Letter 77: Severus assures John Canopites that he has warned against communion with adversaries and cannot be blamed for secret offenders.

Weak as I am, I write everything Your Holiness says on the tablets of my heart. I do not read your words hastily. I pray, as a sinner, that God will continue to give us your words in this time of trial. I often mention Basil and Gregory and keep their names on my tongue, though I have lived with nothing like their virtue. As for people who leave here for other provinces and communicate indiscriminately, my conscience does not accuse me of failing to teach with all my power that carelessness in this matter is a grave evil. When necessary I have shown even women that there is a great gulf between orthodox communion and that of the adversaries, and that we have no fellowship with hostile opinions. If some secretly associate in so many cities and provinces, that is not blameworthy in us. Reports are varied and change with time. One thing is certain: while God stretches out his hand, no one can drag us from the right faith. People may remove us by force from places and sees, but not from belief unless we choose it. Father, help us with all your power by stretching out your holy hands.

We for our part, feeble although we are, write everything written by your holiness upon the tablets of our heart, as it is written,^ and do not, as a man might think, read it over hastily. And we pray, as sinners, that your words may with God's help be continued to us in the time of trial. For I am in the habit of mentioning Basil and Gregory, and having their names constantly upon my tongue: but there is nothing resembling their virtue in me, seeing that I have passed all my life in negligence. As for those who, as your holiness says, starting from this place, go to other provinces ^ and communicate indifferently, my conscience does not smite me as not having given this injunction with all my power and all my capacity for teaching, and said that want of carefulness in these things is great wickedness; whence I did not shrink from giving personal demonstration and proof even to women, when need called, that there is a great gulf, as in the passage in the Gospels,^ between the orthodox communion and that of the adversaries, and that we have no communion or association with those of p- 301. adverse opinions. But, if some men associate secretly in so great a number of cities and of provinces,^ your sanctity knows that this reflects no blame on us. So far was I from being satisfied with the matter that I even wrote an epistle to some of our brothers in Alexandria to say that they ought not, on the pretext of worshipping in the holy places, to associate in communion with men of other opinions. These are our proceedings, and this is the position in which they stand. However matters are placed as in a balance and a scale of a balance, and we do not know what will be the result of the thing-s that are beino- stirred in the royal city and the things reported con- cerning the synod that is to be held,^ seeing that they are variously told and differently at different times. But of this one thing we for our part are assured, that, while God extends His hand, no one will be able to lead us away from the right faith. From places and from sees removal by force is possible: but from belief it is wholly impossible, unless we ourselves ^ Perhaps the conference of 532 (see Intr. p. viii). desire it, and the fear of God be lacking in our souls. For " the Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear Him and in those that hope for His grace," ^ as the singing prophet somewhere says. But you, father, help us with all the power that is in you by stretching forth your saintly hands