Letter 130: 1. You have very rightly and properly blamed me, right honourable and well beloved brother, in that ever since I departed from your reverence, conveying to Eustathius those propositions about the faith, I have told you neither much nor little about his business. This neglect is really not due to any contempt on my part for the way in which he ha...

To Theodotus, Bishop of Nicopolis [in Armenia Minor, modern northeastern Turkey] Brother, you were absolutely right to criticize me. Ever since I left you — carrying those statements about the faith to Eustathius [Bishop of Sebasteia, once Basil's close ally and mentor in monastic life] — I've told you nothing about what happened. That's not because I don't care about how he's treated me. It's simply that the whole story is now public knowledge. Nobody needs me to explain what Eustathius is up to. He's made sure of that himself — apparently worried he might have too few witnesses to his views, he's sent the letter he wrote against me to every corner of the world. Here's what happened: He cut off communion with me. He refused to meet at the place we'd agreed on. He didn't bring his disciples as he'd promised. Instead, he publicly attacked me at the synods, teaming up with Theophilus of Cilicia to openly accuse me of teaching the people doctrines that contradict his own. That alone was enough to destroy any unity between us. Later, he went to Cilicia and showed a man named Gelasius a creed that only an Arian — or a devoted follower of Arius — could sign. [Arianism: the theological movement that denied Christ's full and co-equal divinity with the Father. The Council of Nicaea in 325 had condemned it, but the controversy raged for decades.] That confirmed everything. As Scripture says, the leopard doesn't change its spots. A man steeped in twisted doctrine will never wash off the stain of his heresy. On top of all this, he's had the nerve to write long attacks against me — page after page of abuse and slander. So far I've said nothing in response. The Apostle teaches us not to take revenge but to leave room for God's judgment. Honestly, the sheer depth of his hypocrisy — all those years of pretending — has left me almost speechless. But even if none of that had happened, his latest outrage would be enough. From what I hear — and I pray the report is slander rather than truth — he has dared to re-ordain certain clergy. Not even the heretics have ever attempted such a thing. How can I stay silent about this? How can I pretend his errors are fixable? So don't let anyone deceive you, Theodotus. Don't believe the suspicious types who suggest I'm taking this lightly. I tell you honestly, my dear friend: I have never been as grieved as I am now, watching the laws of the Church thrown into chaos like this. Pray that the Lord keeps me from acting in anger — that I hold on to the love that, as Paul says, "does not act unseemly and is not puffed up." Just look at what men without love have become: lifted beyond all human limits, behaving disgracefully, daring things no one in living memory has ever dared.

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA To Theodotus bishop of Nicopolis. 1. You have very rightly and properly blamed me, right honourable and well beloved brother, in that ever since I departed from your reverence, conveying to Eustathius those propositions about the faith, I have told you neither much nor little about his business. This neglect is really not due to any contempt on my part for the way in which he has treated me, but simply to the fact that the story is now published abroad in all men's ears, and nobody needs any instructions from me in order to learn what his intentions are. For this he has had good heed, as though he were really afraid that he would have few witnesses of his opinion, and has sent to the ends of the earth the letter which he has written against me. He has therefore severed himself from communion with me. He did not consent to meet me at the appointed spot, and did not bring his disciples, as he had promised. On the contrary, he publicly stigmatized me in the public synods, with the Cilician Theophilus, by the open and undisguised slander of sowing in the souls of the people doctrines at variance with his own teaching. This was quite enough to break up all union between us. Afterwards he came to Cilicia, and, on meeting with a certain Gelasius, showed him the creed which only an Arian, or a thorough disciple of Arius, could subscribe. Then, indeed, I was yet more confirmed in my alienation from him. I felt that the Ethiopian will never change his skin, nor the leopard his spots, nor a man nurtured in doctrines of perversity ever be able to rub off the stain of his heresy. 2. In addition to all this he has had the impudence to write against me, or rather to compose long discourses full of all kinds of abuse and calumny. To these, up to this time, I have answered nothing, taught as we are by the Apostle, not to avenge ourselves, but to give place unto wrath. Romans 12:19 Moreover, at the thought of the depth of the hypocrisy with which he has all along approached me, I have, in a way, become speechless with amazement. But, if all this had never happened, who would not feel horror and detestation of the fellow at this fresh piece of audacity? Now, as I hear, if the report is really true and not a slanderous invention, he has ventured to re-ordain certain men; a proceeding on which so far no heretic has ventured. How then can I quietly endure such treatment? How can I look upon the errors of the man as curable? Beware, then, of being led away by lies; do not be moved by the suspicions of men who are prone to look at everything in a bad light, as though I were making little of such things. For, be sure, my very dear and honourable friend, that I have never at any time been so grieved as I am now, on hearing of this confusion of the laws of the Church. Pray only that the Lord grant me to take no step in anger, but to maintain charity, which behaves itself not unseemly and is not puffed up. Only look how men without charity have been lifted up beyond all human bounds and conduct themselves in an unseemly manner, daring deeds which have no precedent in all the past. 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/3202130.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.