Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 2, Vol. 8 (Basil: Letters and Select Works)

have known better than that Gregory the younger was not the man to take prompt action or rule events. His invention of a fatal sickness, or exaggeration of a slight one, failed to secure even Gregory’s presence at Cæsarea. Gregory burst into tears upon receipt of the news of his friend’s grave illness and hastened to obey the summons to his side. But on the road he met bishops hurrying to Cæsarea for the election of a successor to Eusebius and detected the unreality of Basil’s plea. He at once returned to Nazianzus and wrote the oft-quoted letter¹ on which the interpretation of Basil’s action at this important crisis depends.

Basil may or may not have taken Gregory’s advice not to put himself forward. But Gregory and his father, the bishop, from this time strained every nerve to secure the election of Basil. It was felt that the cause of true religion was at stake. “The Holy Ghost must win.”² Opposition had to be encountered from bishops who were in open or secret sympathy with Basil’s theological opponents, from men of wealth and position to whom Basil was unpopular on account of his practice and preaching of stern self-denial, and from the rabble of Cæsarea.³ Letters were written in the name of Gregory the bishop with an eloquence and literary skill which have led them to be generally regarded as the composition of Gregory the younger. To the people of Cæsarea, Basil was represented as a man of saintly life and of unique capacity to stem the surging tide of heresy.⁴ To the bishops of the province who had asked him to come to Cæsarea without saying why—perhaps in the hope that such a strong friend of Basil’s might be kept away from the election without later being able to contest it on the ground that he had received no summons—he expressed an earnest hope that their choice was not a factious, foregone conclusion. Anticipating possible objections regarding Basil’s weak health, he reminded them that they had to elect not a gladiator, but a primate.⁵ To Eusebius of Samosata, he sent the letter included among those of Basil⁶ in which he urged him to cooperate in securing the appointment of a worthy man. Despite his age and physical infirmity, the elder Gregory was laid in his litter, as his son says,⁷ like a corpse in a grave, and carried to Cæsarea to rise there with fresh vigor and carry the election by his vote.⁸ All resistance was overcome, and Basil was seated on the throne of the great exarchate A title for a bishop with authority over a large ecclesiastical region..

The success of the Catholics roused, as was inevitable, various feelings. Athanasius wrote from Alexandria⁹ to congratulate Cappadocia on her privilege in being ruled by so illustrious a primate. Valens prepared to carry out measures against the Catholic province, which had been interrupted by the revolt of Procopius. The bishops of the province who had been narrowly outvoted, and who had refused to take part in the consecration, abandoned communion with the new primate.¹⁰ But even more distressing to the new archbishop than the disaffection of his subordinates was the refusal of his friend Gregory to come in person to support him on his throne. Gregory pleaded that it was better for Basil’s own sake that there should be no suspicion of favoritism toward personal friends, and begged to be excused for staying at Nazianzus.¹¹ Basil complained that his wishes and interests were disregarded,¹² and was hurt at Gregory’s refusing to accept high responsibilities—possibly the coadjutor-bishopric An assistant bishop with the right of succession.—at Cæsarea.¹³ A further cause of sorrow and annoyance was the blundering attempt of Gregory of Nyssa to effect a reconciliation between his uncle Gregory, who was in sympathy with the disaffected bishops, and his brother. He even went so far as to send more than one forged letter in his uncle’s name. The clumsy counterfeit was naturally discovered, and the widened breach was not bridged without difficulty.¹⁴ The episcopate thus began with troubles, both public and personal. Basil confidently confronted them. His magnanimity and capacity secured the adhesion of his immediate neighbors and subordinates,¹⁵ and soon his energies took a wider range. He directed the theological campaign all over the East, and was ready alike to meet opponents in hand-to-hand encounter and to aim the arrows of his epistolary eloquence far and wide.¹⁶ He invoked the illustrious pope of Alexandria to join him in winning the support of the West for the orthodox cause.¹⁷ He was keenly interested in the unfortunate controversy which distracted the Church of Antioch.¹⁸ He made an earnest appeal to Damasus for the wonted sympathy of the Church of Rome.¹⁹ At the same time, his industry in his see was indefatigable. He was keen to secure the

¹ Greg. N., Ep. xl. (xxi.).

² Or. xliii.

³ Or. xliii. § 37.

⁴ Ep. xli.

⁵ Ep. xliii.

⁶ Ep. xlvii.

⁷ Or. xliii.

⁸ Or. xviii., xliii.

⁹ Athan., Ad Pall. 953; Ad Johan, et Ant. 951.

¹⁰ This is inferred from the latter part of Ep. xlviii. cf. Maran, Vit. Bas. xiii. 3.

¹¹ Greg. Naz., Ep. xlv.

¹² Id. Ep. xlvi.

¹³ Original: τήνδε τῆς καθέδρας τίμην ("this honor of the seat"). Greg. Naz., Or. xliii.

¹⁴ Ep. lviii., lix., lx.

¹⁵ Greg. Naz., Or. xliii. § 40.

¹⁶ Id. § 43.

¹⁷ Basil, Epp. lxvi., lxvii.

¹⁸ Ep. lxix.

¹⁹ Ep. lxx.