Letter 14: Severus warns Antoninus not to support irregular ordinations and requests transcripts before deciding the case.

Severus tells Antoninus that he was glad to receive the tribune Antiochus because he came from Antoninus. Severus encouraged him to speak freely and to ask for whatever might help Antoninus spiritually. He also commended him to Bishop Thomas and repaid him, as far as he could, with prayers. Even the happy mistake in the address of the letters seems to Severus providential: it showed that he and Antoninus are wrapped up in one another by love in Christ and, like the believers in Acts, have all things in common. The letter actually meant for Antoninus has not yet arrived. As for the ordination at Chalcis, Severus calls truth to witness that no letter, report, or indication has reached him. Antoninus may well be exasperated by what has happened, and Severus does not fault that; such anger can belong to a disciplined man who assigns each matter to its proper time. Because Antoninus loves admonition and seeks wisdom, Severus speaks plainly. The men who managed Simeon, now at rest, were notorious for acting from money or passion rather than virtue. Antoninus should not have lent them his undefiled right hand when they were creating division among the God-loving bishops. If they wanted to ordain, they should first have shown that the act was lawful and canonical. Severus does not condemn before hearing the facts, but he asks for transcripts, exact information, and the circumstances of the ordination. Isidore's arrival will help the inquiry. Only after the facts are clear can Severus judge what should be done about that ordination.

We were glad to see even the illustrious tribune Antiochus inasmuch as he came from you. and we encouraoed him to converse constantlv with us, and to ask for everything that is in our power, and is for the spiritual assistance of your love of God. And we praised him to the God-loving" bishop Thomas, and, although we are sinful and vile, we repaid him by prayers. We have come to believe that the man who made the happy mistake in the address of the letters did not fall into the error without some divine provi- dence. For this showed clearly that the two of us are wrapped up in one another, being joined together by the love that is in Christ, and that we have all things common according to the commandment,^ and have nothino- of- our own. Know however that the letter which properly belonged to you but was addressed to us we have not yet received. As to the ordination at Chalcis (I call the truth to bear witness to my words) no letter has come to us, or any information or indica- p- ^4- tion. But, if you have in a philosophic manner been brought to a state of exasperation on account of the things that have happened among you, there is no cause for wonder: since this also is proper to the orderliness of your habits and to your discretion, which allots all ^ Ac. iv. 32 (?). things to the times suited for them. But, since we know that your holiness delights in words of admoni- tion, and that you are eager to amass all things that conduce to the salvation of the soul and the acquisi- tion of divine wisdom (for it is written, " The ear that heareth the reproof of life shall dwell among the wise,"^ and, "He that keepeth reproof loveth his soul " ^), we say with boldness the things that seem to us to be right. You also were not iornorant that those who managed Simeon whose soul is at rest (for he did not rule himself but was ruled by others) performed no sacred or ecclesiastical action except for money or under the influence of passion. For, if one may so speak, they were not known for virtue to any one of all the men who live in the East. To men such as •these therefore you should never have lent your unde- filed and sacred right hand, when they were making a division and presenting men for the sacred order of priests, especially when the ordination, performed as fraud. For how was it possible that a man who in time of health never did anything sound in such matters should in time of disease be in any but a diseased condition for examining the question of propriety? For that he was awake when he gave you permission neither do I dispute: I consider your testimony more trustworthy than all oaths and every ground of con- fidence. Still, since you thirst to hear things that ' Pr. XV. 31 (Hex.). " Id. xvi. 0- profit, there is a further point which I will not omit, that it would have been a thing in accord and very consonant with the devoutness of the rest of your life to tremble and hesitate to undertake ordinations that belong to others, and by actual deeds to show that it is with order and in all fear and only from actual necessity that you minister and serve even in those that belong to yourself. As to the question whether the ordination performed on the said persons ought to hold ofood or not, we believe that, after we have learned the whole character of the action and of the persons, we shall give a decision that agrees with the judgments of God, and shall urge that this hold oood: not because we do not think the fruit of your blameless hand perfect (this is beyond doubt), but because we are examining the question whether those who received the grace are worthy or not. In any case we think your love of God will be contented, since you do not even desire to be contented with things other than those with which God is contented. If our wretched discourses be copied out, we will send P- 66. them to you. For we have ordered them to be copied out, though we have not in plain fact even a man to copy. Before this present letter was closed, the God- loving Isidore bishop of the men of Chalcis arrived in our city: and this has been added to the things written, because we honour the truth before all things. And now it will be our endeavour to learn from him also what his disposition is with regard to the same aforesaid ordination