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| On his work against Eunomius. PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP
Letter XII2201
2201 The
Cod. Medic. has “to John and Maximinian.” In this letter
but one person seems to be addressed. Gregory here speaks, without
doubt, of his books against Eunomius: not of his Antirrhetic against
Apollinaris, which could have been transcribed in a very short
time. Therefore we can place the date about 383, some months after
Gregory’s twelve Books against Eunomius, according to Hermantius,
were published. | .—On his
work against Eunomius.
We Cappadocians are poor in well-nigh all things that make the
possessors of them happy, but above all we are badly off for people who
are able to write. This, be sure, is the reason why I am so slow about
sending you a letter: for, though my reply to the heresy (of Eunomius)
had been long ago completed, there was no one to transcribe it. Such a
dearth of writers it was that brought upon us the suspicion of
sluggishness or of inability to frame an answer. But since now at any
rate, thank God, the writer and reviser have come, I have sent this
treatise to you; not, as Isocrates says2202
2202 Oratio ad Demonicum. | ,
as a present, for I do not reckon it to be such that it should be
received in lieu of something of substantial value, but that it may be
in our power to cheer on those who are in the full vigour of youth to
do battle with the enemy, by stirring up the naturally sanguine
temperament of early life. But if any portion of the treatise should
appear worthy of serious consideration, after examining some parts,
especially those prefatory to the “trials,”2203
2203 See
Against Eunomius, I. 1–9. | and those which are of the same cast, and
perhaps also some of the doctrinal parts of the book, you will think them not
ungratefully composed. But to whatever conclusion you come, you will of
course read them, as to a teacher and corrector, to those who do not
act like the players at ball2204
2204 i.
e.the game of φαινίνδα: called also ἐφετίνδα by Hesychius. | , when they stand in
three different places and throw it from one to the other, aiming it
exactly and catching one ball from one and one from another, and they
baffle the player who is in the middle, as he jumps up to catch it,
pretending that they are going to throw with a made-up expression of
face, and such and such a motion of the hand to left or right, and
whichever way they see him hurrying, they send the ball just the
contrary way, and cheat his expectation by a trick. This holds even now
in the case of most of us, who, dropping all serious purpose, play at
being good-natured2205 , as if at ball,
with men, instead of realizing the favourable hope which we hold out,
beguiling to sinister2206
2206 It is
difficult to reproduce the play upon words in δεξιᾶς, and σκαιότητι, which refer to the κατὰ τὸ
δέξιον ἢ
εὐωνύμον in the description of the game of ball: the words having both a
local meaning, “right,” and “left,” and a
metaphorical one, “favourable,” and “sinister”
(H. C. O.). | issues the souls of
those who repose confidence in us. Letters of reconciliation, caresses,
tokens, presents, affectionate embrace by letters—these are the
making as if to throw with the ball to the right. But instead of the
pleasure which one expects therefrom, one gets accusations, plots,
slanders, disparagement, charges brought against one, bits of a
sentence torn from their context, caught up, and turned to one’s
hurt. Blessed in your hopes are ye, who through all such trials
exercise confidence towards God. But we beseech you not to look at our
words, but to the teaching of our Lord in the Gospel. For what
consolation to one in anguish can another be, who surpasses him in the
extremity of his own anguish, to help his luckless fortunes to obtain
their proper issue? As He saith, “Vengeance is Mine; I will
repay, saith the Lord.” But do you, best of men, go on in a
manner worthy of yourself, and trust in God, and do not be hindered by
the spectacle of our misfortunes from being good and true, but commit
to God that judgeth righteously the suitable and just issue of events,
and act as Divine wisdom guides you. Assuredly Joseph had in the result
no reason to grieve at the envy of his brethren, inasmuch as the malice
of his own kith and kin became to him the road to empire.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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