Letter 25: 1. I have received intelligence from those who come to me from Ancyra, and they are many and more than I can count, but they all agree in what they say, that you, a man very dear to me, (how can I speak so as to give no offense?) do not mention me in very pleasant terms, nor yet in such as your character would lead me to expect. I, however, lear...

To Athanasius, Bishop of Ancyra 1. I have been hearing reports from those who come to me from Ancyra -- and they are many, more than I can count -- but they all agree in what they say: that you, a man very dear to me (how can I put this without giving offense?), do not speak of me in very flattering terms, nor in the kind of terms your character would lead me to expect. I learned long ago, however, about the weakness of human nature and how quickly it swings from one extreme to another. So rest assured, nothing about it can really surprise me, and no reversal catches me entirely off guard. That my standing with you should have deteriorated, and that insults and reproaches should have replaced the respect I once received -- I do not make a great fuss about this. But one thing genuinely strikes me as astonishing and outrageous: that it should be you who thinks this way about me, and that you should go so far as to feel anger and indignation toward me, and -- if the reports of those who have heard you are to be believed -- that you have already gone to the point of making threats. At these threats, I will admit, I laughed. I would have to be a child to be frightened by such things. But what does alarm and grieve me is this: that you -- a man I have trusted is preserved for the comfort of the churches, a buttress of the truth when so many fall away, and a seed of the old, true faith -- should fall so far in with the current mood as to be more swayed by the slander of the first person who comes along than by your long familiarity with me, and that without any evidence you should be led into suspecting absurdities. 2. But as I said, for the moment I set that aside. Would it have been so hard, my dear sir, to raise your concerns in a short letter, as one friend to another? Or if you did not want to put such things in writing, to ask me to come to you? But if you could not hold back, and your uncontrollable anger would not allow for delay, you might at least have used one of the people around you who are naturally suited to handling confidential matters as a go-between. Instead, of all the people who approach you for one reason or another, whose ears have not been filled with the claim that I am the author of certain pests? For that, they tell me -- quoting you word for word -- is the term you used. The more I think about it, the more baffled I am. Here is what has occurred to me: could some heretic have offended your orthodoxy by maliciously putting my name on his own writings? For you -- a man who has fought great and famous battles on behalf of the truth -- could never have brought yourself to commit such an outrage against what I am well known to have written against those who dare to say that God the Son is essentially unlike God the Father, or who blasphemously describe the Holy Spirit as created and made. You could clear this up yourself, if you would simply tell me plainly what has provoked you to be so angry with me.

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA To Athanasius, bishop of Ancyra. 1. I have received intelligence from those who come to me from Ancyra, and they are many and more than I can count, but they all agree in what they say, that you, a man very dear to me, (how can I speak so as to give no offense?) do not mention me in very pleasant terms, nor yet in such as your character would lead me to expect. I, however, learned long ago the weakness of human nature, and its readiness to turn from one extreme to another; and so, be well assured, nothing connected with it can astonish me, nor does any change come quite unexpected. Therefore that my lot should have changed for the worse, and that reproaches and insults should have arisen in the place of former respect, I do not make much ado. But one thing does really strike me as astonishing and monstrous, and that is that it should be you who have this mind about me, and go so far as to feel anger and indignation against me, and, if the report of your hearers is to be believed, have already proceeded to such extremities as to utter threats. At these threats, I will not deny, I really have laughed. Truly I should have been but a boy to be frightened at such bugbears. But it does seem to me alarming and distressing that you, who, as I have trusted, are preserved for the comfort of the churches, a buttress of the truth where many fall away, and a seed of the ancient and true love, should so far fall in with the present course of events as to be more influenced by the calumny of the first man you come across than by your long knowledge of me, and, without any proof, should be seduced into suspecting absurdities. 2. But, as I said, for the present I postpone the case. Would it have been too hard a task, my dear sir, to discuss in a short letter, as between friend and friend, points which you wish to raise; or, if you objected to entrusting such things to writing, to get me to come to you? But if you could not help speaking out, and your uncontrollable anger allowed no time for delay, at least you might have employed one of those about you who are naturally adapted for dealing with confidential matters, as a means of communication with me. But now, of all those who for one reason or another approach you, into whose ears has it not been dinned that I am a writer and composer of certain pests? For this is the word which those, who quote you word for word, say that you have used. The more I bring my mind to bear upon the matter the more hopeless is my puzzle. This idea has struck me. Can any heretic have grieved your orthodoxy, and driven you to the utterance of that word by malevolently putting my name to his own writings? For you, a man who has sustained great and famous contests on behalf of the truth, could never have endured to inflict such an outrage on what I am well known to have written against those who dare to say that God the Son is in essence unlike God the Father, or who blasphemously describe the Holy Ghost as created and made. You might relieve me from my difficulty yourself, if you would tell me plainly what it is that has stirred you to be thus offended with me. 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/3202025.htm>. Contact 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.