Bad Advertisement?
Are you a Christian?
Online Store:Visit Our Store
| To Demosthenes, as from the synod of bishops.
PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP 
Letter CCXXV.2910
To Demosthenes,2911
| 2911 Vicar of
Pontus. It is doubtful whether he is the same Demosthenes who
was at Cæsarea with Valens in 371, of whom the amusing story is
told in Theodoret Hist. Ecc. iv. 16, on which see
note. If he is, it is not difficult to understand his looking
with no friendly eye on Basil and his brother Gregory. He
summoned a synod to Ancyra in the close of 375 to examine into
alleged irregularities in Gregory’s consecration and
accusations of embezzlement. The above letter is to apologize
for Gregory’s failing to put in an appearance at Ancyra, and
to rebut the charges made against him. Tillemont would refer
Letter xxxiii. to this period. Maran Vit.
Bas. xii. 5 connects it with the troubles following on the death
of Cæsarius in 369. |
as from the synod of bishops.
I am always very thankful
to God and to the emperor, under whose rule we live, when I see the
government of my country put into the hands of one who is not only a
Christian, but is moreover correct in life and a careful guardian of
the laws according to which our life in this world is ordered. I
have had special reason for offering this gratitude to God and to our
God-beloved emperor on the occasion of your coming among us. I
have been aware that some of the enemies of peace have been about to
stir your august tribunal against me, and have been waiting to be
summoned by your excellency that you might learn the truth from me; if
indeed your high wisdom condescends to consider the examination of
ecclesiastical matters to be within your province.2912
| 2912 Sæpe
vicario Basilius in hac epistola leniter insinuat, res
ecclesiasticas illius judicii non esse.” Ben.
Note. | The tribunal overlooked me, but your
excellency, moved by the reproaches of Philochares, ordered my brother
and fellow-minister Gregory to be haled before your judgment
seat. He obeyed your summons; how could he do otherwise?
But he was attacked by pain in the side, and at the same time, in
consequence of a chill, was attacked by his old kidney complaint.
He has therefore been compelled, forcibly detained by your soldiers as
he was, to be conveyed to some quiet spot, where he could have his
maladies attended to, and get some comfort in his intolerable
agony. Under these circumstances we have combined to approach
your lordship with the entreaty that you will feel no anger at the
postponement of the trial. The public interests have not in any
way suffered through our delay, nor have those of the Church been
injured. If there is any question of the wasteful expenditure of
money, the treasurers of the Church funds are there, ready to give an
account to any one who likes, and to exhibit the injustice of the
charges advanced by men who have braved the careful hearing of the case
before you. For they can have no difficulty in making the truth
clear to any one who seeks it from the actual writings of the blessed
bishop himself. If there is any other point of canonical order
which requires investigation, and your excellency deigns to undertake
to hear and to judge it, it will be necessary for us all to be present,
because, if there has been a failure in any point of canonical order,
the responsibility lies with the consecrators and not with him who is
forcibly compelled to undertake the ministry. We therefore
petition you to reserve the hearing of the case for us in our own
country, and not to compel us to travel beyond its borders, nor force
us to a meeting with bishops with whom we have not yet come to
agreement on ecclesiastical questions.2913
| 2913 From
Letter ccxxxvii. it would appear that Demosthenes was now in
Galatia, where he had summoned a heretical synod. The Ben.
note quotes a law of Valens of the year 373 (Cod.
Theod. ix. tit. i. 10):
Ultra provinciæ terminos accusandi licentia non
progrediatur. Opertet enim illic criminum judicia agitari ubi
facinus dicatur admissum. Peregrina autem judicia
præsentibus legibus coercemus. | I beg you also to be merciful to my
own old age and ill health. You will learn by actual
investigation, if it please God, that no canonical rule be it small or
great was omitted in the appointment of the bishop. I pray that
under your administration unity and peace may be brought about with my
brethren; but so long as this does not exist it is difficult for us
even to meet, because many of our simpler brethren suffer from our
mutual disputes.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
|
