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SOME time after, the emperor again visited Cappadocia, and found
that Basil was administering the churches there after the death of
Eusebius. He thought of expelling him, but was unwillingly
restrained from his intention. It is said that the night after he had
formed his plans his wife was disturbed by a frightful dream, and that
his only son Galates was cut off by a rapid disease. The death of
this son was universally attributed to the vengeance of God as a
punishment of his parents for the machinations that had been carried on
against Basil. Valens himself was of this opinion, and, after the
death of his son, offered no further molestation to the bishop.
When the prince was sinking under the disease, and at the point of
death, the emperor sent for Basil and requested him to pray to God
for his son's recovery. For as soon as Valens had arrived at
Caesarea, the prefect had sent for Basil and commanded him to embrace
the religious sentiments of the emperor, menacing him with death in
case of non compliance. Basil replied that it would be great gain to
him and the grant of the highest favor to be delivered as quickly as
possible from the bondage of the body. The prefect gave him the rest
of the day and the approaching night for deliberation, and advised him
not to rush imprudently into obvious danger, but that he should come on
the day after and declare his opinion. "I do not require to
deliberate," replied Basil. "My determination will be the same
tomorrow as it is today; for since I am a creature I can never be
induced to worship that which is similar to myself and worship it as
God; neither will I conform to your religion, nor to that of the
emperor. Although your distinction may be great, and although you
have the honor of ruling no inconsiderable portion of the empire, yet
I ought not on these accounts to seek to please men, and, at the same
time, belittle that Divine faith which neither loss of goods, nor
exile, nor condemnation to death would ever impel me to betray.
Inflictions of this nature have never excited in my mind one pang of
sorrow. I possess nothing but a cloak and a few books. I dwell on
the earth as a traveler. The body through its weakness would have the
better of all sensation and torture after the first blow."
The prefect admired the courage evinced in this bold reply, and
communicated the circumstance to the emperor. On the festival of the
Epiphany, the emperor repaired to the church with the rulers and his
guards, presented gifts at the holy table, and held a conference with
Basil, whose wisdom and whose order and arrangement in the conduct of
the priesthood and the church elicited his praise.
Not long after, however, the calumny of his enemies prevailed, and
Basil was condemned to banishment. The night for the execution of the
edict was at hand; the son of the emperor suddenly fell ill with a
pressing and dangerous fever. The father prostrated himself on the
earth and wept over the son who was still alive, and not knowing what
other measures to take towards effecting the recovery of his son, he
dispatched some of his attendants to Basil to come and visit the
prostrate child; because he himself feared to summon the bishop, on
account of the injury just inflicted upon him. Immediately on the
arrival of Basil, the boy began to rally; so that many maintain that
his recovery would have been complete, had not some heretics been
summoned to pray with Basil for the restoration of the boy. It is
said that the prefect, likewise, fell ill; but that on his
repentance, and on prayer being offered to God, he was restored to
health. The instances above adduced are quite inadequate to convey an
idea of the wonderful endowments of Basil; his extreme addiction to
the philosophic life and astonishing powers of eloquence attracted great
celebrity.
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