Letter 284: Concerning the monks, your excellency has, I believe, already rules in force, so that I need ask for no special favour on their behalf. It is enough that they share with others the enjoyment of your general beneficence; still I feel it incumbent upon me too to interest myself in their case. I therefore submit it to your more perfect judgment, th...

Concerning the monks, Your Excellency already has existing regulations in force, so I need not ask for any special favor on their behalf. It is enough that they share in the benefits of your general goodwill. Still, I feel it my duty to take an interest in their case, and I submit this to your careful judgment: men who long ago took leave of this life, who have mortified their own bodies so that they have neither money to spend nor physical strength to offer in the service of the state -- such men should be exempted from taxation. If their lives are consistent with their profession, they possess neither money nor bodies in any practical sense. Their money is spent on the needy, and their bodies are worn away by prayer and fasting. Men living such lives you will, I know, regard with special reverence. Indeed, you will want to secure their prayers on your behalf, since by their life according to the Gospel they are able to prevail with God.

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA To the assessor in the case of monks. Concerning the monks, your excellency has, I believe, already rules in force, so that I need ask for no special favour on their behalf. It is enough that they share with others the enjoyment of your general beneficence; still I feel it incumbent upon me too to interest myself in their case. I therefore submit it to your more perfect judgment, that men who have long since taken leave of this life, who have mortified their own bodies, so that they have neither money to spend nor bodily service to render in the interests of the common good, should be exempted from taxation. For if their lives are consistent with their profession, they possess neither money nor bodies; for the former is spent in communicating to the needy; while their bodies are worn away in prayer and fasting. Men living such lives you will, I know, regard with special reverence; nay you will wish to secure their intervention, since by their life in the Gospel they are able to prevail with God.

[Πρός: Περὶ μοναζόντων, κηνσίτορι] Οἶμαι μέν τινα ἤδη τύπον κεκρατῆσθαι παρὰ τῇ τιμιότητί σου τῶν μοναζόντων ἕνεκεν, ὡς μηδὲν ἡμᾶς δεῖσθαι ἰδιάζουσαν χάριν ἐπʼ αὐτοῖς αἰτεῖν, ἀλλʼ ἐξαρκεῖν αὐτοῖς, εἰ τῆς κοινῆς μετὰ πάντων ἀπολαύσειαν φιλανθρωπίας· ὅμως δὲ καὶ ἐμαυτῷ ἐπιβάλλειν ἡγούμενος φροντίζειν, τὰ δυνατά, τῶν τοιούτων, ἐπιστέλλω τῇ τελείᾳ συνέσει σου τοὺς πάλαι μὲν ἀποταξαμένους τῷ βίῳ, νεκρώσαντας δὲ ἑαυτῶν τὸ σῶμα, ὡς μήτε ἀπὸ χρημάτων μήτε ἀπὸ τῆς σωματικῆς ὑπηρεσίας δύνασθαί τι παρέχειν τοῖς δημοσίοις χρήσιμον, ἀφιέναι τῶν συντελειῶν. καὶ γὰρ εἴπερ εἰσὶ κατὰ τὸ ἐπάγγελμα ζῶντες, οὔτε χρήματα ἔχουσιν οὔτε σώματα, τὰ μὲν εἰς τὴν τῶν δεομένων κοινωνίαν ἀποκτησάμενοι, τὰ δὲ ἐν νηστείαις καὶ προσευχαῖς κατατρίψαντες. οἶδα δὲ ὅτι τοὺς οὕτω βεβιωκότας παντὸς μᾶλλον δι’ αἰδοῦς ἄξεις, καὶ βουλήσει σεαυτῷ κτήσασθαι βοηθοὺς δυνατοὺς διὰ τῆς κατὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον πολιτείας δυσωπῆσαι τὸν Κύριον.