§ 138. THE ECUMENICAL COUNCIL OJ Kl/IKSUS. 725
bishops: "The Lord Jesns Christ, who is blasphemed bj Liin [JSTestorius], determines through this holy council that Nesto* rius be excluded from the episcopal office, and from all sacerdotal fellowship." '
The people of Ephesus bailed tins result with universal jubilee, illuminated the city, and accompanied Cyril with torches and censers in state to his house.*
On the following day Kostorius was informed of the sentence ol deposition in a laconic edict, in which he was called a new Judas. But he indignantly protested against the decree, and made complaint in an epistle to the emperor. The imperial commissioner declared the decrees invalid, because they were made by only a portion of the council, and he prevented as far as possible the publication of them.
A few days after, on the 26th or 27th of June, John of Antioch at last reached Ephesus, and immediately, with forty-two bishops of like sentiment, among whom was the celehrateil Theodoret, held in his dwelling, under the protection of the imperial commissioner and a body-guard, a counter council or conciliabulum, yielding nothing to the haste and violence of the other, deposed Cyril of Alexandria and Memnon of Ephesus from all priestly functions, as heretics and authors of the Avhole disorder, and declared the other bishops who voted with them excommunicate until they should anathematize the heretical propositions of Cyril."
l^ow followed a succession of mutual criminations, invectives, arts of church diplomacy and politics, intrigues, and violence, which give the saddest picture of the uncharitable and unspiritual Christianity of that time. But the true genius of Christianity is, of course, far elevated above its unworthy organs, and overrules even the worst human passions for the cause of truth and righteousness.
' O $\a<T<pr]iJ.ri^ie\i roivvv rrap^ avrov Kvpios r]ij.^f ^lT]aovs Xpiarh^ wpiffe Sia rris TrapoiffTj? aytuiTarrii (rvv65ov, aWnrptov elyai rhv aurhv tiicrrSpiov rov eiziaKOiriKoi a^ido/iaros Koi Traj/rby TvWoyov UpariKov. M?J"lSl, iv. fol. 1211 ; Hefele, ii. 172.
' So Cyril himself compla-cently relates in a letter to his friends in Egypt. See Mansi, torn. iv. 1241 sq.
^ The Acts of this counter council in Mansi, torn. iv. 1259 sqq. (Acta Conciliabull). Comp. also Ilefele, ii. 178 ffi
726 THLED PEEIOD. A.D. 311-590.
On the lOtli of July, after the arrival of the papal legates, who bore themselves as judges, Cyril held a second session, and then five more sessions (making seven in all), now in the house of Memnon, now in St. Mary's church, issuing a number of circular letters and six canons against the Nestoriana and Pelagians.
Both parties applied to the weak emperor, who, without understanding the question, had hitherto leaned to the side of Nestorius, but by public demonstrations and solemn processions of the people and monks of Constantinople under the direction of the aged and venerated Dalmatius, was awed into the worship of the mother of God. He finally resolved to confirm both the deposition of Nestorius and that of Cyril and Memnon, and sent one of the highest civil officers, John, to Ephesus, to publish this sentence, and if possible to reconcile the contending parties. The deposed bishops were arrested. The council, that is the majority, applied again to the emperor and his colleague, deplored their lamentable condition, and desired the release of Cyril and Memnon, who had never been deposed by them, but on the contrary had always been held in high esteem as leaders of the orthodox doctrine. The Antiochians likewise took all pains to gain the emperor to their Bide, and transmitted to him a creed w^liich sharply distinguished, indeed, the two natures in Christ, yet, for the sake of the unconfuscd urdon of the two {aav^x^'^^'^ evwcns), conceded to Mary the disputed predicate theotokos.
The emperor now summoned eight spokesmen from each of the two parties to himself to Chalcedon. Among them were, on the one side, the papal deputies, on the other John of Antioeh and Thcodoret of Cyros, while Cyril and Memnon were obliged to remain at Ephesus in ])rison, and Is^estorius at his own wish was assigned to his former cloister at Antioeh, and on the 25th of October, 431, Maximian was nominated aa his successor in Constantinople. After fruitless deliberations, the council of Ephesus was dissolved in October, 431, Cyril and Memnon set free, and the bishops of both parties commanded to go home.
The division lasted two years longer, till at last a sort of