1 Placed in 374.

2 So the mss. and Editors. The Ben. note would have it addressed to the recipient of the preceding. Tillemont thinks it written to one of the Lycian bishops referred to in Letter ccxviii.

3 h/mi=n. Some mss. have u 9mi=n.

4 cf. Eph. iv. 4.

5 Matt. xxiv. 12.

6 John xiii. 35.

7 Whether the proposed meeting took place, and, indeed, what meeting is referred to , cannot be determined. Basil met Amphilochius and some neighbouring bishops in Pisidia in 375. But before this he counts the Isaurians as already in communion with him (Letter cciv.). Perhaps all that the meeting was desired to bring about was effected by correspondence. This is the explanation of the Ben. Ed.

1 Placed in 374.

1 Placed in 375.

2 psodiarpasqw=men with two mss. prodiama/otoiuen has better authority, but is bad Greek, and makes worse sense.

1 Placed in 375.

1 Placed in 375.

1 Placed in 376.

1 Placed in 375.

2 Ambrose was placed in the archiepiscopate of Milan in 374. The letter of Basil is in reply to a request the for restoration to his native city of the relics of St. Dionysius of Milan, who died in Cappadocia in 374. cf. Ath., Ep. ad Sol.; Amb. iii. 920.

3 Matt. xii. 34.

4 Ps. lxxviii. 70.

5 Phil. iii. 8.

6 cf. Rom. xiv. 10 and 2 Cor. v. 10.

1 Placed in 375.

2 Clergy engaged in crafts.

1 Placed in 375.

2 The Ben. Ed. note: "Saepe vituperantur apud sanctos Patres, qui sacra in privatil aedibus sive domesticis oratoriis celebrant. Hinc Irenaeus, lib. iv. cap. 26, oporetere ait eos, qui absistunt a principali successione et quocunque loc colligunt, suspectos habere, vel quasi haereticos et malae sententiae, vel quasi scindentes et elatos et sibi placentes; aut rursus ut hypocritas quaestus gratia et vanae gloriae hoc operantes. Basilius, in Psalm xxvii. n. 3: Non igitur extra sanctam hanc aulam adorare oporet, sed intra ipsam, etc. Similia habet Eusebius in eundem psalmum, p. 313. Sic etiam Cyrillus Alexandrinus in libro adversus Anthropomorphitas, cap. 12, et in libro decimo De adorat., p. 356. Sed his in locis perspicuum est haereticorum aut schismaticorum synagogas notari, vel quas vocat Basilius, can. 1. parasunagwga/j, sive illicitos conventus a presbyteris aut episcopis rebellibus habitos, aut a populis disciplinae expertibus. At interdum graves causae suberant, cur aacra in privatis aedibus impermissa non essent. Ipsa persecutio necessitatem hujus rei saepe afferbat, cum catholici episcopourm haereticorum communionem fugerecent, ut Sebastiae ecclesiarum aditu prohiberentur. Minime ergo mirum, si presbyteris Antiochenis eam sacerdotii perfunctionem Basilius reliquit, quae et ad jurisjurandi religionem et ad temporum molestias accommodata videbatur. Synodus Laodicena vetat, can. 58, in domibus fieri oblationem ab episcopis vel presbyteris. Canon 31. Trullanus id clericis non interdicit, modo accedat episcopi consenus. Non inusitata fuisse ejusmodi sacra in domesticis oratoriis confirmat canon Basilii 27, ubi vetatur, ne presbyter illicitis nuptiis implicantus privatim aut publice sacerdotii munere fungatur. Eustathius Sebastenus Anncyrae cum Arianis in domibus communicavit, ut ex pluribus Basilii epistolis discimus, cum apertam ab eis communionem impetrare non posset."

3 Videtur infidelis ille vir unus aliquis fuisse ex potentioribus Arianis ejusque furor idcirco in presbyteros Antiochenos incitatus quod hi ecclesiam absente Meletio regerent, ac maximam civium partem in illius fide et communione retinerent.

4 a 9palw=j, with four mss., al. a 9plw=j.

5 1 Tim. v. 11, 12.

6 "Hoc Basilii decretum de professionis aetate citatur in canone quadragesimo synodi in Trullo" (a.d. 691( "et decem et septem annin quos Basilius requirit, ad decem rediguntur.:

7 Rom. iii. 19.

8 "Male Angli in Pandectis et alit interpretes reddunt, quae in catechumenica vita fiunt. Non enim dicit Basilius ea non puniri quae n hoc statu peccantur, sed tantum peccata anis baptismum commissa baptismo expiari, nec jam esse judicio ecclesiastico obnoxia. Hinc observat Zonaras non pugnare hunc canonem cum canone quinto Necoaesariensi, in quo poenae catechumenis peccantibus decernuntur."

9 Jer. iii. 1.

10 Prov. xviii. 22, LXX.

11 "Non solus Basilius hanc conseutudinem secutus. Auctor constitutionum apostolicarum sic loquitur lib. vi. cap. 14: qui corruptam retinet, naturae legem violat: quando quidem qui retinet adulteram, stultus est et impius. Abscinde enim eam, inquit, a carnibus tuis. Nam adjutrix non est, sed insidiatrix, quae mentem ad alium declinarit. Canon 8, Neocaesariensis laicis, quorum uxores adulterii convictae, aditum ad ministerium ecclesiasticum claudit; clericis depositionis poenam irrogat, si adulteram nolint dimittere. Cannon 65 Eliberitanus sic habeet: Si cujus clerici uxor fuerit maechari, et non eam statim projecerit, nec in fine accipiat communionem. Hermas lib. 1, c. 2, adulteram ejici jubet, sed tamen poenitentem recipi. S. Augustineus adulterium legitimam esse dimittendi causam pronuntiat, sed non necessariam, lib. ii. De Adulter. nuptiis, cap. 5, n. 13."

12 Probably Letter clx. to Diodorus is referred to.

13 Diakonoume/nhn. So the Ben. Ed. Another possible rendering is "received into the order of deaconesses."

14 1 Tim. v. 11, 12.