Letter 112: Severus affirms soundly testified ordinations while treating emergency baptisms with caution.

Severus writes to the fathers after receiving their testimonial for Aeneas, Zacharias, and Elijah. Aeneas and Zacharias have been admitted to the presbyterate, while Elijah has been admitted to the diaconate. This, Severus says, is how advancement should happen: with sound testimony, real need, and no self-pushing ambition. He then turns to doubtful ministries and baptisms. Those who received clerical names from Gregory, the follower of Theodotus the Re-anointer, must be treated as laymen. Yet the people baptized by them should not simply be counted as unbaptized. Severus notes that, in storms at sea and other emergencies, baptism has sometimes been given by laypeople or even received under desperate circumstances, with chrism added later. He is cautious about defining too much, but he refuses to create unnecessary panic. Isaiah the Armenian's follower, by contrast, should not even be dignified by discussion. Severus presents him as a self-made claimant to sacred rank, guilty of repeated oath-breaking and illegal ambition. He also warns that the bishop of Berytus has fallen into grave doctrinal error, so Severus has sent Eusebius and Victor to correct him if possible or expose him if necessary. The letter should be read to Zoninus, Irenaeus, Zenobius, Eubulus, and the rest, and Severus asks the fathers for earnest prayers.

Aeneas and Zacharias the devout deacons, and Elijah the devout monk, who have obtained a testi- monial from you, of which I also was not unaware, have been admitted by the Holy Spirit, the two former to the honour and second seat of the presbyterate, the last to the rank of the deacons, and to the status of the diaconate. I would that all were like these, men who are advanced to this position with a good ^ TtVAos. and sound testimonial, and because they are called by reason of being needed, and do not put themselves voluntarily forward out of unseemly ambition and self- will. And after other things. But those who re- ceived the name of clergymen from Gregory ^ the V follower of Theodotus the Re-anointer^ must in all points and by all means be reckoned among laymen. However, in the case of those who have been admitted to baptism by them, let no one say that they must be many when beset by a storm at sea, or by other press- ing circumstances of a similar kind, in order not to miss the invocation, have conferred baptism upon them- selves, either with their own hands or with the assist- ance of others who however were laymen, the rite being made complete for them by the invocation, and the anointing with the holy chrism ^ being added after- wards: although it is a matter of presumption for us to say anything decisive in such cases, and not to speak by way of investigation and consideration. As to the follower of Isaiah the Armenian,* let him not even be named, a man who like Dathan and Abiram rose not against Moses but against the high- priestly chrism, and wished not so much to be as to be called that which he also coveted. About him one might find many things to say, a man who, besides his illegal pretence in contravention of the canons, \ Cf. p. 208 ff. 2 cf. p. 185. ^ fivpov. ^ Cf. p. 208 ff. and P. G. Ixxxvi. 45. has also committed the very serious sin of oath- breaking, not once but twice also and thrice and many- times, and instead of the character of oath-keeping has gained that of oath-breakinsf. And no wonder. In fact in the times of the holy Timothy also they say that Cyrus the simple thus arose suddenly and out of self-will and fatuously pretended to hold the high-priesthood, and perished together with this drunken supposition. A7id again after other things. You write also about the bishop of the city of the men of Berytus, finding fault with the indiscriminating character p. 474- of his clergymen; and you are unaware that he has in fact fallen into the nets of Eutyches and of Valentine, and of those who have contracted the dis- ease of the phantasy^ and deny the true Incarnation. He has had the infirmity latent in him all this lono- time, and I do not know how it is that he has now brought it to light. For this reason also I have sent the religious presbyter and steward ^ Eusebius and the God-loving presbyter and entertainer of strangers Victor to the said city of the men of Berytus, in order to convert the man who has erred if he accepts correc- tion, or if he is contentious expose him by refutation, and subject him to the canons. This same man also admitted the man who was prelate of Scythopolis to honour after his decease, a man who was scarcely even a Christian as you yourselves also know, thus commit- ting a deed full of all folly and without discrimination. Wherefore also I meet with daily deaths, since I fight and strive with greater severity with those who are thought to be catholics than with those outside. For everyone who sins and receives any kind of admonition arms himself for strife and battle. And again after other things. But I beg that the letter be also read as usual to the saintly presbyter Zoninus and Irenaeus p- 475- and Zenobius and Eubulus and the rest. Through the persons mentioned, who appropriate the super- scription, this epistle was addressed to their love of God also; and through you I greet all the God-loving fathers and brothers who are with you, and I ask to have your God-beseeming prayers, given with great earnestness