This is the doctrine delivered to us by the divine prophets; this is the doctrine of the company of the holy apostles; this is the doctrine of the great saints of the East and of the West; of the far-famed Ignatius, who received his archpriesthood by the right hand of the great Peter, and for the sake of his confession of Christ was devoured by savage beasts; [2240] and of the great Eustathius, who presided over the assembled council, and on account of his fiery zeal for true religion was driven into exile. [2241] This doctrine was preached by the illustrious Meletius, at the cost of no less pains, for thrice was he driven from his flock in the cause of the apostles doctrines; [2242] by Flavianus, [2243] glory of the imperial see; and by the admirable Ephraim, instrument of divine grace, who has left us in the Syriac tongue a written heritage of good things; [2244] by Cyprian, the illustrious ruler of Carthage and of all Libya, who for Christ's sake found a death in the fire; [2245] by Damasus, bishop of great Rome, [2246] and by Ambrose, glory of Milan, who preached and wrote it in the language of Rome. [2247]
The same was taught by the great luminaries of Alexandria, Alexander and Athanasius, men of one mind, who underwent sufferings celebrated throughout the world. This was the pasture given to their flocks by the great teachers of the imperial city, by Gregory, shining friend and supporter of the truth; by John, teacher of the world, by Atticus, their successor alike in see and in sentiment. [2248] By these doctrines Basil, great light of the truth, and Gregory sprung from the same parents, [2249] and Amphilochius, [2250] who from him received the gift of the high-priesthood, taught their contemporaries, and have left the same to us in their writings for a goodly heritage. Time would fail me to tell of Polycarp, [2251] and Irenæus, [2252] of Methodius [2253] and Hippolytus, [2254] and the rest of the teachers of the Church. In a word I assert that I follow the divine oracles and at the same time all these saints. By the grace of the spirit they dived into the depths of God-inspired scripture and both themselves perceived its mind, and made it plain to all that are willing to learn. Difference in tongue has wrought no difference in doctrine, for they were channels of the grace of the divine spirit, using the stream from one and the same fount.
[2156] This document did not appear in the original edition of the Letters. A fragment in Latin was published in the Auctarium of Garnerius. The complete composition is given by Schulze from a ms. in the Imperial Library at Vienna. The date may be assigned as early in 431. As Cyril had weaned the monks of Egypt and even of Constantinople from the cause of Nestorius, so Theodoret attempts to win over the solitaries of the East from Cyril.
[2157] Jer. iv. 19
[2158] "Nihil contumeliosius," remarks Garnerius, "in Cyrilli personam et doctrinam dici potest." Some have even thought the expressions too bitter for Theodoret. But the mild man could hit hard sometimes. He felt warmly for Nestorius and against Cyril, and (accepting Tillemont's date) he was now about 38.
[2159] oikonomia. Vide p. 72.
[2160] John ii. 19
[2161] John i. 1
[2162] John i. 9
[2163] John xiv. 9
[2164] John x. 30
[2165] John x. 38transposed.
[2166] Hebrews i. 3
[2167] Phil. ii. 5, 6, 7
[2168] Romans ix. 5
[2169] Tit. ii. 13
[2170] Is. ix. 6. (LXX. Alex.)
[2171] Isaiah xlv. 14, 15
[2172] Matt. i. 23
[2173] Baruch iii. 35, 36, 37. From the time of Irenæus the book of Baruch, friend and companion of Jeremiah, was commonly quoted as the work of the great prophet. e.g. Iren. adv. Hær. v. 35, 1. cf. note on p. 165.
[2174] John vii. 19 and viii. 40
[2175] 1 Cor. xv. 21
[2176] 1 Cor. xv. 22
[2177] 1 Tim. ii. 5
[2178] Acts xvii. 30, 31
[2179] Acts ii. 22
[2180] Isaiah liii. 3 and 4
[2181] Psalm i. 2
[2182] Phil. ii. 6 and 7
[2183] John xii. 27
[2184] Matt. xxvi. 38
[2185] John x. 18varied.
[2186] Matt. ii. 20
[2187] Vide note on Page 203.
[2188] Isaiah xix. 1
[2189] 2 Cor. xiii. 4
[2190] 2 Cor. xiii. 4
[2191] Psalm cvii. 16
[2192] John ii. 19
[2193] Gal. iii. 16
[2194] 2 Tim. ii. 8
[2195] Romans i. 3
[2196] Romans ix. 5
[2197] Matt. i. 1
[2198] Acts ii. 30
[2199] Gen. xxii. 18
[2200] Here in the LXX comes in "The spirit of God." It is unlikely that Theodoret should have intended to omit this, and the omission is probably due as in similar cases to the carelessness of a copyist in the case of a repetition of a word.
[2201] Isaiah xi. 1, 2, 3, 7
[2202] Isaiah xi. 10
[2203] On the word Theotokos cf. note on Page 213. Jeremy Taylor (ix. 637 ed. 1861) defends it on the bare ground of logic which no doubt originally recommended it. "Though the blessed virgin Mary be not in Scripture called Theotokos the mother of God,' yet that she was the mother of Jesus and that Jesus Christ is God, that we can prove from Scripture, and that is sufficient for the appellation."
[2204] Luke i. 28
[2205] Cleobulus of Lindos is credited with the maxim ariston metron. Theognis, (335) transmits the famous meden agan attributed by Aristotle (Rhet. ii. 12, 14) to Chilon of Sparta. Ovid makes Phoebus say to Phæthon "Medio tutissimus ibis" (Met. ii. 137); and quotations from many other writers may be found all "Turning to scorn with lips divine The falsehood of extremes!"
[2206] John iii. 20
[2207] Joel ii. 17
[2208] Psalm lxxix. 4
[2209] Cf. Ephes. ii. 14
[2210] Psalm cxlvii. 2
[2211] John x. 10
[2212] John x. 11
[2213] Psalm xliv. 23
[2214] Psalm cxviii. 15
[2215] Psalm xc. 15
[2216] Psalm lxvi. 20
[2217] John xiv. 9
[2218] John xvi. 15
[2219] John x. 30
[2220] John i. 1
[2221] Phil. ii. 6, 7
[2222] Heb. ii. 16
[2223] Heb. ii. 14
[2224] John ii. 29
[2225] Luke xxiv. 39
[2226] John xix. 37. Cf. Zec. xii. 10
[2227] 1 Tim. ii. 5, 6
[2228] Tit. ii. 13
[2229] Rom. ix. 5. The first implicit denial of the sense here given by Theodoret to this remarkable passage is said to be found in an assertion of the Emperor Julian that neither Paul nor Matthew nor Mark ever ventured to call Jesus God. In the early church it was commonly rendered in its plain and grammatical sense, as by Irenæus, Tertullian, Athanasius, and Chrysostom. Cf. Alford in loc.
[2230] Is. liii. 3, 4
[2231] Isaiah liii. 8
[2232] Matt. ii. 6 and Mic. v. 2
[2233] Theotokos. cf. p. 213.
[2234] Matt. i. 23
[2235] Is. ix. 6. LXX. Alex.
[2236] Heb. vii. 3
[2237] Matt. i. 1
[2238] Luke iii. 23
[2239] Acts i. 11
[2240] The martyrdom of Ignatius may be placed within a few years of 110,--before or after. In the 4th c. Oct. 17 was named as the day both of his birth and death. Bp. Lightfoot. Ap. Fathers II. i. 30 and 46.
[2241] i.e. Eustathius of Beroea and Antioch, who, according to Theodoret (H. E. i. 6, p. 43.), sat at Nicæa on Constantine's right hand. (Contra. I. Soz. i. 19.) He was exiled on account of the accusation got up against him by Eusebius of Nicomedia.
[2242] Meletius of Antioch. cf. pp. 92, 93. He presided at Constantinople in 381, and died while the Council was sitting.
[2243] Of Constantinople, murdered at the Latrocinium.
[2244] Vide p. 129.
[2245] cf. Ep. LII. St. Cyprian was beheaded at Carthage, Aug. 13, 258, his last recorded utterance being his reply to the reading of the sentence "That Thascius Cyprianus be beheaded with the sword," "Thanks be to God." Theodoret's "fire" is either an error, or means the fiery trial of martyrdom.
[2246] Vide p. 82.
[2247] cf. pp. 110, 174.
[2248] i.e. Gregory of Nazianzus, put in possession of St. Sophia by Theodosius I. Nov. 24, 380, Chrysostom, consecrated by Theophilus of Alexandria, Feb. 26, 398; and Atticus, who succeeded Arsacius the usurper in 406.
[2249] Gregory of Nyssa. cf. p. 129.
[2250] Of Iconium. cf. p. 114.
[2251] 155.
[2252] c. 202.
[2253] Commonly known as bishop of Patara, though Jerome speaks of him as of Tyre. The place and time of his death are doubtful. Eusebius calls him a contemporary. (cf. Jer. Cat. 83, and Socr. vi. 13.)
[2254] According to Döllinger the first anti-pope. cf. reff. p. 177.
CLII. Report of the (Bishops) of the East to the Emperor, giving information of their proceedings, and explaining the cause of the delay in the arrival of the Bishop of Antioch. [2255]
In obedience to the order of your pious letter we have journeyed to the Ephesian metropolis. There we have found the affairs of the Church in confusion, and disturbed by internecine war. The cause of this is that Cyril of Alexandria and Memnon of Ephesus have banded together and mustered a great mob of rustics, and have forbidden both the celebration of the great feast of Pentecost, and the evening and morning offices. [2256]
They have shut the sacred churches and martyrs' shrines; they have assembled apart with the victims of their deceit; they have wrought innumerable iniquities, trampling under foot alike the canons of the holy Fathers, and your own decrees. And the action has been taken in face of the order given both in writing and by word of mouth by the most excellent count Candidianus, [2257] envoy of your Christ-loving majesty, that the council must await the arrival of the very holy bishops, coming from all quarters of the Empire, and then and not till then formally assemble in obedience to your piety's commands. Moreover Cyril of Alexandria had written to me, the bishop of Antioch, two days before the meeting of their synod, that the whole council was awaiting my arrival. We have therefore deposed both the aforenamed, Cyril and Memnon, and have excluded them from all the services of the church. The rest, who have participated in their iniquity, we have excommunicated, until they shall reject and anathematize the Chapters [2258] issued by Cyril, which are full of the Eunomian and Arian heresies, and shall, in obedience to your piety's command, assemble together with us, and shall in an orderly manner and with all exactitude, together with ourselves, examine into the questions at issue, and confirm the pious doctrine of the holy Fathers.
As to the delay in my own arrival be it known to your piety that, in consideration of the distance of the way by land,--and this was our route,--I have come very quickly, I have travelled forty stages without pausing to rest on the way; so your Christian majesty may learn from the inhabitants of the towns on the route. Besides this I was detained many days in Antioch by the famine there; by the daily tumults of the people; and by the unusual severity of the rainy season, which caused the torrents to swell, and threatened danger to the town.
[2255] Cyril's party met on June 22, 431,--numbering 198, in the Church of the Virgin. John of Antioch with his fourteen supporters did not arrive till the 27th. Unable to start from their diocese before April 26, the octave of Easter, they did not assemble at Antioch till May 10, and then were delayed by a famine. Immediately on their arrival the "Conciliabulum" of the 43 anti-Cyrillians met with indecent precipitancy.
[2256] Both parties, regarding their opponents as excommunicate, forbade them to perform their sacred functions.
[2257] "Comes domesticorum" commander of the guards, was representative of Theodosius II. and Valentinian III. at Ephesus. Candidianus was at first disposed to demur to the condemnation of Nestorius as disorderly and irregular, and to side with the Orientals.
[2258] cf. p. 292.
CLIII. Report of the same to the Empresses Pulcheria and Eudoxia.
We had expected to be able to report to your pious majesties in different terms, but we are now compelled to make known to you the following facts, forced as we are by the irregular exercise of despotic power by Cyril of Alexandria and Memnon of Ephesus. The proper course to have been pursued, in accordance with the laws of the Church, and the command of your pious majesties, would have been to wait for the arrival of the godly bishops on the road, and in common with them to examine into the questions at issue concerning the true faith, and investigate the point offered for discussion, and, after exact enquiry, to confirm the doctrines of the apostles. They had written to me that they would wait for our arrival. They heard that we were only three stages off. Then they assembled an unconstitutional council by themselves, and have ventured on proceedings iniquitous, irregular, and bristling with absurdities. And this they have done though the most honourable count Candidianus, sent by your pious and Christian majesties for good order's sake, expressly charged them, alike in writing and by word of mouth, to wait for the arrival of the godly bishops who had been convened, and to attempt no innovation on the true faith, but to take their stand on the directions of our godly-minded sovereigns. Now in spite of their having heard the imperial letter and the advice of the most honourable count Candidianus, they have nevertheless made naught of due order. As the prophet says "They hatch cockatrice' eggs, and weave the spider's web; and he that would eat of their eggs when he breaks them findeth rottenness, and therein is a viper," [2259] Wherefore we confidently cry "Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works."