Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: Series II/Volume XIV/The Second Ecumenical Council/Historical Note

Historical Note on the Lost &#8220;Tome&#8221; of the Second Council.

We know from the Synodical letter sent by the bishops who assembled at Constantinople in 382 (the next year after the Second Ecumenical Council) sent to Pope Damasus and other Western bishops, that the Second Council set forth a &#8220;Tome,&#8221; containing a statement of the doctrinal points at issue.&#160; This letter will be found in full at the end of the treatment of this council.&#160; The Council of Chalcedon in its address to the Emperor says:&#160; &#8220;The bishops who at Constantinople detected the taint of Apollinarianism, communicated to the Westerns their decision in the matter.&#8221;&#160; From this we may reasonably conclude, with Tillemont, that the lost Tome treated also of the Apollinarian heresy.&#160; It is moreover by no means unlikely that the Creed as it has come down to us, was the summary at the end of the Tome, and was followed by the anathemas which now form our Canon I.&#160; It also is likely that the very accurate doctrinal statements contained in the Letter of the Synod of 382 may be taken almost, if not quite, verbatim from this Tome.&#160; It seems perfectly evident that at least one copy of the Tome was sent to the West but how it got lost is a matter on which at present we are entirely in the dark.