Letter 23: Severus instructs Solon to replace shepherds who deserted Meloe and Olba, while avoiding reckless or schismatic action.

Your Holiness acted rightly and in harmony with the divine canons by asking me about Musonius and Paul. Since they abandoned their own flocks and behaved like hired men rather than shepherds, what can be said except that they must be stripped of priestly authority and removed from the number of shepherds? The Lord himself says that the hireling flees when the wolf comes, because the sheep are not his. You must appoint shepherds quickly for the rational sheep: immediately for those at Meloe, since Musonius fled, and after winter for those at Olba, since Paul left for another reason and has not made his whereabouts clear. If bishops in Isauria ask the king whether they should assemble and report that these men have gone over to supporters of schism, they will act rightly. I write this weeping over our brothers' fall, not rejoicing in it. Because many matters press on us, I have referred the remaining question to the magnificent Oecumenius, who has already discussed it with us.

Your sanctity has acted rightly and has shown a disposition consonant to the divine canons in thinking it right to ask me about Musonius and Paul. But, p. go- seeing that they have left their own flock, and played the part of hirelings and not of shepherds, whatever else can one say except that it is necessary that these men should be stripped of all priestly authority, and that they should be cut off from the number of the shepherds? We know that our Saviour also says these words in the Gospel: "He that is an hireling and is not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, when he hath seen the wolf coming, leaveth the sheep and fleeth. And the wolf catcheth the sheep, and scattereth them. But the hireling fleeth because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep." ^ You therefore, in order that you may not be found liable to the very same punishments, are bound quickly to appoint shepherds for the rational sheep: for those that are at Meloe immediately and without delay, since, as I said, Musonius took to flight like a hirelino-, and made this excuse for his absence as you write (and we have heard others also who know state the same), though the canons do not allow a man to absent him- ^ John X. 12, 13. self from his flock on his own authority and without the consent of patriarchs or metropolitans: but for those at Olba after the winter season has passed, since it was for another reason that Paul set out for the p- 91- royal city, and it has not yet been made manifest to what city or country he went when he returned thence. But it is known to everyone that, when the deprivation of men who have utterly neglected their own cities is lawfully effected and in accordance with the precepts of the holy canons, others are appointed in the places of those who have been deprived. But, if you resolve to ask our pious king about this, I mean whether the God-loving bishops in Isauria ought to assemble and discuss the matter, and to compose a clear epistle and to report to his hearing that the men who have de- parted have tied to those who are eager to support their schism,^ you will be doing very rightly, and, as far as one can guess, not contrary to the intention of his"^ God- loving sovereignty. In my judgment this is a necessary and very advantageous step, and one which may show his - piety that we avoid the rocks on all sides, and keep to the royal road and to the unity of the holy churches. While writing these things we weep and groan, and do not rejoice at our brothers' fall, and we consider how, while Musonius was extending his eye- brows upwards and puffing out his cheeks, and de- voting- his attention onlv to iudgino- others, we were ^ Cf. p. 79. ^ Syr. 'their.' that he was inflamed with the passion of avarice. We have also letters of his which lay bare his passions that are so shameful/ As to the question I have thought it best to refer to the magnificent Oecumenius, since I have great confidence in your perfection, and because you love the man just as we do. Moreover by re- ferring the matter to a man who has already discussed this with us we shall escape the necessity,of using many words; for we have no leisure, and we are not even able to take recreation owing to the multitude of subjects of concern