35. Who is so distant from this world of
ours, as to be ignorant of what is last in order, but the first and
greatest proof of his power? The same city was again in an uproar
for the same reason, in consequence of the sudden removal of the Bishop
chosen with such honourable violence, who had now departed to God, on
Whose behalf he had nobly and bravely contended in the
persecutions. The heat of the disturbance was in proportion to
its unreasonableness. The man of eminence was not unknown, but
was more conspicuous than the sun amidst the stars, in the eyes not
only of all others, but especially of that select and most pure portion
of the people, whose business is in the sanctuary, and the
Nazarites Nazarites,
i.e., “the monks.” amongst us, to whom
such appointments should, if not entirely, as much as possible belong,
and so the church would be free from harm, instead of to the most
opulent and powerful, or the violent and unreasonable portion of the
people, and especially the most corrupt of them. Indeed, I am
almost inclined to believe that the civil government is more orderly
than ours, to which divine grace is attributed, and that such matters
are better regulated by fear than by reason. For what man in his
senses could ever have approached another, to the neglect of your
divine Your divine,
etc., addressed to S. Basil. and sacred person,
who have been beautified by the hands of the Lord, the unwedded, the
destitute of property and almost of flesh and blood, who in your words
come next to the Word Himself, who are wise among philosophers,
superior to the world among worldlings, my companion and workfellow,
and to speak more daringly, the sharer with me of a common soul, the
partaker of my life and education. Would that I could speak at
liberty and describe you before others without being obliged by your
presence, in dwelling upon such topics, to pass over the greater part
of them, lest I should incur the suspicion of flattery. But, as I
began by saying, the Spirit must needs have known him as His own; yet
he was the mark of envy, at the hands of those whom I am ashamed to
mention, and would that it were not possible to hear their names from
others who studiously ridicule our affairs. Let us pass this by
like a rock in the midstream of a river, and treat with respectful
silence a subject which ought to be forgotten, as we pass on to the
remainder of our subject.