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...

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.

[Πρός: Ἀθανασίῳ, ἐπισκόπῳ Ἀλεξανδρείας] Ἐμοὶ μὲν ἐξαρκοῦν ἐφάνη ἐν τοῖς προτέροις γράμμασι πρὸς τὴν σὴν τιμιότητα τοσοῦτον ἐνδείξασθαι, ὅτι πᾶν τὸ κατὰ τὴν πίστιν ἐρρωμένον τοῦ κατὰ τὴν ἁγίαν ἐκκλησίαν Ἀντιοχείας λαοῦ εἰς μίαν συμφωνίαν καὶ ἕνωσιν χρὴ ἐναχθῆναι, πρὸς τὸ δηλῶσαι, ὅτι τῷ θεοφιλεστάτῳ ἐπισκόπῳ Μελετίῳ δέοι τὰ εἰς μέρη πλείονα νῦν διῃρημένα συνάψαι. ἐπεὶ δὲ ὁ αὐτὸς οὗτος ὁ ἀγαπητὸς συνδιάκονος ἡμῶν Δωρόθεος ἐναργεστέραν τὴν περὶ τούτων ἐπεζήτησε μνήμην, ἀναγκαίως ἐπισημαινόμεθα, ὅτι καὶ πάσῃ τῇ ἀνατολῇ δι’ εὐχῆς, καὶ ἡμῖν τοῖς παντοίως αὐτῷ συνημμένοις ἐπιθυμητόν, αὐτὸν ἰδεῖν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν διέποντα τοῦ Κυρίου, τῇ τε πίστει ἀνεπίληπτον ὄντα, καὶ τῷ βίῳ οὐδεμίαν πρὸς τοὺς ἄλλους ἐπιδεχόμενον σύγκρισιν, καὶ τῷ τοῦ παντός, ὡς εἰπεῖν, σώματος τῆς ἐκκλησίας αὐτὸν προεστάναι, τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ οἷον μερῶν ἀποτμήματα εἶναι. Ὥστε πανταχόθεν ἀναγκαῖόν τε ὁμοῦ καὶ σύμφερον τῷ ἀνδρὶ τούτῳ συναφθῆναι τοὺς ἄλλους, ὥσπερ τοῖς μεγάλοις τῶν ποταμῶν τοὺς ἐλάττους· περὶ δὲ τοὺς ἄλλους γενέσθαι τινὰ οἰκονομίαν, τὴν κἀκείνοις πρέπουσαν, καὶ τὸν λαὸν εἰρηνεύουσαν, καὶ τῇ σῇ συνέσει καὶ περιβοήτῳ ἐντρεχείᾳ καὶ σπουδῇ ἐπιβάλλουσαν. πάντως δὲ οὐκ ἔλαθέ σου τὴν ἀνυπέρβλητον φρόνησιν, ὅτι ἤδη καὶ τοῖς ὁμοψύχοις σου τοῖς κατὰ τὴν δύσιν τὰ αὐτὰ ταῦτα συνήρεσεν, ὡς δηλοῖ τὰ γράμματα τὰ διὰ τοῦ μακαρίου Σιλουανοῦ κομισθέντα ἡμῖν.