Letter 51: Severus tells Philip to trust the testimony that admitted him to ordination and not overrule it by anxiety.

Severus answers Philip the presbyter with sorrow and sympathy, not as a stranger and not as someone above the law. Philip has written at length about sins of youth and priestly scruples, but Severus tells him that the sacred writings, not Philip's anxious self-accusation, must decide the matter. Philip confessed his youthful sins at the proper time to the common holy fathers. To Severus he has confessed them late, after the season when they could determine ordination. Philip argues that even now the canons exclude those who confess grave sins after ordination from sacred ministry. Severus knows the canon, but he refuses to annul the earlier testimony of John, the great man of God who presented Philip for ordination. Severus believes John would not have advanced him unless he had received confirmation from above. When past sins trouble Philip's memory, he should remember the father who testified for him and boldly perform the duties of the sacred ministry. Excessive scruple can become disobedience. Severus also rejects Philip's comparison with second marriage: second marriage is lawful but belongs to a lower order because it is an indulgence for weakness, whereas youthful sin can be healed by repentance. Philip may abstain for a time from offering the perfect sacrifice if he still shrinks from it, but he must not bind himself under a permanent inhibition. In every other priestly function he is not to be restrained.

I have read the words written by your religiousness, not without sorrow, but with sympathy: not like a stranger but like a brother: not as one who is above law, but as one who is subject to law. Wherefore I am writing to you that you may rejoice, not that you may be distressed: that you may know yourself, not that you may despair. Do not think that what you have written needs a refutation of the same lenofth. You perhaps made your letter so long from a desire to incline the reader to pity and draw attention to your purpose: but I listen to the sacred writings rather than to you: and in submission to the precise declaration of the Spirit I quote to you the ordinance of Koheleth which prdains that "there is a time for everything," and with the other things says this also, " A time to p. 161. weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance." ^ At the proper time, as you say, you con- fessed the sins of your youth to the common and holy fathers. But to me you made the confession at an improper time and after the fitting season; for I acquiesce in your written statement in order that you ^ Ec. iii. I, 4. may know that, as the sacred text somewhere says, it is right to obey God under all circumstances/ But perhaps you will say that even now you have not missed the proper time, seeing that the canons admit the confession of gfreat sins even after ordination, and exclude those who confess them from the sacred minis- try, and allow them to share only the privileges and the name of the priesthood.^ Know that I too am not unaware of this statute. But what can the effect upon me be when the Apostle cries, "The covenant which was before confirmed by God the law which was after- wards does not annul?"^ I describe as the covenant of God the testimony given by our common teacher and father John, the great man of God, when he pre- 162. sented you for ordination, and I heartily confirm it. It seems to me therefore great presumption for me to annul the testimony of a father of this character and such as he, or to add anything to this and give orders that go beyond it. For we all know that that man was not a doer of his own will, nor presumptuous in actions, but one who, if any other man besides, makes the blessing his own which is promised to those who "fear everything through devoutness."* Wherefore also I assuredly know that after the confession which you made of your sins, unless he had received confirmation by inspiration from above, he would not have advanced you to this rank. Whenever therefore any of the lapses that you committed in youth troubles your memory, recall your thoughts to him who gave you the testimony and forget yourself, and be " turned into another man,"^ and boldly perform the duties proper to the sacred ministry: and do not show yourself excessive in devoutness and trust yourself to the pronouncements of the thoughts, lest you hear the sacred scripture reproving you and saying, " Be not righteous overmuch, neither make thyself over wise lest thou be astonied." " Whereas you are here, there, and everywhere representing p- 163. second marriage as a thing that is less serious than the greatest sins and yet is excluded from priestly func- tions, know that such a conception falls outside the range of spiritual interpretation. A second marriage was granted by way of indulgence, as a support of weakness: and he who has resorted to this of his own will and by deliberate judgment has enrolled himself among- those that are weak and have been g-ranted an indulgence and are in the second order, and are not raised to the first sacred rank. It is therefore manifest presumption, and contempt of the sacred laws, for a man to enrol himself among those that are weak and objects of indulgence, and to do this with the law's aid and openly, and then strive to rise to the first sacred rank, which is composed of those who are sound. But a man who has sinned in the times of his youth has not fallen under sin because he judged it lawful to sin, but has committed an involuntary lapse, insomuch that he may be purified by penitence. I do not say this in ^ I R. X. 6. ^ Ec. vii. 17. order to show a second marriage to be a sin (far be it!); it is rather a support for weakness, that does not place those who are. married outside the company of those who are saved, but assigns them a low rank. it bids you perform priestly functions say the words •that are written, " Speak, Lord, for thy bondsman heareth."^ However, if for the present you shrink from offering" the perfect sacrifice, I will allow you to abstain for a time, but not to go so far as to bind yourself under such an inhibition. But in all other functions you shall not be restrained in any way whatever