Letter 32: Our God — beloved brother, Gregory the bishop, shares the troubles of the times, for he too, like everybody else, is distressed at successive outrages, and resembles a man buffeted by unexpected blows. For men who have no fear of God, possibly forced by the greatness of their troubles, are reviling him, on the ground that they have lent Cæsariu...

Dear Sophronius, Our dear brother Gregory the bishop [Gregory of Nazianzus the Elder, father of Basil's close friend Gregory of Nazianzus] is caught up in the troubles of the times. Like everyone else, he's been hit by one crisis after another. People with no fear of God — perhaps driven desperate by their own hardships — are hounding him, claiming that Caesarius [Gregory of Nazianzus's brother, a physician who served at the imperial court] owed them money. It's not the financial loss that bothers Gregory. He gave up caring about wealth long ago. The real problem is this: the people who distributed Caesarius's estate took most of what was valuable, since his property had been in the hands of slaves and people no better than slaves. What little remained, the executors believed was free of any claims, so they immediately gave it to the poor — not just because they wanted to, but because Caesarius himself asked for it. On his deathbed, Caesarius reportedly said, "I want my possessions to go to the poor." So they honored his dying wish and distributed what was left. Now Gregory, who lives with the poverty of a true Christian, finds himself dragged into the haggling of a marketplace. That's why I'm writing to you. I'm hoping you'll speak to the Comes Thesaurorum [the Count of the Treasury, a senior imperial financial official] on Gregory's behalf. You've known him for years. Honor him — and honor the Lord, who considers what's done for His servants as done for Himself. And do me a personal favor in the process, since I'm deeply connected to you. I trust your sharp mind will find a way to deliver him from these outrageous people and their unbearable harassment. No one who knows Gregory could possibly suspect him of mishandling the accounts out of greed. His generosity speaks for itself. He's happy to hand over whatever remains of Caesarius's property to the imperial Treasury — let the Treasurer deal with the claimants and make them prove their cases. We're not cut out for that kind of business. You should know that as long as there was anything to give, no one was turned away. Everyone got what they asked for without any difficulty. The result, of course, was that many people regretted not asking for more the first time around — which only produced more claimants. Seeing how easily the early ones succeeded, one fraudulent creditor after another has been showing up. So I'm asking you: please put a stop to this. Step in like a dam breaking the flow of these troubles. You know better than I do how to help — you don't need me to tell you. I have no experience with worldly affairs and can't see a way out of this mess. With your wisdom, find us a solution. Be our counselor. Be our champion.

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA To Sophronius the Master. Our God — beloved brother, Gregory the bishop, shares the troubles of the times, for he too, like everybody else, is distressed at successive outrages, and resembles a man buffeted by unexpected blows. For men who have no fear of God, possibly forced by the greatness of their troubles, are reviling him, on the ground that they have lent Cæsarius money. It is not indeed the question of any loss which is serious, for he has long learned to despise riches. The matter rather is that those who have so freely distributed all the effects of Cæsarius that were worth anything, after really getting very little, because his property was in the hands of slaves, and of men of no better character than slaves, did not leave much for the executors. This little they supposed to be pledged to no one, and straightway spent it on the poor, not only from their own preference, but because of the injunctions of the dead. For on his death bed Cæsarius is declared to have said I wish my goods to belong to the poor. In obedience then to the wishes of Cæsarius they made a proper distribution of them. Now, with the poverty of a Christian, Gregory is immersed in the bustle of a chafferer. So I bethought me of reporting the matter to your excellency, in order that you may state what you think proper about Gregory to the Comes Thesaurorum, and so may honour a man whom you have known for many years, glorify the Lord who takes as done to Himself what is done to His servants, and honour me who am specially bound to you. You will, I hope, of your great sagacity devise a means of relief from these outrageous people and intolerable annoyances. 2. No one is so ignorant of Gregory as to have any unworthy suspicion of his giving an inexact account of the circumstances because he is fond of money. We have not to go far to find a proof of his liberality. What is left of the property of Cæsarius he gladly abandons to the Treasury, so that the property may be kept there, and the Treasurer may give answer to those who attack it and demand their proofs; for we are not adapted for such business. Your excellency may be informed that, so long as it was possible, no one went away without getting what he wanted, and each one carried off what he demanded without any difficulty. The consequence indeed was that a good many were sorry that they had not asked for more at first; and this made still more objectors, for with the example of the earlier successful applicants before them, one false claimant starts up after another. I do then entreat your excellency to make a stand against all this and to come in, like some intervening stream, and solve the continuity of these troubles. You know how best you will help matters, and need not wait to be instructed by me. I am inexperienced in the affairs of this life, and cannot see my way out of our difficulties. Of your great wisdom discover some means of help. Be our counsellor. Be our champion. 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/3202032.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.