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| To Bishop Bosporius.
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Letter LI.2175
| 2175 Placed at the
beginning of Basil’s episcopate, c. 370. |
To Bishop Bosporius.2176
| 2176 Bosporius, an
intimate friend of Basil and of Gregory of Nazianzus, was bishop of
Colonia, in Cappadocia Secunda. Basil left Cæsarea in 360
in distress at hearing that Dianius had subscribed the creed of
Ariminum, but was hurt at the charge that he had anathematized his
friend and bishop. Dianius died in Basil’s arms in
362. |
How do you think my heart
was pained at hearing of the slanders heaped on me by some of those
that feel no fear of the Judge, who “shall destroy them that
speak leasing”?2177
I spent
nearly the whole night sleepless, thinking of your words of love; so
did grief lay hold upon my heart of hearts. For verily, in the
words of Solomon, slander humbleth a man.2178
| 2178 συκοφαντία
ἄνδρα
ταπεινοῖ, for
Eccles. vii. 7, LXX. συκοφαντία
περιδέρει
σοφόν: oppression maketh a
wise man mad, A.V.; extortion maketh a wise man foolish,
R.V. | And no man is so void of feeling as
not to be touched at heart, and bowed down to the ground, if he falls
in with lips prone to lying. But we must needs put up with all
things and endure all things, after committing our vindication to the
Lord. He will not despise us; for “he that oppresseth the
poor reproacheth his Maker.”2179
They,
however, who have patched up this new tragedy of blasphemy seem to have
lost all belief in the Lord, Who has declared that we must give account
at the day of judgment even for an idle word.2180
And I, tell me, I anathematized the
right blessed Dianius? For this is what they have said against
me. Where? When? In whose presence? On what
pretext? In mere spoken words, or in writing? Following
others, or myself the author and originator of the deed? Alas
for the impudence of men who make no difficulty at saying
anything! Alas for their contempt of the judgment of
God! Unless, indeed, they add this further to their fiction,
that they make me out to have been once upon a time so far out of my
mind as not to know what I was saying. For so long as I have
been in my senses I know that I never did anything of the kind, or
had the least wish to do so. What I am, indeed, conscious of
is this; that from my earliest childhood I was brought up in love
for him, thought as I gazed at him how venerable he looked, how
dignified, how truly reverend. Then when I grew older I began
to know him by the good qualities of his soul, and took delight in
his society, gradually learning to perceive the simplicity,
nobility, and liberality of his character, and all his most
distinctive qualities, his gentleness of soul, his mingled
magnanimity and meekness, the seemliness of his conduct, his control
of temper, the beaming cheerfulness and affability which he combined
with majesty of demeanour. From all this I counted him among
men most illustrious for high character.
However, towards the close of his life (I will not
conceal the truth) I, together with many of them that in our
country2181
| 2181 Here
Cæsarea appears to be called πατρίς.
cf. Ep. viii. Vide Proleg. | feared the Lord,
sorrowed over him with sorrow unendurable, because he signed the creed
brought from Constantinople by George.2182
| 2182
i.e.the Homœan creed of Ariminum, as revised at
Nike and accepted at the Acacian Synod of Constantinople in
360. George is presumably the George bp. of Laodicea, who at
Seleucia opposed the Acacians, but appears afterwards to have become
reconciled to that party, and to have joined them in persecuting the
Catholics at Constantinople. cf. Basil, Ep.
ccli. | Afterwards, full of kindness and
gentleness as he was, and willing out of the fulness of his fatherly
heart to give satisfaction to everyone, when he had already fallen sick
of the disease of which he died, he sent for me, and, calling the Lord
to witness, said that in the simplicity of his heart he had agreed to
the document sent from Constantinople, but had had no idea of rejecting
the creed put forth by the holy Fathers at Nicæa, nor had had any
other disposition of heart than from the beginning he had always
had. He prayed, moreover, that he might not be cut off from the
lot of those blessed
three hundred and eighteen bishops who had announced the pious
decree2183
to the
world. In consequence of this satisfactory statement I
dismissed all anxiety and doubt, and, as you are aware,
communicated with him, and gave over grieving. Such have
been my relations with Dianius. If anyone avers that he is
privy to any vile slander on my part against Dianius, do not let
him buzz it slave-wise in a corner; let him come boldly out and
convict me in the light of day.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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