Basil to Cyriacus, Epistle 114 (Migne, PG 32:528-29)
“Ὅσον ἐστὶ τὸ τῆς εἰρήνης ἀγαθόν,
τί χρὴ λέγειν πρὸς ἄνδρας υἱοὺς τῆς εἰρήνης; Ἐπεὶ οὖν τὸ μέγα τοῦτο, καὶ
θαυμαστόν, καὶ πᾶσι περισπούδαστον τοῖς ἀγαπῶσι τὸν Κύριον, κινδυνεύει λοιπὸν εἰς
ὄνομα ψιλὸν περιτῆναι, διὰ τὸ πληθυνθῆναι τὴν ἀνομίαν, ψυγεῖσης λοιπὸν ἐν τοῖς
πολλοῖς (87) τῆς ἀγάπης, οἶμαι προσήκειν μίαν ταύτην εἶναι σπουδήν τοῖς γνησίως
καὶ ἀληθινῶς δουλεύουσι τῷ Κυρίῳ, τὸ ἐπαναγαγεῖν πρὸς ἕνωσιν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, τὰς
πολυμερῶς καὶ πολυτρόπως ἀπ᾽ ἀλλήλων διασπαρείσας. Ὃ δὴ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπιχειρῶν
ποιεῖν, οὐκ ἂν δικαίως πολυπράγμων αἰτίαν λάβοιμι. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ἴδιον ἐστὶ
Χριστιανοῦ, ὡς τὸ εἰρηνοποιεῖν· διὸ καὶ τὸν ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ μισθὸν μέγιστον ἡμῖν ὁ
Κύριος ἐπηγγείλατο. Συντυχὼν τοίνυν τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς, καὶ θεασάμενος αὐτῶν πολὺ μὲν
τὸ φιλάδελφον καὶ τὸ περὶ ὑμᾶς ἀγαπητικόν, πολὺ δὲ ἔτι πλέον τὸ φιλόχριστον καὶ
τὸ περὶ τὴν πίστιν ἀκριβές τε καὶ εὔτονον· καὶ ὅτι πολλὴ ἀμφοτέρων ποιοῦνται
σπουδήν, τῆς τε ὑμετέρας ἀγάπης μὴ χωρίζεσθαι, καὶ τὴν ὑγιαίνουσαν πίστιν μὴ
κατακροδοῦναι· ἀποδεξάμενος αὐτῶν τὴν ἀγαθὴν προαίρεσιν, ἐπιστέλλω τῇ σεμνότητι
ὑμῶν, παρακαλῶν πάσῃ ἀγάπῃ ἔχειν αὐτοὺς ἡνωμένους γνησίως, καὶ πάσης ἐκκλησιαστικῆς
φροντίδος κοινωνούς· εἰγγυγνόμενος καὶ αὐτοῖς τὴν ὑμετέραν ὀρθότητα, ὅτι καὶ αὐτοὶ
τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτι τῷ ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀληθείας ζήλῳ πρὸς πάντα ἐστὲ παρατεταγμένοι, ὥσπερ
ἂν δέῃ (88) παθεῖν ὑπὲρ τοῦ λόγου τῆς ἀληθείας. Ἔστι δὲ, ὡς ἐμαυτὸν πείθω, τὰ οὔτε
ὑμῖν ὑπεναντία, καὶ τοῖς προειρημένοις τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτάρκη πρὸς πληροφορίαν, ταῦτα,
ὁμολογεῖν ὑμᾶς τὴν ὑπὸ τῶν Πατέρων ἡμῶν ἐκτεθεῖσαν Πίστιν τῶν ἐν Νικαίᾳ ποτὲ
συνελθόντων, καὶ μηδεμίαν τῶν ἐκεῖ λέξεων ἀθετεῖν, ἀλλ᾽ εἰδέναι, ὅτι τριακόσιοι
δέκα καὶ ὀκτώ, ἀφιλονεικῶς συνιδόντες, οὐκ ἄνευ τῆς τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος ἐνεργείας
ἐφθέγξαντο προσθεῖναι δὲ τῇ Πίστει ἐκείνῃ καὶ τὸ μὴ χρήναι λέγειν κτίσμα τὸ
Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, μὴ μέντοι μηδὲ τοῖς λέγουσι κοινωνεῖν, ἵνα καθαρὰ ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡ
Ἐκκλησία, μηδὲν ζιζάνιον ἑαυτῇ παραμεμιγμένον ἔχουσα. Ταύτης αὐτοῖς τῆς
πληροφορίας παρὰ τῆς εὐσπλαγχνίας ὑμῶν προσεθείσης, καὶ αὐτοὶ τὴν πρέπουσαν ὑμῖν
ὑποταγὴν ἕτοιμοι εἰσι παρασχεῖν. Αὐτὸς γὰρ ἐγγυῶμαι τὸ μέρος τῶν ἀδελφῶν, ὡς εἰς
οὐδὲν ἀντεροῦσιν, ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν ὑμῖν ἐπιδείξονται εὐταξίας ὑπερβολήν, ἑνὸς τούτου
αὐτοῖς τοῦ ἐπιζητουμένου παρ᾽ αὐτῶν ὑπὸ τῆς ὑμετέρας τελειότητος ἑτοίμως
παρασχεθέντος.”
“How great the good of peace is, what need is there to
say to men who are sons of peace? Since then this great, wonderful, and for all
who love the Lord most eagerly desired thing is now in danger of becoming
merely a name, because lawlessness has multiplied and the love of the many has
grown cold, I think that the one task fitting for those who genuinely and truly
serve the Lord is to restore to the unity of the Church those things which have
been scattered apart from one another in many ways and in many forms. And in
attempting to do this myself, I should not justly be accused of meddling. For
nothing is so characteristic of a Christian as to make peace; and therefore the
Lord promised us the greatest reward for it.
So, having met the brethren and seen among them much
brotherly affection and goodwill toward you, and even more than that a spirit
of devotion to Christ and exactness and zeal concerning the faith, and seeing
that they are greatly concerned for both things—to remain not separated from
your charity and not to compromise the sound faith—I have, after receiving
their good disposition, written to your reverence, urging you to hold them in
sincere unity of love and as partners in every ecclesiastical care. I also
assure them of your uprightness, since they too, by the grace of God, are set
in every way with zeal for the truth, as though one must suffer for the word of
truth.
And, as I am persuaded, what I have said is not
contrary to you, and is sufficient for the aforesaid brethren as confirmation:
namely, that you confess the Faith laid down by our Fathers, those once
assembled at Nicaea, and that you reject none of the words set forth there; but
that you know that the three hundred and eighteen, having reached agreement
without dispute, spoke not without the working of the Holy Spirit, and
that in that Faith it is also right not to call the Holy Spirit a creature,
nor, indeed, to have communion with those who say so, so that the Church of God
may be pure, with no tares mixed in with it. If this assurance is added to them
by your kindness, they too are ready to offer you the obedience that is
fitting. For I myself guarantee on behalf of the brethren that they will oppose
nothing, but will show you every evidence of order and discipline, if only this
one thing which they seek from your perfection is readily granted to them.”
Isidor of Pelusium, Epistle 99 (before AD 435) (Migne,
PG 78:1164-65)
Περὶ τῆς ἐν Νικαίᾳ συνόδου.
Ἐπεὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὡς γέγραπται, οἱ μὲν μὴ εἶναι τὸ θεῖον φασιν, οὗτοις τὰ ἐπ᾽
ἀσεβεῖᾳ νικητήρια ἥρπασαν (22)· οἱ δὲ εἶναι μὲν, μὴ προνοεῖν δὲ· ἄλλοι δὲ
προνοεῖν μὲν, ἀλλὰ τῶν ἐπουρανίων·ἄλλοι δὲ καὶ τῶν ἐπιγείων μὲν, οὐ πάντων δὲ· ἀλλὰ
καὶ βασιλέων (23) καὶ ἀρχόντων· ἄλλοι δὲ πάντων (24) μὲν (καὶ γὰρ καὶ μέχρι
μυρμήκων τὴν πρόνοιαν αὐτοῦ διήκειν), οὐ μὴν Τριάδα ὁμοούσιον προσκυνεῖν· καὶ οἱ
μὲν αὐτοματισμόν, οἱ δὲ εἱμαρμένην εἶναι ὁρίζονται· καὶ οἱ μὲν διὰ Μωυσέως
μόνον τὸ θεῖον νομοθετηκέναι οἴονται, οἱ δὲ ἐναντίαν δύναμιν· καὶ οἱ μὲν μὴ ἐπιδεδημηκέναι
τὸν ἐκ θεοῦ φύντα Λόγον, οἱ δὲ κατὰ φαντασίαν ἐπιδεδημηκέναι·καὶ οἱ μὲν
σύγχυσιν καὶ κρᾶσιν καὶ ἀρνητισμὸν τῶν οὐσιῶν ἐδογμάτισαν· οἱ δὲ ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ
γεγονῆσθαι·καὶ οἱ μὲν ἐλάττονα τοῦ Πατρός, οἱ δὲ κτίσμα ὡρίσαντο· καὶ οἱ μὲν τὸ
θεῖον Πνεῦμα οὐ Θεῷ ὁμολογοῦσιν· οἱ δὲ λειτουργικὸν καὶ ἁγιαστικὸν ὠνόμαζουσιν·
οὐ χρὴ ταῖς τῶν νοσούντων ἐπεσθαι ψήφοις (25)· ἀλλ᾽ ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν ὑγιανόντων
κρίσεως λαμβάνειν τὰς ἀποδείξεις· καὶ τῇ ἁγίᾳ συνόδῳ τῇ συγκροτηθείσῃ κατὰ
Νικαίαν ἀκολουθεῖν, μήτε προστιθέντας, μήτε ἀφαιροῦντας. Ἐκείνη γὰρ θεόθενἐμπνευσθεῖσα,
τἀληθὲς ἐδογμάτισεν.
On the
Council at Nicaea.
Since
among human beings, as it is written, some say that the divine does not exist,
and these have seized the prizes of impiety; others say that it exists, but
does not exercise providence; others that it exercises providence, but only for
heavenly things; others even for earthly things, but not for all of them, only
for kings and rulers; others for all things, even down to the tiniest ants, yet
do not worship the consubstantial Trinity; and some define things as arising by
automatism, others by fate; some think that God legislated only through Moses,
others through an opposing power; some think that the Word born from God did
not come among us, others that he came only in appearance; some have dogmatized
confusion, mixture, and denial of the substances; others that he became
incarnate in a man; some have declared him less than the Father, others a
creature; and some do not confess the Holy Spirit to be God, while others call
him ministering and sanctifying. One must not follow the votes of the sick, but
take the proofs from the judgment of the healthy, and follow the holy council
assembled at Nicaea, neither adding to nor taking away from it. For that
council, inspired by God, defined the truth.
Gregory of Nazianzen, Oration 21.14 (Migne PG
35:1096-97)
Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο πρῶτον μὲν ἐν τῇ
κατὰ Νίκαιαν ἀρχῇ (87) ταύτῃ συνόδῳ, καὶ τῷ τῶν τριακοσίων ὀκτὼ καὶ δέκα ἀριθμῷ
ἀνδρῶν λογάδων (88), οὓς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον εἰς ἓν ἤγαγε (89), ὅσον ἦν ἐαυτῷ, τὴν
νόσον ἔστησεν· οὕτω μὲν τεταγμένος ἐν ἐπισκόποις, τὰ πρῶτα δὲ (90) τεταγμένος τῶν
συνεληλυθότων· καὶ γὰρ τὴν ἀρετῆς οὐκ ἧττον ἡ βαθμῶν ἡ προτίμησις. Ἔπειτα τοῦ
κακοῦ μισθηθέντος ἤδη ταῖς αὔραις τοῦ πονηροῦ, καὶ τὸ πλεῖον ἐπιλαμβάνοντος (ἐνταῦθα
μοι καὶ τὰ δράματα, ὧν πᾶσα μικροῦ πλήρης γῇ τε καὶ θάλασσα), πολὺς μὲν περὶ αὐτὸν
ὁ πόλεμος, ὡς γενναῖον προστάτην τοῦ λόγου· (πρὸς γὰρ τὸ ἀντιτεῖνον μάλιστα ἡ
παράταξις, καὶ ἄλλοθεν ἄλλο τι τῶν δεινῶν περιφέρον (91): εὑρέτης (92) γὰρ κακῶν
ἡ ἀσέλγεια, καὶ λίαν τολμηρὰ εἰς ἐγχείρησιν· πῶς δὲ ἀνθρώπων ἔμελλον φείδεσθαι,
οἱ θεότητος μὴ φεισάμενοι;) μία δὲ προσβολῶν καὶ (93) χαλεπωτάτη. Συνεσφέρω τι
καὶ αὐτὸς τῷ δράματι· ἀλλὰ μοι παρητήθη (94) τὸ φίλον ἔδαφος ἡ πατρίς· οὐ γὰρ τῆς
ἐνεργούσης, ἀλλὰ τῶν προειρημένων (95) ἡ πονηρία. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἱερὰ τε καὶ πίστιν ἐπ᾽
εὐσεβείᾳ γνώριμος· οἱ δὲ ἀνάξιοι τῆς τεκούσης αὐτοὺς Ἐκκλησίας. Φύεσθαι δὲ καὶ ἐν
ἀμπέλῳ (96) βάτον ἠκούσατε· καὶ Ἰούδας, τῶν μαθητῶν εἷς, ὁ προδότης.
“And for this reason, first, in the holy council at
Nicaea, and among the number of the three hundred and eighteen distinguished
men, whom the Holy Spirit brought together as one, he put a stop, so far as it
was possible, to the disease. He was thus ranked among the bishops, and first
among those assembled; for the preference of rank is no less than that of
virtue. Then, when evil had already been stirred up by the breezes of the
wicked one, and was taking greater hold of things—here too I am reminded of the
dramas, with land and sea all but full of them—there was much warfare against
him, as against a noble champion of the word. For the battle is especially
against whatever stands opposed, and from elsewhere one dreadful thing after
another is brought forward; for wantonness is an inventor of evils and very
bold in undertaking them. How, then, were they to spare human beings, who had
not spared divinity? But one attack was the most grievous of all. I too
contributed something to the drama; but the pleasant ground of my native land
was denied me, for the wickedness was not that of the acting party, but of
those already mentioned. For the sacred and the faithful are known through
piety; but those men are unworthy of the Church that gave them birth. And you
have heard that even a bramble grows in a vineyard, and Judas, one of the
disciples, was the traitor.”
