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 EPHESUS

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EPHESUS

either deny the Godhead [Se6Ti;s] of the Only-begotten to have become man, or else admit the same of the Father and of the Holy Ghost." (Nestorius means that the Divine Nature is numerically one — and if Nestorius really said BibTTi^, and not inrbaTaais, he was right, and Acacius was wrong.) Acacius further accused him of uttering the heresy that the Son who died is to be distinguished from the Word of God. A series of extracts from the holy Fathers was then read, Peter I and Athanasius of Alexandria, Julius and Felix of. Rome (but these papal letters were ApoUinarian forgeries), Theophilus, Cyril's uncle, Cyprian, Am- brose, Gregory Nazianzen, Basil, Gregory of Nyssa, Atticus, Amphilochius. After these, contrasting pas- sages from the writings of Nestorius were read. These were of course -pieces justificatives brought forward by Cyril, and necessary to inform the council as to the question at issue. Hefele has wrongly understood that the bishops were examining the doctrine of Nes- torius afresh, without accepting the condemnation by the pope as necessarily correct. A fine letter from Capreoius, Bishop of Carthage, and primate of a greater number of bishops than any of the Eastern patriarchs, was next produced. He writes in the midst of the devastation of Africa by the Vandals, and naturally could neither hold any synod nor send any bishops. No discussion followed (and Hefele is wrong in suggesting an omission in the Acts, which are al- ready of extraordinary length for a single day), but the bishops accepted with acclamation the words of Capreoius against novelty and in praise of ancient faith, and all proceeded to sign the sentence against Nestorius. As the excommunication by St. Celestine was still in force, and as Nestorius had contumaciously refused to answer the threefold summons enjoined by the canons, the sentence was worded as follows: — The holy synod said: "Since in addition to the rest the most impious Nestorius has neither been willing to obey our citation, nor to receive the most holy and God-fearing bishops whom we sent to him, we have necessarily betaken ourselves to the examination of his impieties ; and, having ap- prehended from his letters and from his writings, and from his recent sayings in this metropolis which have been reported, that his opinions and teachings are impious, we being necessarily im- pelled thereto both by the canons [for his con- tumacy] and by the letter [to Cyril] of our most holy father and colleague Celestine, Bishop of the Roman Church, with many tears have arrived at the following grievous sentence against him: Our Lord Jesus (Jhrist, Who has been blasphemed by him, has defined by this holy synod that the same Nestorius is excluded from all episcopal dignity and from every assembly of bishops." This sentence received 198 signatures, and some more were afterwards added. A brief notification ad- dres.sed to "the new Judas" was sent to Ne.storius. The Coptic Acts tell us that, as he would not receive it, it was affixed to his door. The whole business had been concluded in a single long session, and it was even- ing when the result was known. The people of Ephe- sus, full of rejoicing, escorted the fathers to their houses with torches and incense. Count Candidian, on the other hand, had the notices of the deposition torn down, and silenced the cries in the streets. The council wrote at once to the emperor and to the people and clergy of Constantinople, though the Acts had not yet been written out in full. In a letter to the Egyp- tian bishops in the same city and to the Abbot Dal- matius (the Coptic substitutes Abbot Victor), Cyril asks for their vigilance, as Candidian was .sending false reports. Sermons were preached by Cyril and his friends, and tlie people of Ephesus were much excited. Even before this, Nestorius, writing, with ten bishops, to the emperor to complain that the council was to be- gin without waiting for the Antiochenes and the

Westerns, had spoken of the violence of the people, egged on by their bishop Memnon who (so the heretic said) had shut the churches to him and threatened him with death.

Five days after the first session John of Antioch arrived. The party of Cyril sent a deputation to ineet him honourably, but John was surrounded by soldiers, and complained that the bishops were creating a dis- turbance. Before he would speak to them, he held an assembly which he designated "the holy synod". Candidian deposed that he had disapproved of the assembling of the bishops before John's arrival; he had attended the session and read the emperor's letter (of this not a word in the Acts, so Candidian was ap- parently lying). John accused Memnon of violence, and Cyril of Arian, ApoUinarian, and Eunomian her- esy. These two were deposed by forty-three bishops present ; the members of the council were to be for- given, provided they would condemn the twelve an- atheraatisms of Cyril. This was absurd, for most of these could not be understood in anything but a Cath- olic sense. But John, who was not a bad man, was in a bad temper. It is noticeable that not a word was said in favour of Nestorius at this assembly. The party of Cyril was now complaining of Count Candi- dian and his soldiers, as the other side did of Memnon and the populace. Both parties sent their report to Rome. The emperor was much distressed at the division, and wrote that a collective session must be held, and the matter begun afresh. The official named Palladius who brought this epistle took back with him many letters from both sides. Cyril propo.sed that the emperor should send for him and five bishops, to ren- der an exact accoimt.

At last on 10 July the papal envoys arrived. The second session assembled in the episcopal residence. The legate Philip opened the proceedings by saying that the former letter of St. Celestine had been already read, in which he had decided the present question; the pope had now sent another letter. This was read. It contained a general exhortation to the council, and concl uded by say ing that the legates had instructions to carry out what the pope had formerly decided ; doubt- less the council would agree. The Fathers then cried: "This is a just judgment. To Celestine the new Paul! To the new Paul CyrU! To Celestine, the guardian of the Faith! To Celestine agreeing with the Synod! The Synod gives thanks to Cyril. One Celestine, one Cyril ! "' ' The legate Projectus then says that the letter enjoins on the council, though they need no instruc- tion, to carry into effect the sentence which the pope had pronounced. Hefele wrongly interprets this: "That is, that all the bishops should accede to the Papal sentence" (vol. Ill, 136). Firmus, the Exarch of Ctesarea in Cappadocia, replies that the pope, by the letter which he sent to the Bishops of Alexandria, Jeru- salem, Thessalonica, Constantinople, and Antioch, had long since given his sentence and decision; and the synod — the ten days having passed, and also a much longer period — having waited beyond the day of opening fixed by the emperor, had followed the course indicated by the pope, and, as Nestorius did not appear, had executed upon him the papal sen- tence, having inflicted the canonical and Apostolic judgment upon him. This was a reply to Projectus, declaring that what the pope required had been done, and it is an accurate account of the work of the first session and of the sentence; canonical refers to the words of the .sentence, "necessarily obliged by the canons ' ', and A posiolic to the words " and by the letter of the bishop of Rome". The legate Arcadius ex- pressed his regret for the late arrival of his party, on accoimt of storms, and asked to see the decrees of tlie council. Philip, the pope's personal legate, then thanked the bishops for adhering by their acclama- tions as holy members to their holy head — " For yoiir blessedness is not unaware that the Apostle Peter is