§7. To Theodore, Bishop of Tyana.
(Theodore, a native of Arianzus, and an intimate
friend of Gregory, accompanied him to Constantinople a.d. 379, and shared his persecution by the Arians, who
broke into their church during the celebration of the divine liturgy,
and pelted the clergy with stones. Theodore could not bring
himself to put up with this, and declared his intention of prosecuting
the aggressors. Gregory wrote the following letter to dissuade
him from this course, by shewing him how much more noble it is to
forgive than to revenge.)
Ep. LXXVII.
I hear that you are indignant at the outrages which have
been committed on us by the Monks and the Mendicants. And it is
no wonder, seeing that you never yet had felt a blow, and were without
experience of the evils we have to endure, that you did feel angry at
such a thing. But we as experienced in many sorts of evil, and as
having had our share of insult, may be considered worthy of belief when
we exhort Your Reverence, as old age teaches and as reason
suggests. Certainly what has happened was dreadful, and more than
dreadful,—no one will deny it: that our altars were
insulted, our mysteries disturbed, and that we ourselves had to stand
between the communicants and those who would stone them, and to make
our intercessions a cure for stonings; that the reverence due to
virgins was forgotten, and the good order of monks, and the calamity of
the poor, who lost even their pity through ferocity. But perhaps
it would be better to be patient, and to give an example of patience to
many by our sufferings. For argument is not so persuasive of the
world in general as is practice, that silent exhortation.
We think it an important matter to obtain penalties from
those who have wronged us: an important matter, I say, (for even
this is sometimes useful for the correction of others)—but it is
far greater and more Godlike, to bear with injuries. For the
former course curbs wickedness, but the latter makes men good, which is
much better and more perfect than merely being not wicked. Let us
consider that the great pursuit of mercifulness is set before us, and
let us forgive the wrongs done to us that we also may obtain
forgiveness, and let us by kindness lay up a store of kindness.
Phineas was called Zelotes because he ran through
the Midianitish woman with the man who was committing fornication with
her,4752
and because he took away the
reproach from
the
children of
Israel: but he was more
praised because he
prayed
for the people when they had
transgressed.
4753
Let us then also stand and make
propitiation, and let the
plague be stayed, and let this be
counted
unto us for
righteousness.
Moses also was
praised because he slew
the Egyptian that
oppressed the Israelite;
4754
but he was more admirable because he
healed by his prayer his sister
Miriam when she was made leprous for her murmuring.
4755
Look also at what follows. The
people of Nineve are threatened with an
overthrow, but by their
tears
they
redeem their
sin.
4756
Manasses was
the most
lawless of Kings,
4757
but is the most
conspicuous among those who have attained
salvation through
mourning.
O Ephraim what shall I do unto thee,4758
saith
God. What
anger is here
expressed—and yet protection is added. What is swifter than
Mercy? The
Disciples ask for
flames of
Sodom upon those who drive
Jesus away, but He deprecates
revenge.
4759
Peter
cuts off the
ear of Malchus, one
of those who outraged Him, but
Jesus restores it.
4760
And what of him who asks whether he
must seven times
forgive a
brother if he has
trespassed, is he not
condemned for his
niggardliness, for to the seven is added seventy times seven?
4761
What of the
debtor in the
Gospel who
will not
forgive as he has been
forgiven?
4762
Is it not more bitterly exacted of him
for this? And what saith the pattern of prayer? Does it not
desire that
forgiveness may be earned by
forgiveness?
Having so many examples let us imitate the mercy
of God, and not desire to learn from ourselves how great an evil is
requital of sin. You see the sequence of goodness. First it
makes laws, then it commands, threatens, reproaches, holds out
warnings, restrains, threatens again, and only when forced to do so
strikes the blow, but this little by little, opening the way to
amendment. Let us then not strike suddenly (for it is not safe to
do so), but being self-restrained in our fear let us conquer by mercy,
and make them our debtors by our kindness, tormenting them by their
conscience rather than by anger. Let us not dry up a fig tree
which may yet bear fruit,4763
nor
condemn it as
useless and cumbering the ground, when possibly the care and
diligence
of a skilful
gardener may yet
heal it. And do not let us so
quickly
destroy so great and glorious a
work through what is perhaps
the spite and
malice of the
devil; but let us choose to shew ourselves
merciful rather than severe, and
lovers of the
poor rather than of
abstract
justice; and let us not make more account of those who would
enkindle us to this than of those who would restrain us, considering,
if nothing else, the disgrace of appearing to
contend against
mendicants who have this great
advantage that even if they are in the
wrong they are pitied for their misfortune. But as things are,
consider that all the
poor and those who support them, and all the
Monks and
Virgins are falling at your
feet and praying you on their
behalf. Grant to all these for them this favour (since they have
suffered enough as is clear by what they have asked of us) and above
all to me who am their representative. And if it appear to you
monstrous that we should have been dishonoured by them, remember that
it is far worse that we should not be listened to by you when we make
this request of you. May God forgive the noble Paulus his
outrages upon us.
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