Bad Advertisement?
Are you a Christian?
Online Store:Visit Our Store
| To Bishop Basilius.
PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP 
CII. To Bishop
Basilius.1821
| 1821 Cf. Letter LXXXV. There seems nothing to indicate whether this
Basil is Basil of Seleucia or Basil of Trajanopolis, both of whom were
present at the Latrocinium and took part against Theodoret. Garnerius
refers it to the former, a time-server of the court. |
There is nothing remarkable in
the reproaches that are directed against me being heard in silence by
men who do not know me; but that your holiness should not refute the
lies of my revilers, or at least should do so only to a certain extent,
and with no great heartiness, passes the belief of any one who knows
your character and conduct. And I say this not because friendship ought
to be preferred to truth, but because the witness of truth is on the
side of friendship. Your reverence has very often heard me preaching in
church, and, in other assemblies where I have spoken on doctrinal
questions; you have listened to what I have said, and I do not know of
any occasion on which you have found fault with me for expressing
unorthodox opinions. But what is the case at the present moment? Why in
the world, my dear friend, do you not utter a word against falsehood,
while you allow a friend to be calumniated and the truth to be
assailed? If this is because you disregard the helpless and
insignificant, remember the plain proclamation of the commandment of
the Lord “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones
which believe in me, for I say unto you that in heaven their angels do
always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.”1822
If however it is the influence of my
calumniators which imposes silence upon you, you must listen to the
other law which says “Thou shalt not honour the person of the
mighty”1823
and
“Judge righteous judgment”1824
and “Thou shalt not follow a
multitude to do evil”1825
and “He
that shutteth his eyes from seeing evil and stoppeth his ears from
hearing of blood.”1826
You may find
innumerable similar passages in holy Scripture, which I have thought it
needless to collect when writing to a man brought up in the divine
oracles, and watering Christian people with his teaching. But this I
will say, that we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ,
and shall give account of our words and deeds. I, who for every other
reason dread this tribunal, now that I am encompassed with calumny,
find my chief consolation in the thought of it.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
|
