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| To Valerianus, Bishop of Illyricum.
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Letter
XCI.2305
To Valerianus, Bishop of
Illyricum.2306
| 2306 Or, in
some mss., the Illyrians. Valerianus,
bishop of Aquileia, was present at the Synod held in Rome in 371
(Theodoret, Hist. Ecc. ii. 2.) and also at the Synod
in the same city in 382. (Theod. Ecc. Hist. v. 9, where
see note.) Dorotheus or Sabinus had brought letters from
Athanasius and at the same time a letter from Valerianus.
Basil takes the opportunity to reply. |
Thanks be to the Lord,
Who has permitted me to see in your unstained life the fruit of
primitive love. Far apart as you are in body, you have united
yourself to me by writing; you have embraced me with spiritual and holy
longing; you have implanted unspeakable affection in my soul. Now
I have realized the force of the proverb, “As cold water is to a
thirsty soul so is good news from a far country.”2307
Honoured brother, I really hunger for
affection. The cause is not far to seek, for iniquity is
multiplied and the love of many has grown cold.2308
For this reason your letter is
precious to me, and I am replying by our reverend brother
Sabinus. By him I make myself known to you, and beseech you to
be watchful in prayers on our behalf, that God may one day grant
calm and quiet to the Church here, and rebuke this wind and sea,
that so we may be freed from the storm and agitation in which we are
now every moment expecting to be submerged. But in these our
troubles one great boon has God given us in hearing that you are in
exact agreement and unity with one another, and that the doctrines
of true religion are preached among you without let or
hindrance. For at some time or other, unless the period of
this world is not already concluded, and if there yet remain days of
human life, it must needs be that by your means the faith must be
renewed in the East and that in due season you recompense her for
the blessings which she has given you. The sound part among us
here, which preserves the true religion of the Fathers, is sore
stricken, and the devil in his wiliness has shattered it by many and
various subtle assaults. But, by the help of the prayers of
you who love the Lord, may the wicked and deceitful heresy of the
Arian error be quenched; may the good teaching of the Fathers, who
met at Nicæa, shine forth; so that the ascription of glory may
be rendered to the blessed Trinity in the terms of the baptism of
salvation.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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