From: Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrrhus
To: Leo I, Bishop of Rome [Pope Leo the Great]
Date: ~449 AD
Context: Theodoret's famous appeal to Pope Leo after being condemned at the "Robber Synod" of Ephesus (449 AD). He praises Rome's primacy, defends his own orthodoxy, and begs Leo to overturn his unjust deposition.
To Leo, Bishop of Rome,
If Paul, the herald of truth, the trumpet of the Holy Spirit, hurried to the great Peter to bring back solutions for those at Antioch who were uncertain about living according to the law [Galatians 2:1-2], how much more should we -- insignificant and small as we are -- hasten to your apostolic see for a remedy to the wounds of the churches? Every consideration points to your holding the first place, since your see is adorned with so many distinctions. Other cities may boast their size, beauty, or population; some that lack these things are made illustrious by spiritual blessings. But on your city the great Provider has lavished good gifts beyond measure. She is the largest, most splendid, and most renowned city in the world, overflowing with inhabitants. She has won sovereignty and given her name to her subjects. She is adorned above all by her faith, as the divine Apostle testifies: "Your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world" [Romans 1:8]. If even after first receiving the seeds of the gospel her branches bore such admirable fruit, what words can praise the devotion she now practices?
In her keeping, too, are the tombs that illumine the souls of the faithful -- those of our common fathers and teachers of the truth, Peter and Paul. This blessed pair arose in the East and spread their light in every direction. Now from the West, where they willingly accepted the setting of this life, they illuminate the world. They have made your see most glorious -- this is the crown and completion of all your blessings. And in our own day God has adorned their throne by seating your holiness upon it, sending out the rays of orthodoxy. Of this I could give many proofs, but it is enough to mention the zeal your holiness recently showed against the Manichees, demonstrating your earnest concern for divine truth. Your recent writings, too, show your apostolic character. We have read what your holiness wrote concerning the incarnation of our God and Savior [Leo's famous "Tome"], and we marveled at the precision of your language.
For both documents set forth both the everlasting Godhead of the Only-begotten, derived from the everlasting Father, and the manhood derived from the seed of Abraham and David. The nature He assumed was in all things like ours, differing only in this: it remained free from all sin -- since sin springs not from nature but from free will.
The letters further teach that the Only-begotten Son of God is one, and His Godhead is without suffering, without change, without variation, like the Father who begot Him and the Holy Spirit. For this very reason He took on a nature capable of suffering -- since the divine nature cannot suffer -- so that through the suffering of His own flesh He might grant freedom from suffering to those who believe in Him. We admired the spiritual wisdom of these statements, praised the grace of the Holy Spirit speaking through you, and we call upon your highness to protect the churches of God now battered by this storm.
We had hoped that through the representatives your holiness sent to Ephesus [the Second Council of Ephesus, 449 AD, later dubbed the "Robber Synod"], the tempest would have been calmed. Instead, the storm has only grown worse. The bishop of Alexandria [Dioscorus] was not satisfied with the illegal and utterly unjust deposition of the most holy bishop of Constantinople, lord Flavian. His appetite was not sated by the similar destruction of the other bishops. He stabbed me too with his pen -- in my absence, without summoning me, without trying me, without even asking what I believe about the incarnation of our God and Savior. Even murderers, grave-robbers, and adulterers are not condemned by their judges until they have either confessed or been clearly convicted by testimony. Yet I, raised as I have been in the divine laws, was condemned at his pleasure while I was thirty-five days' journey away.
Nor is this all. Just last year, when two men tainted with the heresy of Apollinaris went to Alexandria and cobbled together slanders against me, he stood up in church and anathematized me -- even though I had already written to him explaining my beliefs.
I grieve over the disturbance of the Church, and I long for peace. For twenty-six years I have governed the church entrusted to me by the God of all, aided by your prayers. Never in the time of the blessed Theodotus, chief bishop of the East, nor in the time of his successors in the see of Antioch, did I incur the slightest blame. By the help of God's grace working through me, I rescued more than a thousand souls from the disease of Marcion's heresy, and brought many others over to our Master Christ from the Arian and Eunomian factions. I have done pastoral duty in eight hundred churches -- for the diocese of Cyrrhus contains that many parishes -- and in them, through your prayers, not a single weed of heresy remains. Our flock is delivered from every error. He who sees all things knows how many stones have been thrown at me by heretics, how many battles I have fought in most of the cities of the East against pagans, Jews, and every heresy. After all these trials and dangers, I have been condemned without a trial.
I await the sentence of your apostolic see. I beg and implore your holiness to come to my aid as I appeal to your fair and righteous tribunal. Command me to come to you, and let me prove that my teaching follows in the footsteps of the apostles. I have in my possession writings from twenty years ago, from eighteen, fifteen, twelve years ago -- works against Arians and Eunomians, against Jews and pagans, against the Persian magi, on divine Providence, on theology, and on the divine incarnation. I have interpreted the writings of the apostles and the oracles of the prophets. From all of this it is easy to see whether I have held to the right rule of faith or strayed from its course.
Do not, I implore you, reject my appeal. Look with compassion on the insults heaped upon my poor gray head after all my labors.
Above all, I implore you to tell me: should I submit to this unjust deposition, or not? I await your decision. If you bid me accept the sentence, I will accept it, and I will trouble no one further. I will wait for the righteous judgment of our God and Savior. God is my witness, my lord, that I do not care about honor or glory. I care only about the scandal this has caused. Many of the simpler faithful -- especially those I myself rescued from various heresies -- may defer to the authority of my judges and, unable to discern the exact truth of the doctrine, suppose me guilty of heresy.
All the people of the East know that during my entire episcopate I have not acquired a house, not a piece of land, not a single coin, not even a tomb. I voluntarily embraced poverty after distributing, at my parents' death, the entire inheritance they left me.
Above all, I implore you, holy sir beloved of God, to grant me the help of your prayers. I have entrusted this message to the reverend and godly presbyters Hypatius and Abramius, chorepiscopi [rural bishops], and Alypius, head of our monks. I would come to you myself, but I am held back by the chains of the imperial order. Treat my messengers, I beg you, as a father treats his sons. Give them a kind and impartial hearing. Protect my old age, slandered and attacked though it is without cause. Above all, with all the power you have, defend the faith that is under assault. Preserve the inheritance of the fathers unimpaired for the churches. Your holiness will receive the due reward for such deeds from the great Giver of all good gifts.
Letter 113
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To Leo, Bishop of Rome.
If Paul, the herald of the truth, the trumpet of the Holy Ghost, hastened to the great Peter in order that he might carry from him the desired solution of difficulties to those at Antioch who were in doubt about living in conformity with the law, much more do we, men insignificant and small, hasten to your apostolic see in order to receive from you a cure for the wounds of the churches. For every reason it is fitting for you to hold the first place, inasmuch as your see is adorned with many privileges. Other cities are indeed adorned by their size, their beauty, and their population; and some which in these respects are lacking are made bright by certain spiritual boons. But on your city the great Provider has bestowed an abundance of good gifts. She is the largest, the most splendid, the most illustrious of the world, and overflows with the multitude of her inhabitants. Besides all this, she has achieved her present sovereignty, and has given her name to her subjects. She is moreover specially adorned by her faith, in due testimony whereof the divine Apostle exclaims your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. And if even after receiving the seeds of the message of salvation her boughs were straightway heavy with these admirable fruits, what words can fitly praise the piety now practised in her? In her keeping too are the tombs that give light to the souls of the faithful, those of our common fathers and teachers of the truth, Peter and Paul. This thrice blessed and divine pair arose in the region of sunrise, and spread their rays in all directions. Now from the region of sunset, where they willingly welcomed the setting of this life, they illuminate the world. They have rendered your see most glorious; this is the crown and completion of your good things; but in these days their God has adorned their throne by setting on it your holiness, emitting, as you do, the rays of orthodoxy. Of this I might give many proofs, but it is enough to mention the zeal which your holiness lately showed against the ill-famed Manichees, proving thereby your piety's earnest regard for divine things. Your recent writings, too, are enough to indicate your apostolic character. For we have met with what your holiness has written concerning the incarnation of our God and Saviour, and we have marvelled at the exactness of your expressions.
For both writings agreed in setting forth both the everlasting Godhead of the Only-begotten derived from the everlasting Father, and the manhood derived from the seed of Abraham and David; and that the nature assumed was in all things like us, being unlike to us in this respect alone, that it remained free from all sin; since it springs not of nature but of free will.
The letters moreover contain this, that the Only-begotten Son of God is one, and his Godhead impassible, immutable, and invariable, like the Father who begot Him and the Holy Spirit; and that on this account He took the passible nature, divine nature being incapable of suffering, that by the suffering of His own flesh He might bestow freedom from suffering on them that have believed in Him. These statements and others of like nature were contained in your letters. We, in admiration of your spiritual wisdom, have lauded the grace of the Holy Ghost uttered through you, and we invoke and beseech and beg and implore your highness to protect the churches of God that are now assailed by the storm.
We had expected that through the instrumentality of the representatives sent by your holiness to Ephesus, the tempest would have been done away, but we have fallen under severer attacks of the storm. For the very righteous bishop of Alexandria was not content with the illegal and very unrighteous deposition of the most holy and godly bishop of Constantinople, the lord Flavianus, nor was his soul satisfied with a similar slaughter of the rest of the bishops, but me too in my absence he stabbed with a pen, without summoning me to the bar, without trying me in my presence, without questioning me as to my opinions about the incarnation of our God and Saviour. Even murderers, tomb-breakers, and adulterers, are not condemned by their judges until they have themselves confirmed by confession the charges brought against them, or have been clearly convicted by the testimony of others. Yet I, nurtured as I have been in the divine laws, have been condemned by him at his pleasure, when all the while I was five and thirty days' march away.
Nor is this all that he has done. Only last year when two fellows tainted with the unsoundness of Apollinarius had gone there and patched up slanders against me, he stood up in church and anathematized me, and that after I had written to him and explained my opinions to him.
I lament the disturbance of the church, and long for peace. Six and twenty years have I ruled the church entrusted to me by the God of all, aided by your prayers. Never in the time of the blessed Theodotus, the chief bishop of the East; never in the time of his successors in the see of Antioch, did I incur the slightest blame. By the help of God's grace working with me more than a thousand souls did I rescue from the plague of Marcion; many others from the Arian and Eunomian factions did I bring over to our Master Christ. I have done pastoral duty in eight hundred churches, for so many parishes does Cyrus contain; and in them, through your prayers, not even one tare is left, and our flock is delivered from all heresy and error. He who sees all things knows how many stones have been cast at me by evil heretics, how many conflicts in most of the cities of the East I have waged against pagans, against Jews, against every heresy. After all this trial and all this danger I have been condemned without a trial.
But I await the sentence of your apostolic see. I beseech and implore your holiness to succour me in my appeal to your fair and righteous tribunal. Bid me hasten to you, and prove to you that my teaching follows the footprints of the apostles. I have in my possession what I wrote twenty years ago; what I wrote eighteen, fifteen, twelve, years ago; against Arians and Eunomians, against Jews and pagans; against the magi in Persia; on divine Providence; on theology; and on the divine incarnation. By God's grace I have interpreted the writings of the apostles and the oracles of the prophets. From these it is not difficult to ascertain whether I have adhered to the right rule of faith, or have swerved from its straight course. Do not, I implore you, spurn my prayer; regard, I implore you, the insults piled after all my labours on my poor grey head.
Above all, I implore you to tell me whether I ought to put up with this unrighteous deposition or not; for I await your decision. If you bid me abide by the sentence of condemnation, I abide; and henceforth I will trouble no man, and will wait for the righteous tribunal of our God and Saviour. God is my witness, my lord, that I care not for honour and glory. I care only for the scandal that has been caused, in that many of the simpler folk, and especially those whom I have rescued from various heresies, cleaving to the authority of my judges and quite unable to understand the exact truth of the doctrine, will perhaps suppose me guilty of heresy.
All the people of the East know that during all the time of my episcopate I have not acquired a house, not a piece of ground, not an obol, not a tomb, but of my own accord have embraced poverty, after distributing, at the death of my parents, the whole of the property which I inherited from them.
Above all I implore you, O holy sir, beloved of God, to grant me the help of your prayers. I have told you this by the reverend and godly presbyters Hypatius and Abramius chorepiscopi and by Alypius exarch of our monks. I would hasten to you myself were I not kept back by the chains of the imperial order, which imprison me as they do others. Treat my messengers, I beseech you, as a father might his sons; give them kindly and unbiassed audience; deign to grant your protection to my old age, slandered as it is and attacked in vain. Above all, regard, to the utmost of your power, the faith conspired against; preserve for the churches the inheritance of their fathers unimpaired. So will your holiness receive the recompense due for such deeds from the great Giver of all good gifts.
In Migne's edition here follows the reply of Leo to Theodoret, which appears as Letter 120 in the works of Leo.
◆
From:Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrrhus
To:Leo I, Bishop of Rome [Pope Leo the Great]
Date:~449 AD
Context:Theodoret's famous appeal to Pope Leo after being condemned at the "Robber Synod" of Ephesus (449 AD). He praises Rome's primacy, defends his own orthodoxy, and begs Leo to overturn his unjust deposition.
To Leo, Bishop of Rome,
If Paul, the herald of truth, the trumpet of the Holy Spirit, hurried to the great Peter to bring back solutions for those at Antioch who were uncertain about living according to the law [Galatians 2:1-2], how much more should we -- insignificant and small as we are -- hasten to your apostolic see for a remedy to the wounds of the churches? Every consideration points to your holding the first place, since your see is adorned with so many distinctions. Other cities may boast their size, beauty, or population; some that lack these things are made illustrious by spiritual blessings. But on your city the great Provider has lavished good gifts beyond measure. She is the largest, most splendid, and most renowned city in the world, overflowing with inhabitants. She has won sovereignty and given her name to her subjects. She is adorned above all by her faith, as the divine Apostle testifies: "Your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world" [Romans 1:8]. If even after first receiving the seeds of the gospel her branches bore such admirable fruit, what words can praise the devotion she now practices?
In her keeping, too, are the tombs that illumine the souls of the faithful -- those of our common fathers and teachers of the truth, Peter and Paul. This blessed pair arose in the East and spread their light in every direction. Now from the West, where they willingly accepted the setting of this life, they illuminate the world. They have made your see most glorious -- this is the crown and completion of all your blessings. And in our own day God has adorned their throne by seating your holiness upon it, sending out the rays of orthodoxy. Of this I could give many proofs, but it is enough to mention the zeal your holiness recently showed against the Manichees, demonstrating your earnest concern for divine truth. Your recent writings, too, show your apostolic character. We have read what your holiness wrote concerning the incarnation of our God and Savior [Leo's famous "Tome"], and we marveled at the precision of your language.
For both documents set forth both the everlasting Godhead of the Only-begotten, derived from the everlasting Father, and the manhood derived from the seed of Abraham and David. The nature He assumed was in all things like ours, differing only in this: it remained free from all sin -- since sin springs not from nature but from free will.
The letters further teach that the Only-begotten Son of God is one, and His Godhead is without suffering, without change, without variation, like the Father who begot Him and the Holy Spirit. For this very reason He took on a nature capable of suffering -- since the divine nature cannot suffer -- so that through the suffering of His own flesh He might grant freedom from suffering to those who believe in Him. We admired the spiritual wisdom of these statements, praised the grace of the Holy Spirit speaking through you, and we call upon your highness to protect the churches of God now battered by this storm.
We had hoped that through the representatives your holiness sent to Ephesus [the Second Council of Ephesus, 449 AD, later dubbed the "Robber Synod"], the tempest would have been calmed. Instead, the storm has only grown worse. The bishop of Alexandria [Dioscorus] was not satisfied with the illegal and utterly unjust deposition of the most holy bishop of Constantinople, lord Flavian. His appetite was not sated by the similar destruction of the other bishops. He stabbed me too with his pen -- in my absence, without summoning me, without trying me, without even asking what I believe about the incarnation of our God and Savior. Even murderers, grave-robbers, and adulterers are not condemned by their judges until they have either confessed or been clearly convicted by testimony. Yet I, raised as I have been in the divine laws, was condemned at his pleasure while I was thirty-five days' journey away.
Nor is this all. Just last year, when two men tainted with the heresy of Apollinaris went to Alexandria and cobbled together slanders against me, he stood up in church and anathematized me -- even though I had already written to him explaining my beliefs.
I grieve over the disturbance of the Church, and I long for peace. For twenty-six years I have governed the church entrusted to me by the God of all, aided by your prayers. Never in the time of the blessed Theodotus, chief bishop of the East, nor in the time of his successors in the see of Antioch, did I incur the slightest blame. By the help of God's grace working through me, I rescued more than a thousand souls from the disease of Marcion's heresy, and brought many others over to our Master Christ from the Arian and Eunomian factions. I have done pastoral duty in eight hundred churches -- for the diocese of Cyrrhus contains that many parishes -- and in them, through your prayers, not a single weed of heresy remains. Our flock is delivered from every error. He who sees all things knows how many stones have been thrown at me by heretics, how many battles I have fought in most of the cities of the East against pagans, Jews, and every heresy. After all these trials and dangers, I have been condemned without a trial.
I await the sentence of your apostolic see. I beg and implore your holiness to come to my aid as I appeal to your fair and righteous tribunal. Command me to come to you, and let me prove that my teaching follows in the footsteps of the apostles. I have in my possession writings from twenty years ago, from eighteen, fifteen, twelve years ago -- works against Arians and Eunomians, against Jews and pagans, against the Persian magi, on divine Providence, on theology, and on the divine incarnation. I have interpreted the writings of the apostles and the oracles of the prophets. From all of this it is easy to see whether I have held to the right rule of faith or strayed from its course.
Do not, I implore you, reject my appeal. Look with compassion on the insults heaped upon my poor gray head after all my labors.
Above all, I implore you to tell me: should I submit to this unjust deposition, or not? I await your decision. If you bid me accept the sentence, I will accept it, and I will trouble no one further. I will wait for the righteous judgment of our God and Savior. God is my witness, my lord, that I do not care about honor or glory. I care only about the scandal this has caused. Many of the simpler faithful -- especially those I myself rescued from various heresies -- may defer to the authority of my judges and, unable to discern the exact truth of the doctrine, suppose me guilty of heresy.
All the people of the East know that during my entire episcopate I have not acquired a house, not a piece of land, not a single coin, not even a tomb. I voluntarily embraced poverty after distributing, at my parents' death, the entire inheritance they left me.
Above all, I implore you, holy sir beloved of God, to grant me the help of your prayers. I have entrusted this message to the reverend and godly presbyters Hypatius and Abramius, chorepiscopi [rural bishops], and Alypius, head of our monks. I would come to you myself, but I am held back by the chains of the imperial order. Treat my messengers, I beg you, as a father treats his sons. Give them a kind and impartial hearing. Protect my old age, slandered and attacked though it is without cause. Above all, with all the power you have, defend the faith that is under assault. Preserve the inheritance of the fathers unimpaired for the churches. Your holiness will receive the due reward for such deeds from the great Giver of all good gifts.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.