Life of St. Martin, dialogues, and letters More popular during the Middle Ages was Severus' Life of St. Martin, as were also the dialogues and letters which relate to the same subject. These works did much to establish the great reputation which that wonder-working saint maintained throughout the Middle Ages. The book is not properly a biography, but a catalogue of miracles, told in all the simplicity of absolute belief. The power to work miraculous signs is assumed to be in direct proportion to holiness, and is by Severus valued merely as an evidence of holiness, which he is persuaded can only be attained through a life of isolation from the world. In the first of his Dialogues (fair models of Cicero), Severus puts into the mouth of an interlocutor (Posthumianus) a pleasing description of the life of coenobites and solitaries in the deserts bordering on Egypt. The main evidence of the virtue attained by them lies in the voluntary subjection to them of the savage beasts among which they lived. But Severus was no indiscriminating adherent of monasticism. The same dialogue shows him to be alive to its dangers and defects. The second dialogue is a large appendix to the Life of Martin, and really supplies more information of his life as bishop and of his views than the work which bears the title Vita S. Martini. The two dialogues occasionally make interesting references to personages of the epoch. In Dial. 1, cc. 6, 7, we have a vivid picture of the controversies which raged at Alexandria over the works of Origen. The judgement of Severus himself is no doubt that which he puts in the mouth of his interlocutor Posthumianus: "I am astonished that one and the same man could have so far differed from himself that in the approved portion of his works he has no equal since the apostles, while in that portion for which he is justly blamed it is proved that no man has committed more unseemly errors." Three Epistles on the death of Martin (ad Eusebium, ad Aurelium diaconum, ad Bassulam) complete the list of Severus' genuine works. Other letters (to his sister), on the love of God and the renunciation of the world, have not survived.
Life of St Martin dialogues and letters More popular during the Middle Ages was Severus' Life of St Martin as were also the dialogues and letters which relate to the same subject These works did much to establish the great reputation which that wonder-working saint maintained throughout the Middle Ages The book is not properly a biography but a catalogue of miracles told in all the simplicity of absolute belief The power to work miraculous signs is assumed to be in direct proportion to holiness and is by Severus valued merely as an evidence of holiness which he is persuaded can only be attained through a life of isolation from the world In the first of his Dialogues (fair models of Cicero) Severus puts into the mouth of an interlocutor (Posthumianus) a pleasing description of the life of coenobites and solitaries in the deserts bordering on Egypt The main evidence of the virtue attained by them lies in the voluntary subjection to them of the savage beasts among which they lived But Severus was no indiscriminating adherent of monasticism The same dialogue shows him to be alive to its dangers and defects The second dialogue is a large appendix to the Life of Martin and really supplies more information of his life as bishop and of his views than the work which bears the title Vita S Martini The two dialogues occasionally make interesting references to personages of the epoch In Dial 1 cc 6 7 we have a vivid picture of the controversies which raged at Alexandria over the works of Origen The judgement of Severus himself is no doubt that which he puts in the mouth of his interlocutor Posthumianus "I am astonished that one and the same man could have so far differed from himself that in the approved portion of his works he has no equal since the apostles while in that portion for which he is justly blamed it is proved that no man has committed more unseemly errors" Three Epistles on the death of Martin (ad Eusebium ad Aurelium diaconum ad Bassulam) complete the list of Severus' genuine works Other letters (to his sister) on the love of God and the renunciation of the world have not survived