The Fathers, for English Readers. St. Basil the Great. By
Richard Travers Smith, B.D. (S.P.C.K.)—The date of St. Basil is A.D. 329- 379. His life, therefore, fell upon an unhappy time for a great orthodox teacher, for he had to fight a life-long battle against Arianism and semi-Arianism. The picture of this conflict, and of that, not less fierce, which he had to fight against the social evils of his time, is a striking one, as Mr. Smith gives it in these pages. Basil was edu- cated at Cassarea, and afterwards at Athens, where he bad for college friends, so to speak, Gregory Nazianzen and Julian. He attained extraordinary eminence as a student,—was, in fact, the "Admirable Crichton " of his day, though, strange to say, he had no acquaintance, then or afterwards, with the Latin language. Leaving the Univer- sity, ho made experiment of the ascetic life. But his asceticism was consistent with hard study, much literary work done in the interest of religion, and much philanthropic exertion. In 362 there was an election to the See of Catsarea. Eusebius, a civil officer of the town, like Ambrose, unbaptised, was chosen ; and Basil was soon afterwards ordained by him to the priesthood. Eight years after- wards, Eusebius died, and Basil was pointed out by an almost universal consent as his successor. He held the see for nine years, a period of the fullest activity, in which he left his mark on the Christian Church and fully earned the title of " Great." Viewed from outside, his life presents a strange picture of a disordered and corrupt society, in the midst of which stood the Church, not by any means exempt from the evils which surrounded it, but on the whole working effectively for good. Viewed from within, it shows a very fine and nobly-gifted nature. Mr. Smith has described the spiritual and mental character of the man, and appreciated his work with much ability. It is easy enough to see in him the working of the sacerdotal principles which were soon to reach so vast a developement. But it had not proceeded so far as to forbid freedom and breadth of thought.
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