Letter 170: How far will your mad folly go? How long will you counsel mischief against yourself? How long will you go on rousing me to wrath, and bringing shame on the common order of solitaries?

From: Basil, Bishop of Caesarea To: Glycerius Date: ~367 AD Context: Basil directly addresses the fugitive deacon Glycerius with a short, fierce ultimatum -- return or face permanent consequences. Glycerius, How far will your madness go? How long will you plot mischief against yourself? How long will you keep provoking my anger and bringing shame on the entire community of monks and solitaries? Come back. Put your trust in God, and in me -- I who imitate God's mercy. I rebuked you as a father; as a father I will forgive you. You will receive that treatment from me, and many others are pleading on your behalf -- above all your own presbyter, whose grey hair and compassionate nature I deeply respect. But stay away any longer and you will have fallen completely from your position. You will also fall away from God. For with your hymn-singing and your monastic garb, you are not leading those young women to God. You are leading them to destruction.

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA To Glycerius. How far will your mad folly go? How long will you counsel mischief against yourself? How long will you go on rousing me to wrath, and bringing shame on the common order of solitaries? Return. Put confidence in God, and in me, who imitate God's loving-kindness. If I rebuked you like a father, like a father I will forgive you. This is the treatment you shall receive from me, for many others are making supplication in your behalf, and before all the rest your own presbyter, for whose grey hairs and compassionate disposition I feel much respect. Continue longer to hold aloof from me and you have quite fallen from your degree. You will also fall away from God, for with your songs and your garb you are leading the young women not to God, but to the pit. About this page Source. Translated by Blomfield Jackson. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 8. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1895.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3202170.htm>. Contac t information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is feedback732 at newadvent.org. (To help fight spam, this address might change occasionally.) Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.