Basil of Caesarea (Ad 329-379): They are charging me with innovation, and base their charge on my confession of three hypostases, and blame me for asserting one Goodness, one Power, one Godhead. In this they are not wide of the truth, for I do so assert. Their complaint is that their custom does not accept this, and that Scripture does not agree. What is my reply? I do not consider it fair that the custom which obtains among them should be regarded as a law and rule of orthodoxy. If custom is to be taken in proof of what is right, then it is certainly competent for me to put forward on my side the custom which obtains here. If they reject this, we are clearly not bound to follow them. Therefore let God-inspired Scripture decide between us; and on whichever side be found doctrines in harmony with the word of God, in favour of that side will be cast the vote of truth. NPNF2: Vol. VIII, Letters, Letter 189 - To Eustathius the physician, §3.
Greek text: Ἀλλὰ καινοτομίαν ἡμῖν προφέρουσιν, οὑτωσὶ τὸ ἔγκλημα καθ᾿ ἡμῶν συντιθέντες τρεῖς ὑποστάσεις ὁμολογούντων• μίαν ἀγαθότητα, καὶ μίαν δύναμιν, καὶ μίαν θεότητα λέγειν ἡμᾶς αἰτιῶνται. Καὶ οὐκ ἔξω τοῦτό φασι τῆς ἀληθείας• λέγομεν γὰρ. Ἀλλ᾿ ἐγκαλοῦντες τοῦτο προφέρουσιν, ὅτι ἡ συνήθεια αὐτῶν τοῦτο οὐκ ἔχει, καὶ ἡ Γραφὴ οὐ συντίθεται. Τί οὖν καὶ πρὸς τοῦτο ἡμεῖς; Οὐ νομίζομεν δίκαιον εἶναι τὴν παρ᾿ αὐτοῖς ἐπικρατοῦσαν συνήθειαν νόμον καὶ κανόνα τοῦ ὀρθοῦ ποιεῖσθαι λόγου. Εἰ γὰρ ἰσχυρόν ἐστιν εἰς απόδειξιν ὀρθότητος ἡ συνήθεια, ἔξεστι καὶ ἡμῖν πάντως ἀντιπροβάλλεσθαι τὴν παρ᾿ ἡμῖν ἐπικρατοῦσαν συνήθειαν. Εἰ δὲ παραγράφονται ταύτως ἀκολουθητέον ἐκείνοις. Οὐκ οῦν ἡ θεόπνευστος ἡμῖν διαιτησάτω Γραφή• καὶ παρ᾿ οἷς ἂν εὑρεθῇ τὰ δόγματα συνῳδὰ τοῖς θείοις λόγοις, ἐπὶ τούτους ἥξει πάντως τῆς ἀληθείας ἡ ψῆφος. Epistola CLXXXIX, §3, PG 32.685-688.
Gregory of Nyssa, the younger brother of Basil of Caesarea wrote: But the ground of their complaint is that their custom does not admit this, and Scripture does not support it. What then is our reply? We do not think that it is right to make their prevailing custom the law and rule of sound doctrine. For if custom is to avail for proof of soundness, we too, surely, may advance our prevailing custom; and if they reject this, we are surely not bound to follow theirs. Let the inspired Scripture, then, be our umpire, and the vote of truth will surely be given to those whose dogmas are found to agree with the Divine words. NPNF2: Vol. V, On the Holy Trinity, and of the Godhead of the Holy Spirit, second paragraph.
The two texts are virtually identical in patristic Greek, and most scholars now believe that the text originated with Gregory of Nyssa rather than his older brother, Basil the Great (of Caesarea). The text for Gregory of Nyssa can be found in Werner Jaeger, ed. Gregorii Nysseni Opera Dogmatica Minora, Vol. 3-I:5-6 (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1958). It is listed among Gregory's works in Migne PG 46 as "dubia" with no text. But most scholars, at least those whom I've been able to consult, have revised this view, and do indeed attribute it to Gregory of Nyssa.
DTK
Greek text: Ἀλλὰ καινοτομίαν ἡμῖν προφέρουσιν, οὑτωσὶ τὸ ἔγκλημα καθ᾿ ἡμῶν συντιθέντες τρεῖς ὑποστάσεις ὁμολογούντων• μίαν ἀγαθότητα, καὶ μίαν δύναμιν, καὶ μίαν θεότητα λέγειν ἡμᾶς αἰτιῶνται. Καὶ οὐκ ἔξω τοῦτό φασι τῆς ἀληθείας• λέγομεν γὰρ. Ἀλλ᾿ ἐγκαλοῦντες τοῦτο προφέρουσιν, ὅτι ἡ συνήθεια αὐτῶν τοῦτο οὐκ ἔχει, καὶ ἡ Γραφὴ οὐ συντίθεται. Τί οὖν καὶ πρὸς τοῦτο ἡμεῖς; Οὐ νομίζομεν δίκαιον εἶναι τὴν παρ᾿ αὐτοῖς ἐπικρατοῦσαν συνήθειαν νόμον καὶ κανόνα τοῦ ὀρθοῦ ποιεῖσθαι λόγου. Εἰ γὰρ ἰσχυρόν ἐστιν εἰς απόδειξιν ὀρθότητος ἡ συνήθεια, ἔξεστι καὶ ἡμῖν πάντως ἀντιπροβάλλεσθαι τὴν παρ᾿ ἡμῖν ἐπικρατοῦσαν συνήθειαν. Εἰ δὲ παραγράφονται ταύτως ἀκολουθητέον ἐκείνοις. Οὐκ οῦν ἡ θεόπνευστος ἡμῖν διαιτησάτω Γραφή• καὶ παρ᾿ οἷς ἂν εὑρεθῇ τὰ δόγματα συνῳδὰ τοῖς θείοις λόγοις, ἐπὶ τούτους ἥξει πάντως τῆς ἀληθείας ἡ ψῆφος. Epistola CLXXXIX, §3, PG 32.685-688.
Gregory of Nyssa, the younger brother of Basil of Caesarea wrote: But the ground of their complaint is that their custom does not admit this, and Scripture does not support it. What then is our reply? We do not think that it is right to make their prevailing custom the law and rule of sound doctrine. For if custom is to avail for proof of soundness, we too, surely, may advance our prevailing custom; and if they reject this, we are surely not bound to follow theirs. Let the inspired Scripture, then, be our umpire, and the vote of truth will surely be given to those whose dogmas are found to agree with the Divine words. NPNF2: Vol. V, On the Holy Trinity, and of the Godhead of the Holy Spirit, second paragraph.
The two texts are virtually identical in patristic Greek, and most scholars now believe that the text originated with Gregory of Nyssa rather than his older brother, Basil the Great (of Caesarea). The text for Gregory of Nyssa can be found in Werner Jaeger, ed. Gregorii Nysseni Opera Dogmatica Minora, Vol. 3-I:5-6 (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1958). It is listed among Gregory's works in Migne PG 46 as "dubia" with no text. But most scholars, at least those whom I've been able to consult, have revised this view, and do indeed attribute it to Gregory of Nyssa.
DTK
