Letter 240: 1. You have done quite right in sending me a letter, and in sending it by the hands of one who, even if you had not written, would have been perfectly competent to give me considerable comfort in all my anxieties, and an authentic report as to the position of affairs. Many vague rumours were continually reaching me, and therefore I was desirous ...

You did well to send me a letter, and especially to send it by someone who, even without the letter, would have been fully able to give me an accurate and comforting report. Vague rumors had been reaching me constantly, and I wanted reliable information from someone who actually knew the facts. Our beloved and honorable brother, the presbyter Theodosius, has given me a clear and intelligent account of the whole situation. The advice I now write to you is the same advice I give myself, since in many ways our positions are identical -- not only now, but as history repeatedly shows. We know from written records and living memory how trials have beset individuals and entire cities that put their trust in the Lord. Yet every trial has passed. The suffering of dark days has never been permanent. Think of it this way: when a hailstorm and a flood strike, they injure and destroy whatever is weak, but they merely break against what is strong. In the same way, the terrible trials launched against the Church have proved weaker than the firm foundation of our faith in Christ. The hailstorm passes. The floodwaters rush through their channel and vanish into the deep, leaving the riverbed dry. Just so, the storm now breaking over us will soon cease -- but only on the condition that we refuse to stare at the present and instead fix our gaze on the future in hope. Is the trial heavy, my brothers? Then let us bear it. No one who avoids the blows and dust of battle wins a crown. Are these servants of the devil and enemies sent against us insignificant? They are troublesome because they serve him, but contemptible because God has combined wickedness with weakness in them. Let us not be condemned for crying out too loudly over a small pain. Only one thing is truly worth anguish: the loss of one's own soul, when a man trades his eternal reward for the comfort of a single moment. Hold firm, endure, and the storm will pass as every storm before it has passed.

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA To the Presbyters of Nicopolis. 1. You have done quite right in sending me a letter, and in sending it by the hands of one who, even if you had not written, would have been perfectly competent to give me considerable comfort in all my anxieties, and an authentic report as to the position of affairs. Many vague rumours were continually reaching me, and therefore I was desirous of getting information on many points from some one able to give it through accurate knowledge. Touching all these I have received a satisfactory and intelligent narrative from our well-beloved and honourable brother Theodosius the presbyter. I now write to your reverences the advice which I give myself, for in many respects our positions are identical; and that not only at the present moment, but in times gone by too, as many instances may prove. Of some of these we possess records in writing; others we have received through unwritten recollection from persons acquainted with the facts. We know how, for the sake of the name of the Lord, trials have beset alike individuals and cities that have put their trust in Him. Nevertheless, one and all have passed away, and the distress caused by the days of darkness has not been everlasting. For just as when hail-storm and flood, and all natural calamities, at once injure and destroy things that have no strength, while they are only themselves affected by falling on the strong, so the terrible trials set in action against the Church have been proved feebler than the firm foundation of our faith in Christ. The hail-storm has passed away; the torrent has rushed over its bed; clear sky has taken the place of the former, and the latter has left the course without water and dry, over which it travelled, and has disappeared in the deep. So, too, in a little while the storm, now bursting upon us, will cease to be. But this will be on the condition of our being willing not to look to the present, but to gaze in hope at the future somewhat further off. 2. Is the trial heavy, my brethren? Let us endure the toil. No one who shuns the blows and the dust of battle wins a crown. Are those mockeries of the devil, and the enemies sent to attack us, insignificant? They are troublesome because they are his ministers, but contemptible because God has in them combined wickedness with weakness. Let us beware of being condemned for crying out too loud over a little pain. Only one thing is worth anguish, the loss of one's own self, when for the sake of the credit of the moment, if one can really call making a public disgrace of one's self credit, one has deprived one's self of the everlasting reward of the just. You are children of confessors; you are children of martyrs; you have resisted sin unto blood. Use, each one of you, the examples of those near and dear to you to make you brave for true religion's sake. No one of us has been torn by lashes; no one of us has suffered confiscation of his house; we have not been driven into exile; we have not suffered imprisonment. What great suffering have we undergone, unless perhaps it is grievous that we have suffered nothing, and have not been reckoned worthy of the sufferings of Christ? But if you are grieved because one whom I need not name occupies the house of prayer, and you worship the Lord of heaven and earth in the open air, remember that the eleven disciples were shut up in the upper chamber, when they that had crucified the Lord were worshipping in the Jews' far-famed temple. Peradventure, Judas, who preferred death by hanging to life in disgrace, proved himself a better man than those who now meet universal condemnation without a blush. 3. Only do not be deceived by their lies when they claim to be of the right faith. They are not Christians, but traffickers in Christ, always preferring their profit in this life to living in accordance with the truth. When they thought that they should get this empty dignity, they joined the enemies of Christ: now that they have seen the indignation of the people, they are once more for pretending orthodoxy. I do not recognise as bishop— I would not count among Christ's clergy — a man who has been promoted to a chief post by polluted hands, to the destruction of the faith. This is my decision. If you have any part with me, you will doubtless think as I do. If you take counsel on your own responsibility, every man is master of his own mind, and I am innocent of this blood. I have written thus, not because I distrust you, but that by declaring my own mind I may strengthen some men's hesitation, and prevent any one from being prematurely received into communion, or after receiving the laying on of hands of our enemies, when peace is made, later on, trying to force me to enroll them in the ranks of the sacred ministry. Through you I salute the clergy of the city and diocese, and all the laity who fear the Lord.

[Πρός: Νικοπολίταις πρεσβυτέροις.] Καὶ ἐπιστείλαντες ἡμῖν καλῶς ἐποιήσατε καὶ διὰ τοιούτου ἀνδρὸς ἐπιστείλαντες, ὃς καὶ ἄνευ γραμμάτων ἐξήρκεσεν ἂν ἡμῖν τήν τε ἐπὶ ταῖς φροντίσι παραμυθίαν ἱκανὴν παρασχεῖν καὶ διδασκαλίαν ἀκριβῆ τῶν πραγμάτων ποιήσασθαι. πολλὰ γὰρ ἦν ἃ ἐπεζητοῦμεν παρὰ τοῦ σαφέστατα ἐπισταμένου μαθεῖν, διὰ τὸ τὰς φήμας πεπλανημένως πρὸς ἡμᾶς διαβαίνειν, ἃ πάντα εὐσταθῶς καὶ ἐμπείρως διηγήσατο ἡμῖν ὁ ποθεινότατος καὶ τιμιώτατος ἀδελφὸς ἡμῶν Θεοδόσιος ὁ συμπρεσβύτερος. ἃ τοίνυν ἑαυτοῖς συμβουλεύομεν, ταῦτα καὶ πρὸς τὴν ὑμετέραν εὐλάβειαν γράφομεν· ὅτι πολλοῖς συνέβη ταῦτα, ἃ καὶ ὑμῖν, καὶ οὐ κατὰ τὸν παρόντα καιρὸν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ παρελθόντι χρόνῳ μυρία τῶν τοιούτων τὰ ὑποδείγματα· τὰ μὲν ἐγγράφως αἱ ἱστορίαι καταλελοίπασι, τὰ δὲ τῇ ἀγράφῳ μνήμῃ παρὰ τῶν εἰδότων διεδεξάμεθα· ὅτι καὶ κατὰ ἄνδρα ἕκαστον, καὶ κατὰ πόλεις πειρασμοὶ περιέσχον ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ Κυρίου τοὺς εἰς αὐτὸν ἠλπικότας. ἀλλʼ ὅμως παρῆλθε πάντα, καὶ οὐδὲν τῶν σκυθρωπῶν ἀθάνατον ἔσχε τὸ λυπηρόν. ὡς γὰρ αἱ χάλαζαι, καὶ οἱ χείμαρροι, καὶ ὅσα τῶν κακῶν αὐτοσχέδια, τὰ μὲν μαλακὰ ῥᾳδίως ἔβλαψε καὶ διελυμήνατο, τοῖς δὲ ἀντιτύποις περιτυχόντα ἔπαθέ τι μᾶλλον ἢ ἔδρασεν, οὕτω καὶ οἱ λάβροι κατὰ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας πειρασμοὶ κινηθέντες ἀσθενέστεροι τοῦ στερεώματος τῆς εἰς Χριστὸν πίστεως διεδείχθησαν. ὡς οὖν παρῆλθε τῆς χαλάζης τὸ νέφος, καὶ παρερρύη τὴν χαράδραν ὁ χείμαρρος (τὸ μὲν γὰρ εἰς αἰθρίαν διελύθη, ὁ δὲ ἐνηφανίσθη τῷ βυθῷ, ξηρὰν καὶ ἄνικμον τὴν ὁδὸν δι’ ἧς ἐρρύη καταλιπών), οὕτω καὶ τὰ νῦν ἡμᾶς χειμάζοντα μικρὸν ὕστερον οὐκ ἔσται· μόνον ἐὰν καταδεξώμεθα μὴ τὸ παρὸν ὁρᾷν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς μικρὸν πορρωτέρω ταῖς ἐλπίσιν ἐνατενίζειν. Εἴτε οὖν βαρὺς ὁ πειρασμός, ἀδελφοί, ὑπομείνωμεν τὰ ἐπίπονα· οὐδεὶς γὰρ μὴ πληγεὶς ἐν ἀγῶσι, μηδὲ κονισάμενος, στεφανοῦται. εἴτε κοῦφα ταῦτα τοῦ διαβόλου τὰ παίγνια, καὶ οἱ ἐπιπεμφθέντες ἡμῖν, ὀχληροὶ μέν, διότι τούτου εἰσὶν ὑπηρέται, εὐκαταφρόνητοι δέ, ὅτι τῇ πονηρίᾳ αὐτῶν ὁ Θεὸς ἀδυναμίαν συνῆψε, φυλαξώμεθα τὴν κατάγνωσιν, ὡς ἐπὶ μικροῖς παθήμασι μεγάλα ὀδυρόμενοι. ἓν γάρ ἐστιν ὀδύνης ἄξιον, ἡ αὐτοῦ ἐκείνου ἀπώλεια, τοῦ τῆς προσκαίρου ἕνεκεν δόξης (εἴπερ οὖν δόξαν χρὴ λέγειν τὸ δημοσίᾳ ἀσχημονεῖν) τῆς αἰωνίας τῶν δικαίων τιμῆς ἑαυτὸν ἀποστερήσαντος. τέκνα ὁμολογητῶν, καὶ τέκνα μαρτύρων ἐστέ, τῶν μέχρις αἵματος ἀντικαταστάντων πρὸς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν. τοῖς οἰκείοις ἕκαστος χρησάσθω ὑποδείγμασι πρὸς τὴν ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἔνστασιν. οὐδεὶς ἡμῶν πληγαῖς κατεξάνθη, οὐδενὸς οἶκος ἐδημεύθη, οὐ τὴν ὑπερορίαν ᾠκήσαμεν, οὐ δεσμωτήριον ἐγνωρίσαμεν. τί πεπόνθαμεν δεινόν; εἰ μὴ τάχα τοῦτο λυπηρόν, ὅτι μηδὲν πεπόνθαμεν, μηδὲ ἐνομίσθημεν ἄξιοι τῶν ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ παθημάτων. εἰ δὲ ὅτι ὁ δεῖνα τὸν οἶκον κατέχει τῆς προσευχῆς, ὑμεῖς δὲ ἐν τῷ ὑπαίθρῳ προσκυνεῖτε τὸν οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς Δεσπότην, τοῦτο ὑμᾶς ἀνιᾷ, ἐνθυμήθητε, ὅτι οἱ μὲν ἕνδεκα μαθηταὶ ἐν τῷ ὑπερῴῳ ἦσαν ἀποκεκλεισμένοι, οἱ δὲ σταυρώσαντες τὸν Κύριον ἐν τῷ περιβοήτῳ ναῷ τὴν Ἰουδαϊκὴν λατρείαν ἐπλήρουν. Ἰούδας γὰρ τὸν δι’ ἀγχόνης θάνατον τοῦ μετʼ αἰσχύνης ζῇν προτιμήσας, ἔδειξε τάχα τῶν νῦν ἀπερυθριασάντων πρὸς πᾶσαν ἀνθρώπων κατάγνωσιν, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀναιδῶς πρὸς τὰ αἰσχρὰ διακειμένων, ἑαυτὸν αἱρετώτερον. Μόνον μὴ ἐξαπατηθῆτε ταῖς ψευδολογίαις αὐτῶν ἐπαγγελλομένων ὀρθότητα πίστεως. Χριστέμποροι γὰρ οἱ τοιοῦτοι, καὶ οὐ Χριστιανοί, τὸ ἀεὶ αὐτοῖς κατὰ τὸν βίον τοῦτον λυσιτελοῦν τοῦ κατʼ ἀλήθειαν ζῇν προτιμῶντες. ὅτε ἐνόμισαν κτᾶσθαι τὴν κενὴν ταύτην ἀρχήν, προσέθεντο τοῖς ἐχθροῖς τοῦ Χριστοῦ· ὅτε εἶδον τοὺς λαοὺς ἀγριαίνοντας, σχηματίζονται πάλιν τὴν ὀρθότητα. οὐκ οἶδα ἐπίσκοπον, μηδὲ ἀριθμήσαιμι ἐν ἱερεῦσι Χριστοῦ τὸν παρὰ τῶν βεβήλων χειρῶν ἐπὶ καταλύσει τῆς πίστεως εἰς προστασίαν προβεβλημένον. αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἐμὴ κρίσις. ὑμεῖς δὲ εἴ τινα ἔχετε μεθʼ ἡμῶν μερίδα, ταὐτὰ ἡμῖν φρονήσετε δηλονότι. εἰ δὲ ἐφʼ ἑαυτῶν βουλεύεσθε, τῆς ἰδίας γνώμης ἕκαστος κύριός ἐστιν, ἡμεῖς ἀθῶοι ἀπὸ τοῦ αἵματος τούτου. ταῦτα δὲ ἔγραψα, οὐχ ὑμῖν ἀπιστῶν, ἀλλὰ τὸ τινῶν ἀμφίβολον στηρίζων ἐκ τοῦ γνωρίσαι τὴν ἐμαυτοῦ γνώμην, ὡς μὴ προληφθῆναί τινα εἰς κοινωνίαν, μηδὲ τῆς χειρὸς αὐτῶν ἐπιβολὴν δεξαμένους, μετὰ ταῦτα εἰρήνης γενομένης, βιάζεσθαι ἑαυτοὺς ἐναριθμεῖν τῷ ἱερατικῷ πληρώματι. πάντα τὸν κλῆρον, τόν τε κατὰ τὴν πόλιν καὶ τὸν ἐπὶ τῆς παροικίας, μετὰ παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ φοβουμένου τὸν Κύριον, ἀσπαζόμεθα δι’ ὑμῶν.