Letter 205: Once again I have started the well-beloved presbyter Meletius to carry my greeting to you. I had positively determined to spare him, on account of the weakness which he has voluntarily brought upon himself, by bringing his body into subjection for the sake of the gospel of Christ. But I have judged it fitting to salute you by the ministry of suc...

Once again I have sent the beloved presbyter Meletius to carry my greeting to you. I had firmly resolved to spare him, given the weakness he has voluntarily brought on himself by disciplining his body for the sake of Christ's gospel. But I judged it fitting to greet you through a man like him -- one capable of making up for all the shortcomings of my letter and serving as a kind of living epistle for both of us. I am also fulfilling his long-standing wish to see your excellency, a desire he has held ever since he came to know your fine qualities. Through him I discharge the debt of the visit I owe you, and I ask you to pray for me and for the Church of God -- that the Lord may deliver me from the assaults of the gospel's enemies and let me live in peace and quiet. If, however, you think it wise that we should travel to a common meeting place and gather with the rest of our honorable brother bishops from the coastal regions, please suggest a suitable place and time. Write to our brothers so that each may set aside his business at the appointed hour. In this way we may accomplish something for the building up of God's churches, put an end to the pain of our mutual suspicions, and restore the love without which the Lord himself has decreed that obedience to every commandment is worthless.

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA To Elpidius the bishop. Once again I have started the well-beloved presbyter Meletius to carry my greeting to you. I had positively determined to spare him, on account of the weakness which he has voluntarily brought upon himself, by bringing his body into subjection for the sake of the gospel of Christ. But I have judged it fitting to salute you by the ministry of such men as he is, able to supply of themselves all the shortcomings of my letter, and to become, alike to writer and recipient, a kind of living epistle. I am also carrying out the very strong wish, which he has always had, to see your excellency, ever since he has had experience of the high qualities you possess. So now I have besought him to travel to you, and through him I discharge the debt of the visit I owe you, and beseech you to pray for me and for the Church of God, that the Lord may grant me deliverance from the injuries of the enemies of the Gospel, and to pass my life in peace and quiet. Nevertheless, if you in your wisdom, think it needful that we should travel to the same spot, and meet the rest of our right honourable brother bishops of the sea board regions, do you yourself point out a suitable place and time where and when this meeting may take place. Write to our brethren to the end that each and all may, at the appointed time, leave the business they may have in hand, and may be able to effect something for the edification of the Churches of God, do away with the pain which we now suffer from our mutual suspicions, and establish love, without which the Lord Himself has ordained that obedience to every commandment must be of none effect.

[Πρός: Ἐλπιδίῳ ἐπισκόπῳ.] Πάλιν ἡμεῖς τὸν ἀγαπητὸν καὶ συμπρεσβύτερον Μελέτιον ἐκινήσαμεν, ἐπὶ τὴν σὴν ἀγάπην προσηγορίας ἡμῶν διακομίζοντα. οὗ εἰ καὶ πάνυ ἐγνώκειμεν φείδεσθαι διὰ τὴν ἀσθένειαν, ἣν ἑκουσίως ἑαυτῷ ἐπηγάγετο, δουλαγωγῶν τὴν σάρκα διὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὅμως καὶ ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς πρέπον εἶναι κρίναντες διὰ τοιούτων προσφθέγγεσθαί σε, τῶν δυναμένων ὅσα διαφεύγει τὸ γράμμα παρʼ ἑαυτῶν ῥᾳδίως ἀναπληρῶσαι, καὶ οἱονεὶ ἀντʼ ἐπιστολῆς ἐμψύχου γενέσθαι τῷ τε γράφοντι καὶ τῷ δεχομένῳ, καὶ τὸν αὐτοῦ δὲ πόθον ἀναπληροῦντες, ὃν ἔχει ἀεὶ περὶ τὴν σὴν τελειότητα, ἀφʼ οὗ εἰς πεῖραν ἀφίκετο τῶν ἐν σοὶ καλῶν, καὶ νῦν αὐτὸν ἐλθεῖν ὡς σὲ ἐδυσωπήσαμεν· δι’ οὗ καὶ τὸ τῆς ἐπισκέψεως ἀποπληροῦμεν χρέος, καὶ παρακαλοῦμεν προσεύχεσθαί σε ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν καὶ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἵνα δῷ ἡμῖν ὁ Κύριος ἤρεμον καὶ ἡσύχιον βίον διάγειν, τῆς ἐκ τῶν ἐχθρῶν τοῦ εὐαγγελίου ἐπηρείας ἀπαλλαγέντας. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τῇ σῇ συνέσει ἀκόλουθον καὶ ἀναγκαῖον καταφαίνεται εἰς ταὐτὸν ἡμᾶς ἀλλήλοις ἐλθεῖν, καὶ συντυχεῖν καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς τιμιωτάτοις ἀδελφοῖς τοῖς τὴν παραλίαν κατοικοῦσιν ἐπισκόποις, αὐτὸς καὶ ἡμῖν ἀπόδειξον τόπον καὶ καιρὸν καθʼ ὃν ἔσται τοῦτο, καὶ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ἐπίστειλον, ἵνα ἐπὶ ὡρισμένοις καταλιπόντες ἕκαστος τὴν ἐν χερσὶν ἀσχολίαν, δυνηθῶμέν τι τῶν εἰς οἰκοδομὴν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τοῦ Θεοῦ ποιῆσαι, καὶ ἀνελεῖν μὲν τὰς ἐξ ὑπονοιῶν νῦν ἡμῖν πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἐγγινομένας λύπας, κυρῶσαι δὲ τὴν ἀγάπην, ἧς ἄνευ ἀτελῆ εἶναι πάσης ἐντολῆς ἐργασίαν αὐτὸς ἡμῖν ὁ Κύριος διωρίσατο.