Bad Advertisement?
Are you a Christian?
Online Store:Visit Our Store
| To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata.
PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP 
Letter
CCXXXVII.3002
To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata.
1. I both wrote to
your reverence by the vicar of Thrace, and sent other letters by one of
the officers of the treasury of Philippopolis, who was starting from
our country into Thrace, and begged him to take them on his
departure. But the vicar never received my letter, for while I
was visiting my diocese,3003
| 3003 παροικία.
cf. p. 163, n. | he came into town
in the evening and started early in the morning, so that the church
officers did not know of his coming, and the letter remained at my
house. The treasurer, too, on account of some unexpected and
urgent business, set out without seeing me or taking my letters.
No one else could be found; so I remained, sorry at not being able to
write to you and at not receiving any letter from your reverence.
Yet I was wishful, were it possible, to tell you all that happens to me
day by day. So many astonishing things happen as to need a daily
narrative, and you may be sure that I would have written one, unless my
mind had been diverted from its purpose by the pressure of
events.
2. The first and greatest of my troubles was
the visit of the Vicar. As to whether he is a man really
heretically minded I do not know; for I think that he is quite unversed
in doctrine, and has not the slightest interest or experience in such
things, for I see him day and night busy, both in body and soul, in
other things. But he is certainly a friend of heretics; and he is
not more friendly to them than he is ill-disposed to me. He has
summoned a synod of wicked men in mid-winter in Galatia.3004
He has deposed Hypsinus and set up
Ecdicius in his place.3005
| 3005
i.e.at Parnassus. Parnassus is placed by Ramsay
at a ford a few miles higher up the Halys than Tchikin Aghyl.
(Hist Geog. of Asia Minor, p. 255.) | He has
ordered the removal of my brother on the accusation of one man, and
that one quite insignificant. Then, after being occupied for some
little time about the army, he came to us again breathing rage and
slaughter,3006
and, in one
sentence, delivered all the Church of Cæsarea to the Senate.
He settled for several days at Sebaste, separating friends from
foes,3007
| 3007 φυλοκρινῶν.
The word occurs also in the De Sp. S. § 74, and in
Letter cciv. § 2. Another reading in this place
is φιλοκρινῶν,
“picking out his friends.” | calling those
in communion with me senators, and condemning them to the public
service, while he advanced the adherents of Eustathius. He
has ordered a second synod of bishops of Galatia and Pontus to be
assembled at Nyssa.3008
| 3008 Mansi iii.
502. The fruitlessness of Ancyra necessitated a second.
On Gregory’s deposition and banishment, see Greg. Nyss., De
Vit Macr. ii. 192, and Ep. xviii. and xxii. Also
Greg. Naz., Ep. cxlii. | They
have submitted, have met, and have sent to the Churches a man of
whose character I do not like to speak; but your reverence can
well understand what sort of a man he must be who would put
himself at the disposal of such counsels of men.3009
| 3009
Tillemont supposes this to refer to some one sent on a
visitation to the Churches. The Ben. note prefers to apply it
to the unknown intruder into the see of Nyssa, of whom Basil speaks
with yet greater contempt in Letter ccxxxix. | Now, while I am thus writing, the
same gang have hurried to Sebaste to unite with Eustathius, and,
with him, to upset the Church of Nicopolis. For the blessed
Theodotus has fallen asleep. Hitherto the Nicopolitans have
bravely and stoutly resisted the vicar’s first assault; for
he tried to persuade them to receive Eustathius, and to accept
their bishop on his appointment. But, on seeing them
unwilling to yield, he is now trying, by yet more violent action,
to effect the establishment of the bishop whom it has been
attempted to give them.3010
There
is, moreover, said to be some rumoured expectation of a synod, by
which means they mean to summon me to receive them into communion,
or to be friendly with them. Such is the position of the
Churches. As to my own health, I think it better to say
nothing. I cannot bear not to tell the truth, and by telling
the truth I shall only grieve you.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
|
