Letter 140: 1. Oh that I had wings like a dove for then would I fly away to you, and satisfy my longing to meet you. But now it is not only wings that I want, but a whole body, for mine has suffered from long sickness, and now is quite worn away with continuous affliction.

**Basil, to the Church of Antioch** 1. If I could, I would fly to you right now. But my body has been worn down by long illness, and I can barely manage as it is. Still, no one with any heart at all could hear the grief rising from every corner of your community — like a chorus of sorrow — without being deeply moved. But God can heal what seems beyond healing, and he can give you rest from these long struggles. I want you to hold onto that comfort. Let the hope of relief carry you through the present pain. Are we suffering for our sins? Then think of it as correction that saves us from something worse. Are we being tested for standing up for the truth? Then the righteous Judge who awards the prizes will not let us be tested beyond what we can bear — and in return for what we've already endured, he will give us the crown of patience and hope. So don't abandon the fight for truth. Don't throw away everything you've already suffered through in despair. Real strength isn't shown in a single brave moment or a short burst of effort. The One who tests our hearts wants us to earn the crown of righteousness through long, sustained faithfulness. Keep your spirit unbroken. Keep your faith in Christ firm. Our Champion will come — and he will not be late. Expect hardship after hardship, but also hope after hope. "Yet a little while, yet a little while" — that's how the Holy Spirit comforts his children, with the promise of what's coming. After suffering comes hope, and what we're hoping for isn't far off. Even if you add up an entire human lifetime, it's nothing compared to the endless age that waits for us. 2. On matters of doctrine: I don't accept any new creed written by other people, and I don't presume to invent one from my own reasoning — I have no interest in turning divine truth into merely human words. What I was taught by the holy Fathers is what I pass on to anyone who asks. In my church, we use the creed written by the Fathers at the Council of Nicaea [the landmark church council of 325 AD that defined orthodox Christian belief, particularly that Christ is fully divine and "of one substance" with the Father]. I believe you use it too, but I'll include it here so no one accuses me of being lazy about it. Here it is: [the Nicene Creed follows]. This is our faith. But note: the creed says nothing specific about the Holy Spirit, because the Pneumatomachi [literally "Spirit-fighters" — a group that accepted Christ's divinity but denied the Holy Spirit's full divine status] hadn't appeared yet when it was written. So there was no need at the time to condemn those who claim the Holy Spirit is a created, subordinate being. But let me be clear: nothing in the divine and blessed Trinity is created.

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA To the Church of Antioch. 1. Oh that I had wings like a dove for then would I fly away to you, and satisfy my longing to meet you. But now it is not only wings that I want, but a whole body, for mine has suffered from long sickness, and now is quite worn away with continuous affliction. For no one can be so hard of heart, so wholly destitute of sympathy and kindness, as to hear the sigh that strikes my ear from every quarter, as though from some sad choir chanting a symphony of lamentation, without being grieved at heart, being bent to the ground, and wasting away with these irremediable troubles. But the holy God is able to provide a remedy for the irremediable, and to grant you a respite from your long toils. I should like you to feel this comfort and, rejoicing in the hope of consolation, to submit to the present pain of your afflictions. Are we paying the penalty of our sins? Then our plagues are such as to save us for the future from the wrath of God. Are we called upon through these temptations to fight for the truth? Then the righteous Giver of the prizes will not suffer us to be tried above that which we are able to bear, but, in return for our previous struggles, will give us the crown of patience and of hope in Him. Let us, therefore, not flinch from fighting a good fight on behalf of the truth, nor, in despair, fling away the labours we have already achieved. For the strength of the soul is not shown by one brave deed, nor yet by effort only for a short time; but He Who tests our hearts wishes us to win crowns of righteousness after long and protracted trial. Only let our spirit be kept unbroken, the firmness of our faith in Christ be maintained unshaken, and ere long our Champion will appear; He will come and will not tarry. Expect tribulation after tribulation, hope upon hope; yet a little while; yet a little while. Thus the Holy Ghost knows how to comfort His nurslings by a promise of the future. After tribulations comes hope, and what we are hoping for is not far off, for let a man name the whole of human life, it is but a tiny interval compared with the endless age which is laid up in our hopes. 2. Now I accept no newer creed written for me by other men, nor do I venture to propound the outcome of my own intelligence, lest I make the words of true religion merely human words; but what I have been taught by the holy Fathers, that I announce to all who question me. In my Church the creed written by the holy Fathers in synod at Nicæa is in use. I believe that it is also repeated among you; but I do not refuse to write its exact terms in my letter, lest I be accused of taking too little trouble. It is as follows: This is our faith. But no definition was given about the Holy Ghost, the Pneumatomachi not having at that date appeared. No mention was therefore made of the need of anathematizing those who say that the Holy Ghost is of a created and ministerial nature. For nothing in the divine and blessed Trinity is created.

[Πρός: Τῇ Ἀντιοχέων Ἐκκλησίᾳ] Τίς δώσει μοι πτέρυγας, ὡσεὶ περιστερᾶς; καὶ πετασθήσομαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς καὶ καταπαύσω τὸν πόθον ὃν ἔχω ἐπὶ τῇ συντυχίᾳ τῆς ὑμετέρας ἀγάπης. νυνὶ δὲ οὐχὶ πτερύγων ἐνδεῶς ἔχω μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ σώματος, πάλαι μέν μοι ὑπὸ μακρᾶς τῆς ἀρρωστίας πεπονηκότος, νῦν δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν συνεχῶν θλίψεων παντελῶς συντετριμμένου. τίς γὰρ οὕτως ἀδαμάντινος τὴν ψυχήν, τίς οὕτω παντελῶς ἀσυμπαθὴς καὶ ἀνήμερος, ὡς ἀκούων τοῦ πανταχόθεν ἡμᾶς προσβάλλοντος στεναγμοῦ, οἷον ἀπό τινος χοροῦ κατηφοῦς κοινόν τινα θρῆνον καὶ σύμφωνον προσηχοῦντος, μὴ οὐχὶ παθεῖν τὴν ψυχήν, καὶ κατακαμφθῆναι εἰς γῆν, καὶ ταῖς ἀμηχάνοις ταύταις μερίμναις παντελῶς ἐκτακῆναι; ἀλλὰ δυνατὸς ὁ ἅγιος Θεὸς δοῦναί τινα λύσιν τῶν ἀμηχάνων καὶ χαρίσασθαι ἡμῖν τινὰ τῶν μακρῶν πόνων ἀναπνοήν. ὥστε καὶ ὑμᾶς τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχειν ἀξιῶ παράκλησιν καὶ τῇ ἐλπίδι τῆς παρακλήσεως χαίροντας ὑμᾶς τὸ παρὸν ἀλγεινὸν τῶν θλίψεων ὑπομένειν. εἴτε γὰρ ἁμαρτημάτων ἀποτίννυμεν δίκας, ἱκαναὶ αἱ μάστιγες πρὸς παραίτησιν λοιπὸν τῆς ἐφʼ ἡμῖν ὀργῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ· εἴτε εἰς τοὺς ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἀγῶνας διὰ τῶν πειρασμῶν τούτων κεκλήμεθα, δίκαιος ὁ ἀθλοθέτης μὴ ἐᾶσαι ἡμᾶς πειρασθῆναι ὑπὲρ ὃ δυνάμεθα ὑπενεγκεῖν, ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ τοῖς προπεπονημένοις ἀποδοῦναι ἡμῖν τὸν τῆς ὑπομονῆς καὶ τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν ἐλπίδος στέφανον. μὴ οὖν ἀποκάμωμεν ἐναθλοῦντες εἰς τοὺς ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἀγῶνας, μηδὲ δι’ ἀνελπιστίας τὰ πονηθέντα ἡμῖν προώμεθα. οὐ γὰρ μία πρᾶξις ἀνδρείας οὐδὲ βραχὺς πόνος τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς καρτερὸν διαδείκνυσιν, ἀλλʼ ὁ δοκιμάζων ἡμῶν τὰς καρδίας διὰ μακρᾶς καὶ παρατεταμένης τῆς δοκιμασίας βούλεται ἡμᾶς τῆς δικαιοσύνης στεφανίτας ἀποδειχθῆναι. Μόνον ἀνένδοτον φυλασσέσθω τὸ φρόνημα ἡμῶν, ἄσειστον τὸ στερέωμα τῆς εἰς Χριστὸν πίστεως διατηρείσθω, καὶ ἥξει ἐν τάχει ὁ ἀντιληψόμενος ἡμῶν· ἥξει καὶ οὐ χρονιεῖ. προσδέχου γὰρ θλίψιν ἐπὶ θλίψει, ἐλπίδα ἐπʼ ἐλπίδι, ἔτι μικρόν, ἔτι μικρόν. οὕτως οἶδε ψυχαγωγεῖν τῇ ἐπαγγελίᾳ τοῦ μέλλοντος τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ τροφίμους τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. μετὰ γὰρ τὰς θλίψεις ἡ ἐλπίς, ἐκ τοῦ σύνεγγυς δὲ πάρεστι τὰ ἐλπιζόμενα. κἂν γὰρ ὅλον τις εἴποι τὸν ἀνθρώπινον βίον, σμικρότατόν ἐστι διάστημα παντελῶς, συγκρίσει ἐκείνου τοῦ ἀπεράντου αἰῶνος τοῦ ἐν ταῖς ἐλπίσιν ἀποκειμένου. Πίστιν δὲ ἡμεῖς οὔτε παρʼ ἄλλων γραφομένην ἡμῖν νεωτέραν παραδεχόμεθα, οὔτε αὐτοὶ τὰ τῆς ἡμετέρας διανοίας γεννήματα παραδιδόναι τολμῶμεν, ἵνα μὴ ἀνθρώπινα ποιήσωμεν τὰ τῆς εὐσεβείας ῥήματα· ἀλλʼ ἅπερ παρὰ τῶν ἁγίων πατέρων δεδιδάγμεθα, ταῦτα τοῖς ἐρωτῶσιν ἡμᾶς διαγγέλλομεν. ἔστι τοίνυν ἐκ πατέρων ἐμπολιτευομένη τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἡμῶν ἡ γραφεῖσα παρὰ τῶν ἁγίων πατέρων πίστις τῶν κατὰ τὴν Νίκαιαν συνελθόντων· ἣν ἡγούμεθα μὲν διὰ στόματος εἶναι καὶ παρʼ ὑμῖν, οὐ παραιτούμεθα δέ, ἵνα μὴ ὄκνου ἔγκλημα ἀπενεγκώμεθα, καὶ αὐτὰ τὰ ῥήματα ἐνσημᾶναι τῷ γράμματι. ἔστι δὲ ταῦτα. πιστεύομεν εἰς ἕνα Θεὸν Πατέρα παντοκράτορα, ὁρατῶν τε πάντων καὶ ἀοράτων ποιητήν. καὶ εἰς ἕνα Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, γεννηθέντα ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς μονογενῆ· τουτέστιν, ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ Πατρός· φῶς ἐκ φωτός, Θεὸν ἀληθινὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ ἀληθινοῦ· γεννηθέντα οὐ ποιηθέντα, ὁμοούσιον τῷ Πατρί, δι’ οὗ τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο, τά τε ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ καὶ τὰ ἐν τῇ γῇ. τὸν δι’ ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καὶ διὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν σωτηρίαν κατελθόντα· σαρκωθέντα, ἐνανθρωπήσαντα, παθόντα, καὶ ἀναστάντα τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ· ἀνελθόντα εἰς οὐρανούς, ἐρχόμενον κρῖναι ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς. καὶ εἰς τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα. τοὺς δὲ λέγοντας, ἦν ποτέ, ὅτε οὐκ ἦν· καί, πρὶν γεννηθῆναι οὐκ ἦν· καί, ὅτι ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων ἐγένετο· ἢ ἐξ ἑτέρας ὑποστάσεως ἢ οὐσίας φάσκοντας εἶναι, ἢ τρεπτόν, ἢ ἀλλοιωτὸν τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, τούτους ἀναθεματίζει ἡ καθολικὴ καὶ ἀποστολικὴ Ἐκκλησία. Πιστεύομεν τούτοις. ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀδιόριστός ἐστιν ὁ περὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος λόγος, οὔπω τότε τῶν πνευματομάχων ἀναφανέντων, τὸ χρῆναι ἀναθεματίζεσθαι τοὺς λέγοντας τῆς κτιστῆς εἶναι καὶ δουλικῆς φύσεως τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐσίγησαν. οὐδὲν γὰρ ὅλως τῆς θείας καὶ μακαρίας Τριάδος κτιστόν.