The success of the Catholics roused, as was inevitable, various feelings.  Athanasius wrote from Alexandria Athan., Ad Pall. 953; Ad Johan, et Ant. 951. to congratulate Cappadocia on her privilege in being ruled by so illustrious a primate.  Valens prepared to carry out the measures against the Catholic province, which had been interrupted by the revolt of Procopius.  The bishops of the province who had been narrowly out-voted, and who had refused to take part in the consecration, abandoned communion with the new primate. This is inferred from the latter part of Ep. xlviii.  cf. Maran, Vit. Bas. xiii. 3.  But even more distressing to the new archbishop than the disaffection of his suffragans was the refusal of his friend Gregory to come in person to support him on his throne.  Gregory pleaded that it was better for Basil’s own sake that there should be no suspicion of favour to personal friends, and begged to be excused for staying at Nazianzus. Greg. Naz., Ep. xlv.  Basil complained that his wishes and interests were disregarded, Id. Ep. xlvi. and was hurt at Gregory’s refusing to accept high responsibilities, possibly the coadjutor-bishopric, at Cæsarea. τήνδε τῆς καθέδρας τίμην.  Greg. Naz., Or. xliii.  A yet further cause of sorrow and annoyance was the blundering attempt of Gregory of Nyssa to effect a reconciliation between his uncle Gregory, who was in sympathy with the disaffected bishops, and his brother.  He even went so far as to send more than one forged letter in their uncle’s name.  The clumsy counterfeit was naturally found out, and the widened breach not bridged without difficulty. Epp. lviii., lix., lx.  The episcopate thus began with troubles, both public and personal.  Basil confidently confronted them.  His magnanimity and capacity secured the adhesion of his immediate neighbours and subordinates, Greg. Naz., Or. xliii. § 40. and soon his energies took a wider range.  He directed the theological campaign all over the East, and was ready alike to meet opponents in hand to hand encounter, and to aim the arrows of his epistolary eloquence far and wide. Id. § 43.  He invokes the illustrious pope of Alexandria to join him in winning the support of the West for the orthodox cause. Basil, Epp. lxvi., lxvii.  He is keenly interested in the unfortunate controversy which distracted the Church of Antioch. Ep. lxix.  He makes an earnest appeal to Damasus for the wonted sympathy of the Church at Rome. Ep. lxx.  At the same time his industry in his see was indefatigable.  He is keen to secure the purity of ordination and the fitness of candidates.Ep. liii.  Crowds of working people come to hear him preach before they go to their work for the day.Hex. Hom. iii. p. 65.  He travels distances which would be thought noticeable even in our modern days of idolatry of the great goddess Locomotion.  He manages vast institutions eleemosynary and collegiate.  His correspondence is constant and complicated.  He seems the personification of the active, rather than of the literary and scholarly, bishop.  Yet all the while he is writing tracts and treatises which are monuments of industrious composition, and indicative of a memory stored with various learning, and of the daily and effective study of Holy Scripture.