Calendar

Bishop of Caesarea
b. 330
d. 379

One of the Holy Doctors of the Church, Basil confronted Arianism, and in so doing defended the doctrine of the Trinity. He, along with the rest of his family (notably his sister Macrina), upheld orthodoxy and liturgy, and devoted much of his time and effort helping those in need, especially children. Indeed, Saint Basil is to the Eastern (especially Greek) Church what Saint Nicholas is to the Western.

Collect:

Collect:

Almighty God, who hast revealed to thy Church thine
eternal Being of glorious majesty and perfect love as one
God in Trinity of Persons: Give us grace that, like thy bishop
Basil of Caesarea, we may continue steadfast in the
confession of this faith, and constant in our worship of thee,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; who livest and reignest for ever
and ever. Amen.

Bishop of Durham
d.1752

Lesser Feasts and Fasts describes Joseph Butler's contribution in this way:

Joseph Butler, once called “the greatest of all the thinkers of the English  Church,” was born at Wantage, Berkshire, May 18, 1692, into a  Presbyterian family. He was educated at dissenting academies; but in his  early twenties he decided to become an Anglican. He entered Oriel College, Oxford, in 1715, and was ordained in 1718.

As a preacher at the Rolls Chapel for eight years, he made his mark, especially for his sermons on human nature. He served as rector of Houghton-le-Skerne (1712-25) and of Stanhope (1715-40), and as prebendary of Rochester (1736-38), before his appointment as Bishop of Bristol. He declined the primacy of Canterbury, but accepted the bishopric of Durham in 1750. He died at Bath, June 16, 1752, and was buried in Bristol Cathedral.

Butler’s fame rests chiefly on his acute apology for orthodox Christianity against the Deistic thought prevalent in England in his time, The Analogy of Religion, Natural and Revealed, to the Constitution and Course of Nature, published in 1736. By careful argument, Butler maintained the “reasonable probability” of Christianity, with action upon that probability as a basis for faith. His rationalism was grounded in a deep personal piety, although he had little sympathy for the enthusiasm of the Wesleyan revival movement. Yet, in their different ways, Bishop Butler and John Wesley contributed to the renewal of the Church in eighteenth century England.

Collect:

O God, who by thy Holy Spirit dost give to some the word of wisdom, to others the word of knowledge, and to others the word of faith: We praise thy Name for the gifts of grace manifested in thy servant Joseph Butler, and we pray that thy Church may never be destitute of such gifts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with thee and the same Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.