Letter 67: In my former letter it seemed to me sufficient to point out to your excellency, that all that portion of the people of the holy Church of Antioch who are sound in the faith, ought to be brought to concord and unity. My object was to make it plain that the sections, now divided into several parts, ought to be united under the God-beloved bishop M...
Basil of Caesarea→Athanasius, Presbyter|c. 361 AD|basil caesarea
arianismimperial politics
To Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria [the most influential bishop of the 4th century, champion of Nicene orthodoxy against Arianism],
In my last letter, I made the case that all the orthodox believers in the church at Antioch [a major city in Roman Syria, modern Antakya, Turkey] should be brought together in unity. What I was really saying is that the various factions there need to unite under Bishop Meletius [leader of one of the competing orthodox congregations in Antioch, which had been split by rival claims to the bishopric since the 360s].
Now our friend the deacon Dorotheus has asked me to be more direct about this, so here it is plainly: the entire Eastern church is praying for Meletius to have recognized authority over the churches there. And speaking personally, as someone deeply devoted to him, I share that hope completely.
His faith is beyond question. His character is extraordinary. He is, in effect, the head of the whole body of the church in Antioch — everyone else is like disconnected limbs. So it makes sense, both in principle and in practice, for the smaller groups to join with him, the way tributaries flow into a great river.
That said, the other groups will need to be handled with some diplomacy — respecting their standing and keeping the peace among the people. I know this kind of careful management comes naturally to you, given your well-known wisdom and energy.
You should also know that the Western bishops who are in communion with you have already reached the same conclusion. I learned this from letters delivered to me by the blessed Silvanus.
ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA
To Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria.
In my former letter it seemed to me sufficient to point out to your excellency, that all that portion of the people of the holy Church of Antioch who are sound in the faith, ought to be brought to concord and unity. My object was to make it plain that the sections, now divided into several parts, ought to be united under the God-beloved bishop Meletius. Now the same beloved deacon, Dorotheus, has requested a more distinct statement on these subjects, and I am therefore constrained to point out that it is the prayer of the whole East, and the earnest desire of one who, like myself, is so wholly united to him, to see him in authority over the Churches of the Lord. He is a man of unimpeachable faith; his manner of life is incomparably excellent, he stands at the head, so to say, of the whole body of the Church, and all else are mere disjointed members. On every ground, then, it is necessary as well as advantageous, that the rest should be united with him, just as smaller streams with great ones. About the rest, however, a certain amount of management is needed, befitting their position, and likely to pacify the people. This is in keeping with your own wisdom, and with your famous readiness and energy. It has however by no means escaped your intelligence, that this same course of procedure has already recommended itself to the Westerns who are in agreement with you, as I learn from the letters brought to me by the blessed Silvanus.
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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/3202067.htm>.
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To Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria [the most influential bishop of the 4th century, champion of Nicene orthodoxy against Arianism],
In my last letter, I made the case that all the orthodox believers in the church at Antioch [a major city in Roman Syria, modern Antakya, Turkey] should be brought together in unity. What I was really saying is that the various factions there need to unite under Bishop Meletius [leader of one of the competing orthodox congregations in Antioch, which had been split by rival claims to the bishopric since the 360s].
Now our friend the deacon Dorotheus has asked me to be more direct about this, so here it is plainly: the entire Eastern church is praying for Meletius to have recognized authority over the churches there. And speaking personally, as someone deeply devoted to him, I share that hope completely.
His faith is beyond question. His character is extraordinary. He is, in effect, the head of the whole body of the church in Antioch — everyone else is like disconnected limbs. So it makes sense, both in principle and in practice, for the smaller groups to join with him, the way tributaries flow into a great river.
That said, the other groups will need to be handled with some diplomacy — respecting their standing and keeping the peace among the people. I know this kind of careful management comes naturally to you, given your well-known wisdom and energy.
You should also know that the Western bishops who are in communion with you have already reached the same conclusion. I learned this from letters delivered to me by the blessed Silvanus.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.