Letter 121

From: Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrrhus To: Anatolius, Patrician at Constantinople Date: ~449 AD Context: Theodoret rejoices that Pope Leo's Tome confirms his own Christological teaching, and sends both documents to Anatolius for comparison. To Anatolius the Patrician, The Lord who watches over and governs all things has now demonstrated both the apostolic truth of my teaching and the falseness of the slanders hurled against me. The writings sent by the godly and holy lord Leo, archbishop of great Rome, to Flavian of holy memory and to the rest assembled at Ephesus are entirely in harmony with what I myself have written and have always preached in church. As soon as I read them, I praised the loving-kindness of the Lord for not wholly forsaking His churches but preserving the spark of orthodoxy -- or rather, not a spark but a great torch, bright enough to kindle and illuminate the world. In his writings Leo has truly maintained the apostolic standard. In them we find what has been handed down by the holy and blessed prophets and apostles, by their successors in preaching the Gospel, and by the holy Fathers assembled at Nicaea [325 AD]. By these teachings I stand, and I indict all who hold other doctrines as guilty of impiety. I have placed one of the letters Leo sent to Ephesus alongside my own writings, so that when your excellency reads them you may remember the things I have often said in church, recognize the harmony of our doctrines, and despise both the liars and those who have set up their new heresy in opposition to apostolic teaching.

Letter 121 Please help support the mission of New Advent and get the full contents of this website as an instant download. Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more — all for only $19.99... To Anatolius the Patrician. The Lord who overlooks and governs all things has shown both the apostolic truth of my doctrines, and the falsehood of the slander laid at my door. For the writings sent from the right godly and holy lord Leo, archbishop of Great Rome, to Flavianus of holy memory and to the rest assembled at Ephesus, are entirely in harmony with what I myself have written and have always preached in church. So soon therefore as I had read them, I praised the loving-kindness of the Lord, in that He had not wholly forsaken the churches, but had protected the spark of orthodoxy; or — shall I not rather say?— not a spark, but a very great torch, such as might enkindle and enlighten the world; for he has truly, in his writings, observed the apostolic stamp, and in them we have found at once what has been delivered by the holy and blessed prophets and apostles, and their successors in the preaching of the Gospel, and moreover the holy Fathers assembled at Nicæa. By these I confess that I abide, and indict all who hold other doctrines as guilty of impiety. Side by side with these writings of mine I have set one of the letters sent by him to Ephesus, to the end that when your excellency reads them you may remember the words which I have often spoken in church, may recognise the harmony of the doctrines, and may hate the utterers of the lie as well as those who have set up their new heresy in opposition to the doctrines of the Apostle.