Epistle XXXVI.
To the Abbot Eusebius.
Gregory to Eusebius, &c.
Let thy Charity believe me that I have been
greatly saddened for thy sadness, as though I had myself suffered wrong
in thee. But, when I afterwards learnt that, even after the most
reverend Maximianus, our brother and fellow-bishop, had restored thee
to his favour and communion, thy Love would not accept communion from
him, I then knew that what had been done before was just. The
humility of
God’s
servants ought to
appear in a time of affliction: but those who lift themselves up
against their superiors shew that they scorn to be
God’s
servants. And, indeed, what he once did
ought not to have been done; but still it ought to have been taken by
thee with all humility: and again, when he restored to thee his
favour, he ought to have been met with thanks. And because it was
not so done by thee, I feel that to us in every way there is cause for
tears. For it is no great thing for us to be humble to those by
whom we are honoured; for even any worldly man would do this: but
we ought especially to be humble to those at whose hands we
suffer. For the Psalmist says,
See my humility before mine
enemies
(
Psal. ix.
14
). What life
are we leading, if we will not be humble even to our fathers?
Wherefore, most beloved son, I beseech thee that all bitterness pass
away from thy heart, lest perchance the end should be near, and the
ancient foe should, through the iniquity of discord, bar against us the
way to the eternal kingdom. Further, we have caused a hundred
solidi
to be given to thy Love through Peter the subdeacon,
which I beg thee to accept without offence.