Letter 45: (After the Consecration every one thought that Gregory would at once join his friend; and Basil himself much wished for his assistance. But Gregory thought it better to restrain his desire to see his friend until jealousies had time to calm down. So he wrote the following letter to explain the reasons for his staying away at this juncture.) When...
When I learned you'd been placed on the lofty throne — that the Spirit had prevailed to set the candle on the candlestick, a candle that already shone with no dim light — I was glad. I confess it. How could I not be, seeing the Church in such a sorry state, so desperately in need of a guiding hand like yours?
But I didn't rush to you right away, and I won't — not even if you ask.
First, for the sake of your dignity: I don't want it to look like you're gathering partisans in a fit of hot temper and bad taste, as your critics would say. Second, for my own sake: I want to build a reputation for steadiness and being above petty hostility.
"When will you come, then?" you may ask. "How long will you wait?"
As long as God directs, and until the shadow of the present enmity and slander has passed. The lepers — I know it — won't hold out very long to keep our David out of Jerusalem.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.
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