Letter 141: 1. I have now received two letters from your divine and most excellent wisdom, whereof the one told me clearly how I had been expected by the laity under the jurisdiction of your holiness, and what disappointment I had caused by failing to attend the sacred synod. The other, which from the writing I conjecture to be of the earlier date, though i...

To Eusebius, Bishop of Samosata [a city on the Euphrates in southeastern Turkey, and one of Basil's closest allies in the fight against Arianism] I've now received two letters from you. The first described how the people under your care had been expecting me at the synod [a regional church council], and how disappointed they were when I didn't show up. The second — which I think you actually wrote earlier, though it arrived later — urged me not to neglect the Churches or let control of affairs slowly slip into our opponents' hands. Good advice, and I needed to hear it. I believe I answered both letters, but I'm not confident my replies ever reached you. So let me explain again. As for my absence: I have a solid excuse. I've been seriously ill — at death's door, honestly. Even now, as I write this, I'm still not well. Another person might find the lingering symptoms unbearable. As for the charge that I've let the Churches fall into our opponents' hands through neglect — I want you to understand the situation. The bishops who are supposedly in communion with me either lack the will to act, or they distrust me and won't speak openly, or the devil is simply doing what he does best: blocking every good effort. We used to be more united — the excellent Bosporius [bishop of Colonia in Cappadocia] among us — but now, on the things that matter most, they give me nothing. The result is that my grief over the state of the Church is actually slowing my physical recovery. The stress brings back my worst symptoms. But what can I do alone? You know as well as I do that church law doesn't allow one bishop to settle these matters by himself. And yet I've tried everything — writing letters, visiting in person, making every argument I can think of. Here's the frustrating part: they even came to the city when they heard I was dying. When they found me still alive, by God's mercy, I spoke to them plainly about what needed to be done. In my presence, they show respect and agree to everything. The moment they go home, they revert to their old positions. I'm suffering through this like everyone else. The Lord has clearly stepped back from us — and who can blame him? Love has grown cold because wickedness is everywhere. [An echo of Matthew 24:12.] So all I ask is this: pray for me with that great, powerful intercession of yours. Maybe we'll still accomplish something useful. And if we fail, perhaps we'll at least escape condemnation for not having tried.

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata. 1. I have now received two letters from your divine and most excellent wisdom, whereof the one told me clearly how I had been expected by the laity under the jurisdiction of your holiness, and what disappointment I had caused by failing to attend the sacred synod. The other, which from the writing I conjecture to be of the earlier date, though it was delivered later, gave me advice, at once honourable to yourself and necessary to me, not to neglect the interests of God's Churches, nor little by little to allow the guidance of affairs to pass to our opponents, whereby their interests must win, and ours lose. I think that I answered both. But, as I am uncertain whether my replies were preserved by those who were entrusted with the duty of conveying them, I will make my defense over again. As to my absence, I can put in an unimpeachable plea, as to which I think intelligence must have reached your holiness, that I have been detained by illness which has brought me to the very gates of death. Even now as I write about it, the remains of sickness are still upon me. And they are such as to another man might be unendurable. 2. As to the fact of its not being owing to my neglect that the interests of the Churches have been betrayed to our opponents, I wish your reverence to know that the bishops in communion with me, from lack of earnestness, or because they suspect me and are not open with me, or because the devil is always at hand to oppose good works, are unwilling to cooperate with me. Formerly, indeed, the majority of us were united with one another, including the excellent Bosporius. In reality they give me no aid in what is most essential. The consequence of all this is, that to a great extent my recovery is hindered by my distress, and the sorrow I feel brings back my worst symptoms. What, however, can I do alone and unaided, when the canons, as you yourself know, do not allow points of this kind to be settled by one man? And yet what remedy have I not tried? Of what decision have I failed to remind them, some by letter and some in person? They even came to the city, when they heard a report of my death; when, by God's will, they found me yet alive I made them such a speech as was proper to the occasion. In my presence they respect me, and promise all that is fit, but no sooner have they got back again than they return to their own opinion. In all this I am a sufferer, like the rest, for the Lord has clearly abandoned us, whose love has grown cold because iniquity abounds. For all this may your great and powerful intercession with God be sufficient for me. Perhaps we shall either become of some use, or, even if we fail in our object, we may escape condemnation.

[Πρός: Εὐσεβίῳ, ἐπισκόπῳ Σαμοσάτων] Ἐδεξάμην ἤδη δύο ἐπιστολὰς παρὰ τῆς ἐνθέου καὶ τελειοτάτης φρονήσεώς σου, ὧν ἡ μὲν ὑπέγραφεν ἡμῖν ἐναργῶς, ὅπως μὲν προσεδοκήθημεν ὑπὸ τοῦ λαοῦ τοῦ ὑπὸ τὴν χεῖρα τῆς ὁσιότητός σου, ὅσον δὲ ἐλυπήσαμεν ἀπολειφθέντες τῆς ἁγιωτάτης συνόδου. ἡ δὲ ἑτέρα, ἡ παλαιοτέρα μέν, ὡς εἰκάζω τῷ γράμματι, ὕστερον δὲ ἡμῖν ἀποδοθεῖσα, διδασκαλίαν περιεῖχε πρέπουσάν σοι καὶ ἡμῖν ἀναγκαίαν, μὴ καταρρᾳθυμεῖν τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ, μηδὲ κατὰ μικρὸν προΐεσθαι τοῖς ὑπεναντίοις τὰ πράγματα, ἀφʼ ὧν τὰ μὲν ἐκείνων αὐξήσει, τὰ δὲ ἡμέτερα μειωθήσεται. καὶ οἶμαι πρὸς ἑκατέραν ἀποκεκρίσθαι· πλὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ νῦν, ἐπειδὴ ἄδηλον εἰ οἱ πιστευθέντες τὴν διακονίαν διέσωσαν ἡμῶν τὰς ἀποκρίσεις, περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν ἀπολογοῦμαι· πρὸς μὲν τὴν ἀπόλειψιν ἀληθεστάτην πρόφασιν γράφων, ἧς οἶμαι τὴν ἀκοὴν καὶ μέχρι τῆς σῆς ὁσιότητος διαβεβηκέναι, ὅτι ὑπὸ ἀρρωστίας κατεσχέθην τῆς μέχρις αὐτῶν με τῶν πυλῶν τοῦ θανάτου καταγαγούσης. καὶ ἔτι καὶ νῦν, ἡνίκα ἀπέστελλον περὶ τούτων, λείψανα φέρων τῆς ἀρρωστίας ἔγραφον. ταῦτα δέ ἐστι τοιαῦτα, ὥστε ἐξαρκεῖν ἑτέρῳ νοσήματα εἶναι δύσφορα. Πρὸς δὲ τό, ὅτι οὐ ῥᾳθυμίᾳ ἡμετέρᾳ τὰ τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν τοῖς ἐναντίοις προδέδοται, εἰδέναι βούλομαι τὴν θεοσέβειάν σου, ὅτι οἱ κοινωνικοὶ δῆθεν ἡμῖν τῶν ἐπισκόπων, ἢ ὄκνῳ, ἢ τῷ πρὸς ἡμᾶς ὑπόπτως ἔχειν ἔτι καὶ μὴ καθαρῶς, ἢ τῇ παρὰ τοῦ διαβόλου ἐγγινομένῃ πρὸς τὰς ἀγαθὰς πράξεις ἐναντιώσει, συνάρασθαι ἡμῖν οὐκ ἀνέχονται. ἀλλὰ σχήματι μὲν δῆθεν οἱ πλείους ἐσμὲν μετʼ ἀλλήλων, προστεθέντος ἡμῖν καὶ τοῦ χρηστοῦ Βοσπορίου, ἀληθείᾳ δὲ πρὸς οὐδὲν ἡμῖν τῶν ἀναγκαιοτάτων συναίρονται· ὥστε με καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς ἀθυμίας ταύτης τὸ πλεῖστον μέρος πρὸς τὴν ἀνάληψιν ἐμποδίζεσθαι, συνεχῶς μοι τῶν ἀρρωστημάτων ἐκ τῆς σφοδρᾶς λύπης ἀποστρεφόντων. Τί δʼ ἂν ποιήσαιμι μόνος, τῶν κανόνων, ὡς καὶ αὐτὸς οἶδας, ἐνὶ τὰς τοιαύτας οἰκονομίας μὴ συγχωρούντων; καίτοι τίνα θεραπείαν οὐκ ἐθεράπευσα; ποίου κρίματος αὐτοὺς οὐκ ἀνέμνησα τὰ μὲν διὰ γραμμάτων, τὰ δὲ καὶ διὰ τῆς συντυχίας; ἦλθον γὰρ καὶ μέχρι τῆς πόλεως κατὰ ἀκοὴν τοῦ ἐμοῦ θανάτου. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἔδοξε τῷ Θεῷ ζῶντας ἡμᾶς παρʼ αὐτῶν καταληφθῆναι, διελέχθημεν αὐτοῖς τὰ εἰκότα. καὶ παρόντα μὲν αἰδοῦνται, καὶ ὑπισχνοῦνται τὰ εἰκότα πάντα, ἀπολειφθέντες δὲ πάλιν πρὸς τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἀνατρέχουσι γνώμην. ταῦτα καὶ ἡμεῖς τῆς κοινῆς καταστάσεως τῶν πραγμάτων ἀπολαύομεν, προδήλως τοῦ Κυρίου ἐγκαταλιπόντος ἡμᾶς, τοὺς διὰ τὸ πληθυνθῆναι τὴν ἀνομίαν ψύξαντας τὴν ἀγάπην. ἀλλὰ πρὸς πάντα ἡμῖν ἀρκεσάτω ἡ μεγάλη σου καὶ δυνατωτάτη πρὸς Θεὸν ἱκεσία. τάχα γὰρ ἂν ἢ γενοίμεθά τι τοῖς πράγμασι χρήσιμοι, ἢ διαμαρτόντες τῶν σπουδαζομένων, φύγοιμεν τὴν κατάκρισιν.