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, ...

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.

[Πρός: Κομενταρησίῳ] Ἐπειδή τινες ἐν τῇ συνόδῳ τῇδε συνελήφθησαν τῶν τὰ πονηρὰ ἐργαζομένων, καὶ κλεπτόντων παρὰ τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ Κυρίου ἱμάτια εὐτελῆ πτωχῶν ἀνθρώπων, οὓς ἐνδύειν μᾶλλον ἐχρῆν ἢ ἀποδύειν, συνελάβοντο μὲν αὐτοὺς οἱ τῆς εὐταξίας ἐπιμελόμενοι τῆς ἐκκλησιαστικῆς, νομίσας δὲ αὐτῷ σοι διαφέρειν, ὡς τὰ δημόσια πράττοντι, τὴν τῶν τοιούτων ὑποδοχήν, ἐπέστειλά σοι, γνωρίζων ὅτι τὰ ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις ἁμαρτανόμενα ὑφʼ ἡμῶν προσήκει τῆς πρεπούσης τυγχάνειν διορθώσεως, δικαστὰς δὲ περὶ τούτων μὴ παρενοχλεῖσθαι. διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὰ σῦλα αὐτῶν, ἃ δηλοῖ τὸ παρὰ σοὶ κείμενον, καὶ ἡ ἐπὶ πάντων τῶν παρόντων γενομένη ἀντιγραφή, ὑποδεχθῆναι προσέταξα, καὶ τὰ μὲν ταμιευθῆναι τοῖς ἐπερχομένοις, τὰ δὲ διαδοθῆναι τοῖς παροῦσι· τοὺς δὲ ἀνθρώπους ἐπιστρέψαι ἐν παιδείᾳ καὶ νουθεσίᾳ Κυρίου, οὓς οἶμαι ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Θεοῦ βελτίους ποιήσειν πρὸς τὸ ἐφεξῆς. ἃ γὰρ αἱ τῶν δικαστηρίων πληγαὶ οὐκ ἐργάζονται, ταῦτα ἔγνωμεν πολλάκις τὰ φοβερὰ κρίματα τοῦ Κυρίου κατορθοῦντα· εἰ δὲ δοκεῖ σοι καὶ περὶ τούτων ἀνενεγκεῖν τῷ κόμητι, τοσοῦτον θαρροῦμεν τοῖς δικαίοις καὶ τῇ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ὀρθότητι, ὅτι ἐπιτρέπομέν σοι ποιεῖν ὃ βούλει.