St. Basil on the Arian Crisis

[RosaryCrusader]

“Religious people keep silence, but every blaspheming tongue is let loose. Sacred things are profaned; those of the laity who are sound in faith avoid the places of worship as schools of impiety, and raise their hands in solitudes, with groans and tears to the Lord in heaven.” Ep. 92.

Four years after he writes:

“Matters have come to this pass: the people have left their houses of prayer, and assemble in deserts,—a pitiable sight; women and children, old men, and men otherwise infirm, wretchedly faring in the open air, amid the most profuse rains and snow-storms and winds and frosts of winter; and again in summer under a scorching sun. To this they submit, because they will have no part in the wicked Arian leaven.” Ep. 242. Again: “Only one offence is now vigorously punished,—an accurate observance of our fathers’ traditions. For this cause the pious are driven from their countries, and transported into deserts. The people are in lamentation, in continual tears at home and abroad. There is a cry in the city, a cry in the country, in the roads, in the deserts. Joy and spiritual cheerfulness are no more; our feasts are turned into mourning; our houses of prayer are shut up, our altars deprived of the spiritual worship.” Ep. 243.

 

[Ultima_Ratio]

Cardinal Newman on the Arian crisis:

Cardinal Newman: “It is not a little remarkable, that, though historically speaking, the fourth century is the age of doctors, illustrated, as it is, by the Saints Athanasius, Hilary, the two Gregories, Basil, Chrysostom, Ambrose, Jerome, and Augustine (and all those saints [were] bishops also, except one), nevertheless in that very day the Divine tradition committed to the infallible Church was proclaimed and maintained far more by the faithful than by the episcopate. …** the divine dogma of Our Lord’s divinity was proclaimed, enforced, maintained, and (humanly speaking) preserved, far more by the Ecclesia docta [the faithful] than by the Ecclesia docens [the magisterium] ; that the body of the Episcopate was unfaithful to its commission, while the body of the laity was faithful to its baptism; that at one time the Pope, at other times a patriarchal, metropolitan, or other great sees, at other times general councils21 said what they should not have said, or did what obscured and compromised revealed truth**; while, on the other hand, it was the Christian people, who, under Providence, were the ecclesiastical strength of Athanasius, Eusebius of Vercellae, and other great solitary confessors, who would have failed without them… On the one hand, then,** I say, that there was a temporary suspense of the functions of the Ecclesia docens [the magisterum]. The body of bishops failed in their confession of the faith”. **
Bishop Graber of Regensburg on the Church in our day.

Bishop Graber: “What happened over 1600 years ago [during the Arian crisis] is repeating itself today, but with two or three differences: Alexandria today is the whole Universal Church, the stability of which is being shaken, and what was undertaken at that time by means of physical force and cruelty is now being transformed to a different level. Exile is replaced by banishment into the silence of being ignored; killing by assassination of character” (Athanasius and the Church of Our Time, p. 23).

 

[Barbkw]

Most wish to believe that Early Church and Catholic history were collected times of calm, peace and holiness. Clearly, they were not.

Substitute the Holy Spirit for the voice of Sean Connery (John Mason) on the movie The Rock.

John Mason: “I’m fed up saving your -ss. I’m amazed you ever got past puberty.”

 

[Shin]

That quote of St. Basil has always stayed with me.

‘May God console you! . . . What saddens you . . . is the fact that others have occupied the churches by violence, while during this time you are on the outside. It is a fact that they have the premises – but you have the Apostolic Faith. They can occupy our churches, but they are outside the true Faith. You remain outside the places of worship, but the Faith dwells within you. Let us consider: what is more important, the place or the Faith? The true Faith, obviously. Who has lost and who has won in the struggle – the one who keeps the premises or the one who keeps the Faith?’

St. Athanasius

‘In my judgment the war that is waged against us by our fellow countrymen is the hardest to bear, because against open and declared enemies it is easy to defend ourselves, while we are necessarily at the mercy of those who are associated with us, and are thus exposed to continual danger. This has been your case. Our fathers were persecuted, but by idolaters their substance was plundered, their houses were overthrown, they themselves were driven into exile, by our open enemies, for Christ’s name’s sake. The persecutors who have lately appeared, hate us no less than they, but, to the deceiving of many, they put forward the name of Christ, that the persecuted may be robbed of all comfort from its confession, because the majority of simpler folk, while admitting that we are being wronged, are unwilling to reckon our death for the truth’s sake to be martyrdom. I am therefore persuaded that the reward in store for you from the righteous Judge is yet greater than that bestowed on those former martyrs. They indeed both had the public praise of men, and received the reward of God; to you, though your good deeds are not less, no honours are given by the people. It is only fair that the requital in store for you in the world to come should be far greater.’

‘I exhort you, therefore, not to faint in your afflictions, but to be revived by God’s love, and to add daily to your zeal, knowing that in you ought to be preserved that remnant of true religion which the Lord will find when He comes on the earth. Even if bishops are driven from their Churches, be not dismayed. If traitors have arisen from among the very clergy themselves, let not this undermine your confidence in God. We are saved not by names, but by mind and purpose, and genuine love toward our Creator. Bethink you how in the attack against our Lord, high priests and scribes and elders devised the plot, and how few of the people were found really receiving the word. Remember that it is not the multitude who are being saved, but the elect of God. Be not then affrighted at the great multitude of the people who are carried hither and thither by winds like the waters of the sea. If but one be saved, like Lot at Sodom, he ought to abide in right judgment, keeping his hope in Christ unshaken, for the Lord will not forsake His holy ones. Salute all the brethren in Christ from me. Pray earnestly for my miserable soul.’

St. Basil the Great

 

[Ultima_Ratio]

That quote of St. Basil has always stayed with me.

‘May God console you! . . . What saddens you . . . is the fact that others have occupied the churches by violence, while during this time you are on the outside. It is a fact that they have the premises – but you have the Apostolic Faith. They can occupy our churches, but they are outside the true Faith. You remain outside the places of worship, but the Faith dwells within you. Let us consider: what is more important, the place or the Faith? The true Faith, obviously. Who has lost and who has won in the struggle – the one who keeps the premises or the one who keeps the Faith?’

St. Athanasius

’In my judgment the war that is waged against us by our fellow countrymen is the hardest to bear, because against open and declared enemies it is easy to defend ourselves, while we are necessarily at the mercy of those who are associated with us, and are thus exposed to continual danger. This has been your case. Our fathers were persecuted, but by idolaters their substance was plundered, their houses were overthrown, they themselves were driven into exile, by our open enemies, for Christ’s name’s sake. The persecutors who have lately appeared, hate us no less than they, but, to the deceiving of many, they put forward the name of Christ, that the persecuted may be robbed of all comfort from its confession, because the majority of simpler folk, while admitting that we are being wronged, are unwilling to reckon our death for the truth’s sake to be martyrdom. I am therefore persuaded that the reward in store for you from the righteous Judge is yet greater than that bestowed on those former martyrs. They indeed both had the public praise of men, and received the reward of God; to you, though your good deeds are not less, no honours are given by the people. It is only fair that the requital in store for you in the world to come should be far greater.’

‘I exhort you, therefore, not to faint in your afflictions, but to be revived by God’s love, and to add daily to your zeal, knowing that in you ought to be preserved that remnant of true religion which the Lord will find when He comes on the earth. Even if bishops are driven from their Churches, be not dismayed. **If traitors have arisen from among the very clergy themselves, let not this undermine your confidence in God. **We are saved not by names, but by mind and purpose, and genuine love toward our Creator. Bethink you how in the attack against our Lord, high priests and scribes and elders devised the plot, and how few of the people were found really receiving the word. Remember that it is not the multitude who are being saved, but the elect of God. Be not then affrighted at the great multitude of the people who are carried hither and thither by winds like the waters of the sea. If but one be saved, like Lot at Sodom, he ought to abide in right judgment, keeping his hope in Christ unshaken, for the Lord will not forsake His holy ones. Salute all the brethren in Christ from me. Pray earnestly for my miserable soul.’

St. Basil the Great

Encouraging words for those who are trying preserve the faith “whole and inviolate” in our day.

 

[Shin]

Here’s a little chronology of the Arian crisis from a monastic website… I think people will find the usefulness or rather not so usefulness of the various councils notable.

A CHRONOLOGY of THE ARIAN CONTROVERSY

325: Council of Nicea, leadership uncertain; young deacon Athanasius in attendance. Council condemns Arius; Arian bishops forced to submit.

328: Athanasius named bishop of Alexandria, but exiled Arian bishops are returned from exile at the instigation of the emperor Constantine’s sister, Constantia, an Arian sympathizer.

330: The Nicene bishop of Antioch is deposed and banished.

336: Athanasius exiled to Trier. Arius invited to return to the Church, but dies suddenly before his reinstatement.

337: Constantine dies. Athanasius and other Nicene bishops are returned to their dioceses. However, new emperor of the East, Constantius, favors Arianism. He is restrained only by his brother, Constans, ruler of the West, who is pro-Nicea and a protector of Nicene Catholics.

339: Athanasius again deposed from his diocese and flees to Rome.

341: A council in Rome affirms Athanasius’s orthodoxy. The same year, however, a council of Eastern, pro-Arian bishops meets in Antioch where a majority subscribed to a vague and ambiguous statement.

343: In order to restore peace to the Empire, both emperors convoked another council at Sardica, but the pro-Arian bishops left it for fear of being defeated. At Sardica Athanasius was once again recognized as the rightful bishop of Alexandria and several Arian bishops were deposed.

346: Athanasius returns to Alexandria. A short period of peace follows.

350: Constans (Nicene emperor of the West) dies. Constantius, a pro-Arian, is sole ruler. New persecutions of Nicene Catholics follow.

351: Pro-Arians hold a council at Sirmium and promulgate a new, vague formula that was supposed to replace the Nicene teaching.

353: Western bishops meet in council at Arles and reject the formula of Sirmium.

355: Western bishops meet again in Milan and again reject the Sirmium formula. Athanasius, Pope Liberius, and others are exiled. But Arians are by now split into three different groups.

357: The most moderate of the pro-Arian bishops meet again in council at Sirmium and draft a document that comes close to Nicene orthodoxy.

359: Both Eastern and Western bishops hold a double council, one at Seleucia and the other at Ariminum, and accept the moderate formula of Sirmium. St. Jerome writes his famous comment: “The whole world groaned and marvelled to find itself Arian.”

361: This victory of the pro-Arians, however, frightened others into the ranks of the Nicene Catholics. Constantius dies. Athanasius returns yet again to Alexandria.

362: He holds a council there to reconcile the moderate Arians with Nicea. The West, under Valentinian, is restored to orthodoxy. In the East Valens retards Nicene orthodoxy.

373: Athanasius dies.

381: Council of Constantinople, under Theodosius. Arianism disappears except among Teutonic tribes.

496: Conversion of Franks to Catholicism. Gradual disappearance of Arianism from the Teutonic tribes.

SOURCE

 

[laszlo]

I am always wondering why traditionalist like to bring up the Arianism from the history.

The clear tradition from the Old Testament was the monotheism, there is one and only one God. The Arians claimed that this is the truth, that they are the ones who understand the truth, because that is evident for everyone, consequently the Ecumenical Councils and the Popes are wrong, and it is proven by the evidence of the Truth and the tradition clearly defined in the Scriptures (Old Testament)

The reality is that we are imperfect, particular being and the supernatural mysteries are beyond our understanding. This is why we need the Magisterium (on that case the Ecumenical councils) to give guidance against our false concept of the Truth.

 

[GloriousOrder]

I find it particularly interesting that St. Basil the Great mentions the faithful being deprived of their altars. This seems to prove rather conclusively that all early Christians assumed altars as a usual part of worshiping God. Our unfortunate Protestants friends of the radical Reformation seem to have lost sight of this. Let us pray for them, just as the Nicene advocates surely prayed for the Arians.