Letter 276: The common law of human nature makes elders fathers to youngsters, and the special peculiar law of us Christians puts us old men in the place of parents to the younger. Do not, then, think that I am impertinent or show myself indefensibly meddlesome, if I plead with you on behalf of your son. In other respects I think it only right that you shou...
Basil of Caesarea→Pope Gregory the Great|c. 373 AD|basil caesarea
Travel & mobility; Economic matters
The common law of human nature makes older men fathers to the young, and the particular law of Christians puts us elders in the place of parents. Do not think me impertinent, then, if I plead with you on behalf of your son.
In other matters I think it entirely right that you should expect obedience from him. His body is subject to you, both by the law of nature and by the civil law under which we live. His soul, however, comes from a higher source and may properly be held subject to another authority. The debts it owes to God take precedence over all others.
Since, then, he has chosen the God of the Christians -- the true God -- over the many gods you worship through material images, do not be angry with him. Admire instead the noble firmness of his soul: he has sacrificed the obedience owed to his father for the sake of union with God through true knowledge and a virtuous life.
Nature herself will move you -- along with your well-known gentleness and kindness of disposition -- not to feel angry with him, even slightly. And I am confident that you will not disregard my intercession -- or rather, the intercession of all your fellow citizens, of which I am merely the spokesman. They all love you and pray earnestly for every blessing upon you, believing that in you they have a man worthy of the highest respect.
ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA
To the great Harmatius.
The common law of human nature makes elders fathers to youngsters, and the special peculiar law of us Christians puts us old men in the place of parents to the younger. Do not, then, think that I am impertinent or show myself indefensibly meddlesome, if I plead with you on behalf of your son. In other respects I think it only right that you should exact obedience from him; for, so far as his body is concerned, he is subject to you, both by the law of nature, and by the civil law under which we live. His soul, however, is derived from a diviner source, and may properly be held to be subject to another authority. The debts which it owes to God have a higher claim than any others. Since, then, he has preferred the God of us Christians, the true God, to your many gods which are worshipped by the help of material symbols, be not angry with him. Rather admire his noble firmness of soul, in sacrificing the fear and respect due to his father to close conjunction with God, through true knowledge and a life of virtue. Nature herself will move you, as well as your invariable gentleness and kindliness of disposition, not to allow yourself to feel angry with him even to a small extent. And I am sure that you will not set my mediation at naught — or rather, I should say, the mediation of your townsmen of which I am the exponent. They all love you so well, and pray so earnestly for all blessings for you, that they suppose that in you they have welcomed a Christian too. So overjoyed have they been at the report which has suddenly reached the town.
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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/3202276.htm>.
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The common law of human nature makes older men fathers to the young, and the particular law of Christians puts us elders in the place of parents. Do not think me impertinent, then, if I plead with you on behalf of your son.
In other matters I think it entirely right that you should expect obedience from him. His body is subject to you, both by the law of nature and by the civil law under which we live. His soul, however, comes from a higher source and may properly be held subject to another authority. The debts it owes to God take precedence over all others.
Since, then, he has chosen the God of the Christians -- the true God -- over the many gods you worship through material images, do not be angry with him. Admire instead the noble firmness of his soul: he has sacrificed the obedience owed to his father for the sake of union with God through true knowledge and a virtuous life.
Nature herself will move you -- along with your well-known gentleness and kindness of disposition -- not to feel angry with him, even slightly. And I am confident that you will not disregard my intercession -- or rather, the intercession of all your fellow citizens, of which I am merely the spokesman. They all love you and pray earnestly for every blessing upon you, believing that in you they have a man worthy of the highest respect.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.