From: Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrrhus
To: Domnus, Bishop of Antioch [his metropolitan and ally]
Date: ~449 AD
Context: Theodoret warns Domnus about the dangers of the upcoming council, drawing parallels to the Arian crisis and urging him to defend the faith against Cyril of Alexandria's Twelve Chapters.
To Domnus, Bishop of Antioch,
When I heard that the emperor's hostility had ended, that he and the godly bishop had been reconciled, the summons to the council cancelled, and peace restored to the churches, I hoped our troubles were behind us. But what I now hear from your holiness fills me with dread. There is nothing good to hope for from this notorious council -- unless the merciful Lord in His customary providence undoes what these riotous forces have devised.
Even at the great synod -- I mean Nicaea [325 AD] -- the Arian party voted with the orthodox and signed the apostolic declaration. But they never stopped warring against the truth until they had torn the body of the Church apart. For thirty years the defenders of apostolic doctrine and those infected with the Arian heresy remained in communion with one another. Then at Antioch, after the council had seated the great Meletius on the apostolic throne and then within days ejected him by imperial authority, Euzoius -- a man carrying the unmistakable plague of Arius -- was put forward in his place. Immediately the champions of apostolic doctrine broke away, and the division has continued ever since.
When I look back at what happened then and look ahead to what may happen now, my spirit sighs and groans, because I see no prospect of anything good. The bishops of other dioceses do not recognize the poison hidden in the Twelve Chapters [Cyril of Alexandria's twelve anathemas against Nestorius]. Because of the fame of their author, they suspect nothing wrong. And his successor in the see of Alexandria is, I believe, using every means to get them confirmed at a second synod. If the man who recently wrote enforcing them and anathematized everyone who refused to accept them were presiding over an ecumenical council, what could he not accomplish?
Rest assured, my lord: no one who understands the heresy these Chapters contain will accept them, even if twice as many bishops decree their approval. I myself resisted at Ephesus [431 AD], even though a larger number had rashly endorsed them. I refused to communicate with their author until he agreed to the terms I laid down and harmonized his teaching with them -- without any mention of the Chapters. Your holiness can verify this easily by examining the synodical acts, which are preserved with the signatures, as is customary. There are more than fifty synodical documents recording the accusation against the Twelve Chapters.
Before the journey to Ephesus, the blessed John [of Antioch] had written to the godly bishops Eutherius of Tyana, Firmus of Caesarea, and Theodotus of Ancyra, denouncing these Chapters as Apollinarian [i.e., denying the full humanity of Christ]. At Ephesus itself, the exposition and confirmation of these Chapters was precisely why we deposed both the Alexandrian and the Ephesian bishops. Many synodical letters were written -- to the emperor, to the great officials, to the laity at Constantinople, and to the reverend clergy -- all about these Chapters. When we were summoned to Constantinople, we held five discussions in the imperial presence and afterward sent the emperor three formal protests. We also wrote to the godly bishops of the West -- at Milan, Aquileia, and Ravenna -- protesting that the Chapters were full of Apollinarian novelty.
Furthermore, their author received a letter from the blessed John through the blessed Paul, openly criticizing them, and likewise from the blessed Acacius. To give your holiness a concise account, I have sent you both the letter of the blessed Acacius and that of the blessed John to the blessed Cyril, so you can see that even when writing about reconciliation they criticized these Chapters. And the blessed Cyril himself, in his letter to the blessed Acacius, plainly indicated their meaning in these words: "I have written this against his innovations, and when peace is made they will be made manifest." The very defense proves the accusation. I have sent you a copy of what he wrote at the time of the agreement, so you can see, my lord, that he made no mention of the Chapters.
Those who attend the council are obligated to bring forward what was written at the time of the agreement, and to state plainly what caused the division and on what terms reconciliation was achieved. Those who are summoned to fight for the truth must shrink from no effort and must invoke divine aid, so that we may preserve unimpaired the inheritance left us by our forefathers.
Your holiness must look for bishops of like mind and make them your traveling companions, and likewise take clergy who are zealous for the truth -- lest, betrayed even by those on our own side, we are either driven to do something displeasing to the God of all, or, abandoned and alone, fall easy prey to our enemies.
Our hopes of salvation rest on the faith. We must leave no means untried to prevent anything false being introduced into it and the apostolic teaching from being corrupted.
I write these words from far away, with sighs and groans, and I beg our common Master to scatter this dark cloud and grant us once more the blessing of bright sunshine.
Letter 112
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To Domnus, Bishop of Antioch.
When news was brought to me that the pettiness of the victorious emperor had been put an end to, a reconciliation effected between him and the very godly bishop, the summons to the council cancelled, and the peace of the churches restored, I hoped that our troubles were a thing of the past. But I am deeply distressed at what I hear from your holiness. It is impossible to hope for any good from this notorious council, unless the merciful Master with His wonted providence shall undo the riotous demons' devices. Even in the great synod, I mean that of Nicæa, the Arian party voted with the orthodox and set their hands to the apostolic exposition. But they did not cease to war against the truth till they had torn asunder the body of the Church. For thirty years the supporters of the apostolic doctrines and they who were infected with the Arian blasphemy continued in communion with one another. But at Antioch, when the latest council was finished, when they had seated the man of God, the great Meletius, on the apostolic throne, and then after a few days ejected him by the imperial authority, Euzoius who was affected with the undoubted plague of Arius was put forward, and straightway the champions of apostolic doctrines seceded and thereafter the division continued.
As I look back on what happened then, and look forward to similar events in the future, my wretched spirit sighs and wails, for I see no prospect of good. The men of the other dioceses do not know the poison which lies in the Twelve Chapters; having regard to the celebrity of the writer of them, they suspect no mischief, and his successor in the see is I think adopting every means to confirm them in a second synod. For supposing he who lately wrote them at command, and anathematized all who did not wish to abide by them, were presiding over an œcumenical council, what could he not effect? And be well assured, my lord, that no one who knows the heresy they contain will brook to accept them, though twice as many men of this sort decree them. Before now, though a larger number have rashly confirmed them, I resisted at Ephesus, and refused to communicate with the writer of them till he had agreed to the points laid down by me, and had harmonized his teaching with them, without making any mention of the Chapters. This your holiness can ascertain without any difficulty if you order the acts of the synod to be investigated; for they are preserved as is customary with the synodical signatures, and there are extant more than fifty synodic acts showing the accusation of the Twelve Chapters. For before the journey to Ephesus the blessed John had written to the very godly bishops Eutherius of Tyana, Firmus of Cæsarea, and Theodotus of Ancyra, denouncing these Chapters as Apollinarian. And at Ephesus the exposition and confirmation of these Chapters was the cause of our deposition of the Alexandrian and of the Ephesian. Moreover at Ephesus many synodic letters were written both to the victorious emperor, and to the great officers, about these Chapters; and in like manner to the laity at Constantinople and to the reverend clergy. Moreover when we were summoned to Constantinople we had five discussions in the imperial presence, and afterwards sent the emperor three protestations. And to the very godly bishops of the West, of Milan I mean, of Aquileia, and of Ravenna, we wrote on the same subject, protesting that the Chapters were full of the Apollinarian novelty. Furthermore their writer received a letter from the blessed John by the hands of the blessed Paul, openly blaming them; and in like manner from Acacius of blessed memory. And to give your holiness concise information on the subject I have sent you both the letter of the blessed Acacius, as well as that of the blessed John to the blessed Cyril, in order that you may perceive that though they were writing to him on the subject of agreement they blamed these Chapters. And the blessed Cyril himself, in his letter to the blessed Acacius plainly indicated the drift of these Chapters in the words I have written this against his innovations and when peace is made they will be made manifest. The very defense proves the accusation. I have sent you the copy of what he wrote at the time of the agreement, that you may see, my lord, that he made no mention of them, and that those who attend the Council are under an obligation to bring forward what was written at the time of the agreement, and to state plainly what had caused the difference and on what terms the sundered parts were atoned. For they who are summoned to fight for the truth must flinch from no toil, and must invoke the divine aid, that we may preserve unimpaired the heritage bequeathed us by our forefathers.
Your holiness must look out for men of like mind among the godly bishops and make them companions of your journey; and likewise of the reverend clergy those who are zealous for the truth, lest betrayed even by them of our own side we are either driven to do something displeasing to the God of all, or, in our abandonment, fall an easy prey to our foes.
It is faith in which we have our hopes of salvation, and we must leave no means untried to prevent anything spurious being brought into it, and the apostolic teaching from being corrupted.
I write you these words from far away, with sighs and with groans, and I beseech our common Master to scatter this dark cloud and bestow on us once more the boon of the bright sunshine.
◆
From:Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrrhus
To:Domnus, Bishop of Antioch [his metropolitan and ally]
Date:~449 AD
Context:Theodoret warns Domnus about the dangers of the upcoming council, drawing parallels to the Arian crisis and urging him to defend the faith against Cyril of Alexandria's Twelve Chapters.
To Domnus, Bishop of Antioch,
When I heard that the emperor's hostility had ended, that he and the godly bishop had been reconciled, the summons to the council cancelled, and peace restored to the churches, I hoped our troubles were behind us. But what I now hear from your holiness fills me with dread. There is nothing good to hope for from this notorious council -- unless the merciful Lord in His customary providence undoes what these riotous forces have devised.
Even at the great synod -- I mean Nicaea [325 AD] -- the Arian party voted with the orthodox and signed the apostolic declaration. But they never stopped warring against the truth until they had torn the body of the Church apart. For thirty years the defenders of apostolic doctrine and those infected with the Arian heresy remained in communion with one another. Then at Antioch, after the council had seated the great Meletius on the apostolic throne and then within days ejected him by imperial authority, Euzoius -- a man carrying the unmistakable plague of Arius -- was put forward in his place. Immediately the champions of apostolic doctrine broke away, and the division has continued ever since.
When I look back at what happened then and look ahead to what may happen now, my spirit sighs and groans, because I see no prospect of anything good. The bishops of other dioceses do not recognize the poison hidden in the Twelve Chapters [Cyril of Alexandria's twelve anathemas against Nestorius]. Because of the fame of their author, they suspect nothing wrong. And his successor in the see of Alexandria is, I believe, using every means to get them confirmed at a second synod. If the man who recently wrote enforcing them and anathematized everyone who refused to accept them were presiding over an ecumenical council, what could he not accomplish?
Rest assured, my lord: no one who understands the heresy these Chapters contain will accept them, even if twice as many bishops decree their approval. I myself resisted at Ephesus [431 AD], even though a larger number had rashly endorsed them. I refused to communicate with their author until he agreed to the terms I laid down and harmonized his teaching with them -- without any mention of the Chapters. Your holiness can verify this easily by examining the synodical acts, which are preserved with the signatures, as is customary. There are more than fifty synodical documents recording the accusation against the Twelve Chapters.
Before the journey to Ephesus, the blessed John [of Antioch] had written to the godly bishops Eutherius of Tyana, Firmus of Caesarea, and Theodotus of Ancyra, denouncing these Chapters as Apollinarian [i.e., denying the full humanity of Christ]. At Ephesus itself, the exposition and confirmation of these Chapters was precisely why we deposed both the Alexandrian and the Ephesian bishops. Many synodical letters were written -- to the emperor, to the great officials, to the laity at Constantinople, and to the reverend clergy -- all about these Chapters. When we were summoned to Constantinople, we held five discussions in the imperial presence and afterward sent the emperor three formal protests. We also wrote to the godly bishops of the West -- at Milan, Aquileia, and Ravenna -- protesting that the Chapters were full of Apollinarian novelty.
Furthermore, their author received a letter from the blessed John through the blessed Paul, openly criticizing them, and likewise from the blessed Acacius. To give your holiness a concise account, I have sent you both the letter of the blessed Acacius and that of the blessed John to the blessed Cyril, so you can see that even when writing about reconciliation they criticized these Chapters. And the blessed Cyril himself, in his letter to the blessed Acacius, plainly indicated their meaning in these words: "I have written this against his innovations, and when peace is made they will be made manifest." The very defense proves the accusation. I have sent you a copy of what he wrote at the time of the agreement, so you can see, my lord, that he made no mention of the Chapters.
Those who attend the council are obligated to bring forward what was written at the time of the agreement, and to state plainly what caused the division and on what terms reconciliation was achieved. Those who are summoned to fight for the truth must shrink from no effort and must invoke divine aid, so that we may preserve unimpaired the inheritance left us by our forefathers.
Your holiness must look for bishops of like mind and make them your traveling companions, and likewise take clergy who are zealous for the truth -- lest, betrayed even by those on our own side, we are either driven to do something displeasing to the God of all, or, abandoned and alone, fall easy prey to our enemies.
Our hopes of salvation rest on the faith. We must leave no means untried to prevent anything false being introduced into it and the apostolic teaching from being corrupted.
I write these words from far away, with sighs and groans, and I beg our common Master to scatter this dark cloud and grant us once more the blessing of bright sunshine.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.