Letter 15: Severus tells Antoninus that just anger must still be governed by prudence and the rule that each person bears his own sin.

The arrogant acts committed by the Jews in this case are plainly beyond excuse, and they could rouse even a slow-tempered soul to just anger if that soul has been taught the doctrines of piety. Yet your own letters have already shown that people like you, who love God and have good judgment, must handle such matters wisely. For that reason we met together and discussed the whole affair with the glorious patrician and the lieutenant of the general of the East, your excellent uncle. As far as we could, we tried to prevent the evils that were about to arise. We wrote down what seemed best after deliberation and made it known to Your Holiness. That advice, given by their excellencies and by us in common with them, is complete; it remains for you to put the action itself on a proper footing. No penalty would be too severe for the arrogance involved. Still, those who lead the teaching of piety must not look only at what offenders deserve to suffer, but also at what we ourselves must refrain from doing. I say this not so that we neglect divine law, but so that, even while we sing with David that we hate those who hate the Lord, we also remember Moses' command: fathers are not to die for children, nor children for fathers; each person dies for his own sin.

That the presumptuous deeds of the impious Jews are beyond all forgiveness, and such as to stir and excite any soul to just wrath, even one that is not easily roused, if only it has been initiated in the doctrines of piety, is plain and manifest. But that those who like you are lovers of God and at the same time intelligent persons ought to handle such things in a wise way you have already shown in your epistles, the epistles to us and to the glorious patrician and lieutenant of the general of the East excellent in all good qualities, your uncle. Hence also we met together, and discussed the whole matter in conjunction, and endeavoured as far as possible to remove beforehand and prevent the evils that were about to spring up, and we set down what as the outcome of our deliberations appeared to us to be expedient and made this known to your sanctity. The indication given by their excellencies and by us who discussed the matter in common with them is therefore complete: but it will be a matter for your consideration to arrange the action to be taken on a proper footing. No punishment is severe enough for the arrogance of the Jews: but still men who stand at the head of the teaching of piety ought not to look at what they ought to suffer, but at what we ought to refrain from doing. This I say, not in order that we may take no account of the divine laws, but that, while singing with David, "I have hated them that hate thee, Lord, and against thine enemies have I been wroth," we may also have in our mind at the same time the commandment of Moses that says, "Fathers shall not die for children, neither shall children die for fathers: every man shall die in his own sin," and not, as is said by one of the wise men without, "The thing that so-and-so is so-and-so is not."