Letter 88: Severus urges Antioch to receive repentant people through lawful penitence without weakening the faith.

Severus writes to the orthodox clergy and people of Antioch with admiration. Though he is far away, he hears that they resist pressures from outside and govern their internal life with wisdom. They are guided by the gospel law, and their courage makes him marvel. Only now has he received the canonical letter sent to them by the exiled bishops in Alexandria about those who fell into heretical communion and now seek to return through lawful repentance. He praises the Antiochenes for proving that they are truly clergy and people by keeping the orthodox faith. The returning fallen must be handled neither with laxity nor with despair. Repentance must be real, legal, and ordered; yet the church exists to heal those who come back to the truth. Severus treats Antioch's discipline as a sign of vigor: the community is not merely surviving his exile, but acting with theological judgment. The letter also binds the scattered church together. Antioch, Alexandria, and the exiled bishops are not separate spiritual islands. What happens in one place affects the whole communion. Severus wants the Antiochenes to continue showing strength without cruelty and order without pride. Their task is to receive repentant people by the path the fathers have marked, while refusing to let the seriousness of apostasy disappear into easy reconciliation. His praise is therefore strategic as well as affectionate. Antioch's endurance proves that exile has not broken the church's center of gravity. If the clergy and people can deliberate with the exiled bishops and act canonically, then the communion remains alive despite distance. Severus wants them to understand their local decisions as part of that larger witness.

In everything the consideration of your vigour, church in Antiochus' city, causes me wonder, and the fact that you not only hold yourself readily and courageously against disturbing elements coming from without, but also manage your internal government wisely, and are guided in the right way by the gospel law. There has only just now come to the hearing of our meanness, far distant as we are in geographical situation, the epistle that was canonically addressed to ^ Jer. viii. 22. you by the saintly bishops, who followed Christ who said to His disciples, "If they persecuted me they will also persecute you,"^ and chose instead of their sees the sojourn in a strange land, and are settled in the great Christ-loving city of the Alexandrines, about those who have erred and fallen away to heretical communion, and have repented and wish to come back to the truth by the path of legal penitence, and to take thought for their salvation; ^ and that, after you who are in the city among the holy clergy and the believing people, who confirm the fact that you are clergy and people by keeping the orthodox faith, and are taught to "prove all things" and to "hold fast that which is good," as Paul says,^ had read the letter of the said holy bishops, you accepted the purport of the epistle, the contents of which are corroborated by the fatherly precepts of Timothy * of apostolic and combatant memory, who died, if one may so say, or to speak more correctly came to life, amid the toils of exile. Wherefore also I have praised and gladly accepted the unanimity and concord of you all in this matter too, and have cried in ad- miration over your city that which is really said by Micah the prophet, " The Lord's voice shall be named over the city, and He shall save them that fear His name:" ^ for one will not fall outside the limits of what is seemly if one call you the Lord's voice. For what ^ John XV. 20. 2 Cy[ As to the bearing of this upon the date see, note 3. 3 I Th. V. 21. 4 Cf. pp. 326, 339. ^ Mi. vi. 6. is the Lord's voice but assuredly that which is made - known by the laws of the Spirit, and confirmed by works, and in everything sets forth what is lawful, which also saves us? For it is seemly that you who have shown courage in the contests on behalf of piety should also not be without the virtues that are akin to this. Courage is then shown to be courage and not ferocity, when it stands boldly against the man who opposes, but towards the man who is bent bends itself pitifully. This is to " become everything to every man " ^ and from all sides to gain the power of assigning the proper treatment to different times and persons, and measuring- out to each man that which suits him. Hold therefore to the words canonically addressed to you, and walk in them without turning aside to the right or to the left as it is written,- but opening the door of penitence to every man, according to the different methods of healing and the character of the sins committed. Whereas some, as I learn, of those who are said to have been re-ordained, a thing horrible even to hear, assert that this mockery was not performed over them, and in some cases no witness of such presumption is now forthcoming, I have come to the conclusion that there is no violation of right principle in the discreet and practical course proposed - by the religious presbyter Philip of letting them assert this by oaths in writing. But in cases where there is confession, and an anathema of the man who ordained ^ I Co. ix. 22. ' Pr. iv. 27. them has been put forward by them, and a hateful and unlawful prayer has followed, such men everyone must regard in no other way than as men who have been re-ordained, and, as has been resolved, await a common inquiry by the saintly bishops at the proper time. After these rules have been thus observed, we ought not as I have said to block the lawful path of penitence. How shall we be able to block this, when the Lord cries from heaven and from above and says, " Knock and it shall be opened unto you"?^ It lies with us therefore in brotherly love to admonish those that are remiss to knock vigorously and wait: but to open lies with Him, not with us. Let us not usurp the Lord's authority. Let us leave Him His part: but let us perform ours with earnest- ness. Let us show ourselves mild to our fellow-slaves,, not harsh exactors of what is owing, inasmuch as we also are in need of mildness at the day of judgment. If you do this,. and practise the exercise of each virtue in due season and in accordance with right, you will be, as is said by Micah the prophet who was mentioned shortly before, "a marvellous remnant of Jacob among the kindreds amidst many peoples, as dew that falleth - from before the Lord," " and cools those that have undergone the assault of the devil's " fiery darts ": ^ and all who see and hear that you are guided by God in your actions "will say, 'This great people is a wise and understanding people.' And what great people 1 Mt. vii. 7. ~ Mi. V. 7. ^ Eph. vi. 16. V. 9- is there who hath God nigh unto them, as the Lord God in all things wherein we call upon Him?"^ Now that this has been begun let it also be carried further and brouorht to a conclusion, throua"h the prayers of all saints.