Letter 52: Severus tells John and John to be friendly toward orthodox outside clergy but not admit them to ministry without proper communion.

Severus tells John, John, and the rest that he had already answered an earlier letter, but the lack of a ship delayed delivery. On the new question, a slave sold by Jews, he does not write a fresh ruling. Instead, he sends them a copy of an answer he once gave to Theodore of Olba, so they can see the principle he had already reached. Severus treats such cases as pastoral and legal problems that require consistency, not hurried improvisation. He then turns to clergy who come from outside and hold the correct faith but are not yet united in communion with Severus' circle. These people should not be admitted to exercise ministry, because ministry requires recognized ecclesiastical communion. Yet they should not be treated as enemies. Severus urges the presbyters to keep friendly relations with them, encourage right belief, and avoid narrowing the Lord's ways by unnecessary suspicion. If such clergy want full communion apart from their own bishops, they must go to the archbishop of Alexandria or to the exiled bishops; local presbyters cannot grant that authority on their own. Finally Severus reports gloomy news from Isauria and First Cilicia. Orthodox clergy, monks, and laity are under pressure, and Stephen, whom Severus calls a disturber, is trying to draw corrupted clergy into his cause. Isidore the tribune has gone peacefully toward Pelusium and has promised to act according to God's will. Severus asks his correspondents to console Isidore, bishop of Chalcis, who is ill and being tested like metal in a furnace. They do not need this reminder, he says, because help and zeal already belong to their character, but he writes anyway out of distress and affection.

I sent an answer at once to the earlier letter which reached me from your sanctity: and, because no ship was at hand, the letter was delayed several days: but 1 expect that you have by this time received it. As to the epistle that has just been sent, about the slave who was sold by the Jews and the question regarding him, I have nothing to write. For a letter was written by me about a similar matter to a certain Theodore the God - loving bishop of Olba (this is a city in Isauria),^ and I have thought well to give an ison or ^ I R. iii. 9. ^ avaffiopd. ^ ix. 2. copy of it at the end of this letter, so that from it you may know what our own conclusion was. As to clergymen who come from outside, who hold the correct faith but are not united in communion with us, the answer is plain: i.e., that we must not admit these men to the exercise of the ministry: but in all other respects, in order to promote sound and correct opinions, must hold intercourse with them as with our own people and extend goodwill towards them. If we do not do this, we shall, unknown to ourselves, be circumscribing, so to speak, the right ways of the Lord. But, if any man, being a clergyman, wishes to hold entirely aloof from communion with those to whom he is subject, let him go to the God-loving archbishop of the city of the Alexandrines or to the banished bishops, and the privileges of communion \ will be properly conceded to him by them. For your..^ love of God it is a sufficient answer to these men to say that without the bishops you can do nothing, and this does not lie in your authority. By this plan you will be preserved from irregularity, and they from finding any occasion of stumbling or of offence. As to those in Isauria and in First Cilicia, an epistle that has just been sent to us is very gloomy: and, not to say anything harsh, it accuses those of _2^^ \ First Cilicia of remissness, and it announces a grievous ^ persecution and expulsion of the orthodox in Isauria, as well of the devout monks, as of the clergymen and of those who are among the believing people, not to speak of what has happened in consequence, that all have abandoned communion with Stephen the disturber, the present prelate, and are not unaware of his treachery and falseness and the evil habits ingrained in him. The wretched man has even presumed to send some of the clergymen who have been corrupted by him here also to the saintly I saurian / bishops in banishment, as if summoning them to him, I and heaping vanities upon vanities, as is written,^ and ^-^ " beating the air" in vain, as the Apostle says.^ How- ever these impious men do not cease from making con- fusion, and from audaciously attempting to no purpose even things that are impossible, and from polluting the water for drinkingr with their feet, in order to eive those who are not cautious turbid pollution to drink according to the prophetic saying.^ Isidore the illustrious tribune has started in peace for Pelusium, after promising the devout presbyter Thomas to do all things in accordance with God's pleasure. He had also after the conversation held here written to the devout presbyter Epimachus to tell his religious- ness to go in the direction of Pelusium. In order therefore that you may not be ignorant of what has happened, this also has been added in this letter. Console and comfort with loving disposition the God-loving Isidore bishop of the city of the men of Chalcis, who is troubled with a bodily infirmity, or rather who is being better proved in the furnace of trials; and reckon it all as a gift to me: though ^ Ec. i. 3 (?). ^ I Co. ix. 26. ^ Eze. xxxiv. 18, 19. I S3- I know that I am acting superfluously in this, since ready help and zealous attention in these matters are innate in you and belong to your character. For you must believe that I was much distressed when I learned that he had been again seized with the same kind of infirmity.