Архиепископ Василий (Кривошеин). Экклезиология святителя Василия Великого

It is not so easy to talk about the ecclesiology of St. Basil the Great. St. himself Vasily did not leave any work where he would set out his teaching about the Church. Nowhere does he talk about it systematically. We are forced to look for separate scattered places in his works; they always talk about the Church as if in passing and are usually very brief. They are in almost all of his works - “Six Days”, “Discourses on Psalms”, Words, in the books “Against Eunomius”, the book “On the Holy Spirit”, ascetic writings, and especially in letters. The latter are the most interesting for us, since they reveal the attitude of the great archbishop to the church issues of his time, his reaction to church events. This attitude complements and makes individual thoughts about the Church more understandable. Based on all this data, we can establish in general terms the doctrine of the Church of St. Basil the Great. You just need to avoid excessive systematization 949. Let us note first of all that St. Basil speaks of the Church sometimes in the singular (ἡ ἐκκλησία), sometimes in the plural (αἱ ἐκκλησίαι). The plural predominates in his letters, and in the rest of his works 950 St. Vasily writes about the Church mainly in the singular. This can be explained by the fact that in the letters of St. Vasily speaks about the Church in its concrete historical phenomenon, that is, in its manifestation as a multitude of Local Churches, but in other works he dwells more on its theological and spiritual side. St. Basil does not in any way define its nature or essence. Such a definition would contradict the epistemological principles of St. Basil, who always asserts (especially against Eunomius) the incomprehensibility and inexpressibility of the essence of all things, even created ones. Perhaps the consciousness of the mystery of the Church prompted him to refrain from such a definition. However, he often uses biblical imagery to describe it. The Church is the Body, and this Body is the Body of Christ. “Our Lord Jesus Christ, who agreed to call the whole Church of God His Body and made each of us individually members of each other, granted us all to be close to everyone according to the harmony inherent in its members” 951. Its head is Christ, and one soul must animate it, “so that the same consistency and good order (which exists in the body) may be preserved much more in the Church of God, to which it was said: “You are the body of Christ, and individually members” (1 Cor. 12:27), that is, one, and the only true head, which is Christ, contains each and combines with the other in harmony” 952. St. Basil contrasts the unity of this Body with the divisions of the churches of his time: “We would truly be the most absurd of people if we rejoiced at the schisms and divisions of churches and did not consider the greatest good the union of the members of the Body of Christ” 953. The members of the body, separated by space, are united by love. “What, in fact,” writes St. Vasily, “could it be more pleasant than to see those who are separated by distance, united by the unity of love into a single harmony of members in the Body of Christ?” 954 Thus, interpreting the words of the 44th Psalm: “And the King will desire your beauty, for He is your Lord, and you shall worship Him” (Ps. 44:12), St. Basil (for whom the queen of the psalm prefigures the Church) says: “The need for submission is indicated by the words “for He is thy Lord.” (The Psalmist) did not say: “They will worship you with gifts,” but to your Person, for it is not the Church that is worshiped, but the head of the Church, Christ, who is called in Scripture the Person” 955. This is why Christ is the universal Bishop of the Church, “the great and true Bishop, filling the entire universe with His miracles” 956. The Church is also the temple of God, a place of true worship, the heir to the synagogue of the Old Testament. Interpreting the psalm (Ps. 28:2): “Worship the Lord in His holy court,” St. Basil writes: “Worship is not performed outside the Church, but in the very courtyard of God. Do not invent for me, says the Psalmist, special courts and gatherings. There is only one holy court of God. The courtyard used to be the synagogue of the Jews, but after their sin against Christ their settlement became deserted. That is why the Lord says: “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold” (John 10:16). Speaking about the Gentiles, predestined for salvation, He points to a special court, different from the Jewish one. Therefore, it is not proper to worship God outside this holy court, but while within it” 957. The Church is God's city, where His people live. St. Basil speaks of his interpretation of the words of Psalm 45: “The streams of the rivers make glad the city of God... God is in the midst of it” (Ps. 45:5-6): “So, this river gives joy to the whole city of God, that is, the Church, those whose life is in heaven” 958. This is both a heavenly and an earthly city: “Since God is in the midst of the city, He grants it steadfastness, helping it at the first dawn of light. Therefore, the name of the city suits both the heavenly Jerusalem and the lower Church" 959. Through baptism we become its citizens. “Come,” calls St. Vasily, in his Conversation encouraging Holy Baptism, “transfer yourself entirely to the Lord, give yourself a name, sign up as a citizen together with the Church” 960. By Baptism we are registered in the book of the Church in order to become heavenly citizens: “For all this you will bear responsibility as a warrior of Christ, as an ascetic of piety, as one who has residence in heaven. Sign up in this book so that you can be rewritten in the upper one" 961. St. Basil the Great uses many other biblical images, both Old Testament and New Testament, when he talks about the Church. She is the house of God. In the interpretation of the psalm (Ps. 29:1) (at the renewal of the house of David) St. Basil asks: “Perhaps we should think of the “house” as the Church built by Christ, as Paul writes about this in his Epistle to Timothy: “So that you may know how you should conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the Church of the living God” (1 Tim. 3:15)?” 962 The Church is a house constantly being built by Christ Himself. This idea is very close to “The Shepherd of Hermas,” which depicts the Church in the form of a tower that is constantly being built. It is also a house of prayer 963. The Church is the queen and the bride. “The queen has appeared at Your right hand,” interprets St. Basil Psalm 44: “...Here the Psalmist speaks of the Church, about which we learned in the Song of Songs, that she is Christ’s perfect dove, which receives into the right place of Christ those recognized by their good deeds, distinguishing from the evil, as a shepherd distinguishes lambs from goats” 964. She is also the Daughter of the Tsar, born of love: “(The King) calls on the Church to listen and observe His commands and makes Him close, calling her daughter, as if adopting her with love: “hear, daughter, and see” (Ps. 44:11)” 965. We see how in these interpretations of biblical images the uniqueness of the Church is strongly expressed (one courtyard, one dove, etc.). There are also other metaphors: sea 966, field 967, vineyard 968. Finally, the Church is the nurse, feeding us with piety 969. If Christ is the head of the Body of the Church, then the Holy Spirit, resting on the flesh of Christ, is always present in it. Holy Spirit, says St. Basil, “was from the beginning together with the very flesh of the Lord, being its anointing and inseparably present in it according to what is written: “on whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining on Him, that is My beloved Son” (John 1:33; Luke 3:22) and: “Jesus of Nazareth, whom God also anointed with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 10:38). further, every action (of Christ) was performed in the presence of the Spirit... He did not leave Him even after the resurrection. For the Lord, renewing man and returning to him the grace of the breath of God, which he had lost, breathed into the face of the disciples, what did he say? “Receive the Holy Spirit. forms the structure of the Church, the Body of Christ. “And the structure of the Church,” asks Saint Basil, “isn’t it clear and undeniable that it is acted by the Spirit? For He, as the Apostle Paul says, “gave to the Church, firstly, apostles, secondly, prophets, thirdly, teachers, then powers, then gifts of healings, intercessions, governments, kinds of tongues” (1 Cor. 12:29-30). This system was established in accordance with the division of the gifts of the Spirit” 971. The church, as we have seen, is the place of true worship of God. This worship, however, is rendered to God in the Holy Spirit. Scripture speaks “about the Spirit,” St. teaches us. Vasily: “Here is a place near me, stand on the rock. What else does it call “place” if not contemplation in the Spirit?.. This is the proper place of true worship: So, “take heed,” says the Scripture, “not to offer burnt offerings in every place, but in the place that the Lord your God has chosen” (Deut. 12:13-14). What is a spiritual burnt offering? A sacrifice of praise. In what place do we offer it, if not in the Holy Spirit? Where did we learn this? From the Lord Himself, who says that “true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and Truth” (John 4:23)” 972 Keeping in mind that the Church for Basil the Great, like the Holy Spirit, is a place of true worship, we can say that for him it was identified with the Holy Spirit, or rather, it was His manifestation. (θυσία τῆς αἰνέσεως), it must be offered to God in the place chosen by Him (that is, in the Holy Spirit and in the Church). One can see here an allusion to the Eucharist, which, thus, turns out to be the main work of the Church and is accomplished by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is given to all believers in Christ and registered citizens of the city of God, the Church: “And now the righteous drink of living water and will drink more abundantly in the future, when he is registered as a citizen of the city of God” 973. Elsewhere, St. Basil says, interpreting the psalm (Ps. 45:5) - “River streams make glad the city of God”: “What kind of river of God is this, if not the Holy Spirit, received through the faith of those who believe in Christ?” 974 Those who govern churches are inspired by the Holy Spirit. “Do not consider that this is a matter of human decision,” writes St. Basil to the clergy of the Colony (Cologne), when their bishop is transferred to another see, - or that it was adopted from the motives of earthly minded people, but be convinced that with the assistance of the Spirit, those who were entrusted with the care of the churches of God did so. Imprint in your minds this source of their decision and try to fulfill it” 975. Church of Christ – Church of the Apostles and Fathers. From them she received the teaching left to us by our Lord, expressed in Tradition, enshrined in Scripture. The apostles themselves are the heirs of the patriarchs of the Old Testament. St. Basil interprets the psalm this way (Ps. 44:17) - “In place of Your fathers, Your sons were born; You will make them princes throughout the whole earth": "Who, then, are the sons of the Church? That is, the sons of the Gospel, who received power over the whole earth... Even if someone takes the patriarchs for the fathers of the bride, then the meaning of the expression will refer to the apostles, for instead of the patriarchs they became the sons of Christ for her” 976. Therefore, we can talk about the apostolic faith, which at the same time is “the faith of the fathers, which we accepted and recognized as marked by apostolic features” 977. We can also talk about apostolic preaching 978. Among the apostles of St. Vasily devotes special attention to some of them, without, however, specifying what it consists of. These are, firstly, the apostles who were present at the Transfiguration - Peter, John and James. “Peter and the sons of Gromov saw His beauty on the mountain, shining more than the light of the sun, and were honored to perceive with their own eyes the first signs of His glorious Coming” 979. Secondly, the Apostle Peter, “because of the superiority of faith, took upon himself the building of the Church.” And in another place: “Blessed Peter, preferred among all the apostles, the one most attested and proclaimed blessed, to whom the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven were entrusted, when he hears from the Lord: “If I do not wash you, you will have no part with Me” (John 13:8), what and how stony heart does not plead to the fear and trembling of the judgment of God?” 980 This passage is inspired by the 16th chapter of Matthew in conjunction with the 22nd of Luke, although significantly, for St. Vasily recognizes the role of the Apostle Peter in the Church, which is predominantly spiritual and moral in nature. St. Basil wants to show by the example of the Apostle Peter that the greatest gifts of grace cannot protect us from falling if we trust in our own strength. The same (and even more) can be said about other texts, generally few, about the Apostle Peter. These are, first of all, spiritual admonitions - lessons of humility and obedience, which can be briefly expressed as follows: if the Apostle Peter could fall, then how much more so each of us. For example, in his word “On Humility” St. Basil addresses his listeners with moral instruction: “If you do not even understand this, that you have received grace as a gift, but make your own achievement out of grace, you are still no more honorable than the blessed Apostle Peter. You cannot surpass in love for the Lord the one who loves Him so much that you would even want to die for Him. But since he spoke with arrogance, saying: “Even if everyone is offended because of You, then I will never be offended” (Matthew 26:33), he was betrayed by human cowardice and fell into renunciation, wise by error to piety and taught to spare the weak, to recognize his own weakness and clearly realize that just as, drowning in the abyss, he was held by the right hand of Christ, so in In the whirlpool of temptation, he almost died from unbelief, but was saved by the power of Christ, who predicted the future for him, saying: “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to sow you like wheat. But I prayed for you, so that your faith would not fail; and you, having once been converted, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:31–32). And Peter, exposed in this way, began to fear with reason, admonished to reject insolence and spare the weak” 981. St. Basil recognizes the great love of the Apostle Peter for Christ, although he compares it not with the love of the other apostles, but with the love of each of us. At the same time, he emphasizes his human weaknesses and shows that his love and faithfulness to Christ were purely a gift of grace. He understands Christ’s words to the Apostle Peter as a prophecy about his fall and restoration to apostolic dignity after repentance. It is difficult to draw a definite ecclesiological conclusion from all this. More interesting in this regard is the passage from his “Monastic Rules”, where St. Vasily insists on the obligation of monastery abbots to give a report on their activities upon returning from trips. As an example, he points to the baptism of the centurion Cornelius: “Peter, upon returning to Jerusalem, gives an account of his communication with the pagans to those who were there” 982. According to St. Basil, the Apostle Peter had to give account to the other apostles. The successors of the apostles are bishops. St. Basil often speaks of the importance of the episcopate in the Church Body. Shepherds are like rams, walking before the flock, instructing, leading it to pasture and protecting 983. The Christian people must see their fathers in them, and all together, the clergy and the people, must have one soul: “Therefore we pray day and night,” writes St. Vasily, - The King of Ages must preserve the people in the fullness of faith, and preserve for Him the clergy as an intact head, located on high and giving its help to the lower members of the body. For when the eyes act in accordance with their purpose, the work of the hands is skillful, the movements of the legs are also without stumbling, and not a single part of the body is deprived of proper care” 984. The bishop is the father of the people, united with them by bonds of love and filial respect: “That’s why,” continues St. Basil the Great, we ask you to do what you do and will do, stick to each other; you, who are entrusted with the care of souls, to support each one individually and warm you like beloved children; and for the people to preserve the honor and respect due to you, fathers, so that in the goodness of the church your strength and firmness of faith in Christ would be preserved, and the name of God would be glorified, the good of love would multiply and increase” 985. The church and the bishop are closely connected with each other: “I approve,” writes St. Basil to the clergy of the Colony, the fervor of your affection for your shepherd. For just as the deprivation of a good father is unbearable for a loving child, so the removal of a Shepherd and Teacher is unbearable for the Church of Christ” 986. The bishop is the angel of the church he heads: “You are saddened,” writes St. Basil to the priests of Nikopol, expelled from the churches along with their bishop, - that you were thrown out of the walls (church), but you will be installed under the roof of the Heavenly God, and the Angel watching over your church (ὁ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἔφορος) has departed with you” 987. The Lord Himself gives good shepherds to those who sincerely ask for it. “Your business is to ask for it, keeping your souls pure from any inclination to disputes and love of primacy,” reminds St. Basil of the Church of Neocaesarea, - and it is the Lord’s job to indicate him, the Lord, who, starting with the great patron of your church Gregory... has always (gave you shepherds), combining them like one precious stone to another, bestowing the wonderful beauty of your church. So one should not despair about their successors. For the Lord knows those who are His and will bring out among you one whom you, perhaps, did not expect.”988 “Arise for the necessary care of the Church,” he calls on the Church of Parnassus, “so that the Holy God will take care of His flock and give you a shepherd according to His will, who will shepherd you with skill” 989. Such a bishop, requested by the people, bestowed by God, becomes the real helmsman of the church ship: “So, take courage and strengthen yourself, go ahead of the people entrusted to your right hand by the Almighty,” writes St. Basil St. Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium, - and like a wise helmsman, having risen by will above every storm raised by heretical winds, keep the ship unsinkable by the salty and bitter waves of slander in anticipation of the silence that the Lord will create when there is a voice worthy of raising Him to prohibit the turbulence of the sea" 990. The position and dignity of the bishop of St. Basil does not think as independent or separate from the totality of the church, but in relationship and communion with his fellow bishops. “I ask you,” he writes to the Bishop of Atharvi, “throw out of your soul the thought that you do not need to communicate with anyone else. It is not typical for a person who follows the path of love and fulfills the law of Christ to cut himself off from fellowship with his brothers.”991 One might even say that for St. Basil, communication with other bishops is a sign of Orthodoxy, and its rupture is a rupture with the Church 992. This raises the question of false bishops. These are, first of all, opportunists who change their beliefs along with circumstances, creatures of civil authorities. “Just do not be deceived by their lying words,” writes St. Basil to the priests of Nikopol, proclaiming the rightness of the faith, for such are sellers of Christ, and not Christians, who always prefer what is useful for them in this life, consistent with the truth. When they think that they have acquired this empty power, they take the side of the enemies of Christ; when they see that the people are indignant against them, they again pretend to be Orthodox. I do not recognize as a bishop and will not rank among the priests of Christ the one who was put forward by worldly hands to rule for the destruction of the faith” 993. But especially these are heretics. “We do not mourn the destruction of earthly buildings,” says St. Basil to Pope Damasus, but the capture of churches. Not physical slavery, but the captivity of souls carried out daily... by the defenders of heresies” 994. Heresy is the rotting of the Church. “The disgusting Manichaean heresy, calling which the rotting of churches, we will not evade what is due” 995. True, this is an extreme heresy that goes beyond the scope of Christianity. Heretics seek to disturb the silence of the church: “If the sea is beautiful and praiseworthy before God,” says St. Basil to the believers of the Church of Caesarea, how much more beautiful is the assembly of this church, in which, like the sound of some wave, the consonant voice of men, women and children is heard, raised to God in our prayers. And deep silence preserves it without disturbance from heretical teachings” 996. He likens heresy to tares: “The image of those who counterfeit the teaching of the Lord and have not truly learned the word, but are corrupted by the teaching of the evil one, mixing with the healthy Body of the Church in order to quietly instill their harmful errors in ordinary people” 997. From a moral point of view, heretics often lead good lives and can even serve as an example for the Orthodox: “Often we need to increase in ourselves the power to do good, even from those alien to the faith. For if you see a pagan or someone cut off from the Church because of some clever heresy, but caring about a chaste life and about all other moral decency, intensify your zeal more in order to become like a fruitful fig tree, which in the presence of wild fig trees gathers its strength and, holding back the flow of its juice, nourishes its fruit with great care. But it is the duty of the Church to fight against heresies, and to succeed, Christians must be united. “Know this,” writes St. Basil to the Bishop of Atarvia, “that if we do not undertake the same struggle for the churches that the opponents of sound teaching are waging with the goal of their destruction and complete disappearance, then nothing will prevent the destruction of the truth overthrown by the enemies, and we, to a certain extent, will not escape condemnation for the fact that we did not show, with all care and zeal, in agreement with each other and in unanimity in God, a possible concern for the unity of the Churches.” 999. It is necessary, although sometimes painful, to separate from heretics in the name of truth. “To you, doctors,” writes St. Vasily to the doctor Eustathius, - it is undesirable to burn a patient or make him suffer in some other way, but you agree to this, following the requirements of the disease. Sailors also do not voluntarily throw away their cargo, but, in order to avoid shipwreck, endure the dumping of the cargo, preferring life in poverty to death. Therefore, you also bear the thought that we painfully and with many sobs endure the separation from those who are separated from us; however, we endure it because for those who love the truth, nothing is preferable to God and hope in Him” 1000. Therefore, one cannot be indifferent to Eucharistic communion with heretics. “We ask you,” says St. Basil, - to abstain from (liturgical) communication (κοινωνίας) with heretics, knowing that indifference in such things deprives us of our boldness before Christ" 1001. By breaking off such communication, the Orthodox prevent them from spreading the disease. It is necessary to accept heretics into the Church with the consent of the entire Church. “Please send us,” writes St. Basil to the exiled bishops of Egypt, - proposals on the basis of which you accepted the followers of Marcellus... you should not have left such an important matter to yourself alone, but should have been made community members and agreeing with the restoration (of the followers of Marcellus) in the Church (bishops) of both the West and the East" 1002. In any case, heretics must renounce their errors before they are accepted into the Church. Its unity demands this: “Since [Marcellus] left the Church because of his wicked dogmas, it is necessary that his followers anathematize his heresy and in this way be admitted into communication so that, united with us through our mediation, they would be accepted by the whole brotherhood” 1003. For St. Basil there was a significant difference between the Church and heresy, so that we should not talk about reunification with heretics, but about their return to a single Church. He writes to Bishop Peter of Alexandria: “We cannot be reproached for joining the followers of Marcellus; on the contrary, they have become members of the body of the Church, so that the malicious censure created by heresy has disappeared thanks to our acceptance of them, and we do not have to be ashamed as if we had joined them” 1004. However, a break in church communion is justified only when it comes to essential issues of the Christian faith, fundamental to our salvation. Divisions for reasons not directly related to faith are very bad. This installation of St. Vasily's peace-loving nature, entirely inspired by concern for Christian unity, but firm when it comes to the essential abstinence of the Christian gospel, is very characteristic of him. “What is undoubtedly most regrettable is that, apparently, the healthy part has divided against itself,” writes St. Basil to the Italian and Gallic bishops. And he continues: “For us, in addition to the war of heretics open against us, the war that arose on the part of our supposedly like-minded people has brought the church to the last point of weakness” 1005. Orthodoxy often justifies hostility, the sources of which have nothing to do with theology. “By some,” he says in the same letter, “the defense of supposedly Orthodoxy was invented as a weapon for war with each other. Covering up their personal enmity, they pretend that they are enmity because of piety" 1006. It is well known how far St. went. Basil the Great on the path of “dogmatic economy”, striving for Christian unity and church good. To unite all forces against Arianism, he avoided personally calling the Holy Spirit God and demanded from others not open confession of His deity, but only the unconditional acceptance of the Nicene faith and anathematization of those who claimed that the Holy Spirit was created 1007. This cautious position was sharply criticized by some contemporaries. However, his break with Eustathius of Sebaste, who did not dare to accept this dogmatic minimum, clearly shows that for St. Basil there was a precise limit in this theological economy, which he never crossed in the name of peace and unity of the Church, although he desired them with all his soul. He writes to St. Athanasius of Alexandria: “We must strive to consider everything secondary compared to the world” 1008. Or in another place: “What is sweeter to hear than the name of peace? And what is more characteristic of sacred persons or more pleasing to the Lord than to consult about such matters? 1009 St. Basil exhorts the bishops to work for church unity and peace: “How great is the good of the world, what is the need to talk about this to the sons of the world? But since this great and wonderful thing, desired by all who love the Lord, is now in danger of becoming just a name, since, due to the increase of iniquity, the love of many has grown cold (cf. Matthew 24:12), then I think that those who truly and truly serve the Lord should have one effort - to return to the unity of the Church those who are divided from each other in many ways and into many parts” 1010. He continues: “Indeed, nothing is more characteristic of a Christian than to create peace; That’s why the Lord promised us the greatest reward for this” 1011. St. Basil often returns in his letters to the theme of the unity of the Church and the paths leading to it. “The state of the Church,” he writes, “has become completely like... old clothes, easily torn apart on any pretext and unable to return to their original strength again... The unification could occur if we wanted to be lenient towards the weakest in that where there is no harm to souls” 1012. And he continues: “So, let us not demand anything more, but let us offer the Nicene faith to those who wish to unite with us; and if they agree with it, we will ask them to admit that they should not call the Holy Spirit a creature and not have fellowship with those who say this. Beyond this, I ask you, nothing should be demanded by us. For I am convinced that with longer mutual communication and joint discussions, devoid of the spirit of argument, if anything else should be added for clarity, the Lord will provide it, cooperating in everything with those who love Him” 1013. This text is very important. Firmly insisting on the need for dogmatic agreement on fundamental issues, St. Vasily admits that other issues, less important, perhaps, but still theological, can be resolved after reunification with the help of “joint discussions without the spirit of argument (τῇ ἀφιλονείκῳ συγγυμνασίᾳ), and the time itself and the fact of unification of this (τῇ χρονιωτέρᾳ συνδιαγωγῇ) will help. As we see, the attitude of St. Basil's approach to the Christian divisions of his time is determined mainly by theological and spiritual reasons, as well as considerations about the good of the Church, first of all, about its peace and unity. He does not lose sight of these considerations in the 188th letter to Amphilochius of Iconium, but here he rather takes legal and canonical ground, distinguishing among church divisions heresies, schisms and illegal assemblies (παρασυναγωγαί). St. Basil considers the question of the validity of the baptism of those who separated from the Church (Cathars and others). “The ancients believed that it was necessary to accept a baptism that in no way deviates from the faith. Therefore, they called some deviations heresies, others - schisms, others - illegal gatherings. Heresies include those who are completely cut off and alienated by faith itself; to schisms - those separated from others for some church reasons and issues that can be healed; to illegal gatherings - meetings organized by disobedient elders or bishops and ill-mannered people. For example, if someone convicted of misconduct were prohibited from serving and did not obey the rules, but began to claim the presidency and ministry for himself and some went with him, leaving the Catholic Church, then this would be an illegal assembly. And schism means having opinions regarding repentance that differ from the opinions of church people. An example of heresies is the Manichaeans, Valentinians, Marcionites and these same Pepusians, for here there is immediately a difference regarding the very belief in God” 1014. It is interesting that he cites here as an example of heresy the most extreme sects that go beyond the framework of the Christian faith. Among them he mentions Arianism. Let us also note that in this document of a canonical nature the expression “Catholic Church” (ἡ καθολικὴ ἐκκλησία) is found, which is very rare, perhaps even the only one in his writings, except for references to the anathematizations of the Council of Nicea - “the Catholic and Apostolic Church is anathematized” 1015. St. Basil always says “Church”, without any additions. Claiming that all these communities have left the Catholic Church, St. Vasily still admits that the schismatics, in a certain sense, belong to her, so the schism is more likely an intra-church division. From here follows a different attitude towards their sacraments: “Therefore, it was considered correct by the original (fathers) to completely reject (the baptism of) heretics, and to accept (the baptism of) those who broke away, as still coming from the Church” 1016. In relation to persons from illegal gatherings of St. Vasily goes further: they can be accepted into the Church in their existing rank. “And those,” he writes in the same place, “who are in illegal gatherings, not governed by worthy repentance and conversion, are again united with the Church, so that often persons in (holy) rank, who left along with the disobedient, after they repent, are accepted into the same rank” 1017. Still, we can say that his general attitude towards schismatic ordinations is negative, although, perhaps, somewhat softened for reasons of church benefit. St. Basil has difficulty recognizing the reality of the schismatic priesthood, and therefore doubts the baptism performed by priests who separated from the Church. “The beginning of their separation,” he asserts, “occurred through a split. Those who apostatized from the Church no longer had the transmission of grace due to the interruption of succession. For the first who withdrew had ordination from the fathers and through the laying on of their hands had spiritual gifts, but those who broke away, having become laity, had no power to baptize or ordain, no longer being able to give others the grace of the Holy Spirit, from which they themselves had fallen. Therefore (the ancient fathers) commanded that those who came to the Church from them be cleansed again by true church baptism, as those baptized by the laity. But since it pleased some of the (churches) of Asia, for the benefit of many (οἰκονομίας ἕνεκα τῶν πολλῶν), to accept their baptism, then let it be accepted” 1018. And a little further: “I believe, therefore, that since I have no tradition regarding them, according to tradition, we should accept their baptism; and if any of them received it, baptize when he enters the Church. But if this interferes with the general benefit (τῇ καθόλου οἰκονομίᾳ), then one must resort to custom (that is, not repeat baptism) and follow the fathers who acted here “according to oikonomia”” 1019. It must be said that the statements of St. Basil concerning the sacraments performed outside the Church are unclear and even contradictory. This can be explained by the fact that they are determined by three factors that are not so easily reconciled with each other: theological considerations, the customs of the ancients and “economy,” that is, concern for the good of souls and the Church. Theological arguments with inexorable logic said that any person who separates from the Church loses the gift of grace, interrupts succession and cannot give to another what he himself does not possess. Therefore, sacraments outside the Church are invalid. But who actually separated from the Church? Heretics, of course. As for the schismatics, St. Basil, as we have seen, cites the opinions of the ancients, according to which they still somehow belong to the Church, and therefore their baptism must be recognized. Ancient customs, although very different in different Local Churches, speak here in favor of “oikonomia”. St. Basil seems to be a supporter of severity, but for reasons of “economy” he does not reject the customs of the ancients. As for ordinations, the question of them arises only when it comes to persons belonging to illegal gatherings. St. Basil seems to be saying that they retain their priestly dignity (after all, they receive it again when they return to the Church), but while they remain in these gatherings, they are like laymen and cannot ordain anyone. All this is not entirely clear. One thing is certain: for St. Basil's Church is the only treasury of sacramental grace, the source of which is apostolic succession. Be that as it may, she is not obliged to link her way of action with the way of action of the schismatics. If they recognize our sacraments, this does not mean that we should recognize their sacraments, for there is no comparison between the Church and the schism. “If they [encratites],” writes St. Vasily, “they preserve our baptism, this should not bother us, for we are not obliged to repay them for their politeness, but to fulfill the canons exactly” 1020. As we have already seen, unity was for St. Basil is an essential sign of the Church. This unity can be understood first of all as uniqueness - there is only one true Church of the Lord. “There is only one holy courtyard of God where God should be worshiped, and that courtyard is the Church,” says St. Vasily in the text we have already quoted. This is the unity of the Church, extending throughout the entire universe, revealed by the Local Churches: “There is one people - all who hope in Christ, and one Church - all who belong to Christ, although it is named after different localities” 1021. The unity of the Universal Church is expressed in the unity of faith and sacraments, both in time and in space. “We have faith,” writes St. Basil, - not one - in Seleucia, another - in Constantinople, another - in Zila and Lampsacus, and another one - in Rome, just as what is preached now is not different from the previous ones, but one and the same. As we have received from the Lord, so we are baptized; we believe as we are baptized; as we believe, so we praise” 1022. And he continues: “Stay in faith, look around the universe, and you will see that this big place is small, and the rest of the Church, from end to end (of the universe) who has accepted the Gospel, adheres to this healthy and unperverted teaching” 1023. However, neither geographical universality nor plurality of members can be considered signs of the true Church. True Christians are few in number and often persecuted. “In you,” writes St. Basil to the monks persecuted by the Arians - the remnant of piety that the coming Lord will find on earth must be saved (cf. Luke 18:8). And if the bishops were driven out of the churches, this should not shake you; if traitors arose among the clergy themselves, even this should not shake your trust in God. For it is not names that save, but intentions and true love for Him who created us... It is not the multitude that are saved, but the chosen ones of God. So never let the multitude of people, carried hither and thither by the winds like sea water, frighten you. Even if only one is saved, like Lot in Sodom, he must remain in the right judgment, having unmovable hope in Christ, for the Lord will not forsake His saints” (see letter 257, 2). After faith, episcopate for St. Basil is the most visible expression of the unity of the Church. Bishops can, of course, fall into error and even betray Orthodoxy, but in their integrity they express the faith of the Church. That is why communication with the episcopate is a sign of belonging to it. In his letter to the inhabitants of Neocaesarea, noting that “it would be fairer to judge you not on the basis of one or another of those who do not walk the straight path to the truth, but according to the multitude of bishops united with us throughout the entire universe by the grace of the Lord” 1024, St. Vasily mentions some belonging to completely different areas, and adds: “They all send us letters and, in turn, receive from us. From those that are sent to us, you can learn, and from those that we send back to them from here, you can learn that we are all of one mind and of the same mind. So, whoever runs away from communication with us - let this not remain hidden from your conscience! – separates himself from the entire Church” 1025. Let us note that the exchange of letters between bishops for St. Basil is a sign of their unity in faith, and even more so the councils of bishops, convened in the spirit of harmony and truth. Their decisions are inspired by the Holy Spirit. This is, for example, the Council of Nicaea. You should know, writes St. Basil, “that 318 fathers, gathered in a spirit of non-argumentation, spoke there not without the action of the Holy Spirit” (see letter 114). How carefully he expresses himself. However, one cannot find in him a developed theological teaching about the Councils. He recognizes the Council of Nicaea and the faith formulated therein. This is the only Council that is authoritative for him. Usually he refers to the episcopate as a whole and to its common faith. However, only from the general Council, where the majority of the bishops of East and West were represented, did he expect the final resolution and healing of all divisions and deviations in the faith from which the Church suffered. He did everything in his power to ensure that such a Council was convened, and as soon as possible. We will see this when we talk about his relations with Rome. Among the episcopate, which represents the Church in its entirety and governs it, he nevertheless singles out some episcopal sees and some people as having special influence and moral authority in the life of the Universal Church. First of all, we need to point out Alexandria and its archbishop St. Athanasius the Great. St. Basil constantly speaks of love and respect for the elderly archbishop. St. Athanasius received from God care not only for his diocese, but also for the entire Church: “For most other bishops it is enough to look after each one of what concerns him, but this is not enough for you, but your care for all churches is as great as for your own, entrusted to you by the common Master” 1026. St. Athanasius is the pinnacle that dominates all. “We thought,” St. writes to him. Vasily, “to give the most appropriate start to affairs if we resort to your perfection as the pinnacle of all and use you as an adviser and leader in affairs” 1027. “We consider it proper,” he writes in another letter, “that in caring for the churches the greatest part should fall on your wisdom” 1028. And again: “The more the illnesses of the churches multiply, the more we all turn to your perfection, convinced that in troubles there remains only one consolation for us - your intercession” 1029. As we see, St. Vasily was sure that his conviction was shared by everyone. St. Athanasius is “the doctor of church ailments, saved for us by our Lord” 1030. He is “our most honorable father and bishop” 1031. He is the helmsman, steering the church ship with God's help. “Who is the helmsman capable of ruling in such circumstances? - asks St. Vasily. – Who is so trustworthy as to raise the Lord to rebuke the wind and the sea? Who else if not the one who, from childhood, labored in deeds of piety?” 1032 Relation to St. Athanasius for him is the criterion of Orthodoxy. “Zealous devotion to the most blessed Athanasius,” writes St. Basil to Hieromonk Ascholia, is the clearest indicator of sound convictions on the most important issues” 1033. Undoubtedly, the central place recognized for St. Athanasius, is explained more by respect and love for this fighter for Orthodoxy than by the fact that he occupied the episcopal see of Alexandria. Nevertheless, the importance of this department increased his authority and influence. This is clear from the fact that St. Basil recognized the same duty of care for the churches for his successor Peter of Alexandria, whom he did not value at all. “You are good and as characteristic of a spiritual brother,” writes St. Vasily, who was taught true love from the Lord, reproached me for not making known to you everything that happens here, small and great. Indeed, it is up to you to take care of our affairs, and for us to convey to your love about ours” 1034. He almost admits that the Archbishop of Alexandria should be interested in the affairs of the Church of Caesarea, and the Archbishop of Caesarea should inform Alexandria about them. The point, however, is not about a legal obligation, but about the expression of brotherly love. The Archbishop of Alexandria was the only hierarch whom St. Vasily calls him dad. “Most Beatitude Pope Athanasius,” he writes in one of his letters 1035. Another see of primary importance for him was the See of Antioch. Of course, it can be explained by the fact that it was occupied by his friend, St. Meletius. But it was rather the opposite: St. Vasily insisted so much that St. Meletius was left in Antioch because this see occupied a very important position in the Church. For him, she was the head on whom the health of the whole body depended. “You must,” he writes to St. Athanasius, - following the example of the wisest of doctors, start with caring for the most vital members, you yourself know this better than anyone else. But what could be more vital to the churches of the universe than Antioch? If she happened to return to like-mindedness, nothing would prevent her, like a recovered head (κεφαλήν), from transmitting health to the whole body” 1036. St. Basil notes that the Church of Antioch “is subject to a special danger of becoming the target of the machinations of the enemy, who holds a grudge against her because her (children) were first given the name Christians” (see Acts 11:26) 1037. The apostolic origin of the Antiochian See was important for St. Vasily, but did not protect her from dangers. Much more evidence can be given about the significance attributed to one or another episcopal see (for example, Neocaesarea, since the succession of its bishops goes back to St. Gregory the Wonderworker) 1038; but let's see how St. treated him. Basil to the Western bishops, and in particular to the Bishop of Rome 1039. Without going into historical details, we can say that the general attitude of St. Vasily's approach to the West was determined by his heightened consciousness of the unity of the Church. At the same time, knowing well from experience the situation in the East, he very much doubted that the Eastern Churches, then torn apart by the Arian heresy and schisms and oppressed by the imperial power, hostile to Orthodoxy, could defeat heresies on their own and restore their unity. He believed that the Western churches, united among themselves and preserved from heresies, could help the Eastern churches. St. Basil ardently desired such fraternal help and did everything in his power to achieve it, without, however, sacrificing the faith that he professed, canonical truth and the traditions of the Christian East. “I myself have known for a long time,” he writes to St. Athanasius, - according to my humble understanding of things, I realized that for our churches there is only one way to help them, namely, the unanimity of Western bishops. If they only wanted to take the same zeal that they showed towards one or two who were accused of slander in the West, towards those living in our areas, perhaps some common benefit would have resulted, since the rulers would have flocked to many who inspire confidence, and the people everywhere would have followed them without objection” 1040. He begs: “Send several people from the holy church under your control, men strong in sound teaching, to the bishops in the West, tell them the misfortunes that have befallen us, tell them a way to intercede for us” 1041. As we see, St. Vasily always turns to the bishops of the West; their multitude, unity in faith and zeal for it impress him. However, he thought of Western assistance as payment of a debt, because the Christian faith was born in the East and from here spread to the West. “It is necessary,” he writes to Bishop Valerian of Illyria, “that the faith in the East be renewed by you and that you promptly return to him the benefits that you received from him” 1042. It seemed very important to St. Basil that many Western bishops should participate in the Council. “The presence of a larger number of brothers is necessary,” he writes to the Italian and Gallic bishops, “so that those who arrive swell the composition of the Council, so that not only from the dignity of those who sent them, but also from their own numbers, they would be worthy of trust in the matter of correction” 1043. St. Basil expected the salvation of the faith from the Ecumenical Council, where all or almost all Western bishops participate. Such mass participation seemed especially important to him, because they came from afar and were not easily suspected of partiality. “Our word,” says St. Basil to the Western bishops - seems suspicious to many, as if, due to some personal rivalry, we took a position towards them based on petty feelings. The farther you are from us, the more you will be considered worthy of trust among the people... If you, in your multitude, jointly make the same decision, it is clear that the multitude of those who decided will make the acceptance of the decision by all indisputable” 1044. And again, the massive participation of Western bishops should, in the opinion of St. Basil, to ensure the triumph of Orthodoxy. Numerous letters in which he begs for help are addressed either to Western bishops in general, or to Western bishops of certain regions, say, Italy or Gaul, or to some Western bishops personally, say, Ambrose of Milan or Valerian of Illyria, or, finally, to some eastern hierarchs, for example, St. Athanasius, who could influence the Westerners. In all the correspondence there is only one letter, the 70th, written in 371, in which he addresses directly the Bishop of Rome, Pope Damasus; however, he did not answer. This prompts us to consider the attitude of St. Basil to the Roman episcopal see and to the Roman primacy in general. Let us note first of all that the passages from his works where he speaks of the Apostle Peter, whatever they may mean, are not very helpful in correctly understanding his attitude towards Rome. In his writings one cannot find any relationship between the Apostle Peter and the Roman bishops. He does not speak of Rome as the see of St. the Apostle Peter or about the bishops as his successors. St. Basil does not use the expression “apostolic see” to designate the Roman bishopric and the word “pope” to designate the bishop of Rome. He applies this title only to the Archbishop of Alexandria. Relations with Rome, however, occupy a significant place in his correspondence, although, as we know, he only wrote personally to Pope Damasus once. In this letter, brotherly, worthy and respectful, St. Basil asks the Pope to renew the ancient bonds of love that once united East and West, and to help the Eastern Churches in their current difficulties. “To renew the institutions of ancient love,” he writes, “and to restore again to its former flowering the world of the fathers, this heavenly and saving gift of Christ, withered by time, is necessary and useful for us; I know very well that this will seem pleasant to your Christ-loving disposition. What, indeed, could be more gratifying than to see those who are divided by so many countries united by a unity wrought by love into one agreement of members in the Body of Christ?” 1045 St. Basil insists that mutual aid of churches is an ancient worldwide custom, but it is especially characteristic of the Roman Church. “In any case,” he writes, “we are not looking for something new, but usual for other ancient blessed fathers, and God-loving men, and especially for you” 1046. Citing historical examples of Roman assistance to the churches of the East (letters of consolation and money for the Church of Caesarea during one of the barbarian invasions), St. Vasily ends his letter with a touching appeal: “Meanwhile, our affairs are now in a more difficult and sad situation and need more care. After all, we mourn not the destruction of earthly buildings, but the seizure of churches; we see not physical slavery, but the captivity of souls committed daily by the champions of heresies. So, if you do not rise up to our aid now, a little later you will no longer find anyone to lend a hand to, since everyone will fall under the dominion of heresy” 1047. As we see, St. Basil considered Rome's help necessary to save the Eastern Churches from heresy. All the historical examples he gives show that he understood it rather as fraternal support inspired by love than as ecclesiastical intervention based on law. Moreover, this duty of fraternal help, although especially characteristic of the Roman Church, is, in his opinion, a common feature of all churches. In any case, he addresses the Bishop of Rome as a brother, and not as a leader. He never mentions either the special prerogatives of the Roman see, or the special position of its bishop. Meanwhile, these Roman claims were already known in the East. Through the Bishop of Rome, St. Vasily is actually addressing the entire West. Perhaps that is why Pope Damasus never answered him 1048. In the 69th letter of St. Athanasius of Alexandria St. Basil speaks in great detail about the power of the Roman bishops. The matter is again about quickly sending a Western episcopal delegation to the East to support Orthodoxy and canonical order. “It seemed to us appropriate (circumstances),” writes St. Basil, - write a letter to the Bishop of Rome so that he would consider our affairs and express his opinion (γνώμην), so that it is so difficult 1049 to send someone from there on the basis of a general and conciliar decision, he himself would exercise authority in this matter (αὐθεντῆσαι περὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα), choosing men who are able to endure the toils of travel, who are also capable, with their meekness and firmness of character, of admonishing those who have gone astray among us” 1050. As you can see, St. Basil believed that it would be more normal if the delegation of Western bishops were elected by the Western Council, but since it is difficult to quickly assemble, and things are not waiting, the Bishop of Rome could decide this himself and choose the delegates with his own authority. St. Basil recognized the special power and authority of the Roman Bishop in relation to his bishops, obviously in the West, since it was a question of replacing the Western Council and sending a Western delegation. St. Basil gives no theological basis for the special power of the Bishop of Rome in the West. It can be assumed that for him this is a historical fact. Naturally, Western bishops had to take an active part in the work of the general Council in the East, although their authority at this Council seemed to depend more on their personal abilities (meekness and firmness) than on the fact that they were representatives of Rome or the West. In any case, the very fact of communication with Rome did not matter to the saint. Vasily of decisive importance. It was not necessary to belong to the Church and be Orthodox. For St. Vasily, it is important to be in communication with the episcopate in its integrity. Rome for him is only one of the churches, very significant, undoubtedly, but not the only one or occupying a special place. In the 251st letter, already quoted by us 1051, St. Basil lists the churches where the same faith is proclaimed: Seleucia, Constantinople, Zila, Lampsacus. He puts Rome in fifth place and does not attach much importance to it. This position is revealed even more clearly in the 214th letter to Terence on the Antiochian schism. “It has reached our ears,” writes St. Basil, - that the brothers of the faction (συντάξεως) of Paulinus... are distributing, as I hear, letters from the West entrusting them with the bishopric of the Antiochian Church, while unjustly removing the most wonderful bishop of the true Church of God, Meletius” 1052. St. Vasily explains this by ignorance of peace and unity; at the same time, he openly says how little meaning letters from Rome had for him when they contradicted truth and justice. He writes: “Since we do not blame anyone, but, on the contrary, want to have love for everyone, especially those close to us in the faith, we rejoice along with those who received letters from Rome. And if there is any serious and significant evidence in them in favor of those who received them, we wish that it turns out to be true, confirmed by the deeds themselves. But, of course, we cannot, for the sake of this, persuade ourselves ever to ignore Meletius, or to forget the church under his administration, or to consider as insignificant the issues on which the division arose from the first, and to consider this difference small in relation to the ends of piety. Personally, just because someone has received a human letter and therefore thinks a lot about themselves, I will never agree to give in; even if such a letter came from heaven itself, but does not follow the principles of sound faith, I cannot consider its author to be in communion with the saints” 1053. So, for St. Basil "letters from Rome" (τὰ ἀπὸ ῾Ρώμης γράμματα) only "human letters". He does not at all consider that he is obliged to be guided by them in dogmatic and canonical matters. And most importantly, it is not the Roman letters that make us fellow citizens of the saints, but the sound foundations of the faith. Actions of St. Basil shows even better than his writings that Rome was not for him the highest authority in matters of doctrine or church system. He refused to sign the confession of faith, which did not distinguish between essence and hypostasis, sent to him by Damasus, which he set as a condition for his communication with St. Vasily 1054; refused to recognize Paulinus as Bishop of Antioch and renounce Meletius, although Rome recognized Paulinus and considered Meletius a schismatic and even a heretic; finally, he avoided, as we have seen, turning to the Bishop of Rome, preferring to write to the aggregate of Western bishops. All this shows that for St. Basil, Rome did not have undeniable and worldwide authority. Nevertheless, his attitude towards Rome was not entirely negative. He believed that the West and the Bishop of Rome in particular, due to his special position in the West, could be very useful to the Eastern Churches. He considered their fraternal assistance highly desirable, as long as it was carried out in a spirit of humility and understanding. The same could not be said about Pope Damasus. For St. Vasily is “a proud and arrogant man, sitting high somewhere and, as a result, unable to listen to those who, being below, tell him the truth” 1055. In another letter he not only accuses Damasus of personal pride and ignorance, but claims that the Roman bishops patronize heretics in the East. He writes that any attempt to enter into relations with Damasus is useless, since “he is a proud husband” (ἀγήνωρ). In fact, arrogant people become even more arrogant when they are pleased. “But if the Lord has mercy on us, what other help will we need? And if God's wrath continues, what good is Western pride (τῆς Δυτικῆς ὀφρύος)? These people do not know the truth and are impatient to learn it, but, predisposed to false suspicions, they do the same thing in our time as they did before under Marcellus, being at enmity with those who proclaimed the truth to them, confirming heresy with their actions. I myself, in addition to the general church letter, wanted to write to their head (τῷ κορυφαίῳ); nothing about church affairs, except as a hint that they do not know the truth about our affairs, but do not agree to follow the path by which they would learn it; in general, about the fact that one should not attack those humiliated by trials and not identify dignity with pride, since this sin alone is sufficient to create enmity with God” 1056. In this letter, one can undoubtedly feel the bitterness experienced by St. Basil, who saw all his efforts for peace and unity in the Church fail due to the actions of Pope Damasus. And yet it shows that the Roman bishops, in his opinion, could be mistaken on dogmatic subjects and often did not distinguish Orthodoxy from heresy. Moreover, they patronized her more than once. This is how the ecclesiology of St. appears to us in general terms. Basil the Great. Much has, of course, changed since then. Nevertheless, we think that the main provisions of the teachings of St. Basil about the Church, as well as his life attitude to church events, retain all their significance after so many (sixteen!) centuries. Everything he writes about is extremely relevant: the struggle between truth and false teachings, heresies and schisms, the desire for peace and unity and the ways to achieve them, and, finally and above all, the relationship between Christian East and West, between Orthodoxy and Rome. We encounter all this in daily Christian life, if only we live in its fullness. A peaceful and humble spirit, the distinction between what is essential and what is secondary in matters of faith and church order, the willingness to sacrifice everything purely human for the sake of achieving church peace and Christian unity, but at the same time firmly standing guard over Orthodoxy and rejecting all compromises in the fundamental tenets of faith and the canonical order of the Church - this is what St. Basil the Great in deed and word. Let us note among the works of St. Basil the Great, dedicated to ecclesiology: Lukas Vischer. Basilius der Grosse, untersuchungen zu einen Kirchenvater des vierten Jahrhunderts, 3 kapitel. Basel, 1953. S. 52–72; Pierre Battifol. L'ecclésiologie de saint Basile (Echos d'Orient 21 (1922). P. 9–30); V. Grumel. Saint Basile et le Siège Apostolique (Echos d’Orient 21. P. 80–92); Emmanuel Amand de Mendieta. Basile de Césarie et Damase de Rome (Biblical and Patristic Studies in Memory of Robert Pierce Casey). Herder, 1963, pp. 122–166. Καρμάρη᾽ Ιωάννου. Ἡ ἐκκλησιολογία τοῦ Μεγάλου. Ἀθῆναι, 1958; Καρμάρη Ἰ. Ἡ ἐκκλησιολογία τῶν τριῶν ἱεραρχῶν. Ἀθῆναι, 1962. There are so many examples that it is impossible to give them. See citations in this work. Quotes from the works of St. Basil the Great are given in the translation of the author of the article. The links are supplemented by indicating the pages of the publication of the Works of St. Basil the Great (Complete collection of works of the holy fathers of the Church and church writers in Russian translation). – Ed. Basil. Magn. Er. 243, 1 (lignes). 4–8 // Courtonne, Paris, 1966. T. III; PG. T. 32. Col. 901С–904А (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 834). Idem. De jud., 3 // РG. T. 31. Col. 660A (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 105). Idem. Er. 156. 11, 12–16 (Courtonne, Paris, 1961. Vol. II); PG. T. 32. Col. 613CD (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 667). This refers to the Pauline schism in Antioch. Basil. Magn. Er. 70. 1, 6–8 // Courtonne, Paris, 1957. T. I; PG. T. 32. Col. 433B (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 564). Letter to Damasus. Idem. Hom. in Ps. 44, 10 // PG. T. 29. Col. 409С (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 1. P. 566). Idem. Er. 50. 119–121 // PG. T. 32. Col. 388B (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 535). Idem. Hom. in Ps. 28, 3 // PG. T. 29. Col. 288AB (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 1. P. 500). Idem. Hom. in Ps. 45, 4 // PG. T. 29. Col. 421С (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 1. P. 571). Basil. Magn. Hom. in Ps. 45, 5 // PG. T. 29. Col. 424B (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 1. P. 572). Idem. Hom. 13, 3 // PG. T. 31. Col. 440A (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 1. P. 992). Idem. Hom. 13, 7 // PG. T. 31. Col. 440A; cf. Hom. 13, 1 // PG. T. 31. Col. 425A (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 1. P. 997, 991). Idem. Hom. in Ps. 28, 1 // PG. T. 29. Col. 308A (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 1. P. 509). Idem. Hom. in Ps. 132 // PG. T. 30. Col. 116С (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 1. P. 610). Idem. Hom. in Ps. 44, 9 // PG. T. 29. Col. 405F (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 1. P. 565). Basil. Magn. Hom. in Ps. 44, 10 // PG. T. 29. Col. 409A (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 1. P. 565). Idem. Hom. in Hex. 4, 7 // PG. T. 29. Col. 93С (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 1. P. 371). Idem. Hom. in Hex. 5, 5 // PG. T. 29. Col. 104С (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 1. P. 376). Idem. Hom. in Hex. 5, 6 // PG. T. 29. Col. 108B (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 1. P. 378). Idem. Hom. 2, 3 // PG. T. 31. Col. 189A (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 1. P. 877). Idem. De Spirit. Sanct. 16, 39 // PG. T. 32. Col. 140CD (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 1. P. 130). Idem. De Spirit. Sanct. 16, 39 // PG. T. 32. Col. 141A (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 1. P. 130). Basil. Magn. De Spirit. Sanct. 26, 62 // PG. T. 32. Col. 181D–184A (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 1. P. 151). Idem. Hom. in Ps. 45, 4 // PG. T. 29. Col. 421B (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 1. P. 571). Ibid. Col. 421С (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 1. P. 571). Basil. Magn. Er. 227. 1, 17–22 // PG. T. 32. Col. 852С (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 806). Basil. Magn. Hom. in Ps. 44, 12 // PG. T. 29. Col. 413B (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 1. P. 567–568). Idem. Er. 92, 3. 1. 43–45 // PG. T. 32. Col. 474A (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 594). Idem. Er. 105. 11, 16 // PG. T. 32. Col. 513A (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 611). Idem. Hom. in Ps. 44, 5 // PG. T. 28. Col. 499CD (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 1. P. 561). Idem. De jud., 7 // PG. T. 31. Col. 672A (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 111). Basil. Magn. Hom. 20, 4 // PG. T. 31. Col. 532С–533А (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 1. P. 1040). Basil. Magn. Asceticon (fus.) 44, 2 // PG. T. 31. Col. 1032AB (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 213). Idem. Hom. in Ps. 28.2 // PG. T. 29. Col. 284AC (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 1. P. 498). Idem. Er. 222. 1. 29–37 // PG. T. 32. Col. 820A (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 789). Idem. Ep. 222. 1. 37–45 // PG. T. 32. Col. 820AB (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 789). Idem. Er. 227. 1. 3–7 // PG. T. 32. Col. 852A (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 806). Basil. Magn. Er. 238. 1. 20–23 // PG. T. 32. Col. 889B (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 828). Idem. Er. 28, 2. 1. 142–151 // PG. T. 32. Col. 309A (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 493). Idem. Er. 62. 1. 15–19 // PG. T. 32. Col. 417CD (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 553–554). Idem. Er. 161, 2. 1. 1–7 // PG. T. 32. Col. 629BC (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 676). Basil. Magn. Er. 65. 1. 26–30 // PG. T. 32. Col. 421CD (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 556). Idem. Er. 204, 7. 179–180 // PG. T. 32. Col. 753C–756B (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 752). Idem. Er. 240, 3. 1. 1–10 // PG. T. 32. Col. 897AB (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 831–832). Idem. Er. 70, 1. 1. 45–49 // PG. T. 32. Col. 436B (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 565). Idem. Hom. in Hex. 2, 4 // PG. T. 29. Col. 36D–37A (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 1. P. 340). Basil. Magn. Hom. in Hex. 5, 5 // PG. T. 29. Col. 104ВС (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 1. P. 376). Ibid. 5, 7 // PG. T. 29. Col. 112ВС (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 1. P. 380). Basil. Magn. Er. 65. 1. 17–26 // PG. T. 34. Col. 421С (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 556). Basil. Magn. Er. 151. 1. 18–27 // PG. T. 34. Col. 608D (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 663). Idem. Er. 262, 2. 1. 19–22 // PG. T. 34. Col. 976A (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 871). Idem. Er. 265, 3. 1. 35–41 // PG. T. 34. Col. 989С–992А (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 880). Ibid. 1. 3–8 // PG. T. 34. Col. 989A (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 879). Basil. Magn. Er. 266, 1. 1. 41–46 // PG. T. 34. Col. 933AB (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 881). Basil. Magn. Er. 92. 1. 23–32 // PG. T. 34. Col. 481С (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 593). Idem. Er. 92, 2. 1. 25–28 // PG. T. 34. Col. 480С (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 592). Idem. Er. 125, 3. 1. 1–50 // PG. T. 32. Col. 549 (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 632); cf. Hermann Doerries. De Spirito Sancto. Der Beitrag des Basilius zum Abschluss der trinitarischen Dogmas. Goettingen, 1956. S. 35–49: Die Friedensurkunde (Ep. 152). Idem. Er. 69, 2. 1. 37–38 // PG. T. 32. Col. 433A (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 564). Basil. Magn. Er. 156. 1. 1. 3–5 // PG. T. 32. Col. 613С (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 667). Idem. Er. 114. 1. 1–9 // PG. T. 32. Col. 528B (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 619). Idem. Er. 114. 1. 11–13 // PG. T. 32. Col. 528B (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. pp. 619–620). Idem. Er. 113. 1. 15–24 // PG. T. 32. Col. 525CD (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. pp. 618–619). Idem. Ep. 113. 1. 32–41 // PG. T. 32. Col. 528A (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 619). Basil. Magn. Er. 188, 1. 1. 7–24 // PG. T. 32. Col. 665AB (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. pp. 696–697). Basil. Magn. Er. 125, 2. 1. 16 // PG. T. 32. Col. 548D (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 632). Idem. Er. 188, 1. 1. 25–26 // PG. T. 32. Col. 665B–668A (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 697). Idem. Er. 188, 1. 28–31 // PG. T. 32. Col. 779A (Russian translation: Ibid.). Basil. Magn. Er. 188, 1. 50–65 // PG. T. 32. Col. 668–669A (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 698–699). Idem. Er. 188, 1. 69–74 // PG. T. 32. Col. 669 (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 699). Basil. Magn. Er. 188, 1. 77–80 // PG. T. 32. Col. 669ВС (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 699). Idem. Er. 161, 1. 1. 17–19 // PG. T. 32. Col. 629B (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 676). Idem. Er. 251, 4. 1. 3–9 // PG. T. 32. Col. 937B (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 852). Idem. Er. 251, 1. 22–26 // PG. T. 32. Col. 937D (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 850). Basil. Magn. Er. 204, 7. 1. 1–4 // PG. T. 32. Col. 753С (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 751). Idem. Er. 204, 7. 77–80 // PG. T. 32. Col. 756A (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 751–752). Basil. Magn. Er. 69. 1 1. 4–8 // PG. T. 32. Col. 429B (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 561). Idem. Ep. 69, 117–120 // PG. T. 32. Col. 429C (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. pp. 561–562). Idem. Er. 66, 1. 1. 14–15 // PG. T. 32. Col. 424С (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 557). Idem. Er. 80. 1. 1–10 // PG. T. 32. Col. 456A (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 577). Idem. Er. 82. 1. 5–7 // PG. T. 32. Col. 460B (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 579). Idem. Er. 90, 1. 1. 4–5 // PG. T. 32. Col. 472С (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 588). Basil. Magn. Er. 82. 1. 19–22 // PG. T. 32. Col. 460B (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 580). Idem. Er. 154. 1. 23–25 // PG. T. 32. Col. 612A (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 665). Idem. Er. 266, 1. 1. 1–4 // PG. T. 32. Col. 992B (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 880). Idem. Er. 258, 3. 1. 15 // PG. T. 32. Col. 952A (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 860). Basil. Magn. Er. 66, 2. 1. 6–13 // PG. T. 32. Col. 425B (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 558). Idem. Er. 258, 3. 1. 3–6 // PG. T. 32. Col. 949С–952А (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 860). Idem. Er. 204, 2 // PG. T. 32. Col. 772A (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 747). On this issue, see the excellent study of Dr. Aman de Mendieta (footnote 1). In this article we consider primarily the ideological side of the St. dispute. Basil and Damasus. Basil. Magn. Er. 66, 1. 1. 15–24 // PG. T. 32. Col. 424ВС (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 557). Idem. Er. 66, 1. 32–35 // PG. T. 32. Col. 424D–425A (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 557). Idem. Er. 91, 1. 25–27 // PG. T. 32. Col. 476С (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 590). Idem. Er. 92, 3. 1. 16–19 // PG. T. 32. Col. 481ВС (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 593). Basil. Magn. Er. 263, 2. 1. 17–27 // PG. T. 32. Col. 977AB (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 873). Basil. Magn. Er. 70. 1–9 // PG. T. 32. Col. 433B (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 564). Idem. Er. 70. 32–34 // PG. T. 32. Col. 436A (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 565). Idem. Er. 70. 43–52 // PG. T. 32. Col. 436B (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 565). As Dr. Aman de Mendieta correctly notes: “C’est la lettre l’un collégue à un autre évêque... Ce n’est certes par la lettre qu’aurait ecritè un fils fidèle et obéissant de l’Église romaine, un Jérôme ou un Ambroise, par example, ni même un Augustin" (Cit. cit. p. 155) - “This is a letter from a colleague to the bishop, and in no way a letter that would have been written by a faithful and obedient son of the Roman Church, say, Jerome or Ambrose, or even Augustine” (French). Δύσκολον, i.e. “difficult” and not “unpleasant”, as Curton translates. Basil. Magn. Er. 69, 1. 1. 33–40 // PG. T. 32. Col. 432A (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 562). Basil. Magn. Er. 214, 2. 1. 4–11 // PG. T. 32. Col. 785A (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 769). Idem. Er. 214, 2. 20–33 // PG. T. 32. Col. 788A (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 769). See: Amand de Mendieta. Quote cit.: Divergence théologique en matière trinitaire. La querelle des hypostases. pp. 137–141. Basil. Magn. Ep. 215. 1. 8–20 // PG. T. 32. Col. 792AB (Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 772). Basil. Magn. Er. 239, 2. 11–26 // PG. T. 32. Col. 893С ​​(Russian translation: St. Basil the Great. Creations. T. 2. P. 829–830).