* Mt. vii. 21. 2 Mt. vi. 5** (conflated with xxiii. 5). a Cor. xiii. 3 xév for xat dcdv. * Pe. xyis8:
> Ps. oxil. 1 Ocdjoer with R“*ART against Ort of Sw.’s (g9) text.
® Read Ett pevotang tig BAkBnc.? Eph. iv. 30.
1 Mal. i. 6. 2 Ps. exil. 1, see 330a. 3 Rom. ii. 23. 4-Ps. exxy, 4, 5; OUPAS ex xis alba Eo po eg a he a
8 Ps. exxvi. 5. B.’s order agrees with that of Q°ART against Sw.’s (&) text.
1 Rom. 1. 4; 5 éavr@ for ceavt*. This is quoted in Ben. Reg. prol. perhaps only by a coincidence, as this part of B.’s prologue is not in Rufinus. See Intr. p. 34.
2-2 Dime I. 3 Eph. iv. 13,9.
* Rufinus begins at this point.
> 1 Cor. ix. 16 §. The appropriation of this text by B., read in the light of Mor. Ixx. 1f., suggests that he is now a bishop. But see Intr. p. 16.
6 Jn. xii. 48.
7 Lk. xii. 47, 48 (the two clauses are transposed) **,
1 Ps. 1. 21. B. has tag dyneti«g cov with B*R?T (Sw.’s B. text omits).
2 This is probably more than a preacher’s commonplace. The eschatological motive played an important part in Fourth Century asceticism. Cf. Eusebius em. vang. i. 9, where celibacy is defended against heathen attacks. ‘‘ These things [v.e. the prosperity of the human race] are of little moment to us, who believe the world to be perishing and running down and reaching its last end.”
I. — Concerning the Order and Sequence of the Lord's Commandments
Since the word has given us licence to put questions, we ask first of all to be taught whether there is any order or sequence in the commandments of God, so that one comes first, another second, and so on; or whether all are inter-dependent, and all may be regarded as equally important so far as making a start goes, so that a man who so desires may be safe in beginning at any point he likes in the circle. Your question is an old one and was propounded long ago in the gospels, when the lawyer came to the Lord and said: “Master, which is the first commandment in the law?” And the Lord answered: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” The Lord Himself then assigned this order to His own commandments. He defined the commandment of love towards God to be the first and greatest; and next to it in order, and like it, or rather completing the first commandment and linked on to it, the commandment of loving one’s neighbour. Accordingly from what has been said, and from similar passages contained in the inspired Scriptures, it is possible to learn the order and sequence of all the Lord’s commandments.
1 The titles are not original. “ This title and the other similar ones are not found in old books. Nevertheless we found them in the printed editions and therefore preferred to make no change, all the more so because they seem to throw some light on things ” (Garnier). The questions, e.g. F. 15, are original, being found in Rufinus. F. 8, e.g., has the original question and the added title.
2 7.e. Rufinus has this as Ch. I in his composite book of Rules; see Intr. p. 29.
3 Cf. e.g. Deut. xxxii. 7.
4 Basil has just given them leave to do so, see 331p.
5 Mt. xxii. 36-39 conflated with Mk. xii. 28-81.
II. — Concerning Love towards God, and that the Inclination and Power to Keep the Lord's Commandments are in Men Naturally
Speak to us first then of love towards God. For we have heard that we must love, but we seek to learn how this may be done.
Love towards God cannot be taught. For neither have we learned from another to rejoice in the light and to cling to life, nor did anyone else teach us to love our parents or those that brought us up. In the same way, or much more so, the learning of the divine love does not come from outside; but when the creature was made (I mean man) a certain Word was disseminated among men, having within itself the tendency towards an adaptation to love. The pupils in the school of God’s commandments having received this Word are by God’s grace enabled to exercise it with care, to nourish it with knowledge, and to bring it to perfection. Wherefore we also, welcoming your zeal as necessary for attaining our end, by God’s gift and your assistance of us in your prayers will strive to stir up the spark of divine love hidden within you according to the power given us by the Spirit. You must know that this virtue, though only one, yet as regards power accomplishes and comprehends every commandment. For “he that loveth me,” saith the Lord, “will keep my commandments.” And again: “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” And we shall not now try to survey the whole field accurately (for thus we should miss the whole meaning of the commandments by concentrating on details), but in so far as it is in our power and befits our present purpose we shall remind you of the love due from us to God. But let me say this first: as regards all the commandments given us by God, we have received already from Him power to keep them, that we may neither feel aggrieved as though anything strange were demanded of us, nor be elated as though we paid more than was given us. And by this power, if we work rightly and fittingly, we fulfil in godly manner the life of virtue; but if we corrupt its working we are carried away into vice. This is a definition of vice—an evil use, and one contrary to the command of the Lord, of things given us by God for good. Similarly, the virtue required by God may be defined as the use of them with a good conscience according to the commandment of the Lord. This being so, we may say the same about love. Having received a commandment —to love God—we possess the power to love implanted in us at the moment we were constituted. The proof of this is not external, but anyone can learn it from himself and within himself. For by nature we desire beautiful things though we differ as to what is supremely beautiful; and without being taught we have affection towards those near and dear to us, and we spontaneously show goodwill to all our benefactors.
Now what is more marvellous than the divine beauty? What thought has more charm than the magnificence of God? What yearning of the soul is so keen and intolerable as that which comes from God upon the soul which is cleansed from all evil and cries with true affection: “I am wounded with love”? Ineffable wholly and inexplicable are the flashes of the divine beauty; speech cannot express them, hearing cannot receive them. Though thou talk of the rays of the morning star, of the brightness of the moon or the light of the sun, all are worthless in comparison with its glory and fall short as far, compared with the true light, as the deep shades of a moonless night compared with the glow of the noonday sun. This beauty is unseen by fleshly eyes, and comprehended only by the soul and mind when perchance it has illumined some one of the Saints, and left in them the sting of intolerable yearning—Saints such as those who, weary of the present life, cried: “Woe is me, that my sojourning is prolonged.” “When shall I come and appear before the presence of God?” And again: “To depart and to be with Christ, which is far better.” And again: “My soul is athirst for God, the strong, the living One.” And: “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart.” Chafing at this life as it were a prison, those whose souls were touched by the divine yearning could thus scarce restrain their impulses. Yes, they had an insatiable desire to behold the divine beauty and prayed that their contemplation of the sweetness of the Lord might last on into life eternal. So then men are naturally desirous of beauty. But the good is properly fair and lovable. Now God is good, and all things desire good. Therefore all things desire God.
So then whatever is done rightly of free choice is also in us naturally, provided our thoughts have not been perverted by vice.