Letter 48: I have had considerable difficulty in finding a messenger to convey a letter to your reverence, for our men are so afraid of the winter that they can hardly bear even to put their heads outside their houses. We have suffered from such a very heavy fall of snow that we have been buried, houses and all, beneath it, and now for two months have been...

From: Basil of Caesarea To: Eusebius, Bishop of Samosata Date: ~370 AD Context: Basil struggles to find a trustworthy letter carrier, reports on a bad situation in his church, and urges Eusebius to intervene with the Western bishops on behalf of the Eastern Nicene cause. To Eusebius, Bishop of Samosata. I have had considerable trouble finding someone to carry a letter to you — not because there is a shortage of travelers in this direction, but because among those I know, it is hard to find one who genuinely fears God and is therefore fit to be trusted with matters of importance. Most people treat other people's business carelessly — they couldn't care less whether a letter arrives or what condition it arrives in. But I found this man — and I am sure he will deliver my letter safely and bring back a reply, if you are willing to give him one. I am especially eager for a letter from you right now, because things here are worse than usual. Our bishop has broken off communion with me — for reasons I am willing to explain at length if you have the patience to read — and the situation is damaging the churches. The details are better spoken than written, but in brief: I have refused to agree to something that I believe is wrong, and the price has been isolation. What I need from you — if there is any way you can manage it — is your influence with the Western bishops [the Eastern Nicene churches were isolated and struggling; the Western churches, which largely held to Nicene orthodoxy, had more stability and imperial favor]. Write to them, or find some other means to make them aware of our situation. I beg you not to delay. Time is not on our side.

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA To Eusebius, Bishop of Samosata. I have had considerable difficulty in finding a messenger to convey a letter to your reverence, for our men are so afraid of the winter that they can hardly bear even to put their heads outside their houses. We have suffered from such a very heavy fall of snow that we have been buried, houses and all, beneath it, and now for two months have been living in dens and caves. You know the Cappadocian character and how hard it is to get us to move. Forgive me then for not writing sooner and bringing to the knowledge of your excellency the latest news from Antioch. To tell you all this now, when it is probable that you learned it long ago, is stale and uninteresting. But as I do not reckon it any trouble to tell you even what you know, I have sent you the letters conveyed by the reader. On this point I shall say no more. Constantinople has now for some time had Demophilus, as the bearers of this letter will themselves tell you, and as has doubtless been reported to your holiness. From all who come to us from that city there is unanimously reported about him a certain counterfeit of orthodoxy and sound religion, to such an extent that even the divided portions of the city have been brought to agreement, and some of the neighbouring bishops have accepted the reconciliation. Our men here have not turned out better than I expected. They came directly you had gone, said and did many painful things, and at last went home again, after making their separation from me wider. Whether anything better will happen in the future, and whether they will give up their evil ways, is unknown to all but God. So much for our present condition. The rest of the Church, by God's grace, stands sound, and prays that in the spring we may have you with us again, and be renewed by your good counsel. My health is no better than it ever is. 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/3202048.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.