōn anakēryttein eiōthe to tēs nikēs brabeion, kai tous mēchanikous hē tou ergon epinoia ? Ei de epi toutois kai tois toioutois alē; stos hē mnēmē diamenei, tous kata Christon eusebountas, peri ōn autos phēsin o Kyriositous doxazontas me doxasō, pōs ouchi gnōrimous kai diaphaneis tois pasi katastēsei, tais aktisi tou hēliou synephaplōn tēs exastraptousēs autōn lampēdonos to phaidron? Meizona de authis hēmin ton peri hymas pothon henethēkate grammatōn hēmas axiōsantes, kai grammatōn toioutōn, hen hois pros tois prolabousin hyper tēs eusebeias palaismasi plousiou kai akmaioteran tēn hyper tēs alēthous pisteōs karteropsychian epedapsileusasthe. Ephʼ hois synēdometha Iymin, kai syneuchometha, hopōs o tōn holōn Theos, hou ho agōn, kai hou to skamma, kai diʼ hou hoi stephanoi, prothymian empoiēsę̄, rhōsin psychēs paraschę̄, kai eis teleian eudokimēsin tēn parʼ autǭ to ergon hymōn agagę̄.
To those in Beroea. We knew you beforehand as most longed-for, from your far-famed piety and the crown of your confession in Christ. And perhaps one of you might say: And who carried these things across so great a distance? The Lord himself, who, setting those who are devout toward him like a lamp upon the lampstand, makes them shine over the whole world. Or is it not the prize of victory that is wont to proclaim the champions among contestants, and the ingenuity of the work that proclaims engineers? And if for these and the like the memory remains unforgotten, how will he not make known and conspicuous to all those who are devout in Christ, of whom the Lord himself says, "Those who glorify me I will glorify," spreading out the brightness of their flashing radiance together with the rays of the sun? You have further increased our longing for you by deeming us worthy of a letter, and of such a letter, in which, in addition to your earlier wrestlings on behalf of godliness, you have displayed a richer and more vigorous fortitude on behalf of the true faith. At this we rejoice with you, and we join you in praying that the God of all, whose is the contest and whose the arena, and through whom come the crowns, may implant eagerness in you, grant you strength of soul, and bring your work to perfect approval with him.
Matt 5:15 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 2:30 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Basil tells the Beroeans that their confession is famous everywhere and that their letter has increased his longing for them, and prays that God will crown their contest.
- Staged ref 220 is Benedictine Letter 221 (to the Beroeans). Quotations and allusions: Matt 5:15 (lamp on the lampstand); 1 Sam 2:30 ("Those who glorify me I will glorify").
Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 221 (PG 32:816c–817b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/221/#p-221). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 32 scan text; compared in full afterwards with NPNF² 8, which gives only summaries from Letter 296 and omits some letters; those were re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 222
222PG 32:817b–820d
Πρός Χαλκιδέας. Τό γράμμα τῆς εὐλαβείας ὑμῶν τοιοῦτον γέγονεν ἡμῖν ἐν καιρῷ θλίψεως ἐπιφανεν, ὁποῖον γίνεται πολλάκις ἀγωνισταῖς ἵπποις, ἐν μεσημβρίᾳ σταθερᾷ λάβρῳ τῷ ἄσθματι κόνιν σπωμένοις ὶν μέσῳ τῳ σταδίῳ, ὕδωρ τοῖς στόμασι προσχυθέν. Ἀνεπνεύσαμε-δ γὰρ ἐκ τῆς σῦνεχείας τῶν πειρασμῶν, καὶ ὁμοῦ τε τοῖς ῥήμασιν ὑμῶν ἑπεῤῥώσθημεν, καὶ τῇ μνήμῃ τῶν καθʼ ὑμᾶς ἀγωνισμάτων εύτονὼτεροι γεγόναμεν πρὸς τὸ ἀνενδότως ὑπενεγκεῖν τόν προκείμενον ύμῖν ἀγῶνα. Ὀ γὰρ ἐμπρησμὸς, ὸ τά πολλὰ τῆς Ἀνατολῆς ἐπινειμάμενος, ύγέρπει ἤδη καὶ τὴν ἡμετέραν, καὶ τά κύκλῳ πάντα περιφλίξας, ἅπτεσθαι φιλόνεικεί καὶ τῶν ἐν Καππαδοκίᾳ Ἐκʼ ιλησιῶν, ἀς τίως ἐκίνει πρὸς δάκρυον ὀ ἐκ γειτόνων καπνός. Ἀπτεσθαι δʼ οὖν λοιπὸν καὶ ἡμῶν ἐπείγεται, ὄν ό Κύριος ἀποστρέψειε τῷ πνεύματι τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ, καὶ διακόψειε τὴν φλόγα τοῦ πονηροῦ τούτου ἱ πυρόςε Τίς γὰρ οὕτω δειλός καὶ ἄνανδρος, ἦ πρός πόνους ἀθλητικοὺς ἀμελέτητος, ὡς μὴ τοῖς ᾖ ὑμετέροις ύπογωνήμασιν ἇπιρῥωσθῆναι πρὸς τόν -ιὶπ ἀγῶνα, καὶ εὔχεσθαι μεθʼ ὑμῶν στεφανίτης ἀναῤῥηθῆναις Προλαβόντες γὰρ ἓναπεδύσασθε τῷ τῆς εύσεἱ θείας σταδίῳ, καὶ πολλὰς μιν ἀπεκρούσασθε πείρας αἰρετικὼν παλαισμάτων, πολύν δι τὸν καύσωνα τῶν η πειρασμῶν ύπηνὲγκατε, οῖ τε κορυφαῖοι τῆς Ἐκο ιλησίας ύμεῖς, οἷς ἠ θεραπεία τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου πεπίστευται, καὶ οἱ καθʼ ἕνα τοῦ λαοῦ, οἰ δυνατὼτεροε. Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ μάλιστα θαυμαστὸν ὑμῶν καί πάσης ἀποδοχῆς ἀξιον, ότι πάντες εἷς ἐστι ἕν Ι Συνεφαπλῶν. 1ὶᾶ mss. οοῐο. Edili συνεφ- Κυρίῳ, οἱ μὲν καθηγούμενοι πρὸς τὸ ἀγαθὸν, οἱ δι ἐφεπόμενοι μετὰ συμπνοίας. Διὸ καὶ κρείττους ἐστὶ τῆς τῶν ἀντιπάλων ἐπιχειρήσεως, οὐδεμίαν παρέχοντες ἀπʼ οὐδενὸς μέλους λαβὴν τοῖς ἀνταγωνιζομένοις. Τούτου χάριν εὐχόμεθα νυκτὸς καὶ qui”; Βασιλεῖ τῶν αἰώνων φυλάξαι μὲν τὸν λαὸν ἐν τῇ ὁλοκληρίᾳ τῆς πίστεως, φυλάξαι δὲ αὐτῷ τὸν κλῆρον. ὥσπερ κεφαλὴν ἀκέραιον ἐπὶ τοῦ ὕψους κειμένην, καὶ τὴν ἀφʼ ἑαυτῆς προμήθειαν τοῖς ὑποκειμέιοις τοῦ σώματος μεʼλεσι παρεχομένην. Ὀφθαλμῶν γὰρ τᾲ καθʼ ἑαυτοὺς ἐνεργούντων, ἕντεχνοι μὶν τῶν χειρῶν αἱ ἐργασίαι, ἀπρόσκοποι δὲ τῶν ποδῶν αἱ κινήσεις, οὐδὲν δε μέρος τοῦ σώματος τῆς προσηκούσης προνοίας ἀποστερεῖται. Ὠστε παρακαλοῦμεν ὑμᾶς, ὁ ποιεῖτε καὶ ποιήσετε, ἀντέχεσθαι ἀλλη- B λων, καί ὑμᾶς μὲν τούς τὴν τῶν ψυχῶν ἐπιμέλειαν πεπιστευμένους συνέχειν τοὺς καθʼ ἕκαστον, καὶ θάλπειν ὡς τέκνα ἀγαπητά · τὸν δὲ λαὸν τὴν πατράσιν ὀφειλομένην αἰδὼ καὶ τιμὴν ύμῖν ἀποσώζειν, ἱνα ἐν τῇ εὐσχημοσύνῃ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας σώζηται μὲν ὑμῶν ἡ ἰσχύς, καὶ τὸ στερέωμα τῆς εἰς Χριστὸν πίστεως. δοξάζηται δέ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Θεοῦ, πλεονάζη δὲ καὶ πληθύνη τὸ τῆς ἀγάπης καλὸν. Ἀκούονἠμεῖς εὐφραινώμεθα ἐκὶ τῇ προκοπῇ ὑμῶν τες δὲ τῇ κατὰ Θεὸν· καὶ εἰ μὲν ἔτι διὰ σαρκὸς ἐπιδημεῖν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ κελευόμεθα, καὶ ἴδοιμεν ποτε ὑμᾶς ἐν τῇ εἰρήνῃ τοῦ Θεοῦ· ἐὰν δὲ κε-
Pros Chalkideas. To gramma tēs eulabeias hymōn toiouton gegonen hēmin en kairǭ thlipseōs epiphanen, hopoion ginetai pollakis agōnistais hippois, en mesēmbrią statherą labrǭ tǭ asthmati konin spōmenois in mesǭ tǭ stadiǭ, hydōr tois stomasi proschythen. Anepneusame-d gar ek tēs synecheias tōn peirasmōn, kai homou te tois rhēmasin hymōn heperrhōsthēmen, kai tę̄ mnēmę̄ tōn kathʼ hymas agōnismatōn eutonōteroi gegonamen pros to anendotōs hypenenkein ton prokeimenon ymin agōna. O gar emprēsmos, o ta polla tēs Anatolēs epineimamenos, ygerpei ēdē kai tēn hēmeteran, kai ta kyklǭ panta periphlixas, haptesthai philoneikei kai tōn en Kappadokią Ekʼ ilēsiōn, as tiōs ekinei pros dakryon o ek geitonōn kapnos. Aptesthai dʼ oun loipon kai hēmōn epeigetai, on o Kyrios apostrepseie tǭ pneumati tou stomatos autou, kai diakopseie tēn phloga tou ponērou toutou hi pyrose Tis gar houtō deilos kai anandros, ē pros ponous athlētikous ameletētos, hōs mē tois ę̄ hymeterois ypogōnēmasin hapirrhōsthēnai pros ton -iip agōna, kai euchesthai methʼ hymōn stephanitēs anarrhēthēnais Prolabontes gar henapedysasthe tǭ tēs eusei theias stadiǭ, kai pollas min apekrousasthe peiras airetikōn palaismatōn, polyn di ton kausōna tōn ē peirasmōn ypēnenkate, oi te koryphaioi tēs Eko ilēsias ymeis, hois ē therapeia tou thysiastēriou pepisteutai, kai hoi kathʼ hena tou laou, oi dynatōteroe. Touto gar kai malista thaumaston hymōn kai pasēs apodochēs axion, oti pantes heis esti hen I Synephaplōn. 1ia mss. ooio. Edili syneph- Kyriǭ, hoi men kathēgoumenoi pros to agathon, hoi di ephepomenoi meta sympnoias. Dio kai kreittous esti tēs tōn antipalōn epicheirēseōs, oudemian parechontes apʼ oudenos melous labēn tois antagōnizomenois. Toutou charin euchometha nyktos kai qui”? Basilei tōn aiōnōn phylaxai men ton laon en tę̄ holoklērią tēs pisteōs, phylaxai de autǭ ton klēron. hōsper kephalēn akeraion epi tou hypsous keimenēn, kai tēn aphʼ heautēs promētheian tois hypokeimeiois tou sōmatos meʼlesi parechomenēn. Ophthalmōn gar tą kathʼ heautous energountōn, hentechnoi min tōn cheirōn hai ergasiai, aproskopoi de tōn podōn hai kinēseis, ouden de meros tou sōmatos tēs prosēkousēs pronoias apostereitai. Ōste parakaloumen hymas, ho poieite kai poiēsete, antechesthai allē- B lōn, kai hymas men tous tēn tōn psychōn epimeleian pepisteumenous synechein tous kathʼ hekaston, kai thalpein hōs tekna agapēta ; ton de laon tēn patrasin opheilomenēn aidō kai timēn ymin aposōzein, hina en tę̄ euschēmosynę̄ tēs Ekklēsias sōzētai men hymōn hē ischys, kai to stereōma tēs eis Christon pisteōs. doxazētai de to onoma tou Theou, pleonazē de kai plēthynē to tēs agapēs kalon. Akouonēmeis euphrainōmetha eki tę̄ prokopę̄ hymōn tes de tę̄ kata Theon; kai ei men eti dia sarkos epidēmein tǭ kosmǭ toutǭ keleuometha, kai idoimen pote hymas en tę̄ eirēnę̄ tou Theou; ean de ke-
To the Chalcidians. The letter of your reverence appeared to us in a time of affliction like the water often poured over the mouths of racehorses that, at full noon, gulp down dust with violent panting in the middle of the course. For we have taken breath from the continual temptations, and at the same time we were strengthened by your words, and through the memory of your contests became more vigorous to bear without yielding the contest set before us. For the conflagration that has spread over most of the East is now creeping over our country too, and having burned everything round about, it strives to seize also the Churches in Cappadocia, which until now the smoke from their neighbors moved to tears. And now it is hastening to seize us too; may the Lord turn it back by the breath of his mouth and cut off the flame of this evil fire. For who is so cowardly and unmanly, or so unpracticed in athletic labors, as not to be strengthened for the contest by your prompting, and to pray to be proclaimed a victor along with you? For you were the first to strip for the stadium of godliness, and you have repelled many attempts of heretical wrestlings, and endured much scorching heat of temptations, both you, the leaders of the Church, who are entrusted with the service of the altar, and individually those of the people who are more powerful. For this is especially admirable in you and worthy of all acceptance, that you are all one in the Lord, the leaders leading toward the good, and those who follow them following in harmony. Therefore you are stronger than the attempts of your opponents, offering no hold from any member to those who struggle against you. For this reason we pray night and day to the King of the ages to guard the people in the soundness of the faith, and to guard the clergy for them, like a head unharmed set on high and providing from itself care for the members of the body that lie beneath. For when the eyes do their own work, the works of the hands are skilful, the movements of the feet are free from stumbling, and no part of the body is deprived of fitting care. So we urge you, as you are doing and will do, to hold fast to one another: you who are entrusted with the care of souls, to hold together each individual and cherish them as beloved children; and the people, to keep for you the reverence and honor owed to fathers; so that in the good order of the Church your strength and the firmness of your faith in Christ may be preserved, the name of God glorified, and the good of love may abound and multiply. Hearing of your progress according to God, we rejoice; and if we are still bidden to sojourn in this world in the flesh, may we see you some day in the peace of God; but if we are bidden …
2 Thess 2:8 (echo, medium confidence) · 1 Tim 1:17 (echo, medium confidence) · 1 Cor 12:21 (allusion, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Basil thanks the Chalcidians for a letter that refreshed him as the Arian 'fire' spreads toward Cappadocia, praises the unity of their clergy and people, and urges them to hold together.
- Staged ref 221 is Benedictine Letter 222 (to the Chalcidians). A Migne footnote on the word "spreading out" (συνεφαπλῶν) leaked into the scan text in the middle of the letter and is not translated. The scan breaks off in the last sentence ("…"). The "conflagration" is the Arian-backed persecution in the East. Allusions: 2 Thess 2:8 / Isa 11:4 (breath of his mouth); 1 Tim 1:17 (King of the ages); 1 Cor 12:12–26 (members of the body).
Topics: Church office
Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 222 (PG 32:817b–820d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/221/#p-222). (abbreviation not yet checked)
BibTeX · RIS (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-basil-epistulae-222) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 32 scan text; compared in full afterwards with NPNF² 8, which gives only summaries from Letter 296 and omits some letters; those were re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 223
223PG 32:821a–833b
τιρεῖν τοῖς δυσφορωτατοις πάθεσινι ὅτε δὲ ἱκανῶι ρ ἐν τῇ σιωπῇ διήθλησε, καὶ διέμεινεν ὶν τῷ βάθει τῆς καρδίας ἁποστέγων τὴν ἀλγηδόνα, τότε ἀνοίξας τὸ στόμα ἀπεφθέγξατο ἐκεῖνα ἆ πάντες ἴσασι. Καὶ ἡμῖν τοίνυν τρίτον τοῦτο ἔτος τῆςσιωπῆς ζηλωτὸν ἐγένετο τοῦ Προφήτου τὸ καύχημα λέγοντος· Ἐγενόμην ὡσεὶ ἅνθρωπος οὐκ ἁκούων, καὶ οὐκ ἔχων ἐν τῷ στόματι αὑτοῦ ἐλεγμούς, Διὸ ἐναπε· κλιίσαμῑν τῷ βάθει τῆς καρδίας ἡμῶν τὴν ἐκ τῆς συκοφαντίας ἡμῖν ἐγγινομένην ὀδύνην. Τῷ ὄντι γὰρ συκοφαντία ἄνδρα ταπεινοῖ, καὶ συκοφαντία περιφέρει πτωχόν. Ei οὖν τοσοῦτον τὸ ἐκ τῆς συχοφαντίας κακὸν, ὥστε καὶ τὸν τέλειον ἤδη (τοῦτο γὰρ διὰ τῆς προσηγορίας τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ὁ λόγος αἰνίσσεται) κατάγειν ἀπὸτοῦ ὕψους, καὶ τὸν πτωχὸν, τουτἐστι τὸν ἐνδεῶς ἔχοντα τῶν μεγάλων δογμάτων (καθὼς καί τῷ προφήτῃ δοκεῖ λέγοντι· Ἴσως πτωχοί εἰσιι διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἀκούσονται” πορεύσομαι πρὸς τοὺς ἁδρούς· πτωχοὺς τοὺς περὶ τήν σύνεσιν ἐνδεεῖς λέγων · καὶ ἐνταῦθα, δηλονότι, τοὺς οὔπω κατηρτισμένους τον ἔσω ἄνθρωπον, οὐδὲ εἰς τὸ τέλειον ἐφθακότας τῆς ἡλικίας μέτρον, τούτους περιφέρεσθαι καὶ σαλεύεσθαι ἡ παροιμία φησίν) θ ἀλλʼ ὅμως ᾤμην χρῆναι σιωπῇ φέρειν τὰ λυπηρὰ, ἐκδεχόμενος τινα διʼ αὐτῶν τῶν ἔργων ἐπανόρθωσιν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ κακία τινὶ, ἀλλʼ ἀγνοίᾳ τῆς ἀληθείας ἡγούμην ἐκεῖνα καθʼ ημῶν ιιρῆσθαι. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ὁρῶ τῷ χρόνῳ συμπροϊοῦσαν τήν ἔχθραν, καὶ μὴ μεταμελομένόυς ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐξ ἀρχῆς λαληβεῑσι, μηδʼ ὃπως τὰ παρελθόντα ἐξιάσοιντο ποιουμένους τινὰ φροντίδα, ἀλλʼ ἐπεξεργαζομένους, καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἐξ ἀρχῆς σκοπὸν συντεταγμὲνους, ὃν ἐνεστήσαντο, κακῶσαι ἡμῶν τήν ζωήν, καὶ χρᾶναι τὴν ὑπόληψιν παρὰ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς μηχανώμενοι, οὐκέτι μοι τὸ τῆς σιωπῆς ἀσφαλὲς καταφαίνεται. Ἀλλʼ εἰσῆλθέ με τὸ τοῦ Ἡσαΐου λέγοντος· Ἐσιωπησα, μή καὶ ἀεὶ σιωπήσομαι καί ἀνέξομαι; Ἐκαρτέρησα ὡς ἡ τίκτουσα. Γένοιτο δὲ καὶ ἡμᾶς καὶ τὸν ἐπὶ τῇ σιωπῇ μισθὸν δέξασθαι, καὶ λαβεῖν τινα ἐπὶ τοις ἐλέγχοις δύναμιν ὥστε ἐλέγξαντας ἡμᾶς ξηρᾶναι τὸν πικρὸν τοῦτον τῆς καθʼ ἡμων ῥυείσης ψευδολογίας χιίμαρῥον. ὧατε ἂν simtu καὶ ἡμᾶς ὅτι, Χείμαρρον διῆλθεν ἡ ψυχὴ ἡμῶν· καὶ τὸ, Εἰ μὴ Κύριος ἧν ἄν ἡμῖν, ἰν τῷ ἐπαναστῆναι ἀνθρώπους ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς, ἄρα ζῶντας οἶν κατέπιον ἡμᾶς, ἆρα τὸ ὕδωρ ἂν κατεπόντισεν ἡμᾶς. 2. Ἐγὼ, πολὺν χρόνον προσαναλώσας τῇ ματαιότητι, καὶ πᾶσαν σχεδὸν τὴν ἐμαυτοῦ νεότητα ἐν· αφανίσας τῇ ματαιοπονίᾳ, ἦν εἶχον προσδιατρίβων τῇ ἀναλήψει τῶν μαθημάτων τῆς παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ μωρανθείσης σοφίας, ἐπειδὴ ποτε, ὣσπερ ἐξ ὒπνου βαθέος διαναστὰς, ἀπέβλεψα μεν πρὸς τὸ θαυμαστόν φῶς τῆς ἀληθείας τοῦ Εὐαγγεὶλου, κατεῖδον δῖε τό ἄχρηστον τῆς σοφίας τῶν ἀρχόντων τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου τῶν καταργουμένων, πολλὰ τὴν ἐλεεινὴν μου ζωὴν ἀποκλαύσας, ηὐχόμην δοθῆναί μοι χειραγωγίαν πρὸς τὴν εἰσαγωγὴν τῶν ὃογματων τῆς εὐσεβείας. Καὶ προ γε πάντων ἐπιμελὲς ἧν μοι διόρθωσίν τινα τοῦ ἤθους ποιήσασθαι, πολὺν χρόνον ἐκ τῆς πρὸς τοὺς φαύλους ὁμιλίας ὃιαστραφέντος. Καὶ τοίνυν ἀναγνοὺς τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον, καὶ θεασάμενος ἔκιῐ μεγίστην ἀφορμὴν εἰς τελείωσιν τὴν διάπρασιν τῶν ὑπαρχόντων, καὶ τὴν πρὸς τοὺς ἐνδεεῖς τῶν ἀδελφῶν κοινωνίαν, καὶ ὑλως τὸ ἀφροντίστως ἔχειν τοῦ βίον τούτου, καὶ ὑπὸ μηδεμιᾶς συμπαθείας πρὸς τὰ ὧδε τὴν ψυχὴν ἐπιστρέφεσθαι, ηὐχόμην εὑρεῖν τινα τῶν ἀδελφῶν ταύτην ἑλόμενον τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ βίου, ὥστε αὐτῴ συνδιαπεραιωθῆναι τὸν βραχύν τοῦτον τοῦ βίον κλύδωνα. Καὶ δὴ πολλοὺς μὲν εὖρον κατὰ τήν Ἀλεξάνδρειαν, πολλοὺς δὲ κατὰ τὴν λοιπὴν Λῖγνπτον, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς Παλαιστίνης ἐτέρους, καὶ τῆς κοίλης Συρίας καὶ τῆς Μεσοποταμίας· ὧν ἐθαύμαζον μὲν τὸ περὶ δίαιταν ἐγκρατὲς, ἐθαύμαζον δί τὸ καρτερικὸν ἐν πόνοις, ἐξεπλάγην τὴν ἓν προσευχαῖς εὐτονίαν, ὅπως ὕπνου κατεκράτουν, ὑπʼ οὐδεμιᾶς φυσικῆς ἀνάγκης κατακαμπτόμενοι, ὑψηλὸν ἀεὶ καὶ ἀδούλωτον τῆς ψυχῆς τὸ φρόνημα διασώζοντες, ἐν λιμῷ καὶ δίψει, ἐν ψύχει καὶ γυμνότητι, μή ἑπιστρεφόμειοι πρὸς τὸ σῶμα, μηδὲ καταδεχόμενοι αὐτῷ προσαναλώσαί τινα φροντίδα, ἀλλʼ ὡς ἐν ἀλλον τρίᾳ τῇ σαρκὶ διάγοντες, ἔργῳ ἐδείκνυσαν, τί τὸ παροικεῖν τοῖς ὧδε, καὶ τί τὸ πολίτευμα ἔχειν ἐν οὐρανῷ. Ἐκεῖνα θαυμάσας, καὶ μακαρίσας τῶν ἀνδρῶν τήν ζωήν, ὅτι ἔργῳ δεικνύουσι τὴν νέκρωσιν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐν τῲ σώματι περιφέροντες, ηὐχόμην καὶ αὐτὸς, καθόσον ἐμοὶ ἐφικτὸν, ζηλωτὴς εἶναι τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐκείνων. 3. Τούτου γοῦν ἕνεκεν θεασάμενός τινας ἐπὶ τῆς πατρίδος ξηὶοῡν τα ἐκείνων ἐπιχειροῦντας,ἐνόμισιὶ τινα βοήθειαν εὑρηκέναι πρὸς τὴν ἐμαυτοῦ σωτηρίαν, καὶ ἀπόδειξιν ἐποιούμην τῶν ἀφανῶν τὰ ὀρώμενα. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἄδηλα ἑκάστου ἡμῶντά ἓν τῷ κρυπτῷ, ἡγούμην αὐτάρκη μηνύματα εἶναι τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης τὸ ταπεινὸν τοῦ ἐνδύματος, καὶ ἤρκει μοι πρὸς πληροφορίαν τό παχὺ ἱμάτιον, καὶ ἡ ζώνη, καί τῆς ἀδεψήτου βύρσης τὰ ὑποδήματα. Καὶ πολλῶν ἀπαγόντων με τῆς πρὸς αύτούς συνο ηθείας, ούκ ἠνειχόμην, ὁρῶν αύτούς τοῦ ἀπολαυστιxor} βίου τόν καρτερικὸν προτιμῶντας· καὶ διὰ τό παρηλλαγμένον τῆς πολιτείας ζηλοτύπως εἶχον πρὸς αὐτούς. *Οθεν οὐδὲ τὰς περὶ τῶν δογμάτων διαβολὰς προσιέμην καίτοι πολλῶν δίαβεβαιουμένων μὴ ὀρθὰς ἔχειν περὶ Θεοῦ τὰς ὑπολήψεις, ἀλλὰ τῷ προστάτῃ τῆς νῦν αἱρέσεως μαθητευθέντας, τὰ ἐκείνου λάθρα κατασπείρειν διδάγματα· ὧν επὲιδὴ οὐδέποτε αὺτὴκοος ἐγενόμην, συκοφάντας ἡγούμην τοὺς ἀπαγ· γέλλοντας. Ἐπεὶ δὲ λοιπόν ἐκλήθημεν εἰς τήν προστασίαν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, τοὺς μὲν παραδοθέντας ἡμῖν φύλακας καὶ σκοπευτὰς τοῦ βίου ἐν προσποιὴσει δὴ βοηθείας καὶ κοινωνίας ἀγαητικῆς σιωπῶ, ἵνα μὴ δόξω ἡ ἄπιστα λέγων ἐμαυτὸν διαβάλλειν,ἤ πιστευόμενος μισανθρωπίας ἀφορμὴν τοῖς πιστεύουσιν ἐμποιεῖν. Ὀ καὶ ἐμοὶ μικροῦ συνέβη, εί μή με ταχὺ προκατελάβοντο οὶ οἰκτιρμοί του Θεοῦ. Mcκροῦ γὰρ εἰς τὴν κατὰ πάντων ἐξέπεσον ὑπο-ρίαν, οὐδὲν ἡγούμενος εἶναι παρʼ οὐδενὶ πιστόν, ἐκ τῶν δολερῶν τραυμάτων τὴν ψυχὴν πεπληγμένος. Ἀλλʼ ὅμως ἐδόκει τέως εἶναί τι ἡμῖν σχῆμα τῆς πρὸς αύτούς συνηθείας. Καὶ προσβολαὶ μὲν ἐγένοντο ἡμῖν περὶ δογμάτων καὶ ἅπαξ καί δίς· καὶ ἑδόξαμέν μὴ διακρίνεσθαι συμφωνήσαντες. Ὠς δὲ ηὕρισκον μὲν ἡμᾶς τὰς αὐτὰς ἀφιέντας φωνὰς περι τῆς εὶς Θεὸν πίστεως, οἷς παρὰ πάντα τόν χρόνον ἤκουε σαν παρʼ ἡμῶν. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ τᾶλλα ἡμῶν στεναγμῶν ἁξια,ἀλλʼ οὗν ἓν γε τοῦτο τολμῶ καυχᾶσθαι ἐν Κυρίῳ, ὅτι οὐδέποτε πεπλανημένας ἔσχον τὰς περὶ Θεοῦ ὑπολήψεις, ἦ ἑτέρως φρονῶν μετέμαθον ὓστερον. Ἀλλʼ ἦν ἐκ παιδός ἔλαβον ἔννοιαν περὶ Θεοῦ παρὰ τῇς μακαρίας μητρός μου καὶ τῆς μάμμης Μακρίνης, ταύτην αύξηθείσαν ἔσχον έν ἐμαυτῷ· ού γὰρ ἄλλα ἐξ ἄλλων μετέλαβον ἐν τῇ τοῦ λόγου συμπληρώσει, ma τὰς παραδοθείσας μοι παρʼ αὐτῶν ἀρχὰς ἱτελείωσα.”Ωσπερ γὰρ τό σπέρμα {92) αὐξαο νόμενον, μεῖζον μὲν ἀπὸ μικροῦ γίνεται ταυτὸν δέ ἐστιν ἐν ἑαυτῷ, ου κατὰ γένος μετ·αβσιλλιὶι.ι.ιῑνονὲ ἀλλὰ κατʼ αὔξησιν τελιιούμενον οὕτω λογίζομαι καὶ ἐμοὶ τὸν αὐτὸν λόγον διὰ τῆς προκοπῆς ηὐξῆσθαι, αὐχὶ δὲ ἀντὶ τοῦ ἓξ ἀρχῆς ὦτος τὸν νῦν ὑπάρχοντα γεγενῆσθαι. ’Ὡστε ἔρευνοίτωσαν μὲν τό ἑαυτῶν συνειδὸς, ἐνθυμείσθωσαν δέ τὸ λτοῦ Χριστοῦ δικαστήριον, εἳ ποτε illo τι ἤκουσαν παρʼ ἡμῶν, παρʼ ὅ νῦν λέγομεν, οἱ νῦν ἡμᾶς ὃιαθρυλλήσαντες ἐπὶ κακοδοξίᾳ, καὶ ταῖς στηλιτευτικαῑς ἐπιστολαῖς, ἅς συνέγραψαν καθʼ ἡμῶν, πᾶσαν περικτυπήσαντες ἀκοήν· ὃοιν καὶ ἡμεῖς πρὸς τὴν ἀνάγκην ἤλθομεν τῆς ἀπολογίας 4. Ἐγκαλούμεοοι γὰρ τὴν εἰς Θεὸν βλασφημίαν, οὔτε ἀπὸ συγγραφῆ ς, ἢν αὐτοὶ προκατιβαλομεβα περὶ πίστεως, ἐλεγχθῆναι δυνάμενοι, οὗτε ἀπὸ ρημάτων, ὅσα ἀγράφως ἀπο στόματος ἀεὶ ἐν τῷ 7gνερῲ ταῖς Ἐκχὶηο-ίαις τοῦ Θεοῦ διελέχθημεν.’Δ)λ οὐδὲ μάρτυς εὑρέθη ὁ λέγων παρʼ ἡμῶν ἀκηκοέναι τι τῶν ἀσεβῶν ἐν παραβύστῳ year/Empire“. Πόθεν οὖν κρινὸμεθα,εἰ μήτε συγγράφομεν ἀσεβῶς, μήτε δημηγοροῠμιν ἐπιβλαβῶς, μήτε ἐν ταῖς κατʼ οἶκον ὁμιλίαις τοὺς ἐντυγχάνοντας διαστρέφομεν; Ὦ. τοῦ καινοῦ ὃράματοςῐ Ὀ δεῖνα, φησιν, ἐπὶ τῆς Συρίας ἔγραψέ τινα ὡς οὐκ εὐσεβῶς· σὺ δὲ ἐπέστειλας αὐτῷ πρὸ εἴκοσιν ἐτῶν καὶ πλειόνων, Κοινωνός ἂρα σὺ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, καὶ τὰ ἐκείνου κατηγορήματα καί σὰ γινέσθω, Ἀλλʼ, ὦ φίλε τῆς ἀληθείας ἄνθρωπε, ὁ τὸ ψεῦδος γέννημα εἶναι τοῦ διαβόλου δεδιδαγμένος, πῶς ἐπείσθης ἐμὴν εἶναι τὴν ἐπιστολήν vixet-mw; Οὐ γὰρ ἀπέστειλας, οὐδʼ ἠρώτησας, οὐδὲ, παρʼ ἐμοῦ τοῦ δυναμένου σοι τάληθὲς εἱπεῐν, ἐὸιὸάχθης. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐμὸν τὸ γράμμαι πόθε) δῆλον, ὅτι τοῦτο τὸ νῦν σοι ἐμπεσὸν σύνταγμα σ-ἂγχρονον τοῖς ἐμοῖς medianam-1; τίς core εἰπὼν. ὅτι εἴκοσίν ἐστιν ἐτῶν ἡ συγγραφή οὗτη; πόθεν δὲ δῆλον, ὁτι ἐκείνου ἐστὶ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ σύνταγμα, προς, ὅν καὶ ἡ παρʼ ἐμοῦ ἐπιστολὴ διεπέμφοης Εἰ δὲ κακεῖνος ὀ συγγραφεὺς, κάγὼ ἐκείνῳ ἐπέστει).α,καὶ χρόνος εἷς τῶν τʼ ἐμῶν ’γραμμάτων καὶ τοῦ συγγράμματος, ὅτι παρεδεξάμην αὐτὸ τῇ διανοίᾳ, καὶ ἔχω εν ἐμαυτῷ ἐκεῖνο τὸ φρόνημα, τίς ὴ ἀπόδειξις; Ἐρὼτησον οεαυτὸν· ποσάκις ἡμᾶς ἐπεσκέψω ἐπὶ τῆς μονῆς τῆς ἐπὶ τῷ Ἴριδι ποταμῷ, ὅτε δὲ συμπαρῆν μοι ο Θεοφιλέστατος ἁδελφὸς Γρηγόριος, τὸν αὐτὸν μοι τοῦ βίον σκοπὸν διανύωνς Εἰ ἣκουσάς τι τοιοῦτον ; ἔλαβες ἔμφασιν μνκρὰνῆ μείζονα; Utica; δὲ ἡμέρας ἐπὶ τῆς ἀντιπέραν κώμης, παρὰ τῇ μητρί μου, ἓνοα ὡς φίλοι (ί) μετ ἀλλήλων διάγοντες, καὶ ἐν νυκτὶ καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ λόγων κινουμένων ἡμῖν ; Εἰ εὑρέθημεν τι συγγενὲς ἔχοντες ἐν τῇ διανοίῃ "Ore δὲ τὸν μακάριον Σιλουανὸν κατὰ ταυτὸν ἓπεσκεπτόμεθα, οὐχ ἠ ὁδὸς ἡμῖν τοὺς περὶ τούτων εἶχε λόγους ; Ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς Εὐσινόης, ὅτε μετὰ πλειόνων ἐπισκόπων μέλλοντες ὀρμᾷν.ἐπὶ Λάμψακον, προσεκαλέσασθέ με, οὐ περὶ πίστεως ἦσαν οἱ λόγοι ; Οὐχὶ δὲ πάντα τὸν χρόνον οἰ σοὶ ταχυγράφοι παρῆσαν ἐμοὶ ὑπαγορεύοντι τὰ πρὸς τὴν αἰρεσιν ; οὐ τῶν σῶν μαθητῶν οἱ γνησιώτατοι πάντα μοι τὸν χρόνον παρῆσαν ; Οὐ τὰς ἀδελφότητας ἐπισκεπτόμενος, καὶ συνδιανυκτερεύων αὐταῖς ἐν ταῖς προσευχαῖς, λέγων καὶ ἁκούων ἀεὶ τὰ περὶ Θεοῦ ἀφιλονείκως, οὐκ ἀκριβεῖς παρεῖχον τῆς ἐννοίας ἐμαυτοῦ τὰς ἀποδείξεις ; Πῶς οὖν ἡ ἐν τοσούτῳ χρόνῳ πεῖρα ἐλάττων ἐφάνη τῆς οὖτὼ σαθρᾶς καὶ ἀδρανοῦς ὑπονοίας; Τίνα δὲ ἔδει πρὸ σοῦ μάρτυρα εἶναι τῆ ς ἐμῆς διαθέσεωςς Τὰ ἐπὶ Χαλκηδόνος λαληθέντα ἡμῖν περὶ πίστεως, τὰ ἓν Ἡρακλείᾳ πολλάκις, τὰ πρότερον ἐπὶ τῆς Καισαρείας ἐν τῷ προαστείῳ, εἰ μὴ πάντα σύμφωνα παρʼ ἡμῶν; εἰ μη πάντα ἀλληλοις συμβαίνοντα ; ἐκτὸς τοῦ, ὅπερ εἶπον, ἐκ προκοπῆς τινα αὔξησιν ἐπιθεωρεῖσθαι τοῖς λεγομένοις, ὅπερ οὐχὶ μεταβολή ἐστιν ἐκ τοῦ χείρονος πρὸς τό βέλτιον, ἀλλὰ συμπλήρωσις τοῦ λείποντος κατά τὴν προσθήκην τῆς γνώσεως. [[ῶς δὲ κάκεῖνο οὐκ ἐνθυμῇ, ὅτι πατὴρ οὐ λήψεται ἁμαρτίαν παιδός, οὐδὲ υἱὸς λήψεται ἁμαρτίαν πατρὸς, ἕκαστος δὲ ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ ἁμαρτίᾳ ἀποθανεῖται ; Ἐμοὶ δὲ οὔτε πατὴρ ὁ παρὰ σοὶ δ ιαβαλλόμενος, οὔθʼ υἱός. Οὔτε γὰρ διδάσκαλός μου γέγονεν, οὔτε μαθητής. Εἰ δὲ δεῖ τὰς τῶν γεννησάντων ἁμαρτίας ἐγκλήματα τοῖς τέκνοις γίνεσθαι, πολὺ δικαιότερον τὰ Ἀρείου κατὰ τῶν ματ θητῶν αὐτοῦ γίνεσθαι · καὶ εἴ τις Ἀέτιον ἐγέννησε τόν αίρετικόν, ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν τοῦ πατρὸς ἀναβαίνειν τοῦ παιδὸς τὰ ἐγκλήματα. Εἰ δʼ οὐ δίκαιον ἐπʼ ἐκείνοις ἑγκαλεῖσθαί τινα, πολλῷ δήπου δικαιότερον ἡμᾶς ἐπὶ τοῖς μηδὲν ἡμῖν προσήκουσι μὴ ὑπέχειν εὐθύνας (ὅ), εἶ γε καὶ ἧμαρτον ὅλως, εἴ τι καὶ γέγραπται αὐτοῖς ἄξιον κατακρίσεως, Συγγνώμη γάρ μοι ἀπιστοῦντι τοῖς κατάὑτῶν λεγομένοις, ἐπειδὴ ἡ κατʼ ἐμοῦ πεῖρα τὸ πρὸς συκοφαντίαν εὔκολον τῶν κατηγορούντων συνίστησι, 6. Καὶ γὰρ εἰ ἀπατηθέντες, καὶ νομίσαντες ἔμε κοινωνὸν εἶναι τῆς γνώμης τῶν συγγραψάντων ἐκεῖνα τὰ Σαβελλίου ῥήματα, άπερ αὐτοὶ περιφέρουσιν, ἐπὶ τὴν κατʼ ἐμοῦ διαβολὴν ἦλθον, οὐδʼ οὕτω μὶν ἦσαν συγγνώμης ἄξιοι, πρὸ ἐναργῶν ἀποδείξεων εὐθὺς ταῖς βλασφημίαις βάλλοντες καὶ τιτρώσκοντες τοὺς μηδὶν ἀδικήσαντας · ἵνα μὴ εἴπω, ὅτι ut. τοὺς εἱς τήν ἄκραν αὐτοῖς φιλίαν συνδεδεμένους · καὶ ὃτι ἀπόδειξις τοῦ μή Πνιύματι ’ἄγεσθαι ἁγιῳ τὸ ψευδεῖς ἔχειν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς τὰς ὑπολήψιις. non. γὰρ δ εἰ μιριμνῆσοιι καὶ πολλὰς ἀγρύπνους νύκτας διπεγκιῖν, καὶ μιτὰ πολλῶν δακρύων ἰκζητῆσαι παρὰ Θεοῦ τὴν ἀλήθειαν, τὸν μέλλοντα φιλίας ἄδιλφοῡ διατίμνισθαι. Et γὰρ οἱ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου ἄρχοντας, ὅταν τινὰ τῶν κακούργων Θανάτῳ καταδικάζειν μέλλωσιν, ἁφίλκονται τὰ παραπετάσματα, καλοῦσι δί τοὺς ἱμπιιροτοὲτους πρὸς τήν ὖπὶρ τῶν προκιιμίνων σκέψιν, καὶ πολὺν ἐνσχολάζουσι χρόνον, νῦν μὲν τοῦ νόμου τό αὐστηρὸν ὀρῶντες, νῦν δὲ τὴν κοινωνίαν τῆς φύσεως δυσωπούμινοι, καὶπολλὰ στενάξωντες καὶ τὴν ἀνάγκην ἀπολοφυρόμενοι, adradunch πᾶσι γίνονται πρὸς ἀνάγ xm (ll) ὑπηρετοῦντες τῷ νόμῳ, οὐ κατʼ οἰκεία ἡδονὴν ἐπάγοντες τὴν κατάκρισιν · πόσῳ χρὴ πλιίο· νος σπονδῆς αξιον ἡγεῖσθαι καὶ μερίμνης καὶ τῆς μετὰ πλειόνων βουλῆς τὸν μέλλοντα φιλίας ἀδελφῶν anoppeymom, τῆς ἐν πολλῷ χρόνῳ βεβαιωθσισηςς Ἀλλά μία ἐπιστολὴ, καὶ αὕτη ἀμφίβολος. Οὗδὶ γὰρ ἂν εἴποιεν ἐχ τῶν τῆς ὑπογραφῆς συμβόλων αὐτὴν ἐπεγνωκέναι, οῖ γι οὐχὶ τὴν πρώτως γραφαῖσαν, ἀλλὰ τὴν μεταγραφεῖσαν εἰς χεῖρας ἔλαβον. Ἐξ ἐνὸς τοίνυν γράμματος, καὶ τούτου παλαιοῦ.Α Εἴκοσι γὰρ ἔτη ἔστὶν εἰς τόν νῦν χρόνον ἀφʼ οὗ γέγραπταί τι πρὸς τόν ἄνδρα ἐκεῖνον. Ἐν δε τῷ μεταξὺ τούτῳ χρόνῳ οὐδένα τοιοῦτον ἔχω μάρτυρα τῆς ἐμαυτοῦ προαιρέσεως καὶ τοῦ βίου, ὡς τούς νῦν ἐφεστῶτάς μοι κατηγόρου ς, 7. Ἀλλʼ οὐ γὰρ ἡ ἐπιστολὴ τοῦ χωρισμοῦ αἰτία, ἑτέρα δὲ ἔστι τῆς διαστάσεως ἡ ὑπόθεσις, ἦν ἐγὼ λέγειν αἰσχύνομαι, κᾶν ἐσίγησα δὲ πάντα τὸν χρόνον, εἰ μὴ τὰ νῦν πεπραγμένα ἀναγκαίαν μοι καθίστη διὰ τό τῶν πολλῶν λυσιτελὲς τῆς ὅλκς αὐτῶν προαιρέσεως τὴν φανέρωσιν. Ἐνόμισαν οἱ χρηστοὶ ἐμπόδὶον αὐτοῖς εἶναι πρὸς τὴν τῆς δυναστείας ἀνάληψιν τὴν πρὸς ἡμᾶς κοινωνίαν. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ ὐπογραφῇ τινι πίστεως προελήφθησαν, ἦν ἡμεῖς αὐτοῖς προετείναμεν, οὐκ αὐτοὶ ἀπιστοῦντες αὐτῶν τῷ φρονήματι (ὁμολογῶ γὰρ), ἀλλὰ τὰς ἔπʼ αὐτοῖς {nroνοίας, ἂς οἱ πολλοὶ τῶν ὁμο-,ιύχων ἡμῶν ἀδελφῶν εἶχον, θεραπεῦσαι βουλόμενοι, ἱνα μηδὲν ἐν τῆς ὁμολογίας ἕκείνης δόξῃ αὐτοῖς ἐμπόδιον ἀπαντᾷν, πρὸς τὸ ὑπὸ τῶν νῦν κρατούντων παραδεχθῇναι, ἀπείπαντο τὴν πρὸς ἡμᾶς κοινωνίαν · καὶ ὑπόθεσίς τῆς ἥορῥήξεως τὸ γράμμα τοῦτο ἐπενοήθη, Σημεῖόν δὲ τῶν λεγομένων ἐναργέστατον, ὅτι, ἀποκηρύξαντες ἡμᾶς, καὶ συνθέντες τὰς μέμψεις ἃς ἠβούλοντο καθʼ ἡμῶν, πρὶν ἡμῖν ἀποστεῖλαι, τὰ γράμματα περιέπεμπον πανταχοῦ, Ἐπτα γὰρ πρότερον ἡμέραις τοῦ εἰς τάς ἐμὰς ἀφικέσθαι χεῖρας παρῖ ἄλλοις ἐφάνη ἠ ἐπιστολὴ ι οἳ, ἐξ ἐτέρων διαδεξάμενοι, ἑτέροις ἔμελλον παραπέμπειν. Οὐτω γὰρ ίπενόησαν ἕνιὶ ἑνὶ παραδιδόναι, ἱνα ταχεῖα an)- ρ τοῖς κατὰ πᾶσαν τὴν χώραν γένηται ἡ διάδοσις. Καὶ ταῦτʼ ἐλέγετο μὲν ἔτι τότε παρὰ τῶν σαφέστατα ἡμῖν τὰ ἓκείνων ἐξαγγελλόντων. Ἐκρίναμεν δὲ σιωπᾷν, ἕως ἂν ό ἀποκαλύπτων τὰ βαθέα σαφεστάτοις καὶ ἆναντιρῥήτοις ἐλέγχοις δημοσιεύσῃ τὰ κατʼ αὐτους.
tirein tois dysphorōtatois pathesini hote de hikanōi r en tę̄ siōpę̄ diēthlēse, kai diemeinen in tǭ bathei tēs kardias hapostegōn tēn algēdona, tote anoixas to stoma apephthenxato ekeina a pantes isasi. Kai hēmin toinyn triton touto etos tēssiōpēs zēlōton egeneto tou Prophētou to kauchēma legontos; Egenomēn hōsei hanthrōpos ouk hakouōn, kai ouk echōn en tǭ stomati hautou elegmous, Dio enape; kliisamin tǭ bathei tēs kardias hēmōn tēn ek tēs sykophantias hēmin enginomenēn odynēn. Tǭ onti gar sykophantia andra tapeinoi, kai sykophantia peripherei ptōchon. Ei oun tosouton to ek tēs sychophantias kakon, hōste kai ton teleion ēdē (touto gar dia tēs prosēgorias tou andros ho logos ainissetai) katagein apotou hypsous, kai ton ptōchon, toutesti ton endeōs echonta tōn megalōn dogmatōn (kathōs kai tǭ prophētę̄ dokei legonti; Isōs ptōchoi eisii dia touto ouk akousontai” poreusomai pros tous hadrous; ptōchous tous peri tēn synesin endeeis legōn ; kai entautha, dēlonoti, tous oupō katērtismenous ton esō anthrōpon, oude eis to teleion ephthakotas tēs hēlikias metron, toutous peripheresthai kai saleuesthai hē paroimia phēsin) th allʼ homōs ǭmēn chrēnai siōpę̄ pherein ta lypēra, ekdechomenos tina diʼ autōn tōn ergōn epanorthōsin. Oude gar kakia tini, allʼ agnoią tēs alētheias hēgoumēn ekeina kathʼ ēmōn iirēsthai. Epeidē de horō tǭ chronǭ symproïousan tēn echthran, kai mē metamelomenous epi tois ex archēs lalēbeisi, mēdʼ hopōs ta parelthonta exiasointo poioumenous tina phrontida, allʼ epexergazomenous, kai pros ton ex archēs skopon syntetagmenous, hon enestēsanto, kakōsai hēmōn tēn zōēn, kai chranai tēn hypolēpsin para tois adelphois mēchanōmenoi, ouketi moi to tēs siōpēs asphales kataphainetai. Allʼ eisēlthe me to tou Hēsaïou legontos; Esiōpēsa, mē kai aei siōpēsomai kai anexomai? Ekarterēsa hōs hē tiktousa. Genoito de kai hēmas kai ton epi tę̄ siōpę̄ misthon dexasthai, kai labein tina epi tois elenchois dynamin hōste elenxantas hēmas xēranai ton pikron touton tēs kathʼ hēmōn rhyeisēs pseudologias chiimarrhon. hōate an simtu kai hēmas hoti, Cheimarron diēlthen hē psychē hēmōn; kai to, Ei mē Kyrios hēn an hēmin, in tǭ epanastēnai anthrōpous ephʼ hēmas, ara zōntas oin katepion hēmas, ara to hydōr an katepontisen hēmas. 2. Egō, polyn chronon prosanalōsas tę̄ mataiotēti, kai pasan schedon tēn emautou neotēta en; aphanisas tę̄ mataioponią, ēn eichon prosdiatribōn tę̄ analēpsei tōn mathēmatōn tēs para tou Theou mōrantheisēs sophias, epeidē pote, hōsper ex ypnou batheos dianastas, apeblepsa men pros to thaumaston phōs tēs alētheias tou Euangeilou, kateidon die to achrēston tēs sophias tōn archontōn tou aiōnos toutou tōn katargoumenōn, polla tēn eleeinēn mou zōēn apoklausas, ēuchomēn dothēnai moi cheiragōgian pros tēn eisagōgēn tōn hoogmatōn tēs eusebeias. Kai pro ge pantōn epimeles hēn moi diorthōsin tina tou ēthous poiēsasthai, polyn chronon ek tēs pros tous phaulous homilias hoiastraphentos. Kai toinyn anagnous to Euangelion, kai theasamenos ekii megistēn aphormēn eis teleiōsin tēn diaprasin tōn hyparchontōn, kai tēn pros tous endeeis tōn adelphōn koinōnian, kai hylōs to aphrontistōs echein tou bion toutou, kai hypo mēdemias sympatheias pros ta hōde tēn psychēn epistrephesthai, ēuchomēn heurein tina tōn adelphōn tautēn helomenon tēn hodon tou biou, hōste autǭ syndiaperaiōthēnai ton brachyn touton tou bion klydōna. Kai dē pollous men euron kata tēn Alexandreian, pollous de kata tēn loipēn Lignpton, kai epi tēs Palaistinēs eterous, kai tēs koilēs Syrias kai tēs Mesopotamias; hōn ethaumazon men to peri diaitan enkrates, ethaumazon di to karterikon en ponois, exeplagēn tēn hen proseuchais eutonian, hopōs hypnou katekratoun, hypʼ oudemias physikēs anankēs katakamptomenoi, hypsēlon aei kai adoulōton tēs psychēs to phronēma diasōzontes, en limǭ kai dipsei, en psychei kai gymnotēti, mē hepistrephomeioi pros to sōma, mēde katadechomenoi autǭ prosanalōsai tina phrontida, allʼ hōs en allon trią tę̄ sarki diagontes, ergǭ edeiknysan, ti to paroikein tois hōde, kai ti to politeuma echein en ouranǭ. Ekeina thaumasas, kai makarisas tōn andrōn tēn zōēn, hoti ergǭ deiknyousi tēn nekrōsin tou Iēsou en tǭ sōmati peripherontes, ēuchomēn kai autos, kathoson emoi ephikton, zēlōtēs einai tōn andrōn ekeinōn. 3. Toutou goun heneken theasamenos tinas epi tēs patridos xēioun ta ekeinōn epicheirountas,enomisii tina boētheian heurēkenai pros tēn emautou sōtērian, kai apodeixin epoioumēn tōn aphanōn ta orōmena. Epei oun adēla hekastou hēmōnta hen tǭ kryptǭ, hēgoumēn autarkē mēnymata einai tēs tapeinophrosynēs to tapeinon tou endymatos, kai ērkei moi pros plērophorian to pachy himation, kai hē zōnē, kai tēs adepsētou byrsēs ta hypodēmata. Kai pollōn apagontōn me tēs pros autous syno ētheias, ouk ēneichomēn, horōn autous tou apolaustixor} biou ton karterikon protimōntas; kai dia to parēllagmenon tēs politeias zēlotypōs eichon pros autous. *Othen oude tas peri tōn dogmatōn diabolas prosiemēn kaitoi pollōn diabebaioumenōn mē orthas echein peri Theou tas hypolēpseis, alla tǭ prostatę̄ tēs nyn haireseōs mathēteuthentas, ta ekeinou lathra kataspeirein didagmata; hōn epeidē oudepote autēkoos egenomēn, sykophantas hēgoumēn tous apag; gellontas. Epei de loipon eklēthēmen eis tēn prostasian tēs Ekklēsias, tous men paradothentas hēmin phylakas kai skopeutas tou biou en prospoiēsei dē boētheias kai koinōnias agaētikēs siōpō, hina mē doxō hē apista legōn emauton diaballein,ē pisteuomenos misanthrōpias aphormēn tois pisteuousin empoiein. O kai emoi mikrou synebē, ei mē me tachy prokatelabonto oi oiktirmoi tou Theou. Mckrou gar eis tēn kata pantōn exepeson hypo-rian, ouden hēgoumenos einai parʼ oudeni piston, ek tōn dolerōn traumatōn tēn psychēn peplēgmenos. Allʼ homōs edokei teōs einai ti hēmin schēma tēs pros autous synētheias. Kai prosbolai men egenonto hēmin peri dogmatōn kai hapax kai dis; kai hedoxamen mē diakrinesthai symphōnēsantes. Ōs de hēuriskon men hēmas tas autas aphientas phōnas peri tēs eis Theon pisteōs, hois para panta ton chronon ēkoue san parʼ hēmōn. Ei gar kai talla hēmōn stenagmōn haxia,allʼ houn hen ge touto tolmō kauchasthai en Kyriǭ, hoti oudepote peplanēmenas eschon tas peri Theou hypolēpseis, ē heterōs phronōn metemathon hysteron. Allʼ ēn ek paidos elabon ennoian peri Theou para tę̄s makarias mētros mou kai tēs mammēs Makrinēs, tautēn auxētheisan eschon en emautǭ; ou gar alla ex allōn metelabon en tę̄ tou logou symplērōsei, ma tas paradotheisas moi parʼ autōn archas hiteleiōsa.”Ōsper gar to sperma {92) auxao nomenon, meizon men apo mikrou ginetai tauton de estin en heautǭ, ou kata genos met;absilliii.i.iinone alla katʼ auxēsin teliioumenon houtō logizomai kai emoi ton auton logon dia tēs prokopēs ēuxēsthai, auchi de anti tou hex archēs ōtos ton nyn hyparchonta gegenēsthai. ’Hōste ereunoitōsan men to heautōn syneidos, enthymeisthōsan de to ltou Christou dikastērion, hei pote illo ti ēkousan parʼ hēmōn, parʼ ho nyn legomen, hoi nyn hēmas hoiathryllēsantes epi kakodoxią, kai tais stēliteutikais epistolais, has synegrapsan kathʼ hēmōn, pasan periktypēsantes akoēn; hooin kai hēmeis pros tēn anankēn ēlthomen tēs apologias 4. Enkaloumeooi gar tēn eis Theon blasphēmian, oute apo syngraphē s, ēn autoi prokatibalomeba peri pisteōs, elenchthēnai dynamenoi, houte apo rēmatōn, hosa agraphōs apo stomatos aei en tǭ 7gnerǭ tais Ekchiēo-iais tou Theou dielechthēmen.’D)l oude martys heurethē ho legōn parʼ hēmōn akēkoenai ti tōn asebōn en parabystǭ year/Empire“. Pothen oun krinometha,ei mēte syngraphomen asebōs, mēte dēmēgoroumin epiblabōs, mēte en tais katʼ oikon homiliais tous entynchanontas diastrephomen? Ō. tou kainou horamatosi O deina, phēsin, epi tēs Syrias egrapse tina hōs ouk eusebōs; sy de epesteilas autǭ pro eikosin etōn kai pleionōn, Koinōnos ara sy tou anthrōpou, kai ta ekeinou katēgorēmata kai sa ginesthō, Allʼ, ō phile tēs alētheias anthrōpe, ho to pseudos gennēma einai tou diabolou dedidagmenos, pōs epeisthēs emēn einai tēn epistolēn vixet-mw? Ou gar apesteilas, oudʼ ērōtēsas, oude, parʼ emou tou dynamenou soi talēthes heipein, eoioachthēs. Ei de kai emon to grammai pothe) dēlon, hoti touto to nyn soi empeson syntagma s-anchronon tois emois medianam-1? tis core eipōn. hoti eikosin estin etōn hē syngraphē houtē? pothen de dēlon, hoti ekeinou esti tou anthrōpou to syntagma, pros, hon kai hē parʼ emou epistolē diepemphoēs Ei de kakeinos o syngrapheus, kagō ekeinǭ epestei).a,kai chronos heis tōn tʼ emōn ’grammatōn kai tou syngrammatos, hoti paredexamēn auto tę̄ dianoią, kai echō en emautǭ ekeino to phronēma, tis ē apodeixis? Erōtēson oeauton; posakis hēmas epeskepsō epi tēs monēs tēs epi tǭ Iridi potamǭ, hote de symparēn moi o Theophilestatos hadelphos Grēgorios, ton auton moi tou bion skopon dianyōns Ei hēkousas ti toiouton ? elabes emphasin mnkranē meizona? Utica? de hēmeras epi tēs antiperan kōmēs, para tę̄ mētri mou, henoa hōs philoi (i) met allēlōn diagontes, kai en nykti kai en hēmerą logōn kinoumenōn hēmin ? Ei heurethēmen ti syngenes echontes en tę̄ dianoię̄ "Ore de ton makarion Silouanon kata tauton hepeskeptometha, ouch ē hodos hēmin tous peri toutōn eiche logous ? Epi de tēs Eusinoēs, hote meta pleionōn episkopōn mellontes ormąn.epi Lampsakon, prosekalesasthe me, ou peri pisteōs ēsan hoi logoi ? Ouchi de panta ton chronon oi soi tachygraphoi parēsan emoi hypagoreuonti ta pros tēn airesin ? ou tōn sōn mathētōn hoi gnēsiōtatoi panta moi ton chronon parēsan ? Ou tas adelphotētas episkeptomenos, kai syndianyktereuōn autais en tais proseuchais, legōn kai hakouōn aei ta peri Theou aphiloneikōs, ouk akribeis pareichon tēs ennoias emautou tas apodeixeis ? Pōs oun hē en tosoutǭ chronǭ peira elattōn ephanē tēs outō sathras kai adranous hyponoias? Tina de edei pro sou martyra einai tē s emēs diatheseōss Ta epi Chalkēdonos lalēthenta hēmin peri pisteōs, ta hen Hērakleią pollakis, ta proteron epi tēs Kaisareias en tǭ proasteiǭ, ei mē panta symphōna parʼ hēmōn? ei mē panta allēlois symbainonta ? ektos tou, hoper eipon, ek prokopēs tina auxēsin epitheōreisthai tois legomenois, hoper ouchi metabolē estin ek tou cheironos pros to beltion, alla symplērōsis tou leipontos kata tēn prosthēkēn tēs gnōseōs. [[ōs de kakeino ouk enthymę̄, hoti patēr ou lēpsetai hamartian paidos, oude huios lēpsetai hamartian patros, hekastos de en tę̄ idią hamartią apothaneitai ? Emoi de oute patēr ho para soi d iaballomenos, outhʼ huios. Oute gar didaskalos mou gegonen, oute mathētēs. Ei de dei tas tōn gennēsantōn hamartias enklēmata tois teknois ginesthai, poly dikaioteron ta Areiou kata tōn mat thētōn autou ginesthai ; kai ei tis Aetion egennēse ton airetikon, epi tēn kephalēn tou patros anabainein tou paidos ta enklēmata. Ei dʼ ou dikaion epʼ ekeinois henkaleisthai tina, pollǭ dēpou dikaioteron hēmas epi tois mēden hēmin prosēkousi mē hypechein euthynas (ho), ei ge kai hēmarton holōs, ei ti kai gegraptai autois axion katakriseōs, Syngnōmē gar moi apistounti tois katautōn legomenois, epeidē hē katʼ emou peira to pros sykophantian eukolon tōn katēgorountōn synistēsi, 6. Kai gar ei apatēthentes, kai nomisantes eme koinōnon einai tēs gnōmēs tōn syngrapsantōn ekeina ta Sabelliou rhēmata, aper autoi peripherousin, epi tēn katʼ emou diabolēn ēlthon, oudʼ houtō min ēsan syngnōmēs axioi, pro enargōn apodeixeōn euthys tais blasphēmiais ballontes kai titrōskontes tous mēdin adikēsantas ; hina mē eipō, hoti ut. tous heis tēn akran autois philian syndedemenous ; kai hoti apodeixis tou mē Pniymati ’agesthai hagiǭ to pseudeis echein en heautois tas hypolēpsiis. non. gar d ei mirimnēsoii kai pollas agrypnous nyktas dipenkiin, kai mita pollōn dakryōn ikzētēsai para Theou tēn alētheian, ton mellonta philias adilphou diatimnisthai. Et gar hoi tou kosmou toutou archontas, hotan tina tōn kakourgōn Thanatǭ katadikazein mellōsin, haphilkontai ta parapetasmata, kalousi di tous himpiirotoetous pros tēn ypir tōn prokiiminōn skepsin, kai polyn enscholazousi chronon, nyn men tou nomou to austēron orōntes, nyn de tēn koinōnian tēs physeōs dysōpouminoi, kaipolla stenaxōntes kai tēn anankēn apolophyromenoi, adradunch pasi ginontai pros anag xm (ll) hypēretountes tǭ nomǭ, ou katʼ oikeia hēdonēn epagontes tēn katakrisin ; posǭ chrē pliio; nos spondēs axion hēgeisthai kai merimnēs kai tēs meta pleionōn boulēs ton mellonta philias adelphōn anoppeymom, tēs en pollǭ chronǭ bebaiōthsisēss Alla mia epistolē, kai hautē amphibolos. Houdi gar an eipoien ech tōn tēs hypographēs symbolōn autēn epegnōkenai, oi gi ouchi tēn prōtōs graphaisan, alla tēn metagrapheisan eis cheiras elabon. Ex enos toinyn grammatos, kai toutou palaiou.A Eikosi gar etē estin eis ton nyn chronon aphʼ hou gegraptai ti pros ton andra ekeinon. En de tǭ metaxy toutǭ chronǭ oudena toiouton echō martyra tēs emautou proaireseōs kai tou biou, hōs tous nyn ephestōtas moi katēgorou s, 7. Allʼ ou gar hē epistolē tou chōrismou aitia, hetera de esti tēs diastaseōs hē hypothesis, ēn egō legein aischynomai, kan esigēsa de panta ton chronon, ei mē ta nyn pepragmena anankaian moi kathistē dia to tōn pollōn lysiteles tēs holks autōn proaireseōs tēn phanerōsin. Enomisan hoi chrēstoi empodion autois einai pros tēn tēs dynasteias analēpsin tēn pros hēmas koinōnian. Kai epeidē ypographę̄ tini pisteōs proelēphthēsan, ēn hēmeis autois proeteinamen, ouk autoi apistountes autōn tǭ phronēmati (homologō gar), alla tas epʼ autois {nronoias, as hoi polloi tōn homo-,iychōn hēmōn adelphōn eichon, therapeusai boulomenoi, hina mēden en tēs homologias hekeinēs doxę̄ autois empodion apantąn, pros to hypo tōn nyn kratountōn paradechthę̄nai, apeipanto tēn pros hēmas koinōnian ; kai hypothesis tēs hēorrhēxeōs to gramma touto epenoēthē, Sēmeion de tōn legomenōn enargestaton, hoti, apokēryxantes hēmas, kai synthentes tas mempseis has ēboulonto kathʼ hēmōn, prin hēmin aposteilai, ta grammata periepempon pantachou, Epta gar proteron hēmerais tou eis tas emas aphikesthai cheiras pari allois ephanē ē epistolē i hoi, ex eterōn diadexamenoi, heterois emellon parapempein. Outō gar ipenoēsan henii heni paradidonai, hina tacheia an)- r tois kata pasan tēn chōran genētai hē diadosis. Kai tautʼ elegeto men eti tote para tōn saphestata hēmin ta hekeinōn exangellontōn. Ekrinamen de siōpąn, heōs an o apokalyptōn ta bathea saphestatois kai anantirrhētois elenchois dēmosieusę̄ ta katʼ autous.
[Against Eustathius of Sebaste.] … to endure the most grievous sufferings; but when he had struggled long enough in silence, and had held out, keeping the pain hidden in the depth of his heart, then he opened his mouth and uttered the words that all know. And for us too, in this third year of silence, the boast of the Prophet has become something to emulate, when he says: "I became like a man who does not hear, and who has no reproofs in his mouth." Therefore we shut up in the depth of our heart the pain that came upon us from the slander. For truly slander humbles a man, and slander carries the poor man about. If then the evil of slander is so great that it brings down from his height even one who is already perfect (for this is what the saying hints at by the word "man"), and the poor man, that is, the one who is lacking in the great doctrines (as the prophet too seems to mean when he says: "Perhaps they are poor; therefore they will not hear. I will go to the great men," calling "poor" those who are lacking in understanding; and here, clearly, the proverb says that those who have not yet been fully formed in the inner man, nor have reached the perfect measure of maturity, are carried about and shaken), still I thought I ought to bear the painful things in silence, awaiting some amendment through the facts themselves. For I supposed that those things had been said against us not from any malice but from ignorance of the truth. But since I see the enmity advancing with time, and that they neither repent of what they said at the beginning nor take any thought how to heal the past, but add to it and keep in line with the aim they set themselves at the beginning, contriving to injure our life and to stain our reputation among the brothers, the safety of silence no longer seems sound to me. But there came into my mind the word of Isaiah, who says: "I have kept silent; shall I always keep silent and bear it? I have endured like a woman in labor." May it be granted to us both to receive the reward of silence and to receive some power for refutation, so that by refuting we may dry up this bitter torrent of falsehood that has flowed against us; so that we too may say: "Our soul has passed through a torrent," and: "If the Lord had not been with us when men rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us up alive; then the water would have drowned us." 2. I had spent much time in vanity, and wasted nearly all my youth in the vain labor in which I was occupied, in acquiring the lessons of the wisdom that God made foolish. When at last, as if roused from deep sleep, I looked up to the marvelous light of the truth of the Gospel, and saw the uselessness of the wisdom of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing, I wept much over my wretched life, and prayed that guidance might be given me for my introduction to the doctrines of godliness. And before all else it was my care to make some amendment of my character, long perverted by my association with the worthless. And so, having read the Gospel, and having seen there that the greatest starting point toward perfection is the selling of one's possessions, sharing with the needy among the brothers, and in general being free of care for this life, and the soul's not being turned back by any attachment to the things here, I prayed to find one of the brothers who had chosen this way of life, so as to cross with him the brief surge of this life. And indeed I found many in Alexandria, and many in the rest of Egypt, and others in Palestine, in Coele-Syria, and in Mesopotamia. I admired their self-control in diet, I admired their endurance in labors, I was amazed at their vigor in prayers, how they mastered sleep, bowed by no natural necessity, always keeping the temper of their soul lofty and unenslaved, in hunger and thirst, in cold and nakedness, not turning to the body nor consenting to spend any care on it; but living as if in flesh not their own, they showed in deed what it is to sojourn among the things here, and what it is to have one's citizenship in heaven. Admiring these things, and counting blessed the life of these men, because in deed they show that they carry about in their body the dying of Jesus, I prayed that I too, as far as it was attainable for me, might be an emulator of those men. 3. For this reason, then, seeing some in my homeland trying to emulate their ways, I thought I had found some help toward my own salvation, and I took what was seen as proof of what was unseen. Since what is in each of us in secret is unknown, I thought the humbleness of their clothing sufficient indication of humility; and the thick cloak, the belt, and the shoes of untanned hide were enough to convince me. And though many tried to draw me away from my familiarity with them, I would not bear it, seeing them prefer the life of endurance to the life of enjoyment; and because of the extraordinary manner of their life I was zealously devoted to them. Hence I did not admit even the slanders about their doctrines, although many affirmed that they did not hold right conceptions about God, but that, having been made disciples of the leader of the present heresy, they were secretly sowing his teachings; since I had never heard these myself, I considered those who reported them slanderers. But when at last we were called to the leadership of the Church, I say nothing of how, under the pretense of help and loving fellowship, they were given to us as guards and watchers of our life, lest I seem either to slander myself by saying incredible things, or, if I am believed, to give occasion for misanthropy to those who believe. Which almost happened to me too, had not the mercies of God quickly come to my aid first. For I nearly fell into suspicion of everyone, thinking that nothing in anyone was trustworthy, my soul having been struck by treacherous wounds. Yet still for a time there seemed to be some appearance of familiarity between us. And attacks were made on us about doctrines once and again; and we seemed not to differ, being in agreement. But they found us uttering the same words about faith in God that they had heard from us all along. For though our other things deserve groans, yet this one thing I dare to boast of in the Lord: that I never held erroneous conceptions about God, nor, after thinking otherwise, learned better later. But the notion of God that I received from childhood from my blessed mother and my grandmother Macrina, this I have held, grown, within me; for I did not take up one set of ideas after another when my reason came to maturity, but I completed the first principles handed down to me by them. For just as the seed, as it grows, becomes larger from small, but is the same in itself, not changed in kind but perfected by growth, so I reckon that the same doctrine has grown in me through progress, not that what I now hold has come into being in place of what I held at the beginning. So let them search their own conscience, and consider the judgment seat of Christ, whether they ever heard anything from us other than what we now say, those who now noise us abroad for false belief, and who have filled every ear with the denunciatory letters they wrote against us; for which reason we too have come to the necessity of a defense. 4. For we are accused of blasphemy against God, though we cannot be convicted either from the writing about the faith that we ourselves published earlier, or from the words that we have always spoken, unwritten, by mouth, in public to the Churches of God. Nor has any witness been found who says he heard anything impious from us in secret. On what ground then are we judged, if we neither write impiously, nor preach harmfully, nor pervert those we meet in conversations at home? O novel spectacle! "So-and-so," he says, "in Syria wrote some things impiously; and you wrote him a letter twenty years ago and more. So you are in communion with the man, and let his charges be yours too." But, O friend of truth, who have been taught that falsehood is the offspring of the devil, how were you persuaded that the letter was mine? For you did not send, nor ask, nor learn from me, who could tell you the truth. And even if the letter is mine, how is it clear that this composition which has now fallen into your hands is of the same date as my letter? Who told you that this writing is twenty years old? And how is it clear that the composition is that man's, to whom my letter was sent? And if he is indeed the author, and I wrote to him, and my letter and the composition are of one time, what proof is there that I accepted it in my mind and hold that opinion within me? [5] Ask yourself: how often did you visit us at the monastery on the river Iris, when my most God-beloved brother Gregory was with me, pursuing the same aim of life as I? Did you hear anything of the kind? Did you receive any impression of it, small or great? How many days did we spend in the village opposite, with my mother, living together as friends, with conversation going on between us night and day? Were we found to have anything akin to it in our thinking? When we visited the blessed Silvanus together, did not the journey hold our conversations about these things? And at Eusinoe, when with several bishops you were about to set out for Lampsacus, and you invited me, were not the conversations about faith? Were not your shorthand writers with me all the time while I dictated against the heresy? Were not the most genuine of your disciples with me all the time? When I visited the brotherhoods, and spent the nights with them in prayers, ever speaking and hearing about God without contention, did I not give exact proofs of my mind? How then did the experience of so long a time appear weaker than so rotten and feeble a suspicion? Who ought to have been a witness of my disposition rather than you? What we said about the faith at Chalcedon, often at Heraclea, and earlier at Caesarea in the suburb: were they not all consistent? Were they not all in agreement with one another? Except, as I said, that a certain growth from progress can be observed in what is said; which is not a change from worse to better, but a filling up of what was lacking by the addition of knowledge. How do you not consider this too, that "the father shall not bear the sin of the child, nor shall the son bear the sin of the father, but each shall die in his own sin"? But the man slandered by you is neither father to me nor son. For he has been neither my teacher nor my disciple. And if the sins of parents must become charges against the children, it is much more just that the sins of Arius be charged against his disciples; and that, if someone begot Aetius the heretic, the charges against the son should go up on the head of the father. But if it is not just for anyone to be accused for those, much more surely is it just that we not be held to account for people who have nothing to do with us, if indeed they sinned at all, if anything worthy of condemnation was written by them. For forgive me for not believing what is said against them, since the experience of what has been said against me shows how ready the accusers are for slander. 6. For even if, being deceived, and thinking me a sharer in the opinion of those who wrote the words of Sabellius that they carry about, they came to slander me, not even so were they worthy of pardon, striking and wounding with blasphemies, before clear proofs, those who had done no wrong; not to say men bound to them in the closest friendship; and that holding false conceptions within themselves is a proof that they are not led by the Holy Spirit. For he who is about to cut off the friendship of a brother ought to take thought, endure many sleepless nights, and seek the truth from God with many tears. For if the rulers of this world, when they are about to condemn one of the criminals to death, draw back the curtains, call the most experienced to the examination of the matter, and spend a long time on it, now looking at the severity of the law, now moved by the fellowship of nature, and, groaning much and lamenting the necessity, make it clear to all that they serve the law under necessity and do not impose condemnation for their own pleasure, how much more earnestness and care and consultation with more people ought he to think it worthy of who is about to break off a friendship of brothers confirmed over a long time? But it is one letter, and that a doubtful one. For they could not say that they recognized it from the marks of the signature, since they received into their hands not the original but a copy. From one letter, then, and that an old one. For it is twenty years up to the present time since something was written to that man. And in the time between I have no witnesses of my purpose and life such as the very men who now stand over me as accusers. 7. But the letter is not the cause of the separation; there is another ground for the rift, which I am ashamed to tell, and I would have kept silent about it all my time, had not what has now been done made it necessary for me to disclose their whole purpose, for the benefit of the many. These good men thought that communion with us was an obstacle to their regaining power. And since they had been bound beforehand by a signature of faith which we put before them (not that we ourselves distrusted their thinking, I confess, but because we wanted to heal the suspicions about them that many of our like-minded brothers held), so that nothing in that confession might seem to them to stand in the way of their being accepted by those now in power, they renounced communion with us; and this letter was devised as the pretext for the breach. The clearest sign of what I say is that, having denounced us and composed the complaints they wanted to make against us, they sent the letters around everywhere before sending them to us. For the letter appeared among others seven days before it reached my hands, others who had received it from yet others and were going to pass it on to others. For this is how they planned to hand it on one to another, so that the distribution to people throughout the whole country might be swift. And this was said even at the time by those who reported their doings to us most clearly. But we decided to keep silent until he who reveals deep things should make their affairs public by the clearest and incontrovertible proofs.
Job 2:13 (allusion, medium confidence) · Ps 38:14 (37:15 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Eccl 7:7 (quotation, medium confidence) · Jer 5:4 (quotation, high confidence) · Eph 4:13 (allusion, medium confidence) · Isa 42:14 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 124:5 (123:5 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 124:2 (123:2 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 1:20 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 2:6 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Pet 2:9 (echo, medium confidence) · Matt 19:21 (allusion, high confidence) · Phil 3:20 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Cor 4:10 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Cor 11:27 (echo, medium confidence) · 2 Cor 5:10 (allusion, medium confidence) · John 8:44 (allusion, medium confidence) · Ezek 18:20 (quotation, high confidence) · Dan 2:22 (echo, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Basil breaks three years of silence to answer Eustathius of Sebaste and his party, describing his own conversion to the ascetic life and his long trust in them, denying their charge of heresy based on an old letter, and exposing their real motive for the breach.
- Letter 223 (against Eustathius of Sebaste). The scan has lost the heading and the opening of the letter, which spoke of Job's silence; the staged text begins in mid-sentence ("…"). Section 5 has no numeral in the scan; "[5]" marks where the standard division begins. The "man in Syria" is Apollinarius of Laodicea; the "leader of the present heresy" is Arius (or his successor Aetius). Basil's charges against Eustathius's party are translated as he writes them. Quotations and allusions: Job 2:13–3:1 (silence, then speech); Ps 38:14 (37:15 LXX); Eccl 7:7 (LXX, on slander); Jer 5:4–5; Eph 4:13; Isa 42:14 (LXX); Ps 124:5, 2–4 (123 LXX); 1 Cor 1:20; 2:6; 1 Pet 2:9; Matt 19:21; Phil 3:20; 2 Cor 4:10; 2 Cor 11:27; 2 Cor 5:10; John 8:44; Ezek 18:20; Dan 2:22 (he who reveals deep things).
Topics: Heresy
Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 223 (PG 32:821a–833b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/221/#p-223). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 32 scan text; compared in full afterwards with NPNF² 8, which gives only summaries from Letter 296 and omits some letters; those were re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 224
224PG 32:836a–840a
ρεύσας βιβλίον ἀποστασίου. Ὅπερ οἰ συγγράψαντις (ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης ἡμῶν ἀποστῆναι [19]) τίνα ηὐτρέπισοιν τὴν ἀπολογίαν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀπαραλογίστου ματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἐννοεῖν οὔκ ἔχω. Προθέντες γὰρ ἡμετέραν κατηγορίαν, καὶ σφοδρῶς ἡμῶν καταδραμόντες, καὶ διηγησάμενοι ἁ ἐβούλοντο, οὐχ όῖα ἠ ἀλήθεια ἔχει, σχηματισοὶμενοι ιαυτῶν πολλὴν ταπείνωσιν, καὶ ἡμῖν περιθέντες ὑπερηφανίας ὄγκον, ὡς μὴ δεξαμένοις τοὺς παρʼ αὐτῶν ἀποσταλέντας, πάιτα ψευδῆ, ἣ τά γε πλιῖστα αὐτῶν, ἵνα μὴ ἐπικινδύνως φθέγξωμαι, ὡς ἀνθρώπους πείοοντες, καὶ οὐχι Θεὸν, καὶ ζητοῦντες ἀνθρώποις ἀρέσαι, καὶ οὐχὶ Θεῷ, παρʼ ῳ οὐδέν ἔστιν ἀληθείας προτιμὸτερον, οὕτω συνέγραψαν. Εἶτα ἐκεῖνοι τοῖς καθʼ ἡμῶν γράμμασιν ὑπέταξαν ῥήματα αἰρετιχὰ, τὸν συγγραφέα τῆς ἀσεβείας ἀποκρυψάμενοι, ἶνʼ oi πολλοὶ καὶ ἁπλούστεραί ἐκ τῆς προτεταγμένος ἡμῶν κατηγορίας ἡμέτερα εἶναι νομίσωσι τὰ συνημμένα, διὰ τὸ παρὰ τῶν τεχνικῶς ἡμᾶς διαβαλλόντων σιωπηθῆναι μὲν τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ πατρὸς τῶν πονηρῶν δογμάτων, καταλειφθῆναι δὲ τῇ ὑπονοίᾳ τῶν ἀκίραιοτέρων τὸ ἡμᾶς εἶναι τοὺς ταῦταῆ ἐνθυμηθέντας ἦ γράψαντας. Ταῦτα οὖν γινώσκοντας ὑμᾶς παρακαλονμεν αὐτούς τε μὴ ταράσσεσθαι, καὶτῶν σαλενομίνων τοὺς θορ-ἐβους κατασιγάζει» ι εἰ καὶ ὁτι οἴδαμεν δυσπαραδεχτον ἡμῶν οὖσαν τὴν ἀπολο- 2. Περὶ μεν οὖν τοὺ, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἡμέτερα τάὠς ρ... ἡμέτερα περιφερόμενα, νομίζω, εἰ καὶ πάνυ ουδʼ ὴμιὶιν oena; ἐπισκοτεῖ τοῖς λογισμοῖς αὐτῶν πρὸς τὸ συνορᾷν τὸ συμφέρον, ὅμως ἐὰν gemmeam πιρ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν, μὴ ἀν αὐτοὺς εἰς τοσοῦτον ἐλθεῖν σκληρότητος, ὥστε τολμῆσαι φθέγξασθαι τῷ ὶδιᾳ στόματι τὸ ψεῦδος, καὶ εἰπεῖν, ὃτι ἐμά ἔστι τὰ σνντάγματα, Ei δʼ οὐχ ἐμὰ, διὰ τί κρίνομαι ὑπὶρ τίν ἀλλοτρίων ; Ἀλλʼ ἐροῦσιν, ὅτι κοινωνὸς ’Δπιλιναρίου ἐγὼ, καὶ τῶν τοιούτων δογμάτων τὴν διαστροφὴν ἔχων ἐν ἐμαυτῷ, ’Λπαιτηθὴτωσαν τὰς ἀποδείξεις. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου διιρευνᾴν ἴσασι, τοῦτο ὁμολογησόιτωσαν χαὶ γνωρίσατι αὐτῶν τήν περὶ πάντα ἀλήθειαν · εἰ δὲ ἐκ τῶν φαινομένων καὶ πᾶσι προδήλων ἐλέγχονσί μου τὴν town-Irim, δειξάτωσαν ἢ κανονιχὰ ’γράμματα παρʼ ἐμοῦ πρὸς αὐτὸν διαπεμπόμινα, ἡ παρʼ ἐκείνου πρὸς ἕμέ · ἦ τῶν κληρικῶν τὰς πρὸς ἡμᾶς infla“, ἦ η fma ῘθΩὶ nuis-Em εἴ...-ηηωέω _,’ -ι -ῃ vl λ ι τινα αὐτῶν εἰς κοινωνίαν εὐχῆς ἐδεξάμεθα ποτε· Εἰ δὲ ἐπιστολὴν προφέρουσι τήν λοιπὸν πρὸ κεʼ ἐτῶν γραφεῖσαν αὐτῷ, παρὰ λαῐκοῦ πρὸς λαῑκον · καὶ οὐδὲ ταύτην ὡς γέγραπται παρʼ ἐμοῦ, ἀλλά μεταποιηθεῖσαν, ὑπὸ τίνων δὲ, ο Θεὸς οἶδε· γνωρίσαι-ε .. αὐτόθεν τὴν ἀδικίαν, ὅτι οὐδεὶς ἐν ἐπισκοπῇ ὡν ἐγκαλεῖται, εἴτι κατὰ ἀδιαφορίαν ἐν τῷ ὶαὶκῷ βίῳ ν.. ι.. ἀπαρατηρήτως ἔγραψε καὶ τούτο μηδὲ περί πίστεως, αλλὰ ψιλὸν γράμμα otiandi/von προσηγορίαν. Τάχα δὲ κάκεῖνοι φαίνονται καὶ Ἕλλησι καὶ Ἰουδαίοις γράψαντες, καὶ-μή ἔχοντες ἔγκλημα. Μέχρι γὰρ σήμερον οὐδεὶς ἐκρίθη ἐπὶ τοιούτῳ πραγματι, ἐφʼ ἡμεῖς καταδικαζομεοα παρὰ τῶν 8Lυλιζόντων τοὺς κώνωπας. Ὀτι μὲν οὖν οὔτε ἐγρά- Ι ) - — ψαμιν ἐκεῖνα, οὔτε συντεθείμεῦα αὐτοῖς, ἀλλὰ κα araneantes-{fnum -...‘._ ι...ν κ ι,. ἀναθεματίζομεν τοὺς ἔχοντας ἐκεῖνο τὸ πονηρὸν φρόνημα, τὸ τῆς συγχύσεως τῶν ὑποστάς-ξων, ἐν., ι,, _ ἡ adficeret?!) αἵρεσις τοῦ Σαβελλίου ἀνενεώθη ' τοῦτο μὶν οὖν γνώριμον τῷ Θεῷ, τῷ τὰς καρδίας γινώσκοντί γνώριμον δὲκαὶ πάσῃ τῇ Mearm, τῇ εἰς πεῖραν ἐλθούσῃ τῆς ἡμετέρας ταπεινωσεως. Καὶ αὐτοὶ δὲ ἐκεῖνοι, οἱ νῦν σφοδροὶ κατήγοροι ἡμῶν, ἐρευνησάτωσαν τὸ idm συνειδὸς, καὶ γνώσονται, ὅτι ἐκ παιδὸς μακρὰν ι ᾼ, κ..... ι ἐγινόμεθα τῶν τοιούτων δογμάτων. 3. τι δὲ ἐστι τὸ ἡμέτερον φρόνημα, εἴτις ἐπιζητεῖ, γνώσεται ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ τοῦ γραμματίου, έν... ῳ ἡ ὑπογραφή αὑτοῦ ἐστιν ιὸιοχειρος, ἣν ἐκεῖνοι βουλόμενοι ἀθετῆσαι, τήν ἑαυτῶν μεταβολὴν κρύπτουσιν ἐν τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ συκοφαντία. Οὐ γὰρ ___,_ 7,... ὀ ι ι Ι μοὶογοῡσιν, ὃτι μετεμελήθησαν τῷ παρʼ ἡμῶν ἑπιί ι η,. ι μι Α ἰ ”“’ δοθίντι αὐτοῖς βιβλίῳ ὑπογράφοντες· ἀλλʼ ἡμῖν ἐπιφέρουσιν ἐγκλήματα ἀσεβείας, νομίζοντες ἀγνοεῖ-,,.. σθαι, ὅτι πρόσχημα μὲν αὐτοῖς ἐστιν ὴ ἀφʼ ἡμῶν ι 'A' "’ divale-3})an τῇ δὲ ἀληθείᾳ τῆς πίστεως ἀνακεχωρηκασιν, ἣν πολλάκις ἐπὶ πολλῶν ἐγγράφως ὁμο- κ. μ - ι λογὴσαντες, τό τελευταῖον καὶ παρʼ ἡμῶν ἐπιόοοείσαν ἐδέξαντο, καὶ ὑπέγραψαν, αἱ πᾶσιν ἔξεστιν ἀναγινώσκειν, καὶ παρʼ αὐτῶν τῶν γραμμάτων δι-.. - ν ν η v ι ““ δάσασθαι τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Γνωρίμη δὲ αὐξῶν ἔσται ἠ προαίρεσις, ἐάν τις μετὰ τὴν ὑπογραφὴν, ἣν ἡμῖν Ξ ιι. uno ~ έπέδὼοιαν, ἀκαγνῷ τὴν πίστιν, ἢν Γελαοίῳ ἐμέν. ν ‘ “ ” “ ἐπέδωκαν, καὶ γνῷ πόσον τό διάφορον ἐκείνης τῆς ὁμολογίας πρὸς ταύτην. Οἱ τοίνυν οὕτως εὐκόλως πρὸς 1-6:. évavria μετατρξπόμενοι μὴ τὰ ἀλλότρια κᾶρτι διιρευνάτωσαν · ὰ).λά τὴν δοκὸν τὴν ἐντῷ AL.-!,_ 1 λ κ ι. ν ιι ιι.. οἰκείῳ ὀφθαλμῷ ἐκβαλλέτωσαν. Ἐντελέστερον illi); ἐπιστολῆς περὶ πάντων καὶ ἀπολογούμεθα καὶ ι ι.. - ν διδάσκομεν, ἣτις πληροφορήσει τοὺς τὸΙπίέον imζητοῦντας. ’ΥμεῖΞ δὲ ἐν τῷ παρόντι ταῦτα ἡμῶν δεξάμενοι τὰ γράμματα, πᾶσαν dyon λύπην, καὶ. ‘_.._._.-... ηε. amr. Ima,“ διʼ ἢν σωοδοῶε ἀντὶ· κυρώσατε τὴν εἰς ἡμᾶς ἀγάπην, διʼ ἣν σφοδρῶς ἀντὶ...η-- -;-..κλμ (me, έυριιηεωρ. Καὶ nmio-tn ἠιιῖν ἐστι χομαι τῆς πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐνὼσεως. Καὶ μεγίστη ἡμῖν ἐστι · κ ’...-....ε -..ω Jun-.9,θη-ΕΛἱηῖ (me:
reusas biblion apostasiou. Hoper oi syngrapsantis (apo tēs agapēs hēmōn apostēnai [19]) tina ēutrepisoin tēn apologian hyper autou epi tou aparalogistou matos tou Christou, ennoein ouk echō. Prothentes gar hēmeteran katēgorian, kai sphodrōs hēmōn katadramontes, kai diēgēsamenoi ha eboulonto, ouch oia ē alētheia echei, schēmatisoimenoi iautōn pollēn tapeinōsin, kai hēmin perithentes hyperēphanias onkon, hōs mē dexamenois tous parʼ autōn apostalentas, paita pseudē, hē ta ge pliista autōn, hina mē epikindynōs phthenxōmai, hōs anthrōpous peioontes, kai ouchi Theon, kai zētountes anthrōpois aresai, kai ouchi Theǭ, parʼ ǭ ouden estin alētheias protimoteron, houtō synegrapsan. Eita ekeinoi tois kathʼ hēmōn grammasin hypetaxan rhēmata aireticha, ton syngraphea tēs asebeias apokrypsamenoi, inʼ oi polloi kai haplousterai ek tēs protetagmenos hēmōn katēgorias hēmetera einai nomisōsi ta synēmmena, dia to para tōn technikōs hēmas diaballontōn siōpēthēnai men to onoma tou patros tōn ponērōn dogmatōn, kataleiphthēnai de tę̄ hyponoią tōn akiraioterōn to hēmas einai tous tautaē enthymēthentas ē grapsantas. Tauta oun ginōskontas hymas parakalonmen autous te mē tarassesthai, kaitōn salenominōn tous thor-ebous katasigazei» i ei kai hoti oidamen dysparadechton hēmōn ousan tēn apolo- 2. Peri men oun tou, hoti ouk estin hēmetera taōs r... hēmetera peripheromena, nomizō, ei kai pany oudʼ ēmiiin oena? episkotei tois logismois autōn pros to synorąn to sympheron, homōs ean gemmeam pir hymōn autōn, mē an autous eis tosouton elthein sklērotētos, hōste tolmēsai phthenxasthai tǭ idią stomati to pseudos, kai eipein, hoti ema esti ta snntagmata, Ei dʼ ouch ema, dia ti krinomai hypir tin allotriōn ? Allʼ erousin, hoti koinōnos ’Dpilinariou egō, kai tōn toioutōn dogmatōn tēn diastrophēn echōn en emautǭ, ’Lpaitēthētōsan tas apodeixeis. Ei men gar kardian anthrōpou diireunąn isasi, touto homologēsoitōsan chai gnōrisati autōn tēn peri panta alētheian ; ei de ek tōn phainomenōn kai pasi prodēlōn elenchonsi mou tēn town-Irim, deixatōsan ē kanonicha ’grammata parʼ emou pros auton diapempomina, hē parʼ ekeinou pros heme ; ē tōn klērikōn tas pros hēmas infla“, ē ē fma IthŌi nuis-Em ei...-ēēōeō _,’ -i -ę̄ vl l i tina autōn eis koinōnian euchēs edexametha pote; Ei de epistolēn propherousi tēn loipon pro keʼ etōn grapheisan autǭ, para laikou pros laikon ; kai oude tautēn hōs gegraptai parʼ emou, alla metapoiētheisan, hypo tinōn de, o Theos oide; gnōrisai-e .. autothen tēn adikian, hoti oudeis en episkopę̄ hōn enkaleitai, eiti kata adiaphorian en tǭ iaikǭ biǭ n.. i.. aparatērētōs egrapse kai touto mēde peri pisteōs, alla psilon gramma otiandi/von prosēgorian. Tacha de kakeinoi phainontai kai Hellēsi kai Ioudaiois grapsantes, kai-mē echontes enklēma. Mechri gar sēmeron oudeis ekrithē epi toioutǭ pragmati, ephʼ hēmeis katadikazomeoa para tōn 8Lylizontōn tous kōnōpas. Oti men oun oute egra- I ) - — psamin ekeina, oute syntetheimeua autois, alla ka araneantes-{fnum -...‘._ i...n k i,. anathematizomen tous echontas ekeino to ponēron phronēma, to tēs synchyseōs tōn hypostas-xōn, en., i,, _ hē adficeret?!) hairesis tou Sabelliou aneneōthē ' touto min oun gnōrimon tǭ Theǭ, tǭ tas kardias ginōskonti gnōrimon dekai pasę̄ tę̄ Mearm, tę̄ eis peiran elthousę̄ tēs hēmeteras tapeinōseōs. Kai autoi de ekeinoi, hoi nyn sphodroi katēgoroi hēmōn, ereunēsatōsan to idm syneidos, kai gnōsontai, hoti ek paidos makran i Ą, k..... i eginometha tōn toioutōn dogmatōn. 3. ti de esti to hēmeteron phronēma, eitis epizētei, gnōsetai apʼ autou tou grammatiou, en... ǭ hē hypographē hautou estin ioiocheiros, hēn ekeinoi boulomenoi athetēsai, tēn heautōn metabolēn kryptousin en tę̄ hēmeterą sykophantia. Ou gar ___,_ 7,... o i i I moiogousin, hoti metemelēthēsan tǭ parʼ hēmōn hepii i ē,. i mi A i ”“’ dothinti autois bibliǭ hypographontes; allʼ hēmin epipherousin enklēmata asebeias, nomizontes agnoei-,,.. sthai, hoti proschēma men autois estin ē aphʼ hēmōn i 'A' "’ divale-3})an tę̄ de alētheią tēs pisteōs anakechōrēkasin, hēn pollakis epi pollōn engraphōs homo- k. m - i logēsantes, to teleutaion kai parʼ hēmōn epioooeisan edexanto, kai hypegrapsan, hai pasin exestin anaginōskein, kai parʼ autōn tōn grammatōn di-.. - n n ē v i ““ dasasthai tēn alētheian. Gnōrimē de auxōn estai ē proairesis, ean tis meta tēn hypographēn, hēn hēmin X ii. uno ~ epedōoian, akagnǭ tēn pistin, ēn Gelaoiǭ emen. n ‘ “ ” “ epedōkan, kai gnǭ poson to diaphoron ekeinēs tēs homologias pros tautēn. Hoi toinyn houtōs eukolōs pros 1-6:. evavria metatrxpomenoi mē ta allotria karti diireunatōsan ; a).la tēn dokon tēn entǭ AL.-!,_ 1 l k i. n ii ii.. oikeiǭ ophthalmǭ ekballetōsan. Entelesteron illi)? epistolēs peri pantōn kai apologoumetha kai i i.. - n didaskomen, hētis plērophorēsei tous toIpieon imzētountas. ’YmeiX de en tǭ paronti tauta hēmōn dexamenoi ta grammata, pasan dyon lypēn, kai. ‘_.._._.-... ēe. amr. Ima,“ diʼ ēn sōodoōe anti; kyrōsate tēn eis hēmas agapēn, diʼ hēn sphodrōs anti...ē-- -?-..klm (me, euriiēeōr. Kai nmio-tn ēiiin esti chomai tēs pros hymas enōseōs. Kai megistē hēmin esti ; k ’...-....e -..ō Jun-.9,thē-ELiēi (me:
[To the presbyter Genethlius.] … having written a bill of divorce. What defense those who wrote it (in order to separate from our love) have prepared for it before the judgment seat of Christ, which cannot be deceived, I cannot conceive. For having put forward an accusation against us, and attacked us violently, and related what they wished, not as the truth is, assuming great humility for themselves and placing on us a load of arrogance, as though we had not received those they sent, they wrote everything falsely, or at least most of it, not to speak rashly, as men who persuade men and not God, and seek to please men and not God, with whom nothing is more precious than truth. Then they appended heretical sayings to their letters against us, concealing the author of the impiety, so that the many and the simpler, from the accusation of us placed first, might think that what was joined to it was ours; because those who artfully slander us kept silent the name of the father of the evil doctrines, and left it to the suspicion of the more guileless that we are the ones who conceived or wrote these things. Knowing this, then, we urge you both not to be disturbed yourselves and to silence the clamor of those who are shaken, even though we know that our defense is hard to accept … 2. As to the point that the writings carried about as ours are not ours, I think that, even if … darkens their reasonings so that they do not see what is to their advantage, still, if you yourselves ask them, they would not go so far in hardness as to dare to utter the lie with their own mouth and say that the compositions are mine. And if they are not mine, why am I judged for what belongs to others? But they will say that I am in communion with Apollinarius and hold within myself the perversion of such doctrines. Let them be asked for the proofs. For if they know how to search a man's heart, let them admit it, and let them make known their truthfulness in everything; but if they convict my communion from what is visible and plain to all, let them show either letters of communion sent by me to him, or by him to me, or [letters] of the clergy to us, or … that we ever received any of them into the communion of prayer. But if they bring forward the letter written to him now twenty-five years ago, from a layman to a layman, and not even this as it was written by me, but altered (by whom, God knows), you may learn at once the injustice: that no one in the episcopate is accused if, in his life as a layman, he wrote something carelessly and without attention, and that not about the faith, but a mere letter of greeting. Perhaps they too will be found to have written both to Greeks and to Jews without being charged. For until today no one has been judged for such a thing, for which we are condemned by those who strain out gnats. That we neither wrote those things nor agree with them, but … anathematize those who hold that evil opinion of the confusion of the hypostases, in which the … heresy of Sabellius has been renewed: this is known to God, who knows the hearts, and known too to all the brotherhood that has come to know our lowliness by experience. And let those very men who are now our fierce accusers search their own conscience, and they will know that from childhood we were far from such doctrines. 3. What our opinion is, if anyone asks, he will learn from the very document on which their signature stands in their own hand; wishing to set it aside, they hide their own change of mind in their slander of us. For they do not admit that they repented of signing the book we gave them; but they bring charges of impiety against us, thinking it is not known that the separation from us is their pretext, while in truth they have withdrawn from the faith, which they confessed many times in writing before many people, and last of all received when we offered it, and signed; which all may read, and learn the truth from the documents themselves. Their purpose will be plain if anyone, after the signature they gave us, reads the creed they gave to Gelasius, and sees how great the difference is between that confession and this. So let those who turn so easily to opposites not search into others' motes, but cast out the beam in their own eye. More completely, in a letter, we both defend ourselves and teach about everything; it will satisfy those who seek more. But you, receiving this letter of ours for the present, put aside all grief, and confirm your love toward us … and the greatest thing for us is … our union with you …
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Deut 24:1 (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Cor 5:10 (allusion, medium confidence) · Gal 1:10 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Thess 2:4 (allusion, medium confidence) · Acts 15:8 (echo, medium confidence) · Matt 23:24 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 7:3 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Basil tells the presbyter Genethlius that the Eustathians who broke with him have attached heretical writings to their letters to make them look like his, denies any communion with Apollinarius, and points to the creed they signed and then abandoned.
- Letter 224 (to the presbyter Genethlius). The scan has lost the heading and the opening ("…"), and the last part of the letter is so damaged that only scraps can be read ("…"); several short gaps inside the letter are also marked. The letter to Apollinarius, written "from a layman to a layman", is the old letter the Eustathians used against Basil. Basil's statements about his opponents are translated as he wrote them. Allusions: Deut 24:1 (bill of divorce); 2 Cor 5:10; Gal 1:10; 1 Thess 2:4; Jer 17:10; Acts 15:8 (who knows the hearts); Matt 23:24 (strain out gnats); Matt 7:3–5.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 224 (PG 32:836a–840a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/221/#p-224). (abbreviation not yet checked)
BibTeX · RIS (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-basil-epistulae-224) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 32 scan text; compared in full afterwards with NPNF² 8, which gives only summaries from Letter 296 and omits some letters; those were re-read against the Greek.