The Sage Digital Library Select Library of The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of The Christian Church SECOND SERIES Under the Editorial Supervision of Philip Schaff, D.D., LL.D. and Henry Wace, D.D., Professor of Church History in the Professor of King’s Union Theological Seminary, New York. College, London. VOLUME 8 St. Basil: Letters and Selected Works New York Christian Literature Company 1890-1900 3 THE TREATISE DE SPIRITU SANCTO THE NINE HOMILIES OF THE HEXAEMERON AND THE LETTERS OF SAINT BASIL THE GREAT ARCHBISHOP OF CAESAREA TRANSLATED WITH NOTES BY THE REV. BLOMFIELD JACKSON, M. A. VICAR OF SAINT BARTHOLOMEW’S, MOOR LANE, AND FELLOW OF KING’S COLLEGE, LONDON 4 PREFACE This translation of a portion of the works of St. Basil was originally begun under the editorial supervision of Dr. Wace. It was first announced that the translation would comprise the De Spiritu Sancto and Select Letters, but it was ultimately arranged with Dr. Wace that a volume of the series should be devoted to St. Basil, containing, as well as the De Spiritu Sancto, the whole of the letters, and the Hexaemeron. The De Spiritu Sancto has already appeared in an English form, as have portions of the Letters. The De Spiritu Sancto was presumably selected for publication as being at once the most famous, as it is among the most valuable, of the extant works of this Father. The Letters, comprise short theological treatises and contain passages of historical and varied biographical interest, as well as valuable specimens of spiritual and consolatory exhortation. The Hexaemeron was added as being the most noted and popular of St. Basil’s compositions in older days, and as illustrating his exegetic method and skill, and his power as an extempore preacher. The edition used as been that of the Benedictine editors as issued by Migne, with the aid, in the case of the De Spiritu Sancto, of that published by Rev. C. F. H. Johnston. The editorship of Dr. Wace terminated during the progress of the work, but I am indebted to him, and very gratefully acknowledge the obligation, for valuable counsel and suggestions. I also desire to record my thanks to the Rev. C. Hole, Lecturer in Ecclesiastical History at King’s College, London, and to Mr. Reginald Geare, Head Master of the Grammar School, Bishop’s Stortford, to the former for help in the revision of proof — sheets and important suggestions, and to the letter for aid in the translation of several of the Letters. The works consulted in the process of translation and attempted illustration are sufficiently indicated in the notes. LONDON, DECEMBER, 1894. 5 CONTENTS PROLEGOMENA Genealogical Tables Chronological Tables Biographical Sketch Notice of extant Works THE DE S PIRITU SANCTO THE HEXAEMERON THE LETTERS 6 CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE TO ACCOMPANY THE LIFE OF ST. BASIL A.D. 329 or 330. St. Basil born. 335. Council of Tyre. 336. Death of Arius. 337. Death of Constantine. 340. Death of Constantine II. 341. Dedication creed at Antioch. 343. Julian and Gallus relegated to Macellum. BASIL PROBABLY SENT FROM ANNEN TO SCHOOL AT CAESAREA. 344. Macrostich, and Council of Sardica. 346. BASIL GOES TO CONSTANTINOPLE. 350. Death of Constans. 351. BASIL GOES TO ATHENS. 353. Death of Magnentius. 355. Julian goes to Athens (latter part of year). 356. BASIL RETURNS TO CAESAREA. 357. The 2d Creed of Sirmium, or Blasphemy, subscribed by Hosius and Liberius. BASIL BAPTIZED, AND SHORTLY AFTERWARDS ORDAINED READER. 358. BASIL VISITS M ONASTIC ESTABLISHMENTS IN EGYPT, SYRIA, PALESTINE, AND M ESOPTAMIA, AND RETIRES TO THE M ONASTERY ON THE IRIS. 359. The 3d Creed of Sirmium, Dated May 22. Councils of Seleucia and Ariminum.. 360. Acacian synod of Constantinople. BASIL, NOW ORDAINED DEACON, DISPUTES WITH AETIUS. Dianius subscribes the Creed of Ariminum, and BASIL IN CONSEQUENCE LEAVES CAESAREA. HE VISITS GREGORY AT NAZIANZUS. 361. Death of Constantius and accession of Julian. BASIL WRITES THE “MORALIA.” 7 362. BASIL RETURNS TO CAESAREA. Dianius dies. Eusebius baptized, elected, and consecrated bishop. Lucifer consecrates Paulinus at Antioch. Julian at Caesarea. Martyrdom of Eupsychius. 363. Julian dies (June 27). Accession of Jovian. 364. Jovian dies. Accession of Valentinian and Valens. BASIL ORDAINED PRIEST BY EUSEBIUS. BASIL WRITES AGAINST EUNOMIUS. Semiarian Council of Lampsacus. 365. Revolt of Procopius. Valens at Caesarea. 366. Semiarian deputation to Rome satisfy Liberius of their orthodoxy. Death of Liberius. Damasus bp. of Rome. Procopius defeated. 367. Gratian Augustus. Valens favors the Arians. Council of Tyana. 368. Semiarian Council in Caria. Famine in Cappadocia. 369. DEATH OF EMMELIA. BASIL VISITS SAMOSATA. 370. Death of Eusebius of Caesarea. ELECTION AND CONSECRATION OF BASIL TO THE SEE OF CAESAREA. BASIL M AKES VISITATION TOUR. 371. BASIL THREATENED BY ARIAN BISHOPS AND BY M ODESTUS. Valens, traveling slowly from Nicomedia to Caesarea, arrives at the end of the year. 372. Valens attends great service at Caesarea on the Epiphany, Jan. 6. INTERVIEWS BETWEEN BASIL AND VALENS. Death of Galates. Valens endows Ptochotrophium and quits Caesarea. BASIL VISITS EUSEBIUS AT SAMOSATA. Claim of Anthimus to metropolitan dignity at Tyana. BASIL RESISTS ANTHIMUS. BASIL FORCES GREGORY OF NAZIANZUS TO BE CONSECRATED BISHOP OF SASIMA, AND CONSECRATES HIS BROTHER GREGORY TO NYSSA. CONSEQUENT ESTRANGEMENT OFBASIL AND GREGORY OF NAZIANZUS. 8 BASIL IN ARMENIA. CREED SIGNED BY EUSTATHIUS. 373. St. Epiphanius writes the “Ancoratus.” Death of Athanasius. BASIL VISITED BY JOVINUS OF PERRHA, AND BY SANCTISSIMUS OF ANTIOCH. 374. Death of Auxentius and consecration of Ambrose at Milan. BASIL WRITES THE “DE SPIRITU SANCTO.” Eusebius of Samosata banished to Thrace. Death of Gregory, bp. of Nazianzus, the elder. 375. Death of Valentinian. Gratian and Valentinian II. emperors. Synod of Illyria, and Letter to the Orientals. Semiarian Council of Cyzicus. Demosthenes harasses the Catholics. Gregory of Nyssa deposed. 376. Synod of Iconium. OPEN DENUNCIATION OF EUSTATHIUS BY BASIL. 378. Death of Valens, Aug. 9. Eusebius of Samosata and Meletius return from exile. 379. DEATH OF BASIL, JAN. I. Theodosius Augustus. 9 PROLEGOMENA SKETCH OF THE LIFE AND WORKS OF SAINT BASIL 1. LIFE 1. PARENTAGE AND BIRTH UNDER the persecution of the second Maximinus, a Christian gentleman of good position and fair estate in Pontus, and Macrina his wife, suffered severe hardships. They escaped with their lives, and appear to have retained, or recovered, some of their property. Of their children the names of two only have survived: Gregory and Basil. The former became bishop of one of the sees of Cappadocia. The latter acquired a high reputation in Pontus and the neighboring districts as an advocate of eminence, and as a teacher of rhetoric. His character in the Church for probity and piety stood very high. He married an orphaned gentlewoman named Emmelia, whose father had suffered impoverishment and death for Christ’s sake, and who was herself a conspicuous example of high — mined and gentle Christian womanhood. Of this happy union were born ten children, five boys and five girls. One of the boys appears to have died tin infancy, for on the death of the elder Basil four sons and five daughters were left to share the considerable wealth which he left behind him. Of the nine survivors the eldest was a daughter, named, after her grandmother, Macrina. The eldest of the sons was Basil, the second Naucratius, and the third Gregory. peter, the youngest of the whole family, was born shortly before his father’s death. Of this remarkable group the eldest is commemorated as Saint Macrina in the biography written by her brother Gregory. Naucratius died in early manhood, about the time of the ordination of Basil as reader. The three remaining brothers occupied respectively the sees of Caesarea, Nyssa, and Sebasteia. 10 As to the date of St. Basil’s birth opinions have varied between 316 and 330. The later, which is supported by Garnier, Tillemont, Maran, Fessler, and Bohringer, may probably be accepted as approximately correct. It is true that Basil calls himself an old man in 374, but he was prematurely worn out with work and bad health, and to his friends wrote freely and without concealment of his infirmities. There appears no reason to question the date 329 or 330. Two cities, Caesarea in Cappadocia and Neocaesarea in Pontus, have both been named as his birthplace. There must be some amount of uncertainty on this point, from the fact that no direct statement exists to clear it up, and that the word patri>v was loosely employed to mean not only place of birth, but place of residence and occupation. Basil’s parents had property and interests both in Pontus and Cappadocia, and were as likely to be in the one as in the other. The early statement of Gregory of Nazianzus has been held to have weight, inasmuch as he speaks of Basil as a Cappadocian like himself before there was any other reason but that of birth for associating him with this province. Assenting, then, to the considerations which have been held to afford reasonable ground for assigning Caesarea as the birthplace, we may adopt the popular estimation of Basil as one of “The Three Cappadocians,” and congratulate Cappadocia on the Christian associations which have rescued her fair fame from the slur of the epigram which described her as constituting with Crete and Cilicia a trinity of unsatisfactoriness. Basil’s birth nearly synchronizes with the transference of the chief seat of empire from Rome to Byzantium. He is born into a world where the victory already achieved by the Church has been now for sixteen years officially recognized. He is born into a Church in which the first great Council has already given official expression to those cardinal doctrines of the faith, of which the final and formal vindication is not to be assured till after the struggles of the next six score of years.