Letter 98: 1. After receiving the letter of your holiness, in which you said you would not come, I was most anxious to set out for Nicopolis, but I have grown weaker in my wish and have remembered all my infirmity. I bethought me, too, of the lack of seriousness in the conduct of those who invited me.

To Eusebius, Bishop of Samosata [a city on the Euphrates in southeastern Turkey] **1.** After getting your letter saying you wouldn't come, I was eager to head to Nicopolis [a city in eastern Turkey, site of regional church councils] myself — but my enthusiasm faded as I remembered how sick I've been. I also thought about how casually the people there had treated the whole thing. They sent a passing invitation through our brother Hellenius, the customs official at Nazianzus [Gregory of Nazianzus's hometown in Cappadocia], but never bothered to send a reminder or anyone to escort me. And since — thanks to my sins — they seem to regard me with suspicion, I decided not to darken their gathering with my presence. With you at my side, I'll gladly take on serious challenges. Without you, I can barely face the ordinary ones. So I let the festival pass and postponed the meeting to a quieter time. My plan now is to go to Nicopolis to discuss Church matters with the godly Bishop Meletius [Meletius of Antioch, a key orthodox leader], in case he decides not to travel to Samosata. If he agrees, I'll hurry to meet him — but I need confirmation from both of you: from him in reply to my letter, and from you. **2.** I was also supposed to meet with the bishops of Cappadocia Secunda [when the province of Cappadocia was split in two by Emperor Valens, some bishops suddenly fell under a different civil jurisdiction]. The moment they were placed under a separate prefecture, they decided they were foreigners to me. They ignored me completely, as if they'd never been under my authority and owed me nothing. I was also expecting a second meeting with Bishop Eustathius [Eustathius of Sebaste, a controversial ascetic leader]. Many people had been complaining that he was undermining orthodox teaching, so I met with him and found, by God's grace, that he was genuinely committed to orthodoxy. Unfortunately, due to the negligence of the very people who should have delivered my letter, his reply never reached you — and with everything else on my mind, I forgot to follow up. I, too, wanted our brother Gregory [Gregory of Nazianzus, Basil's closest friend and fellow theologian] to have a church worthy of his talents — and really, that would mean the entire Church on earth gathered in one place. But since that's impossible, let him be a bishop who doesn't get his dignity from his see, but gives dignity to it. A truly great person isn't just equal to great responsibilities — he makes small ones great. Now, what should we do about Palmatius, who keeps helping Maximus in his persecutions despite repeated appeals from the brothers? They're still writing to him about it. They can't come in person — they're too ill and too busy. Believe me, dear Father, our situation here desperately needs your presence. I must ask you once more to set your venerable old age in motion and come support Cappadocia, which is tottering and in danger of collapse.

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA To Eusebius, bishop of Samosata. 1. After receiving the letter of your holiness, in which you said you would not come, I was most anxious to set out for Nicopolis, but I have grown weaker in my wish and have remembered all my infirmity. I bethought me, too, of the lack of seriousness in the conduct of those who invited me. They gave me a casual invitation by the hands of our reverend brother Hellenius, the surveyor of customs at Nazianzus, but they never took the trouble to send a messenger to remind me, or any one to escort me. As, for my sins, I was an object of suspicion to them, I shrank from sullying the brightness of their meeting by my presence. In company with your excellency I do not shrink from stripping for even serious trials of strength; but apart from you I feel myself hardly equal even to looking at every day troubles. Since, then, my meeting with them was intended to be about Church affairs, I let the time of the festival go by, and put off the meeting to a period of rest and freedom from distraction, and have decided to go to Nicopolis to discuss the needs of the Churches with the godly bishop Meletius, in case he should decline to go to Samosata. If he agrees, I shall hasten to meet him, provided this is made clear to me by both of you, by him in reply to me (for I have written), and by your reverence. 2. We were to have met the bishops of Cappadocia Secunda, who, directly they were ranked under another prefecture, suddenly got the idea that they were made foreigners and strangers to me. They ignored me, as though they had never been under my jurisdiction, and had nothing to do with me. I was expecting too a second meeting with the reverend bishop Eustathius, which actually took place. For on account of the cry raised by many against him that he was injuring the faith, I met him, and found, by God's grace, that he was heartily following all orthodoxy. By the fault of the very men who ought to have conveyed my letter, that of the bishop was not transmitted to your excellency, and, harassed as I was by a multitude of cares, it escaped my memory. I, too, was anxious that our brother Gregory should have the government of a Church commensurate with his abilities; and that would have been the whole Church under the sun gathered into one place. But, as this is impossible, let him be a bishop, not deriving dignity from his see, but conferring dignity on his see by himself. For it is the part of a really great man not only to be sufficient for great things, but by his own influence to make small things great. But what is to be done to Palmatius, who, after so many exhortations of the brethren, still helps Maximus in his persecutions? Even now they do not hesitate to write to him. They are prevented from coming themselves by bodily weakness and their own occupations. Believe me, very godly Father, our own affairs are much in need of your presence, and yet once more you must put your honourable old age in motion, that you may give your support to Cappadocia, which is now tottering and in danger of falling. About this page 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/3202098.htm>. Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is feedback732 at newadvent.org. (To help fight spam, this address might change occasionally.) Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.