Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: Series II/Volume XIV/The Third Ecumenical Council/Extracts from the Acts 5

Extracts from the Acts.

Session II.&#160; (Continued.)

(Labbe and Cossart, Concilia, Tom. III., col. 617.)

And all the most reverend bishops at the same time cried out.&#160; This is a just judgment.&#160; To C&#339;lestine, a new Paul!&#160; To Cyril a new Paul!&#160; To C&#339;lestine the guardian of the faith!&#160; To C&#339;lestine of one mind with the synod!&#160; To C&#339;lestine the whole Synod offers its thanks!&#160; One C&#339;lestine!&#160; One Cyril!&#160; One faith of the Synod!&#160; One faith of the world!

Projectus, the most reverend bishop and legate, said:&#160; Let your holiness consider the form (&#964;&#8059;&#960;&#959;&#957;) of the writings of the holy and venerable pope C&#339;lestine, the bishop, who has exhorted your holiness (not as if teaching the ignorant, but as reminding them that know) that those things which he had long ago defined, and now thought it right to remind you of, ye might give command to be carried out to the uttermost, according to the canon of the common faith, and according to the use of the Catholic Church.

Firmus, the bishop of C&#230;sarea in Cappadocia said:&#160; The Apostolic and holy see of the most holy bishop C&#339;lestine, hath previously given a decision and type (&#964;&#8059;&#960;&#959;&#957;) in this matter, through the writings which were sent to the most God beloved bishops, to wit to Cyril of Alexandria, and to Juvenal of Jerusalem, and to Rufus of Thessalonica, and to the holy churches, both of Constantinople and of Antioch.&#160; This we have also followed and (since the limit set for Nestorius&#8217;s emendation was long gone by, and much time has passed since our arrival at the city of Ephesus in accordance with the decree of the most pious emperor, and thereupon having delayed no little time so that the day fixed by the emperor was past; and since Nestorius although cited had not appeared) we carried into effect the type (&#964;&#8059;&#960;&#959;&#957;) having pronounced against him a canonical and apostolical judgment.

Arcadius the most reverend bishop and legate, said:&#160; Although our sailing was slow, and contrary winds hindered us especially, so that we did not know whether we should arrive at the destined place, as we had hoped, nevertheless by God&#8217;s good providence&#8230;Wherefore we desire to ask your blessedness, that you command that we be taught what has been already decreed by your holiness.

Philip, presbyter and legate of the Apostolic See said:&#160; We offer our thanks to the holy and venerable Synod, that when the writings of our holy and blessed pope had been read to you, the holy members by our [or your] holy voices, ye joined yourselves to the holy head also by your holy acclamations.&#160; For your blessedness is not ignorant that the head of the whole faith, the head of the Apostles, is blessed Peter the Apostle.&#160; And since now our mediocrity, after having been tempest-tossed and much vexed, has arrived, we ask that ye give order that there be laid before us what things were done in this holy Synod before our arrival; in order that according to the opinion of our blessed pope and of this present holy assembly, we likewise may ratify their determination.

Theodotus, the bishop of Ancyra said:&#160; The God of the whole world has made manifest the justice of the judgment pronounced by the holy Synod by the writings of the most religious bishop C&#339;lestine, and by the coming of your holiness.&#160; For ye have made manifest the zeal of the most holy and reverend bishop C&#339;lestine, and his care for the pious faith.&#160; And since very reasonably your reverence is desirous of learning what has been done from the minutes of the acts concerning the deposition of Nestorius your reverence will be fully convinced of the justice of the sentence, and of the zeal of the holy Synod, and the symphony of the faith which the most pious and holy bishop C&#339;lestine has proclaimed with a great voice, of course after your full conviction, the rest shall be added to the present action.

[In the Acts follow two short letters from C&#339;lestine, one to the Emperor and the other to Cyril, but nothing is said about them, or how they got there, and thus abruptly ends the account of this session.]