Ep. XX.
(In a.d. 368 the City of
Nicæa in Bithynia was almost entirely destroyed by a terrible
earthquake. Cæsarius lost his house, and his personal escape
was almost miraculous. Gregory writes (as also did Basil) to
congratulate him on his escape, and profits by the occasion to urge
upon him retirement from his secular avocations. Cæsarius
soon resolved to follow this advice, and was taking steps to carry this
resolution into
effect, when he died suddenly, early in a.d.
369, aged only 40. He left the whole of his large property to the
poor, but it fell for a time into the hands of designing persons, and
Gregory, who was his brother’s executor, had much difficulty in
recovering it for the purpose for which it had been intended.
(See the letter to Sophronius, Prefect of Constantinople on this
subject.) He was buried at Nazianzus in the Church of the
Martyrs, in a vault which his parents had prepared for
themselves. Gregory preached the funeral sermon, which is given
in the former part of this volume. These four are the only
letters known to have passed between the brothers.)
Even frights are not without use to the wise; or,
as I should say, they are very valuable and salutary. For,
although we pray that they may not happen, yet when they do they
instruct us. For the afflicted soul, as Peter4740
| 4740 Source of the
quotation unknown. |
somewhere admirably says, is near to
God;
and every man who
escapes a
danger is brought into nearer relation to
Him Who
preserved him. Let us not then be
vexed that we had a
share in the calamity, but let us give thanks that we were
delivered. And let us not shew ourselves one thing to
God in the
time of
peril, and another when the
danger is over, but let us
resolve,
whether at
home or abroad, whether in private
life or in
public office
(for I must say this and may not omit it), to follow Him Who has
preserved us, and to attach ourselves to His side, thinking little of
the little concerns of
earth; and let us furnish a tale to those who
come after us, great for our
glory and the benefit of our
soul, and at
the same time a very useful lesson to all, that
danger is better than
security, and that misfortune is preferable to success, at least if
before our
fears we belonged to the
world, but after them we belong to
God. Perhaps I seem to you somewhat of a bore, by writing to you
so often on the same subject, and you will think my letter a piece not
of exhortation but of ostentation, so enough of this. You will
know that I desire and wish especially that I might be with you and
share your joy at your preservation, and to talk over these matters
later on. But since that cannot be, I hope to receive you here as
soon as may be, and to celebrate our thanksgiving
together.
E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
