Letter 286: Whereas certain vagabonds have been arrested in the church for stealing, in defiance of God's commandment, some poor men's clothing, of little value otherwise, yet such as they had rather have on than off their backs; and whereas you consider that in virtue of your office you yourself should have the custody of the offenders:— I hereby declare, ...
Basil of Caesarea→Commentariensis|c. 373 AD|basil caesarea
property economicstravel mobility
Economic matters
Certain vagrants have been arrested in the church for stealing some poor men's clothing -- garments of little value in themselves, but things their owners would rather have on than off their backs. You believe that, by virtue of your office, you should have custody of the offenders.
I hereby declare that for offenses committed in the church, it is our responsibility to administer punishment. The intervention of civil authorities is superfluous in such cases.
As for the stolen property, as detailed in the document you hold and the transcript made in the presence of witnesses: retain part for any future claims and distribute the rest among the present claimants.
As for the offenders themselves, let them be corrected through the discipline and instruction of the Lord. By this means I hope to bring about their gradual reform. Where the punishments of human courts have failed, I have often seen the fearful judgments of God prove effective.
If, however, you wish to refer the matter to the count, I have such confidence in his justice and uprightness that I leave you to follow your own counsel.
ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA
To the Commentariensis.
Whereas certain vagabonds have been arrested in the church for stealing, in defiance of God's commandment, some poor men's clothing, of little value otherwise, yet such as they had rather have on than off their backs; and whereas you consider that in virtue of your office you yourself should have the custody of the offenders:— I hereby declare, that I would have you know that for offenses committed in the church it is our business to mete out punishment, and that the intervention of the civil authorities is in these cases superfluous. Wherefore, the stolen property, as set forth in the document in your possession and in the transcript made in the presence of eyewitnesses, I enjoin you to retain, reserving part for future claims, and distributing the rest among the present applicants.
As for the offenders — that they be corrected in the discipline and admonition of the Lord. By this means I hope to work their successive reformations. For where the stripes of human tribunals have failed, I have often known the fearful judgments of God to be effectual. If it is, however, your wish to refer this matter also to the count, such is my confidence in his justice and uprightness that I leave you to follow your own counsels.
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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/3202286.htm>.
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Certain vagrants have been arrested in the church for stealing some poor men's clothing -- garments of little value in themselves, but things their owners would rather have on than off their backs. You believe that, by virtue of your office, you should have custody of the offenders.
I hereby declare that for offenses committed in the church, it is our responsibility to administer punishment. The intervention of civil authorities is superfluous in such cases.
As for the stolen property, as detailed in the document you hold and the transcript made in the presence of witnesses: retain part for any future claims and distribute the rest among the present claimants.
As for the offenders themselves, let them be corrected through the discipline and instruction of the Lord. By this means I hope to bring about their gradual reform. Where the punishments of human courts have failed, I have often seen the fearful judgments of God prove effective.
If, however, you wish to refer the matter to the count, I have such confidence in his justice and uprightness that I leave you to follow your own counsel.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.