Nicene and Post-Nicene Church Fathers Series 2 - The Still Small ...

he is himself an adulterer because he makes her commit adultery; and the woman who lives
with him is an adulteress, because she has caused another woman’s husband to come over
to her.
X. Those who swear that they will not receive ordination, declining orders upon oath,
must not be driven to perjure themselves, although there does seem to be a canon making
concessions to such persons. Yet I have found by experience that perjurers never turn out
well. 2642 Account must however be taken of the form of the oath, its terms, the frame of
mind in which it was taken, and the minutest additions made to the terms, since, if no
ground of relief can anywhere be found, such persons must be dismissed. The case, however,
of Severus, I mean of the presbyter ordained by him, does seem to me to allow of relief of
this kind, if you will permit it. Give directions for the district placed under Mestia, to which
the man was appointed, to be reckoned under Vasoda. Thus he will not forswear himself
by not departing from the place, and Longinus, having Cyriacus with him, will not leave
the Church unprovided for, nor himself be guilty of neglect of work. 2643 I moreover shall
not be held guilty of taking action in contravention of any canons by making a concession
to Cyriacus who had sworn that he would remain at Mindana and yet accepted the transfer.
His return will be in accordance with his oath, and his obedience to the arrangement will
not be reckoned against him as perjury, because it was not added to his oath that he would
not go, even a short time, from Mindana, but would remain there for the future. Severus,
who pleads forgetfulness, I shall pardon, only telling him that One who knows what is secret
will not overlook the ravaging of His Church by a man of such a character; a man who originally
appoints uncanonically, then imposes oaths in violation of the Gospel, then tells a
2642 The Ben. note refers to the case of Dracontius, who had sworn that he would escape if he were ordained
bishop, and so did; but was urged by Athanasius to discharge the duties of his diocese, notwithstanding his oath.
2643 On this obscure passage the Ben. note is: Longinus presbyter erat in agro Mestiæ subjecto. Sed cum is
depositus essit ob aliquod delictum, ac forte honorem sacerdotii retineret, ut nonnumquam fiebat, Severus episcopus
in ejus locum transtulit Cyriacum, quem antea Mindanis ordinaverat, ac jurare coegerat se Mindanis mansurum.
Nihil hac in re statui posse videbatur, quod non in magnam aliquam diffcultatem incurreret. Nam si in agro
Mestiæ subjecto Cyriacus remaneret, perjurii culpam sustinebat. Si rediret Mindana, ager Mestiæ subjectus
presbytero carebat, atque hujus incommodi culpa redundabat in caput Longini, qui ob delictum depositus fuerat.
Quid igitur Basilius? Utrique occurrit incommodo; jubet agrum, qui Mastiæ subjectus erat Vasodis subjici, id est
loco, cui subjecta erant Mindana. Hoc ex remedio duo consequebatur Basilius, ut et ager ille presbytero non
careret, et Cyriacus ibi remanens Mindana tamen redire censeretur, cum jam hic locus eidem ac Mindana
chorepiscopo pareret.
To Amphilochius, concerning the Canons.
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