Letter 96: Severus tells Eleusinius what he has heard about John Florentinus, Soteric, false rumors of an anathema, and the orthodox response in Constantinople.

Many people are comforted by looking at portraits of those they love and think that, through the image, they have satisfied affection. I have not made an image of Your Holiness for myself; I have joined you to myself. For that reason I am drawn still more strongly to the picture of you in my mind. Every hour, if I may say so, my soul is struck with longing for your delightful and spiritual conversation, and I wish I could immediately enjoy speaking with you again and recover the joy we once had. I trust that the Giver of every good thing will grant this before long. I rejoiced greatly at your letter, and especially that the trial concerning the presbyters in the countryside did not become a snare for you. If they still have the same disposition, then when you meet them you will catch them too in your spiritual nets. You also described well the character of Isidore, that many-footed, unphilosophical, deceitful solitary. He has shaped his outward appearance to please everyone, while carrying within himself a smoking firebrand. I believe he will be consumed by the very fire he carries. You ask about the man recently set over Constantinople. We have learned that he is John, called Florentinus, who had served as syncellus [a senior clerical assistant] to his predecessor. He is thought to lean toward right doctrine and gives some pleasing hope to the orthodox, but he seems eager to follow a deceptive middle course like the one Timothy adopted in his synodical letter. There are two possible paths: either accept his synodical letter, if it truly matches the confession of the ten bishops and anathematizes Chalcedon, Leo's Tome, and those who divide our one Lord Jesus Christ into two natures after the union; or write clearly what would be unacceptable and say under what conditions communion with him could be received. I myself wonder whether anyone who accepts a synodical letter is not also obliged to communicate with those who bring it. This is also the course I am trying to follow, with God's help. Soteric, the God-loving bishop, is going to Constantinople with a similar purpose. Entrechius has done him much good since he came more thoroughly to our side, but now that Soteric has learned Timothy is dead and a successor appointed, he wants to delay the journey and see from events themselves what position the new bishop will take. If Soteric remains where he is, he too intends not to accept the synodical letter unless it contains something that can heal the division of the holy churches. Keep this to yourself, and tell no one. Know also that the reported anathema against us by the newly appointed bishop is false. A few men tried to spread that rumor, but they were exposed, and it became known who had employed them. The bishop himself never consented to take their rumor seriously, and we hear that some of them were arrested the next day. On New Sunday, so large an orthodox assembly gathered that those collected by the opposing party barely dared appear; they slipped away in fear. The magnificent and believing silentiary Conon, after speaking with the man who now ranks before me, found that he said things about unity and about my lowliness that sounded thoroughly orthodox. Still, I wonder whether he will withdraw from that middle position that leans in both directions. I write about the reported anathema only so you will know the sequence of events. I do not take such things seriously. Anathemas pronounced by people who are not in communion with those who hold right doctrine are like the decrees the Arians issued against holy Athanasius: they did not touch his faith at all. The one who can hear from Christ, "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church," because of sound faith, has the power of binding and loosing. But if someone is carried away from that rock, he is only beating the air.

Many men after gazing on the likenesses of those whom they love are refreshed and comforted, and think that by this they satisfy their affection. But I, not having fashioned a likeness of your sanctity for myself, but having joined it to myself, am the more attracted to the picture, and every hour, if I may so say, am smitten in my soul and yearn in thirst for your delightful and spiritual conversation, and wish to 24 VI. I. be immediately gratified by speaking with you, and to have again the former joy. But this I am well assured the Giver of all good things will give me and at no distant time. However I rejoiced excessively at the contents of your holiness' epistle, and that the affair of the trial concerning the presbyters in the country did not come upon you as a snare. For it is manifest that, seeing they are still of this disposition, if you meet with them, you will envelop and catch these also in your spiritual nets. You have also described very well and like men who are wise in all things the character of the many-footed Isidore, the unphilosophic and deceitful solitary, who for the destruction of the holy churches, as he thought, emulated the character of the cunning fox, and who composes his outward appearance only to an expression pleasing to everyone, but within carries a smoking firebrand according to the prophetic saying: ^ by which we believe that he will be utterly consumed, and will become fuel for it like faggot-material, and will not be changed into another man but reduced to ashes. As to the man who has just been instituted and holds the prelacy of the royal city, we have learned that he is John called by the name of Florentinus, who is thought to be inclined to the right opinions, vii. 4. " Lit. " John of Florentinus," i.e. 'Iwai'v>;s 6, not necessarily "son of Florentinus." and holds out some pleasing hopes to the orthodox, but is more desirous of adopting a deceitful middle course, and of walking himself also according to that model which Timothy his predecessor adopted in his synodical letter. There are therefore two ways; for we must say briefly what ought to be done as it occurs to my feeble mind. Either you must accept the synodical letter, though it does not contain the same sense as the document of the ten bishops or anathematize the transactions ^ of Chalcedon and the Tome of Leo and those who called and call our one Lord and God Jesus Christ two natures after the union; or you must write what is repugnant to you and say that if he show himself such and such you will accept communion with him. But I am wondering whether a man who accepts a synodical letter is not obliged to communicate with those who bring this to him. But the advice which I have given you is that which I also am endeayouring to carry out, God supporting my feebleness. Know that the God-loving bishop Soteric also is going up to the royal among cities with a similar purpose to that which you too declare in your letter. For the saintly bishop Entrechius has done him much good since the time that he has been more thoroughly on our side. Now however, now that he also has S. learned that Timothy is dead and his successor has been appointed, he wishes to put off the journey, and ' see by events themselves what position the man who now presides over the royal city is inclined to take up, and so prepare himself for the questions that will arise. But he too intends, if he stay where he is, not to accept the synodical letter, unless it contain something that tends to heal the division of the holy churches. But keep this to yourself and tell no man whatever. But know this too: that the anathema which has been reported to have been pronounced against us by him who has now been instituted is quite untrue. Certain men, in number very few, tried to make use of such rumours, and they were exposed and it became known by whom they were employed to do this: and the bishop who has now been instituted never consented to turn his attention to the rumours put about by those men: but on the next day we hear that some of them were actually arrested. However on New Sunday ^ so great an assembly of orthodox was purposely collected that those who were collected by a gleaning process by the heretics did not dare even to appear, but only to slink away and hide, and they were P 409. in great fear, and by flight gained freedom from all harm. The magnificent and believing silentiary Conon, when in conversation with him who now ranks before me, found that with regard to unity and with regard to our meanness he said such things as those who are 22, 518. exceedingly orthodox would say. But I am wonderine, as I also said before, whether he will withdraw from the middle position which inclines to both sides. My reason for writing about the anathema that has been reported was that I wish merely to inform you of the sequence of events: otherwise I take no account whatever of such things. Anathemas by men who are not united in communion with those who hold right opinions, but walk contrary to us, are similar to what one would consider those to be that were pronounced by the Arians against the holy Athanasius and decreed his complete deposition without touching his faith at all. He who on account of his sound faith was able to hear from Christ the words, " Thou art Cephas and upon this rock I will build my church,"^ has consequently also the power of binding and loosing, inasmuch as the heavenly mandate also sanctions such things. But, if he is carried beyond this rock, it is manifest that such a man does not escape detection as beating the air, as the Apostle says.^